Dispute Over “Dear Mama”: Defendants Seek Dismissal of Master Tee’s Lawsuit

Settlement talks yielded no result: In the legal dispute over the song “Dear Mama,” Interscope Records, Hulu, and additional defendants moved in June 2024 to resume the paused proceedings. Now they intend to request the dismissal of the lawsuit brought by producer Terrence Thomas, alias Master Tee (for the lawsuit, see the report from November 21, 2023). AllHipHop reviewed the court documents.

Defendants Call the Demand “Pure Fantasy”

According to Stephen Rothschild, attorney for the defendants, the opposing side had previously stated that they did not want to hold anyone up and only wanted a small writer’s share, a reasonable fee for the use of the song in the series Dear Mama, and a credit. On April 23, 2024, however, Thomas’s attorney reportedly demanded $1.6 million, or $200,000 plus a 15 percent writer’s share and double producer royalties.

According to Rothschild, that is “pure fantasy,” even if the claims were not more than 20 years overdue. Whether the motion will succeed remains open: no court decision had been issued at the time of the report.