Timbaland's Former Employee Demands Jury Trial Over Breach Of Contract
By Afouda Bamidele on May 14, 2024 at 8:15 AM EDT
Record producer Timbaland is facing severe allegations over his music company, Beatclub.
The music legend Timothy Zachery Mosley was named as one of the defendants in a breach-of-contract lawsuit. The court documents obtained by The Blast were filed by a former employee who claimed he was deceived by Timbaland and his co-worker, Gary Marella.
Timbaland's Former Employee Is Suing For Damages
In the legal filing, Daniel Glogower, a former employee at the Beatclub, sued the music company and its heads for multiple damages.
The list included breach of the employment agreement, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, fraud, outstanding wages, and more.
The plaintiff claimed that his ill-fated encounter with Timbaland and Marella began in or about April 2020 when they approached him to work for Beatclub — "a subscription-based centralized music creator hub where members pay to acquire the resources and ability to monetize their music through a marketplace."
Glogower noted he was their first employee and was given the "head of business development" title. However, he claimed Timbaland and Marella violated California's law by treating him as an independent contractor despite his legal status as a full-time employee.
He stressed that he worked from April 2020 to February 14, 2022, on a full-time basis at the defendants' direction and control. Sometimes, this meant working over 40 hours per week without compensation or company benefits for those excess hours.
Timbaland & Gary Marella Allegedly Tricked The Plaintiff Into Staying At Their Company
Following two years of the alleged labor violations, Glogower claimed Timbaland and Marella suspected he might leave Beatclub in or about January 2022. However, they couldn't lose him as he was, per his allegations, "critical to the stability and growth in the business."
Hence, they made a "material representation" to the plaintiff that they were financially sound and could cover employee wages and other compensations.
Glogower stressed that he relied on their promise when he entered into a written employment contract on February 14, 2022.
He was guaranteed an annual salary of $350,000, 100,000 shares of restricted stock, and other benefits like paid vacation, sick leave, and expense reimbursement. Unfortunately, the highlighted contract was a ploy to keep him at Beatclub.
Glogower alleged that Timbaland and Marella deceived him to keep working despite knowing the company "was running out of money, the business was undercapitalized, unsound, and lacked the ability to pay its bills," including his promised compensation.
The Former Employee Claims The Company's Heads Stole Over A Million Dollars
According to Glogower, he was tasked with raising capital for the company around March 2022. This money, per his understanding, would be used to fund Beatclub's operations, including his outstanding wages.
In the latter part of 2022, the company raised $8,000,000 from outside investors. However, Timbaland and Marella didn't fulfill their promise to pay Glogower's wages. Instead, they allegedly absconded with $1,700,000 without notifying the board of directions.
The money they took without proper authorization was purportedly to repay their original "investment" into Beatclub. Glogower argued that Timbaland and Marella tricked him into raising funds for them instead of paying him and other employees.
The Plaintiff Demanded His Outstanding Wages In A Letter
After repeatedly asking for his outstanding wages, Glogower dropped his final demand for compensation on March 4, 2024, via a letter to Timbaland, Marella, and their counsel, Alan Hock.
In his message, the former employee revealed the company had failed to pay him for "14 consecutive pay periods." They allegedly owed him $188,462 for his work and 503,113 shares in Beatclub.
Glogower asked them to tender his shares, to pay his outstanding wages, vacation pay, severance pay, sick leave, and waiting time penalties. He stressed that he could not continue to work without compensation and formally dissociated himself from Beatclub.
Timbaland's Former Employee Is Pushing For A Jury Trial
According to Glogower, Beatclub, Timbaland, and Marella pushed him to file the lawsuit after failing to respond to his letter. To settle their differences, the former employee requested a jury trial and compensation for damages.
As stated, Glogower accused the defendants of breach of contract and violating several California laws. He also claimed they intentionally inflicted him with emotional distress with their failed promises and refusal to honor their agreement.
For these crimes, the plaintiff wants Timbaland, Marella, and Beatclub to cough up compensation for general and special damages. The same applied to Glogower's attorney fees, costs incurred in the lawsuit, and punitive damages for their wrongful conduct.