Swizz Beatz is now facing allegations of accepting $7.3 million in misappropriated funds from a known international fugitive, according to a new lawsuit. The legal documents, filed on October 2 and obtained by HipHopDX, claim that Swizz received these funds from Jho Low and Eric Tan between September 2012 and September 2014. These payments are reportedly tied to the same 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption scandal that Fugees rapper Pras was also implicated in.
The lawsuit mentions that Jho Low, as part of the fraud scheme, became quite the figure in Hollywood during the early 2010s. He gained a reputation for his deep pockets, throwing extravagant parties and lavish vacations, which allowed him to befriend numerous U.S. celebrities, including Swizz Beatz (whose real name is Kasseem Dean) and his wife, Alicia Keys. The liquidating company involved in the lawsuit seeks to recover the funds, although they acknowledge it’s unclear whether Swizz was aware that the money was stolen. Regardless, they’re pushing for the return of the $7.3 million.
In a separate matter, Swizz Beatz has also found himself in the middle of controversy following the announcement of a new partnership between Verzuz (the platform he co-founded) and Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). On June 21, Swizz and Timbaland revealed the collaboration during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, stating that all future Verzuz content would be exclusively available on X.
Swizz shared a series of photos from Cannes, France, including a picture of him and Timbaland in custom merch designed for the partnership. Over the image, Swizz added the phrase, “We will show you better than tell you,” and reiterated the sentiment in his post’s caption with, “Blessings to all,” followed by a variety of emojis.
Despite the optimistic tone, the announcement was met with mixed reactions. Some fans criticized Swizz and Timbaland for “selling out” by partnering with Musk’s platform, suggesting they could have chosen a more suitable social media outlet. “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,” one commenter wrote, reflecting the sentiments of many who voiced their concerns in the comments section.
Swizz and Timbaland seem determined to push forward with the partnership, but the road ahead may be rocky as they navigate both legal and public opinion challenges.
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