James Tapp (Soulja Slim) shot and killed in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - James Tapp (who recorded under the name "Soulja Slim") was shot and killed in front of his mother's home - a two-story duplex that he bought for his mother in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans.

The murder happened around 5.45pm Wednesday, November 26, 2003. Police Department spokesman Sgt. Paul Accardo said Tapp, 25, died on the scene after being shot several times in the head and upper chest.

Investigators believe the murder resulted from one of three incidents that recently took place at various nightclubs. The first incident happened at a club on the West Bank of New Orleans. Tapp along with a group of friends were allegedly consuming Ecstasy when a club patron made a negative comment about the Magnolia Projects. Tapp and an undetermined number of persons reportedly assaulted the person who made the disparaging remark, and that person vowed revenge for the assault. In another reported incident, Tapp allegedly got into an altercation at a Mississippi nightclub. Sources say that a man was in the V.I.P. area of an unnamed Mississippi club when he and Tapp accidently bumped into each other. Words were exchanged which led to a fist fight. Tapp was subsequently thrown out of the club. Finally, in yet another incident, Tapp was allegedly involved in a fight at a club in Miami after which he reportedly took the man's jewelry.

An eye witness to the shooting said, "Slim must have forgot something, because he ran back into his mother's house and left his truck running. The dude walked up in all black from the side of the house and shot him 5 times in the head. This was a hit. Whoever did this had to have done it before."

Tapp's murder echoed the violence of his profanity-laced songs, which told of gangs, drugs and drive-by shootings. But Tapp's stepfather said the performer's dark themes weren't meant to incite violence, but rather to expose the chaos of "ghetto life" so it might be cured. He said Tapp broke no laws after ending a four-year prison stint in 2001 for a parole violation. Tapp had been convicted of armed robbery in 1995.

Tapp was signed to Master P's "No Limit" label in the 1990's, where he made his debut with "Give It To 'Em Raw." Tapp's second album, "The Streets Made Me," was also released by No Limit Records. Tapp left No Limit in 2002 and released "Years Later" on his own Cut Throat Committy label.

B.G., Juvenile and a number of other New Orleans artists are planning a tribute concert for Tapp.