Chance The Rapper is heading to trial with his former manager, Pat Corcoran, more than four years after a claim was filed.
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Pat initially sued Chance for $3 million in November of 2020 for “compensatory damages and exemplary damages for breach of their agreement, related violations of the Illinois Sales Representative Act,” as well as for attorney fees incurred from filing the lawsuit.
Pat, who had been working with Chance since 2012, claims he was terminated after the release of Chano’s 2019 album The Big Day Out. His lawsuit alleges that he and Chance had a verbal agreement entitling him to continued earnings for three years post-termination.
Chance, through his legal team, argues that the alleged verbal contract violates the Illinois Statute of Frauds, which requires certain agreements lasting beyond a year to be in writing. Last week, an Illinois judge denied Chance’s motion for summary judgment, clearing the way for a trial.
Chance The Rapper’s team has since addressed the latest ruling in the case with a statement provided to Music Business Worldwide.
“We respectfully believe that the Court incorrectly denied summary judgment, as there is no legal or factual basis for Mr. Corcoran or his entity to obtain additional compensation from Mr. Bennett or his entities for a full three years after Mr. Corcoran was fired. Mr. Bennett looks forward to further demonstrating at trial that this claim by his disgruntled former manager is entirely meritless.”
Disagreements in Corcoran and Chance’s stories largely stem from differing views on the manager’s influence and impact on the rapper’s career.
Corcoran’s lawsuit paints their relationship as groundbreaking – he credits his management and Chance’s artistry with reshaping the industry, citing Chance’s three Grammys in 2017 and independent success. Corcoran also claims to have invested $2.5 million into the rapper’s career and seeks repayment along with unpaid commissions.
The Chicago rapper’s countersuit paints his ex-manager as an outsider who capitalized on his rise. While acknowledging a verbal 15% profit-sharing agreement, Chance denies any obligation beyond their working relationship. He also highlights his own achievements, including The Big Day’s No. 2 Billboard 200 debut, emphasizing that he reached that milestone without a recording, distribution, or publishing deal.
Chance The Rapper addressed the fallout with Corcoran, among other hot topics, a year ago on his song, “Buried Alive.”
He raps: “The boy who lived got tied up for marryin’/ Tryna ride off into the sunset with nary goodbye/ Shot him off his high horse, ate his American pie / Called out his arrogant lies, tossed him in a hole / The middle of nowhere you never could find / Where’s his money now? Whеre his wife at? / Wherе his manager? Where his hype at? Then they threw the dirt in the casket and into the hunt for the baby in the basket.”
