Louisiana AG threatens legal action over HBCU band scholarship

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has announced her intention to pursue legal action against hip-hop legend Boosie Badazz for allegedly misusing the name and image of Caleb Wilson, an HBCU band member at Southern University student who died earlier this year in an alleged hazing incident. Boosie, a Baton Rouge native, had planned to honor Wilson by establishing a scholarship in his name. Funded by proceeds from his annual Boosie Bash music festival.

According to Murrill, Wilson’s parents were unaware of their son’s association with the event and did not consent to the use of his name or image in promotional materials. They have requested the removal of all references to Caleb from the event’s promotions. Murrill emphasized that the family’s understanding was that Boosie intended to contribute to an existing scholarship fund at Southern University without linking it to the for-profit event.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill speaks to WBRZ

“They have requested that his name, image, and any reference to a scholarship for him be removed from all promotional materials,” Murrill said, as Louisiana First News reported on behalf of Wilson’s parents. Murrill continued to say that the late Southern University student and fraternity pledge’s parents did not consent to their son’s likeness being used in “for profit” promotion materials.

WBRZ spoke with Murrill and reported that the family’s understanding was that Boosie wanted to contribute and start a band scholarship fund at the HBCU and wanted to put money into starting a scholarship more than a week ago, and the discussion did not include the event.

“All of this apparently came together in a very short order, and I think the promoters saw an opportunity to promote the event on the backs of people who just suffered an unimaginable loss,” Murrill told WBRZ. “It is just disgusting; they owe the family an apology. If they wanted to do this, the first people they should have asked was the family. Nobody has made any effort to put money in the scholarship, Boosie hasn’t even funded any of it.”

Additionally, WBRZ reached out to Boosie’s camp for a response to the statement released by the AG’s Office and reported that they stand by the interview that they gave to the ABC-affiliated television station in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Friday.

Boosie bash

Boosie, whose real name is Torence Hatch Jr., had announced the Caleb Wilson Memorial Scholarship during the sixth annual Boosie Bash. A three-day rap festival held at Southern University. The event featured artists like GloRilla and DaBaby and was promoted as a fundraiser for the scholarship. In an interview, Boosie stated that he collaborated with Wilson’s father and others to establish the scholarship, aiming to support students at the HBCU.

However, Murrill contends that connecting Wilson’s name to the event without the family’s consent constitutes a “dramatic misrepresentation and misappropriation” to support a for-profit endeavor. She criticized the promoters for exploiting the family’s tragedy for promotional purposes and stated that Boosie had made no efforts to fund the scholarship. Murrill asserted that legal action is warranted due to the misappropriation of Wilson’s name and image.