50 Cent Sues Taco Bell... Why?

Your career as a rapper is a flop, your relationships are not working, and you're now contemplating retirement... What's next on the menu 50 Cent? How about a lawsuit for 79, 89, or 99 million! A month or so ago, I posted about 50 Cent being asked by Taco Bell president, Greg Creed, to help them promote their new menu prices of 79, 89, 99 cent items. That proposal didn't sit well with 50, so, he's decided to sue them! *sigh*!!!

According to Reuters, the suit was filed Wednesday (July 23) in Manhattan federal court. 50 Cent (born Curtis Jackson) accuses Taco Bell of "diluting the value of his good name" as well as employing a guerrilla advertising campaign to fool consumers into thinking he had endorsed the restaurant chain. "Without seeking or obtaining Jackson's authorization, defendant Taco Bell made him the star and focus of its nation-wide advertising campaign by using his name, persona and trademark to promote Taco Bell's business and products," according to court papers.

I don't know about ya'll... but did I miss something? Were there posters up or billboards posted off of highways and byways somewhere that had 50's face and name on them doing pub for Taco Bell? The lawsuit is the latest chapter involving Jackson and Taco Bell. In June, the Mexican-style fast food chain sent what the suit called a disseminating letter to the rapper, asking him to help promote its Hip-Hop-themed "79-89-99 Cent Why Pay More" ad campaign by changing his name to "79 Cent," "89 Cent" or "99 Cent."

Reps for 50 labeled the letter as "a sleazy and ill-conceived publicity stunt by Taco Bell's president, Greg Creed." "When my legal team is finished with them, Taco Bell is going to have a new corporate slogan: 'We messed with the bull and got the horns,'" Jackson told AllHipHop.com last month in a statement. The rapper’s suit further accuses Taco Bell of using Jackson’s rap alias for the promotion without his permission as well as avoiding the multimillion dollar fee the rapper might have charged to use his name. In addition, allegations in the lawsuit note how Taco Bell’s letter was sent to Jackson after it was circulated to reporters."As Taco Bell intended, many customers believed that 50 Cent had agreed to endorse Taco Bell's products. Indeed, postings on numerous Internet 'blogs' castigated 50 Cent for 'selling out' by his apparent endorsement of Taco Bell," the lawsuit stated.

What's getting me is that, yeah, I posted it on my blog, but I never once thought dude was promoting it. From the jump, it was represented as just a letter of proposition, not an actual endorsement. I'm wondering if 50 and his people really think they're going to get something for this?