New York police in conjunction with the RIAA raided Kim’s Music Wednesday afternoon and confiscated 500 CD-R’s.
27 music DVDs, nine DVD burners and several store computers were also netted in the raid, according to an MTV.com report. 5 employees were also arrested.
All of the pirated material was described as “urban in nature” by an RIAA spokesperson. Rappers Jay Z, 50 Cent, Nelly, Alicia Keys and others are featured on the bootleg material.
Brad Buckles, the Executive Vice President of Anti-Piracy for the RIAA praised the New York police department and it’s commitment to the fight against piracy. “New York City law enforcement continues to send a strong message to music pirates that this behavior simply will not be tolerated,” Buckles said. “Retailers who are making money on the backs of musicians and record companies by selling pirated CDs should know that this is absolutely no way to conduct a business.“
Mix tapes have been a pivotal tool for hip-hop artists and DJ’s for many years. The medium allows up and coming artists to get their music to the masses and gives signed artists a venue to premier new music without going through commercial radio. In recent years, small businesses have come under fire by the RIAA and police for selling mix tapes and other unauthorized material.
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Similar raids have occurred in other parts of the New York area in recent months.
