Fat Joe has filed a hefty lawsuit against his former hypeman for slandering him on social media … claiming the guy and his lawyer are trying to shake him down for a payday!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained court docs filed by Fat Joe on Tuesday, in which he claims his former hypeman Terrance “T.A.” Dixon is trying to collect money he didn’t earn and resorted to publicly calling the rapper a pedophile on social media when he didn’t get his way.

The suit filed by Joe claimed Dixon flew a 16-year-old girl across state lines for sex and posted the allegation along with a picture of Joe, Diddy, and DJ Khaled.

Joe’s legal counsel claims the allegations were made as part of a money grab generated by Dixon’s attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, who’s also representing Diddy accuser Lil Rodney in a separate case.

The lawsuit details how Joe and Dixon began working together in 2006, when Joe offered him a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to be part of his team … complete with compensation, luxurious travel, touring and other fringe benefits that accompany being in a superstar rapper’s inner circle.

Joe says the partnership ended amicably in 2019 and says he never heard any money complaints for 6 years, until Dixon began posting on social media with complaints he should have been paid more for his past work.

He says Dixon lawyered up with Blackburn in March and fired off a legal demand letter asking for compensation as a “ghostwriter” on several of Joe’s tracks.

When those demands weren’t met, Fat Joe says the Dixon upped the ante by spreading salacious lies about Joe and falsely claiming Joe blocked him from obtaining outside funding for his own record label start-up.

Blackburn tells TMZ Hip Hop the new lawsuit is just a cover-up attempt and isn’t backing down … saying Joe filed “a baseless lawsuit in an effort to soften the blow of what’s to come. It won’t work. Fat Joe has a lot of explaining to do.”

Fat Joe fiercely defends his name, telling us … “These allegations are completely false and part of a criminal conspiracy orchestrated between a disgruntled former hype man and his attorney. These two individuals have been scheming together to extort me with their elaborate and ludicrous demands changing by the day.”

“The relentless threats, harassment, and defamation I’ve endured as they peddle salacious lies are utterly deplorable. I’m taking legal action to expose their misconduct and I’m fully confident that the facts will reveal this is nothing more than a deceptive and desperate scam.”

Fat Joe’s celebrity attorney, Joe Tacopina, is slamming the lawsuit altogether and tells TMZ Hip Hop … “The allegations against Mr. Cartagena are completely false and part of a criminal extortion scheme orchestrated by an attorney who a federal judge recently condemned for abusing the court system to harass and pressure defendants.”

“Mr. Cartagena will not be intimidated by fabricated claims, lies about witnesses, or shameless threats. We are taking immediate legal action to expose this fraudulent scheme and we will hold all parties responsible fully accountable.”