American rapper and singer T-Pain has filed a second lawsuit against Konvict Entertainment, the record label co-founded by singer Akon, alleging that it owes him $489,047.76 in unpaid royalties. Filed in Fulton County Superior Court in Georgia on September 4, 2026, the lawsuit concerns royalties from music sales during the second half of 2025. T-Pain, whose legal name is Faheem Rashad Najm, claims the company failed to pay him the full amount due under his 2005 recording agreement and a settlement reached in 2025 to resolve an earlier legal dispute. The new case follows a royalty payment of more than $1.3 million that Konvict allegedly received from distributor Zomba Recordings in March. T-Pain is seeking the outstanding amount, along with interest and legal fees.
T-Pain claims Konvict owes him nearly $500,000
According to the lawsuit, Konvict Entertainment received $1,304,127 from Zomba Recordings on March 30, 2026, for sales during the second half of 2025. T-Pain alleges that his recording agreement entitles him to 75% of the net royalties Konvict receives from distributors for his recordings.The complaint says Konvict paid T-Pain $489,047 in early June but failed to pay a further $489,047.76 that he claims is owed. He alleges that the company did not resolve the matter despite receiving written notice.The lawsuit seeks the outstanding royalties, prejudgment interest and attorney fees. The amount remains disputed and has not been established by a court.
Dispute follows a 2025 settlement
The latest case revives a dispute that began in 2018, when T-Pain sued Konvict Entertainment over alleged payment failures connected to his fifth studio album, Oblivion. The earlier lawsuit included claims involving an unpaid advance, payment due upon delivery of the album and royalties under his recording agreement.Konvict denied liability in that case. Following years of mediation, the parties reached a settlement in 2025 under which the label agreed to pay T-Pain $114,000. According to reporting by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the settlement covered royalties collected through the end of 2024.In the new complaint, T-Pain alleges that Konvict breached both the original recording agreement and the 2025 settlement by failing to pay the royalties at issue. The latest claim concerns a later period of music sales than the royalties covered by the earlier settlement.
Why BuVision features in the lawsuit
T-Pain’s complaint alleges that Konvict directed his representatives to seek the outstanding payment from BuVision, an affiliate associated with Abou “Bu” Thiam, Akon’s younger brother. According to the complaint, attempts to contact BuVision about the remaining amount were unsuccessful.BuVision and Thiam are not named as defendants in the new case. Konvict Entertainment is the sole defendant, and the claim concerns its alleged failure to fulfil its contractual payment obligations.
T-Pain and Akon have a long musical history
T-Pain signed with Konvict Entertainment in 2005, a period that helped establish his recording career. He later collaborated with Akon, co-writing “I Can’t Wait” and “Holla Holla” for Akon’s 2006 album Konvicted. Akon also featured on T-Pain’s 2007 song “Bartender”, from the album Epiphany.Although Akon co-founded Konvict Entertainment, he is not listed as a defendant in the new lawsuit. The case is directed at the record label over the alleged unpaid royalties.When The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the lawsuit on September 8, 2026, it said Konvict Entertainment and T-Pain’s lawyers had not responded to its requests for comment. The label had denied liability in the earlier case before agreeing to the 2025 settlement.The new lawsuit seeks to determine whether Konvict failed to pay the amount T-Pain claims is due under the recording agreement and settlement. The allegations remain unresolved in court.
