Rapper
Free to Pursue New Label Deals
NEW YORK, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/
-- After several years of
litigation, West Coast MC John
Austin aka Ras Kass and
recording label Capitol
Records/EMI have entered into a
settlement agreement, the exact
terms of which have not been
disclosed. While details of the
agreement are not known, Ras
Kass is now legally able to seek
out new recording agreements and
can seek out new deals with new
labels.
Ras Kass originally signed
with Priority Records through a
deal with Patchwerk Records
where he released 1996's
critically acclaimed Soul on Ice
and 1998's Rasassination. Ras
Kass then re-signed directly
with Priority and was set to
drop Van Gogh in 2001 but that
label's merger with Capitol,
which was taking place at that
time, affected the promotion of
that project, after being pushed
back twice, the project was
permanently shelved by the
label. The album had however
been leaked on the internet and
had been very well received by
fans.
A replacement album was
planned entitled Goldyn Chyld
featuring new material and
tracks from the shelved Van
Gogh, with an intended 2002
release date. That project too
was shelved following bitter
disputes between Ras Kass and
Capitol, Ras' subsequent
incarceration that year, and the
growing animosity between him
and the label made future
projects unlikely.
May 2004 saw the filing of a
lawsuit by Austin in California
which contained causes of action
for Declaratory Relief re: Labor
Code Sec. 2855(b); Breach of
Contract; Breach of Implied
Covenant of Good Faith and Fair
Dealing; Interference with
Prospective Economic Advantages
and Intentional Infliction of
Emotional Distress. Shortly
thereafter a lawsuit was filed
in New York federal court by
Capitol/EMI in August 2004
alleging Federal Copyright
Infringement due to Ras' release
of a mix tape entitled Re-Up for
which Capitol/EMI obtained a
default judgment against the MC.
In the California lawsuit,
Capitol/EMI filed a Motion for
Summary Judgment, which was
granted, and obtained a judgment
against Ras in the fall of 2006;
that Judgment was appealed.
October 2007 sees a final and
legal end to the disputes. His
management team, Asti Management
(Styles P, Kid Capri) is anxious
to begin shopping him for a new
deal. Ras himself is very
satisfied with the final
resolution. "I am just relieved
and thankful to my management
team, all the magazines that
showed me love since this
started and everyone that showed
their support for me over these
past few years. Now I am anxious
to finally be able to pursue my
passion, spread my wings and
remind the world why Ras Kass is
one of the greatest MCs of all
time, dead or alive!" says Ras
Kass.
CONTACT: Nancy Byron,
+1-832-220-6071,
nancy.byron@ogpr.net, for MC
John Austin
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