'Kanye West's Dark, Twisted Fantasy

From Bari Weiss, at her Substack, "And Jewish reality":

Yesterday was any given Sunday in America, which meant that most Jews were not at all astonished when we looked down at our phones and discovered a former president was calling us ingrates and one of the most famous artists in the world was doing Louis Farrakhan one better. We are long past astonishment.

For those who don’t have an anxious Jewish mother or an internet connection, here’s a glimpse of this past weekend’s bile, starting with Kanye West.

“On TMZ I just saw yesterday it said, ’Pete Davidson and Kim have sex by the fireplace to honor their grandmother.’ It’s Jewish Zionists that’s about that life. That’s telling this Christian woman that has four black children to put that out as a message,” he said on a podcast, in which he went unchallenged by the hosts.

Another clip: “Jewish people have owned the black voice. Whether it’s through us wearing a Ralph Lauren shirt, or it’s all of us being signed to a record label, or having a Jewish manager, or being signed to a Jewish basketball team, or doing a movie on a Jewish platform like Disney.”

And another: “You know they came into money through the lawyers, when after Wall Street when all of the, like, the Catholics, they wouldn’t divorce people so the Jewish lawyers came and they were willing to divorce people. That’s when they first came into their money.”

In one interview—an interview that the host, a rapper who goes by the name N.O.R.E, celebrated as having gotten more views than Sunday night football—West pulled off a perfect antisemitic hat trick: nod to our apparent sexual deviancy and perversion; accuse us of exploiting other minorities for our benefit; and suggest that our success is ill-gotten. It was almost impressive.

While those clips were going viral, Donald Trump offered his own take on American Jews. “No President has done more for Israel than I have,” the former president wrote on his platform, Truth Social. “Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the US. Those living in Israel, though, are a different story—Highest approval rating in the World, could easily be PM! US Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel—Before it is too late!”

Here is the part of the column where I tell you things that are also true.

Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, is a brilliant musician. He is a brilliant musician who is mentally ill.

Also: The Trump White House did a tremendous amount for the cause of Middle East peace.

But those facts do not undermine what is undeniable. Namely, that the wealthiest musician in the world appears to hold deeply conspiratorial views about Jews informed by the antisemite Louis Farrakhan and a hate cult called the Black Hebrew Israelites, whose worldview—black people are chosen by God; Jews are pretenders—is disturbingly prevalent in large parts of American culture. And that the former president is criticizing American Jews for being ungrateful, commanding them to show him proper respect—and issuing a veiled threat if they do not. (His staunchest supporters may insist that Trump’s warning “Before it is too late!” meant “Before it is too late for America” or perhaps “too late for Israel,” the implication being that Biden isn’t as supportive of the Jewish state and so Jews need to support Trump. However you read the opaque missive, the toxic notion of the ungrateful Jew is unambiguous.)

...

Nicki Minaj Causes the Establishment to Go DEFCON One

This story's a laugh riot.

From Jim Geraghty, at National Review.

Angry Black Lady Gets Angry at Celebrity Fitness Trainer Jillian Michaels, Who Suggested Lizzo's Morbid Obesity Isn't Something to Be Celebrating

Michaels is doubly guilty in that, yes, it's gauche to criticize someone's weight publicly, but it's particularly objectionable if the critic is white.

Do let us know when you can twerk and play the flute at the same time, Jillian. Until then, shut your mouth. https://t.co/jvvYlNK5Fu

— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) January 8, 2020

Azealia Banks

On Twitter:

Azealia Banks is in Sweden and she is a MOOD.
“This socialism shit is bogus” 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/EQJvM0yxMd

— Annika H Rothstein (@truthandfiction) August 25, 2019

Questions of Violence Linger After Murder of Rapper Nipsey Hustle

They nabbed a suspect, but questions of violence and the star's dream linger.

At the Los Angeles Times:

Authorities arrest man matching description of suspect in Nipsey Hussle killing https://t.co/a1QKBKShAT

— Hailey Branson-Potts (@haileybranson) April 2, 2019

The mourning transcended family and friends and became a citywide conversation. https://t.co/UHyFRsn2ET

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) April 2, 2019

The killing was like many others in this city — a young man gunned down on a street in South Los Angeles.

The questions were familiar too. Was it gang related? A personal dispute?

But because the victim was renowned rapper Nipsey Hussle, the mourning transcended family and friends and became a citywide conversation.

Hussle's coming of age as a member of the Rollin' 60s Crips who made it big in the music industry was on Angelenos' minds. The conversation included broader narratives about the persistent violence in South L.A. and Hussle's efforts to help young people harness their creativity through avenues such as the tech industry that have not traditionally been rooted in black and brown neighborhoods.

Hussle's choice to put his money in the community he came from as the owner of many small businesses, including the clothing store where he was fatally shot Sunday, is part of what many see as his legacy. He viewed entrepreneurship as a way to find success beyond the long-shot occupations of sports and music.

But the choice to stay close to home also put him in the line of fire as a wealthy and influential person in a place where disputes among acquaintances and rivals are sometimes settled violently.

"Being quick to the gun — the resolving of problems with a gun is going to always end up bad," said Ben "Taco" Owens, who works to prevent gang violence in South L.A.

The dichotomy was on display late Monday when several people were injured at a vigil for Hussle that turned violent when the crowd stampeded after reports of gunfire. Police said no shots were fired, but paramedics transported more than a dozen people, including two in critical condition, to the hospital. Most of the injuries were related to people being trampled.

On Monday, as radio DJs devoted their programs to Hussle and online tributes continued to pour in, LAPD sources said they had identified the suspect as Eric Holder, 29, of Los Angeles, and said they are searching for him.

Holder was last seen in a white, four-door 2016 Chevy Cruze, with the California license plate number 7RJD742. The vehicle was driven by an unidentified woman, according to the LAPD.

Authorities had previously said the shooter was someone in Hussle's orbit and they believed the motive was likely personal, not a gang feud.

According to initial reports, a young man opened fire on Hussle at close range before scrambling to a getaway car. The L.A. County coroner said Monday that Hussle, 33, whose legal name was Ermias Joseph Asghedom, died of gunshot wounds to the head and torso. He was pronounced dead at a hospital at 3:55 p.m. Two others were wounded in the shooting.

The investigation encompasses witness interviews, social media posts and security camera footage of the strip mall that houses The Marathon Clothing, the rapper's store at the corner of Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard, a source said.

The LAPD scheduled a press conference for Tuesday morning to provide updates.

"The saddest part of the story is that he represented a new path that gang members can create for themselves as entrepreneurs," said Alex Alonso, a gang expert and adjunct professor at Cal State Long Beach.

RELATED: Nipsey Hussle's dreams were bigger than hip-hop »

LAPD Chief Michel Moore put Hussle's killing in the context of a recent uptick in violence, noting that there have been 26 shootings and 10 homicides in the city since the previous Sunday.

"That's 36 families left picking up the pieces," Moore tweeted. "We will work aggressively with our community to quell this senseless loss of life."

Hussle was set to meet with Moore and Police Commission President Steve Soboroff on Monday to talk about solutions to gang violence.

"Throughout the years, as he fostered success in his music career, he chose ... to reinvest and try to address the various underpinnings that fostered this environment. It's just terrible," Moore said Monday.

As his music career took shape over the last decade and a half, Hussle carefully considered how he would use his platform to influence the violent culture he came from.

He sang about gang life because that was what he knew, he said in a 2009 interview on Alonso's website, streetgangs.com. But he predicted that as his life changed, so would his themes...

More.

'Lose Yourself'

From last Thursday morning's drive-time, at 93.1 Jack FM Los Angeles, Eminem's "Lose Yourself."

Rock N Me
Steve Miller Band
6:47am

Lose Yourself
Eminem
6:43am

Rag Doll
Aerosmith
6:39am

Hungry Like The Wolf
Duran Duran
6:35am

The Man Who Sold The World
Nirvana
6:23am

Play That Funky Music
Wild Cherry
6:20am

Paradise City
Guns N' Roses
6:13am

Don't Speak
NO Doubt
6:09am


Losing My Religion
REM
6:05am

Beast Of Burden
Rolling Stones
6:00am

Cardi B on a Yacht

At Drunken Stepfather, "Cardi B – Stripper on a Yacht."

She's crazy hot lol.

Issa vibe pic.twitter.com/P2TQelSpK1

— iamcardib (@iamcardib) March 5, 2019

PLEASE ME MUSIC VIDEO OUT NOW !!!https://t.co/KjukhV6aHi pic.twitter.com/7oITviHbiN

— iamcardib (@iamcardib) March 2, 2019

'Walk This Way'

From yesterday morning's drive-time, at 93.1 Jack FM, "Walk This Way" (Run DMC cover).

It's Still Rock & Roll To Me
Billy Joel
9:16am

Hold Me Now
Thompson Twins
9:11am

Take Me Out
Franz Ferdinand
9:07am

Little Red Corvette
PRINCE
9:02am

Landslide
Fleetwood Mac
8:52am

I Ran
Flock Of Seagulls
8:48am

Like A Stone
Audioslave
8:43am

Bette Davis Eyes
Kim Carnes
8:39am

Smells Like Teen Spirit
Nirvana
8:34am

Walk This Way
Run-D.M.C.
8:22am

'Rapture'

Heard on the way in to my office (to finish posting semester grades) during drive-time, at Jack F.M. 93.1.

Blondie "Rapture":

Brown Eyed Girl
Van Morrison
10:24am

All Apologies
Nirvana
10:20am

Rapture
Blondie
10:15am

Rock 'N Me
The Steve Miller Band
10:12am

Clocks
Coldplay
10:07am

Don't Stop Believin'
Journey
10:03am

The Love Cats
The Cure
9:59am

(Oh) Pretty Woman
Van Halen
9:49am

Today
Smashing Pumpkins
9:45am

One Love/People Get Ready
Bob Marley
9:43am

Set Fire To The Rain
Adele
9:34am

American Girl
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
9:22am

Whip It
Devo
9:19am

Better Man
Pearl Jam
9:15am

You Make Lovin' Fun
Fleetwood Mac
9:11am

The Weeknd Says Goodbye to H&M Over Racist 'Monkey' Sweatshirt Advertisement

This is the most un-'woke' thing ever --- and it's in the supposedly 'woke' fashion industry, man.

At USA Today, "Seriously: The Weeknd says goodbye to H&M over 'monkey' sweatshirt ad."

woke up this morning shocked and embarrassed by this photo. i’m deeply offended and will not be working with @hm anymore... pic.twitter.com/P3023iYzAb

— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) January 8, 2018

The Rise of N.W.A and the Dawn of Gangsta Rap

An excerpt from Gerrick D. Kennedy,'s new book, Parental Discretion Is Advised: The Rise of N.W.A and the Dawn of Gangsta Rap.

At LAT, "The moment N.W.A changed the music world":

Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella caused a seismic shift in hip-hop when they form N.W.A in 1986. With its hard-core image, bombastic sound and lyrics that were equal parts poetic, lascivious, conscious and downright in-your-face, N.W.A spoke the truth about life on the streets of Compton, then a hotbed of poverty, drugs, gangs and unemployment. In “Parental Discretion Is Advised: The Rise of N.W.A and the Dawn of Gangsta Rap” (Atria: 288 pp., $26), Times music reporter Gerrick D. Kennedy traces the origins of the group that birthed the first major disruption of hip-hop during the genre’s infancy. Ice Cube once said, “Everything in the world came after this group.” In this exclusive excerpt, Kennedy details the brash arrival of N.W.A.

*****

OF THE MANY BIG BANGS that have transformed rap over the decades, N.W.A’s “Straight Outta Compton” is one of the loudest.

It was a sonic Molotov cocktail that ignited a firestorm when it debuted in the summer of 1988. Steered by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella’s dark production and Ice Cube and MC Ren’s striking rhymes, then brought to life by Eazy-E’s wicked charm, the record fused the bombastic sonics of Public Enemy’s production with vicious lyrics that were revolutionary or perverse, depending on whom you asked.

The world hadn’t heard anything like it before. Radio stations and MTV refused to add the title song to their playlists. Critics didn’t get it, couldn’t see past the language, or, worse, refused to acknowledge it as music. Politicians even launched attacks, working to great lengths to condemn the music and its creators.

N.W.A were to hip-hop what the Sex Pistols were to rock — and really, what’s more punk than having a name that dared to be spoken or written in full, and music that incensed a nation?

Red-faced and outraged Americans protested the group, police officers refused to provide security for its shows, and the FBI got involved, but that didn’t stop “Straight Outta Compton,” N.W.A’s debut album, from selling three million records without a radio single.

With “Straight Outta Compton,” N.W.A didn’t just manage to put its hood on the map, the group forced the world to pay attention to the rap sounds coming out of the West Coast. It’s an album that provided the soundtrack for agitated and restless black youth across America with its rough and raunchy tales of violent life in the inner city, expressed through razor-sharp lyrics.

“It was good music,” LA rap-radio pioneer Greg Mack said. “And the lyrics, they meant something.”

The emergence of N.W.A — who billed itself as the World’s Most Dangerous Group — in the late eighties provided a jolt to the rap industry. Public Enemy had already helped redefine the genre by ushering in aggressively pro-Black raps that were intelligent, socially aware and politically charged. But N.W.A opted for an angrier approach.

The group celebrated the hedonism and violence of gangs and drugs that turned neighborhoods into war zones, capturing it in brazen language soaked in explicitness. “Street reporters” is what they called themselves, and their dispatches were raw and unhinged — no matter how ugly the stories were.

Like the Beatles, N.W.A’s lineup was stacked with all-stars: Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and MC Ren would become platinum-selling solo rappers, while DJ Yella helped Dre break ground on a new sound in hip-hop.

They were the living embodiment of the streets where they were raised, and there was zero pretense about it. And when it came to subject matter, with N.W.A, politics took a backseat. Instead, frustrations about growing up young and black on the streets of South Central Los Angeles became the driving force behind their music.

Gangs, violence, poverty, and the ravishing eighties crack epidemic swept through black neighborhoods like F5 tornadoes. People were angry and restless, and without a flinch N.W.A documented its dark and grim realities like urban newsmen.

“Straight Outta Compton” was a flash point that spoke for a disenfranchised community and disrupted the order of those who were confronted with the voices and images of a community they’d much rather ignore. Black teens and young adults immersed in street life, yet looking for something to hold on to, flocked to the album. And so did white, suburban, middle-class teens who knew nothing about the “hood” or a life inside it, but looked to rap as an outlet for rebellion in the same way their parents gravitated toward the angsty countercultural attitudes percolating in rock music during the 1960s.

As unapologetically violent, misogynist, and problematic as their lyrics often were, the group’s harrowing depictions of urban nightmares provided a vital response to the growing disenfranchisement from the Reagan-era politics that had transformed the nation and created an economic catastrophe for metropolitan Los Angeles. N.W.A introduced an antihero. The way Melvin Van Peebles’s groundbreaking 1971 film “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” used America’s longstanding perception of black men as seething, violent hunks to politicize the image, N.W.A brought it to life by mixing reality with fantasy through its music — and the result was as terrifying as it was successful.

At its peak, Eazy’s Ruthless Records — a label he started strictly as a means to get off the streets — was the number-one independent label in the industry and the largest black-owned indie since Berry Gordy’s legendary Motown empire. Without Eazy laying down the foundation for hustlers-turned-record-executives, who knows if Death Row, Bad Boy, No Limit, or Cash Money could have existed. How would Jay-Z ever have known he could go from slinging crack cocaine to creating Roc-A- Fella had Eazy not done it less than a decade before?

More.

Critics Slam Taylor Swift's Comeback Single (VIDEO)

Ms. Taylor's really not my generation of music, so I asked my oldest son what he thought of her new song. He said he hadn't listened to it yet, and that in fact he was avoiding the news and the criticism, because he didn't want to be brought down and polluted by the haters, in so many words.

In any case, at USA Today, "Some of the most ruthless digs on #LookWhatYouMadeMeDo (and there were a lot to choose from)."

'Starboy'

Is there any wonder why youth culture's so crass nowadays?

I mean, I actually like the song, but the chorus goes, "I'ma mother-fuckin' starboy..."

Such casual profanity. But I guess it's pretty much always been like that, when you think about it. At least since the 1960s. Once you get away from prime-time television, and such, profanity is de rigueur.

Viewer caution on the opening scene at the video, which is pretty intense, considering it's pop music.

And see the Vigilant Citizen, "The Occult Meaning of the Weeknd’s “Starboy”."

Also, at the Bustle, "What Does the Weeknd's 'Starboy' Music Video Mean? There Are a Lot of Images to Comb Through — VIDEO."

Long Beach Experiences Surge in Crime

Unexpectedly!

And it's not just the Ferguson effect. California's on the leading edge of the "de-incarceration" movement, with predicable results.

And remember, Long Beach is home to some of the most notorious gangstas anywhere in the country. Local hoodlums brag about their Long Beach creds. Snoop Dogg came out with "I'm From Long Beach" last year, apparently trying to capitalize on this city's hoodlum image:

After dark, no hooks, no marks, all Gs
Dip through the Funk House and I graduated with all Cs
So dope and I made bread
Never switching that's some real shit
Stayed down from the playground
And I always represent 20 crip...

In any case, at the Long Beach Press-Telegram, "Crime spike in Long Beach continues":

Police Chief Robert Luna said his department has been concerned about the crime rate since it began rebounding from historic lows in recent years.

In 2014, the number of violent crimes committed in the city was the lowest in 42 years, but violent crime jumped up almost 20 percent in 2015. That included 36 murders, the highest number in six years.

‘KEEPING US UP AT NIGHT’

“To see numbers like this, I’ve got to be honest with you, was keeping us up at night trying to figure out what was going on,” Luna said.

As crime has increased, so have the number of calls the police department has to respond to, according to the chief.

“We’re working more overtime right now to keep up with the workload,” Luna said.

Overtime is often assigned to a specific location and at specific times to tamp down areas where police see crime trends, Luna said.

The chief also said recent changes in California law have made it harder for officers to do their jobs. For example, Proposition 36 softened California’s three-strikes law. Proposition 47 reclassified a swath of felonies, including many drug crimes, as misdemeanors. And AB 109, a prison downsizing bill known as realignment, put local law enforcement in charge of supervising lower-level parolees.

Luna said he couldn’t directly tie the rise in crime to those changes, but he said he’s “highly suspicious” that offenses started trending upward after they went into effect...

And don't forget the war on cops.

'Killing Me Softly'

Y'all can be bumpin' to this one.

From the Fugees.



BONUS: "Fugees & Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly (Movie Awards)."

'By Any Means'

This shit's prolly on O's iPhone.

ScHoolboy Q, agitatin':

You can fuck my bitch, you can have my hoe
Get yours, get yours, get yours by any means
You can smoke that kill, you can push that dope
Get yours, get yours, get yours by any means
You can steer that wheel, hit the gas and go
Get yours, get yours, get yours by any means
You can fuck my bitch, you can have my...

I make a scene around me, hit the corner, Heaven, Hell
I come from pimpin', bangin', baby momma rockin' yayo
Was always Grandma's baby, Moms always kept in veil
I swear my cousin want me bangin', settin'

Nigga fuck all that, tryna go my road
I can take you back nigga, 'round '04
You can do clown dance, I'ma rob that store
You can paint your face, I'ma kick down doors
I'ma shoot my gun, I'ma free my locc
I'ma sell her tongue, I'ma tan that coke
I'ma dark my lungs, I'ma heal my soul
I'ma stack my bread, I'ma cop that boat
I'ma get them M's, I'ma whip that ghost

You can fuck my bitch, you can have my hoe
Get yours, get yours, get yours by any means
You can smoke that kill, you can push that dope
Get yours, get yours, get yours by any means
You can steer that wheel, hit the gas and go
Get yours, get yours, get yours by any means
You can fuck my bitch, you can have my...

I make a scene around me, hit the corner, Heaven, Hell
I come from pimpin', bangin', baby momma rockin' yayo

50 Crip, contraband for chips, sold all kinda shit
You know we on, turned that white to stone, just don't call my phone
From scrub to boss, shit my necklace gloss, plus my Bentley cost
You poppin' pills, shit we sellin' pills, pussy sell in heels
Her booty fat, fuck her gluteus max, I'm still that groovy cat
Off 51st, yeah we pushin' work, all my pots is burnt
My section turnt, see my soda rise, dimes be super sized
Say yes to dope, cop that Enz and oh

You can fuck my bitch, you can have my hoe
Get yours, get yours, get yours by any means
You can smoke that kill, you can push that dope
Get yours, get yours, get yours by any means
You can steer that wheel, hit the gas and go
Get yours, get yours, get yours by any means
You can fuck my bitch, you can have my hoe

I make a scene around me, hit the corner, Heaven, Hell
I come from pimpin', bangin', baby momma rockin' yayo

You can fuck my bitch, you can have my hoe
You can fuck my bitch, you can have my hoe
You can fuck my bitch, you can have my hoe
You can fuck my bitch, you can have my hoe
You can fuck my bitch, you can have my....

Review of the 58th Annual Grammy Awards

Interesting.

At the New York Times, "At the Grammys, Big Voices, Pretty Faces and Bitter Truths":

It was a big night for Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar at the Grammys https://t.co/QTHHywynkU pic.twitter.com/HqBxBIOLHM

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 16, 2016

Taylor Swift's speech "will go down as one of the essential kiss-off moments in Grammy history" https://t.co/mfKJE0NwBd

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 16, 2016

The Grammys is an awards show that has all but eliminated giving awards https://t.co/ZINqd3wGi4

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 16, 2016

The show was also atoning for the 2014 snub of Kendrick Lamar, who lost best rap album to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis at the time. Mr. Lamar’s 2015 album “To Pimp a Butterfly” swept this year’s hip-hop categories, and he gave the show’s central performance — although “To Pimp a Butterfly” lost to Taylor Swift’s “1989” as album of the year. (Ms. Swift and Mr. Lamar also shared a Grammy this year for the video of her single that features him, “Bad Blood.”)

Mr. Lamar’s live segment drew on “The Blacker the Berry” and “Alright” from “To Pimp a Butterfly,” with Mr. Lamar sidestepping their profanities; it also mentioned Feb. 26, 2012, the date Trayvon Martin was killed. The performance was a vehement, multilevel blast against “modern day slavery” that’s bound for extensive Internet exegesis. It was staged with prisoners breaking chains and African-style drummers and dancers against a bonfire backdrop, ending with the name of Mr. Lamar’s hometown, Compton, superimposed on a silhouette of Africa.

The other flagship Grammys performance was Lady Gaga’s tribute to David Bowie. Orange-haired and seemingly changing a costume a minute, splashed with video effects, Lady Gaga raced through snippets of Mr. Bowie’s hits, mixed a vocal impression of him with her own delivery and hit her marks with dance moves that echoed some of Mr. Bowie’s. She got close to guitarist Nile Rodgers, the co-producer of “Let’s Dance,” who was prominent in the backup band...

More.

LAPD Officers Feared Ambush Because of Rappers' Video

At the Los Angeles Times, "LAPD shooting: Officers feared ambush after seeing video, attorney says":

For days, a 15-second video circulated on social media that alarmed Los Angeles police.

Taken from a vehicle parked behind a black-and-white police cruiser in downtown L.A., the clip opened with a view of the patrol car then flashed down to show someone holding a revolver. The person showed the gun off for the camera, then cut back to the patrol car as an officer got out and walked away.

Worried the video was a threat against its officers, LAPD officials briefed the rank-and-file about the recording, warning officers in roll call meetings to be on alert.

On Tuesday, police said that the department’s robbery-homicide detectives — tasked with investigating the LAPD’s more complex and high-profile cases — now believe the video wasn’t a threat against officers but a promotional video filmed by an early 1990s rap group trying to earn street cred and make a comeback.

The clip, however, has already had serious consequences. Investigators have arrested one person who they say was in the car at the time and have a warrant for the man they believe was holding the gun.

Meanwhile, an attorney representing two officers who fatally shot a man Saturday night said the pair had seen the video and thought they were under attack when the man threw what turned out to be a beer bottle through their patrol car’s back window.

Attorney Gary Fullerton said the video was discussed in at least two roll call meetings that the officers attended, including one the same day as the shooting. The officers were also warned that they might be ambushed from behind, he said.

“Both officers were very focused on that,” Fullerton said. “When the window got blown out, they looked at each other and said, 'We're being shot at.'“

Fullerton said that after the shooting, the officers told investigators they thought they were being attacked because of the video they had seen.

The lawyer said that even if the video wasn't a threat, there are others who do want to harm police officers. He defended the officers' actions, saying it was reasonable for them to think they were being fired upon.

“Officers feel very, very vulnerable out there right now. They feel that at any moment somebody could attack them,” he said. “The officers feel terrible because they were 100% convinced that the guy was shooting at them.”

As of Tuesday evening, the man's name had not been released by coroner's officials, who are still trying to locate his family. He was the 18th person shot and killed by LAPD officers this year.

LAPD officials said the man walked up behind the police cruiser, which was stopped at a red light in Van Nuys, and threw a 40-ounce beer bottle, shattering the car's back window. The two officers bailed out of the car and opened fire, killing the man.

When investigators searched his body and the nearby scene, police said, they did not find a weapon...

Keep reading.

'Straight Outta Compton' Not Showing in Compton

Heh.

It's not playing in N.W.A.'s hood.

Straight outta movie theaters.

At CBS News 2 Los Angeles, "The hit film is not playing in its home city, which lacks a theater."

And ICYMI, "'Straight Outta Compton' Reviews Slam Overly-Long Sputtering Film That Leaves Out Group's Hate Speech," and "Ice Cube on Charges of Racism, Anti-Semitism: 'That's not who I'm about ... you can't discriminate...' (VIDEO)."

'Straight Outta Compton' Reviews Slam Overly-Long Sputtering Film That Leaves Out Group's Hate Speech

Following-up up from yesterday, "Ice Cube on Charges of Racism, Anti-Semitism: 'That's not who I'm about ... you can't discriminate...' (VIDEO)."

It turns out that the flick's getting so-so reviews. Mostly, the films starts out strong, then sputters with plodding scenes of the band's infighting and black-ho "bacchanalia." Kenneth Turan, at the Los Angeles Times, is particularly bored by it, "NWA film 'Straight Outta Compton' starts fast but runs out of gas."

Joe Morgenstern's underwhelmed as well, at the Wall Street Journal, "‘Straight Outta Compton’ Review: Hip-Hop History With Attitude":

“Straight Outta Compton” celebrates N.W.A. as poster men for free speech in their perennial disputes with would-be censors. That’s an appropriate part of the equation, but the movie declines to discuss the group’s hate speech—the violence, misogyny, antigay views and scattershot racism that pervade its songs. (Anti-Semitism comes up only because Heller is outraged by Ice Cube’s attacks on him, as well as on N.W.A., the rapper’s former group, in his notorious song “No Vaseline.”)

Only Manohla Dargis, at the New York Times, of the three major reviews I've read, eschews serious criticism. See, "Review: In ‘Straight Outta Compton,’ Upstarts Who Became the Establishment."