The widow of a former Roots bassist is filing a lawsuit against Questlove and Black Thought. The suit alleges that they violated RICO laws in handling the band’s finances.
The suit states that Roots members Ahmir Thompson, Tariq Trotter, manager Shawn Gee and band employee Munir Nuriddin have been violating RICO laws since 2013. They are accused of “forgery, wire fraud, bank fraud, mail fraud and criminal copyright infringement” in the course of their business dealings.
Questlove and Black Thought have been sued for allegedly defrauding their former bandmate of millions of dollars. https://t.co/UvHTDl9HTw
— AfroTech (@AfroTech) March 29, 2023
Stephanie Hubbard Files Lawsuit
The widow of former roots member Leonard Hubbard has filed a lawsuit against Questlove, Black Thought and others. The suit alleges that Gee, Thompson and Trotter have been committing racketeering and other crimes against the estate since 2013 through “fraud, forgery, wire fraud, bank fraud and copyright infringement.”
According to Rolling Stone, Hubbard’s suit claims that the three defendants “intentionally and fraudulently took control of the finances and business entities associated with the band, including all of Hubbard’s share value.”
Furthermore, she alleges that they established “Legendelphia,” a distinct business entity, without obtaining her consent. This new endeavor aimed to shift and transform a significant portion of the original company’s assets into an exclusive venture owned by them.
The estate is suing the defendants for restitution, attorneys’ fees and additional damages. It also wants the court to inspect the defendants’ records and take an accounting of their business transactions. Furthermore, the petition requests that the court temporarily halt the use of the Roots trademark pending a valuation of its worth.
Suit alleges Questlove and Black Thought violated RICO laws
The widow of the late bassist Leonard Hubbard, who was a founding member of the Roots, is filing a lawsuit against band co-founders Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, as well as manager Shawn Gee and band employee Munir Nuriddin. The suit alleges that they violated RICO laws by defrauding Hubbard out of millions of dollars.
The Roots were pioneers in hip-hop, introducing live instrumentation to the genre’s jazzy and soulful essence, setting the defining tone for years to come. The group has released ten studio albums, two EPs and two collaboration albums.
Hubbard joined the group in 1992, a time when it was still called the Square Roots. He remained with the group until 2007 and then left to battle blood cancer. During their shows, he was known for his funky grooves and chew stick that he held in his mouth during performances. In addition to his musical contributions, Hubbard was also an activist and advocate for social justice.
Suit names Live Nation Entertainment
Ticketing giant Live Nation Entertainment has been linked to hundreds of deaths and injuries at music festivals around the world. The company is under antitrust scrutiny by the Justice Department for allegedly gouging fans with bloated ticket prices.
The suit names Questlove and Black Thought as well as Roots manager Shawn Gee, Roots employee Munir Nuriddin, and Live Nation Entertainment. It alleges they violated RICO laws by scheming to deny Hubbard his earnings from the band since 2013.
The suit also accuses Live Nation of retaliating against venues who do not use its ticketing services, and claims that Live Nation has threatened to take action against them if they do. It also claims that the companies have threatened to keep big tours away from venues that do not use Ticketmaster’s services.
Suit names Universal Music Publishing Group
Universal Music Publishing Group has been named as the subject of a racketeering lawsuit filed by Stephanie Hubbard, widow of a former roots member. The suit claims that Gee, Thompson, Trotter, and Questlove manipulated the Roots’ finances and businesses and withheld money from Hubbard’s estate.
The suit seeks restitution for brand, merchandise, performances, and copyrighted music revenue that was purposefully withheld. Additionally, the request seeks a court order to temporarily suspend the use of the Roots’ trademark until its valuation can be established.
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