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Jay-Z Sues Partner Bacardi Over D’Usse Accounting Books

Jay-Z Sues Partner Bacardi Over D’Usse Accounting Books

Jay-Z Bacardi

Jay-Z pours D'Usse cognac into his 2013 Grammy Award statue. Screenshot from YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1UpIyYurxM

Jay-Z has filed a lawsuit demanding financial transparency from his business partner, spirits maker Bacardi, over the cognac brand D’Usse that they share as 50/50 partners.

The entertainment entrepreneur aka Shawn Carter wants to know how much money the cognac line has made, and his company, SC Liquor, wants access to all Bacardi’s books and records for D’Usse’s operations, including locations of all D’Usse warehouses, barrel storages, bottles, accessories, and more, according to official court documents.

Jay co-founded the D’Usse brand in 2011 with Bacardi, one of the largest privately held, family-owned spirits companies in the world.

He regularly promotes the cognac in his songs, including Beyonce’s “Drunk in Love.”

At the 2013 Grammy Awards, Jay-Z poured the cognac into one of his gramophone-shaped Grammy awards and sipped it to celebrate his three wins of the night — “N**gas in Paris” (Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song) and “No Church in The Wild” (Best Rap/Sung Collaboration).

“However, the lawsuit makes it clear something about the partnership — officially named D’Usse LLC — isn’t sitting well,” TMZ reported.

Carter, 52, wants Bacardi to release information about its on-hand physical inventory and inventory procedures so that SC Liquor can “monitor the conduct of [Bacardi’s] business to protect SC’s rights as” a partner with the company, Vibe reported.

D’usse is made at the Château du Cognac, a 200-year-old venue that is one of the oldest cognac houses in France. Cognac is made from twice-distilled white wine and aged in oak barrels for at least two years.