Sir Jinx is taking legal action against T.I. and his imprint Grand Hustle LLC, claiming the Atlanta rapper’s team owes him more than $800,000 in unpaid royalties for the 2016 track “Dope.”
The Los Angeles-based producer and songwriter, born Anthony Wheaton, filed a federal lawsuit in Pasadena on September 28, 2025, alleging copyright infringement and multiple other violations tied to the release of the song.
According to the complaint, Jinx co-wrote and co-produced “Dope,” which features Marsha Ambrosius and appeared on T.I.’s album The Dime Trap.
The lawsuit claims that Jinx registered the song through his company, Goonz Skwad Music, and was credited for his work, but never received royalty payments or a financial breakdown, despite repeated requests.
In November 2022, his legal team sent a formal demand letter to Grand Hustle, but the issue remained unresolved.
Jinx accuses the label of exploiting the song without proper authorization and profiting from his contributions while refusing to compensate him.
The complaint lists five legal claims: copyright infringement, conversion, breach of good faith, unjust enrichment, and failure to provide accounting.
The suit alleges that Grand Hustle “copied, distributed, and exploited” the song in violation of Jinx’s exclusive rights under federal copyright law. It also alleges the company “acted in bad faith” by withholding payments and retaining earnings derived from his work.
The filing seeks compensatory damages exceeding $800,000, along with statutory damages, restitution, interest, and attorneys’ fees. Jinx is also requesting a full accounting of the profits generated from the song’s release through Universal Music Group.
Sir Jinx, a veteran of West Coast Hip-Hop, rose to prominence in the late 1980s as a member of C.I.A. alongside Ice Cube. He later played a key role in shaping Ice Cube’s early solo albums AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted and Death Certificate, and has produced for artists including Xzibit, Yo-Yo, Too Short, and Kool G Rap.
His collaboration with Dr. Dre on “Dope” marked a rare crossover into Southern Hip-Hop, showcasing his range as a producer. Despite being credited, Jinx says he was left out of the financial equation.
