Gangsta Rap

by Benjamin Zephaniah

  ‘Right,’ said Ray, nodding his head, eyes wide and rubbing his hands together. ‘Who is it, then?’

  D.S. Horne picked up a sheet of paper from his desk and read from it. ‘The phone belongs to a Mr D. Sinclair.’

  ‘D. Sinclair?’ said Ray. ‘Who’s that?’

  ‘I don’t know. I do know that the phone hasn’t been reported stolen, and according to the records of the phone company the owner lives in Bishop’s Avenue, Hampstead. Now there’s something.’

  ‘What’s so someting about dat?’ Marga Man asked.

  ‘Bishop’s Avenue is something else. It’s leafy, no, it’s more than leafy, it’s, well, how can I put it? It’s like millionaire’s row.’

  ‘So what does the D stand for?’ Ray asked.

  ‘I’m just having that checked out now,’ replied D.S. Horne confidently. ‘The phone company doesn’t know what it stands for but I got a man working on it now.’

  Ray asked for the phones back. Once they were handed over he told Marga Man to phone the Alliance’s manager Pablo. When he was on the line Ray took the phone. ‘Hey Pablo, is Dragon with you?’

  ‘Yes, he’s right here.’

  ‘Can I speak to him?’

  ‘No problem.’

  As Ray was waiting for him to come on the phone his mind was working overtime. ‘Yo, it’s me, X-Ray-X. Tell me something, how did you get the backstage passes into our gig the other night?’

  ‘We got them from you. That caller, whoever it was, after loads of insults, said that if we wanted some revenge we should come backstage and that we would be his guest.’

  ‘Thanks, man, that’s all I need for now,’ Ray said. ‘Later.’

  Just as Ray disconnected an officer walked in and handed D.S. Horne a note. He read the name on the paper out loud.

  ‘Duncan Roland Sinclair.’

  ‘That’s it,’ Ray said. ‘Let’s go.’

  ‘Where are you going?’ asked D.S. Horne. ‘What are you up to?’

  ‘Nothing,’ said Ray. ‘You just do what you have to do.’

  ‘But we haven’t got any hard evidence.’

  ‘We’ll look for some,’ said Ray, smiling.

  Ray marched everyone back to the shop. There he got on the computer, logged on to the internet, put the name Duncan Roland Sinclair into a search engine, and everything became clear. There were over three hundred items under his name. Ray clicked on the first one – it was a website full of profiles of businessmen.

  Duncan R. Sinclair MA FCA BA (Hons)

  Born

  18/8/1964

  Educated

  Morris Moore Grammar School

  Edgbaston Business School, Birmingham

  Queenstown University, Toronto, Canada

  Chairman/CEO

  Go Girl Cosmetics

  Dizzy Cola

  Sinclair Electronics

  Owner

  Lickit (Marital Aids)

  Deaf Defying Records

  Damage Limitation Records

  Awards

  1998 Community Businessman Award

  2001 Adult Entertainment Businessman of the Year

  ‘I knew it. It’s the same Duncan we met at the record company office.’

  Ray sat back in the chair, and they all leaned over him reading and re-reading what was on the screen. Ray pointed to the screen.

  ‘Not only does he own both Deaf Defying Records and Damage Limitation Records, look, he even owns the sex shop under the record company office.’

  The others could not believe their eyes, but Ray could.

  ‘I didn’t trust him when I met him. He knew all the moves the Alliance and us were making, and it was him who got the backstage passes for them. Call the Alliance.’

  Marga Man called them and two hours later twelve members of the Western Alliance, including Dragon, were in the music shop. Ray explained everything to them and the shop soon became a house full of fury. When the talk was over Ray approached Dragon.

  ‘I’m sorry, man.’

  ‘No need to be sorry, brother. Now we know the truth.’

  ‘But we don’t know why,’ said Ray. He reached out and they hugged, and the others in the room clapped and cheered.

  ‘We do know why,’ said Marga Man. ‘Tink about it. Controversy sells. Every time yu make bad news yu records sold more. As soon as both bands got a reputation being bad de kids wanted to be bad, and record sales followed. We started hating each other and fighting each other and killing each other while de man upstairs just got richer and richer. OK, we got paid, but nothing like him. It’s like a divide and rule, actually it’s divide and profit. We’ve been manipulated. We have become pawns in a game of death while de man makes his money.’

  Ray opened his phone and dialled Skelly’s number. ‘Hey, Skelly, how you doing?’ he asked, sounding quite happy.

  ‘I’m fine, and you?’

  ‘I’m fine too, man. Hey, we’re coming into town in an hour or so. It would be great to see you.’

  ‘That’s cool, I’ll be here.’

  ‘Great, and hey, is Duncan around? We haven’t seen him since the first time we met you. It would be great to see him and talk about the future.’

  ‘Funnily enough, he’s due here in ten minutes, we got a meeting.’

  ‘Nice, see you soon.’

  Ray looked around the room. He addressed everyone.

  ‘We have to pay Duncan a visit.’

  Then he turned to Marga Man. ‘But first I need a quick ride home. I have to change my clothes, man, I’ve been in these for three days. I slept in them last night.’

  Marga Man took Ray home and when they returned, everyone was waiting, eager to go. Four cars rode in convoy but then as they were crossing a bridge over the River Lea, Prem demanded that Marga Man stop the car. They stopped and the others stopped behind them.

  ‘Ray, I need to speak to you.’

  ‘OK, speak.’

  ‘No, outside.’

  ‘Why.’

  ‘I just want to speak to you outside.’

  Ray stepped out of the car and Prem walked him away from the car to lean over the bridge. ‘I know why you went home,’ said Prem softly. ‘We got stuff to do but not that stuff. Throw the gun away.’

  ‘What are you going on about?’ Ray said, faking ignorance.

  ‘Throw the gun away, Ray.’

  ‘It’s about death,’ came Tyrone’s voice from behind. ‘There’s too much death going down brother, let’s think about life.’

  There was a pause as police cars raced past to an emergency with lights flashing and sirens blaring.

  ‘Think positive,’ said Prem.

  ‘Think life,’ said Tyrone.

  Ray took the gun out of his inside pocket, looked at it for a moment, and threw it into the river. They touched fists and walked back. None of the others saw what had happened.

  On the way Ray rang Fingers. ‘Fingers man, where are you?’

  ‘I’m in Brick Lane, having a curry,’ said Fingers with his mouth full.

  ‘Have you got your camera with you?’

  ‘Yeah,’ replied Fingers.

  ‘We need you man. Get round to the Deaf Defying Records office as soon as you can, like now. Do you know where it is?’

  ‘Of course I do. What’s happening?’

  ‘Just hurry up, meet us outside. And be prepared, this is a joint Positive Negatives, Western Alliance mission.’

  The journey took forty-five minutes, then it took them half an hour to park the cars. Fingers was already waiting for them. Once they had all assembled at the door of DDR, Marga Man pressed the intercom.

  ‘Hello,’ said the receptionist. ‘Deaf Defying Records.’

  ‘Positive Negatives,’ said Marga Man, and the door opened.

  The receptionist smiled like an airline hostess. ‘Skelly’s in a meeting at the moment. Could you take a seat and wait, please.’

  ‘No,’ said Ray as he stepped past her, ‘and we didn’t come to see Skelly anyway. Fingers,
start taking photos.’

  When they walked into the office with the receptionist following them in, Duncan and Skelly were in conversation with four young hopefuls. They were both shocked to see the bands together.

  ‘Hey, what are you guys doing here? Surprise, surprise, nice to see you,’ said Skelly.

  ‘And you,’ said Ray.

  ‘Is there something wrong?’ asked Duncan.

  ‘Yeah, you’re wrong,’ said Marga Man.

  Fingers began to take pictures.

  Duncan could tell by the look on their faces that his time had come.

  Ray smiled and said, ‘The Messenger.’

  Dragon smiled and said, ‘The Messenger.’

  Duncan tried to make a run for it, but Marga Man just stuck his foot out and he tripped over. The four visitors ran out of the room. When Skelly tried to run, some Western Alliance guys grabbed him and pinned him against the wall. He couldn’t move.

  Tyrone went and stood in the doorway, forcing the receptionist to stay and witness the proceedings.

  ‘We haven’t done anything,’ said Skelly, fearing for his life. ‘What’s up?’

  ‘Well, first we’re all going to beat him senseless,’ said Ray, standing over Duncan.

  ‘But what’s he done?’ asked Skelly, desperately seeking an answer.

  Fingers was now snapping incessantly. Ray replied to Skelly, but directed his energy at Duncan.

  ‘Did you know that your boss, your powers-that-be, is also the powers that be at Damage Limitation Records? He’s the one who’s been making all the calls, he’s the warmonger.’

  Dragon joined Ray and Marga Man standing over Duncan. The Western Alliance boys could see that Skelly was genuinely surprised, so they gave him room to move, and he walked over to where Duncan lay, bent down over him.

  ‘Is that true, are you the boss at Damage Limitation?’

  ‘I have many business interests,’ Duncan said in a panic. ‘Damage Limitation was just a small investment.’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Ray, ‘investing in war.’

  Skelly spat in Duncan’s face and Ray raised his foot to kick him, as did Dragon.

  ‘No,’ shouted Duncan. ‘No, please don’t hurt me. I’ve got high blood pressure, I’ve got a bad heart. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble, honest. Please take my wallet. I’m rich. Please, please, I beg you, please don’t hurt me. I’ll give you anything. I got money. I’ve got women, you know bitches, yes bitches, I got plenty of bitches. Please don’t hurt me ...’ He cried and begged pitifully like a man about to die. Skelly looked shocked to see his lord and master begging like this.

  Finally Duncan stopped pleading and just lay shivering and crying on his expensive carpet. Not a punch had been thrown but he cried hard, sniffling and gasping for breath. Fingers bent down over Duncan to take one more photo, then Marga Man, Ray and Dragon stepped away as steaming urine oozed out of Duncan’s trousers. For a moment they all watched him lying in his pissed-up suit crying pathetically like an abandoned toddler.

  ‘Let’s go,’ said Ray, ‘before we begin to feel sorry for him.’

  Chapter 26

  Channel Six News

  ‘A London businessman appeared in court today and was remanded in custody for over fifteen charges, most relating to the gang fights which have blighted the streets of east and west London for the past year. The fighting had centred on two hip-hop bands, Positive Negatives and the Western Alliance. The accused, Mr Duncan Sinclair, unbeknownst to the band members, was the owner of both their record companies. It is alleged that he used his position and knowledge to provoke both bands using a series of hoax telephone calls.

  ‘Detective Sergeant Horne of the Serious Crime Squad said that, “These callous and malicious calls were the work of an evil, depraved and sinister mind. As young people fought on the streets he enjoyed sitting at home watching the media coverage in the knowledge that he was the cause of it all.”

  ‘It is alleged that Sinclair not only found pleasure masterminding these gang fights, but that he also had a financial motive, as the controversy created by the bands made them into two of the biggest selling rap bands in Britain.

  ‘Sinclair, who has a string of business interests, was a well-respected figure in the business community. He has connections in the world of politics and has given donations to charitable causes. Tonight he is behind bars facing charges which include deception, perverting the course of justice, causing a public nuisance, and tax evasion. But this morning, questions were being asked about possible murder charges relating to the deaths of Alton Benn and Yinka Molara, who were both killed as a result of the conflict created by Sinclair. Police dealing with the case say that although they don’t doubt that Sinclair was responsible for the gang fights, they believe that the murderers of Benn and Molara were acting independently and that they can only press charges if they are able to find direct links to the businessman.

  ‘Positive Negatives and the Western Alliance have announced that they will be performing together at peace concerts in both east and west London next weekend. Tony Oldsmith, the promoter of the concerts, said, “These concerts are the first of a series of events that will be staged in an attempt to bring the supporters of both bands together.”

  ‘The two bands have also said that they will be forming their own independent record label to promote grassroots music and to give other young people the opportunity to make music. Ray Wilkie, also known as X-Ray-X from Positive Negatives, told the Daily Journal, “We want to show people that this ain’t about being a gangster, this is about being an artist. This ain’t about acting up and being fake, this is about being true and keeping it real.”’

  The Guns

  Those twisted irons that men have made

  Bring murder to our streets,

  And when the makers have been paid

  They blame our hip-hop beats,

  Their factories make bits of death

  With much great legal cover,

  And our poor parents hold their breath

  As big youth kill each other.

  Some die where they once danced with dreams

  And great futures ahead,

  Some live as they kill us it seems

  And laugh when we are dead,

  When men on top see weaknesses

  Those men will push us further,

  And they care not how bleak it is

  They make money from murder.

  We’re not faultless or innocent

  We have responsibilities,

  We helped to make those guns present

  To destroy our communities,

  We must wake up and not be used

  The death dance has to stop,

  And when our beats are not abused

  We’ll dance to true hip-hop.

  By the Same Author

  Face

  Refugee Boy

  Teacher’s Dead

  An introduction to Gangsta Rap by Benjamin Zephaniah can be downloaded from www.bloomsbury.com/benjaminzephaniah

  Bloomsbury Publishing, London, New Delhi, New York and Sydney

  Copyright © 2004 Benjamin Zephaniah

  First published in Great Britain in 2004

  This electronic edition published in July 2013 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP

  www.bloomsbury.com

  The moral right of the author has been asserted

  All rights reserved

  You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Librar
y

  eISBN 978-1-4088-4254-6

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