Source: Jeff Hahne / Getty
T.I. and Tiny did it for the culture—and not just in music. In a major victory for creatives everywhere, the Atlanta couple just secured a massive $71 million bag after winning their lawsuit against toy company MGA Entertainment. Tip and Tiny stood their ground and made sure the world knows that you can’t play with their name (or their girl group’s).
After a three-week courtroom showdown, the jury came through with the win of all wins, awarding T.I. and Tiny $17.9 million in real damages and an extra $53.6 million in punitive damages. But beyond the cash, this win represents something bigger—it’s a massive victory for Black creatives who’ve been battling against big corporations that love to profit off our culture without showing love back.
It all started with the OMG Girlz—a girl group that T.I. and Tiny formed back in 2009, fronted by their daughter Zonnique “Star” Pullins, along with Bahja “Beauty” Rodriguez and Breaunna “Babydoll” Womack. The trio rocked colorful, standout looks and quickly became *the* girl group to watch in Atlanta, paving their way through live performances and magazine covers.
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MGA Entertainment, the toy company behind the super popular L.O.L. Surprise dolls. In 2019, MGA dropped its O.M.G. line of dolls, but there was a problem—the dolls looked suspiciously similar to the OMG Girlz. We’re talking outfits, hair colors, and even poses that looked like they were lifted straight from the group’s performances. And T.I. and Tiny weren’t about to let that slide, and they shouldn’t have!
T.I. put it bluntly during the trial: “Anyone with eyes can see that this picture influenced this doll,” he said, calling out the blatant infringement. The couple’s lawyers went hard, showing receipts—photos of the OMG Girlz performing next to images of the dolls, proving the clear resemblance.
This ain’t just about T.I. and Tiny securing the bag—this is a win for every artist who’s ever had their style, swag, or ideas jacked by major corporations. “Justice was served,” T.I. said after the verdict, adding that it’s a testament to the relentlessness of his family. “We’re just happy we could fight for creatives and our intellectual property.” And let’s be real—when you’ve got billion-dollar companies thinking they can just scoop up what’s ours and profit? That’s a whole problem.
Tiny, who knows all about being in iconic girl groups from her days with Xscape, couldn’t have been happier. “Wow. They did more than I thought they would,” she told Rolling Stone after the verdict. “We wanted to thank the jurors so bad, but we didn’t get the opportunity.”
It wasn’t a straight shot to victory either. T.I. and Tiny’s legal battle has been going on for a minute. This is the third time they brought MGA to court. They got a mistrial the first time in January 2023 and took an L in May 2023. But like true hustlers, they weren’t about to give up. September 2023 brought the retrial, and this time they walked out winners.
MGA’s billionaire founder, Isaac Larian, tried to call T.I., Tiny, and the OMG Girlz “extortionists” in court, but the jury clearly wasn’t buying it. They ruled that MGA’s dolls were too close to the OMG Girlz, and that was a wrap.
T.I. and Tiny’s win isn’t just about money—it’s about respecting creativity, especially in a world that constantly profits off Black culture without giving credit. Whether it’s music, fashion, or in this case, toys, people need to know that our ideas and innovations aren’t free for the taking. This lawsuit is a reminder to everyone in the industry: you can’t play with us.
So shout out to T.I. and Tiny for setting the bar high and showing the world that we’re not just about our bag, we’re about protecting what’s ours. And with $71 million in the bank to back that up, the culture just secured a major win.
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The post T.I. and Tiny Just Cashed Out BIG in $71 Million Lawsuit Against Toy Giant appeared first on The Morning Hustle .
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