Maino isn’t a fan of the narrative that’s surrounding Taxstone’s recent guilty verdict for his 2016 shootout with Troy Ave.
The “Hi Hater” rapper was a guest on Angela Yee’s Power 105.1 radio show on Thursday (March 24), just after the verdict was handed down. When asked his thoughts on the situation, Maino – who was present at the time of the shooting at New York’s Irving Plaza – disputed the notion that Taxstone was the aggressor.
AD LOADING...
“I was there. It happened in the dressing room that I was occupying with me and Uncle Murda. We was performing that night – or we were set to perform that night,” he said. “My only issue with that is I just don’t agree with the narrative that’s been put out there as if Taxstone was there to try to look for a problem. Taxstone was actually there chilling.”
He continued: “That man was there chilling, enjoying the moment and these other dudes came in there looking for a problem. These other dudes came in there with that energy looking to try to have a moment and the moment just didn’t go their way. So I’m just in disagreement with the whole narrative of becoming a victim after you tried to be an aggressor.”
AD LOADING...
He then shared his thoughts on people defending Troy Ave by saying that he wasn’t a snitch because he was facing a murder charge.
“My whole thing is this though – how you out here celebrating just getting on the stand after you tried to create a situation that just didn’t go your way?” Maino asked. “And then here’s another narrative that I see people out here trying to hang on to – that man was never accused of murder of his friend. He was never arrested for the murder of his own friend. They was never putting the murder of his friend on him.”
He continued: “[It was for] the guns that he got caught with. So he worked out a deal with the prosecutor to get less time for those guns that he got caught with. So that was his motivation to get on the stand and testify against Taxstone.”
“Say the whole truth. Don’t make it seem like that man was there to try to assassinate you and that’s not the truth. The truth of the matter is you actually came there on that time. You walked in there in that room and tried to create a situation. You thought that maybe you was gonna get you a Worldstar moment.”
A grand jury found Tax (real name Darryl Campbell) guilty of manslaughter in connection to the 2016 shooting of Troy Ave’s bodyguard Ronald “Banga” McPhatter on Thursday (March 23).
Troy Ave was set to perform at the event when a fight broke out between both camps, and gunfire was exchanged. In addition to McPhatter, the melee resulted in three other people being seriously injured, including Troy Ave, who received treatment for a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the leg.
AD LOADING...
Surveillance video emerged immediately after the shooting that showed Troy Ave firing a gun. He was apprehended and cuffed at NYU Langone Hospital, where he was receiving treatment for his gunshot wound. Later, the weapon used in the shooting was recovered in his vehicle. However, Troy maintained his innocence, claiming self-defense.
In January 2017, Taxstone was arrested in connection to the incident and charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of receipt of a firearm in interstate commerce, after his DNA was reportedly found on the semiautomatic handgun used in the fatal shooting.
Sentencing will take place in April.
