The Bronx rapper settled the two-year legal battle that saw her ex-manager Klenford Raphael also known as Shaft, suing her for $10 million and Cardi B countersued for $30 million.
He sued her for $10 million in 2018 for breach of contract for ditching their agreement and signing with Quality Control Records. According to Raphael, he discovered the 28-year old superstar, and he was the reason behind her success. However, he said he was then cut from managing the artist, which affected the money he was owed for discovering her.
Court papers show that the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice – bringing an end to the dispute as each party also agreed to pay their own costs- lawyers’ fees.
Cardi B reacted to the end of the legal fiasco as she tweeted an article about the settling of the dispute. She said, “feels good to be free.”
Page Six sources reported that Cardi B had sought out Shaft and that he took her in like a daughter. He is credited with the production of “Bodak Yellow,” Cardi’s mega-hit that launched her career globally on an upward trajectory.
Shaft’s rep said since discovering Cardi B, he helped to develop her music career and public image. “Since discovering Cardi B in 2015, Shaft has played an integral role in developing her music career and public image. While he is proud of their successful collaborations as she evolved from Instagram influencer to megastar, Shaft is disappointed by her actions to freeze him out of her career.”
Cardi B also countersued Shaft for $30 million, claiming that the ex-manager attempted to control her personal life and even who she dated romantically. She alleges that the agreement she signed to have him as manager saw her having no legal representation as to the terms and conditions she was binding herself to. Shaft also breached the agreement by illegally taking bigger cuts of her earnings, according to Cardi.
The lawsuit with Shaft has negatively affected Cardi, who confirmed that she had not received millions in royalties from Atlantic Records- over the last two years. Early in 2020, Cardi B tweeted, “according to my lawyers a little but more than that but it can’t be touch till my litigation is over. Its just can’t be touch till we solve the despute [sic]. But when that fat a*s check hit my account all at once it’s gonna be lit. that’s why I never trip cause it’s there.”
According to my lawyers alittle but more then that but it can’t be touch till my litigation is over.Its just can’t be touch till we solve the despute.But when that fat ass check hit my account all at once it’s gonna be lit .Thats why I never trip cause it’s there. https://t.co/aHibuWDOT8
— iamcardib (@iamcardib) July 17, 2020
Cardi’s suit also said Shaft wantonly spent money that belonged to the ‘WAP’ artist for – “personal travel, entertainment and expenses and that his employees [helped] themselves to the ‘Bank of Almanzar’, taking “loans of up to $15,000 without Cardi’s knowledge.” Cardi’s real name is Belcalis Almanzar.
Her lawsuit also said Shaft paid himself a 20 percent fee as manager but also set up two companies WorldStar and KSR, through which they say he convinced Cardi to put more money through various exploitative deals such as a 50% of the royalties from her work with Atlantic Records.
Cardi’s lawsuit referred to Shafts and his employees/ companies as “an egregious and reprehensible breach of all trust and confidence placed in them.”
It’s unclear how much the parties settled for, but Cardi B sure is happy her funds are unfrozen and accessible by her.
