The Bronx-bred rap star, who has hits including 'Lean Back and Up,' is suing his former hypeman, Terrance Dixson, and Dixson's lawyer, Tyrone Blackburn, in New York federal court. The pair are alleged to have tried to extort Joe for an eye-popping $20 million with what the rapper describes as a "weak-ass scam" complete of alarming, fabricated claims.
The court papers detail how the saga began on March 23, 2025, when Dixson and Blackburn sent Fat Joe a letter seeking payment. They alleged that Dixson had secretly contributed as an uncredited ghostwriter and background vocalist from 2006 to 2019, according to Joe and his defense team, was never mentioned during their 13 years working together.
When Fat Joe didn't reply, things quickly escalated. This one, threatening him with a lurid lawsuit unless he paid a ransom, hit his desk by April 21. The ask? Twenty million dollars. Then came the social media bombshell.
Dixson decided to air his reckless accusations on the web and began making claims on his website, stating the Fat Joe had supposedly transported a 16-year-old girl across state lines for sex. The post featured a photo of Joe alongside Diddy and DJ Khaled, suggesting larger implications.
"These accusations are 100 percent false and a complete fabrication," Fat Joe said. "These two women, who are my former partners, have together plotted with others to 'come out' against me and completely twist the circumstances surrounding my departure from a company I founded, and smear me in an attempt to defame my character and, they hope, harm my family," Lerner said in a statement to PEOPLE. "They have been trying to extort me with a story full of lies." The relentless attacks, threats, and outright lies that have been leveled at my wife and me have done incalculable damage to my family and my reputation.
Joe's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, no stranger to high-profile cases, was no less blunt. "This is not some shakedown," he said. "This is a disgusting smear campaign."
Tacopina also mentioned Blackburn's past in the courtroom. The lawsuit mentions that federal judges have rebuked Blackburn's legal methods in past cases. Judge Denise Cote, at one point, accused him of lodging cases only to "garner media attention" and embarrass high-profile targets. And Judge J. Paul Oetken took it even further, warning Blackburn about footnoted legal filings "replete with inaccurate statements of law" and "unconnected insults."
But in an effort to stop the smear drive, Fat Joe's legal team sent Blackburn a cease-and-desist letter, citing those judicial criticisms and demanding the end of what they described as a purposeful assault on Joe's character.
It's not just about money but about truth, the character of the people who wrong you, and finding some justice. For Fat Joe, the battle isn't only playing out in the courtroom; it is one with a personal touch. After being in the game for decades, this fight may be one of his toughest. But if nothing else is specific, it's this: he's not stepping back.
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