Hip-hop trio Migos sue longtime attorney for malpractice

Migos are suing their longtime attorney Damien Granderson as they allege that he cheated them out of millions of dollars.

The Atlanta-based hip-hop trio filed a complaint on Wednesday according to Variety with claims he ‘abused his position of trust as Migos’ fiduciary from the moment he was retained as Migos’ lawyer.’

The group – which consists of Offset, Quavo, and Takeoff – also say that Granderson ‘cheated [the group] out of millions of dollars’ and accused him of ‘glaring conflicts of interest’ including favoring their record label, Quality Control, which he also represented. 

The documents were filed by attorney Bryan Freedman as it has been alleged that Granderson ‘concealed’ from the group that Quality Control had an exclusive deal with Capitol that ‘would allow Capitol to distribute all albums that QCM produced and that QCM was actually profitting far more handsomely than was apparent from the face of the documents that Granderson personally presenteed to Migos for immediate execution.’

And they claim as a result a 2018 amendment to the group’s deal with Capitol ‘triggered an extension of the exclusive recording agreement between QCM and Migos, which Granderson knew to contain terms that were unconscionable for Migos.’

 The lawsuit also hits Granderson with allegations that he ‘betray[ed] Migos when he failed disclose both the complete nature of his relationship with QCM and the complete nature of the conflict in representing both QCM and Migos.’

They also claim that he took more compensation in comparison to other lawyers in the field and accused him of ‘incompetence’ in other negotiations.

The group’s merchandising, publishing, and performing rights deals are also cited in the complaint.

Granderson began working with Migos and Quality Control in 2013.

Migos also aleges that their deal with the label ‘were, and are, extremely unreasonable to Migos’ and gave them ‘the right to far-above-industry-norm compensation even though QCM was not required to perform any work at all.’

The trio formed the rap group Migos in 2008 as they all grew up together outside of Atlanta.  

Their 2013 single Versace earned much notoriety, leading up to their debut album  Yung Rich Nation in 2015.

They have also released Culture in 2017, Culture II in 2018 as both Offset and Quavo have each released successful solo albums. Meanwhile, Culture III has been delayed for months.

The members of Migos have been at the center of several legal issues throughout their career including Offset who earlier this month  put forth a new request in his ongoing paternity battle over his daughter Kalea with her mother, Nicole Marie Algarin.

The 28-year-old rapper (real name Kiari Kendrell Cephus) filed a request in his case taking place in Fulton County, Georgia, asking that Kalea use his last name.

The four-year-old Kalea was born in 2015, two years before he married rapper and actress Cardi B.

His daughter currently goes by the name Kalea Maria Algarin, though Offset is requesting it be changed to Kalea Marie Algarin Cephus.

He is also requesting joint legal and physical custody of his daughter Kalea.

Algarin, who goes under the stage name Shya L’amour, filed  court documents in October, asking for more child support from Offset.

Offset has maintained that he does pay child support, but L’amour alleged in the documents that he only, ‘provided limited financial support.’

The documents also confirmed that DNA tests confirmed Offset is the father, and he has publicly acknowledged so, posing for a photo with her on Instagram last year.

Offset has also claimed that he thinks both the mother and father should be financially supporting the child.

Offset has four children, including his one-year-old daughter Kulture with Cardi B, who he’s been married to since 2017.

He also has two sons, Jordan Cephus, 9, and Kody Cephus, 5, from two different women from previous relationships.