Soapy Smith gambling house. Legend has it that above the entrance of the stairway leading upstairs to the gambling games was a sign that read "caveat emptor", Latin for "let the buyer beware". Smith's younger brother, Bascomb Smith, joined the gang and operated a cigar store that was a front for dishonest poker games and other swindles, operating in one of the back rooms. Other operations included fraudulent lottery shops, a "sure-thing" stock exchange, fake watch and bogus diamond auctions, and the sale of stocks in nonexistent businesses. Because of bribes, some of the police officers patrolling the streets would not arrest
What the....You Mean I Can't Sing?! calling it "a deeply musical, funky masterpiece of rage, righteous indignation, and soulful killer grooves". However, Jurek criticized the reissue for not including musician credits. What the....You Mean I Can't Sing?! What the...You Mean I Can't Sing?! is the fourth studio album by Melvin Van Peebles. Released in 1974, this album marks the first traditional music effort by Van Peebles. Previously, Van Peebles released the experimental spoken word albums "Brer Soul", "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death" and "As Serious as a Heart-Attack". "What the...You Mean I Can't Sing?!" largely derives from funk and soul music, much as Van