According to TMZ, hip-hop superstar Jay Z was targeted in an alleged mult-million dollar extortion plot by a former producer named Chauncey Mahan. Reportedly, Mahan contacted Live Nation last week and claimed he had master recordings from Jay Z and his associates from 1998 through 2002 — recordings that were allegedly assumed to be lost. According to reports, the recordings held an estimated value between $15 million and $20 million. Mahan told Live Nation he had the masters in a Northridge, Calif., storage facility. Jay Z has a partnership with Live Nation.
Mahan reportedly said that he planned to auction the tapes or let Live Nation have them for a $100,000 “storage fee.” The LAPD apprehended Mahan when the producer went to meet with someone supposedly representing Jay Z this past Friday. He was detained, brought in for questioning and the LAPD seized the recordings. A judge will determine ownership. Jay Z’s representatives have filed a grand larceny complaint with the NYPD. The LAPD is also investigating further into the extortion allegations.
Upon hearing about the plot, famed producer Just Blaze tweeted about Chauncey Mahan’s history with Jay Z and Roc-A-Fella Records.
“Chauncey stayed effing up. Big part of the reason Hip and I brought in Guru,” Blaze tweeted. “Ill never forget the day Chaunce stepped to Duro wanting to fight lol. This guy ruined every tape transfer for the Dynasty Album. Duro calls him out on it. He runs over to Soundtrack studios, comes in the room like ‘yo Duro I ain’t no b—-‘ takes his jacket off. Me and Duro just looked at him. Blankest of stares.. And went back to work.”
Just Blaze revealed that several mistakes in the mixes on Roc-A-Fella tracks from the early 2000s were Mahan’s fault.
“If you listen to Bleek’s version of ‘is that your b—-‘ you’ll notice it’s in mono. Why? Bc Chauncey. Lol,” he tweeted. “If u listen to “get your mind right” from Dynasty, You’ll notice all the choruses after the first one fall in the wrong places. Bc Chauncey. We had to re record “streets is talking” vox. Why? Bc Chauncey. The Dynasty intro sample flanges the entire time. Guess why!? Chauncey.
“Oh. And I have backups of just about all of those files Chauncey tried to extort for. Dummy,” Blaze added. “Last thing @ind3lible and I did before we shut down baseline was a digital back up of EVERYTHING that was ever done there. EVERYTHING. They reside in a fallout shelter in an undisclosed location.”
