A “very sincere” Busta Rhymes prayed over the body of his slain bodyguard yesterday and vowed to take care of his three young sons – even as he refused to tell cops what he knows about the killing.
The rap star surfaced as cops said bodyguard Israel Ramirez, 29, was accidentally killed when two members of 50 Cent’s posse opened fire on Rhymes’ producer, Swizz Beatz.
Posse members had a beef with Beatz and words led to bullets, police sources said.
Tests of the 12 bullets found at the scene showed seven were fired by one .45-caliber handgun and five from another weapon, police sources said.
On Wednesday, Rhymes was blasted by furious family members for failing to attend Ramirez’s wake and for zipping his lips to cops.
“No one is coming forward,” grumbled one frustrated cop. “Some young father has been murdered and we need people who saw things to do the right thing.”
Rhymes still wasn’t talking to the law yesterday, but he did spend 90 minutes at the wake.
Wearing a leather trench coat, a white button-down shirt and diamond studs in his ears, Rhymes was escorted into the Century funeral home at 107th Street and Amsterdam Avenue by four beefy bodyguards.
Ironically, the home is in the same building where Ramirez grew up in apartment 5C.
The rap star left without talking to reporters, his bodyguards hustling him into his black Cadillac Escalade SUV.
“He prayed with the family and mourned for the body. It’s the best thing he could have done,” said Alex Echavarria, 34, Ramirez’s best friend.
“He was very sincere,” agreed Ramirez’s sister, Rosie Rodriguez, 38.
“He came. That’s all we wanted,” said the bodyguard’s sister-in-law, Jenny Fernandez, 32. “He’s acknowledged Israel put his life on the line. He’s going to make sure the kids are taken care of.”
Ramirez had three young sons – Israel, 10, Stiles, 5, and Aaron, 2.
The bodyguard was slain early Sunday outside a Greenpoint soundstage where Rhymes was filming a million-dollar video.
His funeral will be held at 1 p.m. today at the Church of the Ascension at 221 W. 107th St.
(p. 17 in metro)