Veteran Jamaican dancehall artist Cutty Ranks has taken legal action over what he claims are millions of dollars in unpaid royalties tied to the global hit “Dame Tu Cosita.”
The deejay, born Philip Thomas, has filed a lawsuit against Payday Publishing, the dance music company owned by Patrick Moxey, alleging that he has been underpaid by at least US$3 million for his role in the record’s success.
Cutty Ranks, who is both a co-writer and featured artist on the track alongside Panamanian producer El Chombo, says the dispute stems from agreements signed around 2018, when the song experienced a massive resurgence.
Originally released in 1997 on El Chombo’s Cuentos de la Cripta 2 album, “Dame Tu Cosita” found new life more than two decades later after a viral video featuring a dancing green alien captured global attention. The renewed buzz prompted a reworked version of the track, along with a remix featuring international stars Karol G and Pitbull.
The reboot proved to be a commercial juggernaut, topping Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart and peaking at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, cementing its place as one of the most recognizable crossover hits to emerge from the dancehall-reggaetón space.
However, despite the song’s success, Cutty Ranks claims he has not received his fair share. According to court filings, the artist entered into licensing agreements with Payday Publishing, which reportedly promised to administer his composition rights and pay him at least 75 percent of royalties generated. Ranks now alleges that the company failed to honor those terms and did not provide proper accounting of earnings.
“Plaintiff and defendant had an agreement… Defendant has failed to remit such sums and has failed to provide an accounting,” his attorney, Catherine Gibson, stated in the lawsuit, adding that the breach has resulted in significant financial losses.
The dancehall veteran also revealed that he issued a notice of default to the company last year, but claims the matter remained unresolved, prompting the current legal action. In addition to seeking damages, Ranks is requesting that Payday cover his legal fees.
Representatives for Payday Publishing have not yet responded publicly to the allegations. Notably, El Chombo is not named in the lawsuit.
The case adds another layer of controversy to “Dame Tu Cosita,” which has already been entangled in legal disputes. In 2021, legendary Jamaican production duo Steely & Clevie filed a separate lawsuit against El Chombo, alleging that the song infringed on their 1989 track “Fish Market.” That case, which has since expanded to include claims against numerous global artists, remains ongoing.
