After two prior decisions by a lower court, a higher court has ruled in the Ultimate Rap League’s ownership lawsuit launched by Dagoberto Velez, otherwise known as Street Star Norbes.
As reported by AllHipHop.com, Norbes filed an 80-page, $40 million lawsuit detailing almost every battle that the URL has produced or that he promoted using the marquee franchise title, The Proving Grounds.
According to court documents observed by AllHipHop.com, the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division rules that Norbes is not a co-owner of the “world’s most respect battle rap league.”
The court’s decision reads in part, “We reject the plaintiff’s contentions that in the amended complaint, he adequately pleaded a partnership claim by alleging that he and the defendants’ not only agreed to share profits and losses equally but did so,’ and by alleging ‘specific events whereby the parties shared in profits and losses.’
“The paragraphs of the amended complaint he cites, to the extent they mention losses, do not allege an agreement for the sharing of losses,” it further notes. “Rather, the amended complaint merely alleges, in a manner as conclusory as in the original complaint, that the parties shared profits and losses on an equal basis. These allegations fall short,” the ruling read.
The ruling also said that URL never misrepresented Norbes’ role with the company and that the only people referring to him as a “partner” were “third parties or by the plaintiff himself,” the decision noted.
Norbes’ claim was “properly dismissed” and is not entitled to any monetary damages.
What does all this mean?
After viewing all the evidence presented by both sides, The Supreme Court ruled that the battle league’s legal owners are Troy “Smack White” Mitchell, Eric Beasley, and Jean “Cheeko” French.
The presiding justices dismissed all 11 claims by Norbes.
Check out the decision in its entirety.
