Mystikal Blames Record Label For His Failure To Pay $3M In Back Taxes: Report

BYAron A.8.1K Views
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Musician Mystikal attends SiriusXM's Live Broadcast from Radio Row during Bowl XLVII week on February 1, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Mystikal blames his label and management team for his money problems.

Mystikal hasn't been on the right side of the law recently. The rapper was released from prison after posting bond for rape charges. The trial's set to begin in May. However, he's also dealing with some issues with Uncle Sam. Mystikal was accused of owing nearly $3M in back taxes, penalties and interest, but it looks like he's trying his hardest to have the case thrown out entirely.

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According to documents obtained by The Blast, Mystikal has denied any responsibility in the nearly $3M he owes in taxes to the government for the years 1997-2002, 2007, 2008 and 2011-2013. The documents revealed the rapper's defense plan in court. He accused his management team and record label of being responsible for handling his finances. 

"For the tax years 1997 through 2002, Defendant was a recording artist signed to record labels and derived earnings from performances, recording advances, and songwriting royalties," Mystikal said in the documents. "For the years 1997 through 2002, Defendant reasonably believed that his income tax filings and payments were being handled by his record labels and other representatives.”

The rapper continued to claim that he only found out that he owed a large amount of money to the government in 2003. 

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time he's dealt with charges pertaining to taxes. Back in 2006, he was sentenced to one year behind bars for tax evasion. 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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