Fat Joe is facing more serious accusations in a $20 million lawsuit filed by his former hype man, Terrance Dixon — this time involving alleged orders to assault fellow artists DMX and Mack Maine.
According to civil court documents obtained by Complex, Dixon claims he wasn’t just a hype man during his 16-year run with Joe, but also acted as a lyricist, background vocalist, part of the rapper’s security team, and creative partner. These new claims add to an already explosive case that includes allegations of financial exploitation, sexual coercion, and psychological abuse.
Specifically, the lawsuit details an alleged incident involving Mack Maine. Dixon says Fat Joe once “ordered him” to physically attack Mack Maine in retaliation for a comment Maine made about Joe’s wife. Dixon claims he and others in Joe’s crew were told to “pound out” Mack Maine on sight — though the attack never actually happened.
The 157-page complaint argues that this alleged order constitutes a “chargeable” offense under both New York and Florida law.
What does the lawsuit against Fat Joe say about DMX?
Joe is alleged to have ordered Dixon and another associate in Miami, Florida “to confront and physically assault” the late DMX. It’s claimed this was in response to “a verbal dispute” between X and “someone in [Joe’s] circle,” though, like the Maine claim, the would-be alleged assault ultimately never occurred.
“If he acts up, take the hammer,” Joe is alleged to have told the plaintiff, who said in the complaint that “verbal directives” of this type “were treated as mandatory.”
This particular alleged instance, as argued in court docs, supports “multiple predicate acts of racketeering under federal and state law.”
What did Fat Joe say about his former “hype man” Terrance Dixon?
In April, Joe sued Dixon for extortion and defamation in connection with “countless posts on social media” featuring “wholly fabricated, grotesque, and scandalous allegations.” Also named in Joe’s filing was Dixon’s lawyer, Tyrone Blackburn, who was previously reported to have had his tactics as an attorney criticized by a federal judge. Blackburn’s name has also been heard in connection with Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones’ suit against Diddy, who’s now in the middle of a federal racketeering and trafficking trial.
What else has Fat Joe and his legal team said?
“The lawsuit filed by Tyrone Blackburn and Terrance Dixon is a blatant act of retaliation — a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the civil suit we filed first, which exposed their coordinated scheme to extort Mr. Cartagena through lies, threats, and manufactured allegations,” Joe Tacopina, Fat Joe’s lawyer, said in a statement issued Thursday (June 19).
“We didn’t just sue a disgruntled former employee trying to revive a false claim from 15 years ago — we sued the lawyer behind it all. Tyrone Blackburn has a well-documented pattern of abusing the courts to harass defendants and generate media attention.”
Tacopina continued: “Two separate federal judges have condemned his conduct — one for filing headline-chasing lawsuits full of salacious and baseless claims, and another for making repeated legal misstatements and personal attacks in court filings. He is now the subject of a pending referral to the Southern District’s disciplinary committee. Law enforcement is aware of the extortionate demand at the heart of this scheme.
“The allegations against Mr. Cartagena are complete fabrications — lies intended to damage his reputation and force a settlement through public pressure. Mr. Cartagena will not be intimidated. We have taken legal action to expose this fraudulent campaign and hold everyone involved accountable.”
