Busta Rhymes Talks Late Bodyguard

02/13/2006 1:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
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Rapper Busta Rhymes attended the wake of his slain bodyguard Israel Ramirez on Thursday (February 9) and the rapper allegedly vowed to take care of the bodyguard's three children. Through his lawyer, Robert Kalina, Rhymes said, "Out of respect for the family's desire for, and right to, privacy during this mourning period, I made the decision to attend Izzy's wake on the second day rather than the first, knowing that my presence (on Wednesday, February 8th) would have brought unnecessary media attention to a personal and private time of grieving."

The rapper added, "I have sent my condolences to the Ramirez family during this time. (Izzy) is one of the rare friends that you come across that you can trust with your life... The conversations I have had with Izzy's wife have all been focused on comforting her and helping her get through this. To that end, I've assured her that I will be taking responsibility in making sure that my friend, a devoted husband and a loving father, is laid to rest in a proper fashion."

Police are still investigating the shooting which left the father of three dead from a single gunshot wound to the chest on February 5. The authorities believe the incident was sparked by a beef between Tony Yayo and Swizz Beatz on the set of the video for Rhymes's "Touch It (Remix)" which spilled over into the street.

So far the only rapper who has provided the police with a statement is Missy Elliott, but it is unclear if Elliott was inside the production studio during the shooting or an actual witness.

Ramirez was laid to rest of Friday (February 10).

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