Chance The Rapper testifies against his former manager over a $3 million contract dispute.
Patrick Corcoran’s trial against his former client, Chance The Rapper, is underway in Cook County, Ill. The case stems from a 2020 lawsuit in which Pat claims he struck a handshake deal with the Chicago rapper to receive 15% of net proceeds across all income streams including a sunset clause where Pat would get paid three years after being fired.
On Tuesday (March 10), Chance was called to testify in the case and offered a different story from Pat’s complaint. According to him, he never knew a sunset clause existed in their arrangement.
“We never described it as a contract until he sued me. We had an at-will agreement that didn’t address termination,” he reportedly testified, according to the Chicago Sun-Times‘ article published on March 10.
“We moved that way forever. We never discussed the sunset clause, we just discussed how I’d pay him,” he continued. “And one thing that stayed consistent is that I paid him his 15% [in net proceeds]. I kept paying him that 15%.”
“I can’t think of one situation where he did meaningful work and I didn’t pay him,” he added.
Chance, born Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, stated in his testimony that he paid Pat a total of $11 million during their working relationship, which spanned from 2012 to 2020. He also added that Pat was definitely the most-paid person on the payroll of his company, Chance the Rapper LLC.
In his lawsuit, Pat Corcoran (also known as Pat the Manager) claimed that he was terminated in 2019 because of “fan disappointment” with the rapper’s album, The Big Day, and low ticket sales for the accompanying tour. Pat would be replaced by Chance’s father, Ken Bennett, and brother, Taylor Bennett. Nevertheless, Pat claimed Chano didn’t comply with their post-employment agreement. He’s seeking $3.8 million in unpaid commissions, and exemplary damages for breach of their agreement and related violations of the Illinois Sales Representative Act.
In 2021, Chance fired back with a countersuit, demanding more than $1 million in damages. He claimed that Pat had failed to fulfill his managerial duties, alleging he was disloyal and put his own interests first, resulting in business deals that harmed the rapper’s career. That case has not gone to trial as of yet.
The civil trial between Chance the Rapper and his former manager is scheduled to last approximately two weeks.
See FOX 32 Chicago’s Video: Latest on Chance The Rapper’s Legal Dispute with Ex-Manager
See Rappers Who Beat Major Legal Cases and Walked Away With a Victory
Hip-hop came out with a win in some way in these cases.