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Marion "Suge" Knight and Death Row Records have filed a $106 million dollar lawsuit against Michael "Harry-O" Harris and others in Los Angeles Federal Court.
Harris and Wasserman Comden Cassleman and Pearson LLP are named in the lawsuit, which claims Harris, who is serving a 28-year-sentence in a California State prison for attempted murder and drug dealing, attempted to blackmail people and businesses in the music industry, by threatening to allege that proceeds from his drug enterprise were invested in legitimate businesses.
In 1997, Harris told the Los Angeles Times that he struck a deal with Knight to fund Death Row Records. Harris said he helped create Death Row along with Suge Knight and his lawyer David Kenner, but was excluded from his due share of profits from the label's releases.
According to Harris, the two sealed the deal from Harris' prison cell, where he agreed to invest $1.5 million dollars to form a company with Knight, which was to release Andre "Dr. Dre" Young's classic album, The Chronic.
He told the paper he spoke to Knight often while Dr. Dre Young was recording The Chronic in late 1991. According to prison records, Knight visited Harris over two dozen times over the next 18 months.
Harris says Knight and Young struck a deal with Interscope records and released The Chronic in 1992, which sold over 3 million copies and won two Grammy Awards.
Knight has denied Harris' stories consistently for almost 10 years.
"You have to realize what kind of guy this is...Michael Harris makes things up to try to get out of jail," Knight wrote in a letter to the Times in 1997.
Harris responded to Knights claims, stating: "I am not a rat. If I was a rat, I could have been home free 10 years ago."
Harris is known for his investments in legitimate entertainment ventures, most notably as the producer of Denzel Washington's 1987 Broadway play debut, Checkmates.
The DEA convicted Harris of running an international drug operation that helped link Los Angeles street gangs to a Columbian cocaine cartel as well as the kidnapping and attempted murder of a member of his organization.
He was sentenced to 28 years in prison.
Harry O's wife Lydia Harris filed a lawsuit against Knight and in March of 2005, Knight was ordered to pay Mrs. Harris $106 million dollars.
Mrs. Harris was awarded the judgment because Knight failed to respond to legal inquires about the case and missed various court dates.
Source: allhiphop.com
Harris and Wasserman Comden Cassleman and Pearson LLP are named in the lawsuit, which claims Harris, who is serving a 28-year-sentence in a California State prison for attempted murder and drug dealing, attempted to blackmail people and businesses in the music industry, by threatening to allege that proceeds from his drug enterprise were invested in legitimate businesses.
In 1997, Harris told the Los Angeles Times that he struck a deal with Knight to fund Death Row Records. Harris said he helped create Death Row along with Suge Knight and his lawyer David Kenner, but was excluded from his due share of profits from the label's releases.
According to Harris, the two sealed the deal from Harris' prison cell, where he agreed to invest $1.5 million dollars to form a company with Knight, which was to release Andre "Dr. Dre" Young's classic album, The Chronic.
He told the paper he spoke to Knight often while Dr. Dre Young was recording The Chronic in late 1991. According to prison records, Knight visited Harris over two dozen times over the next 18 months.
Harris says Knight and Young struck a deal with Interscope records and released The Chronic in 1992, which sold over 3 million copies and won two Grammy Awards.
Knight has denied Harris' stories consistently for almost 10 years.
"You have to realize what kind of guy this is...Michael Harris makes things up to try to get out of jail," Knight wrote in a letter to the Times in 1997.
Harris responded to Knights claims, stating: "I am not a rat. If I was a rat, I could have been home free 10 years ago."
Harris is known for his investments in legitimate entertainment ventures, most notably as the producer of Denzel Washington's 1987 Broadway play debut, Checkmates.
The DEA convicted Harris of running an international drug operation that helped link Los Angeles street gangs to a Columbian cocaine cartel as well as the kidnapping and attempted murder of a member of his organization.
He was sentenced to 28 years in prison.
Harry O's wife Lydia Harris filed a lawsuit against Knight and in March of 2005, Knight was ordered to pay Mrs. Harris $106 million dollars.
Mrs. Harris was awarded the judgment because Knight failed to respond to legal inquires about the case and missed various court dates.
Source: allhiphop.com
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