Jurors get up-close look at world of prostitution

Men of character, substance and honor make the best pimps.

That was just one of the many lessons jurors in the Andre Taylor prostitution trial learned Thursday -- straight from Taylor's own mouth.

Thursday was the third day of Taylor's trial on federal prostitution-related charges. Authorities believe the Las Vegas resident routinely arranged for women and underage girls to travel across state lines to engage in prostitution. He is also accused of money laundering.

One of the federal government's last witnesses was Allen Hughes, a filmmaker who featured Taylor in the yet-to-be released documentary, "American Pimps."

Jurors viewed uncut footage from the film Thursday morning. In it, Taylor talks about his life as a "former" pimp as he drives around San Francisco and relaxes in his San Francisco home in May 1997.

The charges Taylor faces stem from events that took place after October 1997.

During the first few minutes of the tape, Taylor talks about pimps priding themselves on owning the best of everything from clothes to shoes to colognes. In order to attract a million dollars, Taylor said, you have to look like a million dollars.

Taylor brags about being a successful pimp because he loves women, treats them well and follows all of the "guidelines and rules." Because his mother was a "ho" and his father was a pimp, Taylor said he understands "the game" better than most.

Although he went through a religious period in which he hated the circumstances in which he grew up, Taylor said he eventually came to understand people with a religious-bent "weren't as real as the hos and pimps that put food" on his table.

As the taping continued, Taylor used increasingly vulgar language and bragged that women will do anything for a man who treats them well in bed and out.

In fact, Taylor said his women didn't even mind giving him all of their proceeds because they found the work exciting and had developed an "us against the world" mentality.

Hughes, who also made the movies "Menace II Society" and "Dead Presidents," with his two brothers, said he paid Taylor about $7,000 for the technical advice he offered during the filming.

Under cross-examination from defense attorney Michael Kennedy, Hughes testified that Taylor traveled to Phoenix, San Francisco and Hawaii during the film project. Those are some of the same locations Taylor is alleged to have instructed his prostitutes to work.

Kennedy tried to paint an entirely different picture of Taylor, starting with his first witness, Mark Sneed, managing editor of Showcase Magazine and former editor of Roots Magazine. Both magazines are entertainment publications.

Sneed testified that in 1996 and 1997 Taylor was on the verge of becoming a successful rap musician known at "Gorgeous Dre." He met Taylor at a trade show convention where Taylor was handing out copies of his "The Big Pimp" compact disc to record label representatives.

Shortly thereafter, Sneed said he became Taylor's publicist and Taylor began performing in the San Francisco area.

"Everyone seemed to think he was the next big thing," Sneed said.

When Hughes' film came up, Sneed said he and Taylor decided to wait to release "The Big Pimp" until the movie was released on the big screen.

However, their plans blew up with Taylor's arrest.

"American Pimp" was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah and is scheduled to be released in February, Hughes testified.

When cross-examined by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom O'Connell, Sneed conceded that Taylor's CD was homemade, that he didn't have any record deals and that he made no money from the CD.

Sneed also said he didn't know how Taylor came up with the $200 per week salary he drew as his publicist or the $1,000 to pay for two ads in Roots Magazine.

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