Ski Mask Way: Rap Crimes & Hip Hop Culture

Memorial Day Shooting in Miami Beach

Interesting post this morning concerning a shooting that occurred outside of a Miami Beach restaurant early Monday morning, leaving two men dead.

What makes it interesting besides a broad daylight double homicide in a busy part of the city during one of its busiest weekends, was the parallels that the reporter drew between this crime and Memorial Day hip-hop activities and events that are annually held in the area.

Police confirm they have no motive, and only suspects for the crime. Towards the end of the article, however, an entire graf is dedicated to the multitude of arrests that are customarily made during the popular weekend in and around urban and hip-hop themed concerts and events.

While its possible for them to be linked, it's always best to paint a picture like this with a slim brush, particularly when the story involves families now missing loved ones.

Republican Convention Surveillance Included Hip Hop Artists

• Police spied on many local groups during convention
  (tags: Politics)

Snitching by Charles Manson & illseed

it all started with Charlie.

Suge Knight Down to $1000 in Clothing

Last month, in a sworn declaration posted at The Smoking Gun, Suge Knight revealed that his "clothing has a value of $1,000."

There's more but that's the best part.

Trailer for Cocaine Cowboys II

Cocaine Cowboys II: The Godmother Returns

Due this summer.

For background:
N.O.R.E., Pitbull Promos for Cocaine Cowboys

N.O.R.E. Track, Pitbull Promo for Cocaine Cowboys

N.O.R.E. - Cocaine Cowboys

Cocaine Cowboys, directed by Billy Corben, produced by Rakontur, was released in theaters last year and is currently available on DVD.  It tells the story of the cocaine trade that helped build Miami in the 1980s.

Pitbull Promo for Cocaine Cowboys

Pitbull talks about Cocaine Cowboys in this previously released promo and says he first saw it via a bootleg copy!  This has more clips from the movie and offers a good sense of the overall documentary.

Trick Daddy also did a promo.

Official Sites:
Cocaine Cowboys
Cocaine Cowboys on MySpace
Rakontur on YouTube

Hip-Hop Blotter 5/18 - 5/22

J. Prince No Prince of Peace - Rap-A-Lot Records CEO James "J. Prince" Prince was in court yesterday to face assault charges over an alleged beating that took place in the executive's Houston area gym on May 7.

Ronald Bookman, a studio owner in Houston claims that he was lured to the gym for a supposed business meeting, but that the meeting soon turned violent with Prince allowed several men to attack him, resulting in severe injuries to his head and ribs, and his eye requiring surgery.

Prince calls Bookman a clown and says that the charge is just one in a long history of false charges against him and is "a part of success."

This charge is Bookman's second against Prince. His first charge was thrown out by a judge on the same day it was filed.

It must be rough being Bookman. He's gotten beat up, demeaned by his attacker in the media, and his last name is Bookman.

Foxy Brown Facing A Bid - Foxy Brown may soon face charges stemming from her February melee in a Florida beauty supply store that will send her to jail for at least a year.

Foxy did not plea out of battery charges stemming from an incident in the store where she became belligerent and violent after being told by store employees that the store in which she was shopping was closing and she had to leave.  She allegedly threw hair supplies, spat on employees and resisted arrest. She will report to court on September 24 to face the charges.

It's pretty hard to understand why Foxy keeps going off in these beauty supply stores. A good mascara and black lipstick can't be that hard to find.

M.E.T.H.O.D Man Gets A.R.R.E.S.T.E.D - Rapper Method Man was arrested on May 17 after 30 grams of marijuana was found in his vehicle during a traffic stop in New York.

An officer noticed that the license plates on Meth's vehicle were expired, and pulled him over just before entering the Battery Tunnel.  Upon rolling down his window to speak with the officer, marijuana smoke and paraphernalia were noticeable in the compartment.

What makes this disparaging is that he's becoming a recognizable Hollywood actor. He's getting to the point where weed shouldn't be the drug an A-list actor needs rehabilitation for. 

Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent and the Rise of the Hip-Hop Hustler

Queens Reigns Supreme by Ethan Brown

I just got hold of a copy of Ethan Brown's Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent and the Rise of the Hip-Hop Hustler and I'm really looking forward to reading it.  I'll do some sort of follow-up once I've checked it out.

Ethan Brown blogs on related topics and is working on a book titled Snitch: Informers, Cooperators, and the Corruption of Justice.

U.S. Sentencing Commission's Cocaine Report Recommends Reduction in Mandatory Crack Sentences

In its Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy report, the U.S. Sentencing Commission recently recommended that a mandatory 5 year sentence for first time crack offenders be repealed.  The Commission also pointed out that:
Federal cocaine sentencing policy is under "almost universal criticism" from the judiciary, criminal justice practitioners, academics and community interest groups.

It's truly outrageous that such class and race based sentencing still exists.  I'm kind of ashamed that I've never gotten directly involved with this issue.

Crack rappers, of course, are unlikely to actually use any of their profits to address such issues, though I'm sure they'll complain if you pass them the mic.

Available for download:
Report to the Congress: Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy

MLB Player L-Millz Plays Into Hip-Hop Controversy

I'm a baseball fan, and even I was caught off guard by this recent report about maligned New York Mets outfield prospect Lastings Milledge.

Or L-Millz as he is known on his record label, Soulja Boi Records.

Milledge, who has drawn the ire of teammates and coaches with subpar play and and even lower attitude, has come under fire for using derogatory lyrics about African-Americans and women in a song, "Bend Ya Knees" featured on the Soulja Boi Records website. The Mets have officially commented against the lyrics, but have not announced any further action against the player.

With everything surrounding inflammatory rap lyrics, a safe assumption would be that even the most rambunctious of artists will be laying low when it comes to promoting offensive lyrics. However, in another case of ballers trying to be 'balllllllerrrrrs,'  it has cast a negative light on a promising player and a team.

If it doesn't work for rappers like L-Millz and Jewels, it remains to be seen if the likes of Troy Hudson will break the mold. It will also be interesting to see if major sports teams institute a policy against athletes producing controversial music.