High-Powered Attorney Tyrone Blackburn in Hot Water Amid Fat Joe Legal Showdown

Attorney Tyrone Blackburn

By The Black Insider | June 27, 2025

Tyrone Blackburn, the high-powered attorney known for filing explosive lawsuits involving celebrities and clergy, is now facing serious heat of his own. Blackburn, who represents former hype man Terrance Dixon in an ongoing legal battle with rapper Fat Joe, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault after allegedly striking a 66-year-old process server with his vehicle during a chaotic scene in New York.

According to law enforcement, the incident took place on May 12 when Blackburn reportedly tried to evade being served court papers. Surveillance footage and witness statements led to his arrest on June 25. The victim, who suffered minor injuries, had been attempting to serve documents related to the legal drama brewing between Dixon and Fat Joe.

This marks a troubling turn in what has already been a sensational legal war. Fat Joe, whose real name is Joseph Cartagena, filed a defamation and extortion lawsuit in April claiming that Blackburn and Dixon demanded $3 million in exchange for silence over alleged songwriting and vocal contribution disputes. The Bronx-born rapper's team insists the claims are not only fabricated but part of an effort to ruin his reputation.

But Blackburn and Dixon fired back with a $20 million countersuit on June 19, alleging “coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion.” The lawsuit accuses Fat Joe of taking advantage of Dixon’s loyalty and trust during the height of his career.

Fat Joe responded publicly on Instagram, calling Blackburn and Dixon "crooked" and stating, “we will finish you in court.” His attorney, Joe Tacopina, echoed the sentiment, warning that this arrest is just one piece of a larger pattern of misconduct by Blackburn.

This isn’t Blackburn’s first dance with controversy. In 2024, he was referred to a judicial grievance committee for what a federal judge called “salacious” and media-driven lawsuit filings—many of which failed to hold up in court.