NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Rapper Cardi B has been hit with a $10 million lawsuit brought by her former manager Klenord Raphael, who accused his former client and Quality Control Management of alleged breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and defamation. He’s also accused her current managers Quality Control Management’s Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “Pee” Thomas of tortious interference.
Raphael, who also goes by the sobriquet of Shaft, claims that after he began working with Cardi B after discovering her as an exotic dancer and social media personality in 2015. However, Raphael alleges that she cut him out of his career after she found success with his assistance.
“Shaft conceived, arranged and orchestrated Cardi B’s rise to become the biggest music sensation on the planet. Owing to his vision and drive, Cardi B can now bring her talents to the world and obtain a level of success few artists ever achieve. 22. But as is sometimes the case with artists who obtain a measurable level of success, Cardi B has reneged on valid and binding agreements in an effort to cause Plaintiffs to forfeit their substantial rights and benefits in her entertainment career and to enrich herself and others who played no role in developing her career,” attorneys representing Raphael wrote in the civil complaint.
Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, signed a deal Quality Control Management in March. The Altanta-based management company and record label also represent Lil Yachty, and the rap group Migos, of which Cardi B’s fiance Offset is a member of.
In the lawsuit, Raphael alleges that Cardi B’s publicist, who has the oddly-spelled name Patientce Foster, and who has also been named as a defendant in the suit, engaged in a “campaign of lies” against Raphael, in an attempt to lure her to switch representation and thus improperly induced her to materially breach the WorldStar exclusive management agreement.
Cardi B is currently one of the hottest hip-hop artists with the success of her smash hit “Bodak Yellow” last year. Her latest album “Invasion of Privacy” was released earlier this month and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 200.
Raphael is seeking at least $10 million damages through the suit.
