Dolla's Family Release Statement, Plan Public Memorial Service

The family of rapper Dolla, who was shot and killed outside a Los Angeles shopping mall on May 18th, have released a statement about their personal loss. The family also announced that a viewing of Dolla, born Roderick Burton, will be held tomorrow in his native Atlanta, with a memorial service scheduled for Saturday, May 23rd. The service will be open to the public and fans are asked to attend, MTV reports.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Dolla's family said:

"First and foremost we, the Burton family would like to thank everyone for all their kind thoughts and prayers during these trying times. Most recently, the Burton family was made aware that there have been numerous false claims of information floating around the 'net and also reported in reputable media outlets. Part of this was due to someone who was not authorized to speak on the family's behalf and who claimed to be the publicist of record decided to disseminate false information on her own and without the consent of the family to several media outlets.

 

"Due to the circumstances of the situation no other information will be released at this time. We are grateful for your continued support in these trying times. We now ask everyone to allow us to mourn the loss of our beloved Roderick Anthony Burton."

An Atlanta man, Aubrey Berry, was officially charged with two counts of assault with a firearm and one count of murder by the Los Angeles District Attorney's office yesterday. According to the Los Angeles Times, Dolla's shooting may stem back to an altercation the rapper had with Berry at an Atlanta strip club on May 13th, when Dolla reportedly got into a fight with a man with the initials "A.B." Dolla then traveled to Los Angeles to attend his girlfriend's birthday celebration and work on a mixtape. According to MTV, Akon, who signed Dolla to his Konvict Muzic, will release a statement on May 25th concerning the status of Dolla's debut album for Jive, A Dolla & A Dream.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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