RIAA Hires Artists, Then Sends In the SWAT team

cancan writes "The NY times is carrying an article about how the RIAA is hiring hip hop artists to make mix tapes, and then helping the police raid their studios. In the case of DJ Drama and DJ Don Cannon, they were raided by SWAT teams with their guns drawn. The local police chief said later that they were 'prepared for the worst.' Men in RIAA jackets helped cart away 'evidence'. Just the same, 'Record labels regularly hire mixtape D.J.'s to produce CDs featuring a specific artist. In many cases, these arrangements are conducted with a wink and a nod rather than with a contract; the label doesn't officially grant the D.J. the right to distribute the artist's songs or formally allow the artist to record work outside of his contract.' " This is more of the shenanigans that we've previously discussed on the site.

Comments

Who would have thought?

[thegrassyknowl]

That the (maf)*IAA would resort to illegal tactics to catch people acting "illegally"...

Hmns... I for one welcome our new Alien overlords (a frontal lobotomy and rectal probe would be less painful than having to deal with the *AAs of the world). Fuck the corporations!

ObMonkey Island Re:Criminal Liability?

[BabyDave]

"And if there's one type of piracy I don't like, it's CONS-piracy."

Re:ObMonkey Island Re:Criminal Liability?

[-kertrats-]

What's wrong with LISP?

Re:Are you kidding? Here's some realistic methods.

[Anonymous Coward]

...Here's a realistic method for babbling to consider.

Just a thought.

I support the RIAA this time

[clickclickdrone]

Anyone that can help cut down on hip-hop gets my vote.

Re:I support the RIAA this time

[ettlz]

I read someone somewhere explain that "rap" is actually spelt with a silent "c".

Re:I support the RIAA this time

[Anomolous Cowturd]

rapc?

Re:entrapment

[abscissa]

The police are responding to a complaint != entrapment

The nazis respond to a complaint about anne frank != entrapment

I can basically do whatever the fuck I want to you and then phone the cops.

Re:There's a certain point where...

[DrRevotron]

...And then sue the children.

Re:Whoopsie, forgot the comma

[Simon Garlick]

ba-dum-TISH!

Good Work

[kingturkey]

Keep up the good work! SWAT teams should be arresting more hip-hop "artists" for crimes against humanity.

Re:There's a certain point where...

[gunny01]

...and their pet goldfish, for not stopping the acts of piracy committed by the aid children, despite being in full view of the illegal activities 24-7. I think we need to ban goldfish.

Re:Zappa

[digitig]

My initial impression: Entrapment That was my initial impression too. Then I read the linked article.

Re:RIAA flips out

[koreaman]

Although generally I don't agree with the RIAA's actions, your response has convinced me that they are in the right. I applaud them for contributing to the downfall of hip-hop "on a national level".

Re:Whoopsie, forgot the comma

[aquabat]

ba-dum-TISH! Y'know, that could be considered illegal reproduction of a copyrighted work...

Wink and Nod

[thorkyl]

RIAA: Hey mixer, we want you to create mix tapes

Mixer: whats in it for me?

RIAA: We are going to raid your studio on Friday morning with SWAT, you will be famous

Mixer: How much will this fame cost me?

RIAA: You do this or we will just raid your studio and sue you for everything your worth
            since you own recording equipment and are not giving us money

Re:Zappa

[Anonymous Coward]

I do not know what it is going to take, but somehow, these **AA assclowns have to be stopped. THAT'S RACISM!

Signed

The President
GNAA

Re:Zappa

[Dun Malg]

"If you want to get somewhere one light faster, leave the house earlier." --Gallagher"

Leaving the house earlier doesn't get you anywhere faster - it gets you there earlier; you're still going to travel the same amount of distance in the same amount of time. Also, are we really quoting Gallagher now? Come on... Way Back When, before Netflix, Blockbuster, and DVDs, I worked in a video rental shop near where Gallagher had his silly hippy ranch. One day, Gallagher came in and rented two of his own concert videos. When he came up to the counter to check out, my coworker picked up the tapes, looked at the titles and grimaced, saying "Wow, nobody rents these" (which was true). Gallagher said nothing, but only signed the receipt and stormed angrily out the door. To this day I thank my lucky stars I was on hand to witness that.

Re:Zappa

[RealGrouchy]

if these hip-hop artists are really "gangstas" and are as hard as they claim, they will be gunning down RIAA executives in the street.

I thought they were DJs, which means they'd have to first sample some real hip-hop "gangstas" gunning down RIAA executives, then perform a mix of those samples.

- RG>

Re:Other laws?

[operagost]

Lets say for example, me a married white male happened to be burning/selling cds at my house. Do you think they would send a swat team with guns drawn or Briscoe and Greene types who will make wisecracks and maybe pursuade the da to indict me sometime in the next five months?

No. The TSA reserves the right to perform that kind of stupidity at airport security checkpoints.

Re:Let's...

[Jehosephat2k]

In Soviet America, RIAA raids you!

Re:Zappa

[LihTox]

Way Back When, before Netflix, Blockbuster, and DVDs, I worked in a video rental shop near where Gallagher had his silly hippy ranch. One day, Gallagher came in and rented two of his own concert videos. When he came up to the counter to check out, my coworker picked up the tapes, looked at the titles and grimaced, saying "Wow, nobody rents these" (which was true). Gallagher said nothing, but only signed the receipt and stormed angrily out the door.

Which shows Gallagher is a human being and your co-worker is thoughtless and rude.

The OP didn't say that the coworker recognized Gallagher. If he did, it was rather rude; if he didn't, it's just a funny coincidence.

That reminds me of the old (apocryphal?) story about Judith Martin, aka Miss Manners. Ms. Martin went into a department store looking for a coffee spoon (or something like that) in a particular pattern, to replace one she had lost. The clerk couldn't find coffee spoons in that pattern, but offered a teaspoon as a replacement.
Clerk: "Surely, it doesn't matter."
Martin: "It matters to me."
Clerk: "What, are you Miss Manners or something?"
Martin: [lifts eyebrow]
Clerk: [realizing] "Oh my God!"

(Granted, Gallagher is probably more recognizable than Miss Manners. :)