New York-The chart-topping rapper is responding to a lawsuit lodged against her by her former manager Klenord ‘Shaft’ Raphael’ in April. Superstar rapper Cardi B has launched a counter-lawsuit against her former manager, whom she claims was “disloyal and deceitful” and even tried to control her romantic life.
Back in April this year, Klenord “Shaft” Raphael had sued the star, real name Belcalis Almanzar, for $10 million claiming that he had been “frozen” out of her career after she exploded into the mainstream over the last year. Raphael claimed credit for discovering the star, and sought to enforce the rapper’s management agreement with his company WorldStar that entitled it to 20% of her gross income. He also alleged that Cardi defamed him by telling people that he stole money from her. Three months later, chart-topper Cardi is looking to have all management and recording agreements made with Raphael declared void by launching a counter-suit worth $15 million, which she filed in court on Thursday (July 5), according to Variety.
“This case arises out of the deceitful and disloyal conduct of a self-serving and controlling personal manager, Counter-Defendant Klenord “Shaft” Raphael and his entities through which he does business, WorldStar and KSR, who together, among other things, breached their contractual and fiduciary duties to Counter-Plaintiff Belcalis Almanzar, an immensely talented and trusting young artist,” the court documents state.
The 25 year old rapper claims that Raphael was controlling in ways that went far beyond what was appropriate for a professional manager, allegedly putting up “barriers between her and people close to her in an effort to maintain complete control over her.”
According to the suit, Raphael told Cardi “who she should and should not see romantically.”
Last week, Cardi B made American chart history by becoming the first female rapper to score two Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles, when ‘I Like It’ followed her breakout hit ‘Bodak Yellow’ to Number 1.
She is due to welcome her first child with husband Offset (from Migos) later this summer.