It's emerged that there's an audio tape of the events that led up to the previously reported shooting of Busta Rhymes' bodyguard Israel Ramirez on 5 Feb. The tape has reportedly been offered to the media at a cost of $50,000 but has not, of course, been offered to New York police, or to prosecutors in the case. A transcript appears to confirm that G-Unit's Tony Yayo was, as police suspect, a key player in the dispute that led to Ramirez' death, a disagreement that was reportedly sparked by the G-Unit members' exclusion from an onstage line-up at the video shoot.
According to The New York Daily News, the actual shooting is not heard on the tape, but a source says: "you can hear screaming and the chaos and the 911 call". DA spokesperson Jerry Schmetterer said: "I hope the person who has this tape or video would cooperate with the authorities, especially if it provides evidence in the case." An NYPD spokesperson added: "It's totally irresponsible of this person to withhold what could be a vital piece of evidence in an active homicide investigation."
Rhymes is currently completing the video that was being recorded the day of the shooting. He continues to maintain a silence on that day's events, refusing to co-operate with investigators. He is now in California, and is, according to a source, afraid to return to New York, in case he is served with a subpoena.