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Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli Threatens Ghostface Killah

Martin Shkreli, of pharmaceutical drug price-gouging fame, threatens Ghostface Killah, whom he calls by his real name, in a recent video. The video features Shkreli threatening to destroy his rare Wu-Tang album and "erase him from the history books of rap." Shkreli, flanked by his masked associates, also demands a written apology from Ghostface Killah.

Shkreli was notoriously arrested on suspicion of fraud in December of 2015.

63 of 108 comments (clear)

  1. Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by friesofdoom · · Score: 2

    of backstory? I'm sure you could have fit that in with the 2 line summary...

    1. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by 110010001000 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Click here to find out what happens next! The answers will shock you!

    2. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by the_skywise · · Score: 1

      Top 5 things Martin Shkreli did to become a millionaire, click here!

    3. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by crow_t_robot · · Score: 2

      If there were only a tool that you could use to type in "Martin Shkreli" and get related articles including a wikipedia article describing who this is and his exploits....

      But, seriously, I can't wait for this guy to go to prison.

    4. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 1

      If he keeps starting shit with Wu-Tang Clan, he might not live long enough to go to prison.

      --
      "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
    5. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      It's a weird story, but nothing really nerd related. At. All. This is actually a TMZ story, not normally a feed for Slashdot...
      The only thing of interest, which was not even mentioned, is that apparently Shkreli is out on bail and still acting like a self-entitled dick.

      He bought a hip-hop album of which there is only one copy, ever. Then some of that money was donated to charity when Shkreli was arrested. Then one of the members of the hip-hop group said something bad about Shkreli's nose. The Shkreli, thinking that he's a hardcore gangsta fires back with a strange video threatening to remove the rapper's voice from the rare album.

    6. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by swb · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Do you think at this point Shkrelli has used some of his money to hire private security?

      He's been an asshole to people who can generally be lumped into the category of "more dangerous to fuck with than other groups"

      Jacking up the price of life saving drugs -- falls into the category of "people who could die before they could ever get convicted for homicide" and the parallel category of "pissed off loved ones of people who were denied lifesaving drugs".

      Stealing money from rich people -- falls into the category of "people who can afford to hire other people to kill people that steal from them"

      Offending guys named Ghostface Killah -- falls into the category of "people who are named killah might actually have a predilection for violence"

    7. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by friesofdoom · · Score: 1

      I don't really want to have to do research on every single crappy story just to find out that it's a crappy story.

    8. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 1

      Private security isn't going to do him much good when he goes into general population.,

      Of course, I suspect that's what he's trying to avoid with this tactic.

      --
      "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
    9. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by malditaenvidia · · Score: 3, Funny
    10. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by crow_t_robot · · Score: 3, Interesting

      His original rocket to infamy is definitely worth your time reading:

      http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09...

    11. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      I can't imagine many people shedding a tear for this sociopath.

      And you can't tell me that any recording artist doesn't keep the masters. This looks like a Herman Goering "the paintings are FAKE????" moment.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    12. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      Only one copy pressed does not mean only one copy. There will be masters of the songs somewhere, either in the hands of the artist, the studio or the record company.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    13. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Wu-Tang Clan claim there is no physical or digital duplicate. The point was to do "art". They did perform a medley of some of the pieces in several places before selling the copy.

    14. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      Part of the purchase agreement was that the label wouldn't release the songs before some time after the year 2100, commercially at least.

      Although there's something really, really childish about a guy who ponied up $2 million for a record album to then go and talk shit about that artist, talking about how their music sucks. He called Ghostface a non-profit rapper, right after he paid $2 million for a single album. It's like one of this guy's fantasies was to have a rap feud, and he finally found his opportunity.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    15. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      When it comes to TMZ here is a youtube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?... to the video to avoid the ad snake pit that is the TMZ web site.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    16. Re:Maybe just a tiiiny bit... by Michael+Woodhams · · Score: 1

      I think he has a plan for this, where he gets several years of free accommodation in a guarded and fortified building all at state expense. I think they call it a "safe house" or a "big house" or something like that.

      --
      Quattuor res in hoc mundo sanctae sunt: libri, liberi, libertas et liberalitas.
  2. What is a 'Ghostface Killa' and why should i care? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As stated above

  3. "Entertainment" or "Idle" tags are not sufficient by sehlat · · Score: 2

    You need one for "stupidly uninteresting and irrelevant." Sorry, but I'm calling this one as I see it.

  4. What the?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I thought Slashdot was supposed to be "News for Nerds. Stuff tha..."

    Hey, where'd that slogan go?

    1. Re:What the?! by Sowelu · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Wait a sec...I actually don't see that slogan anywhere anymore. I don't know when the last time I saw it was. Is this like Google getting rid of their motto?

    2. Re:What the?! by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Slashdot is that way -->
      You accidentally logged into Lifestyles of the Rich and Dickish.

    3. Re:What the?! by drew_kime · · Score: 1

      It's still the HTML title for the home page, but I don't see it anywhere within the page itself.

      --
      Nope, no sig
  5. Re:What is a 'Ghostface Killa' and why should i ca by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    He's the most totally gnarly dude to ever exist.

  6. Re:What the... by alvinrod · · Score: 4, Funny

    Leave it to the /. editors to find a way to make people wish for a Bennet Haselton article.

  7. Re:What....the...fuck.... by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 2

    If only Cmdr Taco were here, we could have him add "Ghostface Killah" to the lameness filter for news posts.

  8. Hehe by SirSlud · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is worth it just to see the /. commenters trip over themselves to lose their shit.

    *puts on some Ghostface Killah, grabs popcorn*

    --
    "Old man yells at systemd"
    1. Re:Hehe by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 1

      The butt-hurt IS rather funny, isn't it?

      --
      "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
  9. Looks like Bizx is making their mark by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    http://finance.yahoo.com/news/bizx-subsidiary-sourceforge-media-llc-140000193.html

    Yuck. Hope someone takes notice before stories like this run /. completely into the ground.

    1. Re:Looks like Bizx is making their mark by ceoyoyo · · Score: 1

      Hm. Everyone seems to have abandoned SourceForge for alternatives. I've been reading Slashdot for something like twenty years (!) but... yeah.

  10. Re:What is a 'Ghostface Killa' and why should i ca by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "What is X and why should I care?" means "I know exactly what X is, but I hope to impress strangers by acting as though knowing that is somehow beneath me"

    There has never been an occasion where it has meant anything else.

  11. Re:What the... by 110010001000 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I just noticed my post went from +5 Insightful to -1 in a flash. Wow.

  12. Re:What the... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    HIGH FYVE!!!
    DHI @ it again.
    it must be a friggin slow news day
    moving past that, HTF is this news for nerds??
    HTF how the F***

    why why do you waste our valuable time with this crap.
    Perhaps /. and its parent holding company DHI (DICE) do not value our time, or perhaps "so busy (snicker)" they cant sift and correlate articles to their core values" or perhaps what was.
    There are some good improvements but that means nothing if the crap is still crap..
    Our overlords @ it again

  13. Really, "Pharma Bro"? by AbRASiON · · Score: 2

    Regardless if Schedkdkkhkhrelli or whatever his name is a tool, does /. use "Pharma Bro" in a headline now?
    I HATE to be an ageist dick, but which sub 25 y/o redditor copied and pasted shit they saw there, here?

    I actually follow some idiotic entertainment news but I don't expect it here. You've also not said who Ghostface toolbag is and why they are 'beefing' (Note: we don't care) but you could've at least explained the purchase of the album, you didn't even do that.

    We don't care.
    Someone post some of the following things PLEASE

    Major security exploits.
    Upcoming linux kernel improvements
    Upcoming android improvements.
    SSD and storage technology leaps / improvements.
    Renewable energy articles.
    Self driving car articles.
    How to code guides.
    Future of working in tech, how to deal with outsourcing.
    Hell, even "list of underrated, surprisingly cool utilities and programs, for Windows even" would be better.

    Here's some random Windows bullshit from me to make up for this atrocious article.
    Duplicate Cleaner Pro is still the best dupe file checker I've found (the UK one)
    Firefox Nightly still isn't particularly fast for a multi-threaded version of Firefox.
    If you use Firefox nightly, be prepared to also run dev / nightly builds of your plugins, otherwise odd bugs occur (yet surprisingly FF nightly is shockingly stable)
    Paint.NET is surprisingly good for a free graphics app.
    "Remove empty directories" is good for cleaning up empty directories on your drive
    Display Fusion is still without question the best multi-monitor app out there, if you thought Ultramon was useful, you ain't seen shit.
    FreeNAS 9.3 is still humming along nicely for me, boy do I wish someone would release a 6+ TB SSD which is cheap though, spinning disks are hot and noisy (and I mean a semi- cheap one, even if it's slower)

    That's all I got, it's better than fucking Martin SHSKSSKHSKRELLI articles.

  14. This is... just the worst by chispito · · Score: 3

    This is the worst story I've seen on here in years.

    Years.

    --
    The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
    1. Re:This is... just the worst by Dr.+Evil · · Score: 1

      I thought the site was hacked and I was looking forward to some new content.

  15. I see Bizx is already leaving their mark by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    http://finance.yahoo.com/news/bizx-subsidiary-sourceforge-media-llc-140000193.html

    Hopefully they don't run /. right into the ground.

  16. Re:What is a 'Ghostface Killa' and why should i ca by JimMcc · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There has never been an occasion where it has meant anything else.

    Except when it really means what it says. I came to read the comments because I had never heard of Ghostface Killa. What is it, or who is it? Why is it/he being mentioned on /.?

    And now, having read the comments, and learned what this is all about, I think I'll return to a more valuable source of news, like, say, Facebook.

  17. Re:What is a 'Ghostface Killa' and why should i ca by SirSlud · · Score: 1

    He might as well have said, "I don't even *own* a Ghostface Killah!"

    --
    "Old man yells at systemd"
  18. Note to self by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Never insult rap guys when you're about to be sent to PMITA prison.

    1. Re:Note to self by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 1

      He's doing worse than insult, he's actively trying to start shit with them. That's PHENOMENALLY stupid. Maybe he just wants to be put in solitary or something.

      --
      "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
    2. Re:Note to self by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      He's a sociopath. The driving force behind such a subhuman monster is self-aggrandization. They don't care about tomorrow, only about today.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  19. Re:What is a 'Ghostface Killa' and why should i ca by Darinbob · · Score: 1

    Brain and brain! What is brain?

  20. In other ness... by EmeraldBot · · Score: 4, Informative

    Okay, you are probably as confused about this story as I was, as the title is nonsense and the names look like line noise. So basically, here's the summary the story didn't provide:

    So basically, we have this guy. Martin Shkreli. On its own, that name probably means nothing: but you've heard of him before. He's a pharmaceutical exec, and he recieved widespread attention when his company bought a daraprim, an anti-parasitic drug. He raised the price from $13.50 to $750: Mmmhmm, he's that man, and he's the subject of the article. So then, we have a rapper here: Mr. Ghostface Killah... Also known as Dennis Coles. Our Mr. Shkreli bought a one of a kind album from this rapper. The very esteemed Mr. Killah called this horrible person out for the son of a bitch he is, and in response, Shkreli made a video threatening to destroy the album unless he recieves "a heart felt written apology expressing the sorrow and sadness" the rapper simply must be feeling right now to insult such an honorable and upstanding citizen.

    And seriously, our rich jackass really is a bastard. Condeming people to die is a horrible thing to do, and controlling samples so no new drug can be authorized is a gross abuse of an admittedly flawed system. This man should go burn in hell. Bernie Sanders refused to take his campaign donation (he gave the money away to a healthcare clinic rather than accept it), and Mrs. Clinton made it one of her goals to deal wiith this asshole if she's elected. Even Donald Trump himself doesn't like Shkreli, and these two are perfect fits for each other.

    --
    "Set a man a fire, he'll be warm for the rest of the night. Set a man afire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
    1. Re:In other ness... by MightyMartian · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Shkreli is a good reason why I think once a sociopath has been identified, they are forbidden from any position of management or leadership, even as lowly as a crew chief at McDonalds, and that they are put under constant surveillance and if they cause even the smallest amount of disturbance, they are imprisoned the first time under harsh and awful conditions for six months, the second time for five years, and the third time they are just taking out and shot. Sociopaths, once identified, should have liberties highly curtailed in every way; relationships, work, finances, everything. They are monsters.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    2. Re:In other ness... by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 2

      Donald Trump himself doesn't like Shkreli, and these two are perfect fits for each other.

      1) That rapper dude must be really worried now, I mean being threatened by a pasty-faced douche like Martin Shkrelli ust put tha' fear o' gawd into ya, no?

      2) If you're someone that even a scumbag like Donald Trump hates, that's resume material right there. "I'm such a shitbag that even the King Shitbag hates me!" That kind of accolade is hard to come by.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    3. Re:In other ness... by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      I think sociopaths spending every minute of every day in sheer terror and any capacity to effect even the smallest decision upon normal people would make a better world.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  21. Remember kiddies by OzPeter · · Score: 2

    /. is up for sale, so anything that improves traffic is good for business.

    But not necessarily good for reading

    --
    I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
  22. Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli Threatens Ghostface Kil by superdave80 · · Score: 1

    I literally have no idea what this sentence is suppose to mean...

  23. Re:What the... by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

    Leave it to the /. editors to find a way to make people wish for a Bennet Haselton article.

    I hear ya.

    My first thought was who?

    My second thought was "...and I should give a fuck why???"

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  24. Re:What is a 'Ghostface Killa' and why should i ca by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 1

    Nope, no idea. I've heard of "Wu-Tang Clan" before and know they're a music group of some sort, and that Shkreli had bought an album they made only one copy of and sold for some stupid amount. Inferring from the article, I come to the conclusion that "Ghostface Killa" is a member of Wu-Tang Clan, but it would've been nice to tell me that.

  25. Re:What the... by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

    Domain registry lists an address in Raqqa.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  26. Re:What is a 'Ghostface Killa' and why should i ca by MightyMartian · · Score: 2

    All you need to know is that a disgusting sociopath is going down the shitter, but his ego demands that he keep looking like a winner all the way down.

    At least Charlie Sheen was amusing (though if I were one of the people he'd slept with, I'd probably not be quite so amused). This guy is just a worthless piece of shit that I doubt anyone will ever miss.

    But he'll be back. Once he's out of prison, he'll start some mail order fraud scheme. Short of locking them in a dungeon and melting down the key, or just simply putting a bullet in their head, these kind of disgusting monsters always resurface, and always with some new scheme to steal other peoples' money and self-aggrandize.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  27. New title by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

    Title should be, "Dueling Douchebags".

    Sorry, is this "news for nerds" or "stuff that matters"? How so?

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
  28. Re:What the... by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

    No, mod it down!

  29. keepin it real niggas' by tetraverse · · Score: 1

    How did it come to this :(

  30. Why the fuck would a nerd give a shit about this? by Chas · · Score: 1

    Why should anyone who isn't a greedy corporate raider or rapper wannabe care about "Greedy corporate raider threatens rapper"?

    Let's see, I have zero desire to buy a company, jack up prices or dismantle it.

    I wear my pants up around my waist where they belong.
    If I wear a ball cap, it isn't set on my head cockeyed.
    I don't drown myself in bling. Hell, I don't wear bling in the first place.
    I don't talk funny.
    I don't shoot people over a pair of Air Jordans or some silly east/west coast rivalry that is ALMOST as meaningless as the rivalry between democrat and republican.

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
  31. Re:What is a 'Ghostface Killa' and why should i ca by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

    To be honest, for a lot of us it just means "Who the f---? Oh my god, I'm getting old aren't I? I have no idea who half the celebrities are these days."

    Oddly enough, when I was a kid, I didn't think people in their mid-forties were as out of touch then as I feel today.

    --
    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  32. oh good by Dr.+Evil · · Score: 1

    This doesn't sound like it's going to end in an epic rap battle between Neil deGrasse Tyson and Mr Killah over recreational drugs.

  33. Not like they can't make another copy of the album by ayesnymous · · Score: 1

    Surely they still have the music and can create more copies if they wanted.

  34. Actual news for nerds: by xororand · · Score: 1
  35. Re:What is a 'Ghostface Killa' and why should i ca by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

    ...who I only heard of because the aforementioned Pharma Bro was publicized as buying one of their albums.

    So yeah, if Wu Tang Clan dates back to 1993 and was well known then, I guess I've always been out of touch. Carry on there...

    --
    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.