1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: Disgraceland is a production of Double Elvis. The story of NWA, 2 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: the effect they had on hip hop popular culture, the 3 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: mirror they held up to the city they came from, 4 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: and their interpersonal dynamic is so complex that two episodes 5 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,319 Speaker 1: were needed to properly tell this story. If you're just 6 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: getting hip to this now, I suggest you hip pause 7 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: and go back to Disgraceland Episode thirty seven, part one 8 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,239 Speaker 1: of the NWA story, where we discussed the origins of 9 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: NWA and the gang, reality and LAPD presence within their 10 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: home city of Compton. In this episode, we get around 11 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: to the darker unfortunate behavior of some of the group's members, 12 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: as well as the actions and attitudes that drove the 13 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: band apart, a move for some of them that led 14 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: to the creation of even more great music. That music 15 00:00:57,680 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: I played for you at the top of the show 16 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: that was and great music. That was a preset loop 17 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: from my melotron called Mellow Street Tango BK two. I 18 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: played you that loop because I can't afford the rights 19 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,199 Speaker 1: to inform her by snow And why would I play 20 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,119 Speaker 1: you that specific slice of North of the Border Cheese? 21 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 1: Could I afford it? Because that was the number one 22 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: song in America on April twenty ninth, nineteen ninety two, 23 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:25,919 Speaker 1: and that was the day a Semi Valley jury returned 24 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: a verdict of not guilty to four white police officers 25 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: accused of assaulting a black motorist, in effect bringing to 26 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: life an explosion of violence that NWA had been predicting 27 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: for years. On this episode, Street Tango, Canadian Cheese, the 28 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: La Riots and NWA, I'm Jake Brennan and this is disgraceland. 29 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: Ice Cube wanted to know where the fuck his contract was, 30 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: where his money was. NWA was selling a lot of 31 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: records and it put Easy's label, Ruthless Records on the map. 32 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: And now Ruthless's other acts were starting to sell records 33 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: and for Easy and Jerry Heller, NWA's manager and co 34 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: founder of Easy's record label, the hard Work seemed to 35 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: be paying off new cars, houses and offices for Ruthless. 36 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,239 Speaker 1: Easy had a contract with Jerry and with Priority Records, 37 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 1: who distributed, promoted, and partially funded the label. But where 38 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: were the contracts for Cube and the rest of the group. 39 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: Something wasn't right. Cube confronted Easy, who told him to 40 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: fuck off and to go deal with Jerry. Jerry stalled 41 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: Cube until he could stall no more, and eventually tried 42 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: getting Cube to sign a draconian contract locking him under 43 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: control of Ruthless in perpetuity for a relatively speaking at 44 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: the time measly sum of seventy five thousand dollars. To 45 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: add insult to injury, Jerry insisted Cube signed the contract 46 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 1: without even having a lawyer look at the deal. Cube 47 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: knew better and bounced fuck NWA and mother fucked Jerry 48 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: Heller as well. As soon as he split from NWA 49 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: Ice Cube was east coast bound. The new def Jam 50 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: Recordings offices in Manhattan were a step up in the 51 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: label's original office and the NYU dorm room of its 52 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: co founder Rick Rubin, but Cube wasn't impressed. In fact, 53 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: he was pissed. The meeting was a bust. The dude 54 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: he'd come to meet was late. Cube waited just long 55 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: enough to not be humiliated and split. On his way out, 56 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: he bumped into Chuck d Public Enemies front man who 57 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: Cube had immense respect for. Pe had invited NWA to 58 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: co headline to bring the Noise tour just a few 59 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: months before, when Cube was a member. Chuck invited Cube 60 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: to the studio that night to jump on the track. 61 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: Pe was recording with Big Daddy Kane for the new 62 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: album Fear of a Black Planet, and Cube jumped at 63 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: the offer. The session produced the incendiary public Enemy track 64 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 1: of Burn Hollywood Burn, and cubes verse was on fire. 65 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: Ice Cube was done, being played by Jerry Heller, NWA, Easye, 66 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: the lapd or anyone else who've got in this way. 67 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: The members of NWA were sure ice Cube would bomb 68 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: as a solo artist without them, but Ice Cube had 69 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: a different type of bomb, the mind. Cube moved quick 70 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: to recruit Public Enemies DJ producer Hank Shockley and his 71 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 1: Bomb Squad to produce his solo debut, and Cube was stoked. 72 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 1: In his mind. Drey was a genius, but when it 73 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: came to sampling, the Bomb Squad were next level, and 74 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: they threw creates of albums at Cube and told him 75 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: to get the fuck out of Manhattan and head to 76 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: their studio in Hempstead to quote unquote go find your album. 77 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: And that's exactly what Cube did. He hunkered down and 78 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: dug through those crates. It was prime Funk, the hard Stuff, Slave, 79 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: the God Fact, James Brown, the Queen Betty Davis, the Barkas, 80 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: the Last Poet, Sly and the family Stone Cool and 81 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:19,119 Speaker 1: the Gang Confunction, and even Richard Pryor. But now ice 82 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,280 Speaker 1: Cube is down with pe and the result was way 83 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: beyond what Easye or doctor Dre or Jerry Heller could 84 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: have imagined. The record Cube merged with to debut his 85 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: solo career was a banger. The title America's Most Wanted 86 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: America spelled without a C and with three k's, of course, 87 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: and America went crazy for the record. The album debuted 88 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: at number nineteen on the Billboard two hundred chart. It 89 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: went gold in just two weeks and went platinum just 90 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: two months later, and unlike straight out of Compton, critics 91 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: by and large raved about the record. The Washington Post wrote, 92 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: ice Cube has now proven that he was NWA's crucial element. 93 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: Not everyone thought so, however, Doctor Dre was chief among 94 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: those who thought ice Cube's solo debut was not all that, 95 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: and that same year, in nineteen ninety, NWA released their 96 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 1: first music without ice Cube, an EP entitled one hundred 97 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: Miles in Running, complete with a diss aimed a Cube. 98 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: NWA took the feud off of Wax and into the 99 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,599 Speaker 1: press when they dissed Cube in an interview with d Barnes, 100 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: host of Fox Television's Pump It Up. A week later, 101 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: Barnes was on the set of the film Boys in 102 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: the Hood, the directorial debut of John Singleton, a former 103 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: Arsenio Hall intern that ice Cube met when NWA performed 104 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,039 Speaker 1: on the show. When Singleton got his money together to 105 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: make his movie, he bought the rights to the song 106 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: title Boys in the Hood off of Ez, paying him 107 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: fifty thousand dollars to appropriate Easy's title for his film. 108 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: A movie about the reality of growing up in South 109 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: central Los Angeles, Singleton took it one step further and 110 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:58,599 Speaker 1: cast ice Cube in the role of dough Boy. The 111 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: director wanted all of MDA in the film, but Cube 112 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: was the only one who recognized the power of the 113 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: script and the film was potential. The film is a 114 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 1: staggering work that depicts the reality of South Central's gang 115 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: culture as powerfully as anything on NWA. Straight out of 116 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: Compton and went on to garner two Academy Award nominations 117 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: for Singleton and launched the careers of Kuba Gooding Junior 118 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 1: and Angela Bassett, also cast in the film was Yo 119 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: Yo Ice Cubes protege, a young female rapper who Cube 120 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: was so impressed with he named her the head of 121 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: his record label. De Barnes was on the set to 122 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: interview Yo Yo, and while the cameras are running, Cube 123 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 1: jumped into the frame and playfully ribbed Nwa, firing back 124 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: at their diss of him a week earlier. To Cube, 125 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 1: it was all in good fun, but when Dre saw 126 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: the diss on TV a few days later, he lost 127 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: his shit. He caught up with Barnes by chance at 128 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: a record release party in Hollywood. Barnes was leaning up 129 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: against the club's wall talking to Yo MTV raps co 130 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: host ed lover Andre was drunk. He stepped to Barnes, 131 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: who was scared, unsure of what was happening. The look 132 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: in Drey's eyes wild menace. Dre confronted her, inches from 133 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: her face, big, intimidating and demanding to know why in 134 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: the fuck she aired Cube's diss of Nwa. When the 135 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: club promoter saw what was going on and tried to intervene, 136 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: Drey's bodyguard cracked him in the face with a sharp, 137 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: closed fist. Barnes pleaded her case, I had nothing to 138 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:28,559 Speaker 1: do with how the segment was edited or what got aired. 139 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: Cube was just playing. According to Barnes, Drey wasn't having it. 140 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 1: He grabbed her by the front of the shirt with 141 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:36,559 Speaker 1: one hand. With the other, he grabbed her by the 142 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: hair and ear and began slamming her face against the 143 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 1: club's brick wall. Then he threw her to the ground, 144 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: kicked her in the ribs, and started stomping on her 145 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: hands and fingers. Barnes, on the floor could see the 146 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 1: club's second floor stairway a few feet away and knew 147 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: that that was where this beating was going to end, 148 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 1: with Dre propelling her beaten body down the stairs, and 149 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: she managed to get to her feet and get the 150 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: hell out of there and into the club's bathroom. When 151 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: the dust settled and the news of the beating started 152 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 1: to circulate, Dre told the hip hop magazine The Source 153 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: that Barnes agreed not to press charges so long as 154 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 1: Dre would produce the record of hers and then he 155 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: had told her to fuck off, and that that was 156 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: what prompted her bringing him to court for the assault, 157 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: and the other members of NWA shook off. The bad 158 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: press that followed the incident. Mc wren said that Barnes 159 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:30,439 Speaker 1: quote unquote deserved it. Easy said, quote bitch had it coming. 160 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: He grabbed the bitch by the little hair she had, 161 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 1: through the bitch to the bathroom door. Pow. He just 162 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 1: started stomping on the bitch and then Easy started giggling. 163 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: The comments by the group and the action by Dre 164 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 1: were as bad or worse than any of the misogynoust 165 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: lyrics on their albums. Drey made a bad situation even 166 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:52,079 Speaker 1: worse by telling Rolling Stone quote people talk all this shit, 167 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: but you know somebody fucks with me, I'm gonna fuck 168 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: with them. I just did it. You know. Ain't nothing 169 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: he can do now by talking about it. Besides, it 170 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: ain't no big thing. I just threw her through a door. 171 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: Dre pleaded no contest to de Burne's charges of battery 172 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: and was fined twenty five hundred dollars and given two 173 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: hundred and forty hours of community service. Barnes brought a 174 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: civil suit against Dre and settled out of court for 175 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:19,199 Speaker 1: an undisclosed six figure amount. Doctor Dre has since apologized 176 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 1: for this incident and others. Regarding his history of physical 177 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,120 Speaker 1: abuse towards women, saying in part, I've done a lot 178 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 1: of stupid shit in my life, a lot of things 179 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: I wish I could go and take back. I watched 180 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: my mother get abused. You know, there's absolutely no excuse 181 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 1: for it. Any man that puts his hands on a 182 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: female is a fucking idiot. He's out of his fucking mind. 183 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 1: And I was out of my fucking mind at the time. 184 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: I fucked up. I paid for it. I'm sorry for it. 185 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: But what do I do to get rid of this 186 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: dark cloud? I don't know what else to do. I'm learning, 187 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,679 Speaker 1: I'm trying to become a better person, a better man. 188 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 1: In the end, I've hurt people that I care about, 189 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: and for that, I'm really sorry. When he made those statements, 190 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,439 Speaker 1: it was twenty seventeen and doctor dre Is violent past 191 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: was safely a few decades in the rear view. But 192 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: back in the early nineteen nineties, where we left off, 193 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 1: Violence was just about to open the door to his 194 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 1: insanely successful future as a solo artist. Before he even 195 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 1: had a chance to respond to the questions, three of 196 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: them grabbed him by the arm, by the neck, by 197 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 1: the wispy puff of partially bleached hair, and started dragging him. 198 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: Another pulled open the doors to the balcony, and the 199 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: blast California sunshine quickly overcame the hotel suite to air conditioning. 200 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:49,959 Speaker 1: Before Vanilla Ice knew it, he'd been yanked out of 201 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: the balcony was being lifted up. 202 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:53,960 Speaker 2: No, no, no, fuck this. I told you, I'll sign, 203 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 2: I'll pay, I'll do whatever you want. No, no, please, don't, don't. 204 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 2: His frantic pleading went unanswered. Men silently went about their business, 205 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 2: hoisting him up over the balcony's guardrail. Two men apiece, 206 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 2: double teeming a leg in an ankle, and hanging Vanilla 207 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 2: Ice over the edge of the balcony, multiple stories above 208 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 2: the sidewalk above, certain death unless the white boy with 209 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 2: the number one record on the billboard charts gave the 210 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 2: South Central gangbangers what they wanted, a cut of his royalties. 211 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,720 Speaker 2: He swung there delicately, no more screaming, no more pleading, 212 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 2: just fear shock, silence. As he stared down at death, 213 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 2: the wind cut more clearly up here, he thought you 214 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:34,079 Speaker 2: could hear it. 215 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: It was the only thing he could hear. The sounds 216 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 1: of the men his tormentors were momentarily blocked out, just 217 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: the wind blowing delicately. Then they started shaking him in 218 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 1: the reality of it hit him all over again, the 219 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: faint taste of iron in his mouth from the busted 220 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 1: capillaries and his lungs a result of them working overtime. 221 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:55,680 Speaker 1: Maxed out by the fear and adrenaline pumping through him, 222 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:57,680 Speaker 1: he was being hung out of a balcony of his 223 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 1: swank Beverly Hills Hotel won them all right. I told you, guys, 224 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: I'll sign it. I'll sign. Don't drop me, don't fucking 225 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: do it. I'll sign. I'll sign. Something must have sounded 226 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,319 Speaker 1: convincing in his voice, because the four men pulled him 227 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:11,839 Speaker 1: back up onto the balcony, but they weren't through with him. 228 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 1: They dragged him back into the hotel suite, shut the 229 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:18,479 Speaker 1: sliding balcony doors behind him, blocking out the California sunshine, 230 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 1: and the lights had dimmed. The TV was off. There 231 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:24,559 Speaker 1: was a man, a big man, bigger than the two 232 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 1: men who braced each of his arms, and bigger than 233 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: the two other men who now stood in front of 234 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: each of the Sweet's exits. And somehow this big man, 235 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: clad entirely in blood red, sitting peacefully at the Sweet 236 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 1: small circular table, who said nothing, just shifted his cigar 237 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 1: back and forth between his lips, from one side of 238 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,560 Speaker 1: his mouth to the other. Somehow, this very large, very 239 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:49,199 Speaker 1: quiet man was more intimidating than even the automatic weapons 240 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: that the two men in the doorways now openly brandished. 241 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: The men, holding vanilla Ice by the arms, shoved him 242 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 1: down into the chair opposite the big man. The big 243 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: Man said nothing, the papers across the table. Then he 244 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:04,680 Speaker 1: picked up the pen and slammed it down on top 245 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: of the papers. His muscles and his face tightened. The 246 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: corner of his right eye squinted slightly, his broad chest 247 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: began to slowly inflate. Everyone in the room could feel 248 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: his anger. It was as real as the guns those 249 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 1: dudes were holding a few feet away. Vanilla Ice had 250 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: never been more scared in his life, and that's saying something, 251 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 1: considering that seconds before this he was being hung out 252 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 1: over a hotel balcony and the big Man spoke, your 253 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: signature or your life. Vanilla Ice snatched up the pen 254 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: and signed his Christian name, Robert Matthew van Winkle, to 255 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: the papers, in effect signing over four million dollars in 256 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: royalties from his biggest hit, Ice Ice Baby to the 257 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: Big Man sitting across from him, and with that, the 258 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: Big Man had what he'd come for, a multi million 259 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: dollars score, some of which he'd kicked back to the 260 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: artist he'd wrap, Chocolate Johnson, who claimed he'd help Vanilla 261 00:14:56,120 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: Ice write the song, but was uncredited and uncompensated. Whatever 262 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: the reason the Big Man now had when he coveted 263 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: much needed capital for his new record label, death Row Records, 264 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: the label would be a new kind of label, a 265 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: big label, an unconventional kind of label, a label that 266 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 1: exclusively wrapped the reality on the streets that its artist 267 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 1: came up on and all the violence that came with it. Unconventional, big, violent, 268 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: just like its owner, just like Suge Knight. Sug Now, 269 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 1: with Vanilla ICE's contract in his hands, split, he had 270 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: other business to attend to over in Hollywood. As far 271 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 1: as talent went, Chocolate Johnson was cool and all, but 272 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: he represented the past. Shug's future lay in the young, 273 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: talented hands of doctor Dre, who a few weeks back 274 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: had asked Sug, a friend of a friend from the 275 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: neighborhood who had a reputation for getting things done, to 276 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 1: help him out. Similar to LAPD chief Daryl Gates, sug 277 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 1: Knight deployed in any means necessary methodology to his business dealings, 278 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 1: and at the moment, that's exactly what doctor Dre needed. 279 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 1: After Cube's departure from MWA and Ruthless Records, it became 280 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: clear to Dre that Easy and his manager Jerry Heller 281 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: were screwing him financially as well. Drey wanted out of 282 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: his contract, but Easy and Jerry weren't about to let 283 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: their biggest talent walk out of the door. After all, 284 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 1: he'd sign the contract. Sug was eager to help Drey out. 285 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: The plan was for the two of them to launch 286 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 1: and co own, along with a couple other partners, death 287 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: Row Records. But none of that could happen until Drey 288 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: was released from his contract with Ruthless. Easy and Jerry 289 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,960 Speaker 1: held firm. They wouldn't even sit down at the negotiating 290 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: table with Dre. So Suge Knight, blood street gang affiliate, 291 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 1: former defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams turned music 292 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 1: industry mogul on the make, went to work. He knew 293 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 1: he needed to be Cagy Easy. E wasn't Vanilla Ice. 294 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 1: Easy was bo g a hip hop star, sure, but 295 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: gangster to his core. Suge Knight knew Easy E did 296 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: give a fuck. Easy got the caller on sundown. Drey 297 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: wanted to meet up that night to work shit out 298 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: out once and for all. Easy agreed to meet Dre 299 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: over at Galaxy, a studio Dre was working out of 300 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: in Hollywood, and Easy hit the elevator for the second floor. 301 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: When the doors opened to the studio lobby, there was 302 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: no doctor Dre, just a former La Ram with Louisville 303 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: Slugger and four of his thugs brandishing lead pipes. Easy 304 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: played it cool, where's Dre at? Sug said nothing, just 305 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:26,359 Speaker 1: pulled the contract from his back pocket, unfolded it and 306 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 1: showed an Easy word to sign. Easy still cool, and 307 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: what the fuck is that? Sug finally spoke, It's a 308 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: contract releasing Dre from Ruthless and you're gonna sign it. 309 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: It was Easy's turn not to speak. He held the 310 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:42,960 Speaker 1: silence and just stared at Shug and then let out 311 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: a simple huh. He was stalling. He knew he was outnumber, 312 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: but he didn't yet know what he was going to do. 313 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: He wondered if he could yank the gat and his 314 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: waistband out and get a shot off quick enough before 315 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 1: Sugar and his goon swarmed and Sug didn't take Easy 316 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: silence lightly. Time for plan B. You see that white 317 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: van parked out on the street on your way in here, 318 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 1: We got Jerry Heller tied up in the back of 319 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:06,439 Speaker 1: that van with a gun to his head. And just 320 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 1: in case you ain't the sentimental type, we got two 321 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 1: bad motherfuckers perched outside your mama's house over on Muriel. 322 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: That sealed it for Easy. Jerry he could live without, maybe, 323 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: but his mom definitely not. He signed the papers Sug split, 324 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: but he wasn't done. Critics may have claimed that gangster 325 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:31,359 Speaker 1: rap was simply exploitative, violent fantasy, but the reality Easy 326 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:33,959 Speaker 1: E spit out on record, the same reality that he 327 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: and Jerry Heller profited from, was now coming back on 328 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 1: them and completely fucking up their program. Once Sug freed 329 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: Dre from Ruthless, he set about to get his hands 330 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: on Dre's master recordings, showing up at Easy's house and 331 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:51,919 Speaker 1: demanding them. Soon after, Jerry found his home burglarized, tossed, 332 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: and vandalized. Across the front of his expansive Calabasas man 333 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: someone had written in black marker payback some motherfucker, Jerry, 334 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: We'll be right back after this word word word. Howard 335 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: Stern did not shock Easily, but EASYE was given it 336 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:14,160 Speaker 1: the old Compton try. Stern, the controversial and highly rated 337 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 1: syndicated New York radio host, was more amused with EZ 338 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: than he was shocked. The lifestyle easy lead fascinated Stern. 339 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: You can hear it in his voice if you listen 340 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: to the recording. How many children you got? Eric? Five? 341 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 1: You got five kids? Where's your wife? I'm not married? 342 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,920 Speaker 1: You're not married? The hell's going on here? Howard's sidekick, 343 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,680 Speaker 1: Robin Quivers chimed in and asked the same women or 344 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:41,720 Speaker 1: different women? Different women? Easy replies different women. Howard now 345 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 1: seems shocked. He then asks, you were condoms when you 346 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 1: have sex? E? Nah? Robin asked, you heard about aids? Easy? Yeah, 347 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 1: but the people I messed with don't. Robin, buts in, 348 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: how do you know Easy tells her because I would 349 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: have had it myself if they would have had it. 350 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 1: Howard oh Man, Jerry Heller, NWA's manager and co founder 351 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:07,479 Speaker 1: of the Easy Eas record label Ruthless Records, was shaking 352 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: his head as he listened back to the recording of 353 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 1: the Stern Show from earlier that week. He banged the 354 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: stop button on the accept player and then shot a 355 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: look at Eric as he called across Easy's eighty six 356 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 1: hundred dollars Italian desk. Jerry was pissed. Eric was nearly 357 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:24,399 Speaker 1: blowing it with his excess, and just when they were 358 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:27,359 Speaker 1: starting to make real money, not just walking around money either. 359 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 1: Bank ten million a month Ruthless Records through the popularity 360 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:35,120 Speaker 1: of NWA had blown up. It was the hottest hip 361 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 1: hop label on the West Coast, and the swank new 362 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:41,240 Speaker 1: offices Jerry and Easy were now sitting improved it. Jerry 363 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:44,399 Speaker 1: had his office decked out and understated pastels with all 364 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:47,720 Speaker 1: the finest and trendiest to koutremant an elegant type of 365 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,439 Speaker 1: class that said, I've been in this business since Michael 366 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 1: Jackson at his first nose, and it can afford to 367 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:56,360 Speaker 1: roll low key and go fuck yourself. Easy's office said 368 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 1: the opposite. I've been in this business for a hot minute. 369 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 1: I'm black, I'm and I got more talent and money 370 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 1: than the white man in the office next to mine, 371 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:05,880 Speaker 1: and the whole goddamn world needs to know it. Now, 372 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: come on in, make yourself comfortable, and let's listen to 373 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:12,399 Speaker 1: some baby making music. And as such, his office was 374 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: a newgo riche overstatement designed by celebrity interior designer Frank Austin. 375 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:21,920 Speaker 1: Plush black coach, massive projection television, loosight walls, in state 376 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 1: of the art stereo system, the blast of the latest 377 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 1: Ruthless Records. Artist singles at maximum volume all day and night, 378 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: sometimes for the party he was thrown, sometimes to set 379 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: the mood into entertaining one of his many female friends. 380 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 1: He entertained so much, in fact, that Jerry had to 381 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:40,440 Speaker 1: pay extra for increased cleaning services to remove the bodily 382 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 1: fluids that were deposited about the office on a daily basis. 383 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: But not today. Easy was pissed. He told Jerry he 384 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,679 Speaker 1: was going to kill the dude. Kill Sugar. Night. He 385 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: told Jerry Sug was too big a problem, too big 386 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,640 Speaker 1: a hassle, and then eventually Sug would kill the two 387 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,159 Speaker 1: of them. As frightened of Sugar as Jerry was, he 388 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 1: was even more afraid of derailing the gravy train they 389 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: had rolling through Ruthless every month. Shug might have been 390 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 1: an intimidating pain in the ass, but it wasn't worth 391 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: blowing ten milli a month for He talked Easy out 392 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 1: of murdering him and instead installed a seventy five thousand 393 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: dollars security system, and the two of them set about 394 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,399 Speaker 1: stashing a small arsenal of weapons in and around the 395 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:23,639 Speaker 1: office in their homes and then began taking different routes 396 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,639 Speaker 1: to and from work. And this business of the street 397 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: was serious business in business for Easye. It was not 398 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,119 Speaker 1: good in nineteen ninety two. He didn't know it at 399 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:50,199 Speaker 1: the time, but he would soon learn what Cube and 400 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:53,679 Speaker 1: Dre learned before him, that his manager, Jerry Heller, was 401 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:57,480 Speaker 1: screwing him financially. He also didn't know that all the 402 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,479 Speaker 1: women he was messing with would put him in an 403 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:03,440 Speaker 1: early grave. Within three years time, Easye would be dead 404 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:07,400 Speaker 1: from complications of the AIDS virus. But in nineteen ninety two, 405 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: Ice Cube was riding high. His first two records were 406 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:14,119 Speaker 1: both critical and commercial successes, and his acting career was 407 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: just starting to get real. Doctor Dre was just getting 408 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,440 Speaker 1: started with a new protege named Snoop and about to 409 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 1: put death Row on the map the same way he 410 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 1: did with ruthless, but with less stomp, more groove, and 411 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:29,640 Speaker 1: of course, the ever present reality of its surroundings. Mc 412 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 1: wren joined the Nation of Islam and worked on his 413 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 1: solo debut, and DJ Yella kept working on his production career. 414 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: A lot had changed since their beginnings back on the 415 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 1: streets of Compton, but the one thing that remained the 416 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,159 Speaker 1: same was the essence of the music they were all making. 417 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:46,479 Speaker 1: The music never departed from the reality around them, no 418 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: matter how much success changed them. They were products of 419 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:52,400 Speaker 1: South Central of Compton, and the product they made and 420 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: sold was the violent, tough street reality they were raised in. 421 00:23:56,280 --> 00:24:00,639 Speaker 1: One in the same. Their careers may have changed, but 422 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: the world certainly hadn't changed. The reality of the street 423 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: followed them everywhere. It was ubiquitous, from the ever present 424 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 1: violence Cubes spatan his lyrics on both coasts, to the 425 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:14,399 Speaker 1: menacing and unconventional business tactics of sug Night, to Dre's 426 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:18,399 Speaker 1: abusive and disgusting conflict resolution with d Barnes and Easy 427 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 1: and Wren's ridiculously in sensitive remarks on the incident, and 428 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 1: finally to Easy's deadly sickness. It was all a product 429 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: of where they'd come from. And every single incident an 430 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:31,119 Speaker 1: anecdote had, in one way or another been represented in 431 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: their music previously, and in nineteen ninety two, on the 432 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: solo records Ice Cube and Doctor Dre were about to release, they, 433 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:41,440 Speaker 1: both with different styles, would continue to bring that self 434 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 1: central reality to Middle America. Doctor Dre's The Chronic and 435 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,400 Speaker 1: Ice Cubes The Predator both did for nineteen ninety two 436 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:52,880 Speaker 1: what Nwas Straight out of Compton did for nineteen eighty eight, 437 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:55,480 Speaker 1: held up a mirror to the world they lived in. 438 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 1: Both records are incredible in different ways. The Chronic smooth 439 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: and slick, a party record, a news style g funk one, two, 440 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 1: three into the four. The Predator is as hard and 441 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 1: mean as anything Ice Cub or NWA or any rap 442 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: artists had released before. It stomps itself into White America's 443 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:16,880 Speaker 1: pristine living room with its high pile shag and plastic 444 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:20,520 Speaker 1: covered furniture, and lays waste to any pretense of racial 445 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: equality in society. Again hardcore reality rap, but unlike Ice 446 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: Cubes raps on Straight out of Compton his lyrics on 447 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: The Predator, released in November of nineteen ninety two, they're 448 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:36,160 Speaker 1: less predictive and more I Told you so. April twenty 449 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:39,199 Speaker 1: ninth wasn't necessarily a good day for ice Cube, but 450 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:41,640 Speaker 1: it was an important day, as it was for most 451 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,880 Speaker 1: residents of Compton in south central Los Angeles. Reckoning time 452 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,920 Speaker 1: citizens glued themselves to their televisions in their homes, at 453 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 1: their work, on barstools in restaurants. The verdict was coming 454 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 1: in any minute. The jury has reached a verdict predictor 455 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: on all counts except one. 456 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 3: We the jury or in the above and titled action 457 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:08,920 Speaker 3: find the defendant WARRENS Mpale not guilty. The jury find 458 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:12,440 Speaker 3: the defendant. Timoby wanted a jury not find the defendant 459 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:17,600 Speaker 3: Leo George Jaspace and c for me not guilt. Gy 460 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:20,640 Speaker 3: ladies and gentlemen of the jury, that these are verts, 461 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 3: so'll say you want to say you. 462 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 1: All not guilty. Unbelievable. The four cops accused of beating 463 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:35,919 Speaker 1: and using excessive force against Rodney King were quitted on 464 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:39,359 Speaker 1: all but one charge brought against them, despite the fact 465 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:42,919 Speaker 1: that these same cops were plainly seen beating on and 466 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:46,880 Speaker 1: using excessive force against Rodney King on televisions all over 467 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 1: the world through the video recording George Holiday made and 468 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:56,639 Speaker 1: yet still no justice. People took to the streets almost immediately. 469 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: Local news reporters descended. The sound of the sirens came 470 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 1: from every direction. Helicopters, news, helicopters, not ghetto words, chopping 471 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:10,160 Speaker 1: up smog above downtown LA and Crenshaw. People marching everywhere, hooting, hollering, 472 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,439 Speaker 1: chance of fuck the police. The boiling point was nearly 473 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:18,680 Speaker 1: reached April twenty ninth, springtime what hot as a motherfucker 474 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: By the time the afternoon rolled around. An officer was 475 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:25,760 Speaker 1: attacked at Florence and Normandy in South Central, Then another 476 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 1: officer was struck down the block away at seventy first 477 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:32,200 Speaker 1: and Raymond. The police were outnumbered in the street from 478 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: Parker Center police headquarters in downtown LA, where a small 479 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 1: army of uniformed officers were doing all they could to 480 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 1: hold off an angry mob outside of the department. Chief 481 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,760 Speaker 1: Daryl Gates sent the message out to his officers in 482 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: the street retreat, and once LAPD cleared out of South Central, 483 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: shit went off. Bricks bounced off of the police cruisers 484 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 1: bailing out of the neighborhood. The streets took on a weird, menacing, 485 00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:59,960 Speaker 1: block party type of vibe, and there was an anger, 486 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: but there was release was almost celebratory. Residents had chased 487 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 1: away Gates' boogeyman, the lapd whose harassments self Central residents 488 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 1: had lived under their whole lives, But quickly the mood 489 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:16,480 Speaker 1: darkened further. The violence was too real. White motorists commuting 490 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,679 Speaker 1: home from work through South Central found themselves dodging bricks 491 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:23,200 Speaker 1: and baseball bats at intersections, forced to blast through stop 492 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 1: signs and red lights to safety, and some weren't so lucky. 493 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: Ian McCurry, an Army vet who had just been saved 494 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:32,840 Speaker 1: from homelessness by a friend who lived in Watts, was 495 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:35,560 Speaker 1: gunned down trying to stop looters from setting fire to 496 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 1: a liquor store. Howard Epstein, in La from Northern California 497 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 1: on business, was shot in the Hyde Park drive by, 498 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 1: and when a crowd surrounded his car and announced the 499 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 1: dead driver was white, the mob cheered. The coming six 500 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,960 Speaker 1: days would see over fifty deaths, twenty five black, sixteen Latino, 501 00:28:53,080 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: eight white, Asian Indian, covering a wide array of hellish ends, beatings, stabbings, fires, 502 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 1: car crashes, hit and runs. In most of all shootings, 503 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: including ten shootings by the police or National Guard but today. 504 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 1: On April twenty nine, with the local live action news 505 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:15,720 Speaker 1: chopper broadcasting from right overhead, the horror peaked and technicolor 506 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 1: with an attack on one man. A trucker, a driver 507 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:23,920 Speaker 1: for Transit Allied Concrete, white dude with long, heavy metal hair, 508 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:26,320 Speaker 1: was pulled from his trailer at the corner of Florence 509 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: and Normandy and thrown into the street. His name Reginald Denny. 510 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 1: Above Denny, a news helicopter was filming everything and broadcasting 511 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: it live over Los Angeles televisions. Four black men swarmed Denny. 512 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:42,400 Speaker 1: One stepped on his neck, another kicked him in the stomach. 513 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: A third held a five pound oxygenator stolen from another 514 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:49,920 Speaker 1: truck nearby and slammed it down onto Denny's head. Denny 515 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 1: staggered about on all fours. As he was pulling himself up. 516 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: Another man came up behind him and from two feet away, 517 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: slammed a brick down hard onto Denny's head, and Denny 518 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 1: collapsed in from the cab of his truck. The dude 519 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 1: who threw the brick laughed at what he'd done, pointed 520 00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 1: at Denny, and did a little victory dance, and then 521 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: imposed above his bloody, mangled head and flashed gang signs 522 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 1: at the cameras and the helicopter above. After that, they 523 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: lifted Denny's shirt, pulled down his pants, and spray painted 524 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 1: his genital's black. And it didn't end there. Residents threw 525 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,640 Speaker 1: bottles at him, rifled through his pockets, kicked him in 526 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:25,800 Speaker 1: his head, hit him with a clawhammer. One dude pulled 527 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: up on a motorcycle with a shotgun and attempted to 528 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 1: blast Denny's fuel tank. He missed and the shit shot 529 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:35,760 Speaker 1: drove off. Remarkably, Reginald Denny was able to drag himself 530 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 1: into his truck and drive away. His skull was fractured 531 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:43,440 Speaker 1: in ninety one places. It was a brutal attack, vicious 532 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 1: and totally avoidable. But again, just like the Rodney King beating, 533 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 1: the senseless violence of the La riots in nineteen ninety 534 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:54,160 Speaker 1: two was not entirely unpredicted, straight out of comped and 535 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: warned us. The music NWA created and threw into the 536 00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:00,920 Speaker 1: face of mainstream America was a direct reflection of the 537 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 1: reality the group was forced to live in and endure. 538 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 1: Just as the violence sells Central residents resorted to and 539 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: inflicted upon anybody who'd got in their way and wasn't 540 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,840 Speaker 1: the same color as them was a direct reflection of 541 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: the reality they were forced to live in and endure 542 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 1: under the discriminatory brutality of the LAPD. And right now 543 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: over on Los Felas, on the part of the street 544 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 1: that ran west towards Central LA, just under Griffith Park, 545 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: the LAPD were nowhere to be found. While a beat 546 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 1: up onto a chord speeded toward the riots had a 547 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 1: sixty mile per hour clip. Its driver had just been 548 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 1: in the studio over an outwater village producing a record. 549 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 1: When the news of the riots came across the television, 550 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:45,720 Speaker 1: he grabbed his MC, ducked into his shipbox and blined 551 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:48,600 Speaker 1: it to get a first hand glimpse of the chaos. He, 552 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 1: along with his MC and the passenger seat, were giddy 553 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 1: with excitement fucked the police, echoing in their heads beats 554 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:56,920 Speaker 1: from their latest session blasting back at them through the 555 00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:00,000 Speaker 1: teeny stock stereo speakers, this one trading on a Zaza 556 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 1: sample from their self titled nineteen eighty debut Damn Shit 557 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 1: Sounded Dope. The MC and the passenger seat could see 558 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:09,760 Speaker 1: the smoke rising up from South Central and as they 559 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 1: got closer, he started to smell it. Paunch it, motherfucker, 560 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:16,560 Speaker 1: punch it. Zaps proto g funk blasted back at them, 561 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 1: and the MC was so excited he was going to 562 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: piss himself. He said fuck it and grabbed his nine 563 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 1: millimeter from his waistband and started blasting shots out the 564 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: window and into the skies. They zipped down those fela 565 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 1: As at break neck speed. Now the two of them 566 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 1: could taste the adrenaline, and by the time they made 567 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 1: it to Crenshawn down to twenty eighth, they'd hit gridlock. 568 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:38,520 Speaker 1: There were looters everywhere, broken storefront windows, cars on fire, 569 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:41,400 Speaker 1: residents rolling down the street with shopping carts filled with 570 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: stolen goods, cases of beer, bottles of wine and booze, diapers, clothes, food, 571 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 1: whatever they could get their hands on, and the driver 572 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 1: and the MC were halted in traffic, not going anywhere. 573 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 1: Looters began to shout out the MC and the passenger 574 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,040 Speaker 1: seat as they moved by, shaking his hand through the 575 00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:01,360 Speaker 1: passenger side window, bumping fists, exchanging words of encouragement, black 576 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 1: power revolution words. The MC was well versed in words 577 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 1: he grew up with in his home whispered in his 578 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:09,200 Speaker 1: ear from his mama from as far back as he 579 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 1: could remember. The excitement was almost too much for him 580 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,360 Speaker 1: for the driver his producer too, and they could see 581 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 1: through the windshield about a half block away Tempo Records, 582 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:21,440 Speaker 1: the store that was on fire, but that wasn't stopping 583 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 1: residents from rushing in and grabbing arms full of CDs 584 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 1: and VHS tapes. Again, fucked this, The MC and the 585 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 1: driver bailed on the car, left it sitting on Crenshaw, 586 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:33,360 Speaker 1: and b lined it straight for the record store. People 587 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:35,680 Speaker 1: did double takes as the MC passed by, and once 588 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,640 Speaker 1: inside Temple, they both started filling their arms as quickly 589 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,920 Speaker 1: as they could, and the smoke was intense, too intense. 590 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:44,800 Speaker 1: The MC bailed and made it out past the sidewalk 591 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 1: and back to where they'd left the Hyundai, which thankfully 592 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:50,680 Speaker 1: nobody had yet set on fire. But by now he 593 00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:53,480 Speaker 1: had a small entourage of hip hop fans who recognized 594 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 1: him in and outside of the looted record store that 595 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 1: were gathered around him. Smoke for more cars and trucks 596 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 1: that were set ablaze filled the air. Jocking from position 597 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:05,440 Speaker 1: with the hovering news helicopters, the sound of sirens and alarms, 598 00:34:05,760 --> 00:34:10,080 Speaker 1: residents yelling, screaming, jubilee and anger all at once, the 599 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,360 Speaker 1: squeaking grind of shopping carts and the concrete was ubiquitous, 600 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:16,680 Speaker 1: shattered flask in the ever present chant of fuck the police, 601 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:20,480 Speaker 1: all of it. Surrounding the MC in East Coast Export. 602 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:22,920 Speaker 1: He took in the reality all around him as he 603 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:25,720 Speaker 1: looked up to the south central sky and thought to himself, 604 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:30,360 Speaker 1: motherfucking dre and Cube nailed the ship. Surrounded by the 605 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:33,280 Speaker 1: chaos of the La riots. He then turned his attention 606 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 1: to the young hip hop fans who were now surrounding him, 607 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:38,720 Speaker 1: holding out copies of his record that they just looted 608 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:41,239 Speaker 1: and were asking him to sign his autograph on He 609 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:43,160 Speaker 1: swept a pen from one of his fans, and on 610 00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 1: the cover of the CD the fan held up, he 611 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 1: signed his name Tupac Shakur. 612 00:34:51,840 --> 00:35:25,080 Speaker 4: I'm Tom John, I'm John, I'm. 613 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:46,279 Speaker 1: I'm I'm Jake Brennan in this this Disgraceland. Disgraceland was 614 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:48,880 Speaker 1: created by Yours Truly and is produced in partnership with 615 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,040 Speaker 1: Double Elvis. 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