My Block Inc., the independent label founded by producer Warryn Campbell, is taking distributor SRG/ILS Group to court over royalty accounting tied to Erica Campbell’s 2023 gospel album I Love You.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday, Sept. 17, and first obtained and reported by Billboard, My Block alleges that SRG has not provided the label with a single royalty statement. The complaint centers on the parties’ distribution relationship, which ran from 2021 to 2024, and covers releases including Campbell’s I Love You, Lena Byrd Miles’ Brand New and The Walls Group’s Four Walls.
The lawsuit accuses SRG of breach of contract and seeks more than $1 million in financial damages.
According to the complaint, My Block’s releases Brand New, Four Walls and I Love You “sold over 113 million streams between 2022-2024 and generated over $1 million sales.” The lawsuit further states: “SRG has never provided Block a royalty statement. Due to SRG’s breaches, Block has been harmed in its business.”
SRG/ILS Group operates in partnership with Universal Music Group’s Virgin Music.
The dispute arrives after a notable run for the My Block projects at issue. Erica Campbell’s I Love You included “Feel Alright (Blessed),” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart. Campbell and Warryn Campbell, who was a co-writer and producer on the album, also received Grammy nominations for the I Love You tracks “Feel Alright” and “Positive.”
My Block’s complaint also points to other releases distributed by SRG during the deal period. Lena Byrd Miles’ 2022 album Brand New included the No. 1 Gospel Airplay single “WOW (Walk on Water),” while The Walls Group’s 2023 album Four Walls was also part of the label’s slate under the distribution arrangement.
SRG responds to the allegations
Reached for comment Thursday, SRG said it had “made repeated efforts to engage with My Block and its representatives regarding the orderly transition of masters, accounting, and payments” after the distribution deal ended.
“We have maintained a comprehensive record of those communications and are confident that the facts and documentation will provide important context to the allegations now being made,” SRG said in its statement. “SRG remains focused on what it has always been focused on: serving our artists and partners, honoring our commitments, and building long-term relationships rooted in trust.”
The company added: “The music industry is a close-knit community, and the reputation we have built through years of working with artists, executives and independent labels is something we value deeply. We wish My Block Records and its artists continued success and remain hopeful that, once this matter is resolved, both companies can move forward positively.”
A second royalty dispute involving SRG
The My Block lawsuit follows another royalty-related case involving SRG. In February, veteran R&B singer Kenny Lattimore sued the distributor, alleging that SRG sent him only one royalty check for $4,400 in connection with his 2021 album Here to Stay.
Lattimore’s album produced the No. 1 Adult R&B Airplay single “Take a Dose.” According to Lattimore, the album should have entitled him to more than $100,000 in royalties.
SRG has denied Lattimore’s allegations of wrongdoing and is fighting that lawsuit in court. Evidence discovery in the Lattimore case is ongoing.
For My Block, the newly filed lawsuit now puts the accounting for a trio of gospel releases — including Campbell’s Grammy-nominated I Love You material — at the center of a legal fight over royalty statements, payments and the aftermath of a distribution deal that ended in 2024.