Jay-Z is taking his partner in the cognac business to court, demanding transparency from Bacardi over just how big the D’Usse bag is.
The business mogul’s company SC Liquor has filed a lawsuit against Bacardi, with whom Jay-Z has a 50/50 partnership in the Cognac brand. According to a new report from TMZ, Jay-Z wants complete financial clarity from Bacardi concerning D’Usse.
Jay-Z and Bacardi have been co-owners of D’Usse since 2011. Hov and Beyoncé launched the new premium cognac during a party at LIV Nightclub in December of that year. While there have been no rumors of an internal rift, the lawsuit suggests something is amiss.
The outlet reports Jay-Z is requesting access to information about D’Usse production and sales. The company wants all books and records for the business, and “the location of all warehouses storing D’Usse barrels, bottles and accessories.” The docs also request all the files pertaining to Bacardi’s physical inventory processes.
While it is unclear why Jay-Z decided to file suit against Bacardi, the filing suggests trust has become an issue between the partners. In the court papers, SC Liquor states it needs to “monitor the conduct of [Bacardi’s] business to protect SC’s rights as” a partner in the company.
Jay-Z often gives D’Usse a shout-out in his lyrics, promoting the liquor. Two years after the launch, Hov celebrated his triple Grammy win by sipping the high-end cognac out of the actual award. He picked up the nods for “N##### in Paris,” which won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, alongside “No Church in The Wild,” scoring Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.