More details have
emerged in an alleged incident involving Busta Rhymes and the assault of one of
his drivers, who was beaten when he approached the rapper about collecting back
pay. Rhymes’
former driver Eddie Hatchett, 39, filed
a complaint against Busta Rhymes, born Trevor Smith, on Dec. 26. Hatchett
claims that he went to Rhymes’ office near City hall to collect 19-days worth
of unpaid invoices for driving the rapper. Hatchett told The New York Post
that his discussion with Busta Rhymes grew into a heated argument. "I
don’t know what set him off," Hatchett said. "I told him, ‘I ain’t scared
of you. That’s when his bodyguards grabbed me, and he punched and kicked me."Hatchett,
who drove Rhymes’ Rolls Royce, Bentley and bulletproof GMC SUV, claimed that he
was seeking the back pay because he couldn’t afford a Christmas gift for his daughter.
"I didn’t speak to
my daughter for Christmas. I was embarrassed," he said. He
also accused Rhymes of owing several other bodyguards who have since been fired.
"For
me to come out of my community like that and work for him days in a row, nights,
not seeing my family, and not getting paid, and for him to act like that – I’ll
never put myself in that position again."Hatchett
said he had driven rappers N.O.R.E. and Foxy Brown without incident. At
press time, Busta Rhymes was out of the country, but he is expected to surrender
to authorities for questioning today (Jan. 2).Busta
Rhymes is also facing assault charges for an August
2005 incident, in which his bodyguards allegedly beat a man for spitting on
his Maybach as the luxury vehicle was passing by in Mid-town Manhattan. Police
still seek to question the rapper about his knowledge of a
shooting in Brooklyn last February, that took the life of his bodyguard, 29-year-old
Israel Ramirez.
