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Taco Bell Calls 50 Cent "Common Street Thug"
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 20, 2008
Modified Nov 20, 2008
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 20, 2008
Modified Nov 20, 2008
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Over the summer rapper 50 Cent declared Taco Bell had wronged him by using his name without permission, and filed suit against the chain for 400,000,000 Cents. Now the Daily News is reporting that "in unusually nasty court filings, Taco Bell called Fitty a common street thug who's trying to look tough." Originally, Taco Bell President Greg Creed asked the rapper in an open letter/ad campaign to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent for a day, and noted if he rapped his order at a drive-thru it would result in $10,000 being given to his favorite charity. Creed says, "This lawsuit is another of [50 Cent's] attempts to burnish his gangsta rapper persona by distorting beyond all recognition a bona fide, good faith offer that Taco Bell made." Meanwhile, Taco Bell's lawyer (who better run for the border after all this name-calling) also claims that the rapper uses "his colorful past to cultivate a public image of belligerence and arrogance." 50's lawyer wonders "why they would decide to use his name in their ad campaign if they think he's such a bad character."
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50 cent
lawsuit
taco bell
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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