NEWS
Nelly has been sued by his former group the St. Lunatics over what they claim is uncredited work on his Country Grammar album.
The group, consisting of Ali Jones (Ali), Torhi Harper (Murphy Lee), Robert Kyjuan (Kyjuan) and Nelly’s brother Lavell Webb (City Spud), filed the copyright infringement suit against Nelly on Wednesday (September 18).
The claim, which was made in New York Federal Court, asserts that the superstar didn’t credit them for their work on his 2000 album.
The claim revolves around their publishing and writing on the album.
This isn’t the first time St. Lunatics have spoken out against Nelly’s alleged impropriety regarding their artistic contributions to their work.
In 2023, Ali vowed he’d never perform with Nelly ever again because of money he owed the band.
Ali Jones sat down with VladTV for an interview in August of that year and opened up about Nelly allegedly going for months at a time without paying him what he was owed.
“I’ll say like it could be $90,000 or $70,000,” he estimated. “When that conversation happens I’ll get a check. It’ll be $13,000. Now you’ll be fucked up now because what is this $13,000 for? You owe me $91,000.”
He concluded: “What did you pay me for? At the end of it, it’s gonna be $66,000 because he’s far behind on the payments.”
The St. Louis native blasted Nelly for the lack of communication on his end and then blamed an outsider for trying to divide Nelly from the group.
Ali went on to declare that he’s “never” going to reunite with Nelly or hit the stage to perform with him again in the future.
“A tiger ain’t never gon’ change his stripes,” he said. “I watched it for 20 years and I’m the butt of the joke because it took me 20 years to realize it. I could put a never, ever behind it will I ever hit the stage or do anything with him.”
He added: “He has no real raw good intentions for others. Not for us and we’ve all sat together and searched hard to try to find a time that didn’t benefit him. He got $50 million, I’m happy for him. That’s what he wants. He wants a billion.”
The $50 million Ali was referencing is the reported figure Nelly was paid for selling half of his music catalog back in June. The deal included eight albums spanning a string of hits, a lot of which played a crucial role in elevating 21st-century Hip Hop and R&B.
Zara Larsson has indicated that she may have cancelled her December 3 appearance at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The singer initially confirmed that she would not attend, before removing the comment and sharing a more detailed explanation of why the performance no longer feels right for her.
The Swedish star was scheduled to take the stage at Etihad Live on Yas Island during the Yasalam After-Race Concerts. Zara and Lewis Capaldi were due to launch the weekend’s entertainment. However, supporters encouraged her to reconsider the booking because of concerns surrounding the United Arab Emirates’ reported connections to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organisation accused of committing atrocities during the nation’s civil conflict.
A fan commented: “Please read about what UAE is doing to Sudan then cancel your Abu Dhabi show!” Zara responded: “I will not be going to Abu Dhabi.” Fans later realised that both comments had been removed.
She then shared that she had been considering what it means for her, as an artist, to perform in particular countries.
The Midnight Sun singer explained: “I think about that a lot in my life as an artist… I wanna perform and spread joy and music for people in every country, because no single person is their government.
“I’ve met so many wonderful people from every corner of the world and I know this to be true in my heart. I love people, and I love my fans soooo much.”
Zara acknowledged that her original comment “maybe came off as an impulsive response,” but explained that she had given the booking serious thought. She now believes withdrawing is the decision that “aligns with me the most right now, for many different personal reasons beyond politics.”
She continued: “Maybe I’ll delete both comments and do a better statement soon. I hope to sing with you in the beautiful future!”
