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.

Game Arrested for Criminal Threats

Hip-hop star and poster child for bi-polar disorder Jayceon "The Game" Taylor was arrested and released on $50,000 bond last night after allegedly making criminal threats while officers searched his Los Angeles home.

Reports are unclear as to why his home was searched, or the details on his threats. Los Angeles county police department spokesperson Martha Garcia did disclose that the search was related to an incident that occurred on February 7.

North Carolina, Washington D.C., New York City and now back home, Game is slowly creeping his way into Pacman status when it comes to run ins with the law. But unlike Pacman, it's his own volition and not his associations that are placing him in these situations.

Tune in next week for another installment of "The Young and the Arrested."

Gun Imagery: Prodigy's Mac 10 Handle

Prodigy - Mac 10 Handle

In thinking about hip hop and guns, I'm regularly conflicted in various ways.  On the one hand, I like gun imagery, especially when it's woven into a narrative.  On the other hand, I'm repelled by gun imagery, cause it helps create an emotional context in which guns and violence feel like a necessary part of being alive.

Prodigy's Mac 10 Handle is exactly the kind of video depicting violent behavior that draws me in regardless.  I'm drawn to the style of the video, the cinematic references, the tale of the twisted, drugged out loner who only hears the voices of his friends inside his head.  What's not to like?

I feel I should have more to say here.  Something meaningful.

I've played this video a lot.  Is that meaningful?

Hip-Hop Influence in Iran's Underground Fashion Culture

Now for an international spin on SkiMaskWay, we go to Iran, where hip-hop culture goes hand in hand with the country's burgeoning fashion culture.

In a society where women and men are restricted in the amount of skin they can show in their everyday apparel, a trend of secret fashion shows is growing, with hip-hop music and themes as a backdrop to their presentation. Models come in from around the world to walk these rogue runways, and their popularity is gaining global appeal.  While the Iranian government has historically punished activity like this, these shows have been met with a surprising level of tolerance, given the discretion used in throwing the events.

Just another example of hip-hop's global effect, even in countries and places we would least expect.

Hip-Hop Blotter 4/29 - 5/6

The hip-hop culture has been rather busy this week, with a number of its high profile personalities involved in incidents ranging from robbery to racism.  Here's a recap.

Don't Blame Buck - Young Buck and members of his entourage vehemently deny involvement in an April 28 shooting that took place in a hotel parking lot in Kennewick, WA, following Buck's performance at nearby Club Paradise.

Buck stated that neither he, nor members of his entourage were involved in the shooting, which allegedly was spawned by an argument at the club and attempted robbery of a chain between two other individuals present at the show and hotel. Nine area men were arrested in connection with the incident.

Sporty-O Shot - Atlanta rapper Sporty-O was shot twice in the face and leg on the morning of May 2 in what police are calling a botched robbery attempt. The artist, well-known for his role on Jamie Kennedy's television series Blowin' Up, allegedly was involved in an altercation with another individual near his East Point, GA home before the shooting.

He underwent surgery and is listed in critical condition.

The Rebel to America Decries Racism - New York rapper Nas recently canceled the last stop on his 'Hip-Hop is Dead' tour in San Diego, after asserting that club employees at the venue treated he and his wife, R&B singer Kelis, like "terrorists" the night of May 2.

Nas said that employees at the House of Blues interacted with them in an inappropriate manner, repeatedly calling their actions racist. Nas did admit to playing the club previously, and left open the possibility that the actions of the employees could be an isolated event and not venue policy.

Banks Not Money in Britain - Police officials in Derby, UK cited the threat of gang violence to shut down a club and prevent rapper Llyoyd Banks from doing a show on May 5.

Police did not cite Banks as the issue, but did say that hip-hop music might incite violence that authorities are not prepared for. More than 600 people purchased tickets for the show.