50 Cent files lawsuit over "Shoot the Rapper" ad

Hip hop celebrity 50 Cent is suing an advertising agency over the "Shoot the Rapper" banner ad.

50 Cent files lawsuit over "Shoot the Rapper" ad Rapper 50 Cent is suing Traffix Inc. of Pearl River, N.Y. over a banner advertisement. The banner in question is called "Shoot the Rapper", where a rapper walks back and forth on the banner and people are encouraged to shoot him by clicking over him with the mouse button. If successful, a red mist would appear and the visitor will be transferred to another website to buy goods and services.

According to 50 Cent, the rapper in question was him, and although there is no name on the banner pointing to the identity of the rapper, 50 Cent has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the advertising agency for using his image for the ad, without authorization. The rapper's lawyer, Peter Raymond, says the game doesn't use 50 Cent's name, but "it looks like him, and there's no doubt the character is intended to be him." The lawyer also says that 50 Cent is personally offended.

For some reason, 50 Cent, who has number of songs about shooting or getting shot, says the graphic "Shoot the Rapper" ad, promotes violence and threatens his safety.

Published on 07/21/2007