US rapper Cardi B is being sued for $10m (£7.25m) by her former manager, Klenord “Shaft” Raphael, who has accused her of breach of contract and defamation.
In a claim filed on 26 April and seen by Variety, the dispute centres on Cardi’s departure from Raphael’s company, World Star Marketing Group, and her new deal with Solid Foundation. The latter is the management arm of Quality Control, the label to whom the rapper’s fiance, Offset, is signed with his group Migos.
A statement from a representative for Raphael claims: “Since discovering Cardi B in 2015, Shaft has played an integral role in developing her music career and public image … Shaft is disappointed by her actions to freeze him out of her career, which are detailed in the complaint.”
Raphael is credited as a producer and songwriter for Cardi B’s biggest hit, Bodak Yellow, which reached No 1 in the US. He also appears on the songwriting credits of many other songs by her, plus tracks by rap and R&B stars G-Eazy and Tinashe.
He claims Offset “is responsible for steering Cardi B to Quality Control”, and that the rapper sent him threatening text messages. He also accuses Cardi B of defamation after she allegedly told Offset and others: “Shaft is robbing me.”
Cardi B has yet to comment on the claims. The Guardian has contacted her representatives for comment, but has not yet received a response.
Raised in the Bronx, Cardi B was a stripper and was affiliated with a gang. Her music career took off after she was featured in the reality show Love & Hip-Hop, and she gained a huge fanbase for her charismatic Instagram videos. After the success of Bodak Yellow, she has scored other big solo hits such as Bartier Cardi, guested on tracks by Migos and Bruno Mars, and released her widely acclaimed debut album which reached No 1 in the US earlier this month.
She is pregnant with her first child, and unveiled the pregnancy when she became the first person to co-host The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She has since cancelled some forthcoming concerts, but performed at the Billboard Latin music awards this week, and said she will return in September to tour with Bruno Mars. “I might be off from doing performances for a couple of months but in the meantime ima be working my ass off,” she wrote on Twitter. “So many songs, features to do. Working on a lot of deals I sign up for and most importantly nesting. I’m already overwhelmed from the new work.”
