Roc-A-Fella Records
and Def Jam have been hit with a lawsuit by a man who claims he was stiffed out
of payment for acting in Jay-Z’s 1998 movie “Streets Is Watching.”
Malcolm Crenshaw filed a $1 million dollar lawsuit in Manhattan
Federal Court against Roc-A-Fella Records, Island Def Jam Music Croup and Universal
Music & Video Distribution.
Crenshaw claims he was never paid for appearing in four scenes
in "Streets Is Watching," a semi-autobiographical short film about
Jay-Z’s life in Brooklyn, as narrated by the rapper himself.
The straight-to-video release chronicles Jay-Z’s rise from street
hustler to rap superstar.
Jay-Z co-wrote the movie with Damon Dash and Abdul Malik Abbott,
who also co-wrote “State Property.”
Jay-Z and Damon Dash also served as executive producers of the film, which also
featured Dash, Pain in da Ass and Rell.
The film also produced
the Streets Is Watching soundtrack, which featured the hit single “It’s
Alright” featuring Memphis Bleek.
