And when he doesn't feel like attending one of his own headlining concerts, Black, known legally as Dieuson Octave, is totally cool with skipping shows entirely in order to take Valentine's Day trips to Puerto Rico — or at least that's what two Florida concert promoters are alleging in court.
The first few months of 2016 have been next-level bonkers for Black, who turns 19 in June. At the end of last year, he received the much-vaunted "Drake-dancing-to-your-song-on-Instagram" co-sign, an award that basically guaranteed him a shot at stardom, at least in the short term. He then blew up on social media and YouTube and got profiled in both the Fader and the New Yorker. But all the while, Black had apparently been out on bond after getting arrested for armed robbery, false imprisonment, marijuana possession, and driving without a license. After Black took the cops on that high-speed chase (as we reported yesterday), the arrest voided his earlier bond, and he's now going to sit in the county's main jail in Fort Lauderdale until his trial date is up. #FreeKodak.
Send ya letters to Dieuson Octave #381600836
— Kodak Black (@KodakBlack1k) May 24, 2016
Main jail P.O. BOX9356
Ft.LAUDERDALE, FL 33310
In addition to his current run-in with law enforcement, Black has apparently also been dealing with a separate civil lawsuit for the last two months. On March 23, Black and his agents, Dollaz N Dealz Entertainment LLC, were sued for breach of contract, violations of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and fraud.
According to the suit, Hendry County club promoters Willy Cenecharles and Carl Richardson say Black agreed to perform at a Valentine's Day concert at the Latinos Night Club in La Belle, Florida earlier this year. The promoters say they agreed to pay Black $7,000 for the gig — they'd give Black half upfront and then half when he arrived at the show. All Black had to do was record some radio promotions before the event and then perform for a single hour. The promoters say they paid Black $3,500 in November.
But this is Kodak Black, a man with so much cash he has no apparent need for material things. And so five days before the concert was set to begin, Black texted the promoters and told them he was going to San Juan, Puerto Rico with his girlfriend. According to the lawsuit, this is the text he sent:
I'm Going to Peurto [sic] Rico On Da 13After the promoters' lawyer sent Dollaz N
You Can Reschedule
Das Valentine Week My B
Me Time
Vacate [sic]
The promoters' lawyer, Aaron Resnick, gave the following statement to New Times via email:
"The text message was completely out of the blue and without warning," he said. His clients, according to Resnick, were shocked and "equally disappointed and dismayed that numerous Kodak Black fans, who purchased tickets to see him, would be let down by his decision and not be able to see him perform live."
No word on how Kodak's legal woes will affect his shot at XXL's 2016 Freshman Class, but don't let it stop you from voting for him. Given his last message from jail, he could use a pick-me-up this time around:
Here's a copy of the complaint, which was filed in Broward County court: