rap.1525brka,
MALA KONFUZIJA OKO KVIZA...
A quick note..I've gotten a ton of letters with people questioning
the answers to last week's Hip Hop quiz. The point of contention
centers around Young MC and Tone Loc and the hit songs Funky Cold
Medina and Wild Thing. Young MC wrote the songs for Tone Loc. Just
like Kool G Rap would sometimes pen songs for Roxanne Shante or Big
Daddy Kane would write songs for Biz Markie.
Also a number of you pointed out that Too Short was in Menace II
Society.. I overlooked that..sorry.
rap.1526brka,
ODB SE NA SUDU OSECA KAO KOD SVOJE KUCE...
Wu-Tang's colorful and controversial member Ol Dirty Bastard aka
Baby Jesus aka Mr Russell Jones had his day in a Los Angeles court
this past Friday. He was convicted and sentenced for threatening a
security guard at the House of Blues nightclub and he was convicted
and sentenced under a new California law which bars felons from
wearing body armor [bullet proof vests]. Judge Marsha Revel
sentenced ODB to 3 years probation, fined him 500 dollars, required
him to take anger management classes and commit to a year in drug
rehab. ODB's body armor conviction is one of the first cases tried
under the new California law.
Most people who are aware of ODB's zany behavior would not argue
against him being in drug rehab. It hopefully could do homeboy
some good. However, it was during the sentencing was when some
colorful court room drama emerged. ODB explained to the judge
that the police in New York City are conspiring to get him. He
said because of his reputation, and the fact that he managed
to be cleared of charges that accused him of shooting at two
NYC police, he feared that the cops would go out of their way
to harass him and plant false evidence on him.
ODB made the following remarks, "After I finish the [rehab]
program, I live in New York...What I'm saying is, I got a suit
on the city. All the officers know me there. They're going to
be looking to lock me up. I don't want no officers to be just
kicking on me...I'm talking about getting picked on."
Judge Revel suggested that ODB move to a more conducive
environment after he gets released from the drug rehab in
California. ODB responded by noting that all his kids live
in New York. For those who don't know, the man has 13 kids.
ODB then told the judge 'Jesus Loves You'. Revel responded
by saying 'Thank you I need all the love I can get'.
ODB who has been arrested a total of 12 times over the past
year and half was told he can have the felony terrorist
threat reduced to a misdemeanor if he behaves himself for
the next 18 months.
rap.1527brka,
WILL SMITH ZA PREDSEDNIKA?!
Folks have been buzzing about actor/rapper Will Smith and
his recent remarks in which he stated that he wants to
run for the presidency within the next ten years. He noted,
'I've always thought I'd like to become America's first
Black President. Now I'm not here to knock Will's political
ambitions. If he's serious I applaud them wholeheartedly.
What will be interesting is how he goes about using his
popularity to impact various key elections around the
country. In other words who will Will Smith endorse?
There's a major senate race going down in New York. Will
Mr Smith go out and encourage his legion of fans to
support First Lady Hillary Clinton over current New York
Mayor Rudoulph Giuliani. Right now the First Lady's
campaign is in trouble as she is losing in polls to the
popular yet controversial NY Mayor. At the same time Will
Smith has been invited to hang out with the Clintons at
the White House during the upcoming Millennium celebration.
Could Will Smith political recommendation coupled with his
star power sway public opinion? Perhaps he could come up
with a catchy song?
It sure would be nice to see some of our more mega-popular
stars come out and take some political stances. Back in the
'70s famous icons like boxer Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier,
singer James Brown and actor Harry Belafonte to name a few
got their feet wet and shared their political outlooks and
endorsements with their fans. As we head on into the year
2000 it's sad to note that some of our brightest stars
have been extremely reserved and very quiet about key
political issues. I'm definitely happy that more and more
underground artists like Boots of the Coup, Common, Mos Def,
Dead Prez to name a few are actively involved in politics.
Their continued efforts should be encouraged and supported.
I'm still waiting and hoping that the Jay-Zs, Puffys, Ice
Cubes and Juveniles of the world will start using their star
power to bring attention to some critical issues. For
example, I hear all sorts of folks in New York complaining
about their current Mayor..yet I see very few major stars
actively blowing up the spot to sway public opinion about him.
Should Will Smith run for President? That really depends upon
his qualifications and knowledge of the issues. In the
meantime while he gets prepared for his presidential bid
in the next ten years, I wish Mr Smith would make headlines
by encouraging his fans to at least get out to the polls and
vote. He could make headlines by weighing in on some key
issues like affirmative action, immigration etc. Since Mr
Smith lives in California, I think I'll shoot him a line
and try and get him to lend his star power and come out
against Prop 21 which is the Juvenile Crime Initiative.
I rather see him make national headlines speaking out against
that rather then his desire for Presidency. If Will Smith
doesn't step up and speak out on some of these pressing issues
of the day then I would have to conclude that his remarks about
wanting to be President was nothing more then a shrewd marketing
ploy and publicity stunt designed to bring attention to his
newly release album 'The Willennium'.
rap.1528brka,
JUVENILE...
One of the hottest artists for the year 1999 has been Juvenile.
His last album '400 Degreez' went triple platinum and his B side
single 'Back That Ass Up' became a summertime anthem. Apparently
Juvenile believes in striking while the iron is still hot as he
getting set to drop his third album 'Tha G-Code'. It will be
released on December 7th.. That's same release date as the
highly anticipated Notorious BIG album. I wonder who will sell
more? Juvenile's first single 'U Understand' is 'off the hinges'
at least here in the Bay Area. Finally be on the look out for
Juvenile's upcoming straight to video movie 'Baller Blockin'.
That should be dropping around the first part of the new year.
rap.1529brka,
GANG STARR I RATM...
Props to Gang Starr and Dilated Peoples for their recent
performance with Rage Against The Machine. Friday night Dilated
opened for Rage at a sold out Oakland Coliseum. According to
Beni B of the Bay Area Hip Hop Coalition. It took some time
for the group to get used to going from small night club with
a couple of hundred people to a cavernous venue with 15
thousand people.. However,the Rage crowd showed both groups
much love.
During Gang Starr's set DJ Premier had to watch flying debris
including a shoe that was tossed at his turntables. When I first
heard about it I was left with the impression that people didn't
like Premier's scratching abilities or music selection. . Quite
the contrary, people loved him.. Shoes and other clothing were
being tossed after they were taking off of individuals who were
being body surfed through the crowd. It was just mere coincident
that Premier got shoes tossed at him during both the Oakland
and Sacramento shows. Well at least it wasn't a smelly sock..
or a pair of stained drawers.
As for Gang Starr, after the Rage Against Machine Tour, they
will be heading back into the studio to work on another album
which should drop by June of 2000. Premier and Quest Love of
the Roots are scheduled to do production. The new 'Jazzmatazz
Volume 3' album should be dropping real soon. Herbie Hancock
and D'Angelo are among the many guests expected to appear on
the album.
rap.1530brka,
LETTERS AND FEED BACK....
[Willie D of The Geto Boys]
Dave in regards to Willie D
I worked at KBXX and at numerous times I would be answering the
phones for his show, which was titled "Reality Check", the show
focused on the people of Houston, stating their feelings on major
issues going on in this society. The show did leave the airwaves.
I don't know the full reason, but some politic issue was brought
up, and later on Willie D did continue his show on another public
station. He was supposed to be syndicating his show, nationwide
in many areas, to get the feeling for all the people not only in
Texas, but other states as well. Willie D, as a person is very
talented, gifted, and aware of his surrounding, much respect to
him, of what he has done, what he's doing, and what he'll be
doing in future.
peace out
DJ ScOOp
-----
[the Roots Show in SF]
Davey D
First of all let me start by saying I am not big on words. But
at last nights show (Friday) the Roots put me back in love with
H.E.R. [Hip Hop] I've been following these cats since "Do You
Want More" and recently rounded out my collection with the
obscure album that started it off "Organix". The truth is
with all that is going wrong with hip-hop (lack of creativity
and pursuit of almighty $ice$) this soon to be father was
thinking it's time to hang it up and grow into a nice
comfortable smooth jazz station. These mutha&^* made me feel
like a kid again. ?uestLove showed superior skillz on the
drum kit and all in all I had a ball. So now I'm thinking
that I will definitely get my 'seed' [child] to pickup a
musical instrument. It definitely bridged the gap as I read
the liner from the album "Things Fall Apart" and found MFSB
kicking licks with none other than 'Illadelphia's' finest.
Local rap group 75 Degrees was in the house and I think
they are on the right track.
What impressed me most is that we have brothas who travel
the world (and obviously getting paid) not having to come
on stage with a fuckin' platinum plaque around their neck.
They just put it down and let the music speak for itself
(imagine that). Anyhow, just thought I'd say something for
those of us that do remember when creativity was all that
hip hop had for itself. Now I'm going to find that Limp
Bizkit CD before the wife sells all my collection.
A. D. Smith
Microsoft Certified Professional
-----
[Who should be the 5th member of NWA?]
Davey D
I had always thought DJ Quik would have made a good
replacement for Eazy, with the comparable voice range,
but with a much better flow, and comin' straight outta
Compton. I think Eminem might just be a seriously right
move, though - and might give a crazy new spin on the
group. Good idea - you should use your position to
spread that vibe around in the industry as it's possible
that no one has pondered that possibility yet. Snoop - no;
Xzibit, possibly, but the group could really use some new
blood in there with a unique flow. I don't think that any
of the usual suspects" (i.e., Mack 10; Snoop; WC; etc.
should even be considered - it needs to be someone who
could step-up the anticipation and excitement levels.
Rass Kass might just be the shit, or even a hot-ass "no
name" kid would be risky, but could just be another good
career move if he blew up like Snoop did on Chronic. In
any case, I can't wait - I've waited years for this shit
to go down, and I hope that it finally comes to fruition.
Peace - Todd
-----
Dear Davey D,
I just heard the new NWA "untitled" reunion track on Power
98 FM (WPEG-Charlotte) and it was mediocre for the most
part. The song sounded more of a modern-Ice Cube/Dre sound
instead of the classic NWA sound but that's understandable
since times and the artists have changed so much. Oh, Snoop
Dogg is replacing Eazy-E (at least on this song) and he
does his usual antics.
Kam Moye
-----
Do you think Eminem could be the 5th member of NWA?
What comes around goes around I figure / Now we got white
kids called Niggers... Anyway if there is a NWA reunion
(which IMO is not a good idea : they are legendary and
probably can't do better than their past work) they
should not replace Easy E. He wasn't the main man in the
group (even if he was the executive producer). Half of their
songs did not include Easy. With MC Ren's delivery, Ice
Cube's lyrics and Dr Dre's voice you already have a strong
group (If Dre is on the board of course). I always considered
Easy was a joker in NWA, just like Flavor Flav. But I doubt
that they can get together again as a real group ten years
after they broke up. OK they can make one track under the
name NWA but they are not friends anymore, they probably
don't want to stay together in a studio for weeks, to go
on tour together for months. After all that has been said and
done between them !!!
Niggers With Attitude are part of our History.
Slurg
-----
This could never work. While I rate Eminem as a lyricist
much more than any of the NWA members, there are a few things
which mean this just could never happen....
Eminem is not 'Straight outta compton', or even from LA for
that matter.
Eminem is white. How could he still get respect calling
himself a NIGGA WIT ATTITUDE?
Oh yeah, one more thing, its BIG BANK HANK from the Sugerhill
isn't it? not BIG BAD HANK. I used to be sure it was Bank,
but someone of your stature differing has me reconsidering...
take it easy, and keep up the good work with the site,
REZ SBC TDA
Dublin, Ireland.
-----
Dave,
I think the perfect replacement for Eazy-E could be Cold187um
aka Big Hutch from Above the Law. Cold187um was Eazy's right
hand man and took over much production when Dr. Dre left the
group. Other possible replacements could be MC Eiht, DJ Quik,
or even Mack 10. I don't think Eminem would be a good replacement
for Eazy because the name of the group is Niggaz With Attitudes,
and Eminem in not a "nigga". Furthermore he is not the gangsta
rap type.
Castro
Davey D Responds:
I've gotten quite a few letters with people emphatically
pointing out that Eminem could not be in NWA because 'HE IS
NOT A NIGGA'?. That's an interesting reaction when one
considers all the Non-African Americans who have used this
term and defended such usage with a variety of flim flam
excuses. I've constantly argued that the word Nigga is
offensive especially when used by non-African Americans.
Now there are many of you who have maintained that this
word has somehow dropped all it's negative associations
and has become a 'term of endearment'. Others maintain its
a Hip Hop expression that is now 'universal' or multi-ethnic.
Many have claimed that it means 'ignorant person' and some
have gone so far as to flip the letters and make the word
stand for some fancy sounding stuff.. 2Pac did this a long
time ago when he claimed Nigga meant 'Never Ignorant...blah
blah blah..' Others have pointed out that the spelling of
the word N-I-G-G-A-H takes on a different meaning as opposed
to when it's spelled -N-I-G-G-E-R.. So over the years I've
endured all sorts of white kids greeting each other with
the term 'What's Up my Nigga?'. I've seen others get upset
when asked not to use it.' I've seen folks from other
countries adapt this terminology with no real understanding
and appreciation for its historical context. It would be on
par to me adapting the swastika and claiming its no longer
offensive and that it's symbol is now benign. Folks who
dealt with the Nazis would have a fit and never let it go
down.
The real problem with this word Nigga being used is that
the majority of people still see this word as one that
describes an individual of African descent. Far too often
the negative and stereotypical beliefs associated with
Blacks and this word are also conjured up. Bottom line
is there ain't too many of y'all saying 'What's up Nigga'?
and envisioning in your mind anyone else but a dark
skinned brotha.. It doesn't matter if you live 10 thousand
miles away in some place where there are no Black people..
or if you live in a place full of brothas like Washington
DC. The word still conjures up that image of Black folks.
In all seriousness, I tossed out the idea of Em being a
member of NWA and all of a sudden I'm getting deluged
with letters from Non-African Americans who insist on
using this term claiming its Hip Hop terminology, now
taking the position that Em can't be a 'Nigga' because
he's white. Why not? Isn't this word universal? If white
kids call themselves Nigga can't be Em be a full fledged
member of a group sporting that name?
A whole bunch of Black folks have written and taken offense
to Em being called that. Now that's hypocritical. All of
a sudden Black folks who have gone out of their way to
carelessly use the word in public environments are now
stepping up and claiming this word as one that exclusively
describes and belongs to them. Is this right after so
many Black folks have given license to those outside the
community to use the word?
NWA claimed that they were 'Niggaz For Life'. That meant
they were in it for the long haul. They would endure the
good times and bad times. They would take on the good,
the bad and the ugly. Far too often people wanna be
'niggas' when its hip and cool and it's the fashion
statement of the month. But soon as they leave the
confines of the Hip Hop arena.. these same folks aren't
down to have that name stick with them forever. They
don't want their boss calling them that. They don't want
a police officer calling them that. They don't want the
societal oppression and disrespect that often comes
with that word impacting them..
Oh well I guess I got ahead of myself when I thought
that people really believed they were 'niggas' when they
kept using that word. I guess they were 'fairweather
niggas'. Here today while the going is good.. gone
tomorrow when the kitchen gets hot. They were 'niggas
of convience'. Brothas and sistas who continuously use
this word, you can't conveniently claim this word and
take offense if some white or non-Black kid ever
decides to form a group where he uses this word in a
name. Yes Eminem can be a NIGGA WITH ATTITUDE'.. Why?
Cause may of brothas and sistas thought it was ok to
stand in silence or even encourage Non-Blacks to use
that word. Many of you said being a Nigga ain't a black
thang anymore. So don't hate if a white boy with sick
rhymes winds up being a Nigga With Attitude. Am I off
base to follow the rules that so many have ignorantly
insisted on laying out?
rap.1531mango,
Textovi od Outkast? Ima li neko onaj album sa Erikah-om Badu (poslednji?) Ne
mislim samo na textove, rado bih ga presnimio ako neko ima.
rap.1532brka,
KONFUZIJA OKO KVIZA ONE MORE TIME...
Some quick house keeping notes... In the last Hip Hop quiz I
accidently referred to Sugar Hill gang member Big bank Hank
as Big Bad Hank.. My bad... Also we are conducting a poll
on my site http://www.daveyd.com to see who should be NWA's
5th member to replace Eazy E.. At the time of this printing,
Snoop Dogg was in the lead with 26% No new members is next
with 20%, Xzibit and Eminem are tied with 11% and DJ Quik
and Ice T have 9% and 6% respectively. I will keep the poll
going until Friday..
rap.1533brka,
KOOL KEITH IS MAD AS HELL AND AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT NO MORE!
One of Hip Hop's most colorful characters and gifted emcees
Kool Keith formerly of Ultramagnetic MCs has decided to
harness the power of the Internet. He recently dropped an
album called 'Black Elvis/Lost In Space' and felt that it
simply hasn't been getting the proper promotion. This is
especially daunting when you consider that Keith is signed
to Ruffhouse/Sony one of the most powerful record labels in
the world. Hence Keith has taken to emailing fans from all
around the world asking that they 'step to' his record label
and demand they pick up the pace and make Kool Keith a
household name... Here's a copy of the letter I received
the other day...
Dear Fans,
This is Kool Keith. This is my first time writing you all
personally, because this is a serious issue. I love all my
fans, but I am a little bit angry with my record company.
Aren't you mad? I am on a big label, but I am getting no
promotion.
The label fucked up a lot of stuff that you kids want to
have access to. The video should be on TV for you kids to
see. The video was done before my tour. You can call and
email the following people to ask them what's going on.
My project is available, but I know it's hard for you not
to get any of the material, and latest updates.
You should really e-mail these people constantly, to give
you the information that you need about the Black Elvis CD.
Visually, radio time, show updates, and next singles and
albums. You can email these people 24 hours a day, and you
will get a response. Write in your complaints about the
album not being seen in your local stores, or wherever
you can't find Kool Keith product.
Email these people and tell them why you're angry that you
haven't seen my new video. Email these people 24 hours a
day nonstop, you will get a response. Ask for wigs, product,
posters, videos, radio,and etc. And that's it.
Here is who you can ask what:
Why is Kool Keith getting no Promotion?
Why is Columbia Records not supporting Kool Keith?
Why is nothing getting done?
mailto:Tim_Devine@sonymusic.com
mailto:Paul_DeGooyer@sonymusic.com
mailto:Josh_Rosenthal@sonymusic.com
mailto:Garrett_Schaefer@sonymusic.com
Why do I never see Kool Keith on TV shows like Letterman
or Moesha?
mailto:Amy_Osler@sonymusic.com
Why do you not care about Kool Keith?
Have you ever heard of Kool Keith?
mailto:Don_Ienner@sonymusic.com
mailto:Will_Botwin@sonymusic.com
Why is Kool Keith not getting played on the radio?
mailto:Cindy_Levine@sonymusic.com
Why hasn't Kool Keith been on Howard Stern?
mailto:Jerry_Blair@sonymusic.com
Why isn't Kool Keith's video getting played on MTV?
Why isn't Kool Keith's video getting played on BET?
Why isn't Kool Keith's video getting played on THE BOX?
mailto:Geordie_Gillespie@sonymusic.com
Why is KoolKeith.com owned by Columbia Records?
Why haven't you given Kool Keith the digital camera you
promised him?
Why is http://www.Koolkeith.com never updated?
mailto:Mark_Ghuneim@sonymusic.com
Please be nice and professional to these people. Don't
curse them out or harass them. But please, ask them the
questions you want answered. Even if you don't see the
questions here, feel free to ask them any questions
pertaining to Kool Keith and Columbia Records. Fell free
to email them often, until you get the response you are
looking for. Remember, it is up to you fans to make your
voices heard. Tell them what you think they should be
doing for Keith. Let us know what you are writing these
people.
Please forward a
copy of all of your letters to mailto:
KEITHELVISBOX@AOL.COM
Thank you
Kool Keith
rap.1534brka,
DJ QUIK I RATM...
Looks like Urban Hip Hop fans will soon have an opportunity
to peep out Rage Against The Machine just like they did
Limp Bizkit. Apparently DJ Quik has been enlisted to do a
remix of one of their songs... 'Guerilla Radio'. I'm not
sure if Quik will rap on the song, but we'll have to wait
and see how he does on the remix. While this is going on
somewhere down in the 'Dirty South', Outkast is set to do
a remix for the rock/rap group Korn. With all this cross
genre collaborations going on, I have to ask do you think
it's balanced? Is it a fair exchange in the sense that
both groups are getting equal exposure to the others
respective audiences? I recall talking to Boots of The
Coup and he pointed out that there are many so called
alternative rock stations that to this day will not touch
rap unless its The Beastie Boys or Eminem. Some of them
hardly played the Limp Bizkit song featuring Method Man
while many urban stations did? On the same token I noted
that a whole lot of folks fronted on that recent Ice Cube
record entitled 'Fuck Dying' featuring Korn. When I touched
on this subject a few weeks ago many readers wrote back and
pointed out that the cut 'N2gether Now' by Limp Bizkit
while ok, was by no stretch of the imagination among their
best songs. That sparked the question in my mind as to
whether or not such collaborations are diluting the sounds
of both artists.? Hit me back on this one. Has radio and
video shows been friendly and fair and presenting these
rap/rock collaborations? Have the various audiences and
fans been receptive? Are their respective sounds being
diluted? mailto:kingdave@sirius.com
rap.1535brka,
HIP HOP PROMOTER PRELAZI U POLITICARE...
Big props are in order to Ms Andretta 'Ann' Lyles. Now
many of you outside the Bay Area may not know her, but
here around town, many of us deejays know her for her
work on the Hip Hop scene as a local record promoter.
I recall her putting in work at Sony Music where she
not only hooked us up with records but also put together
events like listening parties for Lauryn Hill and
others. More recently she was the one who laced us with
all the new material from the whole Quantumm MCs camp
[formerly known as Solesides featuring Blackalicious,
Latyrx, DJ Shadow etc]. In any case this recent Stanford
Grad is stepping into the political ring and launching
her campaign for a seat on Oakland's school board. I
know her work and activities at Stanford make her more
then qualified and she'll do good if elected. I'm just
happy to see one of our own from the Hip Hop arena
stepping up and making that move into public office.
She'll at least have the sensitivity and understanding
of the kids the school board should ideally be trying
to reach. At the very least we know she has the
marketing and promotion skillz and savvy to get people
motivated. I know I always played her records..:) We
wish her much luck. It's interesting to note that
Tavis Smiley with BET did a show on politics and how
to reach The Hip Hop generation..With all the Hip Hop
activism going on out here it sure would've been nice
to see some representation from this side of the
country on the show. Ms Lyles is one of the first, but
there are a few more folks within the Hip Hop arena
that are preparing and setting their sights on some of
these political offices here in the Bay. Keep watching.
rap.1536brka,
LIL KIM GETS NASTY...
Lil Kim is blowing up the spot and she hasn't even dropped
a new record yet. Her album 'The Notorious Kim' has been
pushed back to March of 2000. In the meantime she has
managed to grace the covers of The Source magazine in
their special 'Sex and Hip Hop' issue. She is also set
to be featured in an upcoming gay magazine called 'Out'.
Here Kim will speaking on the topic of Gays in Hip Hop'.
Kim was recently featured another magazine [the name
escapes me] where she stripped down and tattooed with
Louis Vutton logos. All this is coming at the heels of
Lil Kim garnering national attention and controversy
during the MTV video awards show when Diana Ross took
advantage of Lil Kim's provocative see through outfit
by fondling her breasts. If that's not enough Lil Kim
is also letting her objections be known about the
upcoming Notorious BIG album that is slated to drop on
December 7th. She feels that Puffy shouldn't have released
the project because it doesn't reflect the level that
BIG was on before he was killed. In addition she feels
that there are way too many guest emcees on the track.
We'll have to wait an see when the lp drops. At least
Lil Kim sounds good on the new single by BIG entitled
'Notorious'.
rap.1537brka,
SPICE ONE: Crazy, Deadly, Cool
By: Adisa, "The Bishop"
Those who cannot go beyond death,
can never truly come to life
- The Buddha
When most people think of mention O.G.'s, and innovators
of the West coast rap scene, the name Spice One is not
often the first to come to mind. But review the history
of the west side and you will find his name over and
over again. At the same time, It's kind of easy to forget
about Spice One. You don't see him hustling somebody's
hats or shoes or soda pop. He does not moonlight as an
actor, or a social activist. He's a rapper - straight up.
And he's diligent about sticking to his script. This, is
precisely why he'll silently go gold and platinum, with
little fan fare. Spice has a strange kind of fame.
Possessing the record sales and money of a true innovator
and O.G., but lacking the immediate notoriety of other
rap artists who don't have not sold half as many records.
Still he is a true artist, a rare breed in a time of one
hitter quitters and synthetic MC's. "I don't even want
people to call my music rap and I don't want people to
call my music Hip Hop. I want them to call it thug
poetry" he tells me."My lyrics are straight poetry".
His latest release, "Immortalized", is destined to be a
west coast classic. "I called the album 'Immortalized'
because I feel like Pac and Biggie and Eazy they are all
immortalized. They'll be around forever, you know? And
I feel my albums, and what I've done in the past are
gonna keep me out there in the streets and in the hood
and in the clubs and on the radio. Not sayin' that I'ma
die soon or anything, but just talking about the power
of music. What does immortal mean? It means forever.
Thuggin' is forever." Here we go, that THUG thing again.
Everybody has been claimin' to be a thug as of late. But
under the marketing ploys, is a true blue ghetto culture
dominated by thugs. Eazy was the Hip Hop Thuggster, Pac
lived the "Thug Life". Both died young, quick, passionate
lives. Why carry the "thug torch" when the end result
is so crystal clear?
"When you really a thugged out nigga, man, it's hard
for you to get away from that lifestyle whether you
rappin' or not" he says sharply. "Their lives was gonna
be short whether they was rappin' or not. The thing is,
if I'm crossed- I WILL ride. That's just a mentality that
I grew up with. Some of these niggas out here ain't even
knocked a nigga out before. Ain't never shot a gun. Ain't
never GOT knocked out. Ain't never did nothin'. And they
rappin' all of this hard ass shit. I can ride around
block that I started. And I done knocked niggas out cold.
I done been jumped before and shot at and all of that.
Knock on wood that I'm still around. But when it went
down, I wasn't just a talker". You can clearly see that
whether it was a personal brush with death, or maturity
kicking in - Spice has transcended the mortality. This
makes him a more passionate artist within', and thug
without. He's seems almost proud of some of his dastardly
deeds (as he highlights all of his felonies, misdemeanors
etc. in a segway on the album). Most involve firearms
violations in various states.
He's a platinum MC, period. And while being gold or
platinum is not necessarily a proof talent - Spice has
it. Immortalized is a true west coast record. A little
bit of violence, a little bit of the drug game and some
cold hearted violence. All set to music you can smoke to,
fight to or dance to. "I don't want every body to think
'Oh this is the same Spice One' blah, blah, blah. It's
not the same Spice. It's totally different. "
Indeed it is quite different. Production credits range
wide from DJ's like KMEL's Dave Meyer to Rick Rock, R&B
Producer Kirk Crumpler and also features one of the last
recordings of the immortal Roger Troutman. His new album,
showcases a maturity and creativity not seen on his
previous releases. He ventures into unknown territory on
a few songs like the title track by sprinkling western
acoustic guitars over the drums. The sonic clarity of
"High Powered" makes you forget that he's jacking a beat
from Scooby Doo. He even did steamy lil sex song "Can I
Hit it Tonight" for the freaks in the industry. But make
no mistake. This album was made for the west side
enthusiast. So murder, mayhem and fist fights permeate
"Immortalized" from the first track to the last. On
"Make 'Em Bleed" he promises "You tell 'em Bossalini
calls the shots/ I'm still lookin' for the bitch ass
niggas who murdered my homie Pac".
This album also has unthinkable cameos. The first song
on the album, has Spice unloading clips at point blank
range teamed up with N.O.R.E on "What the Fuck". Another
track "Thug Poetry" is a down tempo track with Saafir.
The contrast of their voices as well as their rhyme
patterns are a pleasant surprise. And Spice is clear on
who he does collaborations with and WHY he does them.
"I don't have to have twenty to thirty muthafuckas on
my album, that sold a million copies for me to sell
a million copies. That's showing weakness to me. I
feel that if you claim you a rapper and all of that
shit - and you can get them niggas on your album,
cool. But if they askin' you for 50, 80 and 90
thousand [dollars]? Potnah, I need you on my shit
nigga I'm Spice One. And even if I wasn't Spice One,
I would have more confidence in myself as an artist
to just bust and be raw. I do songs with my home
boys because we cool and we get down like that".
Spices mission was to make an album that reflected
the true mentality of the west coast. That mission
was accomplished on "Immortalized". "I'm not mad at
nobody. But ever since Pac and Biggie got killed.
It seems like niggas been scared to spit the real.
This shit [the rap game] came from the streets. And
when it leaves the streets - it's gon' die." Rest
assured that as long has his lungs keep breathing,
Spice One will never let that happen.
by Adisa Banjoko
mailto:shinken@pacbell.net
rap.1538brka,
Davey D Ultimate Hip Hop Quiz #2
1-What well known rapper started out calling himself
the Holy Ghost Boy?
2-Who in Hip Hop started out calling himself the
Overweight Lover?
3-Eazy E put out a white female emcee on his record
label? What was her name?
4-What well known emcee has two dancers named Scoop
and Scrap?
5-What does the letters in KRS-One's name stand for?
6-What well known Hip Hop group put out the album
and song 'Paid In Full'?
7-Name all the original members of the group NWA?
8-What Bay Area Rapper has hold the record for
putting out the most Hip Hop albums?
9-Name the original members for the group Tribe
Called Quest.
10-What well known rap group has a video game coming
out that is based upon them?
11-What does GURU of Gang Starr name stand for?
12-What pioneering West Coast artist introduced the
world to Rodney O and Joe Cooley?
13-Who was the the MC for legendary DJ Cash Money?
14-What famous rap group used the hook to the old
school yard/nursery school rhyme 'Engine Engine
Number 9'?
15-What was the original group Everlast was down
with... before he did the song 'Jump Around'?
16-What was the original group producer Prince Paul
of the Grave Diggaz was down with?
17-What famous record executive was down with the
pioneering group DrJeckyl and Mr Hyde?
18-What well known rapper made news by receiving
an invitation and attending a fundraiser for
the Republican Party?
19-What famous rap star is also a member of a rock
group called Body Count?
20-Kurtis Blow did a song that paid tribute to his
DJ.. Name his DJ?
rap.1539brka,
FEED BACK & LETTERS
King Dave,
As a subscriber to your newsletter and a former active
journalist, I never thought I would be compelled to write
to you. I am someone who has seen you walking and riding
around the Bay for years and someone who has heard you
speak at all the media events like the Bay Area Black
Journalist townhall meetings and the Bay Area Black Media
Coalition conferences. We have even written articles for
the same local papers.
Anyway, I must weigh-in on the Eminem/NWA/Niggaz thing:
I just moved back to the Bay Area after living for
two years in my small hometown of Rockford, Illinois and
it was quite an experience.
I saw white people in my old 'hood, selling and smoking
crack, listening to a lot of Hip-Hop and, yes, calling each
other "Nigga."
At first, I thought this was just to fit in, but then
when I looked at the contexts in which the word was used,
I saw something deeper.
The word was used to express anger that was not
necessarily hatred. As in "Niggah, I'll kill you!"
The word was used as a term of endearment as in "That's
my Niggah, right there."
However the word was used, it was used to show a
sincere emotion that could hardly be mistaken for a
racial slur.
My mother would come by my house and hear my white
neighbors use the word and she just wrote them off as
"white trash." And my girlfriend, who was Native American
looked at them with some disdain, also. But I understood.
The point is, the term has been so co-opted by so
many races as to have become mostly benign. It's just
become another noun that could be easily applied to
anything and anyone. How the word is received depends
largely on the listener and the circumstances and
circumstances don't necessarily have a color.
As for Eminem, I can't see him with the Straigh
Outta Compton clique, but I believe that if I got to
know him, I'd be telling people, "That's my Nigga!"
Luv the website and the newsletter, Dave. Keep on doin'
what you're doing on the air and on the Net.
Terry Andre Woodard
-----
Dave:
In response to your comments on Eminem being a "nigga".
I firmly believe that in 1999/2000, the detrimental
associations with the word nigger have diminished in
certain cultures in our society. As long as I can
remember, some 27+ years now, my friends and I have
greeted each other with "What up nigga", "Yo nigga"
and many other hello's along those lines. It is
nothing to hear us saying things like "That's my
nigga" or "Nigga you crazy". The fact that I am
white has never played a factor in being a "Nigga".
In the hip-hop culture, it is equivocal to being
"one of the guys". Even the women that we hang
around with who are down become "niggas" from time
to time. The word has become a badge of honor of
sorts that validates and solidifies your acceptance
in the hip hop culture. It is our brand of tattoo,
letting all who hear know that you are accepted,
"down with the movement".
It is far past the time when we as citizens in the
various neighborhoods and burroughs of the hip-hop
community live such contradictory lives. We preach
"keep it real" when the reality is that we all have
bills to pay and mouths to feed. We adopt and
conceive to create our own dialect of the English
language and then change the rules of application
to suit our own needs in any given situation.
Is Em black, no. But is he a nigga? Yes. Didn't
he go through his own set of trials and tribulations
in the course of life in the hip hop culture to
earn that title. His skills alone, which are
considerable to date, we'll see if he has lasting
value, should grant him access to the hip hop elite
and thus wear the title.
Color doesn't make you a nigga. If we as a culture
have adopted this title as a term of endearment, we
cannot be selective about who can be endeared with
its use.
Todd Dahn
Knowledge Giving Birth Enterprises
-----
Davey D
Basically white rappers calling themselves niggas has
already started. Example White Dawg on his album shit
poor accuse of an album Thug Ride. I forgot which track,
but he says it and pays it no mind.
As for Eminem I give him respect for being a good
lyricist (not the saviour of Hip-Hop) and for knowing
not to go near the word.
In terms of white kids and blacks using the word in the
public at large, it seems to me that the true impact
of the word won't reach them until they encounter the
racism attached to it.
Recently here in the UK there have been a host of race
crimes committed by right-wing racist groups, and the
police. Things are so bad that a man who attacked,
doused with petrol and set alight in a race attack
outside a bar, was deemed by the police to have
committed suicide (???).
Biggest influence for the use of word outside of the
Ku Klux Klan ARE rappers they seem to be ignorant of
its impact when nicely edited, packaged and sound
engineered. It is no longer something that you say
within your crew, but becomes public domain e.g. Quentin
Tarantino's frequent use. I do find it weird however
that whenever a rapper performs to a crowd which is
not predominately black that they don't tend to say
nigga (as anyone else notice that?). It is as if they
realize they sound stupid calling themselves a nigga
in front of whites.
Something has to be done in term of when (if at all)
it should be used, because I'm sick of having to
punch white kids who say as a term of endearment
(whatever that means).
Aro8
UK
rap.1540brka,
JAY-Z DRAMA...
The drama surrounding Jay-Z and last week's stabbing of record
executive Lance 'Un' Rivera continues to unfold. First, we have
two counts of first degree assault being charged to Jay-Z. He
will have to appear in court on January 31st and if convicted
can get up to 25 years. If that's not enough, two other people
have popped up to claim they too were assaulted by Jay-Z on
separate occasions. Jay-Z's camp not only maintains his
innocence but also notes that because of the controversy and
Jay-Z's high visibility all sorts of folks are coming out and
attacking. Lastly, you have the rampant speculation and
rumors that are suggesting this whole drama is one big
publicity stunt to help boost album sales of Jay-Z's soon
to be released 'The Life And Times Of Shawn Carter'. The
supposed fuel that led up to the stabbing and assault on
Lance Un Rivera was the belief that Rivera and his crew
were bootlegging Jay-Z's album.
For all this to occur just as we head on into the new
millennium is a major set back for Hip Hop and the
positive strides Jay-Z has made this year. Here's a guy
who not only won a Grammy, but also put on the most
successful tour in Hip Hop history. The Hard Knock Life Tour
was free of the violence and mayhem often associated with
rap and it set a tone for the type of better things to
come. Here's a guy who owns and runs one of Hip Hop's most
successful labels Roc-A-Fella Records. He recently profiled
on national TV news shows like Fox Files where they focused
on the fact that Jay-Z despite his success still goes back
to his old neighborhood of Marcy Projects in Bedstuy Brooklyn
and tried to reach out and help bring up others. Now we can
look and say what we want about Jay-Z. We can take his side
and believe he was uninvolved. We can look at this from the
other side and say it was a ridiculous thing for him to do
when you consider how much he has going for him. Jay-Z as
we get ready to head on into the 21st century is clearly
at the top of his game. What can not be ignored is this
eerie pattern of brothas being on top of their game and
suddenly having something negatively dramatic happen in
their lives.
It's ironic that we get ready to close out '99 with this
unfortunate incident because about a year ago I wrote an
article entitled 'The Year of The Hip Hop Criminal'
http://www.daveyd.com/FullArticles\articleN13.asp. In it
I noted that 98 saw close to 30 high profile rap stars
either get arrested, do some jail time or be involved
in some sort of drama. I'm talking about everyone from
Bushwick Bill, Mystikal, Mase, Busta Rhymes, Method Man,
Noreaga, DMX, Fat Joe, Big Pun, Keith Murray, Foxy Brown,
C-BO, Ghostface Killer, ODB, D-Dot The Madd Rapper,
Coolio, Wyclef Jean and Guru just to name a few. This
year alone had all sorts of drama ranging from crazy
incidents involving, Puff Daddy, Luther Campbell,
Kane & Abel, Duke of Pyscho Realm, Redman, DMX, Tim
Westwood, and Raydogg of Made Men/RSO are just a few.
As I looked over incidents that have occurred over the
past five years the list becomes even longer with damn
near everyone from Queen Latifah to Naughty By Nature
having had hand cuff slapped on them. Others ranging
from Suge Knight to Rappin' 4Tay found themselves and
still find themselves behind bars. Over the past 5 years
we've lost more then 10 artists to untimely deaths:
2Pac, Biggie, Seagram, Big L, Freaky Tah, Eazy E, MC Ant,
Mr C of RBL Posse, and Rappin' Ron are just a few. The
bottom line is I found myself hard pressed to find an
high profile artist that has not had some sort of
troubling incident attached to their name. And these
are the things that have been reported.
By citing these names I'm not trying to make the case
that none of these individuals are not responsible for
any sort of drama they have experienced. I am concerned
at the high numbers and I have to ask 'Why?' and 'How?'
I have to ask 'Is there a pattern here?' It's easy to
look at this list and simply come to the conclusion
that all these people mentioned are involved in Hip Hop
and their lifestyle is supposedly violent. One easily
put two and two together and call it a day, but I think
there's more to it then that. All this is not happening
in a vacuum. Are we a society of criminals and people who
like to act ill? Are there outside forces at work that
helping mold and shape this overall picture? If we are
all criminal, how come so many are high profile
successful artists who we see and hear everyday? Are
we a community that likes to give props to the Thugs
and Hoodlums in our midst? Are all these arrests a
result of us glamorizing the gangsta and thug mentality?
Or is it something else? Should we not look at the social,
economic and political forces that are at work and
impacting us all? For example, last year when I did
the story about the 'Year of The Hip Hop Criminal', I
found that more then half the artists who got arrested
fell into similar scenarios. They were driving expensive
cars, got pulled over and found them and their cars
being searched. At that point, the police would usually
discover something that would lead to an arrest like a
joint in the ashtray, a weapon or someone wearing a
bullet proof vest which is illegal in many states.
Now I'm not a statistician or anything like that, so
I can't say for sure whether or not these type of
arrests were in synch with what was going on with the
everyday population. It just seemed like rap artists
were being targeted by police. I wound up exploring
this a bit further and eventually with the help of
the ALCU and Vinnie from Naughty By Nature came to
the conclusion that what I was noticing may have been
part of this Driving While Black profiling that the
ACLU and the NAACP was combatting. I eventually did
a radio show on this topic where Vinnie who was a guest
shared with our audience that there were indeed a lot
of rappers and Black celebrities in general who were
constantly being hassled by New York City. He pointed out
that mayor Giuliani was encouraging his police department
to crack down and as result a lot of young Black man in
a fancy cars were being seen as dope dealers or some
other type of criminal. The end result was seemingly
everyone in a fancy car who was Black or Puerto Rican
would find themselves being pulled over for some petty
infraction like 'no lights over the licence plate'.
These stops were being used as a pretense to search
cars. It was at that point that half smoked joints or
weapons would be found. Now should these artists have
been more responsible? Yes of course. However, what
should not be ignored is the reason for the police
stop in the first place. Vinnie eventually went on to
do some speaking on behalf of the ACLU in an attempt
to give people a heads up about this problem.
I will admit what i just described in no way addresses
the question of violence or Jay-Z's current situation.
I'm not trying to justify anything or make excuses for
ill behavior. I am however saying we should definitely
be taking a close look at all these numbers and see if
there's a pattern. Why is this happening? is it something
in the water? is there a bigger social issue at hand?
I'll close by noting this..If you look beyond the
boundaries of Hip Hop you'll find that damn near every
African American celebrities or High profile figure has
had some sort of drama come down the pipe. Think about
what has happened over the past 10 years.. James Brown
went to jail, Michael Jackson was accused of child
molestation, Magic Johnson got HIV, Michael Jordan's
father was killed and stories surfaced about his
gambling habit, Bill Cosby's son was killed and rumors
surfaced about it being drug related, not to mention
around the same time his wholesome All American father
image was soiled by a woman who attempted to extort
money by claiming Bill was her dad. Earlier this year
basketball great Dr J [Julius Erving] found himself in
the limelight and reporters trying to soil his name
when they discovered his extramarital indiscretions
from years back. From film director Spike lee to
actors like Mikal T Williams or Malik Yorba to all these
African American Mayors of predominantly Black cities
who lost their seats, such high profile individuals
have had their characters and reputations tarnished,
they've been involved with some major drama, they've been
ostracized and marginalized or they've just been plain
old drag down from the high status they once had. Think
about it. Start naming off names and you'll discover
there's an there's an awful lot of people who have been
heroes and sheroes within the African American community
who have suddenly fallen from grace. Maybe we're asking
more questions and digging deep into people's personal
lives or maybe there's is something else at hand. I can't
say exactly what it is. I can't quite put my finger on it..
But something ain't right in Gotham City. Is this whole
incident involving Jay-Z an isolated incident? Is it a
case of bad and irresponsible judgement? Or is it part
of trend and a pattern that is now starting to unfold?
Hit me back at mailto:kingdave@sirius.com
rap.1541brka,
Q-TIP'S DEMANTI...
Q-Tip's manager Chris Lighty , of Violator Records released
a press statement in response to the NY Daily News front
page story that blasted the headlines 'Rappers Brawl'. In
the story it remarked how Q-Tip got hurt during the melee
and was seen sitting on the stage crying. Here's the press
statement:
This morning, in the cover story entitled "Rapper Brawl,"
the NY Daily News made a number of erroneous statements
regarding Q-Tip at his record release party this week
in New York. The fact is Q-Tip was not injured nor
assaulted in the on stage melee. At the time the NY
Daily News reported that Q-Tip was "crying on stage,"
he was nowhere in the vicinity of the violence. In
actuality, he was upstairs in the mezzanine having
his photo taken and doing press interviews, unaware of
the activities taking place on the first floor. Q-Tip,
a former member of A Tribe Called Quest, does not
condone violence and regrets that this unfortunate
incident took place at what was supposed to be a
great celebration. Q-Tip's solo debut, "Amplified,"
was released on November 30th on Arista Records.
rap.1542brka,
2PAC CONFERENCE
The 2Pac Amaru Shakur One Nation conference that was held
this Saturday Dec 4th at McClymonds High School in West
Oakland was a beautiful thing. The community came out in
force as there were several workshops presented that made
it worth attending. One highlight was an unreleased film
project that Pac participated in when he was 17. His
manager Leila Steinberg explained that 10 years ago 2Pac
partook in a film project where the ideas and perspectives
of several young people would be captured on tape and would
be revisited 10 years later to see how they had changed.
Out of all the participants 2Pac was the only one who
never made it to the 10 year anniversary. However, the
words he spoke were so moving and in many ways prophetic.
He addressed an array of issues ranging from ways to
change the educational system, to dealing with homelessness
to forming a new Black Panther Party to combat skin heads
who lived near his home in Marin City. The film left a
lot of people really missing Pac and understanding just
how intelligent and forthright he really was. One can only
imagine what sort of things he could've accomplished had
he still been around.
On the topic of education, 2Pac spoke eloquently about the
types of things that make it difficult for a lot of inner
city youth to learn. He suggested that everyone be required
to take classes that cover the basics-reading, writing and
arithmetic. he emphasized the fact that he not only enjoyed
reading but that it was a practical skill to have mastered.
While, he spoke about the practicality of people his age
[17 at that time] having the three Rs mastered, he noted
that the school curriculum should be designed to address
and deal with social issues and concerns that are going on
in people's day to day struggles. For example, he felt that
in his high school MT Tamalpias, that there should've been
classes that offered a realistic approach to money and
economics, sex education, drugs, racism and police
brutality. He summarized that these are issues people have
to deal with everyday yet they are never really discussed
in schools in a way that makes sense to youth. He noted that
type of clinical approach often imparted by teachers when
they did touch upon these topics left people feeling
confused and turned off. Instead of being required to
take foreign language, 2Pac suggested that youth be giving
classes on how to understand political double talk. He
questioned the usefulness of someone in the hood having
to learn German while these same individuals could not
understand the type talk his local politician uses when
explaining why he did not keep a promise he made to the
community. He wanted classes that would teach youth how
to break down and really understand the system. As Pac
rattled off his suggestion one could hear many of the
youth in the audience clapping and nodding their heads
in agreement.
2Pac brought his points home when he talked about how
the educational system was out of date. He noted that it
seemed like adults were concerned with having him and
other students do 'busy work' just for the sake of keeping
them occupied. He talked about how many parents saw school
as a place to drop their kids off like a day care center
and that it was disappointing that they remained
uninvolved. Adults he noted, weren't prepared and up to
the challenge of making education relevant for the kid
about to enter into the 1990s and later 21st century.
Pac was also candid when he spoke about his own
participation in class. He noted that he found school
to be boring and oftentimes he would do things to try
and stir things up. He wanted to break the routine he
noted.
Hearing Pac speak about the role of adults and how they
see young people as an after thought by way of their
actions really struck cords in the audience. He spoke at
length about the relationship he had with his mother
and how she always encouraged him to be truthful no
matter what the cost. He talked about how he was able
to talk to his mom about things like sex and drugs and
get honest answers. He talked about how his friends
used to come talk to his mom because their own parents
would not engage in such discussions. He noted that by
not speaking to their kids, the youth are left to find
answers in the streets. 2Pac also talked about taking
responsibility for the types of choices you make in
life and he was critical of some of his mother's choices.
For example he questioned the wisdom behind her decision
to move their family from New York City to Baltimore where
at that time it had the highest rate of teen pregnancy,
teen suicide, AIDS cases and teen violence in the entire
country. 2Pac said he found himself placed in a sea of
ignorance and felt like an outsider while living there.
He also felt inspired to try and do some things to change
the conditions and hence he made attempts to start
campaigns that addressed his concerns. He said he hated
feeling helpless and overwhelmed about conditions
effecting him.
In this film, 2Pac spoke about the legacy of living 8 of
his 17 years under President Ronald Reagan. He spoke in
depth about the types of miserable conditions his
presidency spawned within the inner city. He was hoping
that someone like Massachusetts Governor Dukakis or Jesse
Jackson would be able to be elected and correct some of
the wrongs. Pac noted how under Reagan there was a
dramatic increase in homelessness and he suggested that
Ronald Reagan could really set the tone to ending it if
he opened up the White House and let some of the homeless
live in the 1000 plus unoccupied rooms that existed there.
2Pac said he was puzzled as to how there could be
homelessness in Washington DC when the president lives
in a place with so many rooms. He noted that Reagan
would've benefited by having the homeless live under his
roof because they might be able to offer him some practical
advise for solving some problems. They could give him a
street perspective on certain situations. Pac's candidness
and suggestions left the interviewers momentarily speechless.
There were so many other things 2Pac covered, unfortunately
we weren't allowed to tape or get copies of the film. The
people who control 2Pac's estate won't allow this film out.
An exception was made for the conference. I was surprised
to learn that 2Pac's mom Afeni does not have final say so
on how 2Pac's estate is administered. As it was explained
to me there is still a lot of unfinished business that
needs to be tended to before she is finally given full
control. I'm not up on all the particulars but apparently
when one dies and all their affairs aren't in order, it
can be an absolute nightmare for the family members left
behind. It was explained that it took two years to of
cutting through legal red tape to get 2Pac's recently
released book of poetry published.
In any case if one gets a chance to ever see this film
please do so. No matter what one may think of 2Pac and
all the controversy that later befell his life, this
film is absolutely incredible and should be required
in all schools for both youth and parents to see. If for
any reason it bridges the generation gap. Even though
2Pac dropped his words 10 years ago, his remarks were
representing the sentiments of many of the youth in
attendance on Saturday's conference.
The other highlight of the 2Pac Conference that really
impacted people was the workshop put together by 2Pac's
Godfather Geronimo Jijaga Pratt. He was the former
Black Panther who was imprisoned for 27 years for a
crime he didn't do. He brought together a panel of
former Black Panthers and activists from the 60s. and
70s. Many of these guys had been to prison for long
periods of time for their involvement in the Panther
Party. They shared with the audience their upbringing
and let the youth they were addressing know that too
came from the hood. Many were former gang members or
wayward youth who tried to get themselves together
and change the system to bring about better tomorrows.
They talked at length about the reasons why one should
not 'set trip'. They talked about how the Panthers
attempted to politicize many of the old street gangs
and get them to re channel their energies to dealing
with a common enemy of oppression.
You had brothas from LA who talked about how the old
street gangs buried the hatchet and came together after
the Watts Riots of 1965 with the intentions of doing
good within the community. They spoke about the strong
alliances and connections the Black and Latino community
had on the west coast. It was really deep. They talked
about political prisoners and they talked about the
types of attempts that were made by the FBI under
director J. Edgar Hoover to undermine and break up
that unity. They talked about today's Hip Hop generation
and what sort of steps one should consider to leverage
power. They encouraged the youth to learn from past
mistakes and to not be afraid to become leaders. They
made it a point to let the audience know that when they
had joined the Black Panther Party, many of them only
18 or 19 years old. All these brothas and sistas who
spoke came from the heart to the point of being moved
to tears. It was truly one of the most powerful
workshops I had ever attended. I think the message from
all those in that room was felt and heard loud and
clear. If there was any reason to attend the 2Pac
Conference it was just to hear the old Panthers speak
to the youth. After the workshop everyone gathered
around to take pictures.
rap.1543gligo,
U Los Angeles Times-u se pre neki dan pojavila prica u vezi
ponovnog pokretanja istrage oko ubistva jednog od najvecih repera
devedesetih, Notorious B.I.G.-a. Naime, kako VIBE prenosi, vodi se
dodatna istraga oko bivseg pripadnika policije Los Angelesa, zbog
umesanosti u ubistvo B.I.G.-a
Policajac je vec u pritvoru zbog drugih stvari, ali kako se saznaje,
momak je bio u kontaktu sa Suge Knightom, osnivacem izdavacke
kuce Death Row Records (Dre, Tupac, Snoop) koji je navodno,
narucio ubistvo B.I.G.-a. Pomenuti policajac je opet, unajmio trece
lice za samo izvrsenje atentata.
Da bi stvar bila jos komplikovanija, momak iz B.I.G.-ove pratnje,
na skorasnjem "suceljavanju" u policijskoj stanici, prepoznao je
osumnjicenog policajca kao osobu koja je atentatora odvezla sa
lica mesta.
Jos nisu podignute optuznice, a obe strane, i zastupnici Knighta i
zastupnici pomenutog policajca odbijaju bilo kakvu umesanost u
atentat.
Inace, Suge Knight je i dalje na robiji gde izdrzava 9-godisnju kaznu
zbog krsenja uslovne slobode odnosno tuce u MGM hotelu, koja je
prethodila upucavanju Tupac Shakura.
rap.1544gligo,
-> #1541, brka
VIBE prenosi da je Lil' Kim nedavno imala "zestoke" primedbe na
odluku Puff Daddya da objavi album sa davno uradjenim B.I.G.-ovim
pesmama jer smatra da album koji treba da izadje ovih dana uopste
ne odslikava i ne prati B.I.G.-ove kvalitete sa proslih albuma, kao i
da se na albumu nalazi dosta pratecih repera.
rap.1545gligo,
-> #1542, brka
Novi album Tupac+Outlawz u prodaji od 25. decembra.
rap.1546gligo,
Izvinjavam se brki zbog nepotrebnog replya i lose odradjenog execa.
rap.1547brka,
PIONIRI HIP HOP-A
"""""""""""""""""
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I think all of us who
are involved or down for Hip Hop should take time out
and give thanks to all those who gave us the music,
the culture and the game. For example we all owe a
bit of gratitude to pioneers like Afrika Bambaataa
and his Universal Zulu Nation. Here's a guy who came
out of New York's ruthless gang culture and succeeded
in creating something positive when there was so much
negativity around. He took former gang members put
them under one umbrella known as Zulu Nation and over
the years brought this group not only to their
recently celebrated 25th Anniversary but made them
a household name in Hip Hop circles all around the
world. There are now over 10 thousand Zulu Nation
Members world wide and chapters in every major
city and countries throughout the Planet. The Zulu's
who used to vehemently guard turf now guard Hip Hop
Culture and many of its ideals.
Bam was known as the Master of Records because of his
huge vinyl collection and his willingness to expand
Hip Hop's musical boundaries. He was the first deejay
I ever heard take a Malcolm X or Martin Luther King
Speech and play it over a Hip Hop break beat. He
was creative enough to take the 'Theme to the Pink
Panther' and rock it over Hip Hop drum beats. Bam
was the first to really take Hip Hop beyond the
boundaries of The Bronx and Harlem's Black and Puerto
Rican communities. Bam was the one who made Hip Hop
multi-cultural. He was the first to take Hip Hop
downtown to New York's trendy village community. He
was the first to provide a safe haven for folks
outside the community to come up and see what Hip Hop
culture was really all about.
He's also the one who gave birth to the Electro-Funk
aspect of Hip Hop. He's the one attempted to keep the
soul of Black music in particular the funk from being
compromised, diluted and watered down during the Age
of Disco. Before folks were really up on George Clinton
and The P-Funk, Bam was a full fledged Funkateer. Before
folks really developed a deep appreciation for James
Brown whose music became a major backbone for early
Hip Hop, Bam was making records with him.
DJ Afrika Bambaataa was the one who spread the word
thus making him Hip Hop's first Ambassador. He was the
one who attempted to bridge the generation gap between
a resistant older Black community and it's innovative
young. He was the first who attempted to provide a
positive forum of expression for the local neighborhood
thugs. This is the same Bambaataa-The Grandfather of
Hip Hop who recently came to the Bay Area to perform
at a club with less then 100 people and not one major
radio or video station that now makes a living peddling
Hip Hop culture bothered to grant him an interview. No
one bothered to build directly from his experience
and wisdom. This is the same Bambaataa who laid down
much of the blue print for Hip Hop but now when his
name is mentioned to todays Hip Hopper he/she will
arrogantly dismiss Bam and accomplishments and say
'He's Old School'.
Did you play a Bambaataa record this Thanksgiving? Did
you give thanks to one of our founding fathers?
We owe thanks to DJ Kool Herc and his Herculoids. For
those who don't know the Herculoids was the name given
to Herc's monster sound system. It was unrivaled and
it was what gave Herc his reputation as a DJ not to
be toyed with. He could and would drown you out in any
sound battle. It was Herc who was the first to throw
huge block parties. These were the parties that people
often rhyme about when they talk about going 'back in
the days'. Like Bam, Herc was a peace keeper. His
legendary block parties brought people from all over.
During this time of New York's infamous turf wars,
Kool Herc was one of the few that could bring
everyone under one roof and make everyone get along.
Herc's 25 cent admission price, his Herculoidian sound
system and his unique deejaying style was always the
feature attraction. Having such a booming system was
a hold over from the many deejaying techniques Herc
imported from his native Jamaica. In addition, Herc
was the first to take two records, find the percussion
breakdown [break beats] and extend it indefinitely on
two turntables. This technique later became the
foundation for Hip Hop's musical expression.
Lastly it was Herc who manifested the old African Oral
Tradition by getting on the mic and saying a 'little
some'em some'em'. Initially he made shout outs and
acknowledgements to people attending the party. This
helped keep the peace because it was a way of making
folks feel important. No!, Herc didn't rhyme like they
do today. But he laid down the ground work for what
was to come. We owe thanks to Coke La Rock and Clark
Kent who used to roll with Herc. These were Hip Hop's
first emcees. They were the ones who not only gave shout
outs, announced upcoming events and made celebrities
out of all the party goers, but they were among the
first to start reciting rhymes on a mic over break beats.
Ironically the technique of rhyming over music was
initially attributed to our Jamaican cousins. It was
known as toasting. However, the folks in Jamaica got
their game from the early Black radio deejays here in
the states who were known for their 'gift of gab' and
rhyme skillz. Many used to rhyme while introducing
songs. Many Jamaicans had opportunities to hear some
of these old radio shows due to the fact that the
signals which was carried on the AM dial, would bounce
down to the islands. It wasn't long before some of
these Black radio deejay techniques began to be
mimicked by our Jamaican counterparts. By the time
Herc hit the streets of New York that old style of
deejaying was all but erased from the Black radio
stations that were listened to by New York's young
people. Radio back then was then undergoing major
changes. The concept of of more music less talk was
emerging and disco was being shoved down people's
throat. A lot of kids were rejecting this music which
left a huge void.
Herc's arrival filled a void and in a strange sort of
ways linked generations. I recall doing a radio interview
with Herc about two years ago and he was remarking how he
was having a difficult time obtaining free tickets to
Hip Hop concerts. He remarked how he would hear NY radio
stations boldly claim in their slogans 'This Is where
Hip Hop lives' but when Herc, who is often considered
to be The Godfather of Hip Hop would call and ask for
a pair of tickets to an upcoming 'Hip Hop' event being
sponsored by the station, his request would be denied.
With Hip Hop being a multi-billion dollar a year
business one has to wonder if Herc has even made his
first million? With all the rap stars who have made it
a point to do major collaborations, who has bothered
to invite Kool Herc to bless one of their songs? Public
Enemy's Terminator X was the only one I knew of who did this..
So this Thanksgiving lets give props to Kool Herc the
Godfather of Hip Hop. More importantly before your son or
daughter pops in a cassette of the latest Juvenile or
Cash Money song where they talk about 'Bling Bling',
make sure they know about DJ Kool Herc.
Lets not overlook Grandmaster Flash. This is the man who
perfected the deejaying technique that was started by
Herc. This was the man who brought style and showmanship
to deejaying. He was the first to really elevate the art
by inventing all sorts of turntable tricks. Flash was
the first one I ever saw mix records while turning his
back to the audience. He was the one who I first saw do
what we now call quick mixing and cutting. Flash, who
back in the days was a certified electrician, was also
the guy who invented the cross fader that all deejays
use to cue up records. Flash was also the first to
bring out a drum machine and incorporate it into the
mix. Back then it was called The Beat Box. Before Flash
hit the scene with his legendary group the Furious Five
he was part of another pioneering crew called the L
Brothers. The L stood for Livingston. Within that clan
was a young kid who was mentored and taught by Flash
name Theodore. It was Flash who passed down the game
and gave birth to one of Hip Hop's most colorful and
pioneering deejays Grand Wizard Theodore. For those
who don't know Theodore is credited with inventing
the scratch.
Grandmaster Flash was always an attraction. He set
the standard for aspiring deejays. When I think
back to all the innovative turntable tricks Flash
did back in the days and take into account the type of
equipment he used, I can only wonder what heights he
could've achieved had he had access to today's
standard equipment. Back in the 70s Flash didn't
have the luxury of today's strong motored Technique
1200s. He didn't have fancy mixers that are designed
specifically for turntable acrobatics. What Flash
accomplished can only be marveled.
While Flash was a household names, on par with him
were his legendary emcees. The Furious Four Emcees
and later Five. We're talking about Mr Ness aka
Scorpio, Kid Creole, Mele-Mel and Cowboy. Raheem of
course came from another Hip Hop pioneering group
we owe much gratitude DJ Breakout And The Funky
Four Plus One More. That 'One More' was Sha-Rock
who was one of Hip Hop's first female emcees. Back
in '78 she was the absolute bomb. Also The Funky
Four Plus One More perfected the art of rhyming with
an echo chamber. Props to the late great Cowboy who
was Grandmaster Flash's first emcee. Back then he
set the standard for rockin' parties. He was the one
who developed all the popular 'call and response'
techniques that are still used to this day. His
untimely death some years back was sad indeed and in
many ways tragic. For one who gave so much he has not
been openly appreciated by many who claim they are
down for Hip Hop. Hip Hop owes major gratitude to
Cowboy. Thanks should be given to Mele-Mel who back
in the days was the absolute best emcee. With his
baritone voice, Mele was the one who 'had rhymes
galore'. He was also among the first to drop relevant
social messages in his raps. Who can forget his
landmark record 'The Message'? His style and finesse
were what many an early emcee strived to achieve.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving lets give props to all
the Hip Hop pioneers: The late Disco King Mario,
Zulu Queen Lisa Lee who was another pioneering female
emcee. We owe thanks to the late Masterdon and his
crew The Committee which featured among others a dope
female rapper named Pebbly Poo. The late Pumpkin who
was Hip Hop's first real producer and original 'funky
drummer' is owed some props. We also owe a big thanks
to The Crash Crew which featured Mike & Dave, Lashube,
the late Darryl C, Mike C, G-Man and Barry B-Stro who
wound up doing an appearance on Saturday Nite Live
back in '81. Grand Wizard Theodore and The Fantastic
Romantic 5, The Brother's 3, Pete DJ Jones, the late
Grandmaster Flowers, The Force MCs, Infinity Machine,
The Disco Twins, Orange Crush Productions which was
Russell Simmons' group in his pioneering days, Kurtis
Blow who was the first artist signed to a major record
label are all owed props. Pioneering djs like Kid Capri,
Brucie B and DJ Cordeo should be honored. All you
mixtape DJs owe a bit of gratitude to the original
Tape Kings who were the first to do mixtapes back
the days.
Fab 5 Freddy gets props for more then just Yo! MTV raps.
He was a key architect in the early Brooklyn Hip Hop
scene. Other pioneers we owe thanks to include;
Spoonie G and The Treacherous Three which included
Kool Moe Dee, Eddie Cheeba and The Cheeba Crew, Chief
Rocker Busy Boy Starski, Lovebug Starski, The Mercedes
Ladies, DJ Hollywood, Force MCs, Jazzy Jay and Afrika
Islam for doing the first Hip Hop radio show called
Zulu Beats. DJ Red Alert who just celebrated his
birthday is due props as he's been putting Hip Hop
down almost since the beginning. We can't forget Mr
Magic and of course The Cold Crush Brothers featuring
one of Hip Hop's best, the legendary Grandmaster Caz.
The Cold Crush epitomize the art of harmonizing and
developing routines. Their 'Cats In the Cradle' routine
is still a Hip Hop classic. They also sported DJ
Charlie Chase one of Hip Hop's more visible Latinos.
We would be remiss if we didn't cite Sugar Hill Gang
for putting out the genres second rap record. The
first was put out by King Tem III OIt was called
'Personality Jock' and was on the flipside of Fatback
band record. This record harked back to the old school
Black radio deejay days. People's first introduction
to Rap music was through Sugar Hill Gang. They also
hold the dubious distinction of changing the name
from emceeing or rhyming to rap. These are just a few
of the many pioneers who put it down for us. I haven't
even hit on the whole dancing and graf aspects of
Hip Hop culture.
Here out west we owe a great deal of gratitude to
Egyptian Lover and Uncle Jamms Army. They were among
the first to go out and have their own independent
artist owned Hip Hop label. They were the west coast
equivalent to DJ Kool Herc as they used to throw some
legendary 'block' parties at local roller rinks, the
LA Coliseum, The Sports Arena and Pasadena Civic
Auditorium. In addition to all this they used to host
concerts where they created a forum for all the upcoming
artist of the day. Their reign went from the late 70s
all the way into the mid 80s where they would be
broadcasted live on Hip Hop's first commercial radio
station KDAY 1580 am.
One of the first places folks out west got a chance to
see Run DMC was at an Uncle Jamms Party. Ice T was the
first to make the bi-coastal connection when he hooked
with DJ Afrika Islam of the Zulu Nation. He even formed
a bi-coastal group featuring himself, Mele-Mel and Bronx
Style Bob called the Zulu Kings. Mixmaster Spade, DJ
Unknown and The World Class Wrecking Crew all put it
down for early Hip Hop here in the west. We can't
forget Chris The Glove who still produces tracks to
this day. DJs like Tony G, Julio G, Emcee O, M-Walk,
Joe Cooley and the entire KDAY Mixmasters squad deserve
our thanks. Remember KDAY 1580 was the nation's first
commercial Hip Hop radio station. We owe much thanks
to former program director and air personality Greg Mack.
Folks like Toddy Tee and Captain Rapp were the first to
drop socially conscious messages here on the West.
Remember the song 'Batter Ram' where Toddy brought
attention to LA's notorious crack scene and the LA
police department's' outrageous response which was
to bulldoze crack houses with a tank? Captain Rapp
had the west coast equivalent to 'The Message' with the
classic tune 'I Can't Stand It [Bad Times]'. Of course
we all owe thanks to producer Rich Carson and some of
the early Electro-funk he laid down with groups like
Formula IV and their classic song 'Killer Groove'.
Thanks must be given to west coast pioneers The LA Dream Team
featuring the late Rudy Pardee. How could we ever forget
songs like 'Rockberry'. Thanks go out to The Arabian
Prince who was putting it down in the early 80s. A bit of
gratitude is owed to that big baller King Tee and others
like Rodney O, General Jeff to name a few.
Further up North in the Bay Area, pioneers like Too Short
and Freddy B are to be given their due. They embraced
the pioneering spirit of ownership and entrepreneurialism.
They used to go around and sell homemade tapes on the
back of buses and out the trunk of cars. And like the
Hip Hop pioneers in New York, they too went around and
performed at neighborhood block parties and community
centers. Short also used to make custom made tapes for
all the local shot callers and big ballers. Short with
his record setting eleven albums laid down the blue
print for other West Coast artist who went on to own
labels. Other pioneers like MC Hammer and E-40 with his
original group MVP [Most Valuable Players] built upon
this model and added some crucial ingredients and
ground work to this whole entrepreneurial scene. Other
artists who put it down include Timex Social Club, Silky C,
and Hollywood, Coughnut of IMP, Hugh E MC, Saleem,
Dangerous Dame, MC Ant and Chill EB who went on to do
some popular Sega commercials. Guys like One Take Jake
and the members the group Basshouse Funk were among the
early white kids putting it down for Hip Hop. Again
this is going back to to the early 80s. Producers like
Khayree, Al Eaton, Ant Banks, Alex Hill and DJ EFX and
CJ Flash were among the early Hip Hop producers. Sway &
King Tech of the internationally syndicated Wake Up
Show were early Bay Area pioneers. A lot of people
don't know that Tech was deeply involved in the early
west coast break dance scene. In fact he was an original
member of the SF Ballet Breakers which formed in '82-'83.
On the radio front DJs like Kevvy Kev on Stanford's KZSU,
and KK Baby, Marcus Clemmons, La Baron and Rappin' 4Tay's
manager Frankie Jay were spinning Hip Hop beats and
putting it down for Hip Hop as far back as '79-'80 on
89.5 KPOO. The whole radio aspect evolved and the end
result was the formation of the Bay Area Hip Hop Coalition.
All in all, we who are down with Hip Hop owe a bit of
gratitude to those who came before us. Many us make a
comfortable living off the culture laid down by Hip Hop's
pioneers-many of whom are still around. Like the
creators of blues and Rock-n-Roll from several generations
before, many of these pioneers do not share the windfall
of profits that Hip Hop has generated. Sure, we have a few
success stories we can point to like Russell Simmons or
Andre Harrell who with the pioneering group Dr Jeckyl
and Mr Hyde. We can point too an Ice T, Too Short or E-40
and see that they're doing ok.. But the overwhelming
majority of folks who initially put it down are all but
forgotten and in many cases disrespected. Far too many us
are arrogant when we state that such individuals 'had
their day'. The problem with such sentiments is that we
often forget that we have been able to avoid many
pitfalls that have hindered our pioneers by learning
from their mistakes. Let us not forget or take for granted
the trailblazers of Hip Hop culture. Lets give thanks to
all who came before us... and put it down. It's only to
our advantage to know and appreciate our roots.
written by
Davey D
rap.1548brka,
MASTER RAKIM 1CE AGAIN...
Today (30.11.1999.) marks the official return of Hip Hop's
greatest emcee of alltime-Rakim Allah. His new lp 'The Master'
is dope, but I'm unafraid it will be met with little fanfare.
This is in spite of it being produced by Hip Hop's dopest
producer of alltime - DJ Premier and him keeping his
collaborations to a bare minimum. On this new joint only
Rahzel, Canibus and Lauryn Hill are allowed mic time.
Simply put, a lot of today's Hip Hop record buyers don't
really appreciate what 'The R' met to Hip Hop when he first
touched down almost 14 years ago back in 1986. His
smooth-cold as ice, unhurried rhyme pace revolutionized rap.
During that time everyone was shouting and sounding really
hyped on the mic. The R came along and changed the tempo.
He let you know you could chill and still drop lyrical bombs.
Rakim's 'paid in full' lyrics proceeded the 'bling bling',
'I got money, power respect' mentality and lyrics of today.
Just look at the back of Rakim's landmark album 'Paid In
Full' and tell me how was he and his crew were any different
then the Cash Money Click and No Limit Clicks of today? They
had as much gold draped around their neck as today's Hip
Hoppers have diamonds. The only difference was, Rakim made
it sound oh so cool to be materialistic. I'll give Rakim
and his than partner Eric B, they were really Hip Hop's
first million dollar rappers. When I ran into Eric a while
back he broke it down and explained that while other
rappers at that time were getting ripped off by ruthless
record companies who had no qualms taking advantage of
their ignorance, he and R cut a million dollar deal when
they left their original label 4th & Broadway and landed
on MCA. Eric explained that him and Rakim were straight
businessmen and they made it a point to get their piece
of the pie. When the R was brought out of retirement and
asked to drop 'The 18th Letter' he got a piece of the pie.
He was literally 'brought out' of retirement.
I listened to Rakim's last album 'The 18th Letter' and I'm
still hard pressed trying to figure out why so many people
thought it was weak. To this day I still can't figure out
who could match the rhyme style and delivery he executed
on a song like 'New York'. I'm still puzzled as to what
was wrong with his well put together commercial sounding
songs like 'Remember That'. I was talking to some pack back
wearing, underground, 'keep it real' type brotha who was
trying to run it down to me as to how on his last album,
Rakim 'sold out' by going commercial. He kept insisting
that 'The R' reverted to making songs for the radio. I
thought about it and it didn't make sense because as far
back as 'Paid In Full', Rakim had always dropped songs
that were regularly played on radio. From 'I Know You
Got Soul' to 'What's On Your Mind' to 'It's Been A Long
Time', the R was one of the few emcees who always managed
to be in regular rotation. As quiet as kept, he and Eric B
were even one of the first along side Run DMC to fuse
Hip Hop with rock. Folks may want to listen back to the fancy
rock mix they did of the classic single 'Paid In Full'. The
name of the song that was used has momentarily slipped my
mind. I recall the name Diana being in the title.. I do
recall having to play it three times a night when I used
to spin at white fraternity gigs up on the UC Berkeley
campus. Back then it was one of the few Hip Hop records I
could play. It was 'Paid In Full' and 'Walk This Way' and
'Tricky' by Run DMC that would keep the dance floor packed.
Even when Rakim did get commercial exposure, it wasn't
like you could front and say he was wack, 'cause everyone
knew there was no way he could matched on the mic. I mean
we're talking about Hip Hop's greatest emcee. Before folks
start going off about how real Hip Hop has never been
presented to the masses, bear in mind Rakim was there in
front of people's faces from day one. Paid In Full was
definitely an album that crossed over. The only other
emcee who was like R was Biggie. He was a dope emcee who
got regular air play and still managed to keep his street
creditability.
So today when you're in the record store and you see the
new lp 'The Master', understand that he's one of the few
who can make such claims and live up to it. The album
is pretty damn cool. Rakim hasn't really changed, just
the way people appreciate or don't appreciate various
styles of Hip Hop. My only complaint with 'The R' is
he ain't the greatest on stage performer. But there is
no one on planet earth from Mos Def on down to Pharaohe
Monch on down to Eminem who can match this kid on the
mic. Bottom line - He's the true Master.
rap.1549brka,
PROBLEMI ZA DIGITAL UNDERGROUND...
Bad news for Digital Underground as two people within
their entourage were arrested the other night in Little
Rock, Arkansas. Kyle James Eastern Jr., 21, and Michael
Sheldon Pierson were accused of 'attacking and fondling'
a 21 year old woman backstage after the group's concert
at the Hall of Industry which is located at the Arkansas
State Fairgrounds. The woman told police that she went
backstage and was forced into a bathroom by the two band
members who kissed and fondled her against her will.
She later identified Pierson who is NOT one of the
group's rappers or dancers and newcomer Kyle Eastern.
Eastern was also found to be possessing a small amount of
weed [marijuana]. The Little Rock police department
noted that both men after being arrested, gave
statements about the encounter and were later released
on bail. They have been charged with first degree
sexual abuse. So far there has been no official public
statements issued by any of the group's more notable
members like Shock G, Humpty Hump or Money B. We'll
keep you posted as this drama unfolds.
rap.1550brka,
UHAPSEN BUM BEAZY
In another bizarre and unfortunate twist for Hip Hop, a
New Orleans based rapper who sports the name Bum Beazy
aka James Lane 20, was arrested and charged with a series
of robberies. He apparently was out trying to raise money
to record his album. Bum Beazy's claim to fame was him
wearing a bumble bee suit when performing. Beazy when
arrested was caught with a handgun and 600 dollars in
Cash.. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking to myself-this
fool was wearing a bumble bee outfit. He should've been
arrested for that alone. Also with all the Hip Hop money
floating around New Orleans, between Cash Money and
No Limit, that could've probably hooked a deal with
those guys. Damn Bum Beazy you messed up!
rap.1551brka,
HIP HOP KALUDJERICA...
Since we've been talking about the strange and bizarre
happenings within Hip Hop, lets talk about some nuns in
Italy. Apparently there are a lot of Italians who believe
it's bad luck to walk past a nun. When this happens,
superstitious Italians will touch iron and say 'your nun'
which is the equivalent to knocking on wood here in the
US. Well to combat this bad reputation, Sister Alessandra
has turned to Hip Hop. She's dropped a protest CD of sorts
where she raps about the foolishness of this age old
superstition. The song is entitled 'Your Nun Touch Iron'.
From what I hear home girl [if you can call a nun home
girl] has a nice flow. So folks next time your parents
give you a bad time about listening to Hip Hop, you let
them no there are some bonafide nuns in Italy using
Hip Hop to get their message across. I tell you one
thing, with Sister Alessandra dropping her CD, she
gives new meaning to the term 'blessing the mic'.
rap.1552brka,
HIP HOP LADIES
At long last Hip Hop celebrates the accomplishments of it's
women folk. There is a new documentary that will be
premiering this week in Los Angeles entitled 'Nobody Knows
My Name'. According to the press release the film is put
together by Rachel Raimist of UCLA. The film is "Shot in
an intimate, hand-held style the film draws you into the
stories of the main characters - Medusa, T-Love, Lisa,
Asia One, DJ Symphony, and Leschea. They are women of
different ages, races, ethnicities, and economic
backgrounds, but they are connected by one thing,
their love for hip hop".
The featured Hip Hoppers include "Medusa, who is considered
the queen of the LA's thriving Hip Hop underground. She's
an emcee and poet who performs weekly in Los Angeles.
T-Love is an LA native and ex-Cripette [gang member] who
decided her lyrical skills would be her road to success.
Another character who is highlighted, Lisa married into
the Hip Hop life, and is now raising a hip hop family.
Leschea is an artist brought into the game by rap star
Masta Ace of the INC. Y'all remember Masta Ace? Anyway,
Leschea has lived a bumpy road even while signed to major
label Warner Bros. Records. Asia One has been organizing
the B-Boy Summit for years but is a b-girl who gets tired
of "rollin'" with all guys. DJ Symphony is the only female
member of The World Famous Beat Junkies dj crew, and is
passionate about turntabalism. All of these women share
their stories, dispel rumors, and illuminate truths. In
short, they offer insight and advice for young women
coming up today.
The film will be shown Monday December 6th at 8pm on the
UCLA Campus at Melniitz Hall inside The Bridges Theater.
The event is FREE so there is absolutely no excuse for
anyone who lives in LA not to be there. Afterwards there
will be a panel discussion that focuses on Hip Hop
Feminism. It will feature the filmmaker Rachel Raimist,
Medusa, T-Love, Asia One, Nautica de la Cruz of Power 106
and my home girl The Poetess of 92.3 The Beat.
This looks to be a promising film and will mark the second
documentary coming out of LA this year. Earlier Keith
O'Derek and his partner Robert Corsini dropped a great
documentary that chronicled the the social, political
conditions that gave rise to "gangsta rap'. Entitled
'Straight From the Streets' it features Snoop Dogg,
Ice Cube, Cypress Hill, Ice T, Kam, DJ Quik, Rage,
Kurupt, Dr. Dre, RBX, DJ Red Alert, Davey D [that's me
folks!], Big Boy, KRS One, May May Ali, Daddy O,
Rev. Jesse Jackson, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Dick
Gregory, Min. Louis Farrakhan, Denzel Washington and
many others! The film was recently released on DVD.
For folks who want more information on 'Nobody Knows My
Name' be sure to contact Rachel Raimist at mailto:
rae@thaconnect.com. You can also call 310-588-2263 or
323-851-5735.
For folks who wish to get a hold of Keith O'Derek and
his 'Straight From The Streets' documentary be sure to
hit him up mailto: FilmNU@aol.com
Hopefully both of these documentaries will be shown at
the upcoming Gavin Seminar Convention that is taking
place in San Francisco during February 2000.
rap.1553brka,
NOVA ZRTVA - DJ SWIFT...
The Hip Hop world lost one of it's own this past weekend in
an unfortunate, tragic accident. Folks in Philadelphia are
familiar with Brian Perkins aka DJ Swift. He was well known
and well liked. He helped open up a record store three years
ago with his partner John Chambers in Willingbro, New Jersey
called the Music Factory. Here they sold mixtapes and vinyl
for local deejays. According to the local newspapers in the
Philly area, Swift and his partner were practicing a drill
just in case the store got robbed. It was during this
exercise that DJ swift who was role playing an armed robber
was accidently shot in the head.
I recall meeting this guy earlier this year when he ventured
out to the Bay Area with Rahzel who was doing a promo tour.
The kid had nice skillz on the turntables. I also recall my
man Sway reaching out and giving me his phone number when I
was trying to track down Schoolly D. Sway told me Swift and
School were supposedly doing some work. I'm not sure if
Swift worked on Power 99 or WPHI 103.9.. In the Philadelphia
papers they list him as being an employee of WPHI.. But
folks who've alerted me to his untimely demise said he spun
on Power 99. In any case he will be missed.. Prayers and
condolences must go out to his family. DJ swift had just
gotten married 2 months ago.
rap.1554brka,
RUSSELL SIMMONS RADI MINI SERIJU
First he throws a lavish dinner party for First Lady Hillary
Clinton and now he's set to have special made for tv movie
made about him. Russell Simmons will soon be the subject of
an upcoming four hour miniseries that chronicles Russell's
colorful life and the evolution of Hip Hop's History. There
is no set date on the project, but the word is this new
project is the result of all the pressure being put on the
TV networks by the NAACP to have more minorities included
in their shows. I guess when in doubt-turn to Hip Hop. We'll
keep you posted as things develop. In the meantime, we're
still waiting on the Hip Hop project that Spike is supposed
to be doing for ABC. In addition, there is supposed to be
some sort of soon to be released Hip Hop soap opera or
drama either on MTV or one of the cable channels. Lastly
Master P is supposedly doing some work developing TV/movie
projects for FOX.
rap.1555brka,
CHUCK D SADA IMA SVOJU RADIO STANICU
'Radio! Suckers Never Play Me!'. These were the words Chuck D
of Public Enemy first uttered over 10 years ago on his
landmark record 'Rebel Without A Pause'. Since that time
Chuck D has been outspoken about his concerns on who
controls the flow of information. He has often pointed out
that people and Black folks in particular, tend to be
'religious' to their favorite radio stations. Their undaunted
loyalty sets up an interesting scenario in the sense that
Black people over time develop a mind set that has them
addicted and dependent on a media source that they
ultimately don't control. The result is a whole lot of folks
walking around thinking 'If it ain't talked about or played
on radio then it don't exist'. Many stations, in particular
white owned 'Black music stations' that target young people
take advantage of this loyalty by keeping an imbalance of
pertinent information that can positively impact and uplift
the community. In other words, folks are being fed a steady
diet of substandard material, and useless information that
keeps them wallowing in the pathological conditions that
effect them. Black ignorance has become a commodity that is
aggressively projected, highlighted and marketed by white
corporate radio owners who ultimately reap huge profits.
The impact has long lasting behavioral effects that many
people are just now starting to realize. How can some one
tell Little Johnny from the Hood to do do something good
and act intelligent when his primary media source is
constantly showing him by what they present, that you can
be handsomely rewarded for doing something bad and acting
dumb? Many community leaders and activists are starting
to raise questions about the type of influence radio
stations are having as well as the type of access the
community has to insuring that it's needs are being
supported. With some of these corporate giants now owning
up 8 stations in large metropolitan areas, is there a
balance of material and information being fed to the
community?
In a recent interview Chuck noted that since the month of
June he has done more then 500 interviews where he has
spoken about the various new technological ground he has
been covering and how there are new opportunities on the
horizons for young brothas and sistas if they too get
involved. While he's been on everything from CNN to C-Net,
very few of these interviews have been conducted on these
white owned Black radio stations that have effectively
used Hip Hop music and culture as a way to attract our
inner city youth. He pointed out that this has not been
his choice. There oftentimes appears to be a media middle
man who is disconnected from the community who decides
what should and should not be exposed. In a recent issue
of Chuck D's Terrordome Column which appears on his new
venture http://www.rapstation.com gave one reason radio
is poisoning the Black community.
"White-owned Black Radio sucks in '99 because the masters
endorse the policy of more music, less talk. This policy
further limits the information delivered to the people via
the creation of the transparent DJ --- Colorless individuals
unable to interpret the sounds they're playing for their
audience. Mix and college hip-hop jocks are the closest
thing we have today to the Black personality jocks of the
1950s and '60s - DJs who the people relied on for everything
in the 'hood from local business support to various
community activities. But corporations consider air time
that could be devoted to such services to be sponsor time
and not DJ time. That way it doesn't take much talent to
be a radio jock these days. (Who wants to hear a damn
weather report 30 times a damn day?!)"
When such criticism is launched, there are many who would
immediately say, 'Don't complain, go out and get your own'.
We'll that's exactly what Chuck D has done. He and his
partner Gary G-Wiz along with Chuck's record label Atomic
Pop have hooked up and formed a global radio station for
underground hip hop. It's called Bring The Noise
http://www.bringthenoise.com and it will feature six new
daily radio shows. Among them include Chuck D's weekly
radio show called 'When The S--t Hits The Fan' which
highlights unsigned indie label music from around the
world. There's another show of Hip Hop classics which
features longtime New York deejay Wildman Steve. There
are a couple of mix shows, tons of interviews and lots
of information. Bring The Noise is a very sophisticated
feature that has been around for about a year and has
developed a huge online following. It is now perched to
reach new heights and be a big factor in the online
communications game..
FNV readers be on the look out for an upcoming newsletter
where Chuck D gives you an indepth look and analysis
about radio and the undue influence it has on our
community. The interview is very timely when you consider
the recent reports about the serious drop over the past
year of African American owned radio stations and the
continued merging of media conglomerates who now have
'lock down' on Black listeners.
rap.1556brka,
GOODIE MOB ARE READY FOR THE WORLD PARTY
Props to Cee-Lo, Big Gipp, T-Mo and Khujo of the Atlanta
based Goodie MOB. I got a chance to peep out their new
album 'World Party' the other night and I got to be
honest when I say it will be one of the best for '99.
The lp drops officially on December 21st. and it will
make a great Christmas present. One of the refreshing
aspects of Goodie Mob is that they are some thinking,
insightful, genuine brothas. During our radio interview
the other day, Khojo spoke extensively about the
importance of everyone having a spiritual grounding.
He attributed many of the problems effecting young
people is the lack of that spiritual connection. 'It
helps keep people grounded', he said. He went even
deeper when he talked about how he wish there was
constant reminder of God for young people and hence he
thought it was a mistake to take away prayers in school.
Not one to just talk and not back up their actions,
the group had spent much of the day talking with Bay
Area high school students.
Cee-Lo and Big Gipp talked about upcoming album 'World
Party'. they explained that they were inspired by the
type of love and impact they seemed to be having with
fans all over the world. This album reflects their
musical growth and they wanted to bring everyone under
one umbrella. I can't say enough about the songs I
heard, except that it is really really good. They
bucked the trend and refrained from having too many
guests emcees and special cameos. I believe I heard
a song with TLC and another track with a new artist
from their camp named 'Neckbone'. Cee-Lo said that
since the group is four deep they wanted the fans to
really get a chance to vibe and connect with them.
The only unfortunate thing about the Goodie Mob's recent
visit was the show they put on at the Justice League.
People were complaining that they left the stage way too
early. During their brief set the sound kept messing up.
They eventually got things somewhat fixed and the crowd
was starting to get into them.. It was at that point
that The Goodie Mob brought local rap stars E-40, JT The
Biggie Figga and a host of others to join them on stage.
After doing two more songs they bounced while Neckbone
and his partner finished off the set. I think their early
departure had to do with the sound not being right..
rap.1557brka,
SNOOP DOGG PONOVO RADI
Snoop Dogg is making all sorts of moves these last few
weeks. First he's got his own record label kicking off
and he has a new group called The Eastsidaz. Next he just
released his autobiography which I'm just starting to read
called 'The Doggfather'. So far it's pretty interesting.
Snoop is also teaming up with the former members of NWA
to record some tracks with them. He's currently featured
on their new reunion song called 'Chin Check'. If that's
not enough Snoop is going back on the airwaves to do a
Saturday afternoon shift for Power 106 in LA. The name
of his show is called The Dogghouse. This isn't Snoop's
first stint on radio. Several years ago he knocked off
a couple of well received air shifts on 106 KMEL here
in the Bay Area. We used to do a Friday Night feature
called Westside Radio where west coast artist would host
the show. Everyone from Snoop To Ice Cube to Sir Mix-A-Lot
came through. But it was Snoop's shift that generated the
most enthusiastic response from listeners.
So now Snoop is doing radio in LA as he joins some other
noteworthy artist who are moonlighting as jocks. On rival
station, 92.3 The Beat you have Cypress Hill and their
Soul Assassins show. You have the Poetess doing a Saturday
morning slot and KRS-One dropping bombs on Sunday nights.
Dre and Ed Lover are holding down morning drive and of
course Sway & Tech are dropping bombs with their
internationally syndicated Wake Up Show. A lot of folks
don't recall that before Dre and Ed Lover made their mark
in radio or even hosted 'Yo! MTV Raps', they were part of
a group called 'Original Concept'. Sway & King Tech were
recording artists with a group called Flynamic Force.
They later dropped the name and just used the name
Sway & King Tech. In the early 90s they released a song
called 'Follow For Now' which used the beat from Man
Parrish's classic cut 'Hip Hop Be Bop'. Follow For Now
was a number one record here on the west coast.
I'm not sure of the artist holding it down on Power 106
but at one point I know they had everyone from Kurtis Blow
to YoYo If anyone is down in LA please let me know what's
up.. and also how Snoop is sounding.
rap.1558brka,
UHAPSEN JAY-Z!
The Hip Hop world is reeling from yesterday's arrest of
Jay-Z. He turned himself into police after word got out
that he was wanted for questioning. The NY Police wanted
to explore Jay-Z's involvement in the stabbing of record
executive Lance 'Un' Rivera Wednesday night at Q-Tip's
album release party. Now Jay-Z's folks have been steadfastly
maintaining that Jigga had nothing to do with this incident.
And up to this point there have been no formal charges
applied. The whole scenario is crazy.
This whole scene comes at the heels of Digital Underground
having two members arrested earlier this week for sexual
assault and the accidental killing of popular Philly
Hip Hop DJ Swift. We'll keep you posted as things develop.
Below is yesterdays story.
Thursday Report:
If you happen to run into Shawn Carter aka Jay-Z be sure to
let him know that the New York City Police want him for
questioning. Last night [Wednesday Dec 1 ] there was an
album release party for Q-Tip at the Kit Kit Club. During
the event an incident took place which resulted in record
executive Lance 'Un' Rivera being stabbed. Police are
saying that it stemmed from an argument over Jay-Z's new
album The Life And Times Of Shawn Carter being bootlegged.
Jay-Z's lawyers have denied that he had anything to do with
the stabbing and he thus far co-operating with police.
Rivera was taken to a hospital and later released. Let's
hope this whole mess gets straightened out and we don't
have anymore unfortunate incidents. We'll keep you posted
as this story unfolds.
rap.1559brka,
BIVSI POLICAJAC OSUMNJICENI ZA BIGIJEVU SMRT!
It's amazing...two days after Biggie's posthumous 'Born
Again' album drops, this story surfaces out of the LA
Times. Of course it's way too early to speculate, but]
let us hope this we finally get closure on this sad
scenario.
==
Ex-LAPD Officer Is Suspect in Rapper's Slaying, Records Show
Probe: Police pursue theory that David Mack, since
convicted of bank robbery, helped arrange killing of
Notorious B.I.G.
By MATT LAIT and SCOTT GLOVER, Times Staff Writers
A former Los Angeles police officer already in prison for
bank robbery is among the suspects in the 1997 slaying
of rap star Notorious B.I.G., according to sources and
confidential LAPD documents obtained by The Times.
Among the theories investigators are pursuing is that
ex-Officer David A. Mack conspired with Death Row Records
founder Marion "Suge" Knight to arrange the contract
killing of the 24-year-old rap sensation whose real name
was Christopher Wallace, according to a former detective
on the case.
Specifically, detectives are trying to determine whether
Mack arranged for a longtime friend to carry out the
attack outside the Petersen Automotive Museum on March 9,
1997, according to sources and Los Angeles Police Department
documents. Police would not say whether they have been
able to locate or question the man they suspect of being
the gunman under that theory. He is Amir Muhammad, who
was known as Harry Billups when he and Mack were college
classmates at the University of Oregon, according to
sources and documents. Muhammad apparently dropped from
sight after visiting Mack in prison on Dec. 26, 1997.
No one has been arrested or charged in the shooting,
which some investigators believe was motivated by a
bitter bicoastal feud between Death Row and a rival
rap record label based in New York City. Eight months
ago, LAPD homicide detectives served search warrants
on several locations linked to Death Row and the man
in charge of its security.
Mack, who is serving a 14-year prison sentence for a
Nov. 6, 1997, bank holdup, has not been publicly
identified as a suspect in Wallace's slaying. But
according to sources and LAPD investigative documents,
detectives have been trying to build a case against
the former police officer for nearly two years.
Mack's attorney, Donald M. Re, rejected the notion
that Mack was involved in Wallace's slaying.
"It sounds absolutely ridiculous to me," Re said.
Knight's attorney, Robin J. Yanes, also dismissed
the theory.
"A year ago it came up and now they're recycling it
to cover their butts," Yanes said. "Suge doesn't
know" Mack.
Mack is a former partner and close friend of Rafael
Perez, the disgraced officer at the center of the
LAPD's unfolding corruption scandal. The two officers,
in fact, partied in Las Vegas two days after the bank
robbery, spending thousands of dollars. Investigators
on the LAPD corruption task force are continuing to
look for a criminal link between the two former partners.
Dispute Over Money Probed
Wallace, a 360-pound rapper who also was known to fans
as Biggie Smalls, was gunned down as his motorcade was
leaving a music industry party at the museum at
Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.
Eyewitnesses described the lone gunman as an African
American wearing a suit and bow tie, similar, police
say, to the attire favored by Nation of Islam members.
The assailant was driving a dark-colored Chevrolet
Impala, witnesses said. The precision with which the
attack was executed makes investigators suspect that
it was a professional assassination.
In addition to the rap feud theory, investigators
have pursued information that Wallace's death was
related to a dispute with Southside Crips gang members
in Los Angeles, who claimed that the rapper owed them
money for providing him security.
Over the past two years, the investigation has been
headed by several teams of detectives. Recently, the
pair who conducted the searches of Death Row have
retired. The two new detectives assigned to the
investigation declined comment for this story. But
sources close to the case say that neither the rap
feud angle nor the gang dispute theory has been
ruled out. The sources refused to say which theory,
if any, was being given more credence and pursued
more vigorously. Over the years, the sources said,
different detectives have not always agreed on which
investigative path to follow or on which of the open
leads might be most productive. One high-ranking police
official familiar with the case said crimes committed
within the rap music industry often are difficult
to solve because witnesses are hostile toward
authorities and fear retribution if they do cooperate.
Detectives have previously identified Knight as a key
suspect, theorizing that he may have ordered Wallace's
killing while he was in jail on a parole violation. He
currently is serving a nine-year prison sentence in
connection with an unrelated 1992 attack on two
aspiring rappers in a Hollywood recording studio. In
addition to Mack, detectives continue to look at other
possible associates of Knight in connection with
Wallace's death.
As for Mack, investigators are intrigued by several
pieces of circumstantial evidence that they believe
may tie him to the crime.
Mack came under scrutiny after his December 1997 arrest
for robbing a bank of $722,000--money that to this day
remains unaccounted for. In the wake of his arrest,
detectives received tips that Mack drove a black Impala
similar to the car seen speeding away after the Wallace
slaying. As investigators began to probe Mack's possible
involvement in the killing, they found that the officer
apparently had ties to Knight and his record label.
A friend of Mack told detectives that Mack offered to
arrange an off-duty job for him with Death Row Records.
"Mack stated the job was providing security for a . . .
wife or girlfriend . . . of [a] Death Row executive,"
according to confidential LAPD investigative notes.
A former Compton police officer who worked security for
Death Row told investigators that Mack and another LAPD
officer, Kevin Gaines, sometimes socialized in Death Row
circles. The ex-Compton officer said neither Mack nor
Gaines worked for the company's private Wrightway
Security, but rather appeared to be associates of Knight.
Mack grew up in the same Compton neighborhood as the
now-imprisoned rap executive. Since Mack's own
incarceration, sources say, he has renounced his law
enforcement background and instead claims to belong
to the same street gang, the Piru Bloods, as Knight
is reputedly associated with. Mack also boasted of
shooting people and allegedly tried to arrange a
contract killing of his former lover and co-defendant
in the bank robbery.
"The weak and those who talk too much get eliminated,"
he was quoted in court documents as saying.
When detectives searched Mack's house in connection
with the bank robbery, they found what one police
source called "a shrine" to rapper Tupac Shakur, who,
until his own slaying, was Death Row's leading artist.
Although Shakur's murder remains unsolved, police
investigators say that Knight blames Wallace and his
record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, for the crime.
As detectives delved further into Mack's possible
involvement, they noticed similarities between his work
schedule in the periods surrounding the bank robbery
and the Wallace killing. In both instances, the officer
took days off before and after the crimes, according
to sources and documents.
Then, the investigation into Mack dovetailed with an
earlier clue in the case. Several months after Wallace
was killed, but well before Mack was arrested, a
jailhouse informant told detectives that the rapper's
killer went by a "Middle East" sounding name, possibly
"Amir."
The day after Christmas 1997, Mack was visited in jail
by his longtime friend Amir Muhammad.
Composite Drawing Is Questioned
Investigators' suspicion grew when they obtained a
driver's license photo of Muhammad and it resembled
a composite sketch of Wallace's killer compiled
from descriptions given by witnesses to the murder.
The composite, drawn a day after the slaying, was
withheld from the public and differs from the one that
was provided to the media more than two weeks later.
One witness criticized the sketch that police
ultimately released, saying police added details to
the drawing that he and others never suggested.
Detectives searched for Muhammad, but many of the
addresses that came up in a background check were
either false or led to post office boxes, according to
LAPD robbery-homicide documents. Police surveillance
of some of those locations failed to find him. Numerous
attempts by The Times to locate Muhammad through public
records and a former friend were unsuccessful.
Mack, who has refused to cooperate with authorities
since his arrest in the bank robbery, was placed at
the scene of Wallace's slaying by a witness who was
riding in the rap star's motorcade, LAPD documents show.
Damien Butler, who was in the same vehicle as Wallace,
picked Mack out of a photo lineup of six men during
an April 15, 1998, meeting with LAPD homicide
detectives in New York.
"I'm sure this guy was standing just outside the door
to the museum, as we were entering into the party,"
Butler said, according to notes of the interview
obtained by The Times.
Sources associated with Bad Boy Entertainment said that
the last time LAPD investigators contacted witnesses
linked to the record label was about six months ago. At
that time, investigators again showed them a composite
sketch of the gunman, but no photographs.
Although police officials refuse to comment about the
ongoing investigation, the former Compton police officer
who worked security for Death Row said in an interview
with The Times this month that he was shown pictures of
Muhammad earlier this year, shortly after detectives
served the search warrants on the locations linked to
Death Row.
Two other sources, including a former police officer,
said they were questioned about Mack's possible role
in the rapper's killing. The ex-officer said detectives
also queried him about Mack's longtime friend and Mack's
vehicle.
A family friend of Mack who provided information to
authorities about Mack's role in the bank robbery before
being sent to prison on unrelated charges said he was
also asked about Mack's possible involvement in the Wallace
slaying. Speaking on the condition of anonymity in an
interview at Corcoran State Prison, the inmate said he
began to cooperate with investigators, but stopped when
he felt it was no longer in his interest.
According to LAPD documents, detectives seized at least
one gun belonging to Mack and had it test-fired to
determine whether the weapon matched the gun used in
Wallace's slaying. It did not, the records show.
There also are weaknesses in the circumstantial evidence
linking Mack to the rapper's killing. The jailhouse
informant who told detectives that the assailant's first
name might be Amir said it could also be Ashmir or Abraham,
police records show. Moreover, the informant said that
the gunman's true name could be Kenny or Keeky and that
the killer is a former member of the Southside Crips
street gang and at the time of the shooting belonged to
a security force connected to the Nation of Islam, a
Muslim group.
That information does not appear to match Muhammad's
background, and could in fact lend support to the theory
that the killing was the result of a dispute over money
with the Crips. At one point in the investigation, detectives
interviewed Dwayne Keith "Keefee D" Davis, a Crips member,
who also owned a Chevy Impala. Some detectives, however,
say privately that Davis is not considered a suspect.
Rumors have swirled for years in law enforcement circles
about ties between Mack and other former LAPD officers
and Death Row Records.Gaines, the officer who allegedly
attended Death Row parties with Mack, was dating Knight's
estranged wife Sharitha at the time. Gaines also was
under investigation by the LAPD's Internal Affairs
division and sported a personalized license plate on
his Mercedes-Benz reading, "ITS OK IA"--a taunt aimed
at Internal Affairs.
Gaines was shot to death March 18, 1997, during an
off-duty traffic dispute with a fellow officer who was
undercover. An investigation found that Gaines was
hostile toward the other officer, threatening to "cap"
or shoot the officer and eventually drawing a gun on
him. The other officer, Frank Lyga, was cleared in
the shooting.
Meanwhile, Perez, the ex-officer cooperating with
authorities in the ongoing corruption investigation,
does not implicate Mack in any crimes--a silence
detectives have greeted with skepticism.
rap.1560brka,
-> #1546, gligo
> Izvinjavam se brki zbog nepotrebnog replya i lose
> odradjenog execa.
Oprastam ti... teska srca... ali ti oprastam :)
Pozdrav,
Aleksandar