Etana has filed a lawsuit against VP Records, claiming that the company among other things, “failed to render proper accounting statements regarding the plaintiff’s royalties or intentionally rendered dishonest and grossly deficient accounting. “The lawsuit was filed by Shauna McKenzie Morris (Etana’s real name), and Freemind Music LLC, in the Supreme Court of New York against VP and several of its subsidiaries including VP Records Retail Outlet Inc, VP Music Group Inc, VP Records Distributors LLC, VP Records of Brooklyn LLC, Greensleeves Publishing Ltd and STB Music Inc.
The suit was filed by Etana’s attorneys, Miami Entertainment Law Group.
VP Records, the largest distributor of reggae in the world, has distributed four of Etana’s albums. The first of those, The Strong One, was released in 2008; she parted ways with the company after 2014’s I Rise.
“The case is important to me because it’s a chapter that needs to be ironed out properly and eventually closed. It’s been too long going back and forth over the same titles and same issues,” said Etana, whose latest album, Pamoja, is nominated for Best Reggae Album at this year’s Grammy Awards.
VP has said it will not comment on ongoing litigation.
The Strong One was Etana’s debut album. It contained the breakthrough hit, Wrong Address, which won her fans in Jamaica, and reggae markets in the United States and Europe.
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