The showdown between former drug kingpin Freeway Ricky Ross and Carol City, Florida rapper Rick Ross (William Leonard Roberts II) will commence prior to the release of Teflon Don.
Representatives for Freeway Ricky Ross will seek an injunction seeking to block the release of rapper Rick Ross’ highly anticipated studio album, Teflon Don.
“If William Roberts attempts to use the ‘Rick Ross’ name that he spent years earning and spending time in prison to uphold, he will be met with an injunction,” a representative for Freeway Rick Ross told AllHipHop.com. “Simple as that. This is not a publicity stunt, a game or a hoax, to sell some Rick Ross albums, as some have suggested. In fact, [Freeway] Rick Ross intends to halt the release of any Summer 2010 ‘Rick Ross’ album.”
Freeway Ricky claims rapper Rick Ross stole his name, image and likeness and parlayed it into a successful rap career, making millions of dollars, without permission.
Freeway Ricky Ross is a well known, former drug dealer from Los Angeles. During 1980’s and early 1990’s.
Ross made millions of dollars per day, by dealing drugs throughout California, Ohio, Maryland, Indiana and other states.
Ross’ case is of note, due to a series of articles published by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Gary Webb, who uncovered the CIA’s connection to Ross and drug dealing in Los Angeles in the San Jose Mercury News, in 1996.
The articles were the beginning of the notorious Iran-Contra scandal, which also linked Danilo Blandon, Ross’ cocaine connection, the CIA, which allowed sold arms to Iran and allowed the cocaine into black communities, to fund a war in El Salvador.
That same year, Freeway Ricky Ross was sentenced to life in prison, for attempting to purchase 100 kilos of cocaine from an undercover agent.
Freeway Ricky Ross’ life sentence was eventually reduced to 20 years, and that was further cut down because Ross was a model prisoner.
He was released from a Texarkana, Texas state prison in May of 2009. Freeway Ricky maintains that rapper Rick Ross has become famous at his expense.
Representatives for Freeway Rick Ross maintain that the Rapper Rick Ross applied trade to register and trademark the name Rick Ross, but were refused by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
In addition to rapper Rick Ross, Slip-N-Slide, Jay-Z, Antonio Reid, Island Def Jam will be named in the lawsuit, unless the parties can reach a settlement.
“Jay-Z had no reason to disrespect Rick Ross and violate his name, because Jay-Z was a hustler, just like Rick Ross and [he] should’ve respected what ‘the boss’ did in the ‘game.’ L.A. Reid knew he should’ve cleared the name before letting Roberts’ art imitate [Freeway] Rick Ross’ life and exploiting his name.”
Sources close to the matter told AllHipHop.com that Freeway Ricky Ross will seek “half” of everything rapper Rick Ross has ever earned.
Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 4:04PM
