Iggy Azalea (real name: Amethyst Amelia Kelly) has claimed in a series of tweets that her former record company Universal Music Group (UMG) owes her millions of dollars in the “eight figure range”.
“Crazy how in my entire career I was never paid a single royalty by [UMG] for anything outside of the USA,” Azalea tweeted on March 15.
“They owe me millions of dollars in back pay, that they technically stole from me, as per my contract I am due payment. The amount owed is in the 8 figure range.”
Azalea also describes UMG as “the scummiest company” and that she is not the only artist that the company owes money to.
“They are the scummiest company and they do this to so many artists, who unfortunately can’t afford to fight for what they’re owed, thus they get away with this behavior.
“[UMG] really needs to do better in their treatment of the artists who quite literally earn them millions via intellectual property they had zero part in creating. Yuck.”
The “Fancy” and “Work” rapper was more blunt in a follow-up tweet: “[UMG] mark my words you ugly bitch – You will pay me what’s owed.”
Azalea was with UMG from 2013 to 2018, and also stated that she’s been in private conversation with the record label for two years “and counting” about the issue.
Azalea’s full tweet. (Source: X)
Other artists have previously called out UMG for failing to compensate them for their work, including nu metal band Limp Bizkit – who sued the record company last year.
The band’s frontman Fred Durst alleged that UMG owed Limp Bizkit more than $200M USD ($316M AUD) from unpaid royalties.
Durst claimed that he nor the band were “paid a single cent by UMG”, and alleges that “potentially hundreds” of other artists are in the same boat, like as previously stated by Azalea.
Canadian rapper Drake (real name Aubrey Graham) also filed a defamation lawsuit against UMG for allegedly “artificially
promoting Kendrick Lamar‘s diss tracks against him, including the smash hit “Not Like Us” that accuses Drake of being a “predator” and a “pedophile”.
It is not confirmed if Azalea will also take legal action against UMG, and UMG has not yet responded to Azalea’s claims.
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