Chance the Rapper has scored another major legal victory against his former manager, Pat Corcoran, bringing the nearly six-year dispute closer to its conclusion.
Key Details:
- A Cook County judge ruled in favor of Chance the Rapper in his long-running legal dispute with former manager Pat Corcoran.
- The judge found that Corcoran breached his fiduciary duties to the Chicago rapper, including by receiving undisclosed kickbacks from merchandise vendors.
- Corcoran was ordered to forfeit certain merchandise commissions and management fees and transfer the ChanceRaps.com domain back to the artist.
- The amount owed to Chance could reach approximately $1.5 million, with a final hearing scheduled for November 30, 2026.
- Chance previously won a jury trial in March after Corcoran’s lawsuit seeking $3.8 million in unpaid commissions and royalties was rejected.
On October 13, Cook County Circuit Court Judge James E. Hanlon Jr. ruled in favor of Chance, whose legal name is Chancelor Bennett, in the remaining portion of his lawsuit accusing Corcoran of breaching his fiduciary duties while managing the artist’s business.
According to court findings reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, Corcoran received undisclosed kickbacks from merchandise vendors while also collecting management compensation tied to those transactions. The judge found that the conduct violated the duties Corcoran owed Chance as his manager.
In his ruling, Hanlon emphasized the importance of merchandise to the management relationship, stating, “Merchandise was at the center of what Bennett paid Corcoran to do, which makes this conduct a breach of the core duty.”
The judge ordered Corcoran to forfeit merchandise-related management fees and return the ChanceRaps.com domain to the rapper by October 28. The amount owed could reach approximately $1.5 million, although the final financial determination is still pending.
However, the ruling was not a complete victory on every issue. The judge rejected Chance’s request for relief involving outside business ventures, including the Ramova Theatre, media company We Are the Times, music distributor UnitedMasters and the film project Hope.
Hanlon explained the distinction, writing, “Corcoran owed Bennett loyalty [on the merchandise]; he did not owe Bennett the right of first refusal on every investment that came across his desk.”
Chance expressed relief following the decision, saying in a statement, “I’m grateful to finally close this chapter of my life and can’t wait to eventually tell my side of the story.” He also thanked the courts and God for remaining faithful throughout the ordeal.
The dispute began in 2020 after Chance ended his working relationship with Corcoran, who had helped manage his career since 2012. Corcoran later sued, claiming he was owed $3.8 million in commissions and royalties under an alleged handshake agreement that included payments after his termination.
In March 2026, a Cook County jury rejected Corcoran’s claim and awarded Chance $35 in his countersuit, while also supporting the return of the ChanceRaps.com domain. The judge’s latest ruling addressed the separate fiduciary-duty claim that remained unresolved after that trial.
Corcoran’s legal team maintained that he had performed valuable work for Chance and said the court found no basis for the rapper’s claim of more than $10 million in damages. His attorneys also argued that Chance still needs to establish that he suffered financial harm within the limited merchandise-related issues covered by the order.
The court has given both sides until November 30 to address the final amount owed. If they cannot reach an agreement, the judge will determine the amount.
The latest decision marks another significant development in a legal battle that has drawn attention across the music industry, particularly regarding the responsibilities managers have to the artists they represent and the risks of relying on handshake agreements instead of detailed written contracts.
Sources: Chicago Sun-Times reporting and court-ruling details.
