Kanye Keeping Distance From Suge

West to attend Miami lawsuit mediation session by phone

Having already met once in person to try to hash out their lawsuit, it looks like Kanye West wants to avoid another face-off with Suge Knight.

Knight, the 6-foot-4, 250-pound-plus rap mogul, is suing West for an August 2005 incident where Knight was shot in the leg during a West-hosted party at Miami Beach's Shore Club.

The hip hop star won't be coming to Miami next week for a second clash with Knight in person, choosing to attend a mediation session in their lawsuit by phone.

A Miami federal judge is allowing West to participate in the Aug. 26 mediation by phone after his lawyers argued he has to be out of the country for a business commitment.

The founder and former CEO of Death Row Records is seeking over $1 million in damages from West and the club, both defendants in the suit. He claims the club and West didn't provide enough security, and that Knight's medical bills racked up to around $200,000.

The party, which was thrown before the MTV Video Music Awards, was also attended by A-listers Jessica Alba, Eddie Murphy, The Black Eyed Peas and Paris Hilton.

The shooting was never solved.

Knight has shown little love for recording artists he didn't agree with in the past, allegedly confronting Eazy-E with a baseball bat once and possibly dangling Vanilla Ice over a balcony in a song-writing dispute.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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