Once again, cops have shown how helpful rap videos have become when it comes to investigating criminal activity. As was the case in the case with Bobby Shmurda and the GS9 Crips when they were arrested in 2014. In that case, James Essig, head of the NYPD unit made the arrests. He said Shmurda’s content was “almost a real-life document of what they were doing on the street.” In his song “Hot Nigga”, Shmurda rapped that “I been selling crack since like the fifth grade” because “Jaja taught me”; Shmurda also rapped about his crew’s past and future murders.
Operation Drilly
On Thursday, April 7, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark announced more than 20 alleged Bronx gang members were taken into custody. The were named in an 82-count indictment that covers 32 violent crimes committed over a three-year period. The investigation titled “Operation Drilly” was focused in on the 2021 shooting death of 20-year-old Bronx woman Delila Vasquez and the July 2020 fatal shooting of 24-year-old James Rivera, who was killed when six assailants chased and gunned him down.
Several of the defendants are alleged to be affiliated with Bronx based Blood set named Sex Money Murder. Like GS9, they reportedly also rapped about real life crimes they committed.
Teen rapper Lee Drilly, whose real name is Ali Doby, was among the 20 individuals arrested. He allegedly bragged about crimes he committed in his 2021 “BET” single featuring E-Wuu. The video has amassed over 250,000 views on YouTube.
Attorney Darcel Clark called the crimes allegedly committed by the defendants named in the indictment “senseless” acts of violence.
“We’re doing all that we can to deal with and battle the guns scourge that is happening here in the Bronx,” Clark said. “But more must be done to deviate these young people from the life of gangs and senseless violence. We do need to do more.”
This is getting out of hand.
