Chance the Rapper is officially headed to court over a long-running legal battle with his former manager.
According to Court records, the Grammy-winning emcee, born Chancelor Bennett, is preparing to face trial stemming from a 2020 lawsuit filed by ex-manager Pat Corcoran, better known as Pat the Manager. The former business associate is seeking over $3 million in damages, alleging Chance breached their management agreement and owes unpaid commissions.
Corcoran’s suit accuses Chance of “commercially exploiting” their relationship, including cutting him out of deals and abruptly firing him without cause. Corcoran, who helped shape Chance’s rise through the critically acclaimed Coloring Book era, claims he was instrumental in brokering endorsement deals, concert bookings, and album rollouts, only to be sidelined when Chance’s 2019 album The Big Day underperformed both commercially and critically.
Corcoran says he warned the artist about rushing the album release while planning a wedding and tour simultaneously, arguing Chance’s refusal to delay the project resulted in “unproductive studio sessions” and a “lackluster product.” He asserts that this led to fan backlash and later tour cancellations, for which he was allegedly blamed.
Chance fired back in a countersuit, denying wrongdoing and accusing Corcoran of professional misconduct, including “exploiting his role” to make side deals and influence business decisions without transparency. His legal team insists any claims to unpaid commissions are invalid, pointing out that the verbal nature of their agreement makes it unenforceable under Illinois law.
Despite talks of mediation, neither side has backed down, and now a judge has ruled that the case will move forward to trial later this year. No exact court date has been confirmed yet.
Chance has remained relatively quiet about the lawsuit in public, focusing instead on music and community work in Chicago. Most recently, he’s been seen hosting events and working on what fans expect to be his next full-length project.
HitsCulture.com will continue following this case as it develops.
