do that? I was a legend here on the Dark Side. I wouldn’t want my reputation tarnished.”
“Sure, Frank. Sure, no problem. But, again, what do you want from me?”
Boff leaned forward. “I’m told you’ve represented Yusef Force in a couple lawsuits.”
“What’s Yusef got to do with this?”
In response, Boff explained the theory he was working on. When he was done, Galloway shook his head. “I don’t see it,” he said. “Don’t let Yusef’s moniker mislead you. He only works with rappers who avoid all that gangsta crap. That being said, can I say for sure that Yusef is against violence?” Galloway shook his head again. “It’s entirely possible that the only reason Yusef doesn’t sign gangstas is because he knows parents today are more likely to give kids money for rap if it isn’t violent.”
“How’d Yusef first make his money? Was it clean?”
“As far as I know.”
The waitress arrived, balancing three full plates on one arm, a BLT with cheese fries for Boff, a buttered bagel for Galloway, and a hamburger without a bun, plus a side of low-fat cottage cheese for Cullen. She set them down, smiled, and walked to another table.
Boff glanced at Cullen’s plate. “How can you eat a burger without bread?”
Cullen spanked a ketchup bottle over his burger. “I have to make weight, remember?”
Galloway studied the boxer’s face a minute. “Say, do you happen to be related to the great fighter Dan Cullen?”
Cullen nodded as he sliced off a piece of hamburger with his fork. “He was my dad.”
“Wow. I’m impressed. Your father was a tremendous boxer, a real warrior. I was a big fan of his. I hope you do as well.”
“He might,” Boff said, “but only if I can keep him alive. That’s why I need the CliffsNotes version of how Yusef Force became a hip-hop mogul.”
After shaking salt over his buttered bagel, Galloway took a bite, chewed for a minute, and swallowed. “Okay, here’s what I know. James Simms got his start as a DJ at a New York club. He worked with the club’s owner to bring in local talent and form groups. When Simms was prominently featured on several hit records, he changed his name to Yusef Force and quickly gained a reputation as a top mix-tape DJ. Legend has it that on one release he edited two hundred hip-hop records into a single sixty-minute mix.”
Boff raised his cup of coffee in a salute. “Ah, the wonders of amphetamines,” he said. “So how’d Yusef get filthy rich?”
“Yusef caught the eye of Bill Stephney, an exec at Def Jam—that’s a record label, Frank, not a jelly company. Yusef and Stephney were among the first to marry the style of Run DMC with politics that addressed the needs of black youth. After their initial release was a major hit, things kind of snowballed. Yusef made a lot of money before leaving Def Jam to create his own label, the Yusef Force Music Group. He signed hot young rappers who didn’t do gangsta rap. And made his fortune.”
Boff speared a fry. “Do you know how he hooked up with boxing promoter Sonny Ricci?”
“Sure,” Galloway said. “Yusef got interested in boxing because of his nephew. Since Yusef was an organizer and marketer, it was natural that he’d turn to promotion. He and Ricci started a monthly event in New York called Downtown Boxing. Because of Yusef’s reputation, Ricci’s boxing events draw a lot of hip-hop stars to the stands.”
Boff set his BLT down. “Do you happen to know when the next Downtown Boxing show is?”
“As a matter of fact, I believe there’s one tomorrow tonight.”
Chapter 18
As they were walking to the gym the next day, McAlary suddenly grabbed Cullen’s arm and pulled him over behind a parked van.
“What’s going on?” the boxer asked. “Did you pull a muscle or something?”
McAlary pointed up the road. “See that black Land Rover heading our way? It looks like the one the Bloods used.”
Tugging Cullen down so their bodies weren’t exposed,
“Sure, Frank. Sure, no problem. But, again, what do you want from me?”
Boff leaned forward. “I’m told you’ve represented Yusef Force in a couple lawsuits.”
“What’s Yusef got to do with this?”
In response, Boff explained the theory he was working on. When he was done, Galloway shook his head. “I don’t see it,” he said. “Don’t let Yusef’s moniker mislead you. He only works with rappers who avoid all that gangsta crap. That being said, can I say for sure that Yusef is against violence?” Galloway shook his head again. “It’s entirely possible that the only reason Yusef doesn’t sign gangstas is because he knows parents today are more likely to give kids money for rap if it isn’t violent.”
“How’d Yusef first make his money? Was it clean?”
“As far as I know.”
The waitress arrived, balancing three full plates on one arm, a BLT with cheese fries for Boff, a buttered bagel for Galloway, and a hamburger without a bun, plus a side of low-fat cottage cheese for Cullen. She set them down, smiled, and walked to another table.
Boff glanced at Cullen’s plate. “How can you eat a burger without bread?”
Cullen spanked a ketchup bottle over his burger. “I have to make weight, remember?”
Galloway studied the boxer’s face a minute. “Say, do you happen to be related to the great fighter Dan Cullen?”
Cullen nodded as he sliced off a piece of hamburger with his fork. “He was my dad.”
“Wow. I’m impressed. Your father was a tremendous boxer, a real warrior. I was a big fan of his. I hope you do as well.”
“He might,” Boff said, “but only if I can keep him alive. That’s why I need the CliffsNotes version of how Yusef Force became a hip-hop mogul.”
After shaking salt over his buttered bagel, Galloway took a bite, chewed for a minute, and swallowed. “Okay, here’s what I know. James Simms got his start as a DJ at a New York club. He worked with the club’s owner to bring in local talent and form groups. When Simms was prominently featured on several hit records, he changed his name to Yusef Force and quickly gained a reputation as a top mix-tape DJ. Legend has it that on one release he edited two hundred hip-hop records into a single sixty-minute mix.”
Boff raised his cup of coffee in a salute. “Ah, the wonders of amphetamines,” he said. “So how’d Yusef get filthy rich?”
“Yusef caught the eye of Bill Stephney, an exec at Def Jam—that’s a record label, Frank, not a jelly company. Yusef and Stephney were among the first to marry the style of Run DMC with politics that addressed the needs of black youth. After their initial release was a major hit, things kind of snowballed. Yusef made a lot of money before leaving Def Jam to create his own label, the Yusef Force Music Group. He signed hot young rappers who didn’t do gangsta rap. And made his fortune.”
Boff speared a fry. “Do you know how he hooked up with boxing promoter Sonny Ricci?”
“Sure,” Galloway said. “Yusef got interested in boxing because of his nephew. Since Yusef was an organizer and marketer, it was natural that he’d turn to promotion. He and Ricci started a monthly event in New York called Downtown Boxing. Because of Yusef’s reputation, Ricci’s boxing events draw a lot of hip-hop stars to the stands.”
Boff set his BLT down. “Do you happen to know when the next Downtown Boxing show is?”
“As a matter of fact, I believe there’s one tomorrow tonight.”
Chapter 18
As they were walking to the gym the next day, McAlary suddenly grabbed Cullen’s arm and pulled him over behind a parked van.
“What’s going on?” the boxer asked. “Did you pull a muscle or something?”
McAlary pointed up the road. “See that black Land Rover heading our way? It looks like the one the Bloods used.”
Tugging Cullen down so their bodies weren’t exposed,
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