Rapper Alleged to Have Stolen Animation, Sued for $2 Million

The Emmy Award winning Cartoon Network series, Class of 3000, said to be solely created based off ideas from rapper Andre 3000 of the rap group, Outkast, may not be the brainchild of the artist.

According to 33-year-old Timothy McGee, Cartoon Network launched the show off of a pitch he submitted to its then-vice president of programming, Michael Lazzo. McGee claims the show closely outlined his creation for an animation which followed the lives of a group of young musicians as they tried to break into the music industry in Atlanta. The Boston Herald reported the former art student is convinced the "characters, artwork, story lines and concepts" he brainstormed for his show were heavily similar to those of the ones aired on Cartoon Network.

Class of 3000 featured Andre 3000 as Sunny Bridges, an Atlanta native who left his hometown to take a chance in pursuing a career in music only to return home to become a music teacher after experiencing the music industry at its worst.

McGee filed a lawsuit in Boston, suing Andre 3000, Cartoon Network and its parent company, Turner Broadcasting, for $2 million in damages, copyright infringement, breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets in the creation of the show. He is also requesting compensation for all the show's profits, court costs and any other fees the court may grant him.

Class of 3000 aired from November 2006 to May 2008.

In December 2007, the show was canceled due to budgetary constraints.