THE HEADLINE: Popular rapper sues porn mogul Larry Flynt and an agent at a powerful booking agency over a cancelled gig at a famous strip club. The staff at TMZ must be shaking with excitement.
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Prodigy of Mobb Deep has filed suit in New York Supreme Court alleging that mega-agency United Talent failed to provide promised booking services for his live performances. At the core of the dispute is a cancelled April 15, 2015 booking originally secured by UTA agent Jesse Rosoff for a Prodigy show at Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club.
In the filing, Prodigy (aka Albert Johnson) says that UTA advanced him $1,250 of a $10,000 show fee for an upcoming Hustler Club performance booked by Rosoff, that was “subsequently terminated.”
After Prodigy’s lawyer sent Hustler and Rosoff a letter demanding that the remaining $8,750 fee be paid, “Rosoff began pressuring Johnson to recant his demand for payment and agree not to pursue any claim against Hustler or his agent,” according to court filings obtained by Billboard. The agent allegedly also told Prodigy’s lawyer that he would drop Mobb Deep unless the rapper waived any right to pursue legal action.
Ture to his word, Rosoff apparently did not book any Mobb Deep shows shows from April until he officially dropped the act in November. Previously CAA had booked about 50 shows Mobb Deep shows per year.
UTA “Cost My Client Millions”
Coery Boddies, Prodigy’s attorney, told Billboard that the lawsuit is “based on a breach of a fiduciary duty by an agent and UTA and my client possibly losing shows due to the agency not soliciting work for Prodigy. It all hinges on an ultimatum UTA and Rosoff gave my client: don’t sue Hustler or we will drop you as a client. My client complied, but UTA and Rosoff had every intention on dropping Prodigy and Mobb Deep, but didnt let them know until 6 months later. This cost my clients millions.”