Did Busta Rhymes Witness Shooting?
The latest news in the fatal shooting during a rap video shoot in Brooklyn is that Busta Rhymes may have witnessed his bodyguard's death. Police Commissioner Kelly announced as much yesterday, and other police sources are saying that Rhymes (born Trevor Smith) may have been playing "peacemaker" between some other rappers. Rhymes had been shooting a video for his song, "Touch It {Remix)," and there were a number of music stars on hand to do cameos - Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and DMX; he originally told police that he was on set during the shooting, but the widow of Israel Ramirez says that Rhymes called her and said he saw it all. Most of the attention is being put on Tony Yayo (part of 50 Cent's crew) and Swizz Beatz (who has produced for Jay-Z and DMX) respectively, who may have had an argument. The Post has a who's who of some of the characters and a timeline of events while the Daily News's Errol Louis says Rhymes and other hip-hop artists should create a fund for Ramirez's chlidren, citing the "criminal irresponsibility of so many of the people who make money creating and marketing hip-hop music."
Side notes: Last September, one of Busta Rhymes's bodyguards punched a fan who wanted Busta's autograph. And Ramirez was working security during the infamous 1999 Puff Daddy/ Shyne shooting at a club; Ramirez testified that Daddy didn't have a gun.
