Chance The Rapper Accused Of Owing Ex-Manager Millions In Unpaid Commissions – Testifies In Court

Chance The Rapper Accused Of Owing Ex-Manager Millions In Unpaid Commissions – Testifies In Court

Chance the Rapper took the stand this week in a Chicago courtroom as his long-running legal battle with former manager Pat Corcoran heads to trial. The dispute centers on whether Corcoran is owed millions in unpaid commissions after the two ended their business relationship in 2020.

Corcoran claims the rapper owes him money tied to a management deal that allegedly included a “sunset clause” allowing him to continue receiving commissions after their partnership ended. Chance, however, has argued their arrangement was informal and never included that provision.

During testimony, the Chicago artist told jurors the two men operated under a loose agreement rather than a formal contract. “We never described it as a contract until he sued me,” Chance said, adding that they had “an at-will agreement that didn’t address termination.”

Chance also told the court he consistently paid Corcoran a 15% commission while they worked together and estimated the total payouts from 2012 to 2020 reached about $11 million. “I can’t think of one situation where he did meaningful work and I didn’t pay him,” the rapper testified.

At one point, Chance admitted he had concerns about his former manager years before the partnership ended. “I probably should have fired him,” he told jurors while discussing business decisions that made him question Corcoran’s loyalty.

The high-profile case, which began earlier this month in Cook County Circuit Court, is expected to examine the breakdown of one of Chicago hip-hop’s most successful independent artist-manager partnerships.