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Brandy Sues Record Label Over Recording Rights

By Jessica Dafoe
Published on: 15:46 PST, Mar 30, 2016

Brandy Norwood is suing her record label which the singer says has refused to give permissions to release new music. The songstress has sued Chameleon Entertainment Group and its president, Breyon Prescott, in Los Angeles this week where she claimed the record label won’t allow Brandy to record or release any new songs in an attempt to get the Grammy-winning artist to sign to a new deal.

As the Associated Press shares, Brandy first signed with Chameleon in 2011 when the artist was working on her latest album, which was released in 2012, entitled Two Eleven. Even though Brandy has since terminated her contract with the record label, she wants a judge to rule that the contract is void and that she is in no way tied to Chameleon.

In the suit, the 37-year-old alleges that the label “will not pay for her to record new albums or allow her to otherwise release music to her fans [in] a blatantly unlawful attempt to bully Norwood into signing a new recording and distribution agreement containing terms far worse than her current agreement.”

Entertainment Weekly shares the details of the suit and what amount Norwood is requesting as compensation.

“Brandy is seeking $1 million in compensatory damages. The documents allege that Prescott, who is reportedly employed by Epic Records as a head of A&R, attempted to have Norwood sign a new recording and distribution contract with the label, which would allow the company to profit from Norwood’s acting and touring projects.”

The initial album that was produced by the label in 2012 was to be the first of 5. However, the singer’s second album was delayed, reportedly due to issues with the label, as EW shares, “events occurred that led Defendants to want to delay Norwood from working on her second album.”

Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that the “pursuant to the Agreement, Chameleon was obligated to pay recording costs for the second album in the amount of $600,000, 10 percent of which it would owe promptly following receipt of notice that Norwood had commenced recording of the second album.”

Brandy’s team of lawyers states that RCA, which is the label that has distributed Norwood’s albums on behalf of Chameleon, cut ties with Chameleon and breaking a distribution deal that was made with the record label which left Chameleon without proper distribution and negatively impacted Norwood.

The lawsuit also states that Chameleon terminated Brandy’s contract in 2014 by sending a letter within which the company accused the singer’s attorney of telling the president of Chameleon that she had “failed to cooperate” with the record label.

This past January, Brandy released a new single “Beggin & Pleadin” then spoke about new music she is set to release. The publication shares her words.

“There’s definitely [an album] in the works. I’m recording in Los Angeles. I’m working, singing, and I’m ready. Nothing is going to get in my way.”

In an attempt to gain clarification and comment from Chameleon on Wednesday, an email was sent to the label, yet there was no reply on the subject.

Prior to her ties with Chameleon, Norwood signed to Epic Records with whom she released the album Human in 2008. The deal was terminated abruptly in 2009 as well as her management contract with Roc Nation. Details as to reasons for the cut ties between the label and her management team were never revealed.

Since her last album dropped via Chameleon /RCA, the singer has made a return to acting and has appeared on the CW’s 90210 and Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva. In 2015, she appeared in a Broadway production of Chicago as Roxie Hart.

[Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Republic Record]

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