In May, LCAR Management -- an artist management company owned by YouTube global head of music and 300 Entertainment co-founder Lyor Cohen -- filed a lawsuit against former client Travis Scott for $2 million the company claimed the rapper owed them.
Now, Scott has fired back, alleging that LCAR used its relationship with him to promote artists that are signed to 300 Entertainment and that his manager at LCAR, Austin Rosen, illegally booked him for several shows "in order to curry favor with music industry figures and thereby increase LCAR's standing in the industry, without regard to whether such engagements benefited Scott or his career."
The documents, filed with the California state department of industrial relations and its labor commissioner, seek a hearing to determine controversy, alleging that LCAR "acts illegally as an unlicensed talent agency" and thus violated the Talent Agencies Act by booking shows for Scott without the approval of his talent agent. The rapper is looking to void his contract with LCAR and requesting to be repaid all money the company collected in regards to their business dealings with him, plus 10 percent interest per year, as well as be absolved of all liabilities to LCAR.
The court filing states that Scott signed a management contract with LCAR in October 2014, and lays out a series of 10 incidents in which lawyers for Scott allege that LCAR violated the Act, mostly through show bookings. Between September 2015 and April 2016, the documents claim that Scott was illegally booked for seven performances for anywhere between $12,500 and $60,000 -- including $50,000 to perform at Warner Music Group owner Len Blavatnik's son's birthday party in September 2015 -- in exchange for booking fees that were paid to LCAR.
The filling also claims that LCAR booked Scott to perform at 300's SXSW showcase in 2015 despite him not having any professional affiliation with 300; negotiated a deal for Scott to promote WeedMaps; and that Cohen demanded Scott cover the recording expenses for a collaboration with an unnamed 300 artist, and that after Scott's personal manager raised objections, Rosen allegedly assaulted the manager.
The court documents, obtained and reviewed by Billboard today, were filed July 11.
