Taking The Bad Rap

By THOMAS McCARROLL

This is the bitch that did the whole crew.

She did it so much we made bets on who the ho would love to

go through . . .

And she lets you videotape her

And if you got a gang of niggers the bitch'll let you rape her.

When most people hear lyrics like these from the hit song One Less Bitch by the rap group N.W.A., they either blush, cringe or call for the censor. But when Bryan Turner hears the song, he can almost hear the cash register ringing. Turner, 36, is co-founder of Priority Records, the label that has carried N.W.A. (Niggers with Attitude) and other "gangsta" rappers. Formed eight years ago, Priority has built a financial fortune and a reputation as the music industry's House of Raunchy Rap.

At a time when many record labels are shying away from controversial performers, Priority is eagerly pursuing what some regard as the most foulmouthed, misogynistic and incendiary rap groups in the hood. Its growing stable of raucous rappers range from the explosive Ice Cube, who provoked public outrage nearly two years ago with songs that called for the killing of a white Jewish businessman and threatened arson against Korean grocers, to the dreaded Dr. Dre, whose lyrics have also advocated violence. Last month the Los Angeles-based firm added to its own notoriety by signing up the bad boy of rap, Ice-T, after he and Time Warner's Sire label severed their ties. His inflammatory cut Cop Killer set off a fire storm of protests by police organizations.

Turner and his co-partner, Mark Cerami, have discovered that if you're willing to ignore the heat, controversy translates into cash. Billboard has crowned Priority the industry's "hottest independent label." Priority's dozen rap artists have mined a rich vein of sales, including 13 gold records, 12 platinum and two double-platinum albums. Ice Cube's latest hit, The Predator, entered Billboard's pop and R.-and-B. charts in the No. 1 slots, the first time a rap album debuted at the top of both charts. From a bare-bones crew of three operating out of a tiny Hollywood office, Priority has grown into a $53 million enterprise with pretax profit margins of up to 20%.

But the real secret of Priority's success may be the bad publicity. Protests by Jewish and Korean groups, for instance, helped ignite sales of Ice Cube's 1991 album, Death Certificate. It sold 1 million copies within 10 days of its release. Unlike large record labels, which are often part of bigger conglomerates with a medley of interests, small outfits like Priority tend to be less vulnerable to pressure tactics.

Wrapping himself in the flag and the First Amendment, Turner adamantly refuses to censor his rappers. Says he: "Where do I get off telling people what they can say?" Actually, even Turner has his limits. He refused to publish a rap group whose songs advocate gang violence. Still, he leaps at the chance to sign up other controversial acts. Now, having conquered the rap world, Turner says he is ready for his next foray -- into hard-rock music -- which may be fertile ground for an infusion of controversy.

With reporting by Patrick E. Cole/Los Angeles