Iggy Azalea has joined a growing chorus of artists and creators taking aim at Universal Music Group, accusing the industry giant of withholding millions in royalties.
In a fiery social media tirade, the rapper condemned UMG as “the scummiest company” and “criminals,” alleging that despite years of international success, she has never received a single royalty payment for sales outside the United States.
Iggy Azalea’s frustration boiled over in a series of posts, where she claimed UMG owes her an eight-figure sum.
“Crazy how in my entire career I was never paid a single royalty by Universal Music for anything outside of the USA,” she wrote. “They owe me millions of dollars in back pay that they technically stole from me. Last week, they tried to respond to my lawyer with a settlement offer of $18,000. I’m told this is their typical response, but after taking it to court, they usually end up paying millions—because they’re supposed to.”
Her accusations echo longstanding complaints against major labels, which have faced scrutiny over opaque royalty structures and exploitative contracts. Azalea didn’t hold back, calling UMG’s actions a deliberate effort to shortchange artists.
“I’d like to publicly say that I think Universal Music are criminals who actively take advantage of ALL of their artists in perpetuity for their own gain,” she continued. “They are the scummiest company, and they do this to SO MANY artists who can’t afford to fight for what they’re owed. Universal Music really needs to do better in their treatment of the artists who quite literally earn them millions via intellectual property they had zero part in creating.”
Her comments arrive amid mounting criticism of UMG’s royalty system, which many artists claim disproportionately benefits the label. The dispute, according to Azalea, has been ongoing behind closed doors for two years. Now, she’s taking her fight public.
She even shared a screenshot of her reaction to UMG’s settlement offer—“Lmfao,” shorthand for her outright rejection. In another post, she issued a blunt warning: “Universal Music, mark my words—you will pay me what’s owed.”
Azalea’s accusations add to the growing backlash against major labels accused of prioritizing corporate profits over the artists who generate them. With more musicians speaking out, the industry faces increasing pressure to address these long-standing grievances.
Whether UMG will respond remains to be seen, but Azalea’s message is clear—she’s not backing down.
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