HipHop Star Rick Ross Defeats The 'Real' Rick Ross, "I Got Hit In The Stomach Today, I Feel Sh*tty"

Written by Olaoluwa Peters

Tweet

Share

Maybach Music Group Rick Ross may continue to reap the benefits associated to his rap alias as the biggest "Boss" has won a case filed against him by former drug kingpin Freeway Ricky Ross.

According to reports, the case was thrown out in court Thursday (March 29).

Rapper Rick Ross can keep his name, thanks to an L.A. County Superior Court judge who shut down a bid from former drug dealer "Freeway" Rick Ross who tried to hoard the name. "Freeway" Rick Ross had filed suit against the rapper, claiming ownership of the name. In fact, the rapper has strongly intimated in his songs his name was inspired by the drug dude. In the song "Hustlin" for example, Ross makes several references to large-scale drug dealing -- despite what Freeway says ... the rapper never dealt drugs in his life. But the judge today ruled "Freeway" Rick has no case, and threw the lawsuit out. (TMZ)

Freeway has also commented on the ruling, claiming Ricky Rozay's defense team clearly were no match for his.

"Freeway" Rick Ross tells TMZ he's pretty bummed out about the judge's decision ... saying, "I got hit in the stomach today ... I feel s**tty." Ross adds ... "[Rick] had nine high profile attorneys and I had three volunteer non-high profile attorneys. I had no money to get the big name lawyers so I couldn't go in there with a monster team like him." He concludes, "The world knows the truth ... that [Rick] stole my identity and shame on him that he won't give it back. I hope to appeal this because you shouldn't be allowed to steal someone's identity and get away with it." (TMZ)

Last month, reports emerged online claiming the Ross name dispute was still being tackled.

Ross has been fighting a protracted court battle alleging trademark infringement by the rapper whose given name is William Leonard Roberts II, a onetime corrections officer. While giving a deposition last week in Miami, Ross said he came face to face with Roberts. The rapper sneered and "gave dirty looks," said Ross, though earlier, when Ross was in prison, they had phone conversations during which the overweight, bearded emcee showered him with respect. Their brief interaction last week was anything but respectful, Ross said. "[He] treated me as if I had done something to him," Ross said. "When he first came to me, he didn't know what position I was going to take, if I was going to send a word out to those young cats out in L.A. or not. That put a little fear in his heart. But now that he knows I'm not carrying it like that, he's a little more courageous right now." (Huffington Post)

The two have gone back and forth with their legal dispute over the past couple years.

In May of 2010, Freeway Rick Ross filed a $10 million lawsuit against Rick Ross accusing him of profiting off of his name illegally. As a result, the judge ruled that he couldn't sue because his criminal acts in the past had destroyed "any possibility that he has any valid trademark rights in his name, that have been violated by defendants." The case was dismissed in Federal Court in November of 2010. (XXL Mag)

Tweet

Share