Police Seek To Question Busta Rhymes, Tony Yayo, Swizz Beatz About Murder

Police have widened their investigation of a murder that occurred Sunday (Feb. 5) on the set of Busta Rhymes’ new music video. In addition to seeking out G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo, authorities are now looking to question Swizz Beats and Busta Rhymes himself. Detectives believe Busta Rhymes was standing on the sidewalk when the shooting […]

Police have widened

their investigation of a murder that occurred Sunday (Feb. 5) on the set of

Busta Rhymes’ new music video.

In addition to

seeking out G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo, authorities are now looking to question

Swizz Beats and Busta Rhymes himself.

Detectives believe

Busta Rhymes was standing on the sidewalk when the shooting took place. Authorities

also believe the gunman may have escaped in Tony Yayo’s car.

Israel Ramirez,

29, was shot in the back around 12:30 a.m. in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn,

N.Y. Busta Rhymes was shooting the video for a remix to his single, "Touch

It."

Guests in the video

included Mary J. Blige, Lloyd Banks, Swizz Beatz, Missy Elliott and other big

name celebrities.

Police are investigating

whether a feud between Swizz Beatz and G-Unit could have led to the shooting.

Swizz Beatz’ artist,

Cassidy, who was recently convicted of involuntary manslaughter, lyrically attacked

G-Unit head 50 Cent in the video for Cassidy’s "B-Boy Stance."

50 Cent took verbal

shots at Cassidy in his own video for "Piggy Bank," while Ruff Ryders

artist Jadakiss has had a very public feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit.

Sources said G-Unit

members were berating Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean and his uncles Darrin

"Dee" Dean and Joaquin "Waah" Dean, both heads of Ruff Ryders.

Other reports stated

that Lloyd Banks refused to record his part of the video with Swizz Beatz in

the room.

An argument ensued

and studio security ordered a group of men outside the building. According to

reports, Busta Rhymes followed the men outside in an attempt to calm the escalating

argument.

The group of men

began to push and shove each other "when an individual took out a gun and

fired at least eight shots," said New York Police Department Commissioner

Raymond Kelly.

While Busta Rhymes

originally told police he was inside of the building, a member of Ramirez’ family

said that the rapper told them he had witnessed the shooting.

Amelin Fernandez,

Ramirez’ wife, told the New York Daily News that Ramirez and another bodyguard

for Busta Rhymes was shielding the rapper when the gunman opened fire at someone

behind the three men.

"It has nothing

to do with you; just get out of the way," the gunman allegedly told Ramirez

as he opened fire, striking the 29-year-old and fatally wounding him.

Yayo and other

members of G-Unit allegedly fled the scene and authorities believe the gunman

may have fled with Tony Yayo. Ironically, Ramirez had provided security to 50

Cent at one point in his career.

"He is not

a suspect. They did not indicate he was a target at all," Tony Yayo’s attorney, Scott Leemon said

The lawyer also

told the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office that Yayo would not voluntarily

answer any police questions about the shooting and requested not to be contacted

by the NYPD.

Fernandez claimed

that Busta Rhymes told her he was right next to Ramirez when the shooting occurred

and that the rapper was trying to explain what happened, but "everyone

was in shock."

Police confiscated

video footage from the video shoot as well as footage that an MTV camera crew

took of the shooting during the day.

Ramirez took the

stand at the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs’ and Jamal "Shyne"

Barrow’s gun-possession and assault trial.

He testified that

Combs did not have a weapon in his hand during a shoot-out at Club New York

in Dec. 1999.

According to reports,

Busta Rhymes has offered to pay for Ramirez’ funeral.