Publisher sues two rappers

Rap performers Foxy Brown and Lil’ Kim have been sued by Simon & Schuster Inc. over claims they accepted tens of thousands of dollars in advances while failing to deliver books they promised to write.

The publishing house, a unit of CBS Corp., said in separate lawsuits filed this week in New York that Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, and Lil’ Kim, whose real name is Kimberly Jones, signed contracts to write books.

Simon & Schuster said it paid Brown $75,000 under a 2006 contract for an autobiography. The publisher said Lil’ Kim signed a contract in 2004 and was paid $40,000 for an untitled novel.

Representatives for the two women could not be reached for comment.