Jadakiss called "The Worst Of The Worst" by community leader

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Rapper Jadakiss and other members of D-Block were scheduled to participate in a celebrity basketball game and fundraiser at the Yerwood Center in Connecticut on May 19th but the event was cancelled when community members became aware of the rapper's background.

The Stamford Advocate reports that Jere Eaton, a former board member of the center and a potential presidential candidate for the NAACP's Stamford branch, sent emails and links that showed Jadakiss in a negative light.

Eaton told the paper, "All of these artists are the worst of the worst. They're criminals. Their favorite word is the N-word, and they demean women by calling them bitches and hos."

Reverend Tommie Jackson added, "You can't have double standards for lyrics that impact your community negatively. The bottom line is we believe that the Yerwood Center needs to raise money but there are better ways of doing it than bringing in Jadakiss."

Deborah Sewell, the Yerwood Center's president and chief executive officer, has had a relationship with D-Block for several years and they helped facilitate a gang truce between two factions in the area. Sewell said, "I'm disappointed, because I really felt this would have been a great opportunity for the community to band together and show up in force. They've always been supportive of the community and they love to play basketball."