Nelly Accused of Stealing Vokal Name

03/18/04

Rap superstar Nelly has been accused of stealing the name for his hugely successful clothing line from a rock group - by two of its members.

James Tyrone Wilson and Cameron Caines are seeking damages from the "Hot in Heere" singer, alleging he stole their name Vokal when naming Vokal Clothing Co.

Wilson and Caines are now seeking millions of dollars in damages and want Nelly - born Cornell Haynes Jr. - to cease using the name.

The two singers' lawyer Michael Santucci says, "Right now, since we don't have an accounting of the profits, we can't completely quantify the damages."

But Santucci adds the damages could reach a "seven or eight-figure number.”

Wilson and Caines signed to Universal Records in 1998, around the same time the rapper joined the major label, and have been recording and performing under the name Vokal since 1994, according to the lawsuit filed in Orlando, Florida in February.

Nelly's Vokal Clothing Co. earned over $20 million in 2002.

Santucci adds, "Nelly's people should have known about this since they were on the same label together."