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. With Dealers & rappers
Pretty interesting interview on Freakonomics today with a guy who studies gangs. Here’s one bit I thought was good:
Q: A lot of rappers, particularly Jay-Z and 50 Cent, claim to have been successful crack dealers. Any thoughts on this? Were they just low-level dealers barely making a profit, or did they really have something to pay for their future studio time? Did any of the gang members you knew claim to be on the dealer-to-rapper fast track program?
A: In all my years of studying gangs, I have met only a handful of individuals who have actually participated in the dealer-to-rapper fast track program. Alas, they end up going to jail before they get successful, and most of the ones I’ve seen can’t sing worth a lick. I’m deeply skeptical about rappers who proclaim experience with drug sales. Sure, there are a few exceptions, but for the most part I would be very careful about the claims that are made in songs. Many rappers are highly trained musicians who have spent little time on the streets, as it were — think of Mos Def.
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Kim Fellner's book 
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Reader Comments
how is this “interesting”? do you need a guy who studies gangs to tell you that few rappers have done the things they claim to do in their songs?
There is a so called local rap group DA Real,produced by SNIPA Records,CEO”S are Chris and Steve Thomas and come to find out these two have a long criminal history for drug abuse and Possesion with distribution intents and ironically enough their music actually sucks to high hell!! So yes there are so called wanna be rappers who deal in drugs,they arent,Tony Montana (Scarface) types of Big Time,they are street level bums!! Who have to compensate for no talent by selling weed,pain killers or whatever they can get their hands on! Steal some stuff and fence it ,ya nah wha I mean,dawg!! Come on dudes your 35 and 36 with kids,grow up and be a Father to your kids,cut the crap homies!!