Cardi B‘s ascend has been many things – including astronomical. However, “controversial” now joins the mix. Because the rap sensation is now locked in a bitter battle with her ex manager – who is seeking millions ($10 million to be exact).
Details below…
Remember when we reported that Cardi had switched management just weeks before her album ‘Invasion Of Privacy’ was set to drop?
Well, as expected, there’s a whole lot more to the story.
Per TMZ, Cardi’s split with longtime manager Shaft (real name Klenord Raphael) is all sorts of volatile.
He claims in a new lawsuit that he is responsible for transforming the 25-year-old from a social media personality into a bonafide star. He asserts that taught her the ins and outs of the music industry and engineered her relationship with ‘Love & Hip Hop.’
Thereafter, and most pertinent to Cardi’s climb, Shaft says it was his contacts and personal team of writers/producers who were are responsible for creating ‘Bodak Yellow.’
Crucially, he goes on to stress that the song’s success is what enabled her to nab multi-million dollar record and publishing deals.
Trouble, he says, started in December last year when he claims pregnant Cardi defamed him to fiance Offset and several others.
He says he received the following text from the Migos star:
“[U] better stop play acting like u don’t know u taking her sh** from her u a snake. U can’t hide from me N**** and u not bout to play my WIFE.”
Via a rep, Shaft released a statement saying:
“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 music megastar, Shaft is disappointed by her actions to freeze him out of her career, which are detailed in the complaint.”
He is confident that his lawsuit will validate his conduct and substantiate his legal claims.”
However…
As always, there are two’s sides to the story and Cardi’s is expectedly very different.
Speaking to TMZ, sources close to the femcee say she first confronted Shaft on Super Bowl weekend. Her claim is that he was deliberately manipulating the numbers to make it look like she was making less money than she was.
Put simply, if Cardi received a booking worth $100,000, it’s alleged that he would tell her she was making only $50,000 — and pocket the difference for himself. Yikes!
Worse still, it’s inferred that he was then double dipping in a shady way – which is what infuriated Offset more.
See, it’s confirmed by both sides that Cardi was paying Shaft a 20% management fee; which, while not uncommon, is considered on the higher side of such agreements. And is even more eyebrow-raising given that she’d be paying it from her take-home sum (that she alleges was less because he was stealing).
For what it’s worth, Shaft defends the 20% and insists that he used a lot of the money to pay the writers and producers who created Cardi’s music.
Furthermore, he believes Offset was on a quest to get rid of him so as to control Cardi’s career himself.
Interestingly, she signed to the same management as Migos (300 Entertainment) upon her break away from Shaft.
*************
Needless to say, this is all sorts of messy. And given the stakes, it’s unlikely to go away quietly.
With the tea now being spilt, the delay with her album is starting to make a lot more sense. Because, if “this” is what was going on behind the scenes, it wouldn’t have been smart to drop a debut LP in that climate.
In any case, what are…