Jessiah “Milk” Styles, the Loud Records promotions manager who alleges he
was beaten by members of the Wu-Tang Clan after an Aug. 29 performance,
told police he was repeatedly kicked in the face by Method Man, while GZA, Raekwon and Inspectah Deck held his arms so he could not shield his head from the blows.
After the assault, Styles said the Clan’s Ghostface Killah cleaned
blood from his face, before an accountant known only as Dexter took him
into a parking lot and told him, “Watch your back, you don’t know who we
know out there.”
Addicted To Noise learned details of Styles’ police complaint this week.
Meanwhile, the lawyer acting as their spokesman insisted that GZA, also known as the Genius, was in New York at the time of the alleged assault.
“He was shooting videos here in New York City ’til the early morning hours,
and after that he went home,” said Peter Frankel, a New York attorney who
has represented various Wu-Tang members for several years. He said that
the rapper’s family could corroborate his alibi.
Although he could not immediately pinpoint the date of GZA’s last
performance with the Clan, Frankel said the rapper had left the group’s
tour with Rage Against the Machine and Atari Teenage Riot more than a week
before the alleged incident occurred.
The Aug. 29 performance at the New World Music Theater, in Tinley Park,
Ill. (near Chicago) was the last night on the genre-blending tour for all the members, as the band failed to show up for the next two dates and officially departed with an announcement on Sept. 2.
So far, no official charges have been filed stemming from Styles’
complaint. Before further action can be pursued, Tinley Park police
investigator Steve Vaccaro said he must conduct in-person interviews with
the Clan members named in the report, and he is waiting for Frankel to make
such arrangements. He added that Frankel had not yet spoken with him about
GZA’s alibi, but that the appropriate time to handle the matter would be
during interviews.
Frankel said that although he had been in contact with Vaccaro, he had not yet seen Styles’ complaint, and thus could not comment on its details. He noted that he served only as a spokesman for the Wu-Tang, and not Mook Gibson, the band’s manager or Dexter.
“At this point my main focus is to prove to their satisfaction that Genius
was not even there,” said Frankel. “That’s a ground ball. Once he’s taken out of this investigation, it will allow us to focus on some of the other individuals. For them to continue with this investigation with Genius as a target is just ridiculous.”
In a complaint taken by officer Scott Heim, Styles recounted what he said
was an evening of assault and intimidation, and what Heim labeled a
“Battery/Mob Action/Robbery.” The 24-year-old marketing and promotions
manager said the trouble began at about 7 p.m. on Aug. 29, when he was
contacted by phone by a Chicago radio station, which he did not identify.
Styles said he did not realize his words were being broadcasted when he
revealed that the official band afterparty would take place at Chicago’s House of Blues.
According to Styles, that announcement upset members of the Wu-Tang, along
with Dexter and Gibson. After the Clan’s set at
the New World Music Theater that night, Styles went backstage with his
fiance, Fantasy Buckman, and uncle, Christian Brown. Gibson allegedly
asked the Loud rep if he had been on the radio that day, to which Styles
replied “yes.” Styles said the manager then brought him into the band’s
dressing room, at which point Styles himself asked his uncle to accompany
them.
After several people were asked to leave the room and the door was shut, an
unknown black male then struck Styles right shoulder, knocking him to the
ground, according to his account. When his uncle attempted to intervene,
he was allegedly restrained by three unknown black men, who told Brown,
“It’s not worth dying for, he knows what he’s getting this for,” before
escorting him from the room.
While Styles was still on the ground, he said unknown people took his
Nautilus watch, Motorola pager and other items from his pockets. Then, he
alleged, Method Man instructed Raekwon, GZA and Inspectah Deck to hold
Styles’ arms as Method Man himself began kicking Styles’ face. “What is
your name, your real name?” Styles said Method Man asked him between blows, although the rep would not reveal it.
Meanwhile, according to Styles, his uncle and fiance alerted venue
security, after hearing banging, shouting and scuffling from inside the
dressing room. A security officer approached the room and was greeted by
an unknown black male who told him he should leave, that there were no
problems inside.
Styles said he received several more kicks to the head and body before
Ghostface Killah wet a paper towel and wiped blood from his face. Dexter
the accountant then escorted Styles to the venue parking lot, where he
reportedly told the rep, “You’re very lucky. You’re actually blessed.
It’s not over. Watch your back, you don’t know who we know out there,
there are people you don’t even know about.”
Styles’ fiance took him to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was treated. Employees there contacted police, and Styles filed his complaint in the early morning hours of Aug. 30.
Vaccaro, who said that Frankel and band members “seem to be cooperating”
with the investigation, confirmed that he had requested the legal names,
dates of birth and social security numbers of the Clan members named in the
complaint, but had not yet received them. [Thurs., Sept. 11, 1997, 5 p.m. PST] SOURCE: MTV NEWS.COM
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