Dae Dae, the Atlanta rapper known for his 2016 hit “Wat U Mean (Aye, Aye, Aye),” was arrested after allegedly stabbing a 17-year-old cashier at a Dunkin’ location in 2021.
The incident, caught on store surveillance footage, stemmed from a confrontation over an unavailable donut order. Now, the Georgia Court of Appeals has ruled the victim is only eligible for standard workers’ compensation.
The victim, Mekia Bryant, was working behind the counter when the rapper became irate after learning the shop was out of the item he wanted. After initially storming off, he returned ten minutes later, demanding to speak with a manager.
When Bryant informed him that no manager was present, the argument escalated. Dae Dae then pulled out a kitchen knife and stabbed her in the arm.
Despite the violent nature of the attack, the court determined Bryant’s injuries were tied directly to her job duties.
“[Dae Dae’s] act of stabbing Bryant arose out of his displeasure with her job performance,” Judge Amanda Mercier wrote in the court’s decision.
The ruling emphasized that even though the two had never interacted before, the attack was triggered by a work-related issue and thus fell under Georgia’s workers’ compensation laws.
Bryant, who was a minor at the time, initially declined medical treatment after the stabbing. She later filed a lawsuit against Dunkin’s parent company, seeking compensation for emotional trauma and physical harm.
But the court denied her request, stating that she is only entitled to the limited benefits provided under Georgia’s workers’ compensation system.
In Georgia, injured workers can receive up to two-thirds of their average weekly wage, capped at $800 per week, for up to 400 weeks. According to data from the I_nsurance Journal__,_ this amount is lower than what many other Southern states offer for comparable injuries.
Dae Dae was arrested in June 2021 after evading law enforcement for six months. Prior to the stabbing, he had already faced legal trouble involving stolen firearms and drug possession.
When the stabbing allegations surfaced, he denied involvement on Instagram, claiming people were trying to damage his name.