stAllio!'s way

the miami herald has broken a story alleging that police are profiling rappers.

Officers say they have photographed rappers as they arrived at Miami International Airport. They stake out hotels, nightclubs and video shoots. They consult a six-inch-thick black binder of every rapper and member of his or her group with an arrest record in the state of New York. The binder begins with a photo and rap sheet of Grammy-nominated rapper 50 Cent. It ends with Ja Rule. Both men are embroiled in one of the most bitter feuds in the hip-hop industry, one that Eminem, 50 Cent's producer, has warned in the song Bully could lead to bloodshed.

The policing effort of top entertainers -- which hip-hop experts criticize as unnecessary stereotyping -- was created, police say, to protect the public and musical celebrities who have chosen to make South Florida their destination to live and party.

''We have to keep an eye on these rivalries,'' said Assistant Miami Beach Police Chief Charles Press. ``The last thing we need in this city is violence.''

yeah, no violence in miami... except for that whole "let's beat the living shit out of anyone who dares to protest the FTAA" thing.

the story (and the miami cops) even allege that the miami police received their "hip hop training" from new york police's "hip hop task force" (nypd denies that). boy am i glad that bush's tax cuts didn't cut into our police's "racial profiling" tax.

anyway, if you need a really offensively ignorant comment, a borderline racist comment from a cop to show just how stupid this is, you're in luck!

''A lot if not most rappers belong to some sort of gang,'' Miami police Sgt. Rafael Tapanes said. ``We keep track of their arrests and associates.''

whoa nelly.