The latest development in the ongoing legal battle between civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks and Grammy-winning hip hop group Outkast has taken an interesting twist into the world of porn.
In addition to the suit against the group itself, Parks' attorney announced Tuesday that a second suit will be filed against their label, Arista. That lawsuit addresses the placement of the song on several compilations and the alleged willful defamation of Parks' name that occurred by having the video for the song directed by former pornographer Gregory Dark.
The case is based on the 90-year-old activist's contention that the Atlanta group's 1998 single named after her violated her publicity and trademark rights and defamed her. She lost her first round in federal court, but a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio, reinstated part of the lawsuit earlier this year.
The lyrics do not refer to Parks by name and the songwriters/rappers — Andre 3000 and Big Boi — claim the song is about the entertainment industry. The chorus of the song goes, "Ah-ha, hush that fuss. Everybody move to the back of the bus."
Dark, co-director of '80s porn classics such as New Wave Hookers and Café Flesh, has risen to fame in recent years as a successful music video director, helming clips for everyone from hardcore rappers like Xzibit and alternative rock bands like Staind to pop princess Britney Spears. He is the man behind the "Rosa Parks" clip, an upbeat, colorful video that was an MTV semi-hit upon its initial release. The band has since gone on to multi-platinum success and is in heavy rotation at just about every video channel that plays hip-hop (and several that don't due to their recent crossover hit "Hey Ya!").
