Kia Shine Comments on Altercation with TMI Boyz

Memphis MC Kinfolk Kia Shine has been relatively quiet since reports surfaced earlier this week about a physical alteration that occurred between himself and Houston/Galveston based group TMI Boyz at the Southern Entertainment Awards in Tunica, Miss. this past Sunday (January 27). The incident was sparked by comments Kia made about Rap Coalition founder Wendy Day while he was onstage presenting an award. Kia was responding to comments Day made during a panel discussion two days prior. According to a statement issued by Day soon after the Awards, Kia was punched once by an unidentified member of the TMI Boyz before being escorted from the building. However, in a recent statement given to Word on the Streets Magazine, the rapper disputes this version of events:

"While in Miami Filming the MTV Jams Show Hoodfab this past Thurs-SAT, I kept receiving phone calls and emails in regard to Wendy Day bashing my cd sales and my current label status with Universal Motown.

A friend of mine sent me a visual of the comments that was made at The New Daisy on Thursday and at the "How to get a record Deal" conference on Friday in Tunica. Wendy Day made statements about me having poor first week sales and went on to say that is why I was dropped from Universal Motown and that I was making Memphis artist look bad because of this, and that I wasn't making any money for myself or my label. She also went on to say that my CD had no substance as well.

Why she chose to speak on my business without consulting with me first to make sure what she was saying was indeed TRUE is beyond me, Why she chose to come to Memphis at this "open forum" and say these things about me is also beyond me. So when I arrived in Memphis on Sunday to present my award at the SEA's I felt it only right to address these statements in an "open forum" just as she did at the earlier conferences.

I explained that cd sales are down across the board especially with rap, but that the real money was in the ownership of your digital downloads, ringtones and ringbacks and shows. I explained that I owned all of those digital formats of my music and that I was making money off of that, despite what Wendy Day had said prior about me not making any money back for myself or Universal Motown. I said that I am to blessed to be stressed about some lady who is bitter about not making any money in Memphis.

I also stated that I had just shot 2 video in Memphis that are playing currently on MTV and BET and that helps shed light on my city. The crowd cheered and applauded to my statements and I left the stage after presenting my award. After doing so Wendy, who walked on stage while I was talking, tried to grab my arm and speak to me, she asked did she offend me with her statements, I said damn right, and pulled away, she again tried to talk to me when I got off the stage, while conversating with her, I was hit from the back, which I feel was a bitch move, Wendy and I were talking, not fighting, and the situation was between me and her, so for someone to hit me from the blindside when the situation did not involve them was a cowardly move.

Immediately after being hit, I begin to fire back at the 3 or 4 individuals that were around me. The person who passed the first lick, RAN AWAY, like a coward. My brother Dirty Fresh of the group Streetknok jumped in and hit a few indiviuals as well, then Sonny Black & Jack Frost jumped in and we pretty much had the situation handled, at that time the cops came and sprayed mace on us. I understand why, because they didn't see the first punch that was thrown by the cowards, they just saw me and my team handling our business and getting the better end of the cowards that started the brawl. They threw me and my guys out, and that is the exact way it went down.

Its unfortunate that this had to happen and that some UNKNOWN artist are getting some publicity off of this. If I hit you I'm brainless, but If you hit me you FAMOUS, what's a real hustla to do? I guess just put it all on my KUSH DVD so everyone can see what really happened I have it all on film, her comments she made about me at the memphisrap.com panel as well as at the SEA panel, plus I have my comments I made on stage as well as the brawl on tape. It will all be on my KUSH DVD which will be out in March.

As far the cowards that got involved in the situation, I would never come to someone else's city and get involved in a situation that has nothing to do with me. Make a hit record, that's how you get ON, not by trying to get brownie points!"