Madlib sued his former manager, Eothen “Egon” Alapatt, accusing him of “self-reliance”, “engaging in persistent and pervasive mismanagement” and unjustifiably profiting from his involvement in the musician's business affairs. Madlib filed his lawsuit in a Los Angeles court on October 31, marking the fourth anniversary of MF Doom's death. Doom's widow, Jasmine Dumile Thompson, is also involved in an ongoing lawsuit against Egon.
In the lawsuit, Madlib and his legal team explain that both he and Egon left Stones Throw Records in 2010. At that point, Madlib says, he retained Egon as his manager, entrusting him with the creation and operation of Madicine Show and Rappcats business entities. (Madlib also names Rappcats co-founder Jeffrey “Jeff Jank” Carlson as a defendant in the lawsuit.)
Madlib claims it only recently discovered “several accounting irregularities” involving the Madicine Show and Rappcats that occurred between 2018 and mid-2022. It also says it was unable to find “any backup documentation for, among others, payments to EGON, JANK and others as “consulting services”, “fees”, “fees” or “compensations” (totalling several hundred thousand dollars)”
Further, Madlib alleges that Egon “improperly implicated” his own record label, former Stones Throw subsidiary Now-Again Records, in business dealings involving the Madicine Show. And he also claims that Egon “locked [him] from several key music business platforms that he should have access to, including but not limited to Ingrooves, Apple Music, Bandcamp and YouTube, as well as MADLIB's own Facebook account and Instagram account for his QUASIMOTO character.
Madlib is seeking injunctive relief to shut down and disband the Madicine Show and Rappcats, an award of punitive and exemplary damages for Egon and Now-Again's alleged breach of fiduciary duty, and a declaration by the court that none of the defendants “owns or has any continuing right or interest' in his recorded music, professional career, registered trademarks and name and likeness. He and his team also requested a jury trial.
Jeff Jank and Kenneth D. Freundlich, the attorney representing Egon in his dispute with Jasmine Dumile Thompson, did not immediately respond to Pitchfork's requests for comment.
