Missy Elliott has settled a lawsuit with a music producer who claimed he co-wrote several of her 1990s songs, concluding a lengthy legal battle just before a jury trial was set to begin. The settlement, reached in a Philadelphia federal court on August 22, resolves a lawsuit by Terry Williams, who alleged that he and Elliott collaborated on numerous tracks in the 1990s, but she did not credit him as a co-writer.
The terms of the settlement were not made public in court documents, but Elliott’s attorney, Mike Trauben, provided details to Billboard. Trauben stated that no money was paid for any of Williams’ claims, which have now been dismissed. He mentioned that a “small sum” was paid for beats created by Williams that were used in Elliott’s songs, which she otherwise created and owned. Trauben also noted that Elliott’s notebooks and her music in Williams’ possession were returned to her.
Williams did not respond to a request for comment on the settlement.
The lawsuit, ongoing since 2018, involved the R&B group SISTA, where Elliott began her career before becoming a solo artist in the late 1990s. Williams, who once owned a recording studio in Philadelphia, claimed he co-wrote four songs from SISTA’s 1994 album “4 All the Sistas Around da World.” He alleged that Elliott excluded him from songwriting credits and sought back royalties from the album’s release.
Elliott consistently argued that Williams did not contribute to any lyrics or songs from the album, asserting that she did not meet Williams until after submitting the album to Elektra Records.
Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro previously ruled that the conflicting accounts necessitated a jury trial to determine the truth. However, the judge dismissed Williams’ additional claim that he co-wrote the 1996 Aaliyah song “Heartbroken” with Elliott, as it was barred by the statute of limitations.
Williams’ lawsuit also named Timbaland, who produced the SISTA album, as well as Elektra, Atlantic Records, Warner Music Group, and Reservoir Media. These claims were put on hold pending the Elliott trial and remain unresolved.
