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IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord
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IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord -
IRS: Rap Label Run By Druglord
MAY 2--Murder, Inc., rap music's hottest record label, is secretly controlled by a notorious drug kingpin who engineered the shooting of 50 Cent, music's newest superstar, according to a recently unsealed government filing. The label, run by Irv Gotti (real name: Irving Lorenzo), was allegedly bankrolled by his childhood friend, Kenneth McGriff, the convicted head of the "Supreme Team," a murderous drug gang that once terrorized Queens neighborhoods, according to a 32-page affidavit sworn by Internal Revenue Sevice agent Francis Mace (a copy of which you'll find below). The IRS affidavit was filed in January in support of a successful government attempt to seize bank accounts related to "Crime Partners," a movie produced by McGriff and some cohorts from Murder, Inc., which bills itself as "the world's most dangerous record company." The straight-to-video release stars Ja Rule, Murder, Inc.'s top recording artist, and other rap luminaries like Snoop Dogg and Ice-T. The IRS affidavit portrays McGriff as the power behind Murder, Inc., quoting a confidential informant as saying that "while Gotti is the public face" of the label, McGriff "is the true owner of the company. It is well know in the music industry that McGriff has provided Murder, Inc. with 'muscle'--threats, violence, and intimidation." Agent Mace describes McGriff as a weekly visitor to Murder, Inc.'s Manhattan office, where the convicted felon "knows where the CEO's keys are hidden" and has been involved "in the negotiation and review of business contracts on behalf" of the label, a division of the Universal Music Group. McGriff also allegedly laundered money through Murder, Inc., which covered a variety of the convicted felon's expenses and also gave him "large sums of money" (McGriff was never paid in his own name, but through several "false identities"). In a two-way pager message quoted by Mace, McGriff--who is now in prison awaiting sentence on a parole violation--bragged that his reputation keeps people "in line" and serves as a warning to others to "never fuck with" the rap label. Please note that we've broken the affidavit into two 16-page pieces. (32 pages)
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