LOS ANGELES -- Alleging extortion, threats and illegal business practices, Interscope Records filed suit Tuesday against rap critic C. DeLores Tucker in U.S. District Court.
Interscope claims Tucker engaged in "a conspiracy to destroy Interscope" and charges that she damaged its reputation, induced breach of contract and engaged in unfair competition "for her own personal and financial gain."
Interscope executives declined to comment. Tucker did not return phone calls.
The label, which distributes Death Row Records, home of rappers Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre, has been under fire by Tucker, chairwoman of the National Political Congress of Black Women, for violent lyrics. She has publicly demanded that Time Warner relinquish its 50% stake in Interscope.
Interscope says Tucker pressured Death Row to break its contract with Interscope and empower her to negotiate a new deal with Time Warner.
The suit alleges Tucker told Death Row head Suge Knight that Time Warner chief Gerald Levin would back the plan with "incredible amounts of money," but only if Tucker controlled lyrics. Knight declined.
The suit contends Tucker claimed Warner head Michael Fuchs would pay Knight $80 million to cooperate with her. If he refused, she would "get the government to go after Knight" and "he would spend the rest of his life in jail."
-- transcribed by kate mccormack