Madlib Sues Faded Supervisor for ‘Pervasive Mismanagement,’ FinancialSelf-Dealing
The novel complaint accuses Eothen “Egon” Alapatt, who was previously sued by the property of Madlib collaborator MF DOOM, of “continuously breaching his duties” for his possess abet.
Legendary hip-hop producer Madlib has filed a lawsuit in opposition to his extinct supervisor Eothen “Egon” Alapattalleging the government abused his role to affirm undue earnings from Madlib’s tune and merch companies, among varied accusations.
In a complaint filed Thursday (Oct. 31) in Los Angeles court docket, attorneys for Madlib express Alapatt started managing Madlib’s trade affairs spherical 2010 when the notorious producer left his tackle Stones Throw Files — the build Alapatt labored as an govt — so as to “possess and adjust his tune.” Around that time, the complaint alleges that Alapatt was fired from Stones Throw.
In step with the lawsuit, Madlib depended on Alapatt to dispute up and dispute up two trade entities (“Madicine Video show” for his tune pursuits and “Rapp Cats” for his merchandise) in Madlib’s name, with earnings from the companies to be shared between the 2 parties. On the opposite hand, Madlib allegedly came correct thru most effective lately that Alapatt was not most effective failing to effectively plod those companies but was “also engaged in rank self-dealing, concealing information from and frequently breaching his duties to Madlib, and in every other case collaborating in continual and pervasive mismanagement.”
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The complaint extra alleges Alapatt abused his build by taking “a price off the head” of all earnings generated by Madlib’s ticket, Madicine Video show, and that he “refused to myth to Madlib” about his compensation and did not offer any written agreements to the producer. Madlib’s attorneys moreover claim that Alapatt refused to permit an audit of his possess trade, Now-Yet again — which they are saying Alapatt inserted under untrue pretenses as a whisk-between for Madicine Video show and its distributor, Ingrooves — to look at what proceeds it earned from Madicine Video show.
In varied locations, the complaint alleges that Alapatt “directed a single attorney and single accountant to signify him” as effectively as Madlib, Madicine Video show, Rapp Cats and Now-Yet again without Madlib’s “suggested consent” and then “directed that attorney and that accountant to refuse to cooperate with Madlib” and the novel decent group of workers Madlib had assembled after his relationship with Alapatt went south.
The complaint states that Madlib most effective came correct thru the extent of Alapatt’s alleged malfeasance in April 2023, when he in the extinguish managed, thru “forensic accounting,” to be taught extra concerning the financials of Madicine Video show and Rapp Cats in direction of the duration of 2018 to mid-2022. His attorneys claim this revealed “several accounting irregularities” and “a lack of any backup documentation” for several hundred thousand dollars in “‘consulting,’ ‘commissions,’ ‘payments’ or ‘reimbursements’” for Alapatt as effectively as a 2nd named defendant, Jeffrey Carlsona.k.a. Jeff Jank — an alleged affiliate of Alapatt’s who previously labored as an artwork director at Stones Throw and is described in the complaint as “a member of Rapp Cats.”
The complaint extra claims that Alapatt took “tens of hundreds of dollars for personal payments” from the 2 trade entities, and that there was no documentation of employee payroll, stock or artist royalty statements.
Alapatt also allegedly “captur[ed] half of of Madlib’s producer royalties and advances for himself” while locking Madlib out of his Ingrooves, Apple Music, Bandcamp, YouTube and Fb accounts; the complaint also claims he locked Madlib out of the Instagram myth for his trademarked alter-ego Quasimoto, a comic strip persona that the producer frail correct thru his occupation for merchandise and tune.
“Madlib has since demanded that Madicine Video show and Rapp Cats be wound up and dissolved and that any contractual relationship with those entities…be terminated,” the complaint reads. “[Alapatt] refuses to enact so.” As one more, it claims, Alapatt suggested Madlib that he’s welcome to “‘buy him out’ of his hobby in those entities or the underlying intellectual property.”
Thursday’s lawsuit is the 2nd lawsuit to be filed in opposition to Alapatt over the final one year. Final October, the supervisor was also sued by the property of Madlib’s tiring collaborator MF DOOM for allegedly stealing the rapper’s notebooks stout of lyrics. Per that swimsuit, attorneys for Alapatt known as the case “baseless and libelous,” and characterized it as “the continuation of a one year-long smear campaign.”
Madlib’s group of workers is in quest of a jury trial and a judicially supervised wind-up and dissolution for Madicine Video show and Rapp Cats, “to embody a stout and total accounting of the assets and liabilities of the entities [and] a decision of any unauthorized remuneration,” among varied requests. Madlib will be in quest of damages from Alapatt and Now-Yet again.
Alapatt and his attorney did not straight away answer to Billboard‘s requests for comment. Carlson also did not straight away return a demand for comment.