THIS SHIT CAME FROM THE MIND OF GUCCI V
These are the saddest words that have came from my mouth in a long time.... "Dolla is dead"
On May 19th, 2009, I was at the Drury Inn in Jackson, Mississippi just waking up when I heard the news. "Rapper Dolla was killed outside of a Los Angeles shopping mall" was the headline that was running on the CNN widget at the bottom of the screen. I refused to believe it was Dolla... (one of my favorite rappers/ homeboy, until I investigated some more. Unfortunately, my Iphone was out in the Escalade charging because it was dead for over 12 hrs. Finally I went and got it and went on the internet....and my worst fear had been confirmed. He was gone. A victim to a shooting at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles, CA. I broke down inside. I was with people and I didn't want them to see me weak (another topic, another blog). It didn't hit me until I got home (after 8 hrs of driving) and I walked in my front door that the ringtone "Let's Make A Toast" came on. I ignored the call and broke down on my bed. He really is gone.... and he's not coming back. He was so young, and talented. He just started to spread his wings.
WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! 
Then I started looking into what happened and was just shocked at what happened. I've read all the articles they are pretty much the same.
Snellville man arrested in rapper slaying
Atlanta artist Dolla shot at popular Beverly Hills mall
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, May 18, 2009
Los Angeles police arrested a man Tuesday in connection with the slaying of Atlanta rapper Dolla, who was shot Monday outside a popular Beverly Hills mall. The man, identified as Aubrey Louis Berry of Snellville, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport with a gun on Monday night and was charged with murder. He was being held on $1 million bail.
Dolla, born Roderick Anthony Burton II, was gunned down while waiting in the valet area of the Beverly Center, said publicist Sue Vannasing. The Los Angeles Times reported he was shot in the head. He was accompanied by another local rapper, D.J. Shabbazz, and a fellow Jive Recording artist, Scrapp DeLeon.
Burton was born in Chicago in 1988, according the Times, and moved with his family to Los Angeles.Burton moved to Atlanta when he was five after his father shot himself in front of the rapper and his sister.
“He was the man of the house,” Vannasing said.
His mother, Joyce Burton, still resides in Atlanta, where Dolla’s funeral will be held, Vannasing said.
News of the murder spread rapidly on Twitter where, ironically, the rapper had just opened an account earlier in the day.
According to his official MySpace page, Burton began performing in local showcases at age 12 with his group, Da Razkals Cru. He was signed to Elektra Records in 2001, his site says. The label eventually dissolved and the group split in 2003, when Dolla said he returned to Atlanta to focus on a solo career.
“I was disappointed but all that made me do was work harder,” he said. “It was a stepping stone.”
He soon signed with Jive, where, collaborating with former Elektra acquaintance, Akon, he released his first single “Who The [expletive] Is That?” featuring T-Pain.
“My music is universal,” Dolla said on his Web site. “I can do street music or pop music. But whatever I do, I attempt to make meaningful songs with substance.”
Police said Berry is believed to have dropped off a rental car before he was found at the airport with a handgun, airport police spokesman Sgt. Jim Holcomb told the AP.
“As the officers approached the suspect, they asked him ‘Do you know why we’re here?’” Holcomb told AP. “He put his (hands) up in the air and said, ‘Yes, I’ve got a gun in my waistband. Don’t shoot me.’”
Police recovered a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun and turned the man over to Los Angeles police. Los Angeles Police spokeswoman Karen Rayner said two other “persons of interest” — one male, one female — who were with Berry at the airport were being questioned but neither has been charged in connection with the shooting. They were detained before attempting to board a plane out of Los Angeles International Airport, about 10 miles away from the Beverly Center.
Vannasing said Dolla, 21, was involved in an altercation before the shooting with an unidentified man and woman who followed him to the mall.
Dolla had just arrived in Los Angeles earlier Monday, his publicist said. He was recording his first album, “Another Day, Another Dolla,” which was due to be released on Akon’s Konvict Muzik label.
“He had a very promising career,” Vannasing said. “He was being hyped as the next Tupac [Shakur]. He chose music to get off the streets.”
Rapper Dolla’s family plans Sat. funeral in Atlanta
Snellville man held on $1 million bail in LA slaying
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Los Angeles Police said late Tuesday the killer of Atlanta rapper Dolla acted alone, though they wouldn’t confirm whether Monday’s shooting stemmed from a recent brawl at an Atlanta strip club.
Snellville resident Aubrey Louis Berry, 23, is being held on $1 million bail, charged with murdering Dolla, born Roderick Anthony Burton II, outside the Beverly Center Mall in West Hollywood, Calif., Monday afternoonThe Los Angeles Times, citing anonymous police sources, reports the shooting may have stemmed from a fightl at Platinum 21 Adult Entertainment on Piedmont Road in Atlanta.
Joseph Green, who works at the club, said late Tuesday that an LAPD detective interviewed another Platinum 21 employee, “Bull” Shaw, earlier Tuesday regarding a fight at the club. Shaw could not be reached for comment.
“I know there wasn’t [a fight] May 13,” Green said, disputing the Times report placing Dolla and Berry at the club that night. “But there may have been one the week before.”
Green said he did not know either Burton or Berry, and a Los Angeles Police spokeswoman would neither confirm nor deny the interview with Shaw took place.
The rapper’s family is also looking for answers.
“As far as we know [Dolla] had no idea it was coming,” said Burton’s stepfather, George Viera. He’s been married to Dolla’s mother, Dawnee Robinson Viera, for three years.
The rapper’s family, including sisters Divinity Burton, 22, and Sadenicole Burton, 20, gathered at the Viera’s southwest Atlanta home Tuesday to plan Dolla’s funeral, scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Murray Brothers Funeral Home. A memorial service, also at Murray Brothers, will be held at 6 p.m., Friday, Viera said.They learned of Burton’s shooting from his longtime girlfriend, Crystal Jackson, a Los Angeles native and student at Clark Atlanta University. Dolla was planning a birthday party for Jackson, whom he had dated for at least three years, Viera said.
“They [Dolla, Atlanta rapper D. J. Shabbazz and cousin Will Robinson, stage name Scrapp DeLeon] had just come out of P.F. Chang’s,” Viera said. “They heard gunfire and started running.”
Burton was shot in the back, his stepfather said: “The bullet pierced his heart.”
Dolla was like a son, Viera said, and nothing like the stereotype often attached to rappers. “It was a character he played,” he said. “To us he was just Roddy. When he was home, you couldn’t pry him away. Loved to play with his nieces and nephews, loved to play on the Wii.”
He was nearing completion of his first album, “Another Day, Another Dolla’,” Viera said, but had other plans far outside show business.“He wanted to go to theology school,” he said. “He was very interested in religion. People think rapper, they think hard, but he wasn’t that way.”
But according to a bio on his official MySpace page. Dolla was familiar with street life.
He sold drugs when he was just 10 years old to support his family. When he was five, Dolla writes, he witnessed his father’s suicide.
He addressed his father’s death and his own mortality in one of his songs, “Rainy Nights”: “Papa died at 25 so he must have been great, they say the good die young, I guess I’m on my way.”
Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who gave Dolla his start modeling Sean John apparel, was among those who sent condolences, via Twitter, to Burton’s family. Ironically, Dolla had just opened his own Twitter account on Monday, a few hours before his death.
“RIP Dolla,” Combs wrote. “God bless his family! He was a good kid! You will be missed player. Don’t take life for granted people!”
It's strange to think that he foresaw his own death. I don't know when I'm going to die or how I'm going to die, I just hope I'm not young. I feel like I've been living my life too fast. I'm 18 years and have done things most 30 year olds haven't. Right now I'm living on my own, doing "grown-up" things. I have to pay a car note, rent, insurance, light bill, water bill, food, gas, necessities, and luxuries. At 18 with no help. It's hard and I'm wondering if I'm living like this because I'm going to die young. With Roderick dying that made me think about alot of things.
- Life is too short, live everyday like it's your last.
- Don't hold grudges, it's not worth it in the end. ( You can still talk to somebody and hate them on the inside, trust and believe ;-) )
- Don't do anything that you'll regret. Hell,if you wanna really get to know that guy over there and you are scared girls, shake it off. You never know, you might wake up and they are gone forever.
- If you believe in Lord Jesus Christ like I do, pray! You don't have to go to church to have a relationship with Him. As long as you believe that He died for your sins and that he forgives you for them and you honor Him, you are okay. That's what I believe.
Dubb's- Letter to Dolla (R.I.P. Dolla)
Good looking out on this man. You truly said what was on all our minds.
My Message to Roderick Burton aka Dolla
I'm so sorry this happened to you. I never in a million years thought I would wake up and hear this news. You were and always will be my favorite rapper, you was my homeboy and now you are gone. I've been with you from day one . From "Who The Fuck Is That", until now the end. I remember when I first heard about you, I found out you were supposed to be at The New Era store in downtown atlanta. I wanted to be there so bad, but my aunt wouldn't let me go. And still to this day I don't even know if you actually went or not but that still would've been nice. I did finally get my chance to meet you at Dreamz Atl in November on your birthday and from then it was on. The tears that are rolling down right now cannot compare to the ocean I want to cry.You are missed and will always be in my heart. You will always be my callback tone on my phone (lol). I know that you are in Heaven with God watching over us all. You are not here long but your legacy will live forever. 21 years was not long for an angel to spread his wings. I will see you again someday.. and until then I will always remember you.
Love , Shasta
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