Rap-A-Lot CEO, J. Prince, Sued Over Alleged Beating; Calls The Suit Extortion

[Darksider]

Rap-A-Lot CEO, J. Prince, Sued Over Alleged Beating; Calls The Suit Extortion
Published: Friday - April 13, 2007
Words by Liz "Red" Thomas

J. Prince
Photo: InDMix.com



Music executive Ronnie Bookman filed a lawsuit in Houston on Thursday (April 12) against Rap-A-Lot Records founder J. Prince, claiming Prince viciously attacked him.

In the suit, Bookman alleges that Prince (real name: James Prince) lured him to Fresh Recreation Center Gym for a meeting, then was attacked by seven associates of Prince after they were unable to come to an agreement over contracts regarding Prince's artists.

"What he did was lure me over there to the gym like he was going to sign off on the clearance forms, so I went over there and didn't think nothing of it," Bookman said in a statement. "We went into the weight room. After we discussed some bogus contracts that he had sent over to my studio, which were a clumsy attempt to try to steal my studio, he told me that I had been talking about Rap-A-Lot Records, and we went back and forth with that. He put somebody on the phone and we chopped that up. Then I asked him: 'Now what?' He said 'Uh huh, ok, ok... now let's see how you gonna like this!' And then he opened a door and those seven guys came rushing out and did their number on me."

Bookman reportedly suffered severe head injuries, a broken nose and both of his eyes were battered and blackened, one of which requires surgery.

Bookman's 7303 Records was reportedly being courted by Warner Bros. Records, and according to Bookman, Prince felt threaten and called the beating an attempt to "eliminate competition in the Houston rap and hip-hop music business through the use of threats, intimidation and violence."

"I'm not going to let someone come in and destroy my business through threats or intimidation," said Bookman. "I want to serve notice that it's time to stop this right now."

After hearing about the suit, Prince released a statement, saying he has been falsely accused and attacked Bookman's credibility, dismissing the suit as an attempt to extort money from him.

"Through my years in this music industry, I've been falsely accused and sued by many, which none of them were successful," said Prince. "I guess this is a new season where drug dealing rats and parasite lawyers are out to extort me. If anyone with good sense would pull this guy Ronnie Bookman's record, they would see how bad his credibility stinks. The true facts will be revealed in a court of law."

www.ballerstatus.com