Rap-A-Lot CEO James
"J. Prince" Prince has denied that the legendary Houston-based label
is co-owned by convicted drug kingpin Michael "Harry-O" Harris.Prince
did not attend a hearing in Los Angeles today (Oct. 12) relating to the matter
but he and his attorney offered up a challenge to settle Harris and his attorney
Steve Golderg’s claims that Harris is owed money. The
incarcerated Harris charges that he owns half of the company and provided startup
capital to launch Rap-A-Lot. He also claims that he is rightfully entitled to
half of the label’s earnings, dating back to its formation in 1986. Prince,
however, fiercely denies Harris and Goldberg’s claims that Harris was an early
investor in the label that helped launch the careers of the Geto Boys, Scarface,
Yukmouth, and the Luniz, among others."I’ve
been dealing with Feds, snitches, and rats all my life, conspiring to destroy
me and Rap-A-Lot," J. Prince told AllHipHop.com in a statement. "This
is nothing new to me. It’s interesting, you have this Harris guy, a L.A. rat,
who’s lonely and desperate because the best thing that ever happened to him has
divorced him and moved back to Houston with all his money," Prince added,
referring to Harris’ estranged wife Lydia, who recently won a $107 million default
judgment against Death Row Records after the label’s CEO/co-founder Suge Knight missed multiple court dates to answer her claims of owning interest in the label."The
only explanation that I have for him waking up in prison after 20 years saying
that I made an oral agreement for 50 percent of Rap-A-Lot is he must think that
his ex-wife [Lydia] still has a special place in her heart for me," Prince
quipped. Harris,
who is serving a 28-year sentence in San Quentin State Prison in Calif. for attempted
murder and drug dealing, claimed he invested $1.5 million to help start Death
Row in 1991 with Marion "Suge" Knight and Knight’s attorney, David Kenner.According
to reports, Harris filed for divorce in June 2005, after learning that his wife
Lydia was allegedly in settlement negotiations with Knight and was planning to
cut him out of her $107 million judgment.Harris
later filed another lawsuit, claiming he was entitled to half of the judgment.
Knight and Death Row eventually filed for bankruptcy protection to avoid paying
the sum.The
label is currently being managed by a bankruptcy trustee, which will auction off
the label’s assets to pay creditors. In
September, attorneys for Harris sought to question Prince about his business dealings
with Knight in front of a Houston judge, claiming that he had also helped Prince
launch the label.Prince’s
attorney Warren Fitzgerald, Jr. explained that the mogul felt that the order to
appear in front of the judge violated Prince’s rights.
Through Fitzgerald, Jr., Prince filed an appeal and won a stay of deposition,
which is still pending."For
Goldberg to make the statements about what he’s going to find out about Prince
and Knight violates the courts order," said Fitzgerald, Jr."I’m
not Suge and Rap-A-Lot ain’t no Death Row, so they can find another ambulance
to chase," Prince said. "So I look forward to dealing with his bootleg
lawyer, this frivolous lawsuit, and Harris the rat if and when he gets out.""If
Goldberg and Harris really think they have a claim, after 20 years of doing nothing,
they can file a lawsuit, where the facts count, rather than grandstanding and
publicity seeking in the media, and misleading the public with half truths and
out right lies," said Fitzgerald. "The truth is Harris’ claim doesn’t
stand a snowball’s chance in hell in a court of law."
