DJ Drama, Don Cannon's Offices Raided By RIAA; Website Shut Down
Published: Tuesday - January 16, 2007
Words by Allen Starbury
DJ Drama (Photo: Aphilliates Music Group)
Mixtape DJs, Drama and Don Cannon, were arrested Tuesday night (January 16) when the RIAA and local authorities raided their downtown Atlanta offices to serve search warrants for music piracy.
According to Channel 5 Fox News, DJ Drama (real name: Tyree Simmons) and Don Cannon (Donald Cannon) were two of 17 individuals detained during the raid of their Aphilliates Music Group offices, but were the only two arrested.
The Recording Industry Association Of America's (RIAA) Anti-Piracy Unit have been watching the DJs for sometime, and decided it was time to make their move.
"These guys are actively advertising online," RIAA's Matthew Kilgo told Fox News. "They've got a website that they're advertising from -- that's where you place your order and that's where you're orders are shipped out."
During the raid, authorities confiscated nearly 50,000 illegal mixtapes, all of which have been taken in as evidence and will later be destroyed. Computers, recording equipment, money, bank statements and their vehicles were also seized in the raid.
According to the Fulton County Sheriff's Department, illegal mixtapes are a big problem in the city, and they are beginning to crack down.
"Statistics say you can make up to 900% profit just on the resell of counterfeit CDs," said Fulton Co. Major E.A. Platt. "There's huge money to be made from it and there's no stigma attached to purchasing it."
DJ Drama's website, GangstaGrillz.com, has been shut down, according to authorities and is currently under investigation. At press time, the site forwarded to the DJ's Myspace page.
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