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Madlib has filed a lawsuit against his former manager Eothen “Egon” Alapatt on the fourth anniversary of MF Doom’s death. On Thursday, the rapper and producer accused Alapatt — who is in litigation with Doom’s widow over his rhyme books — of “pervasive management” of his businesses and funds.
The lawsuit claims that Madlib, the prolific beatmaker who has produced for Kanye West and MF Doom alongside a slew of solo projects, hired Alapatt to manage Rapp Catts, a record store, to sell his physical projects and for record store events, and was in charge of “financial, legal, and business aspects of the entity.” Alapatt was also in charge of overseeing the agreements related to Madlib’s Quasimoto merch and other aspects of his business, per the filing.
The suit claims that Alapatt “engaged in rank self-dealing, concealing information from and repeatedly breaching his duties,” while engaging in “persistent and pervasive mismanagement” of Madlib’s businesses.
Lawyers for both Alapatt and Madlib, whose real name is Otis Jackson, Jr. did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
The lawsuit claims that Alapatt inserted his own Now-Again Records label as a “middle man” between Madlib and their shared Madicine Show company, and has used Now-Again to allegedly take fees “off the top of income generated by the sale and distribution of Madicine Show’s recorded music.”
“[He] has refused to account to Madlib regarding how he and Now-Again have been compensated in that connection or to proffer any written agreement between the two entities,” the lawsuit reads, adding that Alapatt has also refused to allow an audit of Now-Again’s business with Madicine Show and had a “single lawyer” represent him and all of Madlib’s brands “without any informed consent.”
The complaint also adds that Madlib commissioned a forensic accounting report that showed “accounting irregularities” and a “lack of any backup documentation” for payments to Alapatt, Jeffrey “Jank” Carlson of Rapp Catts, and other folks that totaled “several hundred thousand of dollars.”
The lawsuit also claims that Alapatt locked the musician out of his online accounts for Facebook and Apple Music, among other accounts. It also states that Madlib wanted to have both Madicine Show and Rapp Cats dissolved and “any contractual relationships” with both entities be terminated, but Alapatt has refused, asking that Madlib “buy him out.”
It ends by claiming that Alapatt has continued doing business dealings with Madlib’s music and merch without Madlib’s “consent and against his wishes.” Madlib is seeking to dissolve their business dealings and demanded that he be paid unspecified damages related to their businesses.
Last year, Doom’s widow sued Alapatt for allegedly taking possession of Doom’s notebooks and “rhyme books” ahead of his 2020 death and claimed that he’s refused to hand them back, suggesting instead for them to be “donated to a university or government archive,” per Billboard. (Alapatt’s lawyer alleged he “rescued” the notebooks and had “Doom’s blessing” to donate the books to a museum.)
