Druglord Sought Jay-Z, Puffy Handout

OCTOBER 12--An imprisoned druglord who has been called the secret power behind a leading hip-hop label recently told a music industry associate that he was going to approach 'Jay and Puff' to help fund his defense effort against homicide, racketeering, and narcotics charges that could carry the death penalty. In a recorded April 29 call from the Brooklyn federal lockup, Kenneth 'Supreme' McGriff appeared to be referring to rap titans Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter and Sean 'Puffy' Combs as he spoke with Christopher 'Chris Gotti' Lorenzo, a top executive with The Inc., the music label that, investigators allege, McGriff secretly controls. Saying that he planned to 'reach out to Jay and um, maybe Puff,' McGriff (pictured at right) stated that he wanted to write them a letter that would be delivered by a defense team representative, according to the below transcript. Gotti, who is out on bail in the same federal case in which McGriff has been charged, replied that this was a good idea since 'they ask about you when I seen 'em, I seen Jay and Puff the same night they both asked about you individually.' The money sought--which apparently was earmarked for payments to private investigators--wouldn't be missed by Jay or Puff, McGriff noted, since 'they really situated real real well. Wouldn't be nothing but peanuts to 'em, you know what I mean.' Transcripts of some of McGriff's phone calls, recorded by the Bureau of Prisons, were included in a motion filed yesterday by a lawyer for Lorenzo, whose brother (and codefendant) Irving heads The Inc.. Other transcripts show McGriff and Gotti continuing to obsess over rival Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson and the rapper's prodigious album sales. Claiming that 50 Cent has staged shootings for publicity purposes, McGriff exclaimed in a March 7 talk, 'This nigger, he's a stunt master!' When Gotti noted that Jimmy Iovine, who heads 50 Cent's record label, 'is helping him think of all of his shit,' McGriff stated, 'Yeah, yeah, of course, because the cracker's pimping him. He ain't nothing but, he ain't nothing but a motherfucker house nigger that set everything, set us back 150 years.' McGriff sarcastically added that 50 Cent would next be doing commercials for macaroni and cheese and Kentucky Fried Chicken. In a March 21 conversation, McGriff and Gotti again talk about 50 Cent, the rapper Nelly, and the singer Ashanti's love life. (9 pages)