By Nolan Strong
Czar Entertainment CEO Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond has issued a statement to AllHipHop.com surrounding a controversial article published by The Los Angeles Times today (March 17).
In "Blood Feud," a detailed investigative piece written by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Chuck Phillips, Rosemond is accused of masterminding an elaborate plan to have rapper Tupac Shakur assaulted at Quad Recording Studios in 1994.
The assault and shooting of Tupac Shakur at the Quad was one of a number of incidents that started a bi-coastal feuds between various rappers from the East and West Coasts of the United States.
The rivalries ended with the death of Shakur on September 13, 1996, following wounds sustained in a drive by shooting in Las Vegas and the death of Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, who was gunned down six months later in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Times claims that Rosemond and a man named James Sabatino, who was 18-years-old at the time, planned to orchestrate an attack on Shakur and make it appear as if he were robbed.
"In the past 14 years, I have not even been questioned by law enforcement with regard to the assault of Tupac Shakur, let alone brought up on charges," Rosemond told AllHipHop.com. "Chuck Phillips, the writer who in the past has falsely claimed that the Notorious Biggie Smalls was in Las Vegas when Tupac was murdered and that Biggie supplied the gun that killed Tupac -- only to be proven wrong as Biggie was in New Jersey recuperating from a car accident, has reached a new low by employing fourth-hand information from desperate jailhouse informants along with ancient FBI reports to create this fabrication."
The Los Angeles Times claims that Rosemond and Sabatino allegedly wanted to manage Shakur and were upset with his aggressive, disrespectful behavior, as well as his refusal to sign a recording contract with Combs’ fledgling Bad Boy Records imprint.
The article claims Shakur was allegedly set up by Rosemond, Sabatino and Jacques "Haitian Jack" Agnant, who was standing trial with Shakur for allegedly raping a 19-year-old fan in November 1993.
On November 29, during Shakur’s trial, he went the Quad, where he was shot and wounded by unknown assailants, whose identities were withheld by the Los Angeles Times.
The Los Angeles Times claims that Combs and Notorious B.I.G. had advanced knowledge that Shakur would be assaulted, not shot.
When Shakur pulled a gun, the plan turned violent and he and his manager were shot, assaulted and robbed.
A few days later, on December 1, Shakur was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse and subsequently sentenced to 4½ years in prison.
Agnant pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and was avoided jail time.
Like Combs, Rosemond also denied the charges set forth in the Los Angeles Times’ article.
"I simply ask for all rap fans and fans of Tupac to analyze this fiction for what it is along with Phillips' motives behind it," Rosemond said. "I am baffled as to why the LA Times would print this on its website when a simple and fair investigation would reveal that the allegations are false. I am currently consulting with my attorneys about my legal rights regarding this libelous piece of garbage."