Chris Brown has reached a settlement in principle with lyricist Steve Chokpelle, who claimed Brown cut him out of millions in revenue from the hits "Monalisa" and "Sensational."
Chokpelle says he was at Brown's Los Angeles home with Sean Kingston in 2020 when Brown asked him to write lyrics for "Monalisa." The track—a remix with Nigerian artists Lojay and Sarz—peaked at Number Eight on Billboard's U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.
Chokpelle also claims he wrote the lyrics for "Sensational," the follow-up track. After Brown heard the demo, he recorded his own version featuring Lojay for his 2023 album 11:11—without crediting Chokpelle.
"Sensational" became a major hit, reaching Number One on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and generating over $1 million in revenue. The track peaked at 71 on the Hot 100, with Kingston and Lojay listed as co-authors.
Chokpelle's lawsuit accused Brown, Kingston, Universal Music Group, and others of "unjust enrichment," claiming the defendants were earning "millions in revenues, acclaim, accolades, and goodwill" while he received nothing. He sought to be declared an author and copyright owner of both songs, plus damages.
The settlement terms remain confidential, and neither Brown's nor Universal's legal teams have commented. But according to court filings obtained by Rolling Stone, the agreement "will resolve plaintiff's claims against defendants... in their entirety."
Brown has resolved the dispute. Chokpelle's financial settlement details are unknown.
