Cardi B has won a lawsuit battle that she has been involved in for two years. According to AllHipHop, the former Love & Hip Hop star came out in victorious in her legal battle against her former manager, Klenord “Shaft” Raphael, who sued her for breach of contract. Raphael sued her for $10 million and she countersued him for $30 million claiming that Raphael “breached their original agreement by failing to provide an accurate accounting of her earnings and taking a bigger cut of her earnings illegally” AllHipHop noted. All of the claims were dismissed with prejudice, which means that Raphael and the “Money” rapper cannot sue each other again.
“This action, including all claims and counterclaims, is hereby dismissed in its entirety with prejudice against all parties,” read the lawsuit. “The parties have further agreed that all parties to this action shall bear their own costs and attorney’s fees.”
The lawsuit was settled on Christmas Eve.
“Feels good to be free,” the 28-year-old rapper tweeted after the legal war ended.
Klenord “Shaft” Raphael Accused Cardi B of Dismissing Him When She Became Famous
In 2018, Raphael, who began managing Cardi in 2015, filed a federal $10 lawsuit against Cardi B, born Belcalis Almanzar, claiming that he was responsible for her success and didn’t receive any royalties. He claimed that he helped connect her with the producers who made the Grammy-nominated hit “Bodak Yellow” and helped her secure her role on Love & Hip Hop. Raphael also accused Cardi B of disregarding their agreement so she could sign a deal with the Quality Control record label, which her husband Offset is also signed too. When Cardi B became a mega superstar, Raphael claimed that he was shut out.
“Since discovering Cardi B in 2015, Shaft has played an integral role in developing her music career and public image,” his representative told Page Six in 2018. “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. Shaft is confident that his lawsuit will validate his conduct and substantiate his legal claims.”
Cardi B Has More Legal Issues to Address in 2021
Next year, Cardi B will be sorting out another lawsuit. She was sued by Kevin Brophy Jr., in 2020 after he accused her of using his tattoo for the cover of her mixtape, Gangsta B**** Music Vol.1, without his permission, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The designer of the cover, Timm Gooden, admitted that he did a Google search for “back tattoos” and photoshopped the one he found onto the back of the man on the project’s cover. Brophy Jr. has accused her of using his tattoo in “a misleading, offensive, humiliating and provocatively sexual way” and also accused of using his image in a false light. The judge presiding over the case determined that they will go to trial in 2021.
“To constitute a transformative fair use, the revised image must have significant transformative or creative elements to make it something more than mere likeness or imitation. A reasonable jury in this case could conclude that there are insufficient transformative or creative elements on the GBMV1 cover to constitute a transformative use of Plaintiff’s tattoo.”
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‘Love & Hip Hop’ Star Wins $30 Million Lawsuit Against Ex-Manager