A production company sued Lil Uzi Vert, the Georgia-based Uzivert LLC and the rapper’s manager Amina Diop for breach of contract and unjust enrichment on Wednesday (June 12). M99 Studios accused Uzi of failing to pay the company for services rendered for festival performances and a European tour in 2023.
M99 said Uzi “maintained a long-standing relationship” with the company. According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, Uzi “relied heavily on M99 for all of his creative ideas, production, and staffing for all tours, shows and performances.”
The lawsuit described M99 as a “fixer” for Uzi. The company noted how it had to cover various concert-related expenses for Uzi because the Atlantic Records artist’s credit cards were often declined.
“Uzivert and Artist regularly failed to maintain functioning credit cards or sufficient funds in Artist’s travel account to book necessary travel for crew, forcing M99 to front all travel costs for Artist’s tours and performances,” M99 claimed. “While Artist’s account would work from time-to-time, his credit card would frequently be declined while on tour, making it impossible for M99 to ensure the safety and well-being of the crew without covering the expenses itself. At all times relevant, Diop was aware of these issues and relied on M99 to provide Uzivert and Artist with interest-free loans, regularly taking advantage of M99’s goodwill and financial support to run Artist’s touring business.”
Problems arose when Uzi stopped paying M99’s invoices in 2023. The company’s reputation allegedly suffered due to the lack of payment.
“Uzivert and Artist also regularly fell behind on M99’s invoices leaving M99 in the unfortunate position of being forced to cover Artist’s expenses for future shows and performances without being paid for past-due invoices,” the lawsuit read. “This created a cycle of cash flow issues for M99 and, when M99 would request payment for its services, it was met with excuses or promises that it would be paid at future dates that were frequently breached and pushed back. Uzivert and Artist’s behavior and way of conducting business has strained relationships with some of M99’s biggest partners in the industry and has caused significant reputational damage with companies and vendors M99 has worked with for the past several years.”
M99 sought no less than $533,499.81 in damages. The company also requested all applicable late fees, statutory interest, and attorneys’ fees and costs. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the first to report on the lawsuit.
