Spike Lee Plays The Blame Game

SPIKE LEE blamed Irv Gotti and 50 Cent for helping perpetuate violence in hip-hop in the Feb/Mar issue of Complex on newsstands now. "I love hip-hop," Lee told the magazine. "But there are certain elements that are just [problematic]. You name your company Murder Incorporated, your logo's got bullet holes in it, you changed your name to Gotti, and you wonder why your ass is in court? I mean, come on. You want to be a gangster? Alright, well gangsters go to jail; gangsters get shot. I mean, look, 50 Cent has made a lot of money, but whatever you are doing that makes you have to put a bulletproof vest on your 5-year-old son, that's time for some deep introspective shit. That whole mantra-'Get Rich or Die Tryin'-for me that's criminal," Lee explained. "Because young brothers, they took that to heart: 'Whatever I got to do to get them rims, get my fly gear, to get my bitches and hos, I'm going to do it. Fuck who I got to hurt, who I got to shoot, who I got to kill.' That's crazy to me. And his video game, Bulletproof? I'm sorry, I can't get with that."