From: ross@refine.enet.dec.com (The Vinyl Record Collector)
Newsgroups: alt.rap
Subject: Another Suit Against A Hip Hop Artist
Date: 17 Aug 92 18:50:28 GMT
Article-I.D.: nntpd.1992Aug17.175349.21899
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


Article: 1895
From: clarinews@clarinet.com (UPI)
Newsgroups: clari.news.law.civil,clari.news.trouble,clari.news.law.police,clari.news.music,clari.local.texas,clari.news.top
Subject: Slain trooper's widow sues rap singer


	HOUSTON (UPI) -- The widow of a Texas state trooper is suing rap
singer Tupac Amaru Shakur, known as 2Pac, and Time Warner Inc., claiming
the singer's lyrics incited a teenager to kill her husband, it was
reported Saturday.
	The lyrics specifically deal with police harassing blacks and were on
a cassette found in a vehicle driven by Ronald Howard, who was stopped
on the highway by Department of Public Safety trooper Bill Davidson, on
April 11.
	Davidson was killed and Howard, 19, of Houston, was arrested several
hours later and charged with capital murder.
	Linda Davidson's attorney told The Houston Post that police found at
least 10 tapes in Howard's truck. Many of the cassettes were by pop
musicians but the one in the tape player was a homemade cassette of the
album ``2Pacalipse Now'' by 2Pac, who is a member of the band Digital
Underground.
	Attorney Jim Cole said the lyrics on the tapes seem to urge black
teens to shoot police.
	One song, titled ``Violent,'' talks of being stopped by a police
officer and being ``jacked by the police'' for not having
identification.
	``So here we go, the police against us. Dark as dust, waitin' for the
gun to bust. What's next, I don't know and I don't care. One thing for
sure, tomorrow I won't be here. But if I go, I'm taking all these punks
with me,'' the lyrics say.
	Another song talks of carrying a 9mm gun -- the same type gun used to
shoot Davidson -- and of being tired of police harassment.
	``Tired of being trapped in this vicious cycle. If one more cop
harasses me, I just might go psycho,'' goes the song ``Trapped.''
	The suit, filed in a Jackson County district court, does not specify
a monetary amount but Cole said Friday he will ask for a significant
jury award.
	Cole said his goal is to convince Time Warner it is too costly to
continue distributing 2Pac's music.
	``I have not seen another one that contains the message this one
does,'' Cole said.
	The album, produced for Interscope Records, was the singer's first
solo attempt. 2Pac also appeared in the movie ``Juice.''
	The suit alleges Time Warner, 2Pac, Interscope Records, East West
Records America and Atlantic Recording Corp. ``were negligent and
grossly negligent in recording, producing, manufacturing, distributing
and selling the cassette tape.''
	It alleges ``the music contained on the tape was directed to inciting
young black males, including Ronald Howard, to kill policemen.''
	Ed Adler, a spokesman for Time Warner Inc. in New York, told the
newspaper he had no comment on the lawsuit. Howard's attorney, Allen
Tanner, also declined to comment.
	Cole said violent rap songs endanger law enforcement officers -- an
opinion shared by authorities nationwide after the release of an album
by rapper Ice-T.
	Police claimed the song ``Cop Killer'' on the album was a violent
call to action against police and they called for a boycott of Time
Warner Inc.
	Time Warner initially defended the album and the artist but a
crescendo of criticizm persuaded both to pull the song from the album,
although Ice-T said he would still give it away at concerts.