Booking Agent Chris Hines Reveals Beatdown Details

Booking Agent Chris Hines Reveals Beatdown Details
Thursday, January 14, 2010 2:00 PM
By Ismael AbduSalaam

Still nursing various bruises and swelling to his face a week later, Toronto booking agent Chris Hines is revealing his side on his alleged beating at the hands of Lloyd Banks’ entourage.

Hines told the Toronto Star that the beating last week in Brantford was the first time he ever had a physical confrontation with an artist, and is dumbfounded on how it escalated to that point.

"I'm shocked; I don't understand it. I've never heard of anything like this happening,” Hines stated. “You can curse people, maybe you don't talk to them again, but for it to get physical; nobody was drinking and nobody was doing drugs. I think what really got this to escalate was peer pressure."

Banks was booked by Hines to perform at Club NV. The Queens rapper was 90 minutes late for his 1am slot, and reportedly threw the mic down after a half-song due to disappointment with the crowd size and response.

Back at his hotel room, Hines claims Banks and three men from his entourage began battering him.

"After the first punch, it was like, `okay, he's upset, disrespecting me a little bit, but cool, I'm not going to be stupid,” Hines explained. “I sat on my hands to show them like `hey, I'm not trying to do anything crazy.' I knew if I fought back there was going to be no winning. When they hit me again, I fell on the floor. Then it really started to hit me, `What the f**k is going on?'"

After leaving him with twoblack eyes and other assorted facial injuries, Hines accused Banks’ group of robbing him of his jewelry and wallet.

Lloyd Banks, real name Christopher Lloyd, and 3 entourage members Nicklas Sloane (bodyguard), Shawn McGee (road manager/DJ), and Tyrell Cooper (hypeman) have pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated assault, forcible confinement, and robbery.

Banks posted a $50,000 bail and returned to the United States yesterday (January 13).

While the rapper has yet to release a statement, his attorney Patrick Ducharme hinted that the full situation will be disclosed once the parties begin trial, which is estimated to be a year.

"There's a whole rich story that surrounds the circumstances here that has not surfaced and won't surface until we get to court,” he concluded.

At press time, Lloyd Banks has yet to release an official statement on the case. His latest project, The Mixtape V.5 (80s Baby), dropped last month.

From AllHipHop.com

http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2010/01/14/22096301.aspx