Jack Terry

Host

Suge Knight Shot! Are Rap Feuds Back

Aug 25, 2014·14 visitors

Steve Johnson

Cohost

Stage· 49 messages

Aug 25, 2014

Hours before the 2014 VMA's in Los Angeles, California, Suge Knight was shot several times. Join hosts Jack and Steve as they tawk about the past (Tupac and Biggie) the present (who was the target?) and the future (what does this mean for a rapidly changing industry?)

Jack Terry · 4:00 PM

Hey Steve what's going on today?

Steve Johnson · 4:01 PM

I'll tell you what's going on. I'm not wearing any red or blue for a while!

Jack Terry · 4:01 PM

Huh?

Steve Johnson · 4:01 PM

It's the mid 90's all over again, with the Crips and Bloods back at war.

Jack Terry · 4:02 PM

Oh, you mean because of the Suge Knight shooting?

Steve Johnson · 4:02 PM

That's what we're here to tawk about.

Jack Terry · 4:02 PM

How connected do you think this is to what happened with Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls? that was 7 and 8 years ago.

Steve Johnson · 4:03 PM

That's true, and that's simply what most people know.

Jack Terry · 4:03 PM

That and the Suge Knight connection, that he was riding in the car with Tupac when he was killed.

Steve Johnson · 4:03 PM

Yes, but do you know why they were together?

Jack Terry · 4:04 PM

Because Suge owned Death Row Records, who Tupac was recording for.

Steve Johnson · 4:05 PM

But it goes deeper than that. A couple years earlier Tupac had been arrested and Suge posted his bail: 1.4 million dollars!

Jack Terry · 4:05 PM

Wow! For that kind of money, you're expecting a pretty big return on your investment.

Steve Johnson · 4:06 PM

Which I'm sure he got, the recent Broadway flop of the musical based on Tupac's raps notwithstanding.

Jack Terry · 4:06 PM

But I don't understand what the Bloods and the Crips have to do with any of this.

Steve Johnson · 4:06 PM

Let's go back to Las Vegas in September 1996. Do you remember what happened in the hours before Tupac was killed?

Jack Terry · 4:07 PM

He was there for a boxing match.

Steve Johnson · 4:08 PM

But afterwards they saw a known member of the Crips, and Suge and Tupac were aligned with the Bloods.

Steve Johnson · 4:08 PM

Scratch that! I got that backwards! Suge was with the Crips and it was Blood member that they saw.

Jack Terry · 4:09 PM

That's right, they got into a fight.

Steve Johnson · 4:09 PM

yeah, jumped him right there in the casino. it was caught on security tape. Two hours later Tupac is shot up, and six days later he's dead.

Jack Terry · 4:10 PM

And you think this is somehow tied to what happened Sunday morning in the 10AK club in West Hollywood?

Steve Johnson · 4:10 PM

Not just me, but a lot ofpeople.

Jack Terry · 4:10 PM

But what would the Crips and Bloods be doing at a party hosted by Chris Brown for the VMA's?

Steve Johnson · 4:11 PM

That parts of the breaking news. Chris Brown is known to hang around with members of the Bloods, as is the rapper The Game.

Jack Terry · 4:11 PM

Was he also at the party?

Steve Johnson · 4:12 PM

No, but he tried to be. About an hour or so before he arrived and got into a hassle with the security guards who wouldn't let him in.

Jack Terry · 4:12 PM

Did he come back later?

Steve Johnson · 4:13 PM

Nobody is saying for sure, which is common in situations like this. What isn't common is that the security allowed unchecked bags into the club and didn't pat anyone down.

Jack Terry · 4:13 PM

That doesn't seem very secure at all.

Jack Terry · 4:14 PM

So, there is this connection, but what are the odds that this is just a coincidence, or a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time?

Steve Johnson · 4:15 PM

It's possible but not overly likely. In 2005 Suge Knight was shot at a VMA pre-party in Miami, another party The Game was at as well. Granted, it's a big music event, so it's not surprising that they would both be there, but the history goes back a l

Steve Johnson · 4:16 PM

ong way.

Jack Terry · 4:16 PM

Besides Suge Knight, who else was shot?

Steve Johnson · 4:17 PM

An unidentified 32 year old male and a 19 year old female. Witnesses at the event report that Suge Knight was not at the same table as Chris Brown was, so that it is unlikely that Chris Brown was the target.

Jack Terry · 4:17 PM

I heard that Justin Bieber was also at the party.

Steve Johnson · 4:18 PM

Naturally the media jumped all over that, but no connection was established either. once again, big music party thrown by a famous celebrity at a hot club. A lot of people would be there.

Jack Terry · 4:18 PM

Suge Knight and Death Row Records was associated with N.W.A., weren't they?

Steve Johnson · 4:18 PM

Death Row was actually formed by Suge and Dr. Dre., yes.

Jack Terry · 4:19 PM

Wasn't there a shooting a couple of weeks ago on the film set of the movie "Straight Outta Compton?"

Steve Johnson · 4:19 PM

There was. Reports say gang signed were flashed at a car, and occupents of the car opened fire, but there were no arrests.

Jack Terry · 4:20 PM

Do you think there will be any in this case?

Steve Johnson · 4:20 PM

I doubt it. In all this time there have been no arrests, or even strong leads, in the murder cases of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, even though they were high profile murders.

Jack Terry · 4:21 PM

Besides, Suge Knight has a reputation for taking care of his own business.

Steve Johnson · 4:21 PM

Yeah, if he ans his associates find out who was responsible, I doubt it's the police they will take him to.

Jack Terry · 4:22 PM

Well Steve thanks for the informative tawk. One last question: if this is all connected, do you think there will be a re-ignition of the East Coast/West Coast rap feud?

Steve Johnson · 4:23 PM

No. Back then those were by far the two biggest markets, both for listenign and creation. Now there is Houston, Atlanta, Chicago. Plus the ability to create and market anywhere thanks to the internet and social media has really opened the playing fie

Jack Terry · 4:23 PM

Once again thanks Steve and have a great day!

Steve Johnson · 4:23 PM

You too Jack. Thanks for the invitation to tawk.