MF DOOM’s widow and estate sue rapper’s former A&R and seek return of personal notebooks

nme.com:

MF DOOM‘s widow and estate have sued the rapper’s former A&R, seeking to retrieve the late rap icon’s personal notebooks.Jasmine Dumile Thompson, the widow of the rapper, along with Gas Drawls – the LLC that controls the late rapper’s intellectual property – have sued Eothen “Egon” Alapatt, MF DOOM’s former A&R for copyright infringement, fraud, intentional misrepresentation and unjust enrichment.Thompson claimed in the lawsuit that Alapatt stole 31 of the rapper’s notebooks which were used to write down his famous songs that were featured on 1999’s ‘Operation Doomsday’, 2004’s ‘Madvillainy’ and ‘MM…FOOD’.

The notebooks also included unreleased songs ideas, musings and “other creative ideations.” (Per Billboard)Per The Fader, the lawsuit also names 50 unidentified “Does”, who Thompson believes were working alongside Alapatt.

According to the complaint Alapatt has admitted to possessing the notebooks but refuses to return them.Instead of returning the notebooks, Alapatt is allegedly demanding that they be “donated to a university or government archive” or a “museum or other institution of [Alapatt’s] choosing,” which is contrary to his estate’s wishes.

According to the lawsuit, “[The notebooks] were intended by DOOM to be secret and confidential.”A post shared by MF DOOM. ALL CAPS. (@mfdoom)The issues with the rapper’s property began back in 2010 when MF DOOM travelled to the UK and was not able to re-enter the US due to immigration issues (he was born in Hounslow).