Cypress Nil

A flyer for an after-party at Milkbar following last week's Smokin' Grooves concert looked stellar: B-real and Muggs of the hip-hop group Cypress Hill would host the event, which would feature "invited" guests such as Ziggy Marley, A Tribe Called Quest, The Fugees and Call O' Da Wild.

"If you miss this event," read the flyer, "you're a fool."

City Paper was contacted about the same event by RuffHouse records, who were promoting their artists, Call O' Da Wild. When asked who would be at the party, the Conshohocken-based record label said Call O' Da Wild would be performing, but mentioned nothing about Cypress Hill, another one of their other artists, either hosting or playing the show.

Milkbar owner Jim Lesser was under another assumption — a contractual agreement.

Lesser says the Milkbar was contacted by a representative from Power 99, who told him that RuffHouse was interested in throwing an after-party featuring members of Cypress Hill. Milkbar called RuffHouse and spoke to a man named Robert Humbert (who also goes by the name "Fine") who was coordinating the event.

"For us to allow their artists Call O' Da Wild to play, they would allow us to promote this party as the official RuffHouse/ Cypress Hill after-party," says Lesser. "Two people from Cypress Hill would show up and one would perform with Call O' Da Wild."

Lesser says they always draw up contracts for events like this and that normally he checks it out with his attorney.

"This time I was stupid," he says.

The contract, which Lesser faxed to City Paper, shows that both Lesser and Humbert signed the agreement stating that Muggs would perform two songs with Call. It also includes transportation to and from the nightclub as well as food and drink for the entertainers.

"We promoted the event all week on the radio, made up 5,000 or 6000 flyers... Ruffhouse gave us their logo. We only had to promise Cypress a limousine and some fried chicken. But the night of the event, they never showed up. We had to give 192 refunds."

Lesser says that when he called RuffHouse Records to find out what had happened, Humbert said, "Hey, listen, you had an amazing party. So what they didn't come?" Lesser also claims that he was threatened by Humbert, that people in the room were laughing in the background when he was put on speaker phone, and that a Kevon Glickman, general counsel at RuffHouse, told him, "Now what I want you to do, son, is take a deep breath and take a big fresh breath of reality. Do you think RuffHouse would give you a multi-platinum group for nothing?"

"Which I found surprising," Lesser laughs, "since they came to us."

Though at odds with Lesser, RuffHouse publicist Glenn Manko confirms Lesser's claim that they were dissing him.

"I was there, I heard him say that. You know, it sounds like Jim's having a really bad summer. I know for a fact that Cypress Hill wasn't going to play that night. I would know, I'm the publicist. A new group, Forte, also performed, so Jim got a bonus, apparently."

For his part, Humbert says that Cypress Hill were never part of the package.

He also claims he never signed the agreement, although the fax transmission information clearly shows that somebody at RuffHouse records faxed the contract back.

"It's a big building with a lot of people," says Humbert.

Lesser says this is also what Humbert told him, that somebody forged his signature and that he wasn't on RuffHouse's payroll so any contract would be null.

"Then how would I get the logo from RuffHouse?" asks Lesser. "If I used their logo without permission, than why aren't they suing me? Doesn't it at all bother [RuffHouse] that a person representing their company is forging documents?"

In a letter addressed to Lesser, RuffHouse CEO Chris Schwartz said the contract was "not authorized or signed by any of my employees." Manko says that Humbert is an independent promoter who works out of RuffHouse's office.

"If [Lesser] wishes to speak to me, he can call me," says Humbert. "The event was good, we showed up, we brought our groups and we had fun.... [Lesser] is trying to start trouble. Obviously he had a problem with the event, maybe he didn't make money. I just spoke to one of his coordinators, the water is under the bridge. Ain't no hard feelings over here."

Lesser says he doesn't think he'll take legal action.

"I'd do it to get the money back I lost in refunds. But I'm not real anxious to go through all that for $1,200 or $1,500. What was really damaged was our reputation. Now if I say such and such is coming to Milkbar, who will believe me? This is like those worst nightmares you hear about in the music business."

And what happened to all that fried chicken that Lesser promised B-Real and Muggs?

"I peeled all the skin off and gave it to my dogs."

— Margit Detweiler