Songwriter Sues Chris Brown for $1 Million Over Unpaid Royalties

 

R&B icon Chris Brown is facing a federal legal battle after lyricist Steve Chokpelle, known as Muse, filed a lawsuit claiming he was excluded from royalties for two major hits. The complaint, filed in a New York federal court, alleges that Chokpelle’s contributions to the songs Sensational and Monalisa have gone uncompensated despite their massive commercial success.,

According to the filing, Chokpelle co-wrote the lyrics for Monalisa during a 2020 session at Brown’s residence in Tarzana, California. The track, a collaboration with Lojay and Sarz, became a global Afrobeats anthem, yet Chokpelle claims he received neither credit nor payment.

The dispute extends to the 2023 single Sensational from Brown’s album 11:11. While Chokpelle is listed as a composer on some platforms, he alleges he was intentionally left off the formal copyright registration. This technical omission has reportedly blocked him from receiving any portion of the song's earnings.

The lawsuit names Chris Brown, Sean Kingston, Sony Music Entertainment, and Unsiversal Music Publishing Group as defendants. Chokpelle is seeking:

A court order declaring him a legal co-author and co-owner of both works.

 At least $1 million in damages for fraud and unjust enrichment.

The filing notes that while the defendants have earned millions from the commercial exploitation of these tracks, the plaintiff has been left without financial recognition. At this time, representatives for the music labels and Brown have not commented on the pending litigation.