2Pac’sThe Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory cover artist Ronald “Riskie” Brent has spoken out after suffering a major blow in his legal battle with the late rapper’s estate and entertainment company.
United States District Judge Jane J. Boyle dismissed Brent’s lawsuit against ‘Pac’s estate and Amaru Entertainment last week, which he filed in 2022 alongside fellow plaintiffs the Zelus Group and Leslie Ware.
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The suit requested that the courts declare Ware the legal owner of the painting that appeared on 2Pac’s posthumous album, which was released under the name Makaveli in November 1996 — just weeks after the rap legend’s still-unsolved murder.
According to the plaintiffs, Ware won the painting in an auction organized by the Zelus Group in 2021. Zelus Group had allegedly acquired the painting earlier that year from a third party, Mazuree Ali, who himself had purchased it from Brent in 2012.
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However, as detailed by Judge Boyle in her decision, 2Pac’s estate and Amaru Entertainment presented an alternate story of ownership.
“By contrast, Amaru contends that Brent never ‘owned’ the Makaveli painting or image to begin with,” the ruling read. “Rather, because Brent was an employee for [Death Row Records], Amaru alleges that ownership of the painting and image stayed with DRR.
“Then, in 2013, Amaru, along with Tupac’s late mother, Afeni Shakur, filed an action to recover Tupac’s DRR recordings and related material, including album artwork,” Judge Boyle continued. “Ultimately, according to Amaru, the purported holder of the DRR materials quitclaimed and assigned the recordings and artwork to Amaru on January 1, 2022.”
Following the judge’s decision, Ronald “Riskie” Brent issued a statement to HipHopDX accusing Amaru Entertainment of “bullying” him and trying to hurt his ability to make a living, calling their efforts “disheartening.”
“As an independent artist, my ultimate goal has always been to pay homage to 2Pac through my artwork and to work with the 2Pac estate,” he said. “When my painting was used for the Makaveli album, it was a validation of 2Pac’s belief in my talent.
“However, it’s disheartening that Amaru continues to bully me in an attempt to prevent me from using or selling my artwork. The irony is not lost on me that 2Pac was an artist himself, and now his estate is trying to prevent another artist from making a living.”
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Brent countered Amaru Entertainment’s claim that they own his artwork, pointing out that they actually licensed it from him years ago.
“Despite Amaru’s assertion that they own my works, I actually licensed my artwork to them years ago for use in a film,” he continued. “Additionally, I sold the rights to the Christmas on Death Row artwork to Death Row. If Amaru truly owned my artwork, why would they have licensed it from me?
“Ultimately, I just want to be fairly compensated by those who are using my artwork. 2Pac was about uplifting the underdog, and that’s exactly what I am in this situation. I would hope that Amaru would honor 2Pac’s legacy and ensure that independent artists are given the recognition and compensation they deserve.”
Although Brent and co.’s lawsuit against 2Pac’s estate and Amaru Entertainment was dismissed, the fight over who owns the Makaveli painting may not be over yet.
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Judge Boyle’s ruling did not address the issue of ownership, but rather one of jurisdiction, ultimately deciding that the case did not belong in her district.
The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of Texas due to the fact that the painting is currently at Leslie Ware’s house in Dallas.
