Scam Afta Scam: Gucci Mane’s Management Accused of Federal Fraud
By Julia Beverly • Nov 30th, 2009 • Category: Features 9,222 views
SCAM AFTA SCAM: A TRUE STORY
OZONE investigates how a new breed of greedy artist managers and booking agents, led by Gucci Mane’s representatives, are sucking the blood out of the music industry.
by Julia Beverly (this article also appears in the upcoming print edition of OZONE Mag)
“Johnnie [Cabbell] is the grand vampire,” proclaims legendary Chicago-based promoter Godfather. For over twenty years, Godfather has been promoting concerts through his company Star Power Entertainment Group. He estimates his losses from bad business deals with Johnnie Cabbell and Debra Antney to be nearly $100,000. “I don’t work with Johnnie anymore,” he states emphatically. “He sucks the blood out of you.”
As the CEO of Hitt Afta Hitt (otherwise known as HAH), Johnnie Cabbell is Gucci Mane’s exclusive booking agent and also manages Bankhead rapper Shawty Lo. Johnnie’s “partner in crime,” Godfather says, is Debra Antney, who describes herself as Gucci Mane’s “business partner and manager.” As CEO of Gucci’s So Icey Records and the management company Mizay Entertainment, Antney also oversees the careers of OJ da Juiceman, Nicki Minaj, and others. Multiple promoters from across the country allege that Cabbell and Antney have collaborated to defraud them collectively of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
THE SO ICEY TOUR
Scheduled for at least 12 cities in July 2009, the So Icey Tour was supposed to feature OJ da Juiceman, Nicki Minaj, and the headliner, Gucci Mane. It sounded promising. Gucci’s buzz was at an all-time high. He had just returned home from prison a few months earlier to ecstatic crowds at “Welcome Home Gucci” parties throughout the South. His artist/protégé OJ had been steadily building a buzz of his own and helping to keep Gucci’s name alive by flooding the streets with mixtapes and fresh material. They were both hot commodities. And in an industry nearly void of female artists, up-and-coming emcee/sex symbol Nicki Minaj was quickly building a name for herself, strengthened by her affiliations with Lil Wayne and Gucci Mane. The timing seemed perfect.
But by all accounts, the “tour,” organized by a Carolina-based promoter named Shannon Marshall, was a mess and fell apart almost immediately. None of the artists showed up for the first two Florida dates (July 4th & 5th), leaving veteran promoter Mr. CC (who, like Godfather in Chicago, has been successfully promoting concerts for over 20 years) with losses of over $140,000. He claims that nearly half of that money, around $70,000, is in the hands of Cabbell/Antney, who refuse to return the deposits or reschedule his dates.
On July 19th, 2009, midway through the scheduled tour dates, Soulja Boy tweeted, “My nigga Gucci back in jail. Free Gucci.” (right) Rumors quickly spread that Gucci had again violated the terms of his probation and was back in jail (or rehab). Although Gucci’s management and label denied the rehab rumors and it’s still unclear exactly where Gucci was in mid-July, it’s clear where he wasn’t: He wasn’t on the So Icey Tour. Of the 12 scheduled tour dates, OZONE has confirmed that at least six, but probably more of these shows (Jacksonville, FL; Pompano Beach/Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Louisville, KY; Chicago, IL; Baltimore, MD; and Detroit, MI) never happened, leaving furious promoters demanding refunds…..
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[...] way too much information here for us to simplify, so if you’ve got a few minutes, read the full exposé on Ozone Magazine’s site! TAGS: gucci mane Share with [...]
Fuck wut you heard. Get wit a real n***a “Mr. L.O.C.” from Da’ Bay! http://www.stayfocusdmusic.com or go to http://www.myspace.com/collaborationmusic This cat got some Heat! He has more traxxx posted on website.
who cares?!
I am glad that I had a chance to read that investigative report. It was an eye opener, that these people would take others money and think that they can get away on a technicality or some contractual loophole. Ultimately, I think the Feds will get involved with this case, as they should, because there is too much money involved. I am suprised that these people haven’t sent henchmen after these people to get their money back!
This is a shame, as it puts a black eye on the promotions, and management game. Who can you trust? Nobody, that’s who.
People and Greed. Not a good look.
Im glad I don’t book artist cause it would be trouble! like take a flight to the office Ozone Indi Showcase & After Party In Miami Dec 4th see pg 6!
Look, I grew up in Rockford, Il and moved to Dallas, Tx a few years back. With that being said, Its very Ratchett in Rockford. The city is not far from Chicago and the people here don’t have much entertainment as it is. So to have Mizay Entertainment pull a stunt like that could have gotten out of control. I mean the city had more killings than Chicago, at a point and time. So when we bring somebody here to perform we don’t bring just anybody we bring the real street niggas that we can relate to. But Mizay Ent. But not ever step foot in Chi-Rock (Chicago-Rockford) ever again without clearing this shit up for real. When I was in Dallas, Gucci was to perform at Club Cirque, and the DJ played the records the whole time with no breaks for ad libs, Gucci had a lot of people on stage and nobody even REALLY knew if that was REALLY Gucci Mane or not. He was in VIP the whole time and didn’t speak to nobody but his own people the nigga barely even moved around. He was already known for being MIA at a couple of shows in D- Town as it was. Then Plies, was on the same shit too. But shouts out to Streets Magazine who straightened this shit out with Plies. Plies said that the people who was booking him and taking peoples money didn’t have permission to do so and he was unaware of it. Man, all I gotta say is its a recession and these niggas acting like they can’t be touched over taking people money like that…but the courts gonna take care of them for real!!! Good lookin out JB on the article and keepin it real for us fans. Ozone has help unemployment rate by educating up and coming artist, promoters, managers and everyone trying to get in the game. The business is shady and Ozone Magazine keeps people on what’s up!!! What up Ms. Rivercity, TJ, Randy Roper!!!
some good reporting here, lots of juicy quotes, but also some questionable journalism. the author not only had a personally vested interest–a $5,000 stake–but also admits she didnt even try to interview the main source, at whom she lobs lots of accusations. so without any attempt at objectivity, it’s kind of flawed. to avoid the appearance of non-balanced reporting, you have to at least attempt to get a comment for the record. its kind of a weak excuse to say i didnt bother because i thought it wouldnt be constructive. would diane saywer do that? probably not. JB still has a long way to go.
Greetings Ozone,
Thank you for this story as well as the heads-up on these vampires, we will be sure to stay on the look out and pass the word throughout So. & No. Cali.
Street Motivation Magazine
“Your Guide To Expanding the Network”
man that s crazy to hear about the moves that ppl make out here in despiration
johnnie and debbie need to be shut out the buisness
and if GF said they did they must have
man thats alot od doe these ppl taking
man got to be careful who u do business with
i guess the OG had to say something instead of catching a case
he helped other street dudes all over
this shit every where all over the dam place
every internet site every email
point blank i see
THE NIGGA NETWORK IS WORKING
GET YALL MONEY HOMEY
GUCCI MANE GET YA PPL TOGETHER
THEY MAKING U LOOK BAD
Johnnie and his company is a complete SCAM.. They got my company for a few thousand.. im a true life victim of Johnnie. and i kno GF personally and he is a good dude.. Them otha niggas need to get some better business lessons
http://sandrarose.com/2009/12/01/put-em-on-blast-julia-beverly/
sandra rose is out of her DAMN MIND! i seriously think the lady os half retarded the way she talks about people she doesnt even know!! and she blocks ppl who dont agree with her cuz i would love to put her flip flopping, slap ass crazy, raggedy looking ass on BLAST!!!
Julia Beverly for Prez…keep up the good, hard work!!
You are the greatest, This is your best work to date. Gooooo girl.
I find this article extreamly amusing. two of the above mentioned “blood suckers” were guest speakers in my music business class. They attempted to school us on the ins and outs of the industry. When in all actuallity they came off as unprofessional dream killers. I had a feeling that they were sketchy but this article def feeds into my beliefs. I hate to see an industry that i am so passionate about be tanted with issues such as this. So disappointed.
All i wanna know is how could they get away with something like this for this long? How could people and publications (including this very one) continue to co-sign a man whose team is, for the lack of a better term, fucking people over? One would think that after awhile Gucci himself would become aware of what’s habitually occurring. I mean it is HIS reputation being destroyed along with his teams. This whole culture is built on “keepin’ it real” yet this has to be an example of some of the most foul shit I’ve ever heard of. This is one of the things that continues to perplex me about this industry.
this is ridiculous this story is all over the web and if the dude jonnie and lady deb want to get out of hot water the move would be to make something happen for these promoters
some of them are kinda crazy but the cats out of chicago seem legit
cuz i have done buisness with godfather and john mosley so i feel confident writing this saying these guys are not lieing and seeming that i went to the last concert august 2009 and received my money back via ticket web with no prblem and i still seen OJ perform im really really confident that they should get another show and gucci mane should apologize for the way he has let down his fans
dam radric u really need to get better ppl handling ya buisness these people have no professionalism ( johnny/deb) thats seriously gone mean ya next album should be called gucci mane faces the streets in a minute
daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmm when black folks gone stop letting themselves down
julie bevelry dont know u but i like your homework style
boy gucci u need to handle that
get that together
man u got to be cray
GF is a good dude but he got a big family homey dont know john mosely at all
i wouldnt play if i was u kid
johnnie and the lady deb yall need to handle that
or gucci cant come back to the chi
GF already went out on a limb to save him before man wow
and this is how a square replays him for sticking his neck out
man get that right gucc
Godfather is my CEO…..He works harder than anyone I’ve ever known……So Icey is full of clowns…..Let them come back and get them chains snatch off their necks!!!!!!!!!!
I was a victim of Johnnie as well it was a booking for FABO in Ft. Lauderdale last year for an all ages skating rink party, we sent the deposit and booked 6 flights and booked hotels. The day of the event Johhnie calls me back and tells me that one of the names which was not on the original rider was mandatory to be on the flight list and if we could not add this mysterious name FABO would not travel..Of course this was the day of the event when we are at the airport to pick up FABO!! Long story short NO SHOW, NO CALL & NO DEPOSIT RETURN. Our attorneys informed us it would cost more to pursue than we lost ($3,500). We ended up losing on the flights as you can’t change names on flights only dates!! We ready for the class action!!
What do you expect from a bizness full of niggas and animals!
First and for most, im a up and coming promoter and its hard to see suppose to be perfessional people that can’t correspond with business. Knowing GF for only a few year is a great journey because he give people chances to work with him. Let me mind you he absolutly DO NOT have to help anyone fake it to get up to the top, but being the man that he is, he make sure everyone EATS WELL and get FULL from it. For my respones to the matter, these Promoters in this great ordeal should take it to the next level and have authorities handle it.
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Gucci Mane came to Dayton for a concert, he did bout 20 mins running thru verses wit all these fake chains, than he just stopped rapping walk to the back of the stage, his van he was in pulleed up to the stage inside the arena and rolled out, we was like wtf???? Ever sinse than. I ain’t fucked wit em boosie as hell
Yeah thats Crazy
INDUSTRY RULE # 4080 ETC.. BOOK BATERIA & HOUSE OF REPZ. UNO!
[...] from Gucci and his management to put out the material. Though with reports that his management are being accused of federal fraud, they might want to check back in. Either way, the results are proving to be extraordinary. Share [...]
[...] from Gucci and his management to put out the material. Though with reports that his management are being accused of federal fraud, they might want to check back in. Either way, the results are proving to be extraordinary. Share [...]
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[...] luck getting a refund if you paid Gucci upfront for video [...]
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THIS DUDE HERE…….IM GOING THRU IT AS WE SPEAK…. CEO of Hitt Afta Hitt (otherwise known as HAH), Johnnie Cabbell has ova 20k of my money for some Nicki Minaj shows that didnt go thru… Its been two weeks now and he has not paid me my money back. I really wanna beat that ass, but Im going to put them people in his life. I will get the last laugh.