Jermaine Dupri and Jacquees are facing a federal copyright lawsuit from two Florida brothers who claim their 2023 song “Pick It Up” copied lyrics and melody from a track the brothers released under the same title more than 30 years earlier.
Van and Patrick Watler, who performed as the rap duo Home Team, filed the lawsuit September 21, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Dupri, Jacquees and independent label Mass Appeal. The case is Watler et al. v. Mauldin et al., No. 1:26-cv-26546.
The brothers say they created and released their “Pick It Up” in 1992 and that the newer recording incorporates protected elements of their work without permission. According to the complaint, portions of the lyrics and melody from the earlier song appear in the 2023 recording.
The Watlers allege no one associated with Dupri, Jacquees or Mass Appeal contacted them to license the material before the newer track was released. The complaint does not identify the specific lyrics or melodic passages the brothers say were copied.
A copyright infringement claim requires the brothers to establish ownership of protected material in their song and copying of original elements of that work. Their allegations have not been tested in court.
The Watlers allege the defendants have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars from “Pick It Up” through streaming, downloads, sales, radio airplay, licensing and synchronization placements. The complaint makes the financial allegation “on information and belief,” meaning the figure is based on information currently available to the brothers rather than access to the defendants’ financial records.
They are seeking more than $150,000 in general damages and another sum exceeding $150,000 in special damages, along with statutory damages available under copyright law. The complaint does not specify an amount for the statutory award. Federal law allows statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work when infringement is found to be willful.
The brothers are also asking for an accounting of money generated by the 2023 song, writer credits, and a share of its publishing rights. They want an injunction barring Mass Appeal from continuing to sell the disputed track.
The filing follows another recent legal dispute involving Dupri. He sued Sony Music in July, alleging he was owed $18 million in royalties tied to recordings by artists including Mariah Carey and Usher, before voluntarily dismissing that case in August.
Dupri, Jacquees and Mass Appeal have not yet filed their responses to the Watlers’ allegations.
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