WikiKMBC's Jim Flink reported Wednesday that several recent home invasions, carjackings, street robberies and shootings may be linked to associates of murdered rap artist Anthony "Fat Tone" Watkins.
Fat Tone was shot to death last month in Las Vegas. Since then, police and community leaders told KMBC that there has been a chain reaction of chaos and crime on Kansas City streets.
"A community in an uproar -- lots of confusions ... violence (is) on the upswing, to some degree," said Mark Porter, with Hundred Men of Blue Hills.
Investigators said they believe associates of Fat Tone are committing random crimes, such as home invasions and carjackings, and in addition, enemies of Fat Tone are retaliating.
Officials said the slaying of Watkins' aunt earlier this month may be connected, as was the murder of a man Monday at East 55th Street and College Avenue. Police said a Fat Tone associate may be the shooter in that case.
"What you see in Fat Tone -- is not what you should be," Porter said. "That one person has caused so much havoc because we have a weak community."
Community activists are calling for residents to take back the streets and stop the violence.
"All it takes, is one person or two people to say, 'This is not going to happen on my block,'" said the Rev. Tony Caldwell, with Peacekeepers.
Caldwell said within minutes of the shooting at 55th and College, Peacekeepers members were out in force canvassing the area. Within eight hours, the suspected shooter was in police custody.
Leaders said that kind of activism sends a powerful message to criminals.
"If you're going to live in fear, then the Fat Tones of the world are going to kick you around like a rubber ball," Porter said.
Anthony Watkins, рэппер из Канзаса, родины Тэк Найна, он же “Fat Tone” был застрелен в конце мая 2005 года в Лас-Вегасе, вместе со своим другом, после крупного выигрыша в казино. Собственно, это некоторое время и путало следствие, т.к. в первую очередь подозревали ограбление.
Так или иначе, летом 2008 года к пожизненному заключению за умышленно убийство был приговорен Andre “Mac Minister” Dow, рэппер из Bay Area. По его словам, это было местью за прямую причастность Fat Tone к убийству (впрочем, никем не доказанную) в ноябре 2004 года в Канзасе Andre “Mac Dre” Hicks`а, легенды Bay Area.
Все эти убийства являются частью продолжающейся войны между рэпперами Западного Побережья и Среднего Запада.
Собственно, большая часть известности пришла к Fat Tone после его смерти и связанному с этим шумом. Так или иначе, перед вами крепкий мидвест весьма неплохого качества. На альбомах успели засветиться такие звезды, как Tech N9ne, Messy Marv, C-Bo, Nate Dogg, E-40, Yukmouth, Butch Cassidy и уже упоминавшийся Mac Dre.
