Roc Nation desires out of an explosive new lawsuit accusing Fat Joe of victimizing his longtime hypeman through a wide-ranging felony enterprise, saying it’s “nonsensical” to recommend the rapper’s administration firm was concerned in any of the scandalous conduct alleged within the case.
Jay-Z’s leisure firm was amongst a slew of individuals and firms named last week in Terrance “T.A.” Dixon’s lawsuit in opposition to Fats Joe (Joseph Cartagena). Dixon, Fats Joe’s hypeman for over a decade, mentioned he was pressured to work with out pay whereas being subjected to psychological manipulation and uncovered to sexual misconduct, together with the trafficking of underage women.
The claims in Dixon’s Thursday (June 19) grievance, which Fats Joe has fiercely denied and characterised as extortion, are framed as a racketeering enterprise abetted by Roc Nation and different outdoors entities. However Roc Nation’s attorneys shortly filed a movement to dismiss on Monday (June 23), saying the corporate “has nothing to do with any of this.”
“Roc Nation’s alleged function on this case — in keeping with plaintiff himself — is that it turned Mr. Cartagena’s artist administration firm in 2017, and in that capability, earned a fee on income Mr. Cartagena generated,” writes Roc Nation’s lawyer Alex Spiro. “But, in keeping with plaintiff, the truth that Roc Nation had a enterprise relationship with Mr. Cartagena in some way makes Roc Nation a part of a RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] enterprise, a participant in intercourse trafficking, and an aider-and-abettor of Mr. Cartagena’s alleged conduct. That’s nonsensical.”
Based on Monday’s movement, there’s not a single factual allegation within the grievance that ties Roc Nation to any of Fats Joe’s alleged wrongdoing. Dixon’s lawsuit claimed the administration firm was answerable for his withheld wages, however Spiro says Roc Nation solely manages Fats Joe’s catalog, publishing rights and mental property.
“How Roc Nation supposedly knew of this deplorable alleged conduct is a thriller,” writes Spiro. “He doesn’t assert how Roc Nation’s administration of Mr. Cartagena’s music enterprise gave it perception into how a lot plaintiff ought to have been paid, what he was paid, or any enterprise to deprive him of satisfactory compensation.”
Reached for touch upon Monday, Dixon’s lawyer Tyrone Blackburn tells Billboard he’ll oppose Roc Nation’s movement to be dismissed from the case.
“I’m joyful to see that Roc Nation was good sufficient to distance itself from Fats Joe and his RICO enterprise,” provides Blackburn. “The plaintiff has no private animosity in the direction of Roc Nation or its management.”
Dixon’s case in opposition to Fats Joe was really preceded by the rapper suing Dixon and Blackburn for extortion. Two months in the past, Fats Joe filed a lawsuit accusing the previous hypeman and his lawyer of making an attempt to extract a settlement with “wholly fabricated” and “grotesque” claims of pedophilia.
In an announcement after Dixon filed his personal lawsuit final week, Fats Joe’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, mentioned they’ll proceed to combat the claims and that “regulation enforcement is conscious of the extortionate demand on the coronary heart of this scheme.”