Houston music exec, Ronnie Bookman as filed a lawsuit against Rap-A-Lot Records owner and Boxing Manager, James Prince. Bookman alleges that after a business meeting at a Houston recreation center gym Prince ordered the brutal assault of Bookman by several men.
Bookman, owner of 7303 Records and the esteemed Studio 7303, was supposedly meeting with Prince to receive clearance for a Rap-A-Lot artist to collaborate with one of Bookman’s 7303 artists.
“What he did was lure me over there to the gym like he was going to sign off on the clearance forms. So I went over there and didn’t think nothing of it. We went into the Weight Room. After we discussed some bogus contracts that he had sent over to my studio which were a clumsy attempt to try to steal my studio, he told me that I had been talking about Rap-A-Lot Records, and we went back and forth with that. He put somebody on the phone and we chopped that up. Then I asked him: now what? He said ‘uh huh, OK, OK … now let’s see how you gonna like this!’ And then he opened a door and those seven guys came rushing out and did their number on me” states Bookman.
As a result of the alleged encounter Bookman suffered several injuries including head injuries, a broken nose and blackened eyes, one of which requires surgery.
The lawsuit against Prince accuses him of attempting to eliminate competition in the Houston music business with the use of “threats, intimidation, and violence.” Bookman theorizes that Prince is attacking 7303 due to the label’s possible lucrative future with Warner Brothers who years before, had distributed Rap-A-Lot artist Bun B’s “Trill”.
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“I’m not going to let someone come in and destroy my business through threats or intimidation. I want to serve notice that it’s time to stop this right now,”Bookman says.
Prince will be sued for breach of contract, battery, unfair competition, duress, conspiracy and unjust enrichment. In addition, Bookman is seeking a court order barring Prince and his business associates of coming within 500 feet of his home and business.
Reported By: Kendra Desroisers
