Chris Brown is facing a new federal lawsuit after a songwriter claimed he was shut out of song credits and royalties on two popular tracks.
The legal filing, made Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, alleges that Brown used lyrics written by songwriter Steve Chokpelle without giving him proper credit or pay for the songs "Monalisa" and "Sensational."
According to the lawsuit, Chokpelle says the situation began in 2020 at Brown's home in Los Angeles.
He claims he was there with artist Sean Kingston when Brown asked him to write lyrics for "Monalisa."
The song was later released in June 2021. Chokpelle alleges that despite his involvement, he was not listed as a writer and did not receive compensation connected to the track's success.
The lawsuit also focuses on a second song, "Sensational," which Chokpelle says he wrote lyrics for in 2021, RollingStone reported.
He claims that after Brown heard his demo, the singer decided to record the song himself. That version, featuring Lojay, appeared on Brown's 2023 album 11:11.
While Kingston and Lojay were credited as co-authors, Chokpelle says his name was left out entirely.
"Sensational" went on to perform strongly, reaching No. 1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and peaking at No. 71 on the Hot 100.
Chris Brown Sued by Lyricist Who Says Star Cut Him Out of ‘Sensational’ & ‘Monalisa’ Royalties https://t.co/eqrTCJwLB7
— billboard hip-hop/r&b (@billboardhiphop) February 5, 2026
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Songwriter Seeks Credit, Royalties From Chris Brown
The lawsuit claims the song generated more than $1 million in revenue. Chokpelle alleges he did not receive any share of that income, despite his role in writing the lyrics.
In the filing, Chokpelle argues that Brown deprived him of "his properly entitled compensation flowing from his role as author/owner of the lyrics."
He is asking the court to officially recognize him as an author and copyright owner of both songs.
The lawsuit also seeks damages from Brown, Kingston, Sony Music Entertainment, and Universal Music Publishing Group.
According to Yahoo, the complaint, filed by Chokpelle and his attorney Simon J. Rosen, states that the defendants "sustained a tremendous benefit" by earning millions from the songs' commercial success.
It further demands a full accounting of all revenue earned from the tracks, from their creation through the present and into the future.
Attempts to contact representatives for the defendants were not immediately successful.
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