Tupac Shakur Estate Sued Over Alleged Unpaid Royalties on Iconic Tracks

The estate of Tupac Shakur is facing a new lawsuit from longtime Death Row Records producer Daz Dillinger, who says he has not been fully paid for songs he helped create on the rapper's legendary album All Eyez on Me.

Court documents filed on May 8 claim Dillinger, whose real name is Delmar Arnaud, is owed royalties connected to more than a dozen songs he co-wrote and produced with Shakur.

The complaint focuses on several major tracks from All Eyez on Me, including "Ambitionz az a Ridah," "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted," "I Ain't Mad at Cha," "Skandalouz," and "Got My Mind Made Up."

According to the lawsuit, Dillinger asked for unpaid royalties in 2024 and later received $91,000 from Amaru Entertainment, the company that manages Shakur's music catalog, RollingStone reported.

However, he argues that the payment came without royalty statements or records explaining how the amount was calculated.

His attorney, Bret Lewis, said the estate failed to properly provide financial statements and payments that may still be owed.

"The precise amount owed will be shown according to proof after an accounting and discovery," Lewis stated in comments shared with sources.

Daz Dillinger Sues Tupac Estate Over Royalties

The lawsuit asks the court to order a full audit of profits, licenses, and earnings tied to the songs Dillinger worked on. He is also seeking additional royalty payments and damages for alleged breach of contract.

A representative for Shakur's estate has not publicly commented on the claims.

The dispute adds another chapter to the long legal history surrounding Death Row Records and artists connected to the label.

According to Billboard, Dillinger was heavily involved in the making of All Eyez on Me, which became one of the biggest rap albums of the 1990s and spent 122 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart after its 1996 release.

This is not the first legal clash between Dillinger and Shakur's estate.

In 2001, Afeni Shakur sued him over unreleased Tupac recordings that she claimed he planned to distribute without permission. That case ended in an out-of-court settlement in 2002.

Dillinger has also been involved in other royalty and contract disputes over the years involving former Death Row Records executive Suge Knight and major music companies.

More recently, he publicly hinted at legal action against fellow rapper and cousin Snoop Dogg over music ownership issues.

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Tupac Shakur, Daz Dillinger