T-Pain has filed a new lawsuit against Akon’s Konvict Entertainment, accusing the record label of failing to pay him $489,047 in royalties from his music and allegedly breaching the terms of both his original recording agreement and a settlement reached in 2025.
The Grammy-winning singer and rapper, whose real name is Faheem Rashad Najm, filed the lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court in Georgia on September 4, 2026, according to court documents reported by multiple outlets.
The case represents the second time T-Pain has taken Konvict Entertainment to court over royalty and contractual issues, reigniting a legal dispute that dates back to his relationship with Akon’s label in the mid-2000s.
Importantly, Akon himself is not named as a defendant in the new lawsuit. Konvict Entertainment LLC is the sole defendant.
T-Pain Claims He Is Owed $489,047 in Royalties
At the centre of the latest dispute is a royalty payment of more than $1.3 million that Konvict Entertainment allegedly received from distributor Zomba Recordings on March 30, 2026.
According to the lawsuit, the payment reportedly totaling $1,304,127 related to sales generated by T-Pain’s recordings during the second half of 2025.
T-Pain claims that the terms of his original 2005 recording agreement, together with the terms of the settlement reached between the parties in 2025, entitle him to 75% of the net royalties Konvict Entertainment receives from distributors for his record sales.
The singer alleges that although Konvict received the money, he did not receive the full amount he believes he was contractually entitled to.
According to the complaint, Konvict Entertainment paid T-Pain $489,047 in June 2026, but the artist maintains that this represented only part of the royalties owed to him.
He alleges that another portion of the money was transferred to BuVision, an affiliate label managed by Akon’s younger brother, Abou “Bu” Thiam.
BuVision has not been named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Dispute Over the Remaining Royalty Payment
T-Pain claims that after he received the $489,047 payment, he was informed that his representatives should attempt to recover the remaining money directly from BuVision.
According to the lawsuit, his representatives attempted to contact the affiliate label in June but were unsuccessful.
The artist subsequently alleges that his legal team formally notified Konvict Entertainment that the outstanding royalty payment had not been made.
T-Pain claims the company failed to resolve the alleged breach, leaving him with no alternative but to return to court.
The lawsuit seeks the remaining $489,047.76, in addition to prejudgment interest and attorney fees, according to reports on the filing.
The Lawsuit Dates Back to a 2005 Recording Agreement
The latest dispute is connected to a recording agreement T-Pain entered into with Konvict Entertainment in 2005, during the early stages of his career.
T-Pain initially became associated with Akon’s label as a songwriter before establishing himself as a solo recording artist.
His relationship with Akon and the Konvict camp played an important role in his early career. T-Pain went on to become one of the most influential figures in the rise of Auto-Tune-driven R&B and hip-hop during the 2000s.
He also contributed songwriting to Akon’s music, including songs such as “I Can’t Wait” and “Holla Holla” from Akon’s multi-platinum Konvicted album.
Akon later appeared on T-Pain’s 2007 hit “Bartender,” further cementing their musical relationship.
However, the business relationship eventually became the subject of a legal dispute.
T-Pain Previously Sued Konvict in 2018
The current case is not the first time T-Pain has sued Konvict Entertainment.
The singer previously filed a lawsuit against the company in 2018, alleging that the label had failed to meet its financial obligations under their recording agreement.
That dispute continued for years before eventually being resolved through a 2025 settlement.
Konvict Entertainment denied liability in the earlier case but ultimately agreed to pay T-Pain $114,000 as part of the settlement, according to court records reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The 2025 agreement was intended to resolve the parties’ dispute over royalties collected through the end of 2024.
T-Pain’s new lawsuit now alleges that Konvict has breached not only the original recording agreement but also the terms of that 2025 settlement.
Why the $1.3 Million Payment Matters
The dispute highlights how complicated royalty accounting can become when multiple labels, distributors and affiliated companies are involved in an artist’s catalogue.
The reported $1.304 million payment was not necessarily money that T-Pain was personally entitled to receive in full.
Rather, the dispute centres on how the revenue was to be divided under the contractual arrangements between the artist and Konvict.
T-Pain maintains that his agreement entitled him to 75% of the net royalties received by Konvict from distributors.
His lawsuit therefore focuses on whether the label properly accounted for and distributed his contractual share of the money.
The artist claims that he received $489,047 but that an equivalent amount remained unpaid after part of the distributor payment was directed to BuVision.
Konvict Entertainment Faces Another Royalty Dispute
The latest lawsuit once again puts the business side of the music industry under the spotlight.
For artists, royalty disputes can involve complicated agreements covering recording income, distribution payments, advances, recoupment, neighbouring rights and other revenue streams.
In T-Pain’s case, the disagreement is particularly notable because the parties had already gone through years of litigation and mediation before reaching their 2025 settlement.
The new lawsuit suggests that the settlement did not completely end the financial disagreements surrounding T-Pain’s catalogue.
As of the latest reports, Konvict Entertainment and T-Pain’s attorneys had not publicly responded to requests for comment regarding the new case.
Akon Is Not Personally Being Sued
Despite the dispute involving Akon’s Konvict Entertainment, the lawsuit does not name Akon as an individual defendant.
This distinction is important.
The legal action is directed at Konvict Entertainment LLC, the company that T-Pain alleges failed to meet its contractual and settlement obligations.
Reports have identified Akon as a co-founder of the label, but the allegations in the new lawsuit are against the company rather than Akon personally.
What T-Pain Is Asking the Court to Award
T-Pain is seeking the allegedly outstanding $489,047.76 in royalties.
In addition to the disputed royalty balance, the lawsuit seeks prejudgment interest and reimbursement of legal fees.
The case will now move through the court system, where Konvict Entertainment will have an opportunity to respond to T-Pain’s allegations.
At this stage, the claims contained in the lawsuit remain allegations and have not been established as fact by a court.
Another Chapter in T-Pain’s Music Business Story
The lawsuit comes years after T-Pain became one of the most commercially successful artists associated with the late-2000s wave of hip-hop and R&B.
From his breakout records such as “I’m Sprung” and “I’m N Luv (Wit a Stripper)” to collaborations with artists including Akon, T-Pain built a catalogue that continues to generate revenue years after its original release.
His dispute with Konvict demonstrates how long-term recording contracts can continue to have financial consequences long after an artist’s relationship with a label has changed.
For T-Pain, the latest case is now another attempt to determine whether he has received everything he believes he is contractually owed.
With nearly half a million dollars at the centre of the dispute, the case could become another closely watched example of the challenges artists face when navigating legacy recording agreements and royalty accounting.
For now, the matter remains before the Fulton County Superior Court, with T-Pain seeking payment of the alleged outstanding royalties and additional damages and costs.
