Iconic rapper Fat Joe is suing his former hype man, Terrance “T.A.” Dixon, for defamation after Dixon allegedly made false accusations about him on social media.

According to TMZ, Fat Joe, whose real name is Joseph Cartagena, filed a lawsuit against Dixon after the latter accused him of being a pedophile in a series of posts.

In the lawsuit, Fat Joe and his attorney, Joe Tacopina, claim that the allegations were made after Dixon and his lawyer, Tyron Blackburn, attempted to extort money from the rapper but were unsuccessful.

“These allegations are completely false and part of a criminal conspiracy orchestrated by a disgruntled former hype man and his attorney,” Fat Joe said in a statement to TMZ. “These two individuals have been scheming together to extort me with their ever-changing and absurd demands. The relentless harassment, threats, and defamation I’ve endured are deplorable. I’m taking legal action to expose their misconduct, and I’m confident the facts will show that this is just a desperate scam.”

The lawsuit details that Fat Joe and Dixon had worked together since 2006, when the rapper gave Dixon an opportunity to join his team.

Over the years, Dixon was compensated with generous perks, including luxury travel and touring opportunities. Their professional relationship ended without incident in 2019. However, Dixon didn’t raise any payment concerns until six years later, when he claimed he should have been compensated more for his work as a “ghostwriter.”

This year, Dixon hired Blackburn, who sent a letter to Fat Joe in March, demanding money for Dixon’s past contributions. According to Joe, Dixon then began escalating his attacks on social media, falsely alleging that Joe had blocked his efforts to fund his record label.

In response, Blackburn told TMZ that Fat Joe’s lawsuit was “baseless” and an attempt to shield himself from the consequences of what he described as a “blow” that’s yet to come. He insisted, “It won’t work. Fat Joe has a lot of explaining to do.”

Tacopina, in turn, fired back, sending Blackburn a cease-and-desist letter, accusing the lawyer of being involved in a “criminal extortion scheme.” Tacopina also claimed that Blackburn had recently been condemned by a federal judge for his abusive tactics in the court system.

“Mr. Cartagena will not be intimidated by fabricated claims, lies about witnesses, or shameless threats,” Tacopina stated. “We are taking immediate legal action to expose this fraudulent scheme, and we will hold all parties fully accountable.”