A Harlem record exec is trying to extort a young star who’s scheduled to appear in the upcoming season of VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop” by threatening to sue the network if she doesn’t give him 50 percent of her pay from the show, according to court papers.
Bianca “Young B” Dupree, 24, has gone on the offensive by suing Arthur Smith of defunct Scrilla Hill Entertainment to expose the alleged shakedown.
“Fifty percent is just ridiculous,” said Dupree’s attorney, Kevon Glickman. Dupree’s known for a 2006 viral video of the song “Chicken Noodle Soup.”
Smith signed a $1.7 million deal with Universal Republic Records for the song, but Dupree says she was largely cut out of the profits. She’s asking the court to void a 10-year production agreement that gave Smith exclusive control over her name and likeness.
VH1’s threatened to boot Dupree from the show, and anxiety from the conflict’s landed her in the hospital twice, her civil suit says. Smith told The Post, “I don’t know anything about that. I’ll have to contact my lawyer.”