Seventeen years after its release, Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III is still hailed as one of the most impactful hip-hop albums of its era. However, the album continues to face legal troubles—most recently from producer Deezle, who has filed a $3 million lawsuit against Universal Music Group, Lil Wayne’s parent label, over unpaid royalties.
According to Deezle’s Wikipedia page, he contributed production to ten tracks on the album, including major hits like “Let The Beat Build,” “Mrs. Officer,” and “Lollipop.” Lil Wayne has yet to respond publicly to the lawsuit.
Certified 8x platinum by the RIAA in 2022, Tha Carter III stands as one of Lil Wayne’s biggest successes. Deezle’s working relationship with Wayne dates back to 2004, with their last known collaboration being Jay Sean’s 2011 single “Hit the Lights.”
In his suit, Deezle alleges he was promised 4% royalties for every track he worked on for Tha Carter III and claims an additional 3% is owed from Birdman’s Fast Money album. He also worked with both artists on their joint project, Like Father, Like Son.
This isn’t Deezle’s first legal dispute with Lil Wayne. In 2011, he sued Wayne, Cash Money, and Young Money for similar royalty issues. Though he began receiving payments from UMG in 2012, Deezle claims they stopped abruptly with no explanation.
His case joins a growing number of royalty disputes involving UMG. Artists like Iggy Azalea, Salt-N-Pepa, and Drake have recently come forward with similar grievances.
Drake’s legal battle with the label has especially made headlines in 2025, as he accuses UMG of aiding a smear campaign to promote Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” which Lamar famously performed during the Super Bowl Halftime Show, referencing his ongoing feud with Drake.
