Tru 'Dat' Entertainment
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Tru 'Dat' Entertainment (also variated as Tru 'dat' Entertainment and TRU DAT Entertainment) or plainly Tru Dat was a Los Angeles, California based firm founded in 2006 by Hysear Randell, a wealthy African-American entrepreneur, as a recruitment platform for urban talent in music, sport, film and fashion. Tru 'Dat' Entertainment also aimed to aid the poor by providing them with opportunities for recruitment at one of their establishments. The company was still in its first stages of development so their rosters were not lengthy.
Contents |
[edit] Music
| Tru 'Dat' Entertainment | |
|---|---|
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| Founded | 2006 |
| Founder | Hysear Randell |
| Distributing label | Independent |
| Genre | Hip hop |
| Country of origin | US |
| Official website | Tru 'Dat' Entertainment |
Tru 'Dat' Entertainment was based as a junior record label with hopes of establishing a lengthy roster of talented artists in the genre of hip hop. Tru Dat recently signed former Death Row Records artist Tha Realest and also employed Bosko a talented young producer. Tru Dat was set to distribute Tha Realest's upcoming debut album Witness Tha Realest, which was set for release in early 2007.
[edit] Last known roster
- Tha Realest
- Bosko
[edit] Film
Tru 'Dat' Entertainment worked as a project company for urban-style films. Tru Dat worked on the production of Waist Deep, a 2006 film about a father, whose son is kidnapped by members of a criminal organization, must collect a ransom amount of $100, 000 by taking on a criminal persona. Tru Dat's production of the film was successful through various affiliates and subsidiaries, such as such as Tycoon International Holdings and Radar Pictures.
Tru 'Dat' Entertainment was working on other film projects including PITBULL and Ear 2 Da Street which were due for release in late 2007 to early 2008[1].
[edit] Fashion
Tru 'Dat' Entertainment was working on establishing an urban clothing brand. The line of clothing was aimed at footwear fashion and hip-hop style clothing. The label sponsored a clothing line called Clothing by Andre, a fashion label founded in 2005 by a friend of Hysear Randell, Andre Holliday.
[edit] Sports
Tru 'Dat' Entertainment established a subsidiary for sports. This way, Tru 'Dat' Entertainment focused on promoting boxing matches and skilled boxers. Tru Dat was determined to recruit youth and train them to become tough competitive boxers, who in turn will shape the structure of the Tru Dat industry.[2]
[edit] Tax-scam controversy
On April 28, 2007, an arrest warrant was issued for Tru 'Dat' Entertainment founder and owner, Hysear Don Randell. According to The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News Hysear's girlfriend Michelle Cawthra, a revenue supervisor at the Department of Revenue in Denver, authorized phony tax returns to Randell and Holliday by forging former Revenue Department employees' signatures. Sources say that she transferred approximately $5.3 million ($5,327,278) (USD) with a total estimate of $8 million to bank accounts held by Randell. Randell was arrested on May 2, 2007 and held, along with Cawthra and Holliday, in Arapahoe County jail on $10 million bail.
Andre Holliday was released on lack of evidence of involvement in the scheme but Cawthra was charged with 27 counts of racketeering, theft and forgery (violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, conspiracy to commit computer crime, conspiracy to commit theft, and 18 counts of forgery, embezzlement of public property, theft and conspiracy to commit embezzlement of public property).[1][2][3][4]
Following the controversy it was alleged that Tru Dat had officially been discontinued but this fact is still uncertain.
[edit] References
- ^ Revenue worker held in $5 million scam by Kieran Nicholson, The Denver Post, May 1, 2007
- ^ Revenue director strengthens oversight procedures by Ann Imse, Rocky Mountain News, May 3, 2007
- ^ Suspect's Web site makes lavish claims by John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News, May 1, 2007
- ^ Woman charged in scheme by Sue Lindsay, Rocky Mountain News, May 3, 2007

