By Lloyd Williams

Everybody knows the not so subtle pressure that aspiring Hip-Hop icons are under to gain some street credibility by indulging their every felonious, anti-social, misogynistic and homicidal impulse, ostensibly to prove that they actually do behave like the social degenerates displayed in gangsta’ videos. While such real-life felonious antics might make sense for wannabes working their way up the showbiz ladder, this behavior borders on the bizarre when it involves those lucky enough to have already found fame and fortune.

Case in point: Dallas Austin, the phenomenally-successful music and movie producer. The 35- year-old impresario is the very embodiment of the African-American Dream, given the release of a couple of hit films based on his life, namely, Drumline and ATL.

ATL chronicled his against-the-odds rise in an Atlanta ghetto during the formative days of his personal and business relationship with TLC member Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins. However, that coming-of-age memoir made no mention of Tron, the love child he fathered with Rozonda "Chili" Thomas, another member of TLC. By the way, being a baby-daddy is apparently another means of earning Brownie points from fellow thugs in the ‘hood.

Yet, today Dallas is in the tabloids after flirting with a death sentence by cockily carrying cocaine off the plane with him into Dubai, where dealing drugs is a capital offense. Sneaking narcotics into an Arab country? What the heck were you doing, bro? Not exactly one of the seven habits of highly effective people.

Luckily, in a plea deal hammered out by his attorney, Austin got off with a slap on the wrist, and is already back in the user-friendly United States. Did DEA officials arrest him when he arrived back in America? No, he was welcomed back as a role model for the Hip-Hop generation and no doubt celebrated his repatriation by cooking up a kilo of crack to share with his homeys.

Other rap icons also on the crime blotter as of late include the recently-paroled Lil’ Kim and Proof, the recently-deceased recording artist gunned down along Detroit’s infamous 8 Mile. This is ironic because he was played by Mekhi Phifer in the Eminem biopic of the same name.

Lots of rappers have been snuffed out before their time, like old school Jam Master Jay, who was shot in his recording studio, going out doing what he loved most. The East coast-West coast warfare left Tupac shot to death at 25, and Biggie murdered a year later in retaliation at the tender age of 24, right after the release of his appropriately title CD, Ready to Die.

Then there was Fat Pat shot to death at 26, Q-Don, blown away in Philly at 30, rap master Malcolm Howard, executed at 30, and MC Big L blown away in a drive-by in front of his house at 23. And who could forget the fiery death of Michael Menson, 29, set ablaze by rival rappers at the same time he had a hit called “Street Tuff.”

MC Rock was fatally stabbed at 28, Charisma’s 20-years-young corpse looked like Swiss cheese, Bugz, another of Eminem and Proof’s original running buddies picked off at a picnic. Seagram Miller was shot dead at 26, the same thing happened to Brandon Mitchell at 20, while Lloyd “Mooseman” Roberts succumbed at 28 after being riddled with bullets in a drive-by ambush.

Bruce Mayfield was murdered over money at 30, Tonnie Sheppard was stabbed to death during a brawl in a recording studio at 38, and Trouble T-Roy (of Heavy D and the Boyz) found more trouble than he could handle when he fell from a balcony at 22 under mysterious circumstances.

Cops counted nine bullets in the chest of Mr. Cee, 22, when they found him on New Year’s Day, and the life was squished out of MC Ant at 35. Need I continue? The list is endless. Suffice to say, that such a self-destructive path is anything but “keeping it real,” unless by “real” these rappers mean real retarded.

Editor’s note: Lloyd Williams is an attorney and a member of the bar in NJ, NY, CT, PA, MA & US Supreme Court bars.