James Prince Assault Charges Escalate

On November 30, Rap-A-Lot Records CEO J. Prince's charges of assaulting Houston studio owners 7303 Recording Studio were escalated from misdemeanor to felony in a Houston court room. The incident, which stemmed from a dispute over clearance of Bun B vocal clearance, an artist whom Prince manages and has signed as a solo artist.

Allegedly, Bun B recorded his solo debut Trill in the studio at a reduced rate in exchange for vocals to appear on a release from the studio's fledging label. According to reports, the second part of the agreement was never carried out, causing a dispute between the two parties.

After studio owner Ronnie Bookman and Prince failed to reach a resolution over money and licensing, Bookman says he was assaulted by over seven people, causing injuries to the face. While Prince proclaims his innocence, Bookman's legal council is using Prince's notorious past as leverage against the veteran mogul.

This month Rap-A-Lot Records will release Scarface's Made.