The lawyer for Terrance "T.A." Dixon, a onetime hypeman for rapper Fat Joe, told a federal court this week that prescription painkillers impaired his memory and behavior during depositions in the pair's ongoing legal fight.
Tyrone Blackburn, who represents Dixon, filed a response Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, saying he took narcotics after medical procedures on Jan. 23 and Feb. 3. Blackburn said the medication affected his ability to recall events and contributed to erratic conduct during depositions in March and February.
"I have taken narcotics today and I do think that it's kind of interfering a little bit with my ability to remember," Blackburn said on the record at his March 6 deposition, according to court papers obtained by AllHipHop.
Blackburn said he warned opposing counsel at the start of the March session that he was medicated but nevertheless answered questions for more than an hour. He also acknowledged making inappropriate comments during a Feb. 24 deposition, including mocking the appearance of an attorney and asking, "What date is your transition surgery?" Blackburn later issued an on-the-record apology and tied those remarks to the effects of medication.
Fat Joe's legal team has argued that Blackburn obstructed the discovery process by coaching Dixon, repeatedly interrupting, and otherwise disrupting depositions. The rapper sued Dixon for extortion and defamation after Dixon allegedly accused him of sexual misconduct on social media. Fat Joe's lawyers have since filed a motion seeking sanctions.
In his court filing, Blackburn pushed back against that sanctions motion and argued instead that sanctions should be considered against Dixon and his counsel. He also accused opposing counsel of escalating tensions during a March 27 deposition, saying he was insulted and accused of criminal conduct in open session.
Blackburn said confidential materials marked as such — including deposition transcripts and video — were publicly posted the same day the sanctions motion was filed. He argued the premature release of those materials compounded the contentiousness of the proceedings.
The legal dispute has shifted since Dixon first sued in June 2025. As per LA Times, Dixon's original complaint, which sought $20 million and included allegations of racketeering, statutory rape and trafficking of minors, was amended March 26 to drop the most serious claims. The amended complaint instead pursues claims of forced labor, unpaid wages, copyright infringement and fraud, alleging Dixon is owed at least $600,000 in unpaid compensation from 2005 to 2020.
Both sides have accused the other of misconduct as the case moves through pretrial discovery. No trial date has been set.
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