<cite class="el-editorial-source">Los Angeles (CNN)</cite>The man whose hit-and-run death led to the arrest of former rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight was also a former rap label owner as well as a father figure to wayward youths and gang members, a friend said Friday.
Terry Carter, 55, wasn't a product of the thug life, but he did found and own the defunct Heavyweight Records, said friend Darcell Carraway, 38.
Carter mentored young men to a better life, Carraway said.
His death "will bring a lot of people together, you know, from all different walks of life, Bloods, Crips, ex-gang members, current gang members, whatever, people on the streets, foster kids, whatever the case may be," Carraway said.
"It's a sad day for them," he added.
Carter was also a friend and acquaintance of Knight through their work in making rap records, said Carraway, who was a writer for Heavyweight Records during its business run between 1997 and 2000.
"They became friends through mutual friends, and they hit it off and they were cool," Carraway said. "From my understanding, they had no issues whatsoever. They were friends. They respected each other.
"To my knowledge, there was no altercations ever whatsoever between him and Suge Knight," Carraway said.
Knight is being held in lieu of $2 million bond in the death of Carter pending a court appearance, which isn't expected until at least Monday, according to Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.
Police in Los Angeles say a man matching Knight's description drove over Carter and another man with his red pickup truck in Compton, a city adjacent to south Los Angeles that's renowned in rap music.
The pickup truck driver ran over the two men again as he sped away from the scene.
The condition of the second man, Cle Sloan, 51, wasn't disclosed by police.
"So far, people we talked to said it looked like it was an intentional act. So we're handling it as a homicide," Los Angeles police Lt. John Corina said.
The hit-and-run stemmed from an argument Knight allegedly had on the set of the N.W.A. biopic "Straight Outta Compton" and then spilled over to the parking lot of Tam's Burgers.
The film is about how "the group NWA emerges from the streets of Compton, California in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes pop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood," according to IMDB.
One character is named Suge Knight, and other characters are named after other prominent rap figures, IMDB says. Paul Giamatti is among the cast. Universal Pictures listed a release date of August 14.
[h=3]Urging a better life[/h]On the violent streets of south Los Angeles, Carter had urged a better life for youths and young men, Carraway said.
"He was just a father figure basically to me and an array of others who were inner-city youth, troubled youth, gang members, ex-gang members, that type of thing," Carraway said.
"He was a person that reached out to a lot of people to help then get on their feet, helped them put food on their tables, helped them become entrepreneurs. He gave a lot of direction to a lot of us who didn't have fathers growing up and things of that nature," Carraway said. "He taught us positive stuff."
More recently, Carraway saw Carter at Carter's grandson's birthday party on December 20, Carraway said.
"Because of people like Terry, I was able to put my foot forward and make something of myself," Carraway said.
[h=3]The hit-and-run[/h]Knight, 49, turned himself in to Los Angeles Sheriff's Department investigators early Friday.
CNN affiliate KCAL-TV and the Los Angeles Times quoted Knight's attorney, James Blatt, as saying Knight feared for his life and was trying to flee when the incident happened.
"We feel strongly Mr. Knight did not do anything wrong in this matter. He was attacked by a number of individuals, that has already been corroborated by certain witnesses. He left the scene because he was in fear for his safety and life," he said.
Terry Carter, 55, wasn't a product of the thug life, but he did found and own the defunct Heavyweight Records, said friend Darcell Carraway, 38.
Carter mentored young men to a better life, Carraway said.
His death "will bring a lot of people together, you know, from all different walks of life, Bloods, Crips, ex-gang members, current gang members, whatever, people on the streets, foster kids, whatever the case may be," Carraway said.
"It's a sad day for them," he added.
Carter was also a friend and acquaintance of Knight through their work in making rap records, said Carraway, who was a writer for Heavyweight Records during its business run between 1997 and 2000.
"They became friends through mutual friends, and they hit it off and they were cool," Carraway said. "From my understanding, they had no issues whatsoever. They were friends. They respected each other.
"To my knowledge, there was no altercations ever whatsoever between him and Suge Knight," Carraway said.
Knight is being held in lieu of $2 million bond in the death of Carter pending a court appearance, which isn't expected until at least Monday, according to Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.
Police in Los Angeles say a man matching Knight's description drove over Carter and another man with his red pickup truck in Compton, a city adjacent to south Los Angeles that's renowned in rap music.
The pickup truck driver ran over the two men again as he sped away from the scene.
The condition of the second man, Cle Sloan, 51, wasn't disclosed by police.
"So far, people we talked to said it looked like it was an intentional act. So we're handling it as a homicide," Los Angeles police Lt. John Corina said.
The hit-and-run stemmed from an argument Knight allegedly had on the set of the N.W.A. biopic "Straight Outta Compton" and then spilled over to the parking lot of Tam's Burgers.
The film is about how "the group NWA emerges from the streets of Compton, California in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes pop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood," according to IMDB.
One character is named Suge Knight, and other characters are named after other prominent rap figures, IMDB says. Paul Giamatti is among the cast. Universal Pictures listed a release date of August 14.
[h=3]Urging a better life[/h]On the violent streets of south Los Angeles, Carter had urged a better life for youths and young men, Carraway said.
"He was just a father figure basically to me and an array of others who were inner-city youth, troubled youth, gang members, ex-gang members, that type of thing," Carraway said.
"He was a person that reached out to a lot of people to help then get on their feet, helped them put food on their tables, helped them become entrepreneurs. He gave a lot of direction to a lot of us who didn't have fathers growing up and things of that nature," Carraway said. "He taught us positive stuff."
More recently, Carraway saw Carter at Carter's grandson's birthday party on December 20, Carraway said.
"Because of people like Terry, I was able to put my foot forward and make something of myself," Carraway said.
[h=3]The hit-and-run[/h]Knight, 49, turned himself in to Los Angeles Sheriff's Department investigators early Friday.
CNN affiliate KCAL-TV and the Los Angeles Times quoted Knight's attorney, James Blatt, as saying Knight feared for his life and was trying to flee when the incident happened.
"We feel strongly Mr. Knight did not do anything wrong in this matter. He was attacked by a number of individuals, that has already been corroborated by certain witnesses. He left the scene because he was in fear for his safety and life," he said.
Surprised he has bail.....I always thought for the most part when murder is involved no bail...Maybe i`m wrong.
