Jasmine Dumile Thompson, the widow of the late Hip-Hop icon MF DOOM, has filed a lawsuit claiming that Eothen "Egon" Alapatt. his former collaborator at Stones Throw Records, stole more than 30 of his rhyme books. The books contained many of his biggest and most revered hits including Operation Doomsday, Madvillainy, and MM...FOOD and other unreleased songs, as well as "other creative ideations."

In March, Thompson posted emails between her late husband and Alapatt on IG with the caption, "Egon Give the Notebooks Back." Alapatt worked with DOOM as the general manager of Stones Throw Records, and is the former manager of DOOM collaborator Madlib. The lawsuit claims, "Alapatt never consulted with DOOM about his acquisition of the notebooks and took advantage of DOOM’s being out the country to obtain them.”

It's Alapatt's claim that he rescued the books from a Los Angeles recording studio where DOOM left them before he traveled to the U.K. to perform and was prohibited from returning to the states due to immigration issues. After allegedly denying possession of the books, he claims that DOOM owed $12,500 in past due rent to his landlord who threatened to destroy any possessions that DOOM left behind. Alapatt says that he paid the outstanding balance on DOOM'S behalf and claims that the books are legally his as a result.

Attorney's for Alapatt said in a statement to Billboard: “Mr. Alapatt looks forward to his day in court to dismiss these frivolous and untrue allegations. Mr. Alapatt rescued these books from DOOM’s unpaid landlord who had taken possession of all of his belongings. With DOOM’s blessing, Mr. Alapatt intended to donate the books to either the Smithsonian or the Cornell University Hip Hop Archive, where they could be considered and studied by scholars, in the same way that manuscripts by great poets or sheet music by great composers are. Mr. Alapatt will do everything he can to ensure that these historically significant books are archived and protected.”