Photo credit: Keeley Parenteau
Just months after a decisive jury victory against his former manager, Chance the Rapper is back in a Chicago courtroom. The Grammy-winning artist, real name Chancelor Bennett, took the stand this week in a bench trial to testify against Pat Corcoran (known widely as “Pat the Manager”), alleging that his longtime representative flagrantly breached his fiduciary duties to enrich himself.
The courtroom drama follows a March trial where a jury overwhelmingly sided with Bennett, rejecting Corcoran’s $3.8 million claim for unpaid commissions and ruling that no “sunset clause” existed in their unwritten management contract. However, because that trial left several of Bennett’s counterclaims unresolved, both parties have returned to court for a judge to rule on allegations of executive misconduct.
On the stand, Bennett detailed the “confusing and heartbreaking” realization that Corcoran had allegedly manipulated major business proposals behind his back. According to legal filings, the misconduct only came to light because Corcoran initiated the legal warfare in 2020 after being fired, which prompted Bennett to auditing past transactions.
Bennett highlighted two major Chicago-based ventures where Corcoran allegedly inserted himself as a co-beneficiary without authorization. In 2019, ad agency The Times approached Corcoran with an equity offering meant solely for Chance the Rapper; Corcoran allegedly threatened to bury the proposal unless he was granted an identical equity stake. Similarly, when organizers behind the historic Ramova Theater renovation offered Bennett a piece of the venue, Corcoran allegedly lied to the rapper, claiming the equity opportunity had always been structured as a joint package deal for both men.
Bennett testified that Corcoran masked his self-serving demands by presenting the opportunities as though he was doing the artist a favor. The rapper argued that Corcoran systematically abused their professional relationship to gain unearned industry leverage and personal wealth.
Corcoran, who denies all allegations of misconduct, is slated to present his defense today.
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