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Police renew call to oust firefighter

No apology yet for rap lyrics

Calls to extinguish the career of Rodney Jean-Jacques - a city firefighter who doubles as a rapper on the side - were renewed yesterday after he failed to apologize for writing a song about murdering cops.

Fraternal Order of Police president Bob Eddis had issued an apologize-or-else ultimatum to Jean-Jacques, 30, after the two spoke over the weekend.

Eddis said Jean-Jacques promised to send him a written apology by midnight Sunday.

But the deadline came and went without any word from Jean-Jacques, who earlier had told Eddis that it was his rapping alter-ego, Cal Akbar, who came up with a string of inflammatory song lyrics, including: "I hope the news is taping this, 'cause I'm gonna turn pigs into bacon bits."

Jean-Jacques appears to be reveling in his newfound notoriety. He now hails himself as "Akbar - Public Enemy #1" on his MySpace.com page, and prominently features the front cover of Saturday's Daily News, which detailed the firestorm caused by his lyrics.

Eddis said he had no choice but to renew his initial demand that Jean-Jacques be immediately fired, citing his "failure to apologize to members of the Philadelphia Police Department and Fire Department, as well as to the citizens of Philadelphia."

Jean-Jacques could not be reached for comment.

Brian McBride, president of Firefighters Union Local 22, said he was "not aware of any apology that has been made so far."

Fire Department officials said only that an investigation into the lyrics is ongoing.

The untitled song surfaced on a Web site last week that was touting the aspiring rapper's 2006 album, "Sin City Vol. 1."

In addition to promising, "I got a surprise for them cops," as gunfire erupts in the background during the song, Jean-Jacques also details how he would use a stove to trigger an explosion if authorities rushed into his house.

Jean-Jacques, who is stationed at Engine 9 on Germantown Avenue near Carpenter Lane, claimed last week he had nothing to do with putting the song on the Internet.

The lyrics have outraged cops and firefighters alike while underscoring the inherent danger of their jobs.

Eileen Barclay was just 13 when her father, Officer Joseph Kelly, was shot to death in the line of duty in 1971, leaving her mother to raise five children alone.

"I was very annoyed and very hurt to see that someone who works side by side with police officers could make a comment that encouraged killing police, said Barclay, 49.

"It's unconscionable, and it's a slap in the face to the cops and firefighters who leave their house every day not knowing if they'll come home to see their families."

Barclay said the lyrics are especially damaging considering the violent state of the city, where 114 people have been slain so far this year.

"Kids are killing each other out there every day. We don't need anyone contributing to it by making comments like this," she said. "It's disgusting." *