Iconic songwriter and producer Riley has filed a $1 million (£667,000) federal lawsuit in a Brooklyn, New York court, claiming his old pal knowingly allowed the Blackstreet trademark to expire so he could secretly apply for the rights himself.

In legal papers obtained by the New York Post, Riley's lawyer states, "Hannibal trademarked Blackstreet to gain economic advantage for himself."

The suit goes on to allege that Hannibal promised to add Riley's name to the trademark registration, and reportedly accepted a $90,000 (£60,000) payment to sort out the dispute.

However, the plaintiff insists that never happened and Hannibal, aka Chauncey Black, subsequently sued Riley in 2013 over allegations of trademark infringement for performing under the No Diggity hitmakers' name without permission.

In the latest lawsuit, Riley also claims Hannibal mixed company funds with his personal finances in a bid to hide assets and escape tax and child support payments.

Hannibal still performs as Blackstreet, with former members Levi Little, Mark Middleton and Eric Williams, and is due to stage a show in Brooklyn later this month (Mar15).