Los Angeles (AFP) - The family of a man allegedly killed by Suge Knight has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the ex rap mogul as well as Dr Dre, Ice Cube, Sloan and Universal Studios, court documents show.

Knight already faces criminal charges of murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run over the death of Terry Carter, 55, and the wounding of Cle "Bone" Sloan, 51, in a parking lot in Compton in January.

But he and the other rappers and the studio now face a civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles late Wednesday by Carter's family, seeking unspecified damages over his death.

The lawsuit alleges that Knight "carelessly, recklessly, violently and negligently" drove his vehicle towards Carter and Sloan.

It also claims the producers of a film called Straight Outta Compton, including Dr Dre and Ice Cube, hired known gang members to provide security for the production, which focuses on the emergence of the rap group N.W.A.

Lawyers for Knight - whose criminal trial starts on July 7 - have argued he acted in self-defense after being attacked by Sloan and others in broad daylight.

Knight, who has fallen ill and required hospitalisation at previous court hearings in the case, co-founded Death Row Records along with hip-hop music king Dr Dre in the early 1990s.

The label launched stars such as Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur but collapsed in 1996 when Knight was jailed for violating a probation order by beating up a rival in Las Vegas.

He again served a 10-month jail stint in 2003 after getting into a fight outside a Hollywood nightclub. Last year, he was shot six times at a music awards party.