DJ Drama: I'm Not a Bootlegger

The Atlanta Journal-Consitution has a captivating story on DJ Drama's arrest and prosecution. The Atlanta mixtape maestro was operating with the full support of artists and producers when his studio was raided by Morrow County, Georgia, police. Despite his status within the record indutry--he's viewed as a dealmaker who works closely with labels--the police raided his studio as if it were a mob hideout:

As they tell it, it was late afternoon, around 5. Drama, Cannon and another longtime friend and business associate, DJ Sense, were at their office/studio in the Castleberry Hill section of downtown Atlanta. Drama was standing outside by the front door, doing an interview with a film crew from South Carolina when a Chevy Tahoe SUV quickly pulled up on the curb.

"About five [anti-drug] Cobra units jumped out of it, M-16s drawn, pointed in our direction," recalls Drama, who made his name recognizing early on the potential of multimillion-selling Southern rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy. "They started screaming, 'It's police! Freeze! Get on the ground! Nobody move!' "

"I was like 'Wow!' " adds Cannon, 'I'm just sitting here doing music, having fun, and they're coming like the Army.' "

DJ Drama says his lawyer is working with the RIAA and Morrow County D.A. However, his fate is still uncertain. Charged under Georgia's RICO laws, drama and his partner DJ Cannon face up to five years in prison.

Via HRS News