We should have seen this coming. The anniversary of the North Minneapolis tornado is bearing down upon us and, naturally, the disaster needs to be recognized and memorialized.
(Begin sarcasm font) Well, who better than a wannabe rapper and marijuana enthusiast named Lavelle Aboutadollar Jones to seize this moment as his own personal career-boosting opportunity by organizing a gathering in Fairview Park?
Hurry, folks! What better time and place to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases than a festive outdoor music event with a clown and inflatable play area for the children? (End sarcasm font)
Lavelle has been organizing the event with a Facebook page and...
...as of the moment I write this, has sent out invitations to 2530 people, with 104 acceptances and 38 maybes.
(Hmmmm, that's not so hot)
The event, known as "After The Storm--Rebuilding Life" is described on its Facebook page in the following way:
(Paragraph break inserted by JNS blog)
"1st annual Anniversary of the storm" will be located at Farview Park (621 29th Ave N.), on Saturday May 26th at 11pm to 3pm, the purpose of the fundraiser is to gain funds and donations for families affected, and still being affected by the devastation the storm caused last year on May 22nd. The funds and donations will be donated to The Northside Recovery Fund which has donated and raised more than 1,300,000 for families in need after the tornado hit and there is still alot needed.
There will be live music, raffles (bus cards, gift cards, etc.),free food, on site std/sti testing, housing resources, job resources, a clown, an inflatable play area, and much more. We accept any donation or contribution from the performers, sponsors, and vendors, for this fundraiser so that we can make this a very big event. Any donation or resource will be greatly appreciated, your logo or your organization's logo will be put on the flyers and posters as sponsors. The reason I am putting this fundraiser together is because as a musical artist I wanna give back to my community and help in anyway possible to uplift my city to make it a stronger, safer, and a better place to live and grow in."
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Lavelle then lists the organizations who (he states) are sponsoring this event.
* The Park Board
* Shiloh Temple
* Hard 2 Top E.N.T.
* Seen On The Streets
* Fremont Clinic
Right away, I'd like to point out the Park Board probably isn't a "sponsor" so much as a government entity allowing the event to take place on public property. As for Fremont Clinic...sponsor? Really? Sponsor or "agreed to participate"?
This is a list of the performers. However, Lavelle Jones' notes the list may change "due to artist availability and/or time."
* Nakia Marie (hiphop)
* Smart Guy Chevelle (hiphop)
* Rico Novotion (R&B) - Diamond Effect Records
* Margeux Davis (R&B)
* Tc Lyric (hiphop)
* Shiloh Temple (gospel)
* Tommy Wesley (gospel)
* Tribe Nation Footwork Team (dance)
* The Twin Cities Steppers (dance)
So if this event is going to come off well rather than fall flat on its collective face, it's probably a good idea to ask, "Who is Lavelle 'About A Dollar' Jones and can he pull this thing off successfully?"
The first thing that strikes me about Jones' Facebook page is that it features a prominent ad for Cialis, an erectile dysfunction drug like Viagra. At first I this was some kind of random advertisement which Jones had posted on his Facebook page to collect ad revenue pennies at a time...very much like the ads appearing here at Johnny Northside Dot Com. Another Cialis image on Jones' blog shows two senior citizens, naked as jaybirds, covorting on a beach with their wrinkly old butts facing the camera.
Don't go there and look for it. Once you see something, it can't be "unseen."
It appears Jones' has a habit of naming his "mix tapes" after penile enhancement drugs and there's no actual affiliation with the drug companies, as evidenced by this snippet from an interview, linked here.
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Q: What’s next for you as an artist?
A: The “CIALIS” mixtape, The “LAVETRA” mixtape, The “EXTENZE” mixtape, The King Moee Beatz dvd “M.O.E.E.”, a graphic urban novel I wrote while I was incarcerated called “My Brothers Keeper”, promoting my own parties and events, and expanding the #TEAMTOWELGANG Brand.
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"Viagra" is another of his mix tapes.
Lavelle also goes by King Moee Beatz, and has a YouTube channel by that name. In his song "Fugitive" on the "Viagra" mix tape (linked here) Lavelle appears to lay out the whole story of his life, starting with his birth on September 1, 1986 and including "juvenile detention, group homes and county jails" and "(arguing?) with my mom just so she could post my bail."
While apparently rolling a joint on the video, he says he "got bumped for promotion of prostitution" and "I got four months, the bitch just got some restitution." He talks about being in a workhouse and not able to endure it, so despite misgivings he "left the state."
One expects further explanation after those lyrics, but there is none...just King Moe Beatz finishes rolling the joint he has been working upon in the video, and then holds up some promotional music material. Whether the song might be regarded purely as art and not as a detailed autobiographical confession soon becomes irrelevant. The only part of the song I need to believe is Lavelle's birthday of September 1, 1986, which helps me confirm he is the same Lavelle Jones in online Minnesota court records.
Here is his criminal history (in Minnesota) and the outcome of each charge.
27-CR-05-026001
JONES, LAVELLE EUGENE
09/01/1986
05/23/2005
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
MALICIOUS PUNISHMENT OF A CHILD
Pled guilty. Got anger management treatment and credit for 39 days in the workhouse. Got probation.
27-CR-05-045806
1050682960
1050682960
JONES, LAVELLE EUGENE
09/01/1986
07/25/2005
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
LOITER WITH INTENT TO SOLICIT ANY A
POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA IN
Convicted of the loitering charge, the paraphernalia charge was dismissed.
27-CR-06-070758
JONES, LAVELLE EUGENE
09/01/1986
10/12/2006
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
DOMESTIC ASSAULT-HARM
DOMESTIC ASSAULT-FEAR
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY IN THE FOURTH DEGREE-ATTEMPT
DISORDERLY CONDUCT
The domestic assault charges were dismissed. He was convicted of the disorderly conduct charge. Got probation. Got anger management. (A comment in the record says "OR DOMESTIC ABUSE PROGRAM") Got 45 days but 44 days were stayed, credit for one day.
27-CR-07-027411
JONES, LAVELLE EUGENE
09/01/1986
04/30/2007
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
DISORDERLY CONDUCT
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY IN THE FOURTH DEGREE
DISORDERLY CONDUCT
Pled not guilty to the disorderly conduct. Changed plea to guilty. One of the two charges of disorderly conduct was dismissed, as was the property damage charge. Got probation. Got anger management. (Do you get a certificate to hang on the wall each time? I'm just wondering. This guy should have a doctorate degree in anger management by now!) Got 90 days in the workhouse but it was stayed.
27-CR-07-122757
2070368853
2070368853
JONES, LAVELLE EUGENE
09/01/1986
11/09/2007
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
Give False Name/DOB/ID to Peace Officer
Noisy gathering-disturb peace of residents
Pled not guilty to both charges. Amended his plea and pleaded guilty to the noisy gathering. The false name charge was dismissed. He was given a small fine and still owes $100 on it as of today.
27-CR-08-31752
JONES, LAVELLE EUGENE
09/01/1986
06/27/2008
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
LOITER W/INT
Pled guilty and got probation.
27-CR-08-37575
JONES, LAVELLE EUGENE
09/01/1986
07/29/2008
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Mabley, Daniel H.
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
Solicitation, Inducement and Promotion of Prostitution
If this is the same incident Lavelle mentions in his song "Fugitive," then he is not completely factual in the song. He was given credit for 50 days. That's nowhere near four months. It appears he was given a job seeking furlough. His time was served concurrent with the time for malicious punishment of a child. Also, the sentence doesn't appear to reflect walking away from a workhouse.
I'm willing to give Lavelle the benefit of the doubt and assume the song is alluding to a different prostitution incident (real and actual, not made up) for which he received four months, ended up in a workhouse and (after some soul searching) fled the state, whatever state it was.
27-CR-08-37884
JONES, LAVELLE EUGENE
09/01/1986
07/30/2008
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
Contempt of Court - Penalty
He served 60 days for this. The judge was The Honorable Ann K. McKeig.
80-VB-10-297
009432
JONES, LAVELLE EUGENE
09/01/1986
04/29/2010
Wadena
Crim/Traf Non-Mand
Under Court Jurisdiction
Traffic-Drivers License-Driving After Suspension
Pled guilty. Sentenced to 90 days in the "Wadena County Jail," but 88 days were stayed and 2 days were served. This charge gives me insight into some stuff on Lavelle Jones' Facebook page, where he is apologizing for not making it to his concert appearance, as follows.
"I WAS POSED TO BE PERFORMING AT ARNELLIAS TONIGHT BUT I BROKE MY PHONE AND COULDNT GET INCONTACT WITH MY RIDE... IF U WAS PLANNIN ON COMIN OUT TO ROCK WIT YA BOI TONIGHT I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVIENCE!!!!!"
27-CR-10-23490
JONES, LAVELLE EUGENE
09/01/1986
05/24/2010
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Norris, Lyonel
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction
TRAFFIC-DRIVERS LICENSE-DRIVING AFTER SUSPENSION
TRAFFIC REGULATION-UNINSURED VEHICLE-DRIVER VIOLATION
Pleaded not guilty to both, but then amended his plea to guilty on driving after suspension. The uninsured vehicle charge was dismissed. Got probation and a suspended sentence of 30 days.
27-CR-11-15033
Jones, Levelle Eugene
09/01/1986
05/04/2011
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction
No Drivers License in Possession or Fail to Display Upon Request
Pled guilty. He was given a small fine. As of today, he still owes $50 on the fine.
27-CR-11-24510
311154411
311154411
JONES, LAVELLE EUGENE
09/01/1986
08/10/2011
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Ridgedale
Hedlund, Deborah
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction
Disorderly Conduct-Offensive, abusive, noisy, obscene behavior
Driving after suspension
The driving after suspension charge was dismissed. At first, Lavelle pleaded not guilty to the disorderly conduct, but then changed his plea. Fined $175. "About A Dollar" Jones paid $75, but as of today he still owes $100.
So here we have this individual organizing this community event--he has criminal convictions, quite recently, and apparently isn't allowed to drive. He owes money to the courts for his criminal convictions. Also, there is a lot of enthusiasm for marijuana spread all over his Facebook page and apologies for being difficult to reach by phone. At one point Lavelle says, "HIT ME I SWITCH PHONES LIKE DRAWZE LOL."
Lavelle's life also features raw romantic conflict. On October 27, 2011, a Facebook user named Shaion Thickashewantme Richards directed a message at Lavelle OnHisMoney, as follows:
"you is a nasty, chlamydia keepin, ass lickin, small boxer wearin, bummy nigga! you a dead beat nigga! thats why u aint never gon achieve shit and u always gon fall because u always burn ya bridges... the end has come... goodday!"
The next day, Tatiana Griffin stepped into the fray and made the following posting directed at Lavelle.
"It always some hatin scary ass bitch...came to 4521 lyndale and a bitch didnt even come to the door..where they do that at?....LOOK BITCHES STAY OF MY BRO SHIT WITH ALL THAT NEGATIVITY OR I BE THE BITCH THAT WILL STEP IN YOUR FACE...i dont give a fuck who!"
This romantic conflict seems to have taken a toll on Lavelle. He didn't post on Facebook again until December 2, 2010. (Or if he did post, the posts have been removed)
This Lavelle Jones appears to be a less-than-dependable personality with legal and drug issues (and certainly anger management issues) who has seized the moment of the North Minneapolis tornado anniversary for his own self-promotional purposes and, incredibly, gotten a small number of people to follow him. He does not appear to be trustworthy with any sums of money intended for relief efforts. The stamp of his personality is all over this event and it is trashy...really, clowns and face painting AS WELL AS an STD checkup all in one relatively small park area?
I am not surprised how few people on Facebook have RSVPed for this event. This event is not organized by a reputable person and I harbor many doubts about how it will come off. I hope children aren't promised a fun time but then show up for something that's a total bust.
Finally, I take issue with the phrase "First Annual." Like, really? We shall observe it 60 years from now like Pearl Harbor Day? I would love to see statistics on how many subsequent anniversaries can be expected from any "first annual" event. Journalistic style books forbid use of the phrase.
Yes, the first anniversary of the tornado will be observed...it will be observed in media stories and, hopefully, low key backyard cookouts that don't turn into tragic shooting incidents. But it is a minor tragedy spinning out of a bigger tragedy that Lavelle Aboutadollar Jones has seized this moment and tried to make it his own vehicle for advancement in a dubious life and amateur music career.
