‘He Say, She Say’, indeed.

Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco has new music on the way, dropping mysterious new project Peace Of Paper/Cup Of Jayzus next week. As tends to happen with Lupe, however, there’s been something of a spanner thrown in to the works to distract from his musical endeavours – in this particular instance, a lawsuit-shaped spanner.

The suit is being brought by Inita Patton, estranged wife of convicted drug dealer Charles “Chilly” Patton. According to TMZ, Mrs Patton alleges that the rapper conspired with her husband – a partner in Lupe’s 1st and 15th Records, and an executive producer on his 2006 debut Food & Liquor – to secrete over $9m in illicit earnings across a number of bank accounts. Her testimony claims that Lupe was instrumental in hiding the money in order to prevent her accruing it as part of her divorce settlement.

Lupe’s legal team are denying the allegations, claiming to know of “no secret accounts and no illicit instructions.” Patton was charged with masterminding a heroin ring in Chicago in 2007, with Lupe testifying in his defense at the trial. Patton is currently serving a 44-year sentence on charges of heroin possession.