Thug Life Army

Female hip-hop rapper Lil'' Kim "flat-out lied" to a grand jury about a wild gun battle outside radio station Hot 97 in 2001, a prosecutor charged yesterday.

The rap artist deliberately misled the panel to protect her manager and a member of her posse, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Gitner in opening statements as the Grammy winner went on trial in Manhattan Federal Court.

Lil'' Kim, who's real name is Kimberly Jones, and her assistant, Monique Dopwell, are charged with conspiracy, perjury and obstruction of justice. Ginter told jurors the rapper "flat-out lied."

"The defendants decided not to honor the oath they took," he said. "They decided the oath did not apply to them."

Their trial got underway the morning after fresh gunplay occurred at Hot 97 - this time involving gangsta rapper 50 Cent - prompting Federal Judge Gerard Lynch to instruct the jury to avoid press reports about the newest incident.

Gitner told the jury Lil'' Kim and Dopwell "lied repeatedly" when they insisted neither her onetime manager, Damion (D-Roc) Butler, nor Suif (Gutta) Jackson, who performed with her in the rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A., were present for the shoot'-em-up.

Defense attorney Mel Sachs suggested Lil'' Kim was too traumatized by the violence to fully recall every detail. "A person can be incorrect and not intentionally lie," Sachs told the packed courtroom, including a back row filled with Lil'' Kim fans.

Both Butler and Jackson have since pleaded guilty to gun charges connected to the shooting, which erupted when Lil'' Kim's posse crossed paths with followers of the rappers CaponeN-Noreaga.

Source