Lil Uzi Vert has been sued by one of their business partners for allegedly failing to reimburse them for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of production costs.
On Wednesday (June 12), creative agency M99 Studios filed a lawsuit against the Philly native, their company Uzivert LLC and manager Amina Diop over a tab that amounts to more than $500,000. The complaint, filed in a US District Court in Atlanta, accuses the rapper of not honoring their end of the deal with the organization.
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The Los Angeles-based company specializes in “tour packages, creative direction and production for concerts, tours and live events.” According to a complaint viewed by HipHopDX, the company alleges that Uzi “regularly failed to maintain function credit cards or sufficient funds in [their] travel account,” forcing M99 to front the money.
“Diop was aware of these issues and relied on M99 to provide Uzivert [sic] … with interest-free loans, regularly taking advantage of M99’s good will and financial support to run Artist’s touring business,” the document continues.
By 2023, Uzi allegedly stopped paying M99 altogether despite using its services at massive events such as Rolling Loud, Roots Picnic and a summer tour across Europe, among others.
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“There is little doubt that Artist could have completed the Performances without the help of M99 as, consistent with past dealings, Artist would regularly use M99 to fulfill unrealistic production requests just hours before the scheduled Performances,” the company alleged in the complaint, further illustrating the apparent challenges of working with the Red & White artist.
“For example, right before his Rolling Loud LA performance, Artist requested a bounce house, wooded crosses, and mannequins to be added to the show, all of which M99 was forced to procure, build, incorporate with other set pieces, and pay for with essentially zero prior notice.”
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The suit claims that though Uzi was already in great debt to M99, the 28-year-old sought out the agency’s help for an Australian tour by handing over an advance of $100,000 and promising to cover the rest after the trek. This, according to the filing, has yet to happen.
Soon after the money allegedly failed to come through yet again, M99 dropped Uzi as a client.
The company is seeking “no less than $533,499.81” plus fees and interest.
Last year was massive for Lil Uzi Vert, who dropped their first album in three years and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 tally thanks to it. In support of Pink Tape, they toured extensively in the months following its release.
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HipHopDX has reached out to Amina Diop for comment, but has yet to hear back.
