Usher Raymond has initiated authorized proceedings in opposition to his longtime collaborator Bryan Michael Cox, demanding compensation of funds superior for an Atlanta restaurant mission that by no means materialized.

Based on studies, the R&B celebrity filed go well with in Fulton County Superior Courtroom on Friday, focusing on Cox alongside Keith Thomas, Charles Hughes, and leisure legal professional Alcide Honoré.

The authorized motion facilities on a $1.7 million advance Raymond supplied in January for a proposed Buckhead institution referred to as Homage ATL.

Cox, whose manufacturing credit embrace Raymond’s chart-toppers “Burn” and “U Obtained It Unhealthy,” approached the Grammy winner final yr about buying the previous Ocean Prime location at 3102 Piedmont Highway.

Based on courtroom paperwork, Raymond declined to speculate however agreed to offer financing by way of a mortgage association. The funds have been transferred to a belief account, with the expectation that the property buy would proceed expeditiously.

Months handed with out the actual property transaction being accomplished, prompting Raymond to request mortgage compensation throughout the summer season months. Whereas $1 million was returned in August, the remaining $700,000 stability has not been glad.

The lawsuit alleges that Honoré acknowledged the problem of repaying the excellent quantity, stating it was “not that straightforward” as a result of the cash had been used for “different functions.”

Raymond’s authorized crew is pursuing $4.9 million in whole damages, calculating $700,000 for every of seven distinct claims outlined within the submitting. The defendants haven’t but filed responses or counterclaims as of Tuesday.

The failed restaurant enterprise represents an uncommon enterprise dispute between Raymond and Cox, whose collaborative historical past consists of a few of up to date R&B’s most recognizable hits.

Cox’s manufacturing firm, Blackbaby Inc., has formed the sound of quite a few chart-topping information throughout a number of a long time.

The four-time Grammy-winning producer has maintained knowledgeable relationship with Raymond spanning over twenty years, contributing to the singer’s most profitable albums, together with the diamond-certified Confessions.

Usher isn’t new to the restaurant enterprise. Final yr, he opened his first Dave’s Sizzling Hen franchise.

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