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Duane Sampson -> RE:NFL News (9/16/2007 4:41:29 PM)
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Larry Johnson Rapper Flap Won't Go Away Sat Sep 15, 2007 The Kansas City Star reports Chiefs RB Larry Johnson talked to reporters after practice Friday. He said he wasn't the one singing in a rap song publicized this week, noting that he was concentrating on Sunday's game against the Bears. The man behind the recording first said the voice was Johnson’s and then changed his tune. Still, the fact remains that Johnson’s name has been connected to a song containing derogatory comments about the Chiefs, racial slurs, profanity and references to guns and weapons. The song on the MySpace Web page of a rap group called SBL Mob created enough of a stir that it even reached the folks in the NFL’s New York office. "We’re aware of it," NFL spokesman Corry Rush said. "I can’t really say whether it violates (the NFL’s personal-conduct) policy, because it’s kind of unprecedented. We haven’t had this type of issue where a player is bad-mouthing an organization or anything of that nature. The commissioner has a lot of (leeway) with the personal-conduct policy. … If this was really the case, I’m sure he would evaluate it." But Johnson indicated that point was moot. He made a statement after practice Friday denying involvement. "I’ve had ongoing problems with people impersonating me on MySpace pages," Johnson said. "I’ve alerted NFL security about the rap song that’s on the Internet that was supposedly rapped by me, which (it) isn’t. It’s in NFL security’s hands, and I’m pretty sure they’ll take care of it to the best of their ability. I’m really worried about the Chicago Bears on Sunday and let things go from there." Johnson answered only one question. Asked whether he was the rapper, Johnson said, "Nope." Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson  the subject of a profane remark in at least one version of the song  had no comment. Later Friday, the song was removed from the page. It was replaced with a statement that read: "The L.J. Track that has been posted and reported through the news radio and tv is in fact a fake. We used this to gain publicity for SBL & Basement Entertainment, and the CD to be put out in Dec. We want to apologize, first and foremost to L.J. & former Chiefs RB Joe Hall, but also to the Chiefs Football Team, for any problems or harm that may have been caused by our actions." At least two versions of the song were on the Internet. In one the singer criticized Chiefs RB Priest Holmes, who is referred to by uniform number 31. The singer said Holmes was embarrassing himself in his comeback after almost two years away from the Chiefs. James Tinberg is the president of Basement Entertainment, the recording label for SBL Mob. At one point Friday, he said he recorded Johnson singing the rap song. He said it was recorded at the Olathe home of former Chiefs and Kansas State RB Joe Hall in early August, when Johnson was holding out from training camp and before he received his new contract extension. Later Friday, though, Tinberg told The Associated Press that the rapper wasn’t Johnson but someone imitating his voice. He said that he lied about the song to reporters and that he "used the media."
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