Yung Joc sues puff..
Yung Joc has fighting words for Diddy. The Southern rapper tells Billboard.com that he plans to file a lawsuit against Bad Boy Records and Block Entertainment for a host of contractual discrepancies, including failure to pay royalties and advances for his first two albums and charging "outrageous clearance fees" for his collaborations with other artists.
"I haven't been paid any royalties since I've been out, after over a million albums sold," says Yung Joc. "For my first album, they gave me a $25,000 advance when I was supposed to get more...Then I had a million dollar budget for my second album, never even got an advance off of it. For the third one they hit me with another $25,000, like I'm some chump in this shit. And I just got tired of it."
While Yung Joc says his main grievance is with Block Entertainment, the company that brought him to Bad Boy Records, he also expressed anger over his label's lack of support. "Diddy said he's got to stay out of it because it's between me and Block Entertainment," Yung Joc explains. "I was never signed to Block Entertainment, but they've been interfering with a lot of my business. I feel like [Bad Boy] isn't doing anything to try to intervene and help the situation."
Yung Joc is currently at work on his third LP, "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood" and said he aims to release the album by the end of 2009, with or without Bad Boy's help. "I'm not gonna let anybody slow me down. I'm just gonna go in and use some independent record promoters to promote my record." The rapper has already hit the studio with Rick Ross, Gucci Mane and Bobby Valentino and producers Jazze Pha and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, among others, and he recently released a single called "Well Damn," featuring the rapper/producer Nitti.
Well Damn - Yung Joc Ft. Nitti
While Yung Joc's 2006 debut album, "New Joc City," sold 968,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan and its breakout single, "It's Going Down," peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, his sophomore effort, "Hustlenomic$," sold a decidedly lower tally of 210,000.
Before Yung Joc and Diddy presumably face off in the courtroom, they'll go head to head with their artists at the upcoming BET Awards. Bad Boy act Day26 was nominated Wednesday for Best Group and will compete for the honors against Yung Joc's artist, GS Boyz, who were signed to the rapper's new imprint Swagg Team Entertainment in December 2008 and reached No. 49 on the Billboart Hot 100 with their single, "Stanky Legg."
Despite his frustrations, Yung Joc says his lawsuit is all about business and nothing personal. "I'm not even griping; I'm just letting it be known that what's fair is fair, and I haven't been treated fairly. I've been fighting for a year and a half. I'm prepared to weather the storm. So they could kiss my ass, and let's go to court."