R.A. the Rugged Man really does bribe people with hoo-ers

Last week's Village Voice:

As MTV's cameras rolled, [R.A. the Rugged Man] brought out a duct-taped, handcuffed streetwalker he'd just picked up outside to carouse with him onstage, whereupon attendees became visibly unsettled. Things got even more out of control when R.A.'s pals began taunting Murray's crew and throwing speakers at the crowd, eventually inciting a mini-riot. "I figured, let me do whatever the fuck I want to do and go nuts," R.A. tells me recently over a turkey club and cheese fries at a diner near his Harlem apartment. "But it backfired on me because they held a grudge." Instead of dropping him, Jive wouldn't let him out of his contract for years, he says, despite other labels' interest.

Like this one, most of the Long Island–bred rapper's stories feature comedy, tragedy, debauchery, obscenity, and self-sabotage. And hookers. They often have hookers. "I used to have a little stable of women back in the day," he says. "Say I wanted to negotiate beat prices with a known producer. I'd be like, 'Homegirl, go take homeboy in the back room, have sex with him and a couple of his friends.' All of a sudden, it's like, 'What beats do you need, R.A.?' "

Combat Jack, going on five years ago:

I used to work with R.A. a few years ago. I like dude (no homo). Sure he looks dirty as fuck and has been misunderstood for years (mainly for actually pulling his pink (no homo) meat stick out in front of a female employee at his former label, Jive Records. Anyways, I could never get over the fact that someone who so aptly epitomized white trailer park trash not only had mad skills as an emcee, but had cats that were really respected in the game collaborate with him on some joints (notably, pre 1997 Mobb Deep and the late great G.O.A.T., Biggie Smalls).

Anyways, one day, dude comes to my office with some skanky (but fuckable) white trailer trash biker chick. We're discussing business and this chick isn't saying an effin word. About 25 minutes into our meeting, R.A. asks me what I think of the chick, and I tell him she's decent. He then tells the chick to take off all her clothes, which she does completely (except for her socks) in the middle of my office in the middle of the effin day in the middle of midtown Manhattan. I'm checking her out and R.A. explains that this is one of his many jiz guzzling she whores and proceeds to ask me if I wants a piece.

No bullshit: A few weeks ago, R.A. the Rugged Man emailed me about coming to the release party for his greatest hits album. How much do you want to be he was trying to sic one of his hoo-ers on me?

Damn, if only I lived in New York.

R.A. the Rugged Man Abides [Village Voice]