14 DAY TRIAL // One of the back-up singers for hip hop group Cypress Hill has sued both developer Rockstar and its publisher Take Two for the modest sum of 250 million dollars, saying that the two companies have used his background without his permission in order to create the Carl “aka CJ” Johnson character that made Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas a hit on the video game market.
Michael "Shagg" Washington has filled a lawsuit with the Los Angeles Superior Court which says, “The plaintiff, who had led a troubled life in his youth, responded to their questions and related details of his life.”
It also states that, “The plaintiff told them about details of his street life including how the teenagers in his gang rode around on bicycles,” adding, “After almost two hours of questioning which covered many topics of gang and street life, the meeting ended and the plaintiff was allowed to leave.”
Apparently, the people at Rockstar told Shagg that they would contact him when the game got released if they actually decided to use the details he had given them as part of the background for the character.
It seems that no one actually told Michael "Shagg" Washington about the success of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas until now, and upon finding out about the game, apparently from a nephew, the singer has decided to get what he is entitled to.
Take Two has not commented directly on the accusation but has said that he will fight the charges.
It's not clear what were the circumstances during which Rockstar met the singer of why they became so interested in his background.
At the moment, the company is widely thought to be working on Grand Theft Auto V, a new game in its most successful series, although no details have been revealed and it’s not clear what great American city the developers are trying to remodel ironically this time around.