Rap veteran
Nas is reportedly going to have to
call up his best legal team to help clear his name after getting hit
with a $10 million lawsuit for failing to show up at a New Year's Eve
show last year.
A New Jersey father-and-son team of promoters held in Angola
for 49 days after Nas failed to appear for a concert there last New
Year's Eve are suing the rapper for $10 million in Manhattan federal
court. Nas later returned his $300,000 fee, but the blame fell on Patrick Allocco, 52, and Patrick Jr., 22, of Morris Plains, whose company eventually went bankrupt. (New York Post)
Although Nas repaid the money back, the plaintiff
wants to get compensated for time he spent as a kidnap victim.
At the time, Allocco told reporters that he was stuck in
Angola and being held at gunpoint by a local "concert impresario" who
put up the money for the concerts. Nas got a $300,000 advance and
budding rapper Jamiah Jai, who was supposed to be the opening act, got
$15,000. The court papers say Nas was in Miami to attend a New Year's
Eve engagement party at the home of hoops star LeBron James.
The lawsuit says after the shows were canceled, Allocco and his son
were taken into custody by Angolan authorities who refused to let them
leave the country until the money was returned. Nas and Jai did
eventually repay the money. (New York Daily News)
Last March, the New York hip-hop vet
spoke on his no-show and the kidnapping.
"I didn't want to touch on it because it seemed like he was
in grave danger out there," Nas said in an interview. "Basically he was a
promoter that I never worked with, and he wanted me to come to Africa
for New Year's, which, for me, I thought, would be the best way to spend
New Year's. ... The business wasn't handled. There was nothing sent to
me, and there were no flights. ... By the time he did send money -- he
did eventually send money to me -- but it was too late to go. I didn't
even have a visa to get in the country. So that's canceled, the show's
canceled." (RapFix)
After two months of being held against his will,
the promoter finally got released.
A rep for Patrick Allocco tells us, "An order was entered
today by Angolan authorities lifting the travel ban which prevented
[Patrick] and his son from leaving the country for 49 days after [Nas]
failed to show for a New Year's Eve concert." According to the rep,
Patrick and his son, Patrick, were immediately escorted by U.S. Embassy
Officials on a flight to Lisbon. The two men are expected to arrive in
Newark, NJ Saturday afternoon. Patrick's rep adds, "We are relieved that
this nightmare is over and are looking forward to coming home to our
family and friends who have supported us with their prayers and optimism
during this ordeal." (TMZ)
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