Rap Star On The Rise Comes To AMW For Help

Penelope Jones knew her brother Tony was more than just a murder victim, so she decided to keep his memory alive -- through music. Penelope, an up-and-coming Motown Records hip-hop star, is working with AMW to help solve her brother's October 2003 murder.

Tony was fatally shot in front of his 6-year-old son inside their southern Illinois apartment. His 2-year-old son lay asleep in another room.

Penelope says Tony was not just a brother, but her best friend. 

"I hope that my presence will help generate leads and make people who may know something about my brother's murder come forward," the St. Louis rapper says.

After early brushes with success, including a rap on the St. Lunatics hit "Jang A Lang" and appearing in one of fellow St. Louis performer Nelly's videos, Penelope signed a blockbuster deal with Universal Motown Records in 2005. Her latest single, "Miss Me," is already on the radio, and her new album is set to drop in late spring.

She says she always knew she'd be taking Tony with her on this journey to success --she just never imagined it would be this way.

With the money Penelope got from her record deal, she established a reward fund for the identification and arrest of Tony's killer. She is taking advantage of her new-found fame and spreading the word about her brother's case.  Every time she is interviewed about her career, she mentions the brutal murder, hoping someone out there will hear about the case and come forward with important information.

Penelope's current single, "Miss Me," is getting radio airplay right now and is poised to take over the hip hop charts.

The entertainer will be shooting the video for "Miss Me" in the next couple of weeks.  Penelope plans to have pictures of her brother throughout the clip and even have dancers wearing shirts with her brother's image on them.

On Penelope's debut album, due out in late April 2006, the final track will be a song called "Walk In My Shoes." The final verse is written about Tony.

For Penelope and her family, the verse is not just lyrics, it's a reflection of the pain that every one of Tony's loved ones has to live with everyday.  The song is a beautiful dedication to Tony's memory and a fully unexpected way that Penelope is able to take Tony with her in her career.