Melvin Smith, a 37-year-old handy man from East Orange, NJ, claims Busta (born Trevor Smith) and his bodyguard Troy Green hit him for no reason when he asked for an autograph.

“My client was not aggressive in seeking the autograph,” Bruce Regenstreich, Melvin Smith’s lawyer, told reporters. “Melvin went in to get an autograph and got a knuckle sandwich instead”

According to Regenstreich, the incident occurred six months ago outside a sandwich shop near New York’s City Hall, leaving Smith with a cut near his eye which required four stitches. Regenstreich also added that Smith has been unable to work because of neck and back injuries he sustained.

At press time, the amount Smith was seeking for damages were not disclosed.