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Jury Orders Ashanti To Pay $630,000 To First Producer
A New York federal jury recently ruled that Ashanti must pay $630,000 to her first producer, Genard Parker for breach of contract.
The singer was not in court when the jury reached the verdict. Back in 1996, Parker signed Ashanti Douglas to a production deal when she was 16 and worked with her for a year. During the four-day trial, Ashanti testified that Parker didn't keep the promises he made when he first signed her to the deal. According to the singer, she and Parker made music out of a home studio and the facility was so unprofessional that she had to record her vocals in the bathroom.
Following the verdict, Parker said he wished Ashanti and her mother the best and asserted he had no bad words for them, "though they had plenty of negative things to say about me." Harry Stokes, Ashanti's lawyer said his client was disappointed by the verdict.
"We think the jury got confused somewhat, particularly on the damages," Stokes said. "We feel confident when this is said and done we won't have to pay out anything.
Although, an expert testified that Parker might be owed up to $2.2 million, Parker's attorney, Jasmine Khalili called the $630,000 verdict a "huge victory."
"They never acknowledged what he [Parker] had done," Khalili said. "It takes a jury to get a thank you."
Ashanti lived on Long Island when she began working with Parker. She later signed to Murder Inc. now known as The Inc. At that time, Parker released her from her contract with the agreement that he would produce two songs on her first album. Parker never received royalties from that agreement.
Source: sohh
The singer was not in court when the jury reached the verdict. Back in 1996, Parker signed Ashanti Douglas to a production deal when she was 16 and worked with her for a year. During the four-day trial, Ashanti testified that Parker didn't keep the promises he made when he first signed her to the deal. According to the singer, she and Parker made music out of a home studio and the facility was so unprofessional that she had to record her vocals in the bathroom.
Following the verdict, Parker said he wished Ashanti and her mother the best and asserted he had no bad words for them, "though they had plenty of negative things to say about me." Harry Stokes, Ashanti's lawyer said his client was disappointed by the verdict.
"We think the jury got confused somewhat, particularly on the damages," Stokes said. "We feel confident when this is said and done we won't have to pay out anything.
Although, an expert testified that Parker might be owed up to $2.2 million, Parker's attorney, Jasmine Khalili called the $630,000 verdict a "huge victory."
"They never acknowledged what he [Parker] had done," Khalili said. "It takes a jury to get a thank you."
Ashanti lived on Long Island when she began working with Parker. She later signed to Murder Inc. now known as The Inc. At that time, Parker released her from her contract with the agreement that he would produce two songs on her first album. Parker never received royalties from that agreement.
Source: sohh
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