IGN:Singer Sues Grand Theft Auto Makers

IGN:Cypress Hill backup singer Michael "Shagg" Washington has filed a lawsuit against developer Rockstar Games and publisher Take-Two Interactive for allegedly using his likeness in the videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas without his knowledge.

[Cajun Chicken]

Uh, what?

[Bereaver]

Well, it could be possible.

A big company like Rockstar *thinking* about picking up some street dog and later dropping them off on the street again just like before.

"Who would believe him?", They said.

Now, the problem is that GTA is indeed a game about shooting people, getting hookers, and running people over. And the way things have been recently, someone in the court will fill they deserve to be sued.

[DERKADER]

Formally popular rapper sues game developer over 6 years later for attention. Not to mention that just about all growing up in the "HOOD" stories are about the same. I was in a gang I did drugs and had a gun maybe I should sue Rockstar.

[Nitrowolf2]

here is Niko Belic profile
" He is a 30-year-old former soldier who moved to Liberty City to escape his troubled past and pursue the "American Dream". Niko was persuaded to move by his cousin Roman, who claimed to be living a life of luxury, with beautiful women, sports cars and lots of money."

i wonder exactly how many people fall under this description.

@below

I did read the story
He is suing because they used his likeness in the game. I know what game they are talking about. My comment was to show that these are just ordinary stories that many people fall under.

come on you don't really think that he is the only black man to ever be in a gang? (not meant to be answered or at you, more at Washington)

My reference to GTA4 was saying why not have everyone sue considering that many fall under that same "likeness" category. It's the same for SA. It's just too stupid to think it considering that.

@distorted_reality

at least you understood, and i prob should have pointed it out in the first place, but really it should have been noticable that at what i was trying to imply.

[Thabass]

@Nitrowolf2 - Well, if you read the story at all, you would know he's suing based off San Andreas.

[distorted_reality]

@ Thabass - i'm pretty sure he was making a point and you missed it.

@ Nitro - it was pretty obvious lol. Thabass reading comprehension at a sub-embryonic level.

[hay]

Actually they shot themselves in the foot right there.

"The plaintiff, who had led a troubled life in his youth" [...]
"including how the teen-agers in his gang rode around on bicycles"

It's a lost case. They said right here that teen-agers(plural) rode around on bicycles. Which means he lead kinda stereotypical tough childhood, shared this experience with other kids his age and riding bicycle wasn't obviously the only thing they did. Which means hundreds if not thousands of kids could do pretty much the same.

But they stole HIS life? He's really desperate.

[Yi-Long]

What. A. Fucking. Douche.

[Bereaver]

Many of you are instantly assuming what he stated was untrue. But, what if ( a big what if), it was true and you were in his shoes. Would you just let them walk away with all the cash they made off of you?

I mean yeah, 250mil is an insane number, which does instantly make him a douche, but again.... when you never had anything as a youth, you'll try to get all you can.

[JohnnyMann420]

Haha.

Clearly he was OG Loc

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[downwardspiral]

i clicked this article thinking it would be axel rose suing them.

[lovestospoodge]

you know who else tried to sue R*?
Good Ol' Jacky Thompson. and he FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAILED

[Seraphim]

not that I would but remind me not to buy any Cypress Hill albums. :D

yeah, I can't see this case even going to court. If it does it's just another prime example of how ROYALLY F'd Up our Judiciary system and laws are. What a Crock of .... on so many levels. You could probably write a book on how F'd up this concept and his idea that he's being ripped off is. WTF dude, really!?

[PeeWizzle]

Dip my wick in some poison. The kind that gets it numb so I can stay in there for a while.

[rezzah]

What?

[NYC_Gamer]

i guess he ran out of weed money

[Ahasverus]

Someone ran out of money and can't make new music...

[ironwolf777]

Young black man in a gang and rides a bike in Cali. OF COURSE they ganked his life story and should hand over $250 million. feel me?

[life doomer]

this guy must be insane in the membrane.

[El_Colombiano]

I love you

[MGRogue2017]

I love you too man..

Group hug? Make out? 16 hooker gang-bang?

I just have one concern before we take this any further.. What exactly has this got to do with the article?

[El_Colombiano]

You completely missed his reference....

[pcgia]

Thats because enkeixpress is insane, got no brain.

[MariaHelFutura]

insane in the brain!!

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Well the character commonly known as "Tarnell" has been rumored to be a code name for "Tupac." If you look at Tarnell's face he does look like Tupac, only taller and huskier.

I've heard the GTA devs gave all the character models nicknames, hence the whole Tarnell legend. It kind of makes you wonder if they didn't cop this this guy's image.

Even if they did, I don't think he has a case.

[ScentlessApprentice7]

Would Eazy have done the same thing if he were still alive? Naw, probably not.

But how the hell could Shagg say that CJ was some kind of plagiarism off of his image and life story? He might as well go sue 50 cent and all the other commercial artists who play off the same persona and character that he somehow thinks he holds exclusive rights over. Gee Shagg, is it really that damn improbable that Rockstar took inspiration from someone else who had similar life experiences to yours? People from the ghetto often complain and brag about the same crap.

"Despite being on store shelves for nearly six years, Washington said he just learned about San Andreas this past July from his nephew."

B...S!!! No doubt he's looking for a handout.

[El_Colombiano]

Ryder WAS Eazy E.

[XTerminator]

250 million haha what a jerk

[MGRogue2017]

... A little late, no?

Place your bets, I say Take-Two will win..

[e3kehoe]

Sounds like someone is needing $$$ and not wanting to work for it.

[Nitrowolf2]

Strange but according to this article he says he is in the credits
http://hiphopwired.com/2010...
i searched i saw one washington but it wasn't him

http://nl.wikigta.org/wiki/...
http://www.imdb.com/title/t...

[clintos59]

Wow the guy yelling out, "How I can just kill a man" wants to sue take two? LOL. Like the user on top said, Hes insane in the membrain. http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[shammgod]

never heard of him....why didn't he sue 5 years ago

[distorted_reality]

Hey wait a minute......they're riding bicycles......I rode a bicycle once......ZOMG THAT MUST BE ME.

I wonder if he also raced a blind Asian through the countryside...

[CrawFail]

Right, I used to ride a bike quite a lot when I was young.. I'm not black and I've never been in a gang though.
One out of three ain't bad going... I think I'll sue for a third of the profits?.. fair?

This guy is on fucking smack. Is he actually serious?!

Excuse me when I say I'm 100% positive there are MAAAAAAAAAAAAAANY gangs of black guys who ride around on bikes. £1 says the guy pushes for racial discrimination after he loses this one.

[creamsoda]

Hahahaha he thinks he was the only one who looked like that in the 90s? Lots of essae's looked like that he aint nothing special he talks like he invented that look or something. I hope he loses.

[NexGen]

Ese*

[Quagmire]

"The plaintiff had never seen the game. He did not own or play video games"

WHO THE HELL HASNT SEEN OR PLAYED SAN ANDREAS AT LEAST ONCE!!

[dkgshiz]

They always want money. "Remember its not about the music only the money" Well thats Metallicas slogan at least. I hate music now a days. Its just so awful. Oh well, this case is fucking dumb. Why even waste peoples time with this shit? Get a job you low life washed up fag.

[prodigal_twit]

Don't they have that thing at the end that says something along the lines of that the game/movie is entirely fictional and if any aspect of it bares resemblance to real-life it's a coincidence???

[BrianC6234]

Did Rip Van Winkle just wake up? I doubt this guy has a case. It's been too long since this game came out. If you don't sue within a certain number of years you have no case. That was probably three years.

[YoungKingDoran]

so he looks like a brown loaf of bread?

[BlmThug]

This Man Should Die

[TheBronxxx]

He's got an extremely valid point though. He actually MET with rockstar and he said they pretty much listened to his whole life story about all his gang related life and bike riding etc etc. Then they said they'd contact him if they use him in the game but they never did. It looks to me like they just sat down with him to steal his story and then use it for free. I doubt they sat down with many black guys that were gangsters lives a hard life. They interviewed the man for crying out loud, he's pracically garanteed at least some money. There's no way in hell rockstar is gonna get away with it, they'll lose at least some money to him. I mean, they pretty much stole his life story and used it in their game to make money and gave him zilch, that's ef'd up IMO. We'll see...

[iceman06]

Yes, he probably sat down and told his story. But, I'm sure that a big company like Rockstar would have had him sign a release basically to cover their asses in a situation such as this. It's clear, if you played their games, that Rockstar does pretty extensive research to capture the specific elements of the time periods and locations in their games. So, I highly doubt that he was the sole supplier of information. If he DIDN'T have to sign a release. It's still going to be pretty difficult to prove that Rockstar used HIS story and his story only. Those elements that he spoke about are so generalized that just about any Black South Central LA gangster could apply.