Fat Joe accuses former hypeman of “disgusting lies” in new statement

Terrance “T.A.” Dixon filed a $20 million lawsuit last week accusing Joe of exploitation, manipulation, and sexual abuse of minors.

Fat Joe has issued a public statement in response to a $20 million lawsuit filed by his former hypeman Terrance “T.A.” Dixon, who alleges the New York rapper engaged in exploitation and child abuse over a 16-year period. Joe categorically denies the allegations, and claims that Dixon and his attorney Tyrone Blackburn are trying to “extort” him.

“I’ve never let anyone on the streets extort me,” Joe writes, “so how would I ever let a crooked attorney and a coward ex-hype man extort me?? I’m from the Bronx!”

Read his full statement below.

In April, Joe hired attorney Joe Tacopina and filed a defamation lawsuit against Dixon. The suit claims that Dixon and Tacopina had sent a letter demanding that Dixon be paid $3 million for ghostwriting a number of Joe’s songs. After Joe refused, the suit alleges that Dixon began making disturbing claims against Joe on social media and podcasts, including that he “flew a 16-year-old girl across state lines for sex,” per TMZ. Joe and Tacopina responded with a defamation and extortion lawsuit against Dixon filed in April.

Dixon filed his lawsuit against Joe in federal court on June 19. He claims to have suffered “coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation and psychological coercion,” and witnessed the sexual abuse of minors on several occasions.

On Wednesday morning (June 25), Dixon’s attorney Blackburn was arrested and charged with assault in connection with a May 12 incident where he allegedly struck a process server with his car. The server was attempting to deliver Joe and Tacopina’s extortion and defamation lawsuit.

“Blackburn is an embarrassment to the legal profession and it’s a disgrace watching him use the court system to shield his extortion tactics,” Tacopina said in a statement. “This is exactly why Mr. Cartagena proactively sued Blackburn and his client Terrance Dixon in April because he knew they intended to try to destroy his reputation by peddling salacious lies.”