South African pop sensation Tyla is facing a fresh lawsuit from two collaborators on her global smash hit “Water,” with allegations of being cut out of production credits and royalties in what the plaintiffs describe as a “nefarious” scheme.
In a suit filed Friday, July 25, songwriters Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro claim they played a major role in crafting “Water”* during a March 2023 session in Los Angeles, but were deliberately sidelined from producer credits and fair compensation by lead producer Samuel Awuku, popularly known as Sammy SoSo.
The lawsuit, filed against Tyla, real name Tyla Seethal, SoSo, and Sony Music Entertainment, the parent company of Tyla’s label Epic Records alleges that SoSo signed a separate agreement with Tyla to take sole credit for production. He allegedly offered Zucca and LoMastro only 10% publishing royalties each, while claiming 15% for himself, despite their significant creative input.
Zucca and LoMastro previously filed a similar lawsuit in March 2024 but voluntarily withdrew it on Thursday, July 24, before re-filing with new legal representation the next day.
“Although plaintiffs tried for months to resolve the matter with Awuku, Awuku refused to cooperate and, instead, engaged in a pattern of deception designed to conceal his nefarious actions,” the legal complaint reads.
The two collaborators argue that they were misled into signing a contract that locked in unfair terms and that Epic Records was not made aware of any additional producers by SoSo. They cite a meeting with Epic Records president Ezekiel Lewis in May 2024, in which Lewis allegedly confirmed he had no knowledge of other contributors on the track.
“Water” became an international sensation, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending 29 weeks on the chart, and earning Tyla a Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance earlier this year.
Zucca and LoMastro are now seeking: Producer credits on Water, An increase in royalty rate to 12.5% each, applied retroactively and moving forward, A formal producer fee.
They estimate the track has already generated over $10 million in revenue, with projected lifetime earnings surpassing $50 million.
As of publication, Tyla, Sammy SoSo, and Sony Music have not issued any public response to the lawsuit.
