Criticism and Protest Over Rapper's Assault on Kid

The Reverend Al Sharpton held a press conference criticizing violence in the hip-hop community. The press conference was prompted by the alleged assault on the 14-year-old child of a rap music management company headed by G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo; apparently seeing the child wear a Czar Entertainment shirt on 25th Street sent him over the edge.

While Russell Simmons dropped out of the press conference, Sharpton was joined by the boy's mother Cynthia Reed, the president of Czar Entertainment Bryce Wilson, and others including the family of Busta Rhymes' slain bodyguard. Vibe covered the event, where Sharpton said, "We cannot have a community where there are no standards, where there are no boundaries, and where people do not sit down and converse." And Wilson added:

"This is an isolated incident. Before you’re a businessman, and rapper, you’re a man first. And as a man, you got to act like a man and men don’t hit children. Ain’t nothing gangsta about that...

"Like, I don't care if that's your artist or not, just as a man, how you let another man get away with something like that and you don't check him? Like, I don't know no real man on the planet that respects that right there. Rappers become gangstas' on record. They don't become a gangstas' in the streets. And their idea of what a gangsta is gets a little perverted or corrupted when they do something stupid like this."

After the press conference, Reed held a protest outside of Interscope Records, where people wore "Ban 50/Save Our Children shirts." Meanwhile, 50 Cent told All Hip Hop, "As CEO of G-Unit Records, I take allegations swirling in the media regarding the alleged altercation against a teenage boy on Tuesday Mar. 20 in Manhattan very seriously. I have authorized an independent investigation of the incident to determine whether anyone associated with G-Unit Records was involved in the confrontation. I must state for the record, that I was at my home in Farmington, Connecticut the entire day completing songs for my new album."

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By Jen Chung in News on April 3, 2007 1:04 PM

Comments [rss]

Creighton Barrel

Hey, #6, your rebuttal to Sarah's humorous/sad comparison is to suggest she needs "therapy"? For what, stating the truth?

As a clear matter of fact, when the story first broke, Bush promised to get rid of anyone in his administration connected with the Plame leak, just as Sarah writes. Shortly after it started to become clear that investigation of the leak was going to have legs, the "immigration crisis" appeared out of nowhere. Then we were treated to the tried and true "circle the wagons/deny-deny-deny/throw out a scapegoat" package (no surprise there, considering that the dismissal of "anyone responsible" would have cleaned out the roster right up to the VP's office).

It is YOU who needs therapy for refusing to admit to yourself that the current administration is the biggest pack of outright liars, with no interests other than self-preservation at any cost, ever seen in the history of US government.

ed_Extinct

*The Reverend Al Sharpton held a press conference criticizing violence in the hip-hop community.*

IT'S ABOUT F UCKING TIME!

SP

#9, that must be edEx in disguise, waiting to leap out of a phone booth in his skin tight american flag outfit to fight crimes.

Still Not Amused

What's all this talk about fifty bitch-ass cents ? It's just two quaters people . Now fifty-thousand dollars, That's something to talk about .

Lol .

people-oppressing super-villai

i'm impressed sharpton turns a new leaf. i hope he keeps it up and actually helps the black community. SP, please don't wave your idiot flag so passionately.

Elderta

Of course, that's "America."

Elderta

Frankly, living in Bush's American requires therapy.

jmchez

Wow! Just today I read about the predictions of a teenager in 1901 as to how life would be in 2001. A commenter immediately posted something about how the kid failed to predict a corrupt presidency in 2001. Now I read about a possibly violent incident associated with rappers. of course, someone comments as to how this relates to the President.

Hey guys, it must be truly awful to live obsessed with the President 24 hours a day. Frankly, I think that requires therapy.

Sarah

Wouldn't it be funny if, due to the independent investigation, 50 Cent fired anyone affiliated with his group who was present at the beating? That would make a gangsta rapper like 50 Cent more open, honest and accountable than President Bush, who promised to get rid of anyone in his administration connected with the Plame leak.

Wait, did I say funny? I meant horribly, horribly sad.

SP

on noes, it seems reverend al might not be that people-oppressing super-villain right wing white douche bags want him so badly to be. what ever will they do? quick, let's see what jesse jackson is up to, they need another scape goat pronto!

SP

on noes, it seems reverend al might not be that people-oppressing super-villain right wing white douche bags want him so badly to be. what ever will they do? quick, let's see what jesse jackson is up to, they need another scape goat pronto!

suburban white guy

50 cent does PR speak well.

Anyone else have trouble understanding what Wilson actually said ("you don't check him")? I must be getting old. I can't tell if it's him or Jen with her usually poor writing.

Rickster

50 cent is a pussy! - "I have authorized an independent investigation of the incident to determine whether anyone associated with G-Unit Records was involved in the confrontation". WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO! Real Gansta's lick shots THEN ask questions.