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Rapper Remy Ma, Universal sued in NY shooting
12/21/2007 3:00 PM, Reuters
Rapper Remy Ma "willfully, wantonly
and maliciously" shot and critically wounded an acquaintance, a
$10 million civil lawsuit filed against her claimed on Friday.
The suit is the latest legal problem for the
Grammy-nominated rapper, who also faces criminal charges and up
to 25 years in prison for shooting acquaintance Makeda
Barnes-Joseph twice in the abdomen after leaving a New York
nightclub in July.
Remy Ma, 26, whose real name is Remy Smith, has pleaded
innocent to the criminal charges in New York state court.
Barnes-Joseph filed the suit in Manhattan federal court,
naming as defendants several of the rapper's recording
companies, including Universal Music Group, owned by French
media group Vivendi, and Sure Shot Recordings.
The suit claims the music companies encouraged the rapper
to engage in violent behavior as part of her image.
Smith's lawyer Ivan Fisher said the lawsuit was
"irresponsible" and "looking for the deepest pocket it could
find."
Barnes-Joseph suffered severe physical harm and mental
anguish following the shooting, which occurred after the rapper
accused of her of stealing money that was never found, the suit
said.
Remy Ma, a Bronx native, won the Black Entertainment
Television award for best female hip-hop artist in 2005.
(Reporting by Christine Kearney and Daniel Trotta; Editing
by Eric Walsh)
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