Fans of hip-hop take "realness" more seriously than any group since folk aficionados in the 60s. Sure, alternative and indie culture have placed value on "alternative-ness" and "indie cred" but that seems more intimately related to the connection between an artist and his work. In hip-hop, the connection is between the artist's work and the lifestyle he engages in after leaving the studio. While we forgive, from time to time, rappers for embellishing their stories for dramatic effect, the ideal is lyrics as a perfect reflection of life. This brings me to the consequences of this pressure. I was wikipedia browsing today and came across Lil Boosie's entry. It made me take a good, hard look at what I, as a consumer of art, am encouraging in the real world. We want real rap, and that means we want rappers to be real criminals. Will this change my tastes? Nope. I'm just saying, shit's real.
Personal life
Lil Boosie is married to Walnita Decuir-Hatch. The couple has three children: Torrence Hatch, Jr., Ivyana Hatch, and Tarlaysia Hatch. His mother is Jacquelyn Hatch.[3] Shortly after Bad Azz was released, Boosie announced that he had diabetes.[1] On October 22, 2008, Boosie was arrested after East Baton Rouge sheriff's deputies found marijuana, another unidentified drug, and a gun in Boosie's car. Boosie pled guilty to third-degree possession of marijuana on September 22, 2009 and was sentenced to two years in prison the next day.[4] Judge James Moore doubled the sentence on November 10 after finding Boosie had violated probation while awaiting sentencing. Between his plea and sentencing, Boosie was electronically monitored and placed under house arrest.[5]
Murder charge
On June 17, 2010 Lil Boosie was indicted on federal charges on first-degree murder of Terry Boyd.[6] He also faces charges for three counts of possession with intent to distribute narcotics (Schedule II-Codeine, Schedule I-Ecstasy and Schedule I-Marijuana), three counts of "conspiracy to commit possession with intent to distribute narcotics", and two counts of "conspiracy to introduce contraband into a penal institution".[6] He has stated that he is innocent of these charges.[7] District attorney Hillar Moore stated that the killing seemed to be "over turf". If convicted, Lil Boosie may face the death penalty. Prosecutors have stated that they believe the rapper may have been involved in at least five other murders.[8] On June 28, Lil Boosie entered a not-guilty plea in a Louisiana court room. While Boosie's defense addressed the fact that the rapper has several ongoing cases, they emphasized that he is not a murderer.[9]
