Wiz Khalifa Suing Former Manager, Label Over 360 Deal
Says they benefited more than he.
Wiz Khalifa is suing his former manager and record label. The rapper filed the paperwork in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, seeking to terminate a 360 deal he signed years ago, as well as more than $1 million in damages, according to Billboard.
Wiz filed the lawsuit against Benjy Grinberg and Rostrum Records who he says profited from “virtually every aspect of plaintiff’s professional life” for over a decade.
The 360 deal, which Wiz signed in May 2005 at the age of 17, included one album and five options for additional albums. Having released his sixth LP Khalifa this past February, Wiz’s lawsuit claims he has fulfilled that contract. Contractually, 360 deals allow labels to receive earnings off more than just an artist’s record sales—including live performances, publishing and more—in exchange for the artist to receive financial support from the label, as well as promotional, marketing and touring support.
The lawsuit also refers to a 2004 oral agreement that employed Grinberg and Rostrum as his managers; this arrangement lasted until March 2014.
Still, Wiz is alleging that over that time, Grinberg and Rostrum used their managerial position to enter him into deals with Warner Bros. Records and Atlantic Records that benefited Rostrum more than himself. Wiz alleges that they were “intentionally conceal[ing] material information… in order to profit at his expense.”
In a statement to Billboard, Grinberg said, “To witness an artist turn on you after supporting them for a number of years is very disheartening. This is an egregious lawsuit filled with inaccuracies, yet unfortunately people sometimes resort to these practices as a way of conducting business.”
Wiz is also seeking attorneys’ fees and further punitive damages.