A Hip Hop Theory of Justice

Professor Paul Butler, George Washington University Law School, recently guest blogged for the Washington Post where he described his vision of a new kind of American social justice, one influenced by the hip hop nation. For the Washington Post, Professor Butler wrote:

"Imagine crime and punishment in a hip-hop nation. Believe it or not, the culture provides a blueprint for the transformation of American criminal justice. Hip-hop leads us toward a system that would enhance public safety and treat all people with respect. Who would have thought that the most thuggish art could improve law and order? . . . .

Hip hop is obsessed with criminal justice. Its fashion actually began as a tribute to the loose baggy clothes that prison inmates wear. Thousands of hip-hop songs consider crime and punishment. They evaluate justice from the bottom up. No other form of pop culture does a better job at reminding Americans that we have the highest rate of incarceration in the world, and that communities can be destroyed by both crime and punishment."

For Professor Butler's entire post, see the WashingtonPost.com.

In guest blogging for the Post, Professor Butler is excerpting his groundbreaking new book "Let's Get Free: A Hip Hop Theory of Justice." The book is exceptional. Anyone interested in the transformative power of hip hop should get this book and read it carefully.

Stay tuned for a comprehensive review of the book in coming weeks . . . .

Will Punk or Emo become the new hip-hop?

Music tends to have generational significance. Blues was a rebellious form of music years ago in the earlier part of this last century. Jazz likewise was a sharp break from standard popular music in the years after Blues first began its rebellious riffs. Rock became an outlet for youth in the 1960s and 1970s. Reggae, perhaps, picked up where Rock left off and carried us into the 1980s and then of course there was Hip-Hop.

What will children of the late 90's and early 00's take as their music? Perhaps Punk and Emo (short for Emotional or Emotional Rock) will speak to the next generation. I'm not talking about the Sex Pistols, but more modern Punk. This music has spoken to the angst, worry, and fear of teenagers for years, originating in England some 30 or so years ago. Punk and Emo music address pressing problems of group conformity and identity, relationships, love, rebellion, distrust of parents, concern about politics, and myriad other issues that are often the subject of every generation's rebel music. They aren't the same, but many see Emo as growing out of Punk.

Furthermore punk has impacted clothing and appearance choices not unlike previous rebel music. Gratuitous piercings and tattoos are often common, leather cloths, wallet chains, skull logos, and massive amounts of black or neon colored clothing are often characteristic of punk. Emo has likewise caused many youth to straighten their hair and die it black.

I'm no expert on Punk and Emo, although I did go to Warped Tour (2002 maybe) at what was then the Verizon Amphitheater in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Most true Punk and Emo supporters would likely bemoan all the "sell-outs" on stage there, but it was something different for me and let me at least begin to look into this community.

I'm also not sure that Punk or Emo has the same socio-historical importance of Hip-Hop, but perhaps that's my own bias. Who knows? Maybe Flogging Molly, Dashboard Confessional, Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte are the new prophets among us.

-- Nick J. Sciullo

The first hip-hop president... so now what?

Much has been made of President Barack Obama being the first hip-hop president. Over a year after his election, it is probably time to ask, "What does that mean?" To be sure, many hip-hop artists have flocked to the President. Artists from Common to Nas and Young Jeezy, will.i.am to Joel Ortiz have produced songs in support of Obama.

And many critics have questioned what hip-hop means or even has to do with being President. See Sasha Frere-Jones, in The New Yorker, who takes a less than enthusiastic view. Slightly more positive is the Harvard Political Review, Harvard's undergraduate political science magazine. Opposed to the notion is Rosa Clemente who wrote an article commissioned by the Green Institute. Then there's Matthew Cooper's piece at the Huffington Post that seems to blur the line between honest reflection and mocking hyperbole. Also look at an NPR story on hip-hop flocking to Obama.

What are hip-hop fans, community members, and casual listeners to make of this? There's a danger in assuming that because President Obama claims to listen to Jay-Z, is relatively young, hails from a city with a strong hip-hop scene, etc., that he is able to or even wants to represent hip-hop. Let's not let our excitement from the historical nature of this election blind us to the realities of presidential politics. It's a big task to shoulder the entire hip-hop community and hip-hop isn't monolithic. We might see this as a stepping stone, but Obama can't do it all. Obama will not solve the world's problems and he won't solve hip-hop's. Health care and climate change are pressing issues. Police violence continues to be endemic in many communities. There's a struggling economy that needs desperate help. Even if we expect Obama to lead the hip-hop nation, it's not going to happen soon. It is not a priority item on his policy agenda.

Has Obama done a good job representing hip-hop? What does it mean to represent hip-hop? Do we often think of President's as representing musical genres or communities? Did anybody call Bush II the Texas president or the country music president? And if they did, what did that mean? Often times elected officials will make claims that they best speak for a segment of the population, but that is not always true. It seems that the hip-hop community seized upon Obama and not that Obama seized upon the hip-hop community. Sure, he worked hard to mobilize minorities and young people, but that doesn't necessarily mean he was targeting hip-hop.


-- Nick J. Sciullo


(Obama poster courtesy of eshark design.)

The Bar Exam

ludacris feat. mary j blige - runaway love


Artist: Ludacris (feat. Mary J. Blige)
Track: Runaway Love
Album: Release Therapy

Little Nicole is only 10 years old
She's steady trying to figure why the world is so cold
Why she's not pretty and nobody seems to like her
Alcoholic step-dad always wanna strike her
Yells and abuses, leaves her with some bruises
Teachers ask questions she's making up excuses
Bleeding on the inside, crying on the out
It's only one girl really knows what she's about
Her name is little Stacy and they become friends
Promise that they always be tight 'til the end
Until one day little Stacy gets shot
A drive by bullet went stray up on her block
Now Nicole stuck up in the world on her own
Forced to think that hell is a place called home
Nothing else to do but get her clothes and pack
She says she's 'bout to run away and never come back


(Video Courtesy of Universal Music Group)

Celebrating 25 Years of Def Jam

2009 marks the 25 year anniversary of the creation of Def Jam Records, undoubtedly the most influential rap label in the history of hip hop. Founded by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons, Def Jam in its 25 years has been responsible for, among many other things, (a) bringing rap and hip hop into the mainstream (think Run DMC and Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" and the always enjoyable motion picture "Krush Groove"); (b) providing the platform for the explosive social critique that hip hop is now famous for (think Public Enemy and "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" and "Fear of a Black Planet"); (c) providing the blueprint and model for the young black hip hop CEO and entrepreneur (think Russell Simmons and Phat Farm, Def Comedy Jam and $100 million as a price tag for his sale of Def Jam to Universal); (d) radically changing the music industry, including the label/artist/music making model (think Rubin and Simmons in dorm rooms running the label, think recording studios in basements and bedrooms, think "Hustle & Flow"); (e) crossing hip hop over into a multi racial industry (think Beastie Boys and "Licensed to Ill"); (f) launching the careers of dozens of influential artists and bands.

The gravity of Def Jam's influence cannot be overstated. To wit:

"Def Jam meant to the music industry as much as Stax, Atlantic and Motown meant to their respective music," said rapper Chuck D, whose group Public Enemy is one of the most famous to appear on the label. "It started from the same humble beginnings that all of those other companies started, very small, but very much passionate about the music."

"I think Def Jam has done a whole lot for hip-hop, for music in general. It's just given us a face of hip-hop for us to want to become a part of something," rapper Snoop Dogg said. "Even the rappers from the west[ern U.S.] wanted to be a part of Def Jam. Def Jam was like the Mecca of hip-hop."

"Def Jam is the Motown Records of hip-hop, and that is without question," said writer and pop culture expert Kevin Powell. "You really can't talk about a significant chapter in hip-hop history over the last 25 years without talking about Def Jam."

Speaking during the 2009 VH1 Hip Hop Honors, Island Def Jam Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Antonio "L.A." Reid said he believes that it will continue to live on for years to come. "When Def Jam was founded, it was founded upon an amazing idea," he said. "And it's an amazing idea that's bigger than all of its founders, bigger than all of its presidents, bigger than all of its chairmen and bigger than all of its artists. My guess is that it will be around a lot longer than any of us."

Lil Wayne, Cash Money Records Face Another Infringement Battle

Rapper Lil Wayne is facing yet another copyright infringement action. Thomas Marasciullo claims he created some "Italian-styled spoken word recordings" for them in 2006, but did not give Lil Wayne and Birdman permission to use them.

Marasciullo alleges the recordings were used on a number of songs on the rappers' joint album Like Father, Like Son as well as on some tracks on Birdman's CD 5 (Star) Stunna.

Click here for more info.

Lil' Wayne Pleads Guilty

Lil' Wayne plead guilty today to charges of "attempted criminal possession of a weapon," as announced by the Manhattan, New York district attorney's office. Lil' Wayne was arrested in 2007 when police officers stopped him and another man on the streets of NYC smoking marijuana and with a .40-caliber pistol in Lil' Wayne's possession. Lil' Wayne will be sentenced in February 2010 and is believed will receive a one year jail sentence for possession of this weapon.

Of course, this news brings to mind the weapon possession plea of former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who is currently serving time in jail for famously possessing a firearm in a New York night club and accidentally shooting himself in the leg.

Both incidences raise the familiar questions in connection with celebrity artists and athletes carrying weapons (ostensibly for protection) and the very different state laws around the United States that regulate weapon possession. Many would argue that celebrity athletes and artists are in need of some type of protection from overreaching fans and those in the general public that seek to challenge these individuals. In addition, the possession of these weapons would not be criminal in many states who have adopted unlicensed weapon possession laws, including some that adopt no permit concealed weapon possession laws (concealed carry).

Is this really how we want to criminalize possessors of weapons? Both Plaxico Burress and Lil' Wayne are arguably in the prime of their careers and will now both spend time behind bars, presumably alongside hardened criminals, for possessing weapons (not for using them or hurting anyone (beside themselves)).

Doc Alert: Copyright Criminals Asks 'Can you own a sound?'

Copyright Criminals: This Is a Sampling Sport examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law, and (of course) money.

This documentary traces the rise of hip-hop from the urban streets of New York to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry. For more than thirty years, innovative hip-hop performers and producers have been re-using portions of previously recorded music in new, otherwise original compositions. When lawyers and record companies got involved, what was once referred to as a “borrowed melody” became a “copyright infringement.”

The film showcases many of hip-hop music’s founding figures like Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Digital Underground—while also featuring emerging hip-hop artists from record labels Definitive Jux, Rhymesayers, Ninja Tune, and more. It also provides an in-depth look at artists who have been sampled, such as Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown’s drummer and the world’s most sampled musician), as well as commentary by another highly sampled musician, funk legend George Clinton.

As artists find ever more inventive ways to insert old influences into new material, this documentary asks a critical question, on behalf of an entire creative community: Can you own a sound?

Hip Hop Academic Presentations

Hip hop in academia is being debated worldwide. On October 2, 2009, at the LatCrit Legal Scholarship Conference, a panel of law professors engaged in a presentation entitled "The Hip Hop Movement at the Intersection of Race, Class and Culture: Hip Hop Music's Effect on the Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness." Law professors (and Hip Hop Law.com contributors) D. Aaron Lacy, Akilah Folami, andré douglas pond cummings and Kamille Wolff each presented provocative talks that discussed and debated the role of hip hop in current law and global culture.

Professor Lacy presented: "Represent: The NFL and NBA's Reaction to the Infiltration of Hip Hop Culture with its Players and its Effects on the Employment of the Black Male Athlete."

Professor Folami presented: "From Habermas to 'Get Rich or Die Tryin': Hip Hop, The Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the Black Public Sphere."

Professor cummings presented: "Thug Life: Hip Hop's Tricky Impact on Criminal Punishment and Corporate Exploitation."

Professor Wolff presented: "Chutes and Ladders: The Story of Rosario Dawson"

The LatCrit panel engendered much comment and debate following the presentations outlined above.


Additionally, on October 4, 2009, at Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland, at the "Intersections of Law and Culture" conference, on a panel entitled "Law and Pop Culture" three law professors from the United States debated race, hip hop and equality examining the impact of race and hip hop on global culture. Law professors Akilah Folami, andré douglas pond cummings and David Oppenheimer presented cutting edge talks to an audience of undergraduate and law professors primarily from European institutions (including students from Franklin College).

Professor Folami again presented: "From Habermas to 'Get Rich or Die Tryin': Hip Hop, The Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the Black Public Sphere."

Professor cummings presented: "Thug Life: Hip Hop's Curious Relationship with Criminal Justice."

Professor Oppenheimer presented: "The Legal and Social Concept of 'Color Blindness' in the United States and France."

Following these three presentations, intense debate ensued discussing the genuine role of color blindness internationally and the true potential of hip hop to be transformative and the difficult intersections of hip hop with negative imagery and influence.

More evidence that hip hop is not dead?

Earlier this year the ABA Journal reported that a litigant who filed his own appeals brief written partially in rap has won his Wisconsin appeals court ruling that he doesn't have to pay legal fees for a law suit deemed frivolous by a circuit court judge.

Gregory Royal, a trombone player, argued that he shouldn't have to pay $3,750 in feels for filing a lawsuit against county officials in Wisconsin who recommended that his divorcing wife should have primary custody of the children.

Royal's brief contained the following lines, "A domestic relations exceptions, I was supposed to know. Appellee would know too, so why did he spend so much doe?" "Regarding frivolous filings, one thing is clear, Notice to show cause and proper service before you appear."

Royal told the Associated Press he used rap in his six-page brief, rather than a lawyer, to help persuade the court. Royal said, "Imagine a real attorney who can actually capitalize and perfect that expression and throw some heavy stuff in there. It's like Einstein's theory of relatively. It's so short but so perfect there's nothing you can say about it."

Perhaps it was Royal's rap that really convinced the judge to rule in his favor. And more attorneys should use more catchy lines in their briefs to get the court's attention. But regardless, this is more evidence that hip hop is still alive kicking.

Sippin' on Some Syrup: Hip Hop's New Drug of Choice

Perhaps this is an old discussion, but I happened to watch Lil' Wayne's VH1 Behind the Music episode and I could not help but think: Are that many people really using cough syrup to get high? And, if so, why? The "sizzurp" discussion really began with Three 6 Mafia's song Sippin' on Some Syrup (video above), which achieved some success although the video was short-lived on BET and MTV. Hip-hop has often and unfortunately been tied with recreational drug culture, as many music genres have over the years. I don't know if hip-hop artists exhibit higher levels of use than non-hip-hop community members. I would be willing to hypothesize that the constant association of hip-hop with drugs is part of a desire for mainstream media to malign hip-hop. That, however, is a whole different discussion.

With people now drinking combinations of cough syrup and soda (and a Jolly Rancher depending on your recipe), how does this change law enforcement's policing of recreational drug use? The "syrup" involved is prescription strength and contains codeine, a Schedule II drug. There are serious addictive consequences to "sippin'." My guess is that because codeine-containing drugs are not sold over the counter in the United States, many syrup concoctions use over-the-counter versions with no codeine, but a healthy amount of alcohol. Cough syrups range from 2.5 to 25 percent alcohol. And you thought that fuzzy navel you were drinking was addictive?

MSNBC reports that one in every 14 high school seniors has used cold medicine to get high. That seems high, not because I think high school students are not involved in all sorts of risky behavior, but because... well... it's cough medicine. I guess stealing your dad's bottle of whiskey isn't cool anymore. It has been well-reported that alcoholics will use cough syrup and mouthwash to satisfy their desire for drink, so perhaps it really isn't shocking that we see individuals engaged in this behavior. It's really not a new trend. What is law enforcement to do? Check everyone's cup like the breakup of a bad college party? Ignore the precocious syrup drinkers? Take cough syrup in any form off the shelf?

Most of us remember when Sudafed was pulled off the shelves because it contained psuedoephedrine, which could be converted into methamphetamine. Although the makers of Sudafed, Pfizer/Warner-Lambert, were able to find a drug to replace psuedoephedrine, apparently the original version can still be found (I don't read labels that closely to say more.). Is that what will become of cough syrup? Will this spur innovation in drug making or be ignored because it only effects "those hip-hop artists?"

So where do we see this syrup trend going? What might law enforcement do if anything? What is the government's role in regulating these types of practices?


-- Nick J. Sciullo


(Video contains content from Sony Music Entertainment)

Little Country Goldilocks Mouse and the Big Bad Black Rapper Who Could

By P.D. Bridgewater

Well, it’s on and poppin’ - yes? Seems like I came back from sabbatical just in time to offer a few random (and sometimes rambling) musings about the drama from the VMAs on Sunday.

First off, I know the title to this entry is silly. Not only am I mixing up my fairy tales it’s a cheap appeal to the big black mean man and the innocent golden haired white woman motif but these themes have proven to be unavoidable in this situation.

Ok, real talk: I’m finding it harder and harder not to get in on some of the crazy action. Why, I asked myself after Kanye's weird but funny blog entry Sunday night, is everybody acting(?) so crazy this summer.

Just in case you haven't heard about the latest crazy action, Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for the Best Female Video – the first award of the evening. I didn’t watch it live (I would have had to be in the audience to do that) nor did I watch it with Kanye who saw it on TV with everybody else (I dont own a TV) but I “heard” about it via Facebook when all of my FBPEEPS started registering their disgust. At first, no one bothered to mention what he did - they just said that West was ignorant or that he had gone too far this time, or that he should be ashamed. I finally found out that ‘Ye had bounded onstage, took the mic from Taylor Swift and said some foolishness about B’s video being the best of all time (has he not heard of Thriller?). All of this happened as Swift was expressing her surprise that she, a country singer, was selected by these big city folks for this honor.

The whole story – from beginning to end – was hilarious to me. In fact, I LOL’d. I was even more amused when I read Kanye’s rushed and disingenuous apology where he said that Swift’s mother had said what his mom would have said had somebody did that to him. He ended it, though, by saying that although he was sorry, he had to do it! So, just like when he was on stage with Swift, he was still mixing irreverence with a dab of politeness – I loved it! A perfect example of righteous indignation of an artist splashed with hip hop and high tech highlights!

I wasn’t mad at ‘Ye nor was I shocked – West has a history of award show shenanigans. And despite all that I think Kanye is a very smart hip hop artist who, as his mother’s only child - a boy child- was spoiled and encouraged to speak his mind. From his lyrics and behavior Kanye has been telling us for years that he has an ego fueled by talent and nurtured (and indulged) by his mother. So when he performs true to form – I appreciate the man-child's consistency. I was alone in my appreciation for Kanye last night. Even my attempt to temper criticism by reminding my FBPEEPS that this was the same spontaneous young man who spoke truth to power while many (most?) of us were still dazed and confused after the Bush/Brownie debacle during and after hurricane Katrina in 2005. No one bought it so I went to bed.

I woke Monday morning with my stayed on Kanye - but my mind had changed. No, I had not joined the chorus of Kanye critics (to which the POTUS has apparently has added his voice). I woke with a nagging feeling that all of us had been duped – that the event on the stage had been, well, staged. B’s quick and well articulated generosity and Swift's poise were at the core of suspicion although larger socio- (pop) cultural dynamics were at play as well.

Here's the theory I posted on FB Monday afternoon:

“Kanye clowns the young blonde who won best female video award at the VMAs on MTV. He can do it cuz, well, young black men do what they pleez in the US especially w/ young blondes. K? k. so the blonde youngun sings instead of cries (since when?) then...B wins a bigger award! The next nite Kanyeezy is on Jay Leno's debut wch wz expectd to fail but doesnt cuz we tune in to see Jay ask 'Ye abt the VMAs! mmmmmk?”

The responses showed varying degrees of hostility towards Kanye’s antics – whether staged or not. Since my earlier posting, my suspicions have all but been confirmed by me. First, one of my FBPEEPS brought up the fact that rather than the shimmering shiny frock Taylor Swift wore when she accepted the award, she wore the same material as Beyonce during her performance. This new wrinkle makes me wonder why we even bother with MTV if we suspect that, like last year’s staged disruption, they thought it wise in this climate of hostility directed toward "uppity" black men (as in like Obama, Holder, Gates, Van Jones, now West) to have this particular trope played out.

Tempers have been running hot this summer and I had hoped Serena WIlliams' outburst at the US Open would mark the end of the summer of temper tantrums and "town hall moments" but, alas it was not to be. The crazies are spewing their venom all over twitter and beyond. ck out http://harryallen.info/?p=5154#more-5154. There you will find a cogent discussion of racist tweets using the word N*GG*R (asterisks added), the racist post that all suggest lynching West and the racist violent ones that have a common them re: putting various items in Kanye’s ass. Equally disturbing where the black folks saying that Kanye’s conduct had set black folks back 50 years. (I wonder how many years his recent collaboration on with Drake on “Poke(H)er Face” took us back).

Enter President Obama who after an interview on health care reform calls ‘Ye a jackass – but off the record in case he wants to bum a Newport from him or have him perform again at an inauguration in Jan. 2013. (note to POTUS: stop commenting on dumb shit! First Gates gate now West Gate). ck it out:
http://www.politico.com/click/stories/0909/did_obama_call_kanye_a_jackass.html


Finally, I read that after saying he was soooo sorry, Kanye, Rhianna and Jay-Z performed masterfully together on Jay Leno’s show.

ck it out at
www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/14/kanye-west-on-leno-apolog_n_286675.html.

Well all I know is that my nagging feeling earlier this morning and the developments throughout the day have me appreciating Mr. West Mr. West Mr. West less and less. If the whole thing was staged then he is less the impetuous, passionate, stream of consciousness devil may care, rude boy man child hip hop visionary I admire so and more like everybody else (and me) - looking to get in on the crazy action. The problem is that the present climate in the country (a la Rep. Wilson, the birthers, Glen Beck, the 9/12ers, and 'Obama is a socialist, nazi, death panelist' crazies) - the crazy action oftentimes involves racism, violence (sexual and otherwise) or greed.

Sadly, people end up getting hurt especially when, like now, it involves all three.

New Technology and Hip Hop

This blog has previously discussed the impact that Twitter would have on the burgeoning social networking scene in general, predicting that Twitter would become an important tool in promoting artists and athletes and providing access never before seen. So, with the growing popularity of Twitter, the following was bound to happen: In this new age of Twitter, blogs and moment-to-moment updating access, a lawsuit has been threatened based on the content of a Twitter message sent to thousands of "following" fans.

In recent news, Mistah FAB received a cease-and-desist letter from publisher Julia Beverly after FAB posted unflattering comments about Beverly on his Twitter account. Beverly is the owner of the music publication Ozone Magazine. The comments that Mistah FAB posted on Twitter were reportedly his response to a two year old interview that Julia Beverly, owner of music publication Ozone Magazine, recently posted online. In the newly posted interview, Mistah FAB discusses his disinterest in dark-skinned women. After purportedly receiving severe backlash for this comment after the interview was posted online, Mistah FAB attacked Beverly through Twitter.

FAB referred to Beverly in derogatory terms (i.e., “b**ch” and “hoe”) also referencing her in unflattering sexual contexts, which resulted in her letter calling for the retraction of the false and defamatory statements. The letter claims that the statements by Mistah FAB on Twitter will “damage and cause irreparable harm to Ms. Beverly’s image and reputation.” While the cease and desist letter did not state when an actual lawsuit would be filed, it threatened FAB by stating that his failure to remove the statements would ultimately result in a defamation action against Mistah FAB for libel. While defamation and libel law is convoluted, particularly when it comes to celebrities, it is very likely that courts will struggle with defining traditional defamation law in the new context of social networking sites and Twitter in particular.

With the recent Tila Tequila - Shawne Merriman ordeal dominating the news, notorious Twitterer Tequila may have to use caution going forward. With a District Attorney weighing whether to file charges against Merriman for false imprisonment and battery and with Merriman denying Tequila's allegation of choking and restraining her, instead arguing that he was trying to keep her from leaving while intoxicated, what Tequila "tweets" may become a part of future court records.

The Bar Exam

Artist: GZA
Song: Fame
Album: Legend of the Liquid Sword

Larry's Bird flew outta Nicholas' Cage
Joe Tex messages from Satchel's Paige
Betty Wright+letters with ink from Sean's Penn
Infinite bars, you couldn't tell where the song end
Glenn Close enough to quickly duck the tapes
Richard Gere ripped while he was climbin' Bill Gates
He was a southerner, posing as a, native New Yorker
The Jason Kidd took his first steps in Jimmy's Walker
He stayed on line chattin' with rap celebs
Used Bernie's Mack to search Veronica's Webb
It cost them their life for the advice you gave
Now Pete Rose lay on Vanessa's Redgrave

With CREAM I ain't with the fame
Fame is the measure
Rap celebs
The place where stars are born
With CREAM I ain't with the fame
Fame is the measure
Rap celebs
The place where stars are born

Michael Jackson death ruled a murder, questions of culpability arise

As most people interested in entertainment news have heard, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office has ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide. There's been a flood of well-written articles on this latest development that offer up opinions suggesting ideas as disparate as a conspiracy to the notion that Michael Jackson's suffering might excuse his doctor's actions.

A Baltimore Sun story offers some excellent writing. The Gainesville Sun provides solid information on the drug in question, Propofol. Also check out the Star-Ledger.

Is it possible to excuse Dr. Conrad Murray's actions if Michael Jackson was in fact suffering greatly? Are homicide or manslaughter charges appropriate? What about questions of negligence? We'll continue to follow this story closely.

-- Nick J. Sciullo

(Picture of Dr. Conrad Murray from the Associated Press)