Bad Day for Chicago Rappers: Kanye Attacks Photographer, Bump J Busted for Robbery

It's been a weird week for MCs from the Windy City, as Kanye West and mixtape maven Bump J both had run-ins with the law. West was arrested but not charged after an incident with a photograher this morning in the UK. The paparazzo was snapping shots in a club when West got angry and shoved the camera into his face, cutting his nose. Kanye was released without further incident.

In more serious legal news, Chicago underground icon Bump J was arrested this week by federal officers in Illinois for his role in a 2007 bank robbery. Bump was busted during a routine traffic stop. Authorities allege Bump and an accomplice robbed a Chase bank by gunpoint back in January 2007, making off with $100,000. Bump J is somewhat well-known on the Chicago rap scene, where he was named Best Midwest Mixtape Rapper Award in 2005. Bump eventually hooked up with Kanye West's manager Phil Edwards, leading to a record deal with Atlantic Records. Bump released several more mixtapes, but his major label debut Nothing To Lose never came out. However, he did perform on tracks by Kanye West, Trey Songz and Rhymefest, among others. Bump was indicted on one count of bank robbery and violation of federal firearms statues. If convicted, he'll spend the next 20 years in prison.

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Song Stories

“Baby Got Back”

Sir Mix-a-Lot | 1992

While watching a Budweiser commercial during the Super Bowl, Sir Mix-a-Lot thought the skinny female models in the ad didn’t represent reality. So he wrote this ode to ample bottoms, featuring its famous to-the-point lyric: “I like big butts and I cannot lie.” MTV banished the video, featuring shaking booties and sexually suggestive fruit, to 9 p.m. or later. “I thought my career was over,” he told Rolling Stone. “Then I called Rick Rubin, and I told him the video was banned, and he was like, 'Great!' We sold another 2 million records.”

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