Editor of Hip-Hop's Blaze Is Fired

Editor of Hip-Hop's Blaze Is Fired NEW YORK (AP) _ The editor of the hip-hop magazine Blaze says he was fired after he wrote an editorial defending the man who was acquitted in the slaying of the son of Time Warner chairman Gerald Levin. Levin founded the music magazine Vibe, which in turn spawned Blaze. Jesse Washington, who was fired Tuesday, said he had a falling-out with his employers after writing an editorial about Montoun Hart, who was acquitted in the killing of Jonathan Levin. Washington and Hart are friends, and about a week ago Washington hired him as a $8-an-hour intern at Blaze. Washington said his editorial _ which never ran _ asserted that police had forced Hart to sign a confession of their own invention. Hart had been accused of being an accomplice in torturing 31-year-old Jonathan Levin with a knife for his bank card number, looting his account of $800, then killing him. Washington said that after the editorial was spiked, he wrote a second editorial ``lambasting the owners of the magazine for killing the first editorial.'' He added that he knew the second editorial would not run. Blaze's spokeswoman, Audrey Addison, had no comment other than to confirm that Washington had been let go. Last November, Washington was kicked in the face and head in his office in November by four men. Two men have been charged with the assault, including rap producer Deric ``D-Dot´´ Angellettie. Washington said he believes Angellettie was angry because the magazine had identified him as being the performer known as the Madd Rapper. Angellettie denied any part in the assault. Last summer, Washington accused Fugees guitar player Wyclef Jean of pointing a gun at him inside a recording studio because Jean didn't like Blaze's review of an album he had produced. Jean denied the incident happened and called it a publicity stunt by Washington. Washington, 29, is a former assistant chief of bureau for The Associated Press in New York. Washington said he is working on several book projects and is weighing other job offers.