Watching Xzibit host MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” back in the day is a piece of nostalgia that many of us share.
As the face of the successful show, one would expect the rapper to have reaped the benefits. But recently, he’s called out ViacomCBS for failing to pay up for using his image and likeness, according to Complex.
Xzibit Calls Out ViacomCBS Online
After recently winning a lawsuit that was against his weed brand Brass Knuckles, Xzibit is airing out ViacomCBS.
The former host claims that the platform owes him money, the outlet reports. Having brought the show visibility, he’s seeking royalties from when the show originally aired.
“While I’m at it, hey @viacom_intl why is it you’ve made millions off the show #PimpMyRide I carried on my back and found ways to cut me out?” he wrote via Instagram. “Like saying I would get percentages of all merch sold let alone streaming(which wasn’t even in the contract) and putting in the fine print ‘with my name and likeness’ then proceed to take my ‘name and likeness’ off of ALL the merchandise including dvd sales after season 1? To top that you guys went back and EDITED all of my music out of ALL entire seasons in order to avoid paying me for my publishing.”
The Former Host Alludes A Potential Lawsuit
“Let’s talk about worldwide syndication!!!! Wow. Hey, guys, my number is still the same. Hit me up,” he added in his Instagram post’s caption. “Or…… Can anybody hit me with a law firm who isn’t afraid of Viacom to get me right? Robert M. Bakish, President of Paramount Global. #IveBeenQuietLongEnough #InNeedOfAnswers.”
Room For A Peaceful Exchange
In an interview with TMZ Hip Hop, Xzibit shared that he’s willing to make amends with Viacom and to work with them once again if peace is made.
Brass Knuckles Lawsuit
As aforementioned, Xzibit’s allegations come after the Brass Knuckles legal battle. The rapper and Dr. Dre won against three unnamed plaintiffs who claimed that the two breached a contract and failed to pay them what they initially agreed on, per a previous AfroTech report.
