Stephanie Hubbard, the widow of the Roots’ former bassist, Leonard “Hub” Hubbard, is suing the band alleging that they violated federal RICO statutes in handling the band’s finances. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter are both named in the lawsuit, along with manager Shawn Gee, Live Nation Entertainment and other businesses connected to the band over the years.

According to Pitchfork, Hubbard’s estate claims that Grand Negaz Inc., the company that handles the band’s business dealings, allotted the bassist a 17 percent share, with Questlove and Black Thought each entitled to 35 percent. The estate also makes similar claims regarding additional entities set up in 1999 and 2000 to handle the band’s publishing and touring.

The lawsuit also alleges that Black Thought and Questlove used their Roots business apparatuses to arrange other ventures related to the band and personal matters.

It further claims that in April 2013, the Roots transferred all of their assets, including those ostensibly owed to Hubbard, and to a new enterprise, Legendelphia LLC, without his knowledge.  “The RICO Defendants unlawfully, while using racketeering activities… took the monies of Plaintiff-Decedent, and harmed [his] music businesses,” the suit reads in part. The accusations of “racketeering activities” include “forgery, wire fraud, bank fraud, mail fraud, and criminal copyright infringement.”

Stephanie Hubbard’s attorney Luk Lucas issued a statement regarding the lawsuit. “Ms. Hubbard is the widow of a great musician and Philadelphia native, an undisputed founding member of a great hip hop band. Fame should not deter fairness for those who made your success possible. There would likely not be a Roots had there not been Leonard Hubbard.”

Leonard Hubbard first joined the group with Questlove and Black Thought when they were called Square Roots at one point. He remained with the group from 1992 through 2007, departing in the wake of a blood cancer diagnosis. Hubbard died of the cancer in 2021.