Irv Gotti was in court last week, as a witness
in a dispute between Def Jam and independent label, TVT Records.
Lawyers for TVT said that Def Jam should pay
for damages incurred after the major backed out of an agreement that would have
allowed TVT to release an album of the Cash Money Clique, which would have featured
Ja-Rule.
Gotti said that Def Jam CEO Lyor Cohen gave him
permission to work on the side project. "I make a lot of money for Lyor
and he better listen to what I say," Gotti told the jury.
At one point, Ja-Rule was signed to TVT. The
project was pushed back Gotti from last November, because Gotti was finishing
Ja-Rule’s Last Temptation album.
"That’s when Steve got angry. We’re not
talking. It’s just litigation and lawsuits," Gotti said.
Def Jam’s lawyer argued there was never a contract
completed between Def Jam and TVT and that Gottlieb was upset that Ja-Rule has
rocketed to enormous success after leaving TVT.