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(left to right: Miss Info, Angie Martinez and 50 Cent at the Things Fall Apart screening on Monday, photo by IMAGES/SHAREIF ZIYADAT)

The trade-offs that people make for fame have changed over the years. The ways in which “celebrities” are rewarded (and the things they are rewarded for) has expanded. And so has the scrutiny and the pitfalls. I picture all our heroes and villains skating on a frozen lake. The lake keeps getting bigger, the range of performers and the audience keeps growing too; but the more flood lights we add from the sidelines, the thinner the ice gets.

There has been much discussion (and derision) since rumors surfaced that legendary DJ Mister Cee was arrested with a man named Lawrence Campbell for “misdemeanor public lewdness and indecent exposure charges.” The uproar is predictable but some of the off-color commentary has come from people that surprised me. Police reports and news outlets reasonably confirm that the arrest happened and details are readily available.

What has been less public, but taking place privately between many many people who know and respect Cee as a friend, co-worker, and most importantly, as a legendary DJ….is the discussion of:
How he moves past this, whether it changes our opinion of him, and how this fits into the larger issues of lifestyle, fame, prejudice and compassion.

On Monday, 50 Cent and I had this conversation on the record. A surprising and moving convo in many ways. We’re preparing a video of the interview right now. But here’s a preview that I included on Celebrity Drama last night.

Miss Info Celebrity Drama featuring 50 Cent: Part 1 (download)


Miss Info Celebrity Drama featuring 50 Cent: Part 2 (download)

If you have been wondering why the ongoing details of this story haven’t been included here or in Celeb Drama…

This is my personal blog and I’m sure it’s understood that I cover what I like or dislike, but always what I choose to. And what’s chosen is not everything. And it never will be. I’m not motivated by volume. There is no “AOL way.” In fact, I hope it’s clear that much of the blog is personality-driven. The opinions or likes and dislikes aren’t hidden, but they can be random, they can change, they are sometimes inexplicable. Hence, personal. So I know that personal opinion isn’t unbiased. But I do claim to be fair. That means, I don’t say something I truly don’t mean. And I don’t report something as fact that I believe is not. (If you think that’s the norm, it’s increasingly not.)

Now in the case of Mr. Cee’s “scandalous” arrest, it’s more than just not caring enough about the story to include it. Obviously. So that’s not the reason for the “silent treatment.”
But, aside from having this blog, I am also part of a company. And within that company, there is a family atmosphere.
Do some of you have rules at your jobs? Or am I the only one who has to follow guidelines from higher ups? Sometimes guidelines are frustrating. But as long as I am not asked to cover up anything or misrepresent something, I understand when I need to wait for official statement or follow a company lead.
In this particular case, I also don’t mind, because I fully admit that I know and like Mr. Cee. So I want confirming details (which I think the Smoking Gun post has) and ideally a direct response.
[*Note: one important thing that Bucky Turco/Animal pointed out to me, is that despite The Smoking Gun‘s strong record of gathering legal documents…they’re playing themselves by referencing an unverified Cee twitter account, which is fake. Yes, I know Flex retweeted it. I’ve retweeted DrunkHulk. That doesn’t mean it’s real.]

There is no direct response from Mr. Cee. But he knows what 50 and I discussed, and knows that I will be  publishing it.

Related:
Meka from 2DopeBoyz shares his cynical and straightforward opinion.