Steep Prices
Cardi B is being sued by her ex-manager Shaft (née Klenord Raphael) for breach of contract. According to Shaft, Cardi did not have the right to fire him, especially since he “played an integral role in developing her music career and public image.”
Sources close to Cardi say that Shaft was overcharging and stealing from her, giving her every reason to let him go.
Credit:Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Coachella
“Snake”
Credit: Rich Polk/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
Shaft is suing Cardi — who recently signed a management deal with Quality Control Music — for $10 million. The lawsuit cites several reasons his loss of employment was unwarranted, including him being behind her starring on Love & Hip Hop. After discovering her in 2015, Shaft says he taught her the music game and used his team of writers and producers to make “Bodak Yellow,” the track which Shaft says is the reason Cardi was given her million-dollar record/publishing deal in the first place.
For his efforts, Shaft — who claims the Invasion of Privacy rapper’s publicist/makeup artist is responsible for setting her against him — says he received a nasty text message from Cardi’s fiancé Offset in December of 2017. “[U] better stop play acting like u don’t know u taking her s**t from her u a snake. U can’t hide from me N***a and u not bout to play my WIFE,” the message allegedly read.
The manager’s rep spoke to TMZ, calling Shaft “confident” in his lawsuit.
“Since discovering Cardi B in 2015, Shaft has played an integral role in developing her music career and public image,” the rep told the outlet. “While he is proud of their successful collaborations as she evolved from Instagram influencer to music megastar, Shaft is disappointed by her actions to freeze him out of her career, which are detailed in the complaint.”
Skimming off the Top
Source: Instagram @iamcardib
While Cardi nor Offset have said anything about the lawsuit or Shaft’s claims, a source close to the NY native sang like a canary. The insider who spoke to TMZ said that Shaft is, in fact, a “snake,” as Offset said.
According to the source, Cardi and Shaft had a one-on-one conversation after Super Bowl weekend, where Cardi accused him of lying about how much she was making and keeping the difference. “Our Cardi sources put it this way… If Cardi got a gig that paid $100,000, Shaft would tell her she was making $50k and allegedly pocket the balance,” the outlet reported.
On top of skimming money off the top, Shaft was also charging a 20% manager’s fee, a price Offset allegedly told Cardi was higher than normal. The Migos rapper reportedly flipped when he learned how much his wife-to-be was paying, leading him to strongly push her to fire Shaft.
