The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Public Service Homicide’ in Killadelphia

The death of Abdul Vicks, a/k/a “YBC Dul,” may be mourned by some people, but I won’t be among the mourners: A popular 25-year-old rapper — who prosecutors say was considered the ringleader of a notoriously violent West Philadelphia-based gang — was shot and killed Friday afternoon in the city’s Olney section, a law enforcement […]

Aspiring Rapper Update

Say hello to Charles Andrew Jones II, a/k/a “Julio Foolio” and, while you’re at it, go ahead and say good-bye, because Mr. Jones died last month in a hail of gunfire in the parking lot of a Tampa hotel. Because it’s been more than a month since our last Aspiring Rapper Update, I’ll remind you […]

Aspiring Rapper Update

Has it really been five months since we last did one of these? Please excuse my negligence and, since it’s been a while, permit me to remind you of the categorical definition: Aspiring Rapper North American euphemism for a member of the urban criminal class. This unusual occupation is usually mentioned in conjunction with the […]

Craziest Cult Story of the Year (So Far)

Say hello to Rashad Jamal White, who insists he is not a “cult leader.” He insists on this while apparently running his social-media presence from a prison in Georgia, which makes me wonder if state officials are aware that prison inmates are using the Internet to engage in such conduct. White’s online enterprise — which […]

Sixty Million Dollars Up in Smoke? (Yet Another Aspiring Rapper Update)

Before I explain why this post is illustrated with a photo of actor Stacy Keach, permit me to suggest that readers follow my Instagram page. While I don’t post much there except family photos and pictures of various meals I eat, the fact that I’ve got fewer than 400 followers on Instagram is a little […]

Aspiring Rapper Update

Aspiring Rapper North American euphemism for a member of the urban criminal class. This unusual occupation is usually mentioned in conjunction with the subject either being slain or being taken into custody for a violent or property-related crime. A relative of the subject usually points out that the subject’s demise or incarceration comes at an […]

Best Aspiring Rapper Update Ever?

Has it been nearly two months since I gave readers an Aspiring Rapper Update? Wow, getting slack in my old age. However, the long wait will be worth it, because this week we’ve got a splendidly complicated tale that involves two Texas rappers getting shot dead, and a third rapper on his way to prison […]

Aspiring Rapper Update: 27 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking

You can’t spell Houston without “ho,” and Ariyon Jackson specialized in providing the supply to meet the demand: The judge responsible for sentencing a man who pled guilty to child sex trafficking called his crimes “horrific” but she also said she was “struggling over what the right sentence should be.” She ultimately sentenced Aryion Jackson, […]

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