Jamaican singer Cutty Ranks is suing Payday Publishing, claiming he is owed at least $3 million in unpaid royalties for the hit "Dame tu cosita". Ranks (whose real name is Philip Thomas) alleges that Payday Publishing, formerly known as Ultra Music Publishing, breached their contract. According to the singer, he signed licensing deals with Payday in which the publisher promised to manage his songwriting rights for "Dame tu cosita" and send him at least 75% of the royalties. "The plaintiff and the defendant had an agreement for the defendant to provide certain percentages of the net sums received under the agreement," writes Ranks' lawyer, Catherine Gibson. She adds: "The defendant has not remitted said sums and has not provided a breakdown of such sums. As a result of the defendant's failure to comply with the terms, conditions, and obligations under the co-publishing and administration agreements, the plaintiff has suffered substantial damages that will be determined at trial." Ranks also states that he sent a notice of default to Payday last year, but it was unsuccessful. He is now seeking at least $3 million for breach of contract and also wants the publisher to reimburse his legal fees. This is not the first time "Dame tu cosita" has been at the center of legal battles. In 2021, the Jamaican duo Steely & Clevie sued El Chombo, alleging that the song infringed upon their 1989 track "Fish Market". Two decades later, the song became a social media sensation due to a viral video of an alien dancing to its rhythm. In 2018, the French label Juston Records commissioned El Chombo to record an extended version of the track, and later Karol G and Pitbull participated in a remix.
