A Hustler in the Rap Game

0:01 [music]

0:01 Plaintiff Jesse Vanway says the defendant is nothing

0:03 but a wannabe hustler in the rap game.

0:05 Jesse claims his [music] former roommate acts like

0:08 he works with all the big rap artists,

0:10 but in reality he just plans failed rap concerts.

0:13 [music] Jesse is suing the defendant for unpaid rent, unreturned property,

0:17 and harassment because the defendant [music] sent

0:19 him 51 text messages in one day.

0:23 Defendant Joshua Mack insists [music] he has worked with some big

0:27 name artists and even did some work on Kanye West's new album.

0:31 [music] Joshua claims he doesn't know Jesse for rent

0:33 because he already paid it directly to [music] the landlord.

0:37 And Joshua's counter suing for vacation expenses.

0:40 Start with you.

0:41 Uh actually, the defendant usually goes by Mack.

0:45 Uh he thinks he's a hustler in the rap game.

0:47 In the rap game?

0:47 In the rap game.

0:48 He drops names uh Nelly, Dr.

0:50 Dre, Kanye West, whoever happens to be on the radio that day.

0:53 their name?

0:54 Yeah, he likes to talk about how he knows Nelly's people

0:56 and he can call them up and see how they're doing.

0:59 It's a little entertaining.

1:00 he's posing?

1:02 Judging by the number of failed concerts he's thrown, probably.

1:06 You want to address that?

1:07 I've worked with corporations that have work for them.

1:09 I do have a contact.

1:11 know people who know people that know them.

1:13 Correct.

1:13 And I have [laughter] Okay, well.

1:18 And I and I have worked with um just like I said uh Dirty Entertainment.

1:22 I do have a contact over there and I

1:24 have booked events for them that have been successful.

1:26 All right, good enough.

1:27 Go ahead.

1:28 Wish I could have been there.

1:29 Um Go ahead.

1:31 He tries to run hustles like that constantly.

1:34 Uh he's actually tried two rap concerts in Utah

1:37 of all places with the thriving rap game that's out there.

1:40 Um and [laughter] Yeah.

1:43 Um Did he make money?

1:44 Were you successful in Utah?

1:46 The first concert the artist did not show up.

1:49 He made money off the tickets that people paid for.

1:51 They never got to see the artist.

1:53 Did that two or three times.

1:56 Go ahead.

1:57 Well, uh turns out he's not only hustling uh

2:00 people he sells tickets to, he's hustling his roommates, too.

2:02 Uh we moved in together in about September of 2005.

2:06 In December, he decides that he wants to go out to Utah

2:09 to see a girl whose picture he'd seen on the internet.

2:12 Um I had a friend out there and decided, you know what, I'll go out there,

2:14 I'll see my friend, and uh we split the cost of gas and went out there together.

2:18 Um things went uh wonderfully with the girl, I assume,

2:23 and he decided to uh impress her with his uh skills and throw a concert,

2:28 uh which of course went That's the one

2:30 you're referring to in Utah that didn't work out.

2:32 Well, one of many.

2:33 This one in particular.

2:35 rap fans in Utah, obviously.

2:37 No, you should have seen the looks we

2:38 got going through the mall passing out flyers.

2:41 Uh nonetheless, at the end of the uh the uh I think the first

2:45 2 weeks before it even started throwing all this together, uh I go home.

2:49 He doesn't.

2:50 Uh he decides that he's going to uh you know,

2:52 go ahead and keep my uh radar detector.

2:54 All right, before we get to the rent and the other things,

2:56 let me hear from his background.

2:58 Okay, let me start from the beginning.

2:59 I'm at I've been doing music since I was 14 years old, eat,

3:02 sleep, and none of it worked for, like I said, various different corporations.

3:06 Um I actually did the marketing promotion with a company

3:08 called MP3 Leak for the new Kanye West album.

3:12 Um myself and Joshua Mills um got a lease agreement.

3:17 We did not put Jesse on the lease because we

3:19 did not feel like he would probably pay the rent.

3:22 In December, I decided to go out to Utah to a to a um wedding reception.

3:29 And I was out there and I talked a couple people.

3:31 I then came back from Utah in January.

3:35 January 20th, I decided I was going to go back

3:37 out there because I had a job offer from them,

3:40 and I sat Jesse down as well as Joshua Mills,

3:45 which I have a document from him claiming everything Jesse just said was false,

3:49 who was on the lease and is the roommate.

3:52 Um I'd like to read it if possible.

3:55 He said, "My name is Joshua Mills.

3:56 I've been a roommate of Joshua Mack.

3:58 While myself and Joshua were renting the apartment,

4:01 Jesse Vanway stiffed us on rent many times.

4:04 Before Joshua Mack moved to Utah,

4:07 he sat down and asked if Jesse Vanway

4:08 and I could pay the bills while he was gone.

4:10 Josh Mack told us he wouldn't move if we couldn't pay the bills." Nice.

4:15 He hasn't gotten to this portion of the lawsuit.

4:17 I'll let you respond to his allegations regarding rent and utilities.

4:22 Go ahead.

4:23 When he went out in January, uh we said, "You know,

4:25 you're we're going to have an extra portion

4:27 of the rent to pay with you're not there.

4:28 You need to make sure you make share of the rent?

4:30 His share we divided into thirds.

4:31 It was $175 each month.

4:33 $175 was his share.

4:34 He left in January and now what?

4:37 He said that he lived out there now.

4:39 All right.

4:39 And what was your response?

4:41 I told him that that wasn't right.

4:42 He lived there just the same as us.

4:44 He ignored it.

4:46 Why is the other roommate saying that he

4:47 understood that he was moving and not paying?

4:50 Because he's threatening him with his job.

4:52 How did he threaten him, sir?

4:53 They both serve process papers for the court together.

4:56 Mhm.

4:56 He told them that if he appears and testifies for me,

5:01 that he would no longer have any papers to serve

5:03 and wouldn't be able to afford the car that he just purchased.

5:05 Who told him that?

5:06 Josh Mack.

5:07 He He's the boss?

5:09 That's what he seems to think.

5:11 He's not the boss?

5:12 That's correct.

5:12 Well, then he can't threaten to take his job and your friend should

5:15 understand that he can't take his job either if he's not the boss.

5:19 So, I don't believe you.

5:21 Now, go ahead, sir.

5:22 I moved back from Utah March 30th.

5:25 Jesse Vanway was failed to pay January, February, and March?

5:29 Correct.

5:30 When did they ask for you to pay those three months?

5:34 It would have been March.

5:35 And what did you say?

5:36 I said, "I'm coming home to come take care of this." And I came home of it?

5:40 Yeah, I took care of it.

5:41 How?

5:41 I worked three temp jobs when I got home to pay the bills.

5:43 you take care of it?

5:44 for it.

5:45 All three months?

5:46 Correct.

5:46 All right.

5:47 Did he pay all 3 months?

5:48 Haven't seen a dime of it.

5:49 All right.

5:50 You have any evidence that you paid?

5:52 I I paid the apartment complex because there was so many

5:55 Is that how you were paying prior to your vacation?

5:57 Yeah, I paid the apartment complex.

5:59 always pay the apartment complex.

6:00 Do you have any evidence of that?

6:02 I could not get my documents cuz he subpoenaed it.

6:05 I know the court system and that's not true.

6:07 You're lying.

6:08 Did you subpoena documents?

6:10 I never received them, actually.

6:11 All right.

6:11 And is that cuz they thought you were crazy, too?

6:14 Mhm.

6:14 Uh so, you want to get to the unpaid

6:17 utilities and the unreturned property and harassment.

6:20 Yeah.

6:21 Um he actually didn't return until May.

6:23 Do you have evidence that you paid?

6:25 Unfortunately, I don't.

6:26 But why?

6:27 Because I was not on the lease.

6:29 Uh and it's interesting he says I was on the lease.

6:31 you paid.

6:32 I did.

6:32 I had to pay

6:33 the landlord?

6:34 To the roommate.

6:35 How?

6:36 I paid him in cash.

6:37 All right.

6:38 Utilities?

6:39 Uh again, the same.

6:40 Uh that was the gas bill, the cable bill.

6:43 How much?

6:43 Uh the I have actually copy of that if you'd like to see it.

6:48 that?

6:47 And this unreturned property is the The radar detector.

6:51 Radar detector.

6:52 So, did you fail to return his radar detector?

6:55 I got back because he had called Utah.

6:57 He had me call me in Utah several times that I needed the radar detector.

7:00 I've gotten pulled over three or four times.

7:02 it back to him?

7:03 My Yes, I did.

7:04 And because my other roommate had bailed him out of jail twice at the time.

7:08 it?

7:08 I don't.

7:10 Where did you give it to him?

7:11 At the apartment complex.

7:12 And you said here, I brought this back for you.

7:16 Here I said here.

7:17 he say?

7:18 He took it, got in the car, and left and went to his mother's house.

7:21 remember that happening at all.

7:22 the radar detector.

7:23 I haven't seen a dime for utilities or a dime for rent.

7:25 And [snorts] harassment.

7:27 How does he owe you for harassment?

7:29 Well, I have got a stack of uh text messages that he sent me when

7:33 he realized that I was serious about getting the money back that he owed me.

7:36 Um 51 text messages while I was in the courthouse filing the restraining order.

7:42 You should have seen the look on the court staff's to file a restraining order?

7:45 I have a copy of that.

7:46 He was sending me Pardon?

7:48 so many text messages and phone calls with the sole

7:50 purpose of using up my cell phone minutes.

7:53 He sent me a text message actually saying, "How many texts can you take?"

7:58 [laughter] Let me see the one that says, "How many texts can you take?"

8:02 Circle.

8:02 Let's see.

8:03 And were you granted the restraining order?

8:06 I was.

8:06 Sir, what do you want to say?

8:08 He only got the restraining order so he could serve me because he'd

8:11 already been trying to serve me for I think 6 months at that time.

8:15 How did he get your address to serve you with anything?

8:20 Because my old roommate.

8:22 So he had your address.

8:23 Correct.

8:24 So he didn't need to bring you to court to be able to serve you.

8:26 He served you at your address.

8:28 Your witness want to say anything?

8:30 State your name.

8:32 My name is Kyle Engeman.

8:34 What do you want to tell me?

8:35 I know for a fact when Josh moved back

8:37 in March and uh according to his counter sue.

8:43 Pardon me?

8:44 According to his counter claim of him suing agent now.

8:48 The vacation expenses, what do you want to say about that?

8:50 Um I know that Jesse has shown up at um some of the events that I

8:56 have been playing at and Josh had taken care of him every time I've seen Jesse.

9:01 Okay.

9:02 Tell me about the vacation expenses you counter suing for.

9:05 Okay.

9:05 Um before before I went out um to Utah

9:09 for the wedding reception I asked Jesse if he'd like to go.

9:12 He he agreed he would pay half.

9:14 Um he never paid half and I was out in Utah from gas

9:18 to hotel to I have a complete breakdown of of what it actually was.

9:23 That was that trip that you all that he's referring to earlier.

9:27 He was to pay you and has failed to do so?

9:29 Correct.

9:30 Sir?

9:30 I paid my way the whole way out there.

9:32 I don't even know whose wedding reception he's talking about.

9:34 How How did you pay?

9:36 It's 5 years ago.

9:36 I didn't keep track.

9:37 It was just every other tank.

9:39 And the rent is due from 5 years ago.

9:42 Yes.

9:42 I paid it.

9:43 He never paid me back.

9:44 So, you can remember the rent that was due 5 years ago,

9:49 but you can't remember the vacation and how much you spent 5 years ago.

9:53 Rent is enough to keep track of.

9:55 It's easy.

9:55 this.

9:55 You're beyond the statute of limitation.

9:57 Since the rent is so easy and you're so smart,

9:59 you're beyond the statute of limitation

10:01 and you'll get nothing and you'll get nothing.

10:03 Have a good day.

10:06 [applause]