The boss of Houston based hip hop label Rap-A-Lot Records has hit out at a lawsuit launched against him last week which claims he ordered the assault of the boss of a recording studio over a business dispute.
This dispute is between Rap-A-Lot chief James 'J Prince' Prince and Ronnie Bookman, the boss of the Houston based Studio 7303, and relates to a collaboration between Rap-A-Lot signed Bun B and Javon 'JV' Daniels, who is signed to a fledgling label set up by Bookman called 7303 Records. The lawsuit claims that Prince agreed to allow Bun B to work on a track with Daniels, and to allow 7303 to release that record, in return for a special deal on using the 7303 studios for the next Bun B album project. However, Rap-A-Lot backed out of that agreement when 7303 forged a lucrative partnership with Warner Music in relation to Daniels, and it was at a meeting to discuss that backing out that it is alleged Prince ordered the beating of Bookman which, the 7303 man claims, left him with a broken nose.
According to Allhiphop.com, Bookman is now suing Prince for breach of contract, battery, unfair competition, duress, conspiracy and unjust enrichment, as well as requesting a court order that would prevent Prince or any of his associates from coming with 500 feet of the 7303 man's home or business.
Responding to the lawsuit on Friday, Prince was confident Bookman would be unsuccessful, telling reporters: "Through my years in this music industry, I've been falsely accused and sued by many, of which none of them were successful. I guess this is a new season where drug dealing rats and parasite lawyers are out to extort me. If anyone with good sense would pull this guy Ronnie Bookman's record, they would see how bad his credibility stinks. The true facts will be revealed in a court of law".
Interestingly, one of Prince's other ongoing legal disputeS is with the imprisoned Michael 'Harry-O' Harris, who claims he provided the capital to launch Rap-A-Lot and as such should own half the company. As much previously reported, similar claims by Harris and his wife, Lydia, against Suge Knight's Deathrow Records ultimately led to the hip hop mogul and label's bankruptcy.