Grammy-winning artist Tyla is facing a lawsuit from producers Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro, who allege they were unfairly cut out of royalties and proper credit for her breakout hit “Water.”
The legal action, filed in California, accuses Tyla and her label of failing to compensate the producers appropriately despite their alleged significant contributions to the chart-topping track.
According to court filings, Zucca and LoMastro claim they were key creative collaborators during a March 2023 recording session in Los Angeles, where they worked alongside Rayan El-Hussein Goufar (aka Rayo) and producer Awuku.
The duo asserts that instead of being treated as equal partners in the song’s creation, they were shortchanged in both royalty distribution and credit.
The lawsuit claims that Awuku, who handled the royalty split, allocated himself a larger 15% share of the publishing rights, while giving Zucca, LoMastro, and Rayo just 10% each. Grammy-winning producer Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, who also contributed to the project, reportedly received only 5%.
Zucca and LoMastro argue they were not hired as session musicians but were co-creators who deserved full production credits and equal royalty shares. They also allege that Awuku wrongfully claimed sole production credit and secretly brokered a separate financial deal with Tyla, effectively excluding them from the song’s long-term earnings.
Attempts to settle the issue privately in mid-2023 reportedly broke down when Awuku declined to negotiate. With “Water” now boasting over a billion streams on Spotify and earning Tyla a Grammy Award, the plaintiffs are seeking court recognition of their roles, proper royalty shares, and compensation for lost revenue and reputational damage.
Their demands include official co-producer credit, 12.5% publishing royalties, shares in master recording royalties, digital performance royalties from SoundExchange, and damages for financial and professional harm.
