Egon has filed a federal lawsuit in opposition to Madlib in California’s Central District Court, demanding a choose declare that their three way partnership, Madicine Show LLC, owns the rights to a decade’s value of recordings, not the producer himself.

The criticism, filed November 11, escalates the unraveling of a once-productive partnership between the 2 Hip-Hop collaborators. The dispute facilities on who controls the music catalog constructed underneath the Madlib Invazion and Madicine Show imprints, that are dwelling to initiatives that includes Freddie Gibbs, Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden, and the late Mac Miller.

Eothen “Egon” Alapatt claims Madlib, born Otis Jackson Jr., is making an attempt to take away these recordings from the corporate’s property and declare them as private property.

“The recordings at issue were created and exploited pursuant to a licensing relationship between Jackson and Madicine Show,” the lawsuit states. “They remain company assets.”

Alapatt argues the music was by no means Madlib’s to take. He says the producer granted Madicine Show the rights “necessary to exploit his recordings” and that these rights usually are not revocable. The swimsuit additionally warns that eradicating the catalog would breach contracts with collaborating artists and “impair the value of the catalog itself.”

The lawsuit portrays a artistic alliance that started in 2011 and operated easily for years. According to the submitting, Madlib targeted on crafting beats whereas Alapatt dealt with enterprise technique, manufacturing and distribution.

“The business’s success rested on that combination,” the criticism reads.

But the connection fractured after Madlib introduced in new administration. Alapatt claims the producer “turned against Alapatt and the enterprise they built,” resulting in a breakdown in communication and belief.

The authorized standoff intensified after Madlib filed his personal lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court in October 2024. That case accused Alapatt of mismanagement, self-dealing, and blocking entry to digital platforms, together with Bandcamp, Apple music, and YouTube.

Madlib additionally alleged that Egon used his separate label, Now-Again Records, to divert income from Madicine Show.

That earlier lawsuit sought to dissolve the corporate and appoint a court docket receiver to wind it down. The court docket granted that request, prompting Alapatt’s federal countersuit.

He argues the receiver can not pretty handle the corporate’s property till possession of the catalog is legally resolved.

Alapatt’s submitting seeks a declaration that Madicine Show co-owns the copyrights, that Madlib can not intrude with the catalog’s use, and that each one royalties should be distributed in accordance with the corporate’s construction.

This isn’t the one authorized bother circling Egon.

In late 2023, MF DOOM’s widow, Jasmine Dumile Thompson, sued him for allegedly stealing greater than 30 of the late rapper’s handwritten rhyme notebooks.

The notebooks, which included lyrics and notes from albums like Madvillainy and Operation: Doomsday, had been allegedly obtained by Egon after paying hire on DOOM’s former workplace.

That case led to early 2025 with a confidential settlement. Egon returned the notebooks to the property and each side agreed to concentrate on preserving DOOM’s legacy.

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