Erica Campbell's My Block Records sues distributor SRG/ILS for over $1m
My Block Records, the record label of gospel singer Erica Campbell, has sued its former distributor SRG/ILS Group for more than USD $1 million, saying it never received a single royalty statement.
The suit was filed on Thursday, September 17, in federal court in New York. The label is seeking damages in excess of $1 million, plus interest and legal fees, and has demanded a jury trial, according to the complaint reported by Music Business Worldwide.
The case is listed as My Block Records Inc. v. SRG/ILS GROUP LP in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Court records give the case number as 1:26-cv-08094.
My Block was founded by producer Warryn Campbell, the husband of Erica Campbell. In October 2021 it signed a licensing agreement with SRG covering distribution of its master recordings, the original recordings owned by the label. A distributor in this context is the company that places music with streaming services and shops and collects the money back.
The two sides amended that deal in September 2022. My Block says SRG took a higher distribution fee, a percentage kept for its work, in return for providing marketing support.
At the centre of the claim is accounting. My Block alleges SRG never provided any royalty statements, the formal breakdowns that show sales, streams and money owed, for its album releases. It also alleges SRG failed to spend agreed marketing amounts and failed to provide receipts or other evidence that the spending took place.
The complaint covers three albums which My Block says generated more than 113 million streams between 2022 and 2024 and more than $1,000,000 in sales.
The first is Brand New, described as the 2022 debut album from Lena Byrd Miles released under the My Block-SRG arrangement. Its single WOW (Walk on Water) reached No. 1 on Billboard's Gospel Airplay chart in May 2023. The complaint lists Brand New at more than 5 million streams and more than $50,000 in gross sales.
The second is Four Walls by The Walls Group, released in February 2023. The complaint lists it at more than 53 million streams and more than $330,000 in gross sales. The third is Erica Campbell's I Love You, released in September 2023, listed at more than 55 million streams and more than $360,000 in gross sales.
I Love You received two nominations at the 66th Grammy Awards. The album was shortlisted for Best Gospel Album. Its single Feel Alright (Blessed) was shortlisted for Best Gospel Performance/Song.
My Block says the agreements were terminated in December 2023, with SRG retaining distribution rights through March 1, 2024.
SRG/ILS Group is based in Norwalk, Connecticut. It is organised as an independent distribution and label services company operating in partnership with Universal Music Group's Virgin Music Group. Billboard reported the lawsuit and included a quoted response from the company beginning, "We wish My Block Records and its artists continued success..."
What makes this stand out is the breadth of the allegation. The claim is not about the size of one payment. It is that no statements were sent at all.
