American Express Wins Case Against Hip-hop Producer Sean Garrett

TMZ broke the story ... Amex sued Garrett -- who's had out hits with Beyonce, Usher, and Nicki Minaj -- claiming he never paid off the hefty tab on his card.

Amex filed a motion for default judgment last month -- because Garrett didn't respond to the lawsuit -- and the judge ruled in Amex's favor.

Unfortunately for Amex, Garrett has a ton of other financial woes -- the State of Georgia filed a tax lien against him earlier this year, claiming he owes over $1 MILLION in back taxes for the years 2006, 2007, and 2010.