Fugees rapper Pras is suing 50 Cent and Kyrie Irving over allegations of him being an FBI informant.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Pras’ attorney sent notification letters to representatives for 50 and NBA star Irving, along with Rolling Stone, on Wednesday (May 10).
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Pras was convicted of charges tied to an illegal foreign influence scheme last month, with the information allegations stemming from testimony he gave during his criminal trial.
The defamation lawsuit is based on a Rolling Stone article that referred to Pras as an “FBI information,” and subsequent social media posts from 50 Cent and Kyrie Irving echoing that allegation.
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In a since-deleted Instagram post on April 24, 50 shared a screenshot of a headline naming Pras as an FBI informant, with 50 captioning the photo: “I knew this fool was a Rat! I’m glad I never fvck with this guy.”
A day later, Irving referred to Pras in a tweet that read: “A whole FBI informant was in the Fugees for that long??”
As for Rolling Stone, the publication allegedly referred to Pras as “an informal FBI informant” in the original version of an article posted on April 18. The article was later changed to say he “voluntarily met with FBI agents.”
In the letters, Pras’ representative Jonathan Noah Schwartz claimed each of their statements led to the rapper losing business deals and hurting his music revenue.
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“It is and was absolutely and demonstrably false for You to publish that Michel was a ‘government informant,’” Schwartz wrote to Rolling Stone.
“Labeling a Hip Hop artist such as Michel, the reputation of whom is dependent upon ‘street credibility’ and not being a ‘snitch,’ a ‘government informant’ most certainly tends to subject said Hip Hop artist to hatred, distrust, ridicule, contempt and/or disgrace, along with injury in their trade or profession.”
David Kenner, the high-powered attorney who defended Pras in his trial and previously represented Snoop Dogg and Suge Knight, is also planning to sue.
“The Rolling Stone article resulted in the false and defamatory label being made in hundreds of viral local, national, and international media news stories and blog posts that have harmed the business interests, reputations … of Pras and attorney Kenner,” Pras’ spokesperson, Erica Dumas, told the Los Angeles Times.
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“It is unacceptable for any media outlet to publish unfounded and false allegations that can damage the businesses and reputations of individuals and put them at risk.”
He went on to claim 50 Cent’s “rat” and Kyrie Irving’s “FBI informant” comments put Pras and Kenner’s “safety at risk.”
