Billy Joel and Goldfish Sandwiches

The murder of Hawk last week, like that of Jam Master Jay a few years back, was one of the most stunning of all hip-hop-related killings. Not to say "they had it coming," but you could see why guys like Tupac and Biggie Smalls got capped -- they pushed their beefs to the limit and beyond and played fast and loose with dangerous quantities of other people's women and cash. What's more, Suge Knight was in the mix.

But Hawk? No, he didn't play any of those games. Although he had a Hulk-like physique and occasionally played up that image by scowling in his photos, in person the dude was a teddy bear. We at Wack met him only once, and we spent a good half-hour talking about anything and everything -- we reminisced about the Oilers for a long time. And those infinitely closer to him confirmed that first impression of the guy -- in dozens of interviews with other rappers and his homies in the Screwed Up Click, everybody said that he was as nice a guy in front of the mike as he was talented behind it.

At this writing, there is no suspect, no motive and no clue -- no explanation of his murder whatsoever. And so there's a rash of speculation going on, some of it really dangerous. On the message boards at the local hip-hop site TheScrewshop.com, some hotheads are already pointing fingers at the usual suspects: those boogiemen from New Orleans. One such, "Papa Josh," posted thusly: "I have been reading everyfuckingwhere that HAWK basically had no enemies, no beefs, I can't recall any myself. That this was unprovoked, no reason or motive that can be seenÉ.and what I'm going to say is simply a result of too much thinking all day, and thinking about the last six months of news reports out of the Houston areaÉI have a bad feeling that we may find that this was a case of New Orleans displaced folkÉ"

Yeah, 'cause, you know, pre-Katrina the Houston rap scene was as cuddly and safe as Elmo's World. Was it "New Orleans displaced folk" who shot Lil' Flip a few years back? Did Katrina exiles kill Hawk's brother Fat Pat back in 1998? Was it a really cunning "New Orleans displaced folk" who shot out Bushwick Bill's eye, and then managed to convince the rapper that he had done it to himself?

Ummmm, no. But if Internet tough talk and virtual mean-muggin' are to be believed, there are already plenty of locals looking for an excuse to throw down with the New Orleans kids. "IF N.O. BOYZ HAD ANYTHING TO DO WIT THIS," thundered the caps-lock-crazy "Barrebaby 27," "I FEEL SORRY FOR THE MURDER RATE CAUSE ITS GOIN SKY HIGH NOW CAUSE EVERY NIGGA IN SOUTH PARK GONNA MASH ON EVERY N.O. NIGGAZ THEY SEE ESPECIALLY IN THESE HIGH SCHOOLS LIKE MADISON, WESTBURY, WORTHING, YATES, WILLOWRIDGE, AND GULF SHORESÉPPL THAT DIDNT EVEN HAVE SHIT TO DO WIT IT GONNA CATCH IT TOO JUST CAUSE THEY FROM THE N.O."

Look, Wack won't tell you that the thought that New Orleanians could be involved didn't cross our mind, too, but sometimes you should just leave thoughts where they are: inside your own head. And this is definitely one of those times. -- John Nova Lomax