Lawyers for former drug kingpin Freeway Ricky Ross and Warner Music faced off in court yesterday as part of the continuing battle over the rapper name "Rick Ross."
The real Ricky Ross has vowed to drag some of the biggest names in music associated with rapper Rick Ross to court to testify.
“We will be deposing Sean Combs, Stephen Cooper, Lyor Cohen and Todd Moscowitz,” he said.
Earlier this week, rapper Rick Ross revealed the name of his upcoming album Mastermind in a brand new trailer which includes Curtis Mayfield's "Gimme Your Love" and an image from the 1972 Superfly movie soundtrack.
Freeway Ricky Ross considers the album title and the trailer both a slap in the face and another attempt to further steal his identity.
“This guy is literally trying to have people confuse him with me as an actual person,” Freeway Ricky Ross continued. “In every interview I mention ‘Superfly’ as the movie that pushed me into powder cocaine. I even said it in the VH1′s Planet Rock: The Story of Hip Hop and The Crack Generation, that was shown around the world. Then he comes out with this new video with the Superfly movie cover as the centerpiece?”
Freeway Ricky Ross was the mastermind behind the crack-cocaine Los Angeles drug trade in the 80s who served 25 years in a federal prison. He became an urban legend when it was revealed his drug empire was connected to the Iran-Contra scandal. Once released from prison, Freeway Ricky Ross filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Miami rapper claiming he stole his image. A judge dismissed the lawsuit in November of 2010 saying the former drug lord could not use illegal activity to trademark "Rick Ross." He appealed that decision but was rejected again, this time on a technicality. In July of 2012, a judge granted Freeway Ricky Ross permission to file the lawsuit against Warner Music.
“The use of my name and image helps him in internet search globally. Its career launching high value to be believed to be the only hip hop artist on this list,” Freeway Rick Ross said. “Initially it grounded his career in the confusion, now it helps clean up the inauthenticity that came out about being an officer. I don’t need my name and image diluted and confused that way without license. The use of the Superfly movie in this new video is directly connected with me personally as said prior.”
Judge Rita Miller has set a new court date for August 27.
