ODB’s Mother, Manager Claim Company Exploited Dirty’s Name

Cherry Jones, the mother of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and manager Jarred Weisfeld have filed a $1.8 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against a Florida-based production company, alleging the company reneged on deals for a rap album and DVD, while using ODB’s name to lure investors. Weisfeld claims AGU Entertainment attempted to exploit Ol’ Dirty’s name after they […]

Cherry Jones, the mother of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and manager Jarred

Weisfeld have filed a $1.8 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against a Florida-based

production company, alleging the company reneged on deals for a rap album and

DVD, while using ODB’s name to lure investors.

Weisfeld claims AGU Entertainment attempted to exploit Ol’ Dirty’s

name after they backed out of a deal to release an album by Dirty’s group Brooklyn

Zoo, as well as "Blackass," a DVD Weisfeld described as an "urban

Jackass."

"They

sent me a letter stating we had less-than-fruitful discussions [and] they were

terminating any future talks," Weisfeld told AllHipHop.com. "Then

someone got a hold of an investor packet and Dirty’s name was still in there."

Weisfeld accused AGU’s President David Levy of attempting to

defraud him and said Levy had been involved in trouble in the 1990’s.

"He stole $6 million dollars of kids money in a scam called

‘Scholarscam.’ He was charged by the Federal Trade Commission."

Levy disputed the charges and told the Daily News the entire

lawsuit is frivolous.

"I resolved it with the FTC for less than $11,000,"

Levy stated. "What you read now is sensationalized. Any personal attack

on me is fruitless. "It’s nonsense. It’s frivolous. I would never have

approved a deal with ODB."

AGU’s attorney Andy Peretz admitted that ODB’s name appeared

in the investor packets, but denied Weisfeld’s claims of fraud.

"ODB did appear in the investor packet, but it was literally

a one-liner on the fifth page of the executive summary. There was never any

intention or design by AGU to take advantage of ODB in life or in death, and

it was unfortunate that it was portrayed that way."

"Hip-Hop

gets a bad name and then you get these guys in corporate America, these so-called

business men, and they have longer rap sheets than the rappers. These are publicly

traded companies and no body tries to shut that down."

Weisfeld said all of Dirty’s projects, including his debut album

on the Dame Dash Music Group, would hit stores soon.