Cash Money Records’ CEOs Bryan “Baby” Williams and Ronald “Slim” will go on trial today (October 17) on drug possession charges, after police found a pound of marijuana in the RV they were traveling in.
Police in Kingsport, Tennessee stopped the brothers’ vehicle, after the driver allegedly attempted a lane change that almost forced a tractor trailer off the road.
In July of 2008, the Williams brothers declined a plea deal being offered by prosecutors and instead pleaded not guilty to the charges at a preliminary hearing.
During the hearing three of the 16 people who were arrested during the incident failed to show up in court, forcing the trial to be postponed.
The brothers’ attorney said he hopes today’s trial will be brief and in his clients’ favor.
In related news, Bryan Williams is at the center of a new lawsuit from a California-based concert promoter.
According to the suit, which was filed Wednesday (Oct. 15) in Los Angeles Superior Court, Jose Fernandez is suing the rapper for breach of contract, fraud and money had and received.
The suit stems from accusations of Williams being a no-show for a concert scheduled to take place on Nov. 23, 2007 in New Orleans.
The show, billed as Birdman and Friends, was also slated to include Cash Money artist Lil Wayne.
Williams was given an advance for the show and executed a “concert commitment” on Nov. 12, 2007, the suit noted.
That same month, Fernandez was told the event was cancelled due to “lack of time to promote the event, not enough time to schedule the talent and that the weather was too cold.”
Despite the cancellation, Fernandez agreed to reschedule the concert for Jan. 5, 2008 in Miami and pay Williams an advance fee to ensure the show would take place.
The second show was ultimately cancelled, the suit stated, in light of Williams and co-defendants Rhonita Thornton and Kreative Kontrol claiming there wasn’t “enough time to promote and the inability to line up the talent.”
A third concert was set up for March 16, 2008 in Miami as Fernandez continued to pay advance money for the artists to appear.
Williams was not present for the second or third show.
“As a direct and proximate result of the breach of contract, Plaintiffs have been damaged in a sum in excess of $275,000,” according to the suit, which mentioned that no payment was made to Fernandez and that the show has yet to take place.
In addition to the loss of funds, Fernandez alleges that emotional damage was caused by the fraud as he mentioned that his trust with Thornton was broken, after it was discovered there was no intention of the Birdman and Friends concert taking place, despite the $275,000 advance to arrange a venue for the show and retain performers.