Manager Claims Rapper|T. Mills Owes Him

LOS ANGELES (CN) - Hip-hop singer T. Mills dumped his manager without paying him commissions owed or repaying loans, the former manager claims in court.

John Zagata sued Travis Tatum Mills pka T. Mills and Pastel Touring on 10 counts in Superior Court, including breach of contract, fraud, unjust enrichment and conversion.

Zagata claims that in early 2010 he agreed to manage Mills for 20 percent of the white rapper's revenue. Zagata claims that he fronted $40,000 of his own money to bring the performer to the attention of music executives.

Zagata "worked tirelessly and skillfully to position Mr. Mills in the industry, to extract Mr. Mills from terrible deals Mr. Mills had executed with minor record labels, and was named in a lawsuit against Mr. Mills solely because of his position as Mills' manager," the 29-page lawsuit states.

The manager, who describes himself as a 20-year veteran of the music industry, claims his hard work paid off when Mills, 25, landed a record deal at Columbia records.

Mills repaid Zagata by dumping him for another management firm in October 2013, while the rapper was still under contract, according to the complaint.

Zagata says he asked the rapper in February to pay him his 20 percent commission and loans but Mills refused.

Zagata seeks at least $240,000 in compensatory damages, at least $600,000 for his share in the rapper's revenue, and at least $121,678.20 plus $12.21 in interest per day since his February demand.

Mills, of Riverside, released two EPs on Columbia, with his first major label long-play album due this year.

Zagata is represented by J. Scot Blackburn with the Law Offices of Adam M. Leach in South Pasadena.

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