Maverick City Wins Injunction Against Co-Founder

A New York judge has granted Maverick City Music a preliminary injunction, effectively halting the new Christian music project of its former co-founder, Tony Brown. The order, issued on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, prevents Brown from releasing new music from his God Aura project. Maverick City alleges Brown violated a non-compete clause after selling his shares to CEO Norman Gyamfi for $5 million in 2023.

Tony Brown contests the validity of the non-compete agreement, asserting that Maverick City owes him approximately $2 million. He claims the entire buyout agreement is void due to underpayment. Judge Nancy M. Bannon ruled that the contract's enforceability remains to be determined through evidence. As part of the injunction, Brown must remove his December 2025 album, 'Wonderful Child,' from streaming platforms. The lawsuit is now proceeding to the discovery phase.

Steven Cooper, a lawyer for Maverick City, stated that the court's decision shut down Brown's competitive activities, accusing him of avoiding the hearing and exposing his alleged wrongdoing. Attorneys for Brown have declined to comment. Brown co-founded Maverick City in 2018, and the Atlanta-based collective has earned five Grammy Awards. Gyamfi acquired Brown's shares around 2021, but Brown asserts Gyamfi failed to make all promised payments, citing unsubstantiated sexual harassment complaints.

Meanwhile, Maverick City faces separate litigation from former member Chandler Moore, who alleges royalty theft. The group denies this, stating Moore failed to fulfill his contract. Maverick City's attempt to obtain an injunction against Moore was unsuccessful, and he is now releasing music independently.