Death Row Producer Daz Dillinger Accuses Tupac Estate of Owed ‘All Eyez on Me’ Royalties
Rolling Stone reported on May 11, 2026, that Death Row Records co‑founder Daz Dillinger has filed a lawsuit claiming the estate of late rapper Tupac Shakur owes him unpaid royalties from the iconic 1996 album *All Eyez on Me*.
The dispute resurfaces amid ongoing legal battles over Tupac’s catalog, which has generated billions in posthumous revenue. Dillinger alleges that more than a dozen tracks on the double‑album list him as a co‑producer, entitling him to a share of mechanical and performance royalties that the estate has allegedly withheld.
According to the article, Dillinger’s attorney, Mark Lund, told Rolling Stone: “Our calculations show the estate owes roughly $4.2 million in unpaid royalties, plus interest.” The estate’s legal team, led by attorney Sandra Moy, counters that all payments have been made according to the original contracts and that any additional claims are barred by a 2005 settlement. Reuters, cited in a separate brief, reports that the estate’s accountants are reviewing the claim for compliance with the 1996 royalty schedule.
Entertainment law professor Dr. Alisha Khan of UCLA notes that the case highlights the complexities of 1990s hip‑hop contracts, many of which were drawn up without the benefit of today’s digital royalty tracking. She predicts that the lawsuit could set a precedent for how legacy hip‑hop catalogs are audited in the streaming era.
The court is scheduled to hear preliminary motions on June 15, with a full trial penciled for early 2027. Stakeholders will be watching for any settlement, which could affect future releases of unreleased Tupac material and the broader profitability of the estate’s licensing deals.