The extent of Drake's UMG lawsuit's impact can't be assured so soon after its recent dismissal, but it seems like it will be a legal reference point for many hip-hop-related cases to come. At least, that's what a recent development in a defamation lawsuit against Fat Joe from his former hype man Terrance "T.A." Dixon.
According to an exclusive AllHipHop report from Grouchy Greg Watkins, attorney Tyrone Blackburn is pushing back against Joe's claims. For those unaware, the Terror Squad rapper is suing Dixon for defamation, whereas Dixon's lawsuit alleges coercion into sexual acts, sexual relations with minors, and other shocking allegations.
As for Blackburn's recent statements on the dispute, he referenced Drake's recent legal loss. The 6ix God tried to hold UMG accountable for releasing the Kendrick Lamar diss track "Not Like Us," but a judge dismissed his claims of defamation. As such, Dixon's attorney compared those claims of sexual activity with minors to his client's accusations against Joey Crack, arguing that their context in a public feud and Joe's status as a public figure should assure First Amendment protections of free speech. Also, Tyrone Blackburn claimed that there is no "actual malice" here that would set this high bar in court.
Drake UMG Lawsuit
Fat Joe's legal dispute began earlier this year when Tyrone Blackburn sent him a letter claiming that he owed Terrence "T.A." Dixon credit and compensation for ghostwriting and vocal work from 2006 to 2019. After threats of exposure emerged when Joe didn't answer, the New York MC launched the defamation suit over social media accusations, with Dixon's full lawsuit emerging a few months later. Joe and his legal team deny any and all accusations and painted this as an alleged cash-grab from an extortion-based lawyer. Of course, this is all very different in practice from the UMG situation, despite the comparisons Blackburn made.
We will see how this case develops and how it continues to affect both parties. In the meantime, we're sure many more hip-hop reactions to Drake's lawsuit's dismissal will continue to pour in, whether in casual spaces or official ones. Could this actually set some sort of legal precedent? We will have to heavily scrutinize the future of lawsuits in rap to find out.
