Police spying hip-hop stars/celebrities in Florida

MIAMI, Fl. (Miami Herald/50 Cent Fans Website) - Rap stars including 50 Cent, P Diddy and Busta Rhymes have been under secret surveillance by police in the United States, it emerged today.

Fearing that rivalries between rap artists could lead to violence, officers in Miami have reportedly compiled dossiers on the stars and track their movements when they are in the state.
Police said the operation was for the safety of the artists as much as the public. It is understood that the rappers are photographed when they arrive at Miami Airport. Often they are trailed and their hotels and concert venues are put under surveillance, the report said.
"We have to keep an eye on these rivalries, the last thing we need in this city is violence. What would law enforcement be if we closed our eyes?
A lot, if not most, rappers belong to some sort of gang, we keep track of their arrests and associates," police officials told the Miami Herald.

The police department in Miami kept a black binder holding rappers� names and details. It includes smaller artists like Black Rob up to major figures like Sean "P Diddy" Combs, Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, 50 Cent and Busta Rhymes. Also is reported that the New York Police Department gave the details to local law enforcement during a three-day "hip-hop training session" in May.

Civil rights campaigners and music industry figures have complained that the monitoring of mostly-black rappers is, at best, due to a misunderstanding of the industry, and at worst prompted by racism.

Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine, said the police move was unprecedented.
Benjamin Chavis, president and chief executive officer of The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, said taht "some people see gangs and hip-hop artists as being synonymous. That's a mistake. The recording industry is a legitimate American enterprise, not a gang."