Police want to question Busta, Swizz Beatz And Yayo

[KURUPTION-81]

Detectives believe rapper Busta Rhymes was standing next to his bodyguard and saw all when a gunman opened fire outside a star-studded Brooklyn video shoot - killing the hired muscle, sources said yesterday.

The rapper apparently was trying to play peacemaker between two hip-hop factions moments before the bullets started flying, killing 29-year-old Israel Ramirez, who fell at his boss' feet, police sources said. Now cops want to reinterview the 33-year-old rapper, whose real name is Trevor Smith.

"We believe Busta Rhymes may have been on the street when the shooting took place," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said yesterday.

Ramirez's wife, Amelin Fernandez, told the Daily News that Rhymes described the shooting to her during a condolence call.

She said Rhymes told her he was flanked by Ramirez and another bodyguard, and that the shooter was aiming at someone behind the trio.

"It has nothing to do with you, just get out of the way!" the gunman told Ramirez just before opening fire, Fernandez, 26, said Rhymes told her.

Calls to Rhymes' lawyer were not returned yesterday.

In the hours after the shooting, Rhymes told cops he was inside the Greenpoint film studio when the gunfire erupted, sources said.

But now detectives want to question him about accounts placing him smack in the middle of the bloodshed - hoping he'll help them crack the case.

They also want to talk to rapper Tony Yayo and other members of hip-hop star 50 Cent's entourage, G-Unit. Investigators believe the gunman may have taken off in Yayo's car, sources said.

The gunfire exploded just before 12:30 a.m. Sunday, following a shoot that drew rap's elite - including DMX, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott and 50 Cent - for Rhymes' "Touch It (Remix)" video.

The beef appears to have started with a war of words inside the Kiss the Cactus studio on Green St. between two rival rap groups, as 500 extras and crew members were at work on the video, a police source said.

Yayo and other G-Unit members started insulting Rhymes' producer, Swizz Beatz, the new head of the Ruff Ryders label, whose artists also include DMX.

Studio security told the men to take their shouting outside, sparking one enraged self-proclaimed ex-con to declare, "Who the f--k are you to tell me to be quiet? I'm on parole, mother-----r!"

Rhymes followed the groups of arguing men outside, trying to calm flaring tempers, police sources said.

But as Rhymes tried to negotiate a peace, eight shots rang out. Ramirez, a father of three, was shot once through the chest.

Yayo, an ex-con whose real name is Marvin Bernard, sped off in his car with other members of 50 Cent's entourage, a police source said.

"No one has said Yayo is the shooter, but whoever did the shooting got into Tony Yayo's car with him and drove away," the source said.

In a cruel twist, Ramirez provided security to 50 Cent at one point in his career and considered G-Unit family, his widow said.

"When I met him, 50 Cent was in the hospital and he was the bodyguard at the time. So he had a relationship with the G-Unit family," Fernandez said.

Yayo denied any involvement in the shooting, his lawyer Scott Leemon said yesterday.

"He is not a suspect. They did not indicate he was a target at all," Leemon said, adding he told the Brooklyn district attorney's office Yayo would not voluntarily answer any police questions about the shooting.

That enraged Fernandez, who said that all the big-name rappers at the shoot - including Rhymes - should cooperate fully with cops. Detectives also want to talk with Swizz Beatz, whose real name is Kasseem Dean, sources said.

"I believe everybody who was at the scene should give their statement," Fernandez said.

Detectives, meanwhile, rejected speculation that Ramirez was targeted because he was guarding Rhymes' jewelry.

"It had nothing to do with jewelry. It had nothing to do with anything other than stupid stuff," a police source said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/389198p-330186c.html

[wcsoldier]

Tony Yayo  this dude is so wack and silly, he might be a reason for this shooting

[T-Dogg]

I read about this just an hour ago. Fucked up that things like that happen.

[GangstaBoogy]

aww shiet 50 is about to tell on everyone 

why was yayo starting shiet with swizz?

[wcsoldier]

aww shiet 50 is about to tell on everyone 

why was yayo starting shiet with swizz?

coz G unit has beef with the Lox , part of the Ruff Ryders....

[Active Ingredient]

damn, thats a good body guard if he'll take a bullet for you.

aww shiet 50 is about to tell on everyone 

why was yayo starting shiet with swizz?

coz G unit has beef with the Lox , part of the Ruff Ryders....

still thats fucked up,  youd think they could keep their heads screwed on right for a couple hours at least. did they even finish shooting the video?

[Larrabee]

That's a real messed up situation. Over some bullshit 

[Mo Z. Dizzle]

damn, thats a good body guard if he'll take a bullet for you.

aww shiet 50 is about to tell on everyone

why was yayo starting shiet with swizz?

coz G unit has beef with the Lox , part of the Ruff Ryders....

still thats fucked up, youd think they could keep their heads screwed on right for a couple hours at least. did they even finish shooting the video?

not only that, but it alsod eals with Cassidy
it goes back to wen 50 Cent dissed Cassidy's Hotel on a skit or sumthin by calling it trash, and Swizzie produced that track i believe
anywayz, Cassidy responded to 50 as well as G-Unit i believe in a different version of the video for B-Boy Stance as well a different version of Im a Hustla
Swizzie was interviewed by allhiphop.com on the subject; here is a part of that interview:

AllHipHop.com: Since we are on the topic, word is Cassidy is going to poke fun at 50 Cent in his new video?

Swizz Beatz: It is what it is. What ever he does, I support. He is an artist too. What, is Cassidy not supposed to say anything because that is 50? 50 poked fun at him, and did a whole skit on his mixtape talking about, "Aren't you tired of songs like this," with the "Hotel" song in the background. He did a whole fake award show about that s**t. He pokes fun about people all day. He had Ja Rule in the "Wanksta" video as a doll. Then you get on the radio and talk about "Cats want problems.” Cats aint' even thinking about him! Then I'm looking at the magazines, and I'm adding it all up. I could tell Cass to chill, but he has his manhood too. He has fans he has to answer to as well. It ain't no beef, or all of that, because beef is something we don't even talk about. Beef is something you handle, and its not in no songs, on the radio, or anything like that. It is what it is. It’s a lyrical thing, its competition, and Cassidy is ready for whatever. We came into the game like this, so why back down now? Why, just because he sold millions of records? We are not going to sit back and let n***as bully and throw cheap shots. Like come on, enough is enough already!

full article: http://www.allhiphop.com/features/?ID=1093

so i think the RR thing and the Cassidy thing both play factors in it...

[K A I N]

More info...

Authorities are investigating whether an argument between Swizz Beatz and G-Unit's Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks may have sparked the deadly shooting at Busta Rhymes' Brooklyn, NY video shoot for the "Touch It" remix.

According to investigators, Israel Ramirez was shot and killed roughly an hour after a heated dispute between Swizz, who produced "Touch It," and the G-Unit members. Word is the three men proceeded to argue over who was getting to lay down vocals for the video. Banks is featured on one of the three remixes for the hit single. Tension reportedly rose as more members from various crews began crowding near the stage, prompting security to ask some to leave.

Police says Yayo began to trash talk about Swizz's artist Cassidy. Then, Banks, who was slated to shoot his part for the clip, refused to take the stage with Swizz nearby. Police says Yayo later stormed out of the set with his crew.

As tension remained high, an eyewitness overheard Busta approach Swizz, saying, "Yo, man, I got no problem with you. We're cool."

As SOHH previously reported, a source heard a man on the street tell a security guard he believes to have been Ramirez, "Yo, so-and-so's on his way over here, and some sh*t might go down."

Word is about 75 men stood in a circle on Green Street, where the Kiss The Cactus Production studio is located. As Swizz walked Busta back to his car, a confrontation erupted and shots were fired, one fatally wounding Ramirez.

"There was some pushing and shoving going on when an individual took out a gun and fired at least eight shots," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told reporters at Police Headquarters.

According to the Daily News, sources say the shooter was seen leaving in Yayo's vehicle. Scott Leemon, Yayo's attorney, faxed letters to the Brooklyn DA's office and NYPD detectives informing that the Queens rapper (born Marvin Bernard) would not speak to investigators about the murder. He has not been named as a suspect.

"I adamantly deny he had any involvement in the shooting of the security guard," Leemon told the New York Post. "Based on my advice, Mr. Bernard will not, and does not, speak to prosecuting authorities. He never has, and he doesn't plan on it."


Yayo is on federal probation for possession of a fraudulent passport. Commissioner Kelly also said the NYPD is looking for Busta and wants to question him. "We believe Busta Rhymes may have been on the street when the shooting took place," Kelly told reporters.

The tension between Swizz, Yayo and Banks may have started with their affiliates, Cassidy and 50 Cent. Early last year, Fif warned Cass to watch his mouth. The Philadelphia rapper retaliated by mocking 50 in his "B Boy Stance" video. 50 responded by mocking Cassidy in his "Piggy Bank" video.

According to the New York Post, Amelin Ramirez, Ramirez's widow, said Busta described the shooting during a condolence call. The Brooklyn rapper told Amelin Ramirez that the unidentified shooter yelled to her husband, "It has nothing to do with you, just get out of the way!" before firing several shots.

Word is Ramirez had been handling Bus' jewelry during the shoot. "Busta said he was standing right next to him when it happened," Amelin told the Post. Amelin said Busta didn't say anything regarding the shooter's identity.

Authorities were able to obtain footage from the video shoot and an MTV camera crew who documented the shoot during the day. Ironically, Ramirez had worked security for 50 previously. He was also a security guard at Club New York the night of Diddy and Shyne's infamous shootout.

lol they were trying to kill Swizz Beatz probably because he called Yayo...gar-bage 

[The Watcher]

damn

how you gonna let off 8 shots and only hit with one of them?

seems to be alot of conflicting stories though, busta was first in the middle of it.. then he was at his car, then he was inside the studio.. etc

[Just Another Sunny day in California]

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck yayo.  he's trash, i saw him on mtv's show "the shop" and one of them niggas said his single was "hot" hahaha.

[K A I N]

I'd say I was in the car/studio too if I was Busta or just snitch and provide testimony in court 

[GangstaBoogy]

yayo is gonna get fucked up. its only a matter of time. homie is runnin around tryna live up to 50s talk. he's lucky those bullets didnt hit him

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck yayo.  he's trash, i saw him on mtv's show "the shop" and one of them niggas said his single was "hot" hahaha.

LMAO! ahh man that show was hilarious. yayo was askin dude can he make a hit song. nigga can you?! your album barley reached gold and you had 50 cent on 2/3 singles

[wcsoldier]

Tony Mayo is going back to jail very soon, please believe it

[J Bananas]

i was jus rollin thru town in my crown vic and 50 ran up to tell me everything