Chicago Hip-Hop Group BBU Assaults Cyclist in Wicker Park

Members of the Chicago hip-hop group BBU are accused of assaulting a cyclist, Matthew McNeill, in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. The incident occurred around 1:45AM early Thursday morning. McNeill was leaving his job as a bouncer at popular Wicker Park bar the Flat Iron when a vehicle pulled up alongside him as he rode his bike home. A door on the passenger side of the vehicle was opened in front of McNeill, slamming the cyclist off his bike and into the curb on the side of the road. Witnesses then report seeing members of up and coming hip-hop group BBU (Bin Laden Blowin’ Up) exit the vehicle where they proceeded to punch, kick and spit on McNeill as he lay in the street. The group then returned to their vehicle and sped-off into the night.

The assault stems from an incident earlier in the week. In the early morning hours on Tuesday, June 22^nd at around 3:00AM BBU member Mike “Illekt” Milam was seen standing in front of the Flat Iron, drinking a beer on the sidewalk in front of the bar. He was asked to vacate the premises but refused to do so, at which point McNeill forcibly removed Milam. An altercation ensued in which Milam was knocked to the ground.

“This guy was drinking a beer in front of the bar, and he wouldn’t quit drinking his beer. He said ‘Fuck you’ or something like that so I pushed him, and went back into the bar. I come back out and he was yelling ‘I’m in a gang I’m going to fucking kill you’”. McNeill says of the incident that happened Tuesday morning.

In regards to the assault that occurred on Thursday morning McNeill states the following: “I was outside smoking a cigarette when I saw Mike Milam and the guys in his band, and he pointed me out to them. I had just gotten off work, had a few drinks, and was riding my bike to the liquor store. A car pulled up to me and hit me with the door, cornered me and knocked me off my bike. This was right in front of Skewers on Damen across from the Blue Line stop. They knock me off my and bike and one guy gets out and says something about “you’re fucking with so-and-so” we have words. I got knocked down, there was a tall curb, I got knocked down into the street so I couldn’t get up over the curb. They had me down, kicking me and punching me and spitting on me. It was two of the members of BBU, not Mike, he stood there and laughed, I don’t even think he even hit me once. He spit on me, they all were spitting on me. While he was spitting on me I was yelling ‘you’re a pussy, you can’t take me by yourself so you’re having your friends do it’ basically telling him to fight me one on one which he wouldn’t.”

“They held me down, they stomped on my head and kicked me in the face. I have a knot on the left side of my head, my ribs are cut up.”

Witnesses called the police and reported the car’s license plate number. As of yet no arrests have been made.

BBU got their start around early 2007 in Chicago’s underground hip-hop scene. Over the past three years the group has risen steadily, attracting attention across the country with their house inspired beats and quasi-political lyrics. They’ve been featured twice on Pitchfork.com’s Forkcast, they’ve been written about in Time Out Chicago, the New York Times and the Washington Post. BBU was named Chicago’s Best New Musical Group by the Chicago Reader this year.

While doing research on BBU the one point that keeps on coming up is their “politically conscious” lyrics. Much praise has been heaped on BBU for not being another “part-rap” group. Riding this wave of accolades has landed them a spot opening up for legendary hip-hop pioneers Public Enemy at the Congress Theatre this upcoming Saturday, June 26^th.

Although they would like to be portrayed as an intelligent, activist band, the actions of BBU in regards to the alleged assault on Thursday would suggest otherwise. The members of the band, Mike “Illekt” Milam, Jasson Perez and Richard “Epic” Wallace are accused of using a car to run a cyclist of the road where they proceed to exit their vehicle and beat said cyclist. It was three guys ganging up on one, which as far as I can tell goes right along with the thug hip-hop mentality that they’re supposed to be the antithesis of. Not only did they assault McNeill, but the incident that the assault stems from the fact McNeill ejected Milam for drinking on the sidewalk in front of the bar where McNeill works. Essentially BBU attacked McNeill for doing his job.

I e-mailed both BBU’s management and Public Enemy requesting a statement in regards to the alleged incident. Neither one of which has replied thus-far.

In reflecting on the incident McNeill said the following :

“It’s the gang mentality of you can’t fight by yourself. You’re not a man, so you have to get together with other people to beat some up. It’s cowardice.”