Rapper Fat Joe is being sued for exploitation and abuse by his longtime hypeman for $20 million dollars.
Terrance “T.A.” Dixon filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York on Thursday alleging years of abuse and exploitation by the hip-hop star, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena. In the lawsuit, Dixon accuses Fat Joe of coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation and psychological coercion. He claims that despite contributing heavily to the rapper’s creative success—including work as a lyricist and background vocalist on songs like “Congratulations” and “Ice Cream”—his efforts were systematically erased while Fat Joe and his associates gained fame and fortune. Dixon is seeking up to $20 million in damages.
The lawsuit outlines deeply disturbing allegations, including sexual misconduct and coercion, some of which involve minors and prompted the inclusion of a trigger warning on the first page of the filing. Dixon says that over his 16-year tenure with Fat Joe, he was repeatedly subjected to dehumanizing and threatening conditions, including being forced into sexual acts under surveillance and fear of being abandoned overseas. The suit paints a picture of a toxic and abusive power dynamic, with Dixon stating he was coerced into more than 4,000 sexual acts in order to maintain his role in what the lawsuit refers to as “the Enterprise.”
The lawsuit claims that Dixon “personally witnessed [Fat Joe] engage in sexual relations with children who were fifteen and sixteen years old,” listing three alleged Jane Does. One Jane Doe is a 16-year-old Dominican girl from New York, who, according to the lawsuit, “would [perform] oral sex and other sexual acts” for the rapper in exchange for “cash, clothing, and payment of her cell phone bill.” The second minor listed is a Caucasian female who Fat Joe allegedly began having sex with when she was just 15 years old after meeting at a concert oversees. The suit says that due to her being underdeveloped the rapper paid for her to get a Brazilian Butt Lift. The third minor is a Latina female who met the rapper when she was also only 15 years old. According to Dixon, the rapper was “in love with Minor Doe 3” and even contemplated leaving his wife for her.
The suit also cites Fat Joe’s “disturbing lack of remorse or discretion regarding his predatory behavior,” specifically pointing to lyrical references which suggest his explicit behavior towards minors. The suit claims that lines from “She’s My Mama” directly refer to the third minor, who was “required to hold jewelry, drugs and other questionable items” that are illegal for a child to possess.
“Now, she was only sixteen I / had to nurture that,” the lyrics stated. “See the respect that you get / from just bein’ my b-tch.”
Dixon also claimed that his boss committed financial fraud and wage theft, denying him royalties to songs he contributed to and misappropriating tour income. Fat Joe allegedly pocketed a $30,000 Live Nation check from the “All the Way Up” tour and used it to pay off personal tax liabilities rather than fairly compensating Dixon.
The plaintiff also accused the rapper of using his luxury sneaker store and clothing brand UPNYC as a front for laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars in unreported cash transactions, according to the federal civil complaint. Dixon alleged Fat Joe personally pocketed $600,000 and $200,000 in cash on separate occasions, bypassing formal payment systems and inflating wage statements to the IRS to disguise under-the-table compensation.
To make matters worse, Dixon also claimed that Fat Joe and his associates used veiled death threats and intimidation tactics to silence him. The lawsuit specifically cites social media messages, saying You love your family, right?” and “Fall back in 48 hours.” Another ominously read, “We let you live.”
Fat Joe is represented by celebrity criminal attorney Joe Tacopina, who has defended A$AP Rocky, Donald Trump and Michael Jackson, to name a few, in high-profile cases.
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