Rapper Lucki has been sued by Empire Records for allegedly breaching his contract.
In the lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court on Oct. 21, Empire Distribution Inc. claims that Lucki, real name LC Camel Jr., and his lawyer utilized deceptive methods to get out of a contract that allowed the record label to option new albums this year.
A contract from last year — that followed a deal from 2019 — gave Empire the options to three more albums after the release of Gemini LP last June. The record label claims that it exercised its option “by conduct,” through paying for new recording sessions and more than $600,000 in production invoices. In August, the label sent a formal written notice of the option.
Empire alleges that it has paid Lucki almost $10 million in advances and expenses since his deal in 2019, with those agreements giving it the exclusive worldwide rights to distribute his music.
The lawsuit claims that the rapper’s lawyer sent a termination notice of option in July, giving Empire thirty days to respond. Their issue with the notice was that it was allegedly hidden in a certified-mail letter, inside one sentence in the last paragraph — and that an email had been sent containing the exact same content, minus one sentence containing the termination. Empire believes that the letter, along with the duplicative email, was “designed to trick” its executives into missing the option window.
Lucki released the track “Not So Virgo of You” On Oct. 1 via United Masters, which Empire argues that this violated the exclusivity clause of their agreement and led to “irreparable harm.”
Empire seeks injunctive relief to block more releases and a formal declaration that their agreement from 2024 will remain intact.
“Not So Virgo of You” has since been removed from music streaming platforms.
Lucki’s lawyer argued about the rapper’s deal with Empire in a July 2025 letter included as part of the suit, alleging that it’s “unfair” due to a 50% profit split that’s worse than industry norms. The lawyer also claims that it allows the label to recoup its marketing expenses directly from Lucki’s share of profits.
The status of Lucki’s upcoming album, Drugs R Bad, that he announced in March, remains to be seen.