Supreme Court Allows Rosa Parks to Sue Rap Duo

Yahoo News ^ | December 8, 2003 | James Vicini

[Lazamataz]

From our new album, "As Metrosexual As You Wanna Be"
With the new hits
"It Not Gay To Be Wearin' Yo Mama's Furs"
and
"Pink Pistols Ain't Queer As Hell"

[cyborg]

Now why did I have a feeling that LAWYERS are somewhere in this story???

Controversy #2: Rosa Parks, the song's namesake and, if you don't remember, civil rights pioneer, was advised to sue Outkast for using her name without permission. I wonder myself if Ms. Parks has ever heard the song; she said she was offended by the use of words such as "hoes" and "niggas," but her lawyers may have just filtered those out for her. For those who haven't heard the song (and this might include Ms. Parks), the name "Rosa Parks" is never uttered in the song itself. One has to wonder how many people who *didn't* know who Ms. Parks was before the song, now know thanks to Outkast's attempt to educate. With this lawsuit, her lawyers seem to be saying "thanks for nothing." It's a shame since Outkast, and "Rosa Parks," are probably closer in spirit to the movement than any of the people representing Ms. Parks.

As for the original situation, I went a few pages deep in google and didn't find anything. I remember this being discussed on FR though so maybe it's in here somewhere.

[cyborg]

Oh dear... all my mom had to do was give me 'the look'. That would shut me up istantly.

[TexKat]

Oh dear... all my mom had to do was give me 'the look'. That would shut me up istantly.

It worked for my children also.

[cyborg]

Yeah. They're good in their genre BUT they have no class. Just like Eminem is good, but he has none either. Oh well, I suppose lack of judgment is no barrier to success.

[Lazamataz]

Come on. Admit it. My "As Metrosexual As You Wanna Be" album riff made you laugh.

[cyborg]

Howard Dean's theme song

[TexKat]

You think the President will be bringing a lawsuit against or are there other ways to deal with this one.

[TexKat]

You always make me laugh.

[weegee]

Sounds like she didn't use Bill O'Reilly's legal team (good call).

She's a public figure whether she wants to acknowledge it. Disney never paid Daniel Boone's heirs and think of all those hats that they sold in the 1950s.

[Texaggie79]

Um, why can't they say that the song was named after a different person named rosa parks?

[Chad Fairbanks]

Well, maybe it's time for me to write a new rap song called "Rosa Parks' Lawsuit Trigga Finga Be itchin'"

[TexKat]

EMINEM OF THE STATE

Eminem has apparently provoked the ire of the US Secret Service following the emergence of a bootleg recording on the internet.

On the track 'We Are American', Eminem allegedly says he'd like to the "see the president dead". The lyric runs:

"F**k money. I don't rap for dead presidents. I'd rather see the president dead. It's never been said, but I set precedents and the standards and they can't stand it... We as Americans. Us as a citizen. We've got to protect ourselves..."

"Dead presidents" is a common slang term for money, as most bills depict a former president of the United States.

Secret Service spokesman John Gill said: "We are aware of the lyric and are in the process of determining what action, if any, will be taken."

A spokesman for Eminem told CNN that the song was merely a work-in-progress: "This was an unfinished song, either lost or stolen. There was no determination where, when, how or if it was going to be used."

[weegee]

The ability to sue or not to sue is not based on whether or not she was insulted. It has to do with whether they used her name illegally.

I doubt that people would be rallying around this case if it were Charles Manson suing over some song written about him.

[evad]

That scene in "Barbershop" was hillarious.

Absolutely one of the funniest movies I've seen EVER. Lawrence should get an academy award.

According to Cecil, black people need to know 3 things:
1..Rodney King shoulda got his a$$ beat..
2..O J DID IT!..
3..and Rosa Parks din't do nothing but sit her black a$$ down..

Then when Cecil wound up with his statement, "F*K Jesse Jackson", I almost fell off the chair.
Talk about ROTFLMAO, that scene defines the term.

[Theodore R.]

pardoy

PARODY

[weegee]

The song, "Rosa Parks," released as part of the 1998 album "Aquemini," was nominated for a Grammy award.

This is what the culture war is about. This album got "praise".

[weegee]

There was a controversey about another woman doing the same thing but not getting as much credit. It had to do with NAACP political power drama behind the scenes.

It's before my time but there was a dining counter in Houston (at the downtown Woolworth's I think, it was possibly the world's largest) that was integrated. I don't know all of the details but I have read several accounts of it. I think that the authorities appealed to the Houston papers (we had more than one daily back then) NOT to cover the story. There was minimal outcry. Basically one day it was segregated, some black people refused to move, and the next week things had changed without devisive outbursts (the change had already occurred adn there was no going back).

[weegee]

When you consider that the courts have let stand the "trademarking" of the likeness of deceased celebrities (such as Marilyn Monroe) and that the trademark can be passed along to people who are not even related to Ms. "Monroe", there is a "right to publicity".

It is also BS. Bought and paid for by the entertainment industry.

[cyborg]

The squeaky wheel gets the grease in the media. That's why people MUST get their news from a variety of sources.