Chris Brown Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Unpaid Royalties for “Monalisa” and “Sensational”

Chris Brown is facing a new lawsuit from a songwriter who claims the singer excluded him from songwriting credit and compensation tied to two commercially successful tracks, “Monalisa” and “Sensational.”

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court by songwriter Steve Chokpelle, who alleges he contributed original lyrics to both songs but was never credited or paid for his work. The complaint names Brown, Sean Kingston, Sony Music Entertainment, and Universal Music Publishing Group as defendants.

According to the filing, Chokpelle claims he was present at Brown’s Los Angeles home in 2020 alongside Kingston when Brown asked him to write lyrics for “Monalisa.” The song was later released in June 2021. While the lawsuit does not reference it directly, a remix of “Monalisa” featuring Nigerian artists Lojay and Sarz and guest vocals from Brown gained notable traction in 2022, peaking at Number Eight on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.

Chokpelle further alleges that he wrote lyrics for a second track, “Sensational,” in 2021. After presenting a demo version, he claims Brown decided to record the song himself. Brown’s version, which featured Lojay, was ultimately released on his 2023 album 11:11. The official credits for “Sensational” list Kingston and Lojay as co-writers, but not Chokpelle.

The track proved to be one of Brown’s most successful releases of that year, reaching Number One on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and peaking at Number 71 on the Hot 100. According to the lawsuit, “Sensational” generated more than $1 million in revenue. Chokpelle alleges that despite the song’s commercial success, he received no compensation.

The complaint accuses Brown and the other defendants of depriving Chokpelle of “proper authorship credit and compensation flowing from his role as author and owner of the lyrics.” Chokpelle is seeking a court order formally recognizing him as a songwriter and copyright owner on both tracks, as well as damages tied to their commercial exploitation.

“Defendants sustained a tremendous benefit, and shall continue to receive tremendous benefit, by earning millions in revenues, acclaim, accolades, and goodwill from the commercial exploitation of ‘Monalisa’ and ‘Sensational,’” the lawsuit states. It further demands a full accounting of all revenues generated by the songs from their inception to the present.

The lawsuit also highlights broader concerns around transparency and attribution within the music industry, particularly in collaborative songwriting environments where contributions may be informal or undocumented during early creative stages. Chokpelle’s filing argues that his work was central to both songs and that his exclusion from credits resulted in significant financial harm.

Brown has faced multiple legal disputes throughout his career, though the current lawsuit centers specifically on intellectual property rights and royalty allocation rather than personal conduct. The case will now proceed in federal court, where a judge will determine whether Chokpelle’s claims warrant authorship recognition and financial restitution.

As of now, no hearing date has been publicly announced.