Doechii was never booked for the AFRAM Festival despite a $187,500 deposit, according to a new lawsuit against a New Jersey booking agent.
A $187,500 concert deposit to book rapper Doechii is at the center of a lawsuit filed by an Atlanta-based event firm that claims it was duped by a fake booking scheme.
Blackout Management LLC says it wired the money to New Jersey booking agent Christopher Young in December 2024, trusting his promise to secure Doechii and SiR for Baltimore’s AFRAM Festival.
Young allegedly claimed he had direct access to the artists through their label, Top Dawg Entertainment.
But according to a federal complaint filed in Atlanta, the deal unraveled by March 2025 when Young suddenly told Blackout the performers were no longer available due to tour commitments.
After months of delays and excuses, Blackout contacted TDE directly and learned Young had never booked Doechii and had only held brief conversations about SiR.
The company says it never received artist contracts, promotional materials or any signed documents. The deposit, it claims, was never passed on to TDE.
Instead, Young and his company, Sacrifice Management LLC, kept the funds.
Blackout demanded a refund. Young allegedly agreed—twice. He signed settlement agreements in May and July 2025 but failed to pay either time, according to the lawsuit.
Now, Blackout is suing for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, conversion, unjust enrichment and other claims. The company is asking for at least $187,500 in damages, plus interest, legal fees and punitive damages.
The AFRAM Festival, held annually in Baltimore, is one of the largest cultural events on the East Coast and draws over 150,000 attendees per day. It serves as the city’s official Juneteenth celebration.
Sadly, this isn’t the only recent case of a concert deal gone wrong involving a major Hip-Hop artist,
Esmail Entertainment filed a $2.5 million lawsuit against Shaw Management Enterprises over a canceled GloRilla show scheduled for September 6, 2025, in Cleveland.
That suit alleges Shaw forged contracts for GloRilla, Moneybagg Yo and Skilla Baby and collected over $280,000 in deposits. GloRilla’s team confirmed she never agreed to perform and only $20,000 has been returned so far.
Esmail’s lawsuit includes six claims, including fraud and civil theft. It also accuses Shaw of interfering with business operations after abruptly halting event promotion just two days after ticket sales began.
