Calvin "Klein" Not Felling Jay Z!!!

In Brooklyn during the '80s and early '90s, one of the main names ringing out in the streets was Calvin "Klein" Bacote's. He's the guy Jay-Z is talking about in "Allure" when he raps, "I never felt more alive/ Than ridin' shotgun in Klein's green five."

Klein was recently released from a federal correctional facility after serving 13 years on drug charges, and one of his first steps in turning his life around was fulfilling his goal to enter the music business.

He recently worked with DJ Clark Kent to put out the mixtape Streets Is Talking Volume One. Klein has started his own label, Shut Em Down Entertainment, for which he currently has a roster of four MCs — including rappers Natural and St. Laz — and is seeking distribution. "I'm into hip-hop obviously, but I kind of like digging into the R&B and reggae," he said. "I'm open to music, period. I grew up in a family of music."

While growing up, Klein not only ran across a young Shawn Carter, he also rubbed shoulders with other icons."The original 50 Cent from Brooklyn, God bless the dead," Klein said, when asked who gave him his street moniker. "We would just hang out on the streets, and I used to wear a lot of Calvin Klein as far as attire — jeans, shirts, and stuff like that. My [real first] name is Calvin, and being that I wore Klein's a lot, you just attach that on the back of my name. I didn't really like the name, but it stuck at some point. It is what it is.

"Klein said he hears the reality of his life in much of today's hip-hop, even from MCs who haven't been through what he's been through."Most of those guys have seen so many things that you can't live out most of these things rappers talk about," he said. "They living it out through the life they saw in their neighborhood. That's just like having your way of your freedom of speech. I don't knock them. If they don't tell our story the way the story supposed to be told, then no one is going to know where we are really coming from."

During Late July 07, Klein went on DJ Kay Slay show to address the realness of Jay Z and his new career endeavers. Click on this link to hear the audio!!!