POWER OF THE DOLLAR$

WEEK 5

YOUNG BUCK

Imagine receiving after-school detention for tardiness or chewing gum in class and being able to postpone it numerous times so that you can go to the movies or hang out at the mall with friends. You’re probably thinking YEAH RIGHT! Well...if that’s so hard to believe, imagine facing 8-25 years in prison and pushing your court dates back so that you can tour, make TV appearances, grant interviews and of course promote your album.

Rapper Young Buck, whose real name is David Darnell Brown, turned himself in to police after a warrant for his arrest was issued by the Santa Monica Police Department on Tuesday November 16,2004. After authorities reviewed the video tape countless times, they came to the conclusion that it was in fact the G-UNIT rapper, Young Buck who stabbed 26 year-old Jimmy James Johnson at the 2004 Vibe awards. Apparently the altercation began around 7:25 p.m when Johnson approached rap icon Dr.Dre pretending to ask for an autograph. When the rapper refused, Johnson began to repeatedly punch him in the face. This then sparked an all out brawl during the award ceremony that was broken up a few minutes later by police using pepper spray. The Vibe awards continued and aired later in the week, however the incident was edited out.

Santa Monica Police Chief J.T Butts Jr. said at a press conference Tuesday Nov. 16 that Young Buck could be seen lunging over another male and swinging the knife at Johnson’s upper body while Johnson looked away from him. He says that Young Buck is clearly depicted holding the knife after the assault and is one of a number of fight participants sprayed by the pepper spray. He then fled the scene and was not identified until earlier that morning.

After hearing of the warrant, Young Buck cam out of hiding and accompanied by his lawyer, who had choreographed the surrender, went to the police station. There the 23-year-old was booked and processed before posting $500,000 bail all within two hours. Now can we say MONEY$$$TALKS!! He was charged with one count of attempted murder and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.

On December 20,2004 during his first and only court appearance thus far, Young Buck pleaded innocent to the charges despite the blatant evidence on the tape. He was then scheduled to reappear in court on January 14,2005 but had to push the date back to a promotional party for his album. His March court date was also pushed back so that he could do a five-city tour as well as an appearance on BET’S 106th &Park. I think we’re all starting to see a pattern here if I must say so myself. His most recent scheduled court date on April 18, 2005 was, you guessed it, pushed back so that he could a photo shoot as well as an interview with Vibe Magazine. As Alanis Morriset would say “Isn’t that ironic”? His next court appearance is scheduled for May 2005. Maybe he’ll be too busy doing another concert or perhaps talking to children about non-violence.

I have yet to be able to understand how a judge can allow someone who appears unmistakably on video stabbing another man to choose to come to court at their convenience. Court is not a restaurant or an airline where you make table reservations or book a ticket; it should not be taken so lightly. Since when did criminals get to choose what days to show up in court? Oh yeah, I know, when Money became a second language.

WEEK 4

C-MURDER

It seems to me that making music videos and recording albums is a common trend for incarcerated rappers these days. Shyne isn’t alone in that he managed to shoot several music videos for his album God Father Buried Alive while he is currently serving time for his involvement in a shooting. Rapper Corey “C-Murder” Miller, brother of hip hop mogul Master P has also managed to pull of this same magic trick. I find it funny that not only did he pull off the same stunt but he’s also incarcerated for similar charges.

It is very interesting to me how both of the rapper’s cases parallel each other in so many ways.

C-Murder’s rap career was put on hold after he was charged with shooting and killing 16 year old Steve Thomas with a single gunshot to the chest during an argument at the Platinum Club in Harvey, Louisiana on January 12, 2002. About 200 people were in the club at the time of the altercation, and several were eyewitnesses to the shooting.

The victim, Steve Thomas had apparently entered the club with a fake I.D, for which the club faced misdemeanor charges. The Platinum Club, according to a sign on the door, is supposed to be 18 and over for women, and 21 and over for men. After the shooting Steve was rushed to the West Jefferson Medical Center and was pronounced dead on arrival.

Despite being in jail for three years on a second degree murder charge, C-Murder managed to record a new album, The Truest Sh** I Ever Said, and shoot a video for the album’s first single “ Yall Heard of Me”. He recorded his album over the course of last year by dictating his lyrics into a portable recording device that was brought into weekly meetings by his lawyer, Ron Rakosky. In the video-Murder rhymes about how blacks endure racial profiling along with footage of fellow rapper B.G performing in the middle of a large crowd at the New Orleans housing project where Miller and his brothers were raised.

Sheriff Harry Lee claims that he was oblivious to the filming of the video at the correctional facility in Gretna, Louisiana where C-Murder is incarcerated. He says that he was unaware the footage was filmed and that he’d been tricked into letting film crews in. Miller’s lawyer, Ron Rakosky, said the footage was recorded by a pair of film crews, one from Court TV and the other from a local cable- access program, both of which received approval from the sheriff’s office to do so. He says that nothing illegal was done. A victim’s advocate told the Associated Press that she thought it was inappropriate that Miller should be allowed to make money off album sales while he’s serving time for murder. However, his lawyer says that he encouraged Miller to stay busy. “Here’s a guy in jail, making constructive use of his time instead of withering away” says Rakosky. “He’s lost more than three years of his life locked up for a crime he did not commit. At least he’s not just in there wasting away”.

I look at it this way, either a guilty sheriff doesn’t want to take the fall for his illegal actions or there are some pretty sneaky camera crews out there. Obviously someone is trying to cover up their tracks by claiming to be unaware of the filming. It is beyond me how TWO camera crews can enter a prison and shoot an entire music video for some one who is serving time for a MURDER without being seen. No matter whose at fault here, the bottom line is another celebrity has managed to live the best of both worlds without being stopped. So it seems to me that not only do rappers and nightclubs not mix but also jail is just another way to record albums without the expensive costs of studio time. With this trend growing ever so popular jail is just a joke to many celebrities. A joke in which they always seem to have the last laugh.

WEEK THREE

JOHNNIE COCHRAN

On March 29, 2005 celebrities everywhere were mourning the fall of the high profile lawyer to the celebrities, Johnnie Cochran Jr. His cause of death was an inoperable brain tumor in which he was diagnosed in December of 2003. His sudden death has left many unlawful celebrities scrambling for a new defense lawyer. Since his work on the memorable O.J Simpson murder trial, he has been like a savior for almost any and every celebrity in legal trouble.

Johnnie Cochran was already a prominent Los Angeles lawyer in 1994,when O.J Simpson, a former football star and actor, asked him to join and then lead the lawyers defending him on charges that he had killed his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and a friend of hers, Ronald L. Goldman.

On June 12, 1994, Simpson's ex- wife Nicole was found brutally murdered at her home along with Ronald Goldman. Suspicion immediately fell on Simpson, and he was arrested a few days later after fleeing his house in a car driven by Al Cowlings. He was captured after a low speed chase by police on LA freeways while driving the infamous white Ford Bronco.

The 1995 trial had viewers everywhere glued to their television screens awaiting the October verdict in which he was acquitted. Cochran’s intense fervor and use of witty catch phrases such as “If the glove doesn’t fit.....You must acquit” helped make this case one of the most sensational trials of the 20th century.

Before the Simpson case, Mr. Cochran was best known for bringing police brutality cases on behalf of black clients and for representing celebrities in trouble. Both of these experiences proved to be very helpful at the Simpson trial. He focused the Simpson jury’s attention on the shortcomings in the department’s investigation and on the seeming racism of one of its detectives. Cochran’s tactics managed to award him victory in this case changing his career forever.

In addition to O.J Simpson, Johnnie Cochran’s high profile clients have included Michael Jackson, Geronimo Pratt (former Black Panther), Todd Bridges, James Brown, Sean “P.Diddy” Combs, and a host of others. P. Diddy called his death a “tragic event for the African American community”. Combs called upon Cochran for legal council when he was accused of firing a weapon at a night club in New York and promising his chauffeur $50,000 and a platinum ring to take the wrap. Combs was tried and of course acquitted of all charges.

So with the death of Johnnie Cochran where does that leave the many celebrities begging for his Midas touch on their legal woes? That’s a question that rests upon the minds of many .His death is the true test of our legal system. Will justice really be served without a smooth talking defense attorney with funny catch phrases? Will celebrities continue to walk free carelessly committing more crimes? Without their “Protection Blanket” many celebrities will have to face a harsh reality. I feel that it is now or never, and the way that our society is today...it just may be never. So as the late Johnnie Cochran would approach this subject say...AS LONG AS $MONEY$ TALKS........A CELEBRITY WALKS!