Jermaine Dupri and Jacquees Hit With Copyright Lawsuit Over ‘Pick It Up’ Collab

Jermaine Dupri and Jacquees are being sued over claims that their 2023 single “Pick It Up” copied a 1992 song of the same name.

Florida brothers Van and Patrick Watler, who made up the ’90s rap duo Home Team, accused Dupri and Jacquees of copyright infringement and unjust enrichment in a Sept. 21 lawsuit obtained by Billboard. The complaint also names indie record label Mass Appeal, which put out “Pick It Up.”

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The Watlers claim this 2023 single copied both the lyrics and melody from their own 1992 track, also called “Pick It Up.” The brothers say nobody from the label or artists’ teams ever attempted to contact them for clearance.

“Dupri, Jacquees and Mass Appeal all knew or should have known that the song contained the lyrics and the melody/harmony from the original song,” reads the lawsuit. “The Defendants, while working in conjunction with each other, have obtained, on information and belief, hundreds of thousands of dollars associated with the song from their exploitation, sale, downloads, licensing, radio airplay, synchronization and digital streaming in violation of Plaintiffs’ rights.”

The Watler brothers are seeking the maximum statutory damages of $150,000 for copyright infringement. They also want a legal injunction that would force Dupri and Jacquees to add them as co-writers and give them a percentage of the publishing for the 2023 “Pick it Up.”

Reps for Dupri, Jacquees and Mass Appeal did not immediately return requests for comment on Monday (Sept. 28).

The lawsuit was filed less than a month after Dupri ended a separate legal battle with Sony Music over royalty accounting. The legendary hip-hop producer sued Sony in July, claiming he was owed $18 million in unpaid royalties tied to albums from Mariah Carey, Usher and others.  He dropped the suit in late August.