Even with a 98% conviction rate, the federal government was no match for Irv Gotti and the Murder Inc. crew.
On this date in 2005, the U.S. government exonerated Irv and Chris Gotti along with their Murder Inc. after a two-year-long case in which the Lorenzo brothers were forced to prove that their successful, multi-million dollar record label was not a money-laundering operation for Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff of Queens’ legendary Supreme Team.
Even with multi-platinum artists such as Ja Rule, Ashanti, and Lil’ Mo, the Def Jam subsidiary was still questioned about their affiliation with McGriff after Gotti funded a movie directed by the Supreme Team leader entitled Crime Partners, which was inspired by the infamous novel by famed author Donald Goines.
Following the January 2003 raid on the Murder Inc. offices, things for the crew were never the same. Gotti spent upwards of $10 million in legal fees fighting the government, the label had no distribution during the entire trial, and the war with a rival rapper from Jamaica, Queen named 50 Cent had just begun. Nevertheless, the crew dropped the Murder moniker, never waived the white flag, and stood tall against the government until they were victorious. Salute!
Rumors have been circulating since Showtime’s release of The Supreme Team series last year, which was narrated by Nas, that Gerald “Prince” Miller, one of the leaders of 80s Queens drug ring known as the Supreme Team(not to be confused with the pioneer rap group The World Famous Supreme Team), would be released sometime in the near future. Now, according to several reliable sources, that day has come.
According to Instagrm page @meccapolis, the lieutenant and nephew to notorious drug kingpin Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff is scheduled to be released today(September 11) from USP Big Sandy in Kentucky. TheSource.com has also obtained a text message between Miller’s wife and brother confirming his release this week.
For those who don’t know, Prince was one of the people name dropped in 50 Cent’s infamous 2002 hit “Ghetto Qur’an(Forgive Me)” in the first bars of the first verse where he rapped, “Yo, when you hear talk of the Southside, you hear talk of the Team/ See niggas feared Prince and respected ‘Preme/ For all you slow motherfuckers, I’ma break it down iller/ See Preme was the business man and Prince was the killer..”
It is also well known that the auto-bio story told by Fif in the silver screen classic Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ was based on the conflict between him and Prince’s uncle Supreme, who is a known associate of Irv Gotti and the Murder Inc. organization.
Miller has served 32 years in a federal prison for his role in the drug organization that was rumored to have netted up to $200,000 a day. Miller was originally sentenced to life without parole in 1992, but word on the street is that a new bill was passed into law in recent weeks that allows any federal inmate over 55 years of age that has been convicted of a non-violent crime is now eligible for parole.
In a recent ruling in the the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, a federal appellate court has given reputed street legend Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff a glimmer of hope in forcing another judge to consider the Supreme Team leader for a sentence reduction.
U.S. District Judge Frederic Block was ordered to consider a motion filed by McGriff for a sentence reduction. The motion was filed under the First Step Act, an Obama-era law designed to reduce the disparity between those sentenced for crack cocaine offenses and those sentenced for powder cocaine offenses. The Second Circuit contended that Judge Block wasn’t clear in following the federal sentencing guidelines when he denied McGriff’s motion for a reduced sentence on a conviction for distributing 50 grams or more of crack cocaine, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and an unspecified amount of heroin.
Block must reconsider the motion, however, his 2020 ruling almost promises that McGriff will remain behind bars even with a sentence reduction. Block admitted that he was eligible for a reduction, but admitted that he didn’t want to give McGriff a reduced sentence because of his “extensive criminal history and the heinous nature of the acts of violence attributable to him.”
McGriff was convicted of two counts of murder for hire and several federal drug offenses. Federal prosecutors claim that McGriff was the head of the Queens-based Supreme Team, a deadly drug organization responsible for dozens of murders before attempting to take their illegal businesses on a legal route, including through the Hip Hop industry. Jurors found that McGriff was responsible for the murders of Eric “E. Money Bags” Smith and Troy Singleton, having paid $50K to the killers.
McGriff’s attorney, who says that his motions are part of the 61-year-old’s ultimate goal, which is to not die in prison. While Supreme’s other life sentences remain that he is currently serving in Kentucky’s USP McCreary, his attorney contends, “any term of imprisonment that can be chipped away…permits McGriff to be in a marginally better position – which is not insignificant to McGriff – when McGriff files a motion for compassionate release – or some other form of collateral relief – in the future.”
Born on this date in 1975, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is undoubtedly one of the most influential forces in the game today. From music to movies to successful business ventures, Fif has always stayed on top of his game ever since he made his unconventional entrance at the end of the last millennium.
What has always kept 50’s name in the people’s mouths is the fact that he always had someone else’s name in his! Not to be confused with the common studio gangster, 50 has not only survived, but remained triumphant and relevant after all of his beefs.
Here’s a short list of some of Fif’s most mentioned beefs in and out of the studio:
1. Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff
This beef between street soldier and kingpin became a story reminiscent of David and Goliath, with 50 Cent battling the most feared gangster in his Jamaica, Queens hometown. This riff was depicted in 50’s blockbuster film Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. The real ending? Fif is a successful businessman and Supreme is currently in a federal supermax correctional facility for life. According to recent reports, however, an appeals court has now forced a federal judge to reconsider Supreme’s appeal for a sentence reduction.
2. Big Pun
On 50’s first widely recognized track “How To Rob” featuring The Madd Rapper, he creatively spits scenarios about him catching several of your favorite rappers and R&B singers slipping. One of them happened to be the Terror Squad top recruit, the late Big Pun, who didn’t take it very lightly. On Pun’s Yeeeaah Baby! album, he tells Fif on one of the tracks, “I’m gonna make a song called ‘How I beat your fuckin ass’…”. Nothing never happened off wax with this beef and Pun passed suddenly on February 7, 2000.
3. The Game
With the G-Unit at the top of the rap tier at the turn of the 21st Century, if you weren’t with them, you and your crew were definitely getting rolled over. The Game, who happened to be the only recruit on the Guerrilla Unit squad that wasn’t from the East Coast, made the mistake by believing that his career would remain afloat without 50. With no help against the barrage of battle records from G-Unit to the unsuccessful “Boycott G-Unit” campaign, it’s safe to say that Fif come out on top of this one.
4. Rick Ross
The Bawse seemed to be the only artist that has even been able to maintain his relevance after beef with Mr. Jackson. Ironically, this beef started over an alleged wrong look at the BET Awards towards Ross. These two traded bars until Fif came out with the “Officer Ricky” track, in which 50 promised told Rozay “Ima fuck your life up for fun’. At the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards in ATL, Gunplay from Ross’ Maybach Music Group allegedly had his chain snatched and Fif was seen wearing the chain days later.
5. Ja Rule
His battle with 50 Cent should’ve been a warning to the rest of the artist who came after him with a problem with the Queens MC. These two were from the same hood, which made the beef that much more personal. While 50 claims that Rule hid behind the protection of “Supreme” McGriff, who was suspected of facilitating the unsuccessful hit on Jackson, Rule maintained a successful career until the continuous physical confrontations and vicious shots proved to be too much for certified platinum Murder Inc. artist. Last year, these two bumped heads on a flight, but time must have healed old wounds because the two just greeted each other with a “what’s up” as they flew together.
