Legal professional for Fats Joe’s former hype man arrested, accused of hitting course of server along with his car
An legal professional representing rapper Fats Joe’s former hype man was arrested Wednesday, accused of hitting a course of server along with his automobile in New York Metropolis.
Legal professional Tyrone Blackburn, 40, was taken into custody Wednesday morning and booked for assault, the New York Metropolis Police Division mentioned. Blackburn didn’t instantly reply to NBC Information’ request for remark.
The arrest is the most recent in a forwards and backwards between Fats Joe, whose actual identify is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, and his former hype man Terrance “T.A.” Dixon and Dixon’s lawyer, Blackburn.
In line with Fats Joe’s legal professional, Joe Tacopina, it began on March 23 when Dixon and Blackburn despatched the rapper a written demand letter looking for cash for being a “ghostwriter and uncredited vocalist” on a few of Fats Joe’s songs.
Fats Joe disregarded the calls for, however on April 21 Blackburn and Dixon despatched a observe up demand letter threatening to file a lawsuit not only for unpaid wages, however for different allegations together with rape, pressured labor, intercourse trafficking and fraud — all claims Tacopina referred to as “false and outrageous” and “with utter disregard for reality or decency.”
In consequence, Fats Joe filed a civil lawsuit in opposition to Dixon and Blackburn in April alleging extortion, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional misery.
When the method server went at hand that paperwork to Blackburn, the legal professional allegedly hit him along with his car, Tacopina mentioned.
A warrant was issued for Blackburn’s arrest on Thursday, in accordance with Tacopina. That very same day, Blackburn and Dixon filed a $20 million federal lawsuit in opposition to Fats Joe within the U.S. District Court docket for the Southern District of New York.
That lawsuit alleged the rapper pressured Dixon to interact in 1000’s of intercourse acts with girls, and likewise alleges he was underpaid, denied songwriting credit and threatened.
Tacopina beforehand informed NBC Information these claims had been “full fabrications” designed to wreck the rapper’s popularity.
“Tyrone Blackburn’s arrest comes as no shock to me — it’s simply the most recent instance of his malicious and manipulative sample of misconduct lastly coming to gentle,” Tacopina mentioned in a press release Wednesday.
“Blackburn is a humiliation to the authorized occupation and it’s a shame watching him use the court docket system to protect his extortion techniques. That is precisely why Mr. Cartagena proactively sued Blackburn and his consumer Terrance Dixon in April as a result of he knew they meant to attempt to destroy his popularity by peddling salacious lies,” he continued. “Right now’s arrest is simply step one, however I’m assured that my consumer’s identify can be cleared from all of those falsehoods and Blackburn can be dropped at justice as soon as and for all.”
Blackburn has represented high-profile shoppers prior to now. In February 2024, he filed a lawsuit on behalf of Diddy accuser producer Lil Rodney. In that case, Lil Rodney accused Combs of sexually harassing, drugging and threatening him. Combs’ attorneys denied these allegations.