Great article. I've heard about all of this mess. It's great to hear from Fatal himself. It seems like he's just misunderstood. I get the feeling he's quite intelligent. Seriously thinking about buying his cd.

God bless you Charles. Funny how many different versions of history you write.

It could have been anything but the obvious cause would be Bad economy not enough ticket sales to foot the venue.

The read say he was "booted" as if there was a specific reason and thats even more of a kick in the teeth for the artist?

The Drama was old news not relevant and he was not booted as he was canceld

its all total rubbish! think not?? then ask '' the tuba man"

CHARLES IS MY IDOL. I NEED TO BE MORE LIKE HIM.

lol. keep readin, babygirl

What's wrong with you folks?....Don't want Seattle to be like Oakland or Richmond (Iron triangle), Ca....Gunz , drugz , bullets and too afraid to go out after dark?....You racist...don't snitch...

Where does it end? Is the Croc going to do mandatory criminal background checks for anyone who wants to perform? Drug tests? This sounds like total bullshit, and the people at the Croc should be ashamed of themselves. It's not like he made threats of violence for the night of his performance. This is proof positive of how repressed and illogical this whole city is, and I laugh every time people call this a 'progressive' town. Far from it. It's hickville with Microsoft. Oh and REAL CLASSY for the Croc booker to not even respond for this article.

uh, what? Straight off the gangsta tip? What the fuck does that mean?

Gee, who could ever imagine that someone who calls himself "Fatal Luciano" would attract trouble?

Look, he hasn't shot at anyone in a few years, and no-one's shot at him for a few months--can't a brother get a break?

@DUH: Excellent point! This is also a big problem with the Killers, the Kills, Murder City Devils, Death From Above, ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, the Death Set, Murder by Death, Death, etc, etc, etc. Because violence isn't caused by socio-economic conditions or even individual choices but rather by the mysterious, spooooky power of stage names. Also, hip hop invented guns.

@ DUH..Uhmm a lot of rappers who have names similar to that have been in no trouble. Scarface and Bathgate come to mind.

boycott the crocodile...jesus your an idiot.

i booked metal, hardcore, hip hop, and indie rock shows for years in an all ages venue on the east coast that i rented the building, with my name on the lease and my personal money paying the bills. it sucks that this happens to any artist, especially when they literally didn't do anything; but from the perspective of a promoter who has had to cancel bands due to their reputation for violence or aggressive fanbase or whatever before you really need to understand how much pressure and risk they are dealing with to have shows at all. its not like the mid market (250 to 500 person shows) is insanely lucrative or easy to maintain. you can lose the whole ball game for a lot less than a shooting...

Uzu: Not as big of an idiot who doesn't know the difference between 'your' and 'you're'. Also, what a great argument you make. Conclusory, ad-hominem statements always make people look like the 'smart' one when arguing. Go get an education.

I don't understand what the Croc wanted to hear from the promoters at the meeting they missed. Soul Gorilla had absolutely nothing even remotely to do with the Chop Suey incident, shouldn't the Croc have tried to meet with Sportn' Life instead, and possibly Fatal himself? Would a "candid" reassurance from Soul Gorilla really have been relevant? I'm pretty sure no Soul Gorilla events have had any violence problems.

Also, how did the lineup get announced and flyers printed before this was addressed? The Croc included Fatal in two email newsletters before pulling him off, seems like they should have immediately addressed their concern if they feel it's that big of a threat. I also don't like that they booked the Dyme Def party as the first hip-hop show they were throwing, then turned around and did a random free Blue Scholars show the Sunday before it. Not the most ideal way to attract future hip-hop events. I do understand they are re-branding the new space and it is better to be safe than sorry, just think it could have been handled a little better.

boo fucking hoo!!!!!!!

I would never employ someone who is a liability like this guy and I don't know why the Crocodile should be any different. Just because he is an artist doesn't mean it's ok that he was involved in a drive by shooting, where "no one was injured". WHO FUCKING CARES IF NO ONE WAS INJURED!!! IT WAS A FUCKING DRIVE BY SHOOTING!!!!! You think they did it for the fun of shooting guns, assuming no one would get hurt and if they did they could claim "oh that wasn't my fault.. I was just drive by shootin' and they got in the way.. my bad"..???
I get that no one wants to stereo type the hip hop scene in Seattle with violence that leads to a witch hunt and the destruction of an artistic expression, not to mention, the artistic expression of a segment of our community that absolutely needs to be heard.. However, if the dude in question is an ex-con, linked to a prior show where someone was fucking KILLED (lets not forget that a person died at chop suey and their family and friends still deal with that to this day long after we've closed our Strangers and forgotten all about it) then we should be less surprised when they get denied a show somewhere and taken off a bill.

but....

Did we ever even hear from the Croc about this?? or are we all just making shit up and writing articles about it?? is that news?? To here a guy was taken off a bill, draw your own conclusions and write an article about it?? Pretty irresponsible journalism...

by the by.. if he doesn't "want people to be afraid" of him why is he driving a car and shooting guns out of them. I mean, that's pretty fucking scary.....

Im all for the Croc's decision. Im well past tired of going to hip hop shows and having to worry about shootings or even making sure I don't drink enough so I can properly defend myself if need be. This decision is much better than Nickels or someone getting involved and having the club shut down. Kudos.
Also when is Seattle hip hop going to have its own sound? I've seen everything from West Coast gangster wanna-be's (this aint L.A.) to people with damn near New York accents to people who if I didn't know grew up on the Eastside could swear they were from Houston or Atlanta. Come one people bring some original shit and get some original names (not some 1992 Wu Tang rip off).

wow, kerri harrop started yo! son. that's news.

Some of you people are fucking idiots. 1) Have you ever had a friend or relative or known someone that has done something criminal minded and stupid? People make mistakes! and as you hear Fatal say in both interviews that he is remorseful and has changed his life, not to mention he has served his time for the crime. 2) Please understand that some people live by different codes, and at that time in his life, he obviously lived by the street code...sorry people but the streets do exist in Seattle and they are full of black, Asian, white and Russian etc criminals...get over it.
3) If we persecuted every artist that has done something heinous or criminal in their past we would have not ever been familiar with many great musicians (think about it for a sec) 4) It's clear Fatal had nothing to do with the Chop Suey incident. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The people responsible for that crime have been arrested. It's in the public records. Point blank the man is a great talent, and deserves the support of his city, and fellow music industry people. I'm sure everyone would support Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Sebastian Bach, or your precious Kurt Cobain who sensationalized drug use.

Fatal has does shows with the Blue Scholars and Common Market. Is that not enough for you?

To answer your numbered points, Fed Up:

1. No. I have never had a friend or relative who has done something "criminal minded" and stupid, like being involved in gangserism and drive-by shootings. That kind of thing is not a "mistake". That is a "choice". A "mistake" is when you hit your thumb while hammering nails or when you make a wrong turn, etc.

Drive-by shootings are CHOICES, bad ones, and I reserve the right to hold anyone involved in drive-by shootings as being a stupid asshole at minimum, and a potentially dangerous and violent stupid asshole, FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

2. So fucking what. I don't give a shit what someone's excuse or "reason" is for being a violent stupid asshole. The fact that they are a violent stupid asshole is all I need to know about them and they can all fuck off and die.

3. Most of the "art" and "music" you are describing SUCKS anyway, unless you mean Caravaggio, in which case he has been dead for hundreds of years and cannot be "persecuted".

4. Don't care. The guy is a proven stupid violent asshole and I will consider him as such for the rest of his stupid violent asshole life.

well fact is- you have a true artist that came from the slums and spits knowledge on any level-you going to tell me you wouldnt pack the venue with pac-i like to see you venue owners man up becuase you aint from the slums -you better just say it how it is-you rather new kids on the block then someone with real talk!

coming from a 2 time vet from afghanistan-thats 11bravo baby

boydazz

sparkling wiggles

How many millions were just spent renovating this place? Yeah let's bring in someone "straight off the gangster tip" (whatever the fuck that means) before it even gets going. Seattle hip hop is not gangster, which is why it's so vibrant.

@ 'I'm fed up too': Despite your delusions of grandeur, you are not a judge or a jury. It ain't up to you to decide the moral value of this human being, much less his qualities as a rapper. Therefore, your opinion is just that: An opinion that has no binding effect on whether another human being can perform as an artist. The real pussies here are Eli Anderson and Kerri Herrop. They are the token, white Seattle liberals. They support minority causes until they hear of the 'scary black man' who might rap at their place of work. Fuck them. Just because they spew ideas of tolerance, doesn't make them tolerant. They are not. Fuck this anti-artistic bullshit. If you refuse to let a black man play your club solely because he has a criminal history, you are a racist. Plain and fucking simple. And I don't want to hear any white retard claiming different because he/she voted for Obama. Seriously, go fuck yourself. Why don't you guys take a picture with Stephen Colbert's 'black friend'. It should make you 'cool'.

And are we supposed to feel sympathy for this? Fuck you. "Involved in a drive-by." That's a fucking nuff. As the past commentaries on Chop Suey shows, venues get chastised (and maybe collect a few dead bodies) if they do and chastised if they don't, all by the same "news" paper. Fuck you. There's plenty of good hip-hop that doesn't glorify gangsta bullshit, and most of the stuff that does glorify it is shit anyway.

well fact is- you have a true artist that came from the slums and spits knowledge on any level-you going to tell me you wouldnt pack the venue with pac-i like to see you venue owners man up becuase you aint from the slums -you better just say it how it is-you rather new kids on the block then someone with real talk!

coming from a 2 time vet from afghanistan-thats 11bravo baby

boydazz

Christ, the standards for 10th Mtn have dropped.
And doing two tours in the 'stan don't mean shit in the context of this story, you pogue.
3/75th Rng Btnn BOYYYEEEE (God, is that what stupidity feels like?)

While it sucks for this artist to not get booking at the Crocodile, it is the venue's right to cancel, drop or otherwise alter their line up even if it last minute. And maybe Fatal could use a little DIY ethic. And maybe the booking agent should learn to return calls from journalists.

So while Fatal may be 'spittin knowledge from the slums' and the booking agent at the Croc may not be 'from the slums' you fail to recognize that this may be from pressure from the insurance company covering the liability for the Croc. Just a possibility.

Insurance companies could give a rats ass about an artists "lines" or "dope beats".

But yea, let us turn this into another BS ethnic division like the poster above wants so badly to make this into.

This artist doesn't glorify anything. Listen to his music. He paints a picture of the life he was born into. It's really as simple as that. Listen before you talk about it.

Fucking hilarious!
All this whining about A (ONE) drive by shooting coming from idiots that probably bump Snoop because he's crossed over and infected your dumb asses with his GANGSTER RAP - but you'll play his music, say his stupid ass phrases (i.e. = "forshizzle" or what ever "izzle" that makes you feel part of something 'cool'), and most importantly look past his LONG CRIMINAL RECORD - oh & by the way he was just recently as of yesterday in court for assault & wasn't he on trail for MURDER??

FUCK OFF you stupid fucktards, shut the fuck up, keep bumpin your Snoop & whining about a talented artist who is less offensive then some of you dumb asses. I'm riding with @The Life & @Fuck The Croc
LONG LIVE FATAL LUCCIAUNO

Kudos, keep this guy out of the croc.

The problem with "Seattle Hip Hop" is the venues are supporting the wrong break thru artists or the artists may need to reinvent themselves...Most of the groups or soloists here dont have a truely "PATENTED" sound that defines & embodies the heart & soul of where they're from & what this place is all about. For every city in every state their is an artist or artists who can "TRUELY" personify essence of their city & their Hip Hop culture. I haven't heard of anyone from here who will make the world say "So that's the new Seattle Hip Hop sound, hmmmm, I like it..." The only thing I hear is a whole flock of little birdmen who try to sound like the artists who have already achieved staus with their own "PATENTED" originality. I've never been a big Mix A Lot fan but his formula was simple, "YOU NEED TO BE 100% ORIGINAL" to make a "PATENTED" sound!!! Its also honest to say that during his time period he had developed a sound that had never been heard before. Where is that artist now??? Hip Hop artists from other places don't have a proper amount of respect for our local mc's/rappers because their has never been a Tupac, Rakim, Ice Cube, T.I., Jay Z, Run DMC, Notorius Big, Krs 1 or even an Eminem to come from here. WHY????????? Only a mix A Lot, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's really sad to read that any artist could get treated like this based on irrelevant information. Thanks to this article I'm going to support Fatal Lucciauno by purchasing his music. Perhaps in the near future people will get over their fears and the past will left where it should be; in the past.

Its very sad that some people are so ignorant. To say the Fatal Lucciauno should be treated like this, and that no one should give him a chance is truly inhumane.

Do you guys realize how many cops, judges, guidance counselors and social workers were troubled youth that committed crimes, violent acts etc and are know the ones we trust our children with. It's because having seen the darker side of things, these people, like Fatal have great things to contribute in teaching others about life.

as far as seattle hip hop in the 90's, please quit speaking on history you know nothing of. jon moore is not a good source. he's a wanker. he could never flow and that's why he plays his current role as head mark.

@ above poster...your mom loves us.

wow @ chall

to the 3/75 ranger baby wanna be lol you couldnt hang with the 10th or ranger batt -wow did i read that pat tillman got shot by his ranger buddies -wow let us bring you out of mogadishu
becuase you couldnt get the job done-think you need some SAS TRAINING ranger boy!lol more like recycle boy!

seattle is hopeless... all these spoiled and sheltered bridge and tunnel venti vanilla latte dick noses that love rap music as long as it stays inside the TV, crying foul and yelling ban the second they think they have glimpsed a threat.

you know crocodile didnt respond because they were looking for any excuse to cancel his performance and jumped at what appears to be a petty one at best.

@ seattle - please grow up, stop whining because your parents never got you that brand new jeep cherokee for graduation and learn to walk down the street without thinking everything dark can hurt you. God Bless

@ officer bob - I'm the REAL officer bob and I don't approve your message

This is for Fed up, Fed up Too and Fuck the Croc.
Yes I know what its like to have made mistakes or have family that has made mistakes. All of the above. Im a felon. Both my brothers are felons. We ALL know we pretty much have to explain our past to potential clients or people that will pay us. The Croc owners specifically said Fatal Lou could've saved himself by returning a phone call. All criminal history aside thats just a dumb move when you're looking to get paid.
Fed up Too, shut the fu@#k up! Its people like you that cause some kid to make a MISTAKE go to jail and learn how to become a REAL criminal get out with no rehabilitation and commit real crimes. But just so we're clear I dont consider a drive by a mistake either.
Fuck the Croc...fuck you and your token BLACKNESS. Hip Hop wouldn't exist in the form you see it today without white people. Yo Son was the dopest hip hop club that Seattle has ever seen. Thank the white people who started it. Fatal Lou could've cleared everything by answering a fucking phone call. Hmm no wonder he used to be homeless. So take your racist card and shove it up your ass. A black man is President. The black man is tryin to hold me down. Im white yall cause Im white yall and Im wiggity white cause Im white yall. If you don't know what that's from you are not black.

I don't really care about Fatal's criminal history. As a club owner I would NOT book him unless he could show a good reason why I could expect he wouldn't attract the same crowd to my club as he did at Chop Suey. If he could explain why he would not draw a murderous group I would be OK.

The shooting at CS was not because of the performer per se but more because of who the performers drew to be in attendance. He could renounce Huckleberry Ice Cream as far as I'm concerned, if he still draws people who want to shoot each other he needs to take a time out and rethink his business plan.

If Fuckital Hill wants to keep these "artists" in work, fine with me -- just (yet another) reason to never go up there. Down here in Belltown, we'll be happy to have fewer bullets to dodge.

At the risk of sounding racist, shootings are what happens at these "rap" shows, it's the lifestyle to not give a crap about others' lives, only I, me, mine. Live by the gun, die by it. Take a long look in the mirror, and judge yourself. Why are these people carrying a gun to a show anyway? 'Cause they are freaking idiots. Trim the herd!

To clear up a couple of things. @ 420 luvr. You may have miss-read the article. No one ever called Fatal, his label or his manager. The article stated that the promoter of this show did not call the Crocodile back.

@ Huckleberry Ice Cream. It might be hard for you to grasp, but the crowd the evening of the Chop Suey shooting was not Fatal's crowd. Sure he may have had a few fans there. But please understand that the promoter is usually the one responsible for the crowd. Where they target and who they pick to headline are major factors. Also an all gangster rap bill and not being aware of that was a major mistake on the promoters part. I am in charge of most of Fatal Lucciauno's marketing and trust me he is marketed to the same target demographic as most of the cities more successful rap artist, such as Grayskul, Cancer Rising, Dyme Def, The Let Go, Neema, Blue Scholars, Common Market etc. Not to mention D.Black and Spaceman who are also on my label. So, yeah, he does not draw a crowd that wants to shoot each other, no we will not be rethinking his business plan anytime soon.

@ Bluefunk...the lifestyle really? you should get out more and not watch so much television.

Some of you obviously don't understand an artist like this or where he comes from. That's fine, I'm too old to fight that battle. been there done that. But if you are open minded, then take a listen to Fatal's music or check him out on youtube. Sure SOME of his music he deals with street life, why wouldn't he, it's where he comes from. If you appreciate good music, a good story and poetry then check him out. I guarantee you you will put him the light of a Nas, or Tupac. The man truly does have a great presence. Not to down any other so called "gangster rap" artist in town, but Fatal's music, and his label's continuous hard work are the reasons why he is asked to be on KEXP Audioasis, it's why he graced the cover of SOUND magazine, It's why he was asked to perform at the famous " Songs for Eating & Drinking" and filmed by Chase Jarvis, http://www.songsforeatinganddrinking.com… It's why Comon Market and Blue scholars pull him on stage when they see him, it's why you can see him at this years Capitol Hill Block Party (sat 25th 10:30 on the Neumos stage), it's why your commenting on him now. Get it. You see Fatal is an important part of Seattle's music scene, the same scene you favorite indie rock band is a part of. He stands out and apart from the so called "gangster rappers" in town. Get used to it, you will be hearing and seeing a lot more of Fatal Lucciauno. He might even be on a show with your favorite rock band. Wouldn't that be great!! Oh and BTW He rocked the Crocodile on Saturday night and helped close the show and the Crocodile now loves him.

PS. Fatal Lucciauno reminds me of Johnny Cash.

The Crocodile taking credit for everything filthy about that night = currently blowing the mind of hella fools in town. They (and by they I mean Carrie Harrop) are acting like they did Fatal and EVERYBODY a huge favor by kicking him off the bill, blaming him and the promoter, and putting that cloud over it- like that made the night even more magical. "Oh this note made me so happy! Gee whiz… WHAT KINDA GEORGE W BUSH ASS SHIT IS THAT. You think niggas is that stupid?

It was already one of the best possible lineups you could put together in the 206 til Y'ALL fucked it up. NOW you on Fatal's dick. Y'all ain't slick. Seattle hip hop sees what you did there. FAKE ASS MOTHAFUCKAS.

LONG LIVE FATAL LUCCIAUNO THE GREAT

boydazz or should i say boyjizz, your just that a little boy. Obviously you have never seen any action or else you wouldn't be touting how bad ass you are. Classic REMF. Your mom's calling, time for dinner.

Open your eyes, Most rappers are Telling-you they're criminals in their songs. Aren't you listening?

Glazed over after about the 5th 'fucktard' comment. I really know little of the detail of this event, but the situation is obvious. Nothing to do with race, blah blah all that crap.

Insurance. The Croc, having just opened, would like to stay open. I think local artists, who -need- venues, would like it to stay open too. People who run a venue like this have to walk a fine line between encouraging art and keeping the numbers in order. I would hazard a guess that many of the commenters in this blog have never organized anything in their lives and therefore have little perspective on what it takes to keep a club going.

Boycott the Croc? I'm sorry,but that is clearly missing the point. Get at the deeper roots of why this happened. Understand the problem before going on your witch hunt.

Ps. To the people who said they want to judge this guy as a criminal for the rest of his life, despite the time he's served: what did Christ say about 'throwing the first stone....'?

PPs. "Seattle hip hop sees what you did there." Yes they did - they saw a hard decision taken in the face of controversy. Your comment is just an easy dig at people trying to make something good. It's a stab in the back to people you should be supporting. The shame is on you.

This is from 2009, why are people commenting on it now?