Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty
Almost 30 years later and Chuck D is still fighting the powers that be.
The legendary rapper is suing a production company for the rights to Public Enemy‘s life story. According to TMZ, Chuck filed a suit against Alt House Productions because he says he agreed to let the company produce a documentary about Spectrum City, the group that eventually became Public Enemy.
However, the hip hop icon says the deal did not give the company exclusive rights to his story or Public Enemy’s. Court documents show that Chuck admitted to signing an amendment to the deal, which had a clause about his “life story,” but says he didn’t have a lawyer present, and had no clue what he was signing.
The Public Enemy frontman claims another production company wants to tell the group’s story, but the deal with Alt is blocking his blessing. Spectrum City was formed in the early 1980s after Chuck, whose real name is Carlton Ridenhour and William Drayton, also known as Flavor Flav, met at Long Island’s Adelphi University.
No word on how much Chuck plans to sue for, but the lawsuit is allegedly attempting to block Alt House from locking up the film rights to his and Public Enemy’s story.
