Just days after rising country star Shaboozey filed a lawsuit against Warner Chappell and his former record label, the label responded with its own legal action.
According to Billboard, Shaboozey, whose real name is Collins Obinna Chibueze, filed a suit against Kreshendo Entertainment on Wednesday, August 21. The singer alleges that Warner is blocking his exit from a publishing administration deal due to Kreshendo’s influence, even though he had already terminated his contract with the label in 2019.
Two days later, Kreshendo countersued Shaboozey, asserting that they still hold crucial rights to his music.
While the company acknowledged releasing Shaboozey from his record deal in 2019, it argued that this decision came with significant conditions. Specifically, Kreshendo maintained a 50% ownership stake in the singer’s compositions and retained the right to receive a share of profits from his masters.
Kreshendo explained that these conditions were intended to compensate the company for its support of a then-unknown artist.
The label now accuses Shaboozey of using “a strategy of fraud and misrepresentation to deprive plaintiffs of their contractual rights” instead of honoring the terms.
The lawsuit also claims that Shaboozey has consistently violated the termination agreement, including failing to pay the required profits and engaging in disputes with Warner, as detailed in his own lawsuit earlier in the week.
Shaboozey has not yet responded to the new suit.