NY Magazine's Interview with Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes

Under the cut you can read snippets of an interview conducted by New York Magazine with Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes. Both were drug kingpins in the 1970s and both have movies detailing their lives about to hit theaters. Barnes has the documentary "Mr. Untouchable" (Oct.26). Frank Lucas is portrayed by Denzel Washington in the highly anticipated movie "American Gangster" (Nov. 2) which also features rapper TI. Cuba Gooding Jr. portrays Nicky Barnes in that movie. Under the cut you can read what they had to say about rap music (Frank Lucas doesn't like it), Diddy's daddy (Frank Lucas used to chill with him), Cam'ron's comments on snitching (Nicky thinks he's an idiot) and Rudy Giulliani (Nicky thinks he'd make a good president). It's an interesting interview, check it out...

Nicky Barnes, left, and Frank Lucas

Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes on Hip-Hop...
Mark Jacobson: Did you ever think there’d be this whole hip-hop thing? You guys are both mentioned in a million rap songs.

Frank Lucas: Call them songs? When I came along, we had singing. They might make up songs about me, but I don’t have to like them.

MJ: What about you, Nick? You’re like a hip-hop folk hero.

Nicky Barnes: I never thought anything like this would happen. When hiphop first started, everybody—I mean the music entrepreneurs—predicted that hip-hop would be dead in five years. They said, “Those motherfuckers ain’t gonna make no money.” But hip-hop rolled along, and look what they’re doing now. They got Jay-Z, Damon Dash, Kanye West, 50 Cent. These guys are doing something legitimate.

FL: At least Nick knows the names. I don’t know none of them. I know Puffy Combs, because of his father.

NB: Oh, Melvin! Melvin Combs.

FL: Melvin used to be at my house a couple of times a week. I’m proud to see Melvin’s son like that.

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Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes on the Next President...
MJ: Rudy Giuliani chased both you guys when he was D.A. What do you think about him running for president?

NB: Giuliani would make a good president because he’s a principled guy.

FL: When Giuliani tells you something, he means it. But I don’t think we’re ready for an Italian president. I don’t think we’re ready for a black president. I don’t think we’re ready for a woman president, but I tell you right now: I think Hillary Clinton will win this thing hands down.

NB: Hillary will be the next president.

FL: No question about it.

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Nicky Barnes on Snitching...
MJ: Any second thoughts, Nick?

NB: No, man. When I realized they left me on the battlefield to die, I said, “Fuck it!” … I said, “I’ll pull those motherfuckers in, let them see what it’s like.” I would rather be out here in the witness program than to be in jail with them. Why would I wanna be in there with them kinda niggers? I don’t regret it. I saw this show on CNN, with Anderson Cooper. Cats were talking about “Don’t snitch, no matter what happens.” Well, I can’t see how a guy can be considered strong if he lets a bunch of assholes walk all over him and he doesn’t respond, just because of some code that a bunch of idiots have cooked up. Anderson Cooper asked this rapper, “Suppose a child was molested and you knew who this molester was. Would you tell the police?” He said, “No.” So that’s what I’m sayin’—the street guidelines are just moron bullshit.

Read the Full Interview