Insult to injury
A San Diego rapper is currently standing a 2-day preliminary trial to see if he will be formally charged, along with 14 other members of a gang he’s affiliated with. A California law passed in 2000 states that if a gang member somehow benefits from the criminal actions of his fellow gang members, he can also be charged with a crime. In rapper Tiny Doo‘s case, the prosecutor is postulating that a shooting involving some of his fellow gang members helped to raise the gang’s street cred, which, in turn, helped popularize the release of Tiny Doo’s album, No Safety. Part of the prosecutor’s reasoning goes as follows:
We’re not just talking about a CD of anything, of love songs. We’re talking about a CD [cover]… there is a revolver with bullets.
It’s certainly far-fetched, but should Tiny Doo make it to trial, this prosecutor would most certainly be setting a unique, and controversial precedent. Imagine the nationally renowned Crip set, or Blood gang? If Bloods in New York commit a crime that “raises the street cred” of the overall gang, will rappers that happen to have albums out have to stand preliminary trials? That sounds even more ridiculous than Doo’s case, but it’s certainly something to think about.
UPDATE: Tiny Doo could potentially be headed to jail for the rest of his life. Doo’s trial begins on December 4th, and if he’s convicted, according to Doo’s–real name Brandon Duncan–attorney, if convicted, he could be facing life imprisonment charges. Prosecutors are pointing to the fact that Duncan has a gun and bullets on his cover as a major reason why he could potentially be partially liable for nine California shootings. The artwork is below.
Take your mind of this insanity by checking out our exclusive interview with Fabolous as he talks upcoming projects and his new Rocawear BLCK line at Macy’s
