Legendary rapper Fat Joe is deeply in the weeds in a new lawsuit. Artists by the name of Terrance “T. A.” Dixon is accusing the Interscope artist of years of forced servitude and mental abuse while partnering with the artist. On June 19, civil rights attorney Tyrone Blackburn filed that lawsuit in the Southern District of New York. It claims named defendant Fat Joe for sex trafficking, fraud and countless other misconduct. Dixon’s pretty proud of the fact that he’s been working with Fat Joe for more than 15 years. In doing so, he has moonlighted as hype man, lyricist, background vocalist, security detail and creative collaborator.
According to Dixon, the rapper forced him into degrading sexual predicaments, including having sex while being held at gunpoint and filmed. Falsely accuses Fat Joe of threatening him with disownment in international waters. He was personally threatened with job loss or harm if he did not meet the demands. Dixon is asking for more than $2 million in unpaid wage performance wages and other damages.
His announcement follows a backdrop of escalating legal confrontation between the two sides. Fat Joe’s lawyer, Trump crime creep Joe Tacopina, characterized Dixon as a “disgruntled former employee.” He thinks all of Dixon’s claims are just furthering a larger plot to extort the rapper. Tacopina represented a number of high-profile clients, including, most recently, former President Donald Trump. He has accused Dixon of serially weaponizing the court system.
In response to the allegations, Tacopina stated, “The lawsuit filed by Tyrone Blackburn and Terrance Dixon is a blatant act of retaliation — a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the civil suit we filed first, which exposed their coordinated scheme to extort Mr. Cartagena through lies, threats, and manufactured allegations.”
Dixon claims that his contributions to Fat Joe’s music, including lyrics and creative direction for the songs “Congratulations” and “Ice Cream,” went unrecognized and uncompensated. It’s one of his aspirations, he notes, to stay off drugs and alcohol. Consequently, he possesses an abiding precision about oft-told and familiar stories he recounts.
Tacopina rejected the claims as baseless and claimed that Fat Joe would not be cowed by the suit. He stated, “We have taken legal action to expose this fraudulent campaign and hold everyone involved accountable.”
The lawsuit contains “highly graphic information of a sexual nature, including sexual assault,” according to court documents. The seriousness of these claims has drawn significant media attention, highlighting the complexities of personal and professional relationships in the entertainment industry.
Blackburn responded to Tacopina’s statements by asserting, “Joe [Tacopina] is desperate. He thought only of himself when he erroneously advised his client to take this course.” He went on to assert that they have detailed records of predicated crimes in support of trafficking.
Dixon’s legal team has until a March 2024 date to file an appeal. They’re required to file their answer to the lawsuit from Fat Joe’s legal team by June 23. A hearing on the merits of the case is set for August 1, with both sides likely to be making their best case then.
These legal battles threaten huge changes for Dixon and Fat Joe alike. What the film does do incredibly well is raise important questions around consent, power dynamics, and conflicts of interest within the music industry.
