Cordae (legal name Cordae Dunston) is being sued for at least $25 million by his longtime label MMMG Inc. (operating publicly as Art@WAR) over his collaborative album with Anderson .Paak.
The lawsuit, filed October 15, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (case 1:26-cv-09079), names Cordae plus EMPIRE Distribution, Apeshit Inc., and Mass Appeal Records as defendants. Anderson .Paak is not personally named. It seeks damages and an injunction to block the release of recordings MMMG claims to own.
The Contract and Background
MMMG, founded by music executive and attorney James McMillan, signed Cordae to an exclusive recording agreement in April 2018 (around the same time it signed other YBN members like YBN Nahmir and YBN Almighty Jay). The deal was distributed through Atlantic Records. Cordae released his early albums under this arrangement, including work leading up to his 2024 solo album The Crossroads (Art@WAR/Atlantic).
According to the complaint:
- MMMG owns 100% of the masters (as works made for hire or via assignment) made during the still-ongoing term.
- It holds exclusive rights to his merchandising (50/50 net split), touring, endorsements, and other “ancillary endeavors” (MMMG entitled to 30% of net receipts).
- Cordae has allegedly breached these for years by handling merch, touring, and related revenue independently and not paying MMMG its share.
The Distributor Dispute
A key flashpoint is distribution. On September 2, 2025, Atlantic terminated its distribution deal with MMMG. Two days later, MMMG notified Cordae’s team that it had lined up Stem (a Concord distribution platform) as a replacement. The contract reportedly gave MMMG six months to secure a “qualified distributor.”
Cordae’s side has argued that the Stem arrangement does not satisfy the contract’s requirements (including issues around an inducement letter agreeing to the terms), so the deal is no longer valid. MMMG calls this argument “utterly lacking in merit” and in bad faith, saying the contract has no such inducement-letter requirement and that Cordae raised objections after any relevant deadline. MMMG maintains the exclusive agreement remains fully in force.
The Album at the Center
Cordae and Anderson .Paak announced their first full collaborative album, Heavy Is the Crown, in mid-to-late August 2026, with a release date of October 23, 2026, via APESHIT (Paak’s label), Mass Appeal, Hi Level, and EMPIRE. The project follows their earlier collaborations, including “RNP” (from Cordae’s 2019 debut The Lost Boy), “Two Tens,” and “Summer Drop.”
The lead single “A Good Day” (with a Dave Meyers-directed video) dropped September 16, 2026. MMMG says it sent cease-and-desist letters after the album announcement (around August 20), warning that the project violated its rights, but the parties proceeded anyway. The complaint alleges the defendants never sought or received a license from MMMG.
Claims and Damages Sought
The lawsuit breaks down roughly as:
- Copyright infringement (against all defendants) over “A Good Day” and its video: at least $5 million.
- Breach of contract (against Cordae) covering both the exclusive recording services and the alleged unpaid merch/touring/endorsement revenue: at least $15 million.
- Tortious interference (against EMPIRE, Apeshit, and Mass Appeal): at least $5 million.
It also asks for an injunction to stop further release/distribution of the disputed recordings, plus a jury trial. The complaint states that additional copyright claims will follow if more tracks from the album are released. MMMG argues it invested heavily in Cordae’s career and that he has “put his head in the sand and pretend[ed] that the agreement does not even exist.”
Current Status
As of the latest reports, Heavy Is the Crown was still scheduled for October 23. Cordae has continued publicly promoting the project. No detailed public response or counter-statement from Cordae, EMPIRE, Mass Appeal, or the other defendants has been widely reported yet (outlets noted they had reached out for comment). The case is very new, so the injunction request and the album’s actual release status will depend on court action and any last-minute developments.
In short, this is a classic artist-label exclusivity and ownership fight that escalated right before a high-profile release. The core legal questions are whether the 2018 deal is still binding after the Atlantic-to-Stem switch, and whether Cordae (and the other labels) violated MMMG’s claimed rights by releasing the Paak collaboration and related material outside the agreement.
