Producers sue Tyla, Sammy Soso, and Sony Music over “Water” Royalties
Music producers Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro have filed a lawsuit in California against South African artist Tyla, producer Sammy Soso (Samuel Awuku), and Sony Music over the hit single Water.
The lawsuit, lodged in 2025, claims that Zucca and LoMastro were denied proper credit and fair royalties despite being co-writers, as indicated on Spotify.
The producers allege they contributed equally during a March 2023 recording session in Los Angeles, alongside Rayan El-Hussein Goufar (Rayo) and Awuku. Under industry standards, each would typically receive 12.5% of the 50% music publishing royalties. However, they claim Awuku allocated 15% to himself, 10% each to Zucca, LoMastro, and Goufar, and 5% to Christopher “Tricky” Stewart.
Zucca and LoMastro argue they were not session musicians and their contributions were not for hire. Despite this, Awuku allegedly took sole production credit and struck a separate agreement with Tyla, leaving them out of the loop. The producers attempted to resolve the issue in July 2023, before the song’s release, but Awuku is said to have refused negotiations.
The lawsuit demands recognition as top-line producers, a 12.5% share of publishing royalties, pro-rata master/record royalties, SoundExchange royalties, and a producer fee, citing damage to their reputation and lost opportunities.
With Water amassing over 1 billion Spotify streams and winning the inaugural Grammy for Best African Music Performance, the stakes in the legal battle are high.