Nelly Threads Shredded in Suit
03/17/05
It's getting hot in herre again for Nelly. And if his detractors get their way, he'll be takin' off all his clothes...and parting with some significant cash.
The rap star is in hot water over the name of his multimillion-dollar clothing line, Vokal Clothing Co. Two members of an Orlando-based music group called Vokal are suing Nelly for allegedly cribbing their group's name as the label for his popular threads.
James Tyrone Wilson and Cameron Caines are seeking millions in damages from the Nellyville rapper for trademark infringement and unfair competition. They are also looking to stop Nelly from using the name on his clothes.
"Right now, since we don't have an accounting of the profits, we can't completely quantify the damages," attorney Michael Santucci told reporters outside of the courthouse in Fort Lauderdale Wednesday.
But he did estimate that his clients would be seeking a "seven- or eight-figure number" in damages, as Vokal Clothing Co. has banked more than $20 million since it was launched by Nelly in 2002.
Reps for Vokal Clothing Co. and Nelly could not immediately be reached for comment.
Wilson and Caines say they've been performing, recording and selling clothes with the Vokal name since 1994 and that they have had a recording and distribution contract with Universal Records (Nelly's label, incidentally) since 1998. They also claim that Nelly knew about the group and its activities but chose to continue with his Vokal Clothing Line regardless.
"Nelly's people should have known about this since they were on the same label together," Santucci said.
And in other bad news for Nelly, he's one of several rap artists who the subject of criticism from a Spelman College professor who said their music is racist and derogatory to African-American women.
"The sad truth is that hip-hop artists' verbal and visual renderings of black women are now virtually indistinguishable from those of 19th century white slave owners," Professor William Jelani Cobb wrote in his dissertation Past Imperfect: The Hoodrat Theory.
Earlier this month, Nelly canceled a charity appearance at the school after he heard of a planned student protest.
At the time, a spokeswoman for Universal Records said the female students were obviously just looking for a "scapegoat," since Nelly "was not the first, certainly to do a video like that."
Hot in herre, indeed.