Danny Moloshok/Reuters
Rapper Wiz Khalifa.
Rostrum Records and its founder Benjy Grinberg placed the countersuit in Los Angeles on Wednesday, stating that their contract with Khalifa entitles them to "receive 15 percent of all royalties earned and received by Khalifa," in addition to "15 percent of his tour proceeds and 20 percent of the rapper's merchandise sales," according to a Rolling Stone report.
Khalifa, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, placed his lawsuit against Rostrum and Grinberg in May, seeking more than $1 million in damages and "citing mismanagement" from Grinberg, who was his manager until 2014, according to Billboard.
Thomaz reportedly sued Rostrum and Grinberg in an attempt to get out of the 360 deal that he signed with the label in 2005 as a 16-year-old.
In documents obtained by Rolling Stone, Thomaz's suit elaborates on Grinberg's "mismanagement," alleging that his former manager and label entered him "into a series of transactions in which Grinberg and Rostrum placed their own interests over those of [Khalifa's]."
In their countersuit, Rostrum and Grinberg are reportedly seeking "millions of dollars in unpaid monies" from Thomaz, according to a statement from Grinberg sent to Billboard.
"To give everything you have to an artist and then be on the receiving end of a fabricated lawsuit is deeply disappointing," Grinberg continued in his statement. "What was alleged is, in fact, the complete opposite of our actions and the antithesis of what Rostrum Records and I stand for. Rostrum looks forward to quickly addressing these baseless claims so we can continue to focus our energies on our artists' success."
Business Insider has reached out to Wiz Khalifa for comment.
A hearing for the suit against Khalifa is set for August 1 at a Los Angeles court.