ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREAS ROCHA First published in 1997, The Mafia Manager: A Guide To The  Corporate Machiavelli was allegedly written by a Mafia wiseguy simply known as V.  According to his bio, V is “a capo of distinguished fame” who “keeps several residences around the world.”  The business guidelines laid out in his now-famous book [...]

There’s a new video game in stores titled Call of Juarez: The Cartel, based on the never-ending drug war in Mexico.  Users can play as a Los Angeles cop, DEA agent or gang affiliate-turned-FBI agent to hunt down cartels from Los Angeles to Ciudad Juarez, a main drug capital in Mexico.  Mexican politicians feel the [...]

Wish I could take credit for shooting the above photo but I cannot.  This snapshot of paradise was taken by none other than Sara Jay.  Makes for the perfect screensaver, don’t you think? While we’re gathered here to oggle this wonderful photo, let’s look at a few nuggets of info: Producer DJ Burn One just [...]

TREATMENT WRITTEN BY DETECTIVE WILLIAM COURTNEY A can of worms was opened last week when prison inmate Dexter Issac, an associate of hip-hop mogul/gangster James “Jimmy Henchmen” Rosemon, claimed he was paid by Henchmen to rob Tupac at Quad Studios in 1994. There is currently a nationwide manhunt for Jimmy Henchmen, who is wanted by [...]

WORDS BY PACINO718 American drug dealers “pimp” their rides to look fly and impress the hoes.  In Mexico, however, drug dealers customize their rides into souped-up war machines of mass destruction. As if the beheading and disembowelment of rivals wasn’t crazy enough, feuding drug cartels are now doing battle in armor-plated, Terminator-like vehicles dubbed “Los [...]

WORDS BY KHALID STRICKLAND a.k.a. BLACK PACINO I’ma keep it funky. In the hood, multiple Arab-owned grocery stores peacefully co-exist on one block and swap workers every so often.  The same holds true with Chinese restaurants.  These businesses pool their money together for the good of their respective ethnic groups.  Meanwhile, black folks can’t even [...]

PARANOIA BY BLACK PACINO Ding dong, the A-rab’s dead! Congrats to those who take everything at face value, you finally got your man.  Allegedly, Osama Bin laden was killed by U.S. troops in Pakistan on May 1st (the same day Hitler was declared dead).  On cue, Americans took to the streets to celebrate and rappers [...]

WORDS BY PACINO718 Another postcard from sunny Mexico! You think your day was bad? This guy’s day was worse.  He’s a victim of the Zetas, one of Mexico’s most brutal and feared drug gangs.  I don’t know what the fuck homeboy did to deserve this but the Zetas sent a pretty powerful message.  Reincarnation won’t [...]

THROWBACK BY KHALID STRICKLAND a.k.a. BLACK PACINO A long time ago, in a ghetto far away… Let me start by saying that I don’t actually slang the dope, I just bag it. And this is only a temp job until I find something legal… or at least until Jose returns from Puerto Rico to reclaim [...]

SALUTE BY KHALID STRICKLAND a.k.a. BLACK PACINO Today, on the 14th anniversary of his death, my wake & bake was dedicated to Biggie Smalls.  The White Haze conjured up memories of a hometown hero. I grew up in the Fort Greene-Clinton Hill area of  BK; the same neighborhood where Christopher Wallace a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G. [...]

ENDORSED BY PACINO718 Hell yeah… I been waitin’ for this one. You already saw the video for “Don’t Pass That To Me,” the dope first single for this free digital-album, GP Pot Heads.  It got plenty of burn (pun intended) right here at the ol’ Spiz.  Brother Hood 603 (Thanos & Arewhy), Sincere Amakulate and Sir [...]