"The normal rules of journalism don't apply in hip hop because there's a greater threat of violence," a battered Washington said, referring to the murders of the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.

Washington told cops he was in his office at 215 Lexington Ave. Monday when Angellettie and three other men stormed in and attacked him.

Washington, 29, suffered cuts and possible broken facial bones.

Angellettie, his pal Anthony Hubbard and two unidentified men are being sought for questioning, police said.

Aside from working as one of Puff Daddy's producers - who call themselves "Hit Men" - Angellettie also runs his own Columbia Records label called Crazy Cat Catalogue.

He has produced some of the rap world's biggest records, including Puff Daddy and the Family's "No Way Out" and Mases's "Harlem World."

Washington told The Associated Press that Angellettie was furious because the December/January issue of Blaze has a "postage-stamp-sized photo" of him above a music review of the Madd Rapper's new single, "Gonna Beat Ya'll."

Washington said "it was widely known in the industry" that Angellettie was the Madd Rapper, and he didn't know why he was so upset.

The Village Voice identified Angellettie as the Mad Rapper last July.

Washington said Angellettie called him Monday and said he was coming over to his office for a chat.

When the four showed up, Washington said, "they made it clear they didn't come over to talk."

Washington said he was sitting in a chair when one of the two unidentified men "came up behind me ... grabbed me by the shoulders and neck and threw me to the ground.

"They started kicking me and hitting me with chairs."

As he lay on bleeding on the floor, he said the four calmly walked out.

Washington said he was shocked and angered at the attack.

"I didn't know any of these guys, and they were not after me in particular," he said.

"They just wanted to punch out anyone from Blaze magazine."

Although Angellettie works with Combs, Washington said he was certain Combs had nothing to do with the incident.

"Puffy's name was never mentioned," Washington told The Post.

It was the second time since the magazine's debut that Washington says he has had a brush with violence.

In August, Washington said Fugees guitar player Wyclef Jean pointed a gun at him inside a recording studio because Jean didn't like Blaze's review of an album.

Jean denied the incident happened and called it a publicity stunt.

Washington - a Yale University graduate who wed NYU grad student Lisa Miller in September - said he knew rap could be violent, "but I didn't know the extent. I didn't know how bad the problem was."

-- Angela Allen - 11/19/98