Kanye West may have a big mouth but it's his big pockets that troubled former record company honcho Suge Knight is interested in.
The two will square off in Miami in December as Knight sues the hip-hop star for the August 2005 incident where Knight was capped in the leg during a West-hosted party at Miami Beach's Shore Club.
Knight's lawyer said yesterday that they'll be seeking well over $1 million in damages from West and the club, both defendants in the suit.
Attorney Marc Brumer said Knight was at the Shore Club bash when shots rang out and Knight was hit in the leg. He claims the club and West didn't provide enough security, and that Knight's medical bills racked up to around $200,000.
Adding to Knight's hospital bill is the 15-carat, $135,000 earring he was wearing that came off and was never recovered in the frenzy.
"He's an icon in the music industry. He walks in a room and he lights it up," Brumer said of his client. "He had an expectation of security there. How someone came with a gun into a very VIP party, that just doesn't meet the smell test in life."
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.
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Knight claims in the lawsuit that he and his posse were patted down for weapons, and they assumed the same was done for all guests.
"Prior to the party, defendants knew that it was critical to screen guests, employees and others entering the party premises for weapons," Knight's lawsuit says.
Knight, who founded Death Row Records, had to sell the label after he fell into hard financial times and had to file for bankruptcy. The 44-year-old former music mogul has had numerous run-ins with the law and has even done time in prison.
The Shore Club shooting was never solved. The Knight-West trial starts Dec. 6.
