Swizz Beatz is being accused of receiving $7.3 million worth of embezzled money by a “notorious international fugitive” in a new lawsuit.
In documents filed October 2 and viewed by HipHopDX, the legendary producer is said to have received the funds from Jho Low and Eric Tan between September 2012 and September 2014 in the same 1Malaysia Development Berhad corruption scandal that Fugees rapper Pras faced charges over.
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“As the 1MDB Fraud was underway, Jho Low became a well-known figure in the Hollywood scene and developed a reputation as a businessman with deep pockets and a penchant for hosting lavish, star-studded parties and group vacations,” the docs state. “Throughout the early 2010s, Low befriended many U.S. celebrities including Dean and his wife Alicia Keys.”
The plaintiffs, a liquidating company attempting to recover the funds in the scandal, note they’re unclear if Swizz knew he was receiving stolen money – but still want it paid back.
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In other news, Swizz Beatz recently responded to the strong reactions elicited by the announcement that he and Timbaland had forged a partnership between Verzuz and Elon Musk’s X.
On June 21, the mega-producer shared a photoset captured in Cannes, France — where he and Timbo announced during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity that all future Verzuz content will be released exclusively on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
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In the first photo, the two can be seen sporting merch created to celebrate the partnership. Over the photo, in cursive, Swizz included the phrase, “We will show you better than tell you.”
He echoed the statement in the post’s caption, adding, “Blessings to all,” along with a series of emojis.
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Unfortunately, the post did not seem to sway the naysayers, as many took to the comments to call Swizz Beatz and Timbaland out for “selling out;” while others suggested they should have partnered with any other social media platform.
“It’s cool to ‘show us’ but don’t play in our faces and act like folks don’t have a valid reason to question this partnership,” wrote one commenter.
To which Swizzy replied: “But nobody said anything before we been on that platform since Verzuz started.”
About the alliance, X chief executive officer Linda Yaccarino said: “X is so proud to partner with trailblazing creators, artists, and entrepreneurs Swizz Beatz & Timbaland. Our platform stands at the forefront of innovation, and Verzuz defines the essence of an innovative content experience.
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“As we continue to work with the most exciting voices to bring premium content to X, there is no better fit than this series. Together we will redefine how consumers engage with their favorite entertainment, one Verzuz at a time.”
Further details, including a new Verzuz, have yet to be announced.
