Chance The Rapper Heading To Trial Over Financial Dispute With Ex-Manager

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Chance The Rapper is headed to trial with his former manager, Pat Corcoran, after a judge denied Chance’s request to dismiss Corcoran’s 2020 lawsuit.

The pair stopped working together in April 2020 after nearly eight years, resulting in Pat filing a lawsuit later that year seeking $3 million in unpaid commissions. He alleged they had a verbal agreement that Chance would pay him commission not just during their time together, but for three years after termination as well.

In response, Chance argued that said verbal agreement violates Illinois’ ‘Statute of Frauds’ law, which requires certain contracts lasting longer than one year to be in writing. Because of that, he argued it should be dismissed.

Unfortunately, a judge disagreed in a ruling on March 26 and confirmed the case will go to trial.

In a statement to Music Business Worldwidein response, Chance’s legal team said: “We respectfully believe that the Court incorrectly denied summary judgment, as there is no legal or factual basis for Mr. Corcoran or his entity to obtain additional compensation from Mr. Bennett or his entities for a full three years after Mr. Corcoran was fired. Mr. Bennett looks forward to further demonstrating at trial that this claim by his disgruntled former manager is entirely meritless.”

In 2021, Chance countersued Corcoran, claiming he had essentially “sabotaged” a deal he had in place to become one of the faces of United Masters. He also blasted his longtime manager by saying when he met him, Corcoran barely held a position on the “fringes of the rap music scene in Chicago.”

“Mr. Corcoran has been paid in full under his management services contract with Mr. Bennett,” Chance’s attorneys told the Tribune. “Yet he chose to file a groundless and insulting lawsuit that ignores his own improper self-dealing and incompetence.

The legal team continued, “Mr. Bennett has moved to dismiss the majority of that meritless lawsuit, and filed his own lawsuit to remedy the harm that Mr. Corcoran caused through his breaches of duty. Mr. Bennett trusts the legal system to reveal the truth of the parties’ relationship in due course.”

That suit is still ongoing.