Co-founder of Ruthless Records and former N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller is suing producers of the biopic Straight Outta Compton, saying he was portrayed as the "villain". Photo / Getty
Co-founder of Ruthless Records and former N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller is suing producers of the biopic Straight Outta Compton, saying he was portrayed as the "villain". Photo / Getty
The former manager of pioneering rap group N.W.A has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit over the movie Straight Outta Compton.
Jerry Heller claims the hit portrays him as a "sleazy, dishonest thief" and is seeking $110 million dollars in damages.
The lawsuit was filed on Friday in Los Angeles against the film's producers, artists who were subjects of the biopic and others connected with the film.
Straight Outta Compton charts the creation of hugely successful hip-hop group N.W.A and its eventual demise.
Characters on the Straight Outta Compton set: Aldis Hodge as MC Ren, Neil Brown Jr. as DJ Yella, Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, Shea Jackson Jr. as Ice Cube and Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre.
"Everyone who sees that movie would come away with a notion that Jerry Heller is a sleazy, dishonest thief and his behaviour was the reason the group broke up," Heller's attorney Michael Shapiro said.
"The movie is a huge global success and ironically, as the movie becomes more successful, the damages that befall Jerry become greater."
According to the lawsuit, Heller met rappers Eazy E, Dr Dre and Ice Cube in the late 1980s and the trio, along with other rappers, subsequently formed N.W.A, an abbreviation of Niggaz Wit Attitudes.
Heller was the group's manager portrayed in the film by actor Paul Giamatti.
The group, who broke up after the release of their last album in 1991, helped launch the careers of Ice Cube and Dr Dre and brought gangsta rap into the mainstream.
Shapiro said his client has had a tough time since the movie, which earned nearly $200 million worldwide.
