A Boy Named Marion

I'm not overly concerned about rap warfare. Though it's impolite to say, I suspect that rappers killing one another off probably provides a net benefit to society.

But I was reading a story about rap producer Marion "Suge" Knight being shot over the weekend in Miami at an MTV party, and did find something that bothered me:

"It's disturbing that someone can let off six shots in a packed club and can escape without being arrested," said Elliott Wilson, editor in chief of the rap magazine XXL.

What I find disturbing is that somebody can fire off six shots from point blank range at a 320 lb. guy sitting on his fat can at a table and only hit him once--in the leg. I think that's the problem with this slacker MTV generation. They can't really commit to anything. You can't count on them to competently see a job through.

None of "Suge's" heavily armed bodyguards caught the assailant, nor did any of the hundereds of people at the party, many of whom were also (probably heavily armed) rappers. Nobody can even provide police with a description of the shooter, except that he was "a black guy in a pink shirt."

I can't think of any reason why I care one iota about this story, except for one thing: it's becoming obvious to me this guy had himself shot for publicity. Which tells you all you need to know about that particular culture.

On a side note, here's my favorite quote of the day, from the same story:

At the awards ceremony Sunday night, one rap star downplayed the shooting.

"I don't think that what happened was any different than at any other event where you have a lot of people," said David Banner. "It's tragic that it happened and that the media magnified this so much."

First of all, I don't follow the gangsta game, so it's news to me that the Incredible Hulk is now rapping. But you must admit, he's got a point. I mean, there were like hundreds of people at that party. I can't think of a time when I've been around hundreds of people when somebody hasn't emptied a clip into the crowd. When you get a few hundred people together, gunplay is almost inevitable. Happens all the time. Weddings. Bar mitzvahs. Church socials. You've seen it as much as I have.

And I have to agree with the Hulk about the media, too. What is this world coming to when someone walks into an MTV party in South Beach, strolls into the celebrity-laden VIP room, pumps a slug into a rap mogul superstar, and the media makes a big deal out of it? Can't they cover something people would be interested in?

The good news is, "Suge" is expected to fully recover. Because only one of the shots hit him. In the leg.