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Times Square Shooter Raymond Martinez Lived a Hustler's Life Full of Guns, Drugs and Rap

By Heather Grossmann | December 11, 2009 5:01pm | Updated on December 11, 2009 6:16pm

By Heather Grossmann and Josh Williams

DNAinfo Reporter/Producers

MANHATTAN — Guns, drugs, prostitutes and an endless stream of expletives filled the rap lyrics — and the life — of Raymond Martinez, the Times Square gunman who shot off two rounds from his MAC 10 before an NYPD officer took him down late Thursday morning.

When he wasn’t running CD scams on tourists in Times Square, the 25-year-old Bronx native — rap name “Ready” — was likely hanging with his buddies, drinking, smoking pot and laying down tracks, according to his friends.

“I’ll break your legs, have your brains looking like eggs,” Martinez raps in one song.

“Square Free” has a MySpace page with several images of their front man, Martinez. In a chilling harbinger of things to come, one image was digitally altered to make it look like Martinez was standing in the blood-spattered entryway of his apartment building with a machine gun lying at his feet.

Raymond Martinez, who was killed in a Times Square shootout with cops on Friday.
Raymond Martinez, who was killed in a Times Square shootout with cops on Friday.
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Myspace

Another picture shows him smoking what appears to be marijuana and a third is a cartoonish depiction of a man carrying a huge gun with a caption reading “THEM SUCKERS AINT TAKIN ME NO WHERE…”

Videos on YouTube portray similar themes, showing Martinez and his crew running from cops and yelling “F**K the police,” and freestyle rapping about guns and women.

Martinez’s friends say he was also a pimp, sometimes with as many as 10 prostitutes in his employ. According to one friend, he was particularly gifted at convincing women to go out and turn tricks for him.

But Martinez did appear to have some fun moments free of illegal influences. Pictures show him posing in Times Square with various celebrities including Grand Master Flash, rapper Ed Lover and activist Rev. Al Sharpton, and a newspaper clipping said he once went head-to-head with Kanye West in a hip hop trivia battle.

Comments posted on Martinez’s YouTube videos in the hours following his death reflect a mix of emotions.

“Ready was a soilder[sic] of GOD.[sic] making a living promoting his music.Don't[sic] believe the media. Police control the media,” read one note.

Another added: "Roast in hell you scumbag. You lost sucka. You were a bad person."

Raymond Martinez a.k.a. Ready from the rap group Square Free with myspace photo with Rev. Al Sharpton in Times Square.
Raymond Martinez a.k.a. Ready from the rap group Square Free with myspace photo with Rev. Al Sharpton in Times Square.
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Myspace