The #MeToo movement has helped women and men everywhere find the strength to speak up when it comes to sexual harassment and abuse, but one rapper believes it is now being used against him unjustly.

Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli is being accused of sexual harassment by former collaborator Res, whose real name is Shareese Ballard.

Ballard claims Kweli is holding her career and music “’hostage” because she refused his advances after she signed to his label, Javotti Media, according to Fader. Kweli denies all claims.

Res first accused the “Get By” rapper June 1 via Twitter, saying he refuses to release her solo material because she refused to kiss him, later releasing an alleged email from Kweli in which he appears to admit having tried to kiss her.

Kweli responded with a court document indicating the two are currently engaged in a legal battle, with the wordsmith suing Res for “disrespecting my employees and for failing to turn in an album I invested in.”

Shareese Ballard Aka Res is a liar. She was dropped from my label Javotti Media in 2013 for disrespecting my employees and for failing to turn in an album I invested in. I am not holding her music because she never turned any music in. At all. Ever. In early 2014 Res started an indie Gogo campaign and sent a song featuring my vocals to fans without my permission as a reward. I asked her to stop using my verse, she refused. So I sued her. Res then countersued saying that I sexually harassed her. I find her claim to be dubious in nature. Bogus. Over a year ago, the judge in the case Carolyn E. Wade dismissed Res’ 3 claims against me, including the sexual harassment claim. NYSCEF doc number 37. Res has not accepted this outcome so she is using smear tactics. Recently, she fired her lawyer in the other case, the one where she profited off of my music without my permission. So now she is trying to use the #metoo movement to bully me into dropping my lawsuit against her. I fully and categorically deny any allegation of sexual harassment.

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“I am not holding her music because she never turned any music in. At all,” Kweli claims. “In early 2014 Res started an indie Gogo campaign and sent a song featuring my vocals to fans without my permission as a reward. I asked her to stop using my verse, she refused. So I sued her. Res then counter-sued saying that I sexually harassed her. I find her claim to be dubious in nature. Bogus.”

Kweli claims a judge already dismissed Res’ claims against him, including the sexual harassment charge.

“Res has not accepted this outcome so she is using smear tactics. Recently, she fired her lawyer in the other case, the one where she profited off of my music without my permission. So now she is trying to use the #metoo movement to bully me into dropping my lawsuit against her. I fully and categorically deny any allegation of sexual harassment.”

 

lawsuit
Sexual Harrassment
talib kweli