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Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Widow Sues Rapper for Fatal Accident

CHICAGO (CN) - A widow sued the rapper Carl "Twista" Mitchell, who once held the Guinness World Record for fastest rap, claiming her husband, a member of Mitchell's entourage, died when the tour bus ran off the road 7 years ago.

Roslyn Dixon, widow of Arthur Dixon, sued Atlantic Recording Corp., Clear Channel Communications, Showtime Entertainment Agency, Mitchell, and three Showtime employees, in Cook County Court.

Mitchell, of Chicago, signed with Atlantic Records and once held the Guinness World Record for Fastest Rap MC by rapping 598 syllables in 55 seconds. His 2004 album, "Kamikaze," reached the top of the US Billboard 200 album charts that year with the success of its lead single, "Slow Jamz."

On a tour to promote "Kamikaze," Dixon says, Mitchell performed at the New York State Fair in Syracuse on Sept. 5, 2004. "Defendant 'Twista' and his entourage was [sic] returning back to Chicago, Illinois area at the time of the subject fatal accident at approximately 4:03 a.m. on 9/6/04," the complaint states.

It continues: "On 9/6/04 when enroute back to Chicago, Illinois defendant Otis Bankhead ... and/or 'Twista' was operating a commercial touring van owned by defendant 'Showtime' and occupied by defendant 'Twista' and his touring entourage, including plaintiff decedent, Arthur James Dixon. ...

"Otis Bankhead was then and there driving the said van, without a valid drivers license, with permission and as an authorized agent, servant and employee of defendants, Showtime Entertainment Agency, Inc., an Illinois corporation, and/or 'Twista' ... when the van failed to stay on the roadway, leaving the roadway not once but twice and colliding with several reflective construction barriers and then a dirt mound, rolling several times, causing its passengers (not the driver) to be ejected upon the roadway and median." (Parentheses in complaint.)

Dixon says her husband died at 8:30 that morning of multiple blunt force trauma. She seeks damages for wrongful death, negligence, negligent entrustment, negligent hiring, and willful and wanton entrustment.

She is represented by James Pancratz.

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