A
new battle is brewing in rap and this time it’s between Rap-A-Lot/J. Prince Boxing
CEO James Prince and incarcerated drug dealer Michael "Harry-O" Harris.According
to Harris’ attorney Steve Goldberg, Harris has laid claim to a 50% stake in Rap-A-Lot
Records, alleging that he provided seed money to launch the label in the mid-’80s,
similar to claims Harris made against Marion "Suge" Knight’s Death Row
Records."He
has a 50/50 oral agreement with James Prince and we are going to find out exactly
how much money is owed," Goldberg told AllHipHop.com. "Of course we
expect Prince to deny this, but there were witnesses to the oral agreement at
the inception of Rap-A-Lot. Michael helped get Rap-A-Lot off the ground by booking
acts and providing start-up capital. James Prince would be no place without Michael
Harris. And just like he [Harris] won a judgment against Death Row, he will win
against Rap-A-Lot."Since
it’s founding in 1986, Rap-A-Lot has produced hit records for the Geto Boys, Scarface,
Bun B and Pimp C, and the Luniz, among others.Harris
founded various entertainment-related ventures in the ’80s, including the production
of Denzel Washington’s Broadway debut Checkmates in 1987.Prince
has been ordered by a Houston judge to produce documents relating to the assets
of Michael or Lydia Harris, including but not limited to the assets of Rap-A-Lot
Records.Prince
must appear in a Los Angeles court Thursday (Oct. 12) for continued deposition.
Goldberg
said he seeks to start with finding links between Knight and Prince.Of
interest to Goldberg is a recent album 2Face, that consists of 2Pac
and Scarface tracks released on Rap-A-Lot Records and co-produced by Knight."We
found out that Prince was less than forthcoming in his first deposition,"
said Goldberg. "He denied Rap-A-Lot was doing business with Death Row, but
we found out about the 2Face CD. Because of that, we showed the judge that Prince
had not been totally candid in his first deposition. I’m going to keep questioning
this guy until we get what we need."In
September, Prince celebrated a minor victory when questions regarding J. Prince
and Suge Knight were initially thrown out."Harris
is a pathological lying snitch," Prince said in September, adding that he
was "pleased with the judge’s decision on the court ruling" at the time.Michael
Harris is serving 28-years in San Quentin for attempted-murder and drug dealing.
He claimed
he invested $1.5 million to help start Death Row Records in 1991 with Knight’s
attorney, David Kenner.Knight
filed for bankruptcy in an attempt to avoid paying Harris’ estranged wife Lydia
a $107 million default judgment and Death Row was placed into the hands of a Bankruptcy
trustee to auction off the labels assets, which include multi-platinum recordings
from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound and Tupac Shakur, the best-selling rapper
in history."Nothing
was dismissed," Goldberg clarified. "If Rap-A-Lot said anything was
dismissed from court, that was a misstatement. Until Michael Harris gets what’s
owed to him, we are not letting go."Attempts
to reach J. Prince and Rap-A-Lot for comment were unsuccessful.