Egon has filed a federal lawsuit against Madlib in California’s Central District Court, demanding a judge declare that their joint venture, Madicine Show LLC, owns the rights to a decade’s worth of recordings, not the producer himself.
The complaint, filed November 11, escalates the unraveling of a once-productive partnership between the two Hip-Hop collaborators. The dispute centers on who controls the music catalog built under the Madlib Invazion and Madicine Show imprints, which are home to projects featuring Freddie Gibbs, Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden, and the late Mac Miller.
Eothen “Egon” Alapatt claims Madlib, born Otis Jackson Jr., is attempting to remove those recordings from the company’s assets and claim them as personal property.
“The recordings at issue were created and exploited pursuant to a licensing relationship between Jackson and Madicine Show,” the lawsuit states. “They remain company assets.”
Alapatt argues the music was never Madlib’s to take. He says the producer granted Madicine Show the rights “necessary to exploit his recordings” and that those rights are not revocable. The suit also warns that removing the catalog would breach contracts with collaborating artists and “impair the value of the catalog itself.”
The lawsuit portrays a creative alliance that began in 2011 and operated smoothly for years. According to the filing, Madlib focused on crafting beats while Alapatt handled business strategy, production and distribution.
“The business’s success rested on that combination,” the complaint reads.
But the relationship fractured after Madlib brought in new management. Alapatt claims the producer “turned against Alapatt and the enterprise they built,” leading to a breakdown in communication and trust.
The legal standoff intensified after Madlib filed his own lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court in October 2024. That case accused Alapatt of mismanagement, self-dealing, and blocking access to digital platforms, including Bandcamp, Apple Music, and YouTube.
Madlib also alleged that Egon used his separate label, Now-Again Records, to divert revenue from Madicine Show.
That earlier lawsuit sought to dissolve the company and appoint a court receiver to wind it down. The court granted that request, prompting Alapatt’s federal countersuit.
He argues the receiver cannot fairly manage the company’s assets until ownership of the catalog is legally resolved.
Alapatt’s filing seeks a declaration that Madicine Show co-owns the copyrights, that Madlib cannot interfere with the catalog’s use, and that all royalties must be distributed in accordance with the company’s structure.
This isn’t the only legal trouble circling Egon.
In late 2023, MF DOOM’s widow, Jasmine Dumile Thompson, sued him for allegedly stealing more than 30 of the late rapper’s handwritten rhyme notebooks.
The notebooks, which included lyrics and notes from albums like Madvillainy and Operation: Doomsday, were allegedly obtained by Egon after paying rent on DOOM’s former office.
That case ended in early 2025 with a confidential settlement. Egon returned the notebooks to the estate and both sides agreed to focus on preserving DOOM’s legacy.
Related
