Musicbusinessworldwide.com
Chris Brown and several Universal Music-affiliated companies have reached an agreement in principle to resolve a copyright lawsuit brought by songwriter Steve Chokpelle, who alleged he was denied proper credit and compensation for his contributions to two successful recordings, “Sensational” and “Monalisa.”
Court filings submitted in New York federal court indicate that the settlement will fully resolve Chokpelle’s claims against Brown and the Universal entities named in the lawsuit. While the financial terms of the agreement have not been made public, both sides have requested a temporary pause in proceedings to finalize the settlement documentation before formally dismissing those claims.
The case, filed earlier this year, centered on allegations that Chokpelle, who records under the name Muso, contributed lyrics and songwriting elements to both tracks but was excluded from official credits and royalty participation. According to the complaint, Chokpelle claimed his involvement dated back to collaborative sessions involving Brown and Sean Kingston several years before the songs’ eventual release.
Among the works at issue was “Monalisa,” which later gained international attention through a remix featuring Afrobeats artists Lojay and Sarz. The lawsuit also targeted “Sensational”, a standout track from Brown’s Grammy-winning album “11:11,” which became a major success on R&B radio and streaming platforms.
Although the settlement removes Brown and the Universal companies from the dispute, the litigation is not entirely over. Claims against co-defendant Sean Kingston, his business entities and several unnamed parties remain unresolved and continue to move through the court system.
The lawsuit sought both financial damages and formal recognition of Chokpelle’s alleged authorship interests in the songs. Before the settlement, attorneys representing Brown and the music companies had challenged the case on multiple legal grounds, including procedural and timing-related defenses.
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