Roc Nation has filed a motion to dismiss Terrance Dixon’s bombshell lawsuit against Fat Joe, in which the management company faces accusations of allegedly withholding wages. It's lawyer, Alex Spiro, says this is functionally impossible as the company only manages Joe’s catalog, publishing rights and intellectual property. “Roc Nation has nothing to do with any of this. Nothing. And we expect this case to be dismissed," he said in a statement provided to Billboard.
As for the motion, Spiro writes: “Roc Nation’s alleged role in this case — according to plaintiff himself — is that it became Mr. Cartagena’s artist management company in 2017, and in that capacity, earned a commission on revenue Mr. Cartagena generated. Yet, according to plaintiff, the fact that Roc Nation had a business relationship with Mr. Cartagena somehow makes Roc Nation part of a RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] enterprise, a participant in sex trafficking, and an aider-and-abettor of Mr. Cartagena’s alleged conduct. That is nonsensical.”
“How Roc Nation supposedly knew of this deplorable alleged conduct is a mystery,” Spiro continues. “He does not assert how Roc Nation’s management of Mr. Cartagena’s music business gave it insight into how much plaintiff should have been paid, what he was paid, or any venture to deprive him of adequate compensation.”
Fat Joe Allegations
Terrance Dixon's attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, responded to the motion in a statement provided to Billboard. He confirmed that he will oppose the request. “I am happy to see that Roc Nation was smart enough to distance itself from Fat Joe and his RICO enterprise,” Blackburn said. “The plaintiff has no personal animosity towards Roc Nation or its leadership.”
As for Fat Joe, Dixon accused him of a number of disturbing allegations in the lawsuit. The claims include alleged “coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion.” He even alleges that Joe had sexual relations with minors.
Fat Joe’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, has already denied the allegations. He warned that “law enforcement is aware of the extortionate demand at the heart of this scheme.”
