Bum Raps?

Although the Voice was able to document over three dozen encounters between police and rap recording artists, the following stand out as possible profiling incidents.

DEAD PREZ 9/27/03: Stic.man and an affiliate group were arrested in the midst of an outdoor photo shoot in Brooklyn. Charges: disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, and one person was charged with assault on an officer. While the assault case is still pending, the charges against dead prez were dropped.

NORE 9/3/03:Stopped on 15th Street in his Hummer on a gun tip. Police search turned up some chronic. Charges: marijuana possession for all four occupants of the car.

FABOLOUS 3/24/03: Police pulled over the van he was in outside Webster Hall. Though his bodyguard claimed he owned the gun, Fab was charged with weapons possession.

1/15/03: Arrested for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in NYC. Arrested again the next day on two weapons counts, later dismissed. Both days, police said the car had run a red light.

50 CENT 1/1/03: 50 and his bodyguards pulled over at the Copa. Charges: two counts of criminal weapons possession for all.

DMX 12/24/02: Charges: illegal lane change, failure to signal, and a forged driver's license.

3/3/00: Charges: speeding, driving without a license, and weed possession.

CAM'RON 7/29/02: Pulled over in Manhattan for a fake FDNY parking permit on the dash. Charges: possession of weed, a .22, and a fake FDNY permit.

JAY-Z 4/13/01: Jay was arrested after getting in his car outside of the club Exit. Weapons charges for all; Jay's later dropped.

ODB 8/2/99: He was pulled over for allegedly running a red light. Police then found coke and pot. Charges: possessing a narcotic with intent to sell, aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, unlawful possession of marijuana, and running a red light.

BUSTA RHYMES 12/27/98: Pulled over for driving "erratically." Police searched his car and found a loaded .45 and some weed. Charges: marijuana and weapons possession.

COOLIO 9/15/98: When he was pulled over by police, they found his license had expired while he was on tour in Europe. He declared an unloaded 9mm, saying he was on his way to a firing range before police searched the car. A bag of weed was found. Charges: misdemeanor weapons and narcotics violation.

Return to "Rappers' Lament: Stop-and-Search as a Way of Life" by Juan Pablo