*Azealia Banks claims her former manager pretended to be in love with her so he could steal from the rapper.
According to Rolling Stone, Banks is counter-suing Prospect Park CEO, Jeff Kwatinetz, for breach of contract and fraud after she failed to get paid her share of the revenues from her debut album, “Broke With Expensive Taste”.
Here’s what the outlet reports:
In new paperwork obtained by Rolling Stone, Banks says Jeff Kwatinetz was 49 years old and single when he presided over an “egregious” dealmaking process in 2014 that gave his company a 15-year license to her album Broke with Expensive Taste – an album she already owned that had been produced and paid for by another record company, according to her recent filing in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
“[Kwatinetz] attempted to control and manipulate Banks so he could eventually steal from her, by charming the 23-year-old from Harlem and attempting to convince her that he loved her,” her filing states. “He would repeatedly tell her in e-mails that he loved her, had sleepovers with her and sent her gifts.”
Per the report, Banks claims Kwatinetz engaged in “blurring the lines between a fiduciary and a romantic suitor so that he could take financial advantage” of her.
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According to @RollingStone, Azealia Banks is counter-suing Prospect Park CEO, Jeff Kwatinetz, for breach of contract and fraud.
Kwatinetz and Prospect Park have failed to pay Azealia her fair share of the revenues of Azealia’s debut studio album, Broke With Expensive Taste. pic.twitter.com/jb7m6VCsZg
— Azealia Banks Updates (@kuntupdates) December 14, 2021
As noted by MadameNoire, Banks said Prospect Park claimed her debut album had a profit of $1,490,460 but expenses totaled up to $1,296,330. Six years after the album’s release, she received a royalty check for only $15,344.94.
“Under the circumstances, the amount of alleged costs and expenses is outrageous,” Banks’ cross-complaint read.
A rep for Kwatinetz claims Banks’ legal case has no merit.
“Ms. Banks is a talented artist, but she has been acting irresponsibly and dangerously for years,” the rep told Rolling Stone Thursday. “Ms. Banks’ cross-complaint has no merit and is nothing more than a PR stunt. Mr. Kwatinetz will vindicate his rights in court, where he will prove that Ms. Banks’ allegations are false and slanderous.”
Kwatinetz’s original complaint was reportedly thrown out in 2020 and filed again in 2021. He claims Banks launched a “campaign of extortion” by posting threatening messages towards him and his family on social media.
The next court date on this matter is slated for Feb. 1, 2022.
