At what point has a publicity stunt gone so far that it becomes a real event? In 2001 Jay-Z reportedly pleaded guilty to stabbing record producer Lance Rivera in 1999. The two had a disagreement about the apparent bootlegging of Jay-Z's album, with the young rapper stabbing the producer in retaliation. As you can probably imagine, it was a pretty big scandal. Rivera pressed charges, and Jay-Z eventually pleaded guilty after denying his involvement. He served 3 years of probation for the crime. The twists and turns in the investigation had all of the markers of a real crime. So it happened, right? Jay-Z stabbed someone (and has successfully changed his image in the time since). Not so fast. In 2011, Rivera claimed on The Morning Show that it had all been a publicity stunt. Apparently the entire thing had been a planned event, designed to build hype for both artists' careers. Jay-Z has never commented on Rivera's accusations, but this throws everything into the air. Did the two artists make it all up? Did Jay-Z stab a guy and serve probation? If not, then were the police in on it? The media? It was widely reported as fact, but if even the victim is denying it ever happened... Could this have something to do with the Illuminati? Well, on that point...
