Chance the Rapper walked out of a Chicago courtroom Friday with a legal victory that felt more like a draw.
A jury rejected his former manager Pat Corcoran’s claim for $3.8 million in unpaid commissions, but the rapper only pocketed $35 from his own $1 million countersuit.
The two-and-a-half-week trial ended with a verdict that left both sides claiming some form of vindication, though the numbers tell a different story.
Corcoran, known as Pat the Manager, had been Chance’s right hand since 2012, building the rapper’s empire from the ground up.
He claimed a 15 percent management deal that included a three-year “sunset clause” allowing him to collect commissions even after they parted ways in 2020.
The problem? They never put it in writing.
Corcoran’s lawyer, Robert D. Sweeney, pointed to Chance’s 2016 album Coloring Book, which spent 125 weeks on the Billboard 200 and earned three Grammy Awards the following year, as proof of Pat’s value.
He argued that Chance’s 2025 album Star Line only lasted one week on the chart after they split, suggesting the rapper needed Pat’s guidance.
Chance’s legal team painted a completely different picture. His lawyer, Precious S. Jacobs-Perry, argued there was zero evidence of any sunset clause beyond Pat’s word.
She highlighted 24,000 unfulfilled merchandise orders dating back to 2019 and accused Corcoran of using his position to enrich himself through side ventures unrelated to Chance’s career.
The jury sided with Chance on the breach of fiduciary duty claim, but the $35 award suggested they didn’t believe his damages claim held much weight.