We also wanted our website not only be devoted to Bloc Star artists but to “The Blocc” as well.  If any of the homies from The Blocc have pictures, videos, or songs you’d like repped on the website, please send them to Bonnie at:  ebrown@blocstarentertainment.com .  We’d like to have a roll call of the homies, the artists, make it a place for you to rep.  Fo’ move or no move… Raided.

Message from B-Dubb

By Aneraé “X-Raided” Brown

Time has a way of clarifying things.  If we allow it, that is.  Conditions have to be created for it to work.  Maturity is most important but that’s something more than growing into your body.  It’s growing into your mind and spirit.  That happens at different speeds for different people.  It took a long time for me and I still don’t always know if I’m getting it right, but I interpret my awareness of that as a sign of maturity.

I’ve been writing my mother pretty frequently most recently.  We’ve been in a good place with each other and I’m happy about that.  I want my critical relationships to be in solid shape.  It’s easy to throw a label at our memories and call things good or bad and place blame, but the most important moment in any situation always has to be the present.  What we do in the “right now” matters more than what we did in the past.  Right now I want to be the best person I can be, and I want to have the best relationships possible.

With that in mind, I’ve been asking my mom about my pops.  I haven’t seen him in 22 years, since ’88.  We haven’t spoken since ’02.  There are a lot of things I wish had been different but I’m at the point where I realize it doesn’t matter anymore.  It’s time to just make the best out of reality as we know instead of trying to rewrite the past.  We’re trying to find my dad so I can connect with him. My wife tried, my mom has tried, but so far we can’t find his new address.  My father is from Prichard, Alabama, outside of Mobile. His name is Charles Martin.  Since I couldn’t’ get at you directly this Father’s Day, I extend these words to you in spirit:  I am doing ok.  I look just like you.  I am proud to have your genes because I am healthy and strong.  My wife wants to meet you, dad (yeah, I have one of those).  She’s gorgeous and intelligent.  You have a granddaughter, too.  There’s a lot going on in my life.  But most of all, now that I’m grown, I just want to be able to chip it up with you as a man.  No judgment.  I just want to feel it out.  Happy Father’s Day, wherever you are.

To all my dudes out there struggling with the process of maturation, I encourage you to take responsibility for training your sons, brothers, nephews and lil’ homies about manhood and conducting themselves like kings.  We are confusing idiocy with gangsterism. Now is the time to take the kids to the zoo, the museum, the planetarium, anywhere peaceful and thought provoking.  Be cautious about what you program into the kids.  They are learning from you whether your intent is to teach or not.  Let’s teach strength and honesty, principles and morality, pride.  That’s the business.  We should all feel responsible if we know someone who isn’t living up to their fullest potential.  At worst we have to say something.  I didn’t have anyone doing that for me and I think it would have made a difference.  Someone has to be willing to fight to get or keep you on the right path, and that should be a man’s duty.  Props to everyone out there making an effort to have a positive impact on people.  Stay at it.

Happy Father’s Day, late as it may be when you receive this.

X-Raided

June 21, 2010

Someone recently told me about some talk that I killed a “grandmother” and that’s what I’m in prison for. I have heard that for years and never rebutted it (until I made Eternally Unforgiven) out of fear of it being harmful to me legally or being considered disrespectful of the dead. But let’s talk about it.

First of all, I didn’t shoot anyone. I didn’t kill the victim in my case. A woman was killed but I did not intend for her to die and I don’t think the person who shot her could see anything but movement in the dark. It was pitch black, 2 o’clock in the morning. She was an innocent bystander. A victim of circumstances.

J-Dogg, Jerome McCoy, a member of the Garden Blocc Crips, was killed by members of the Meadowview Bloods. The woman who was shot was the mother of known members of the Meadowview Bloods. Word was going around that they had killed J-Dogg, true or not, and that there were Meadowview Bloods frequently hanging out around the house that turned out to be the victim’s residence. That’s why the house got hit. In the chaos, the victim was unintentionally shot when she unexpectedly turned a corner in the dark.

I would never shoot a woman, nevertheless someone’s mother, and I don’t advocate that. The media spun it as a “grandma” in order to enrage the community during the build up to our trial but the truth is that the home was known for having gang members out front hanging out. It was an innocent mistake, her being shot; no different than a stray bullet hitting the person on the corner during a drive-by shooting. It’s ignorant and very much irresponsible, but it happens. Tupac accidentally shot a little girl. 50 Cent rapped, “Spray ya mama crib and let your ass look for me,” and you enjoyed the song; yet I’m a monster because it really happened in my case? It’s hypocritical. You want your rappers to be “real,” but not that real. I agree. There is definitely a line but it either applies all the time or it doesn’t apply at all.

I didn’t kill anyone’s mother or grandmother but I do accept responsibility for my action that contributed to the circumstances of her death. In honor of that I speak honestly to people about the stupidity of gang life and do my best to encourage kids not to join gangs. My intentions to help our youth see the reality of gang life and it’s consequences have been applauded by many. The incident happened 18 years ago when I was 17 years old, so we’re talking more than half my life ago. I’ve matured and done the work to improve myself. That story is not being told. They quote my 19 year old songs advocating violence but don’t mention Unforgiven 2.5: Assisted Suicide, discouraging it. I am trying to change that.

God bless the dead. I’m far from a saint but certainly equally as far from some people’s opinion of me. Dig deeper.

X-Raided, born Anerae Brown, was arrested and convicted along with four others, for the 1992 murder of a rival gang member’s mother.

Lyrics from his 1995 album Xorcist were used against him during his trial, resulting in his conviction of gang related homicide in 1996.

He was sentenced to 31-years in prison. His contraband was discovered after a state employed laundry room supervisor was accused of smuggling contraband into the prison.

A confidential informant told officials of the contraband in the rapper’s jail cell.

Prison guards found a Roland R-09HR WAV/MP3 Recorded hidden insides an Arts in Corrections Keyboard.

They also found a Nokia cell phone, a charger and an extra battery hidden inside of two typewriter cartridges.

Inmates are found in possession of phones on a regular basis and it is not a crime, but a minor infraction, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations rules and regulations, an issue that prison officials are presently working hard to change.

“It’s a big problem for us (CDCR) with budget cuts and furlough days, having state employees willing to being inmates contraband for money. It’s happening now more than ever,” a prison guard stated under the condition of anonymity.

Over the years, Brown has managed to release dozens of albums from prison, including The Unforgiven Volume 1: In The Beginning.

In 1999, a prison guard at the Salinas Valley State Prison was eventually fired for his role in smuggling recording equipment in for Brown.

In late 2008, X-Raided announced he would be releasing a new series of Unforgiven mixtapes, along with another full length album titled Eternally Unforgiven.

INCARCERATED RAPPER ‘X-RAIDED’ STABBED DURING RIOT, INMATES FACE ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES
Coalinga, CA: A group of inmates on the “A” Facility sensitive needs yard at Pleasant Valley State Prison attempted to stab imprisoned Sacramento rapper Aneraé “X-Raided” Brown to death on March 19, 2010.

According to the incident report [attached], Brown was attacked near the basketball court on the recreation yard by a group of inmates identified by R. Rodriguez, Search & Escort Officer #1, as “known Northern Rider affiliates.” Northern Riders are former members of the notorious Northern Mexican prison gang “XIV” who have been kicked out of the “Norte” and were removed from the mainline of the General Population for their own protection. “These guys,” according to Brown’s attorney, “are essentially a Protective Custody gang. They’re a group of guys who were kicked off of the mainline by the Norte who came together on a sensitive needs yard and made up a new PC gang. It’s ridiculous. They ran away from the mainline only to get to an SNY facility and form a new so-called gang.”

The attack on Brown escalated into a full blown riot as other black inmates rushed to assist Brown (CDC#K-17737), who was fighting three inmates identified as R. Werth, Gonzales, and Lawson. Werth had a state toothbrush with eight razor blades taped and tied to it. Gonzales had an inmate manufactured knife constructed from a piece of metal removed from the facility’s baseball equipment. The fighting went on for several minutes before being brought under control by over a dozen correctional officers and the institutional security unit. By then Brown had been stabbed and sliced a total of seven times. Brown can be seen in the video doing what some call the “crip walk dance” after landing a devastating blow to Werth’s upper body, which dislocated Werth’s shoulder. Unaware that he had been stabbed, Brown continued to dance until being ordered to lay prone by correctional officer E. Bustos. Brown had to be airlifted to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, CA, where he was held overnight and returned to PVSP Saturday, March 20, 2010. Inmate Werth was transported to the hospital as well, where he was treated for a dislocated shoulder, cuts, lacerations, and swelling to the back of the head. Inmate R. Razo, who assisted Brown, was also stabbed and sliced but was treated at the institution as his wounds were not sever in nature.

Brown, who is classified as a “High Notoriety” inmate, can only be housed on sensitive needs yards (SNY) which are facilities for “drop outs,” inmates who are inactive former gang members looking to stay out of trouble in hopes of making parole and doing their time in relative peace. Not to be confused with Protective Custody, such as the Protective Housing Unit (PHU) at Corcoran State Prison where Charles Manson is housed, SNY facilities are for incarcerated celebrities, inmates with high profile cases like Phil Spector, The Menendez Brothers, Sirhan Sirhan, and Tom Sizemore. Inmates whose lives may be in immediate danger due to case factors, such as former prison gang members and ex-street gang members are housed on SNY facilities as well, after undergoing an extensive process known as debriefing, which requires them to provide information about their former gang to the prison administration. “Street gang members who retire are not required to debrief, nor are high profile inmates and celebrities. Former prison gang members however must debrief in order to become SNY status,” States Brown’s attorney. “So we’re talking about a bunch of guys who gave up information about the Norte in order to become SNY, then they got on an SNY facility where it’s safe and stared calling themselves the Northern Riders, the Playboys, and took the Playboy Bunny as their logo, and we want to know how that was allowed to happen.”

“If they were identified by c/o R. Rodriguez as ‘known Northern Rider associates,’” stated Brown’s wife, “the question becomes, why were they allowed to remain on the facility?”

According to the incident report dated March 23, 2010, by Lt. Lantz, it was determined that Brown was the victim in this case and will not be facing disciplinary action or criminal charges. “The so-called Northern Riders attempted to extort my client,” says Brown’s attorney. “They wanted him to produce and release their rap album. We’re talking about inmates serving Life without the possibility of parole (Werth and Gonzales) wanting to be rap stars, and feeling so rejected to the point of wanting to kill him in an attempt to gain some fame. It’s absurd. Our client shouldn’t be facing threats of death on any Special Needs Yard, especially from a bunch of cowards who ran away from the mainline to escape from the Norte, only to clique up on any SNY facility. If they wanted to be tough guys they should have stayed on the mainline.”

“Bull”:

“Bo”:

A bandage can be seen wrapped around the head of X-Raided, where a vein on his temple was punctured with one of the shank weapons, before being airlifted to a hospital. Two inmates, one wielding a knife made with metal from the bottom of a baseball base and sharpened to a point, the other using a state-issued toothbrush with razor blades fastened to it, were each issued a CDC 115 for violation of the CCR , Title 15, Section 3005(d)(1) for the specific act: Attempted Murder, while three others were issued a CDC 115 for vilation of the CCR, Title 15, Section 3005(d) for Conspiracy to Committ Murder. This is according to a prison Incident Report written on March 19, 2010.

 http://www.allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2010/06/09/22258108.aspx

I find it interesting that everyone finds it so shocking that most if not all famous people are placed in segregated housing when they get locked up.  Even here in prison, when the Rolling Stone with Lil Wayne on the cover came out saying that he would be in protective custody at Riker’s Island, I heard grumbles like, “He talks all that blood shit but he’s in PC.”  What does everyone expect Lil Wayne to do?  This is a guy who can’t even walk through a mall without security just because of too much love and too much hate.  A famous person can’t walk through a club or any other public place where they may be recognized.  Why would anyone think that doesn’t apply to famous people in prison?

The purpose of trying to get rich is to improve your life and the lives of the people you love.  You don’t get money then stay in the hood.  You move somewhere better, more peaceful, ASAP.  That goes for all people but especially the famous.  LeBron James moved out of the projects when he got paid, he didn’t fix it up and stay.  Famous people cannot allow themselves to be accessible to everybody.  That’s just a fact. 

Now imagine if 100% of the population were criminals, ranging from kidnappers, extortionists, killers, thieves, etc.  Gangsta rapper or not, that’s just asking for trouble.  The famous guy either has to build a crew or try to go it alone but that means fighting and catching more time, possibly being labeled a troublemaker by the staff. That creates even more problems.  You end up on 24 hour lockdown with no phone access or contact visits, all for trying to prove how tough you are to some nobodies.  What good is the respect of someone whose respect is worthless?  They’re going to hate anyway just because they’re broke and you’re not. 

Inmates try to recruit you into their cliques.  They ask you to buy dope for them or help them get it in.  They try to get you to use dope so they can get in your pocket. You’re constantly dealing with some type of hustle.  It gets old fast. 

Then you have haters, who can be staff, inmate, or visitor, but the worst are the wannabe rappers.  It’s like American Idol when they really believe they’re good but they’re garbage.  They get mad at the judges for not picking them!  Man, I have dudes trying to rap for me at 6:30 a.m. on the way to breakfast.  Practiced all night then walks up and starts rapping. I get that on the yard, dayroom, visiting, everywhere, across racial lines, gang lines, even staff sometimes just fuckin’ around.  I end up having to be an asshole about my space.  That just breeds more hate.  “He thinks he’s too good to listen to me rap.”  I explained it to a friend of mine like this:  When I can just say hello, sign something, boom five minutes, cool; but if I give up 30 minute chunks of time because a guy wants to rap and tell me his life story, if I do that ten times a day it adds up to 5 hours of my life I can never get back.  The fans are cool.  They say hello, I sign something, they bounce.  But the obsessed guys, wannabe rappers, and haters never bounce.  They just try to get closer and closer.

Rappers go to segregated housing to do their time in peace and go home.  They lie out of fear of judgment but in reality everyone should understand.  Being famous, you’re segregated even on the streets.  If you have to use security in public you’ll need it in prison, too.  If your name is hot for fame and money, you’ll need security anywhere you go.  Quit hatin’.  We don’t need to lose Lil Wayne, Gucci, Lil Boosie, or whoever else in prison just so you can say they’re hard.  That’s bullshit. 

I know all the little rappers with no names who have been in prison will try to say they weren’t segregated but that’s probably because they were level one or two, on the softest yards in the state. Level 3 and 4 is a different ballgame.  You got a baller cat, famous, locked up with hopeless fools doing life without the possibility of parole, starving.  Next thing you know, you’re in a riot fighting a clown with a knife, mad because you won’t help him be a rapper.  That’s what I just went through on a segregated yard, so just imagine general population. 

Features : X-Raided: “When Rappers Go to Jail”.