Rapper Remy Ma and Universal sued in NY shooting

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rapper Remy Ma "willfully, wantonly and maliciously" shot and critically wounded an acquaintance, a $10 million civil lawsuit filed against her claimed on Friday.

The suit is the latest legal problem for the Grammy-nominated rapper, who also faces criminal charges and up to 25 years in prison for shooting acquaintance Makeda Barnes-Joseph twice in the abdomen after leaving a New York nightclub in July.

Remy Ma, 26, whose real name is Remy Smith, has pleaded innocent to the criminal charges in New York state court.

Barnes-Joseph filed the suit in Manhattan federal court, naming as defendants several of the rapper's recording companies, including Universal Music Group, owned by French media group Vivendi, and Sure Shot Recordings.

The suit claims the music companies encouraged the rapper to engage in violent behavior as part of her image.

Smith's lawyer Ivan Fisher said the lawsuit was "irresponsible" and "looking for the deepest pocket it could find."

Barnes-Joseph suffered severe physical harm and mental anguish following the shooting, which occurred after the rapper accused of her of stealing money that was never found, the suit said.

Remy Ma, a Bronx native, won the Black Entertainment Television award for best female hip-hop artist in 2005.

(Reporting by Christine Kearney and Daniel Trotta; Editing by Eric Walsh)