Feb 24th:"Jay-Z Planning Return To Rap " Jay-Z is already plotting his return to rap. The Island Def Jam Music Group President racked up a plethora of accolades in 2004, but has opted to served double duty as CEO and artist. The rapper “retired” from Hip-Hop in 2003 following the release of The Black Album and publicly stated that it would take a “miracle” for him to return. Amidst the emergence of numerous freestyles on the Net and a recent visit to New York City’s Hot 97, Jay-Z recently confirmed what many speculated. “I won't tour, and I am taking a break, but I'll be back,” He confessed to the Page Six Column in the New York Post. "I am planning on recording again.” Sources speculate that a new studio album could be offered from Jay later this year. Additionally, Jay reportedly has albums from Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz and Foxy Brown lined up this year. -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Feb 24th:" Mystikal Eligible For Parole This Year, Writing New Material " Incarcerated rapper Mystikal is eligible for parole in December of this year and has already begun plotting his rap comeback, according to an insider within his camp. "He's being treated real well, using the time to re-focus on some things," the source told AllHipHop.com. "He's been writing a lot. I believe he's got over 20 new songs that he's written already." Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Tyler, was sentenced in January 2004 to six years in prison for allegedly assaulting his former hairstylist. Under Louisiana state law, Mystikal was to be eligible for parole after two years. Judge Anthony Marabella also mandated that the New Orleans rapper register with the state of Louisiana as a sex offender. "He's already been in the service, so the routine is familiar to him. He is a very disciplined person," said the source of. "He's very focused on doing his time, getting it over with, getting that behind him." Police arrested Mystikal and two bodyguards for threatening to turn in the rapper's former hairstylist to police if she did not have oral sex with them, after she allegedly cashed $80,000 worth of unauthorized checks from Mystikal's bank account. Mystikal was initially charged on July 18, 2002 with extortion and aggravated rape, which, in Louisiana carries a mandatory life sentence without probation. Mystikal's lawyer, J. David Bourland, was able to lessen the charges down to sexual battery in exchange for a guilty plea. Police said they found a videotape of the alleged assault on July 19, 2002. As part of negotiations, the prosecutor agreed to seal the videotape and exclude it as evidence in the case. Upon the judge's request, however, the prosecution allowed the judge to view the tape. The two bodyguards involved in the assault also pleaded guilty. Vercy Carter was sentenced to four years in jail and Leland Ellis, up to three years. Judge Marabella reportedly read Mystikal's sentence with visible contempt. "The court is convinced that the defendant believes he is above the law and can take the law into his own hands. You received a significant break when the district attorney reduced the charges," said the judge according to the Baton Rouge newspaper The Advocate at the time of the trial. "When I read the things that were said to him after his sentencing from the judge, I'm like, these people don't have a clue who this person really is," said the source. "He's built buildings, he gives money to the colleges - and this was all before any of this went on. He has served his country. He served his community on a regular basis." Prior to negotiations, Mystikal performed community service and underwent sexual assault counseling. The rapper also settled with the woman for an undisclosed amount to prevent her from filing a civil suit against him. Mystikal said he expresses his gratitude for those who have reached out with positive feedback and encouragement via written correspondence or other means. "He's been getting a lot of mail. The fans have been supportive, family has been real supportive of course, and the hip-hop industry in general has been supportive," said the insider. "People who have not contacted him directly have sent messages through the label or through his people." Under the conditions of the sentence, Judge Marabella ruled that Mystikal would have to serve five years of probation for extortion after he is released from prison. The rapper would return to jail for up to 10 more years if he violated any of the probation terms. Mystikal is currently serving time in Elayn Hunt Correctional Facility in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Feb 24th:" C-Murder Shoots Video In Jail, Angers Sheriff " C-Murder's upcoming album and music video featuring scenes of the incarcerated rapper inside prison have reportedly irked a New Orleans, Louisiana sheriff. During his long hiatus from the rap industry, C-Murder, whose real name is Corey, Miller, has remained active, recording an album called The Truest S**t I Ever Said, his first since 2002. The New Orleans-bred rapper was charged with second-degree murder for allegedly killing a 16-year-old inside a nightclub. Miller was found guilty in 2003, but his conviction was thrown out last April. The rapper has been in prison for more than three years and is currently awaiting a murder trial. In a premature version of a music video for the album's single "Y'all Heard of Me," Miller is seen in jail wearing an orange prison suit and complaining about racial profiling against blacks, the Associated Press reported. The music video also reportedly features former Cash Money rapper B.G. performing for a large crowd near the New Orleans housing projects where Miller and his brothers Percy (Master P) and Vyshonne, (Silkk the Shocker) were raised. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee told the AP that he was unaware of Miller's album and subsequent music video until Wednesday (Feb. 23) after The AP requested an interview with the rapper from prison. Lee has called Miller's music video and recordings deceitful and without consent. "Suffice it to say, I'm not pleased," Lee told the AP. "The only thing I'll say is, he will not make another video while he's in my jail." Miller's lawyer, Ron Rakosky, maintains that two film crews were granted permission from the sheriff's office to interview Miller inside jail. According to Rakosky, the music video footage was filmed by crews for Court TV and a local cable-access show. "The bottom line is, we didn't do anything wrong," said Rakosky, who added that he has urged Miller to keep rapping while imprisoned. "Here's a guy in jail, making constructive use of his time instead of withering away," Rakosky continued. "He's lost more than three years of his life, locked up for a crime he did not commit. At least he's not just sitting there, wasting away." -provided by allhiphop.com                   discuss Feb 24th:" 50 CENT pushed up" 50 Cent's highly anticipated album The Massacre which was scheduled to hit stores on March 8th will be out a few days earlier, on March 3rd. The album has already leaked on the Internet and the streets. The album features production and apperances from Dr. Dre, Eminem , Scott Storch, Jamie Foxx, Olivia and more. One of the most contoversial songs on the album is "Piggy Bank" where 50 takes shots at Jadakiss, Kelis, Nas , Shyne and Fat Joe. Speaking of Fat Joe, the Bronx MC is plotting a response to the track which will be featured on his sixth album All Or Nothing. The album will feature production from Timbaland, Cool & Dre, Swizz Beatz, Scott Storch and much more. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Feb 24th:"SISQO pregnant??? " Hip hop thong master Sisqo and his European Pop/R&B singer girlfriend Samantha Mumba are expecting to become parents later this year. Samantha is said to be 4 months pregnant. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Feb 24th:" LIL JON, PHARRELL, JAY Z change their phone #'s!! " Lil Jon, Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams' mobile numbers were recently posted on the Internet after a computer hacker lifted the digits from Reality TV star Paris Hilton's cell phone. Paris Hilton is finding more than her body exposed on the Internet after computer hackers posted phone numbers online that had been stored in her cell phone. The New York Daily News reported Monday that it was unclear how the numbers got posted on the Internet, but the incident happened just days after a 22-year-old man pleaded guilty to breaking into a cell phone company's protected computer and gaining access to records for millions of customers. Earlier this week, Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz picked up the Roc The Mic Award at MTV's TRL Awards. The King Of Crunk took the opportunity to tell fans to stop calling his cell phone. "Stop calling on my cell phone! I know y'all got the number off the Internet through Paris [Hilton]. Stop calling me. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Feb 24th:" School accepts HIV student (jamaica) " WESTERN BUREAU: ONE OF two HIV-positive boys who had been turned away from a private school in St. Ann, will start in September, HIV advocates say. The plight of the boys came to national attention on February 11 of this year when it was reported that they were booted from school because of their HIV-positive status. "The Ministry of Education made an arrangement for the (first) school to take the younger child (who is eight)," said Mrs. Donna Marie Hamilton-Ross, chairperson of the St. James Parish AIDS Action Committee. One school has agreed to take him, "but not until September," she said. The school is saying that the older boy is two months too told and therefore they cannot take him. FINAL DECISIONS "They have taken a legal loophole to say that the older one couldn't go but he was accepted at first," Mrs. Hamilton-Ross commented. "(He) has lesions so they are afraid. Plus they resent the way that it (the situation) was handled." Under the Education Ministry's HIV Management Policy for schools, no school should turn students away for this reason. Private institutions, although they work within the guidelines and framework of the Ministry of Education, may exercise their own options. "The school thinks we should have left it alone and gone somewhere else," Mrs. Hamilton-Ross said. While somewhat appeased by the prospect that one of the two children will get access to education, Mrs. Hamilton-Ross said the children are still not in school. "The students are still out of school so we are getting tutors for them and signing them up for activities that they can learn from," said Mrs. Hamilton-Ross, who stressed her concern for the older of the two boys who, "needs the fellowship." Mrs. Hamilton-Ross criticised what she cited as the duality of the Jamaican society. "Behave responsibly," she said. "Show that you are part of a community and accept the fact that we all live around HIV and are all affected (by it)." -provided by jamaica-gleaner.com                   discuss Feb 24th:" John Hype's new 'formila' " ALTHOUGH NOW FAR removed from the public's eye, John Hype has still managed to do what he does best. The dancer, despite the recent tragedy of having his house torched and his life threatened, has found time to compose a new dance move titled the 'Formila'. The move is based on a new rhythm 'Di Formila', which was made by producer Alamo from Alamo Records. Hype told THE STAR that the inspiration came as soon as he heard the track from the producer. "I just listened to the rhythm and a vibe start come to me and I just made it," he stated. " To come up with everything, it took me about one day." Can't feel good Though it may seem that because he was able to create a new dance he has forgotten about his recent trouble, Hype says the reality stares him in the face every day. "I feel good inna mi body, but deep inside mi can't feel better cause yu dun know how it go already," he said. "Some people still have two minds bout the whole incident, so yu can't be sure what are everybody's intentions." He noted, however, that like nature itself, he cannot help doing what he knows best. He has built the 'Formila' dance, and is hopeful of going out to a session soon. "Mi still have my security round me but mi can't just stop partying cause party a mi life. Mi feel mi a go out in the near future, but mi caa seh where or when," he announced. Even while displaying optimism and making plans of when he would release the dance, John pointed out that the series of incidents which followed Bogle's murder not only affected him and Beenie Man, but the entire music industry. "I feel good in body, but this was a whole set back fi everybody. It was a set back fi me, fi the dancehall, the dancer dem, and fi the music. Everybody feel it." -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Feb 18th:"LOWE FREE...Reggae Boy beat drug charge rap ? " JAMAICA STRIKER ONANDI Lowe was freed of drug charges in Northampton Crown Court in London, England today. Lowe, who was accused of attempting to possess more than a kilogramme of crack cocaine, was freed after the 12 member jury returned a not guilty verdict. The prosecution alleged that Lowe was "part of a chain of supply" who signed for a package which originally held more than £100,000 worth of the drug at his home in Northamptonshire. The drugs had actually been removed by drugs officers in Miami after the box arrived from the Caribbean. Lowe has told the court that he was accepting the package as a favour for a friend who had no permanent address in the UK and he had no idea the box held drugs. Lowe, 31, - who has 65 caps for the Reggae Boyz the Jamaica national football team, - came to Britain in 2001 and has played for Port Vale, Rushden and Diamonds and Coventry City. He earned more than £4,500 per month through football and also took appearance and goals bonuses. No need to smuggle In closing on Thursday, defence counsel Mark Graffius told the jury that Lowe was a successful footballer who had no need to smuggle drugs. "He has bettered himself, he has signed for Coventry. He is sending money home and built his mother a house," said counsel. "He is flying at this point. With all that going for him do you think you can really be sure of his guilt? "Can you exclude the possibility that he has been set up? "The bottom line is you cannot exclude that possibility and you cannot be sure. It is now the case that there is only one safe verdict and that is one of not guilty." Lowe, now of Finsbury Park, north London, denies one charge of attempting to possess a class A drug with intent to supply. He was arrested on April 14 last year after police filmed him signing for the package which held 1.17kg of the drug at a purity of 71% cocaine.If convicted, the maximum sentence he could have faced is of life imprisonment. -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Feb 18th:"BEENIE FRAMED? Deejay sings of innocence " BEENIE MAN HAS cried on television and pleaded his innocence in many interviews but still many persons do not believe that he was not involved in Bogle's death. So the deejay has resorted to one other thing ­ he is now singing about it. His most recent song, Frame I an' I has been blasting across our airwaves since last week and has caused quite a lot of chatter. The song was recorded at Beenie Man's home studio, 'Kiddies Room' last week Thursday, and will be released on the Don Corleone label by Monday. In explaining his reason for recording the song, which took Beenie and co-writer Don Maffia only ten minutes to word, he told THE STAR that there are many influential persons who want to see his demise so they used Bogle's death as an opportunity to frame him. "This song is just to clear the air. Bad mind and envious people a call up mi name seh a me kill mi fren an people trying to frame us and keep us down, while turning a blind eye as to what is happening, and this is what the song is all about. It is to clear me and my friend name," Beenie said. Public chatter Since Bogle's death, there has been constant public chatter that Beenie is aware of the circumstances surrounding Bogle's death. Rumours have also circulated that there are reprisal attacks being planned for the deejay. The latter rumour is one which the deejay is taking seriously. He says he has received several death threats and has increased the security around him. "If yuh all have entertainer a plan fi kill yuh, yuh haffi do dat, and if di heat push on, mi a guh reveal di name. I have been to countries after that and other parishes and I still get love, but mi can't guh a Jungle, an dis a wah bad-minded people did want from long time," he explained. The truth As for the song itself, Beenie hopes that it will shed some light on the truth. "The truth will set us free and the song is the truth. I am already free, and none of my friends are suspects," he added. Patrick Roberts, Beenie Man's manager, says the song has been doing quite well in terms of the response he has been getting. "The feedback has been great, we have been getting the kind of feedback that a hit tune would. Everywhere you go, people a call fi it," Roberts said. -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Feb 18th:"Tanya for 24th Raggamuffins Festival " TANYA STEPHENS WILL fly off to California this weekend to participate in the 24th Annual Raggamuffins Festival in Long Beach, and The Bob Marley Day celebrations in San Diego and San Francisco. Stephens is scheduled to perform on Saturday, February 19 at the Long Beach Arena, Monday February 21 at the San Diego Sports Arena, and Saturday February 26 at the Billy Graham Civic Auditorium. The 24th Annual Raggamuffins Festival features top reggae and Caribbean artistes performing the best of roots, dancehall, and old-school. Traditionally, the performers attract nearly 30,000 attendees over both days. -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Feb 18th:"WILL SMITH hating on EMINEM??" Five years after being ridiculed on Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady," the former Fresh Prince apparently has some words for Em. Insiders say Smith's upcoming Lost And Found is a deliberate departure from his usually clean cut music. The album features a track entitled "Mr. Nice Guy" on which Big Willie addresses his good guy image and disses Slim in the process. The album features production from DJ Jazzy Jeff, Timbaland and guest appearances from Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige. -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Feb 18th:"Comedian Bill Cosby has learned he will not face charges " Comedian Bill Cosby has learned he will not face charges stemming from a woman's allegation he fondled her. Pennsylvania authorities found "insufficient credible and admissible evidence" to support the woman's claims. Cosby's accuser told authorities in her native Canada last month that the funnyman gave her medication which made her feel dizzy, then fondled her at his suburban Philadelphia home after a dinner out with friends in January 2004. She said she later awoke to find her bra undone and her clothes in disarray. Cosby has denied the allegations. The District attorney has said that the accuser's year-long delay in coming forward, and her contact with Cosby in the past year, weighed in the comedian's favor. -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Feb 11th:"did SUPERHEAD catch DIDDY and FARNSWORTH in bed? " Karrine Steffans (also known as Super-Head) is writing a tell-all about the many R&B and Hip-Hop stars she has slept with. Recently, she was overheard saying that she will tell many stories about P. Diddy's personal escapades including one night that she came in very late from an event and caught P.Diddy in the bed with Farnsworth Bentley. While many rumors have come forward before, this is the first time it will be documented. -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Feb 11th:"BILL COSBY in more hot water!! " A semi-retired California lawyer yesterday joined a Canada woman in accusing comedian Bill Cosby of drugging and groping her. Tamara Green, 57, claimed Cosby peeled off her clothes and "tried to rape me" 30 years ago after providing what she thought were two decongestant pills at a Los Angeles restaurant he owned. Cosby's lawyer said the comedian had never met Green. "I was a starry-eyed 20-year-old wannabe and he was this famous guy," "I was introduced to him by a mutual friend, a doctor. Green said she auditioned for Cosby to join his production firm, then began working with him on a new nightclub venture. After she phoned in sick one day, he invited her to lunch, suggesting food would help, she claimed. "He gave me (some pills) ... this was Bill Cosby so I thought it was okay! I lost all motor co-ordination and he said, 'you look sick' and offered to drive me home." Once there, he removed her clothes, Green alleged. Dazed but resisting, "I told him. 'you'll have to kill me'." Cosby left "after I threw a lamp at him. He tossed $200 onto a table, which really p...d me off." After dressing, Green said, "I ... went after him because I wanted to throw the $200 in his face." But the restaurant was closed. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Feb 11th:"R KELLY caught having SEX in the KITCHEN " It's official: "Sex in the Kitchen" is R. Kelly's choice for the first single off his upcoming album. The record hit mixtapes a few weeks ago, and now his camp says the R. will be shooting a video soon. And what was said about his as yet untitled next LP, "Its a very sexy album". Kelly has already moved on to his next two projects while finishing up the impending solo release. He's producing on the new album by Syleena Johnson and playing the role of executive producer on a forthcoming solo effort by Charlie Wilson of the Gap Band. Wilson is already six songs deep into his album, and besides collaborations with Kelly, he's going to be teaming up with Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Feb 11th:"Queen Of Denmark Takes On Missy Elliott In Logo Dispute " Missy Elliott’s line of clothing Respect ME with sports giant adidas, hit a bump in the road - courtesy of the Queen of Denmark. Queen Margrethe II complained that Elliott’s logo, which the superstar rapper/producer designed herself, infringed on the Royal monogram. “Adidas has never intended to copy the crown or any other symbols of the Royal family in Denmark or in any other country,” adidas Corporate PR Manager Anne Putz told AllHipHop.com. “The adidas design team worked directly with Missy Elliott on the logo which was created from the fact, that Missy Elliott is known as the queen of hip-hop. That's why the logo ended up as a crown with the M.E. monogram resembling Missy Elliott underneath.” Elliott and adidas announced the partnership and creation of the Respect ME line in April of 2004, with hopes of tapping into Elliott’s fan base and the women’s urban market. The Queen is demanding the logo be changed on the clothing line, which launched globally in November of 2004. Reports stated that adidas withdrew the line in Denmark, due to the threat of legal action from the Danish royal household. Elliott’s partnership with the German sportswear giant, is the first with an entertainer since adidas’ landmark deal with Run-DMC in 1986. -provided by allhiphop.com                   discuss Feb 11th:"Vybz Kartel freed of assault charges " DEEJAY ADIDJAH 'VYBZ Kartel' Palmer, Julius Watson and Anthony Wright were freed of assault charges in the Spanish Town RM court on Friday but a warrant was issued for fellow deejay Desmond 'Ninja Man' Ballentine. When the case was mentioned, Ninja Man was absent and as a result, the case against the three men was dismissed for want of prosecution and a warrant issued for his arrest. The men were before the court following an incident at the Sting Reggae show in Portmore, St. Catherine, in 2003. Reports are that at about 6:00 a.m. on December 27, Ninja Man was on stage performing when an altercation development between himself and Vybz Kartel. Ninja Man was attacked and beaten by Kartel and the other accused men. He sought medical attention and they were all charged with disorderly conduct and assault occasioning bodily harm. They made numerous court appearances, however, after a few appearances, Ninja Man has not been appearing. -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Feb 4th:"ANTHONY ANDERSON cleared of all rape charges! " Barbershop star Anthony Anderson is now completely free of his legal woes, after Tennessee prosecutors decided not to pursue rape charges against him. The 34-year-old actor, along with film director Wayne Witherspoon, 43, stood accused of attacking a 25-year-old female extra last summer on the set of the Sundance Film Festival success Hustle & Flow. But a judge threw out the case in the autumn, saying testimony by the accuser was some of the most suspicious he had heard in 20 years. The accuser's former boyfriend reportedly testified at a preliminary hearing that she told him that she was falsely making her claim to extract money from Anderson and Witherspoon. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Feb 4th:"Irv and Chris Gotti pleaded not guilty" Rap moguls Irv and Chris Gotti pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of laundering more than $1 million in drug proceeds through their record label, the Inc. (formerly Murder Inc.), in federal court in Brooklyn. The brothers, who surrendered to authorities Wednesday morning (January 26), were released after a $1 million bond was posted for each. They face up to 20 years in prison. The convicted drug lord they are alleged to be in partnership with, Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, and several of his associates face the death penalty for homicide. The brothers' next court date is scheduled for March 18. After the hearing, Irv Gotti made a brief statement. "I'm gonna give you guys one comment. I want to make it very crystal clear that I don't look [badly] at the government in any way, shape or form for them thinking I'm doing anything wrong. I call myself Gotti, I made my label Murder Inc., I grew up poor, from the street. But I don't look bad at them for thinking ill things of me. In no way have I done anything wrong except make great music that people seem to love. That's all I'm guilty of". -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Feb 4th:"ANTHONY ANDERSON cleared of all rape charges! " Barbershop star Anthony Anderson is now completely free of his legal woes, after Tennessee prosecutors decided not to pursue rape charges against him. The 34-year-old actor, along with film director Wayne Witherspoon, 43, stood accused of attacking a 25-year-old female extra last summer on the set of the Sundance Film Festival success Hustle & Flow. But a judge threw out the case in the autumn, saying testimony by the accuser was some of the most suspicious he had heard in 20 years. The accuser's former boyfriend reportedly testified at a preliminary hearing that she told him that she was falsely making her claim to extract money from Anderson and Witherspoon. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Feb 4th:"New violence erupts in Mountain View " AFTER MORE THAN a year of ceasefire and less than six months after a police station was opened, fighting has again erupted on Mountain View Avenue, Kingston. This time the warring is between rivals gangs on Jacques Road and it has left the community very tense. The area resembled a ghost town yesterday.But, shortly after moving to another part of the community, two men were seen with hand guns walking down the road. Other men were seen on the side-walks talking in low tones as some residents looked through their windows. Residents say the fighting began on the weekend but it was not until Tuesday night that the shooting started. They were uncertain as to what caused the current stand-off as they said prior to Tuesday night no one was killed in the area and things were calm. Internal difference "Right now we nuh know what a gwaan because a jus' pure shot a fire. Right now we siddung here so a look out but we a expect seh anyting can happen so we a prepare fi run if nutten start," said a resident. They pointed out, however, that the fighting was between men from the community and no other area. Police and residents confirmed that already a man was shot and injured and the car of another man was burnt. "Not even shop open because we nuh know what a gwaan. We hear shot a fire an' people a seh it betta we stay in so we only come now but we a go back in," said another resident. Late yesterday police revealed the feud stemmed from a dispute between men from top and bottom Jacques Road. "Another man was shot this (Wednesday) afternoon and shots were fired in the area last night and a short while ago. It seems to be an internal difference between the men," Sergeant Garey Duncan of the Mountain View Police Station, said. "The Mobile Reserves are in the area now as we speak, as we are trying to maintain a presence." -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Feb 4th:"Naomi Cambell turns Usher Down?" Supermodel Naomi Campbell has refused to pose with ex-boyfriend Usher for Vogue For Men's magazine cover - and demanded she be pictured with rapper Sean 'P Diddy' Combs instead. Usher and Naomi ended their three-month romance last month amid reports of a series of drama. And Naomi was reportedly furious when the publication asked her to reunite with Usher for their cover, insisting she will only attend next month's photo shoot if her pal P Diddy is with her///coming up an update in the anthony anderson rape case and you'll never guess for what product LL COOL J will be in a commercial for. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Feb 4th:"Irv and Chris Gotti turn themselves in" Murder Inc. founder Irv "Gotti" Lorenzo, the hip-hop record label behind superstars Ja Rule and Ashanti, was charged on Wednesday with laundering more than $1 million in drug money from a multistate crack and heroin operation. Gotti, who named his company after a crime syndicate and borrowed his nickname from a Mafia don, made no secret of his friendship with Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, one of New York's most notorious drug lords. "They don't call it gangster rap for nothing," said Frederick Snellings, special agent-in-charge of the FBI's New York criminal division. "It's pretty clear that the image isn't accidental." McGriff, already in prison on a gun violation, was charged with drug dealing, racketeering and three murders. Federal prosecutors said Gotti, his brother and business partner, Chris Lorenzo, and their associates accepted frequent deliveries of McGriff's drug cash at their Manhattan offices. In exchange, Gotti cut McGriff more than $280,000 in business and personal checks and paid for tens of thousands of dollars worth of his travel and hotel costs, prosecutors charge. Ja Rule's manager and at least seven other Gotti and McGriff associates also have been charged in the case. Gotti and his brother were released on $1 million bonds Wednesday afternoon after pleading not guilty in federal court in Brooklyn. Gotti's lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, said the brothers had been unfairly targeted for trying to help a respected figure from the rough Queens neighborhood where they grew up. McGriff's lawyer, Robert Simels, said his client told him from prison Wednesday that "it's a shame that people who tried to help him in a legitimate way are involved in defending themselves in a criminal case." The indictment seeks to seize Gotti's personal property and two of his music companies but does not target Murder Inc. itself. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Feb 4th:"Sizzla Jailed" REGGAE SINGER SIZZLA was yesterday sentenced to serve 15 days in jail for the language he used at the Red Label wine East Fest concert held on Christmas Day in St Thomas, but up to press time yesterday, lawyers acting on his behalf were preparing an appeal for the sentence. The singer was given the sentence in the Yallahs Resident Magistrate's Court, two weeks after pleading guilty there to the charge of using indecent language. His attorney Charmaine Rhoden had entered the guilty plea on his behalf, and had apologised to the court for Sizzla's actions. On that day (January 19), the presiding Magistrate Bertram Linton accepted the plea, but postponed handing down the judgment until yesterday. The Constabulary Communications Network, the police's information arm, that the singer was sentenced to 15 days in jail, and would spend it in the Yallahs Lockup. Road block As news of the judgement broke out, some residents of August Town, the community where Sizzla is originally from, headed to the streets of that community, blocking a section the August Town main road with debris, protesting the 15 day sentence. The police and other residents later cleared this however as news spread that an appeal was being made on Sizzla's behalf. At his previous court appearance, dozens of supporters lined the perimeter of the courthouse which was heavily guarded by police. Immediately after his dismissal from that court session, he was taken to the Traffic Court in Kingston where he answered to an outstanding traffic ticket from 1997. Sizzla is one of Jamaica's most prominent singers, and over the years has developed an enviable reputation as a talented yet uncompromising Reggae entertainer. He has had over 20 albums released to date, and tours extensively for the most part of each year. Several of his supporters at his previous court session claimed that he was being unfairly targeted by the police, as other artistes who were present at the show had used indecent language as well and they were not arrested. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Feb 4th:"Ja rule wanted for questioning" Two bodyguards for Ja Rule are suspected of killing one man and wounding another at a post-Christmas party on December 27th. According to the New York Post, security camera tape seized by the NYPD shows Ja Rule and his entourage coming out of the nightclub and allegedly opened fire. William “Willie Bang Bang” Clark, 39, was fatally wounded and Troy Moore, 37, was wounded. The Post reports that authorities are seeking to question the bodyguards, Ja Rule, his chauffeur and a woman who was with him when the shooting occurred. Ja Rule denied any involvement in the shooting. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 26th:"50 CENT a one handed man?" After largely contributing to the buzz of the reggaeton movement over the past year, Latin star Tego Calderon recently vetoed P. Diddy’s offer to model for his Sean John Spring Collection, in light of the company’s alleged use of sweatshop labor in Central America. Under the conditions of the deal, Calderon was scheduled to appear in several ads across the country including a large billboard posted in Times Square. But according to Tego, he felt disrespected by the company’s reputation and the offer in its entirety. “I heard about the human rights violations in his [P. Diddy] clothing factories in Central America, but frankly there was more," Calderon confessed to the New York Post. "Me faltó el respeto, [he dissed me] with his offer. I just did a $75,000 commercial in Puerto Rico with Nydia Caro. Someone like Puffy could have offered more than $2,000 — but again, it wasn't about the money. I was not persuadable. It was about the principle." After his passing on the offer, Caldreon was shocked to see that fellow Reggaeton artists - most notably Daddy Yankee - weren’t as reluctant to oppose to the deal. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 19th:"John Hype says he knows nuttin" "Mi and Bogle do three show weh day ya in foreign some people a talk bout me kill Bogle; dem nuh know nutten bout me and Bogle thing," he said. "We do one in Bermuda, New York and Atlanta. Down to wah day ya, we deh over Jagga B; a me and him dem call pon the stage; we hug up and a party. Wha kind of vibes me coulda have gainst him fi would kill him?" Different flavour "Its a different flavour we bring inna the thing cause we a dance and we a deejay. A just so illiterate people stay, so why is me haffi suffer fi that? Him never harm me yet, him never hurt me yet, so why me waa hurt him? Me and him never have a fight yet?. As far as John is concerned, despite his personal losses, his focus is to help change the view that he is linked to the killing. "The plan right now is fi get my name clear. That is my aim to the world cause this is not nuh little thing; the whole world a call my name a seh me this and me that. me is a star, my name nuh fi inna dem ting ya. Mi waa mek it clear to the world seh dem fi stop judge me. Me and Bogle never have anything....The negative people a dem a spread the negative word; a dem a talk all type a things and nuh know nutten; just a jump the gun and a seh ray, and dem nuh know nutten." -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 21st:"Bogles death may spark war" BATTLE LINES HAVE been drawn, the war flag has been hoisted and guns are rearing to go. This is what residents in the neighbouring areas of St. Andrew, where dancers Bogle and John Hype have strong alliances, say is the talk on everyone's lips since yesterday when Bogle was killed. The residents say an all out war is expected as men from both sides have sworn to wipe out each other in retaliation of the killing and the bombing of Hype's house. Bogle was shot dead at a service station on Constant Spring Road, St. Andrew yesterday by gunmen travelling on motorbikes. a few hours later, Hype's home on Dillon Avenue, a few metres away from Bogle's residence on Black Roses Corner, Lincoln Avenue, was bombed. No one was hurt in that incident. "Nobody from round there can't come round here and nobody from round 'ere ca'an go round dere," "Anybody come cross a pure gunshot; dem bwoy deh fi dead out and bun out," another resident added.' The Lincoln road residents swore revenge. They did not limit their revenge to Hype alone, but other men "who him parr wid." Make blood run They say they are prepared to make blood run for their hero as despite "what difference Bogle had with dem, we coulda start shoot long time, but is just music. Now gunshot is the only music dem gwine hear." The men at the section of the area where John Hype is from, are convinced that he is innocent but hinted that they are willing to defend themselves if push comes to shove. They pointed out that the men who bombed his house could have killed someone innocent as even if he is in a friction, his family is not. Late yesterday, Beenie Man's record company, Shocking Vibes, announced it is offering $1million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Bogle's killer(s). Mark Johnson, Bogle's publicist said the reward was decided after a meeting with Beenie Man, Patrick Roberts, Ice, John Hype, members of the Black Roses Crew and other members of the entertainment fratenity. "We are certain that rumors that Beenie Man and John Hype are responsible for this have no basis,' he said. The minute the news of Bogle's death hit the area, the police began making preparations to prevent any retaliation. A curfew has been imposed in sections of the area in an effort to prevent an escalation of the brewing war. Tension high "The tension is high down there and so we have to put measures in place to ensure that nothing happens. We have spoken to them (the residents), the Member of Parliament has spoken to them," deputy superintendent Delroy Hewitt, in charge of operations at the Kingston Western Division said. The curfew extends along Rousseau Road, Lincoln Crescent, Lincoln Avenue to the south, Beechwood Avenue to the east, Anthony Road and Ransford Road to the West and Dillon Avenue to the North. DSP Hewitt said that while they hoped the residents will heed their pleas for peace, the police will continue to closely monitor the situation. "We can only hope, but in the meantime we can only put things in place to ensure that nothing happens," he said. -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Jan 20th:"Popular dancer killed" Popular dance hall personality Gerald Levy otherwise called "Bogle" has been killed. He was shot by gunmen Thursday morning along Constant Spring Road in St. Andrew. Police investigators are still putting together details of the incident but initial reports are that "Bogle", who has featured as a dancer in several dance-hall videos, was one of five persons shot in the incident which took place shortly after two o'clock Thursday morning. According to the reports "Bogle" and other members of his crew were at the weekly "Weddy Weddy" street dance when they became involved in a heated argument with a group of men. They left the session but were followed on to Constant Spring Road where the men opened fire at them. Five persons including a woman were shot. They were taken to hospital where the popular dancer was pronounced dead and the others admitted with what have been described as life threatening injuries. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 19th:"P DIDDY gets DISSED by reggaeton artist TEGO CALEDERON?" After largely contributing to the buzz of the reggaeton movement over the past year, Latin star Tego Calderon recently vetoed P. Diddy’s offer to model for his Sean John Spring Collection, in light of the company’s alleged use of sweatshop labor in Central America. Under the conditions of the deal, Calderon was scheduled to appear in several ads across the country including a large billboard posted in Times Square. But according to Tego, he felt disrespected by the company’s reputation and the offer in its entirety. “I heard about the human rights violations in his [P. Diddy] clothing factories in Central America, but frankly there was more," Calderon confessed to the New York Post. "Me faltó el respeto, [he dissed me] with his offer. I just did a $75,000 commercial in Puerto Rico with Nydia Caro. Someone like Puffy could have offered more than $2,000 — but again, it wasn't about the money. I was not persuadable. It was about the principle." After his passing on the offer, Caldreon was shocked to see that fellow Reggaeton artists - most notably Daddy Yankee - weren’t as reluctant to oppose to the deal. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 18th:"Nelly says "Chingy Has A Problem Being A Man"" Nelly has promptly responded to fellow St. Louis rapper Chingy's dis record "We Got," which is featured on AllHipHop.com. In the song, Chingy also takes issue with his cross-town rival and former mentor Ludacris of Disturbing Tha Peace Records. A normally cheerful Chingy spews, "I heard that song, boy; it ain't another, boy. Better keep my name out your mouth, boy/ ... I been discovered, boy; that's why you hatin', boy/ ... The media hyped you, boy/ KRS crushed you, boy/ ... Put up the chains, bars and the platinum teeth, boy/ And bring the drama beef, trouble to the streets, boy/ You started it, boy/ Well, I'mma finish, boy." Immediately, Nelly dismissed the rougher notions expressed in the song. "[I saw him] at the Radio Music Awards [in Las Vegas]. My album came out in September. The awards were in October. My album was [bootlegged] even earlier in St. Louis," Nelly told AllHipHop.com. "So he had plenty of time to hear that and I am sure people brought it to his attention, so if he had a problem he could have said it face to face." On Sweat, Nelly offered a single line aimed at Chingy without directly stating his name, a lyric he said was blown out of proportion. In a mid-western slang, Nelly lamented, "The song says, 'I like it how you do it right thurr [there]/You just to remember why you do that right thurr.' That is all the truth and I am like 'I am not lying to you, little guy.' I could have said "F**k that right thurr." Chingy expressed his issues with Nelly to MTV, stating, "I'm tired of these guys - I'm talking about Ludacris and Nelly - I'm tired of these guys taking shots at me in all these interviews and songs [with] subliminal shots. Business is business. I'm the one who sold three million records, and I'm still getting money back that [Disturbing Tha Peace] had in their possession. Ludacris knows what I'm talking about." Chingy departed Luda’s DTP crew last year. While Ludacris wasn't available for comment, a rep for Nelly pointed out that the rapper's Country Grammar moved 9 million units and his sophomore effort, Nellyville, sold upwards of 6 million. "Chingy has a problem with standing up and being a man so if this [is] what he wants to do, I will help him," Nelly said, visibly angered. Not only is this beef more-or-less personal, Nelly said it was disrespectful considering he's the trail blazing artist of St. Louis Hip-Hop. "I have to [reply], I am still a rapper first - I can show you contrary to rumor. He is not the first one to take shots at me," Nelly said recollecting his highly flammable beef with KRS-One. "But this one affects me on a personal level because he is from St. Louis and this is a different relationship. Had this been any other rapper, I would have brushed it off and kept it moving." At press time, Nelly had not released his dis record. He still has a pair of albums, Sweat and Suit, lingering on the Billboard Charts. -provided by allhiphop.com                   discuss Jan 18th:"Pitbull talks hip hop " Miami rapper Pitbull hopes 2005 will be a banner year, having recently landed a new endorsment deal with Sean John, along side P. Diddy, Lil Wayne, TI and Lloyd. The bilingual rapper recently released a new single "Toma" featuring Lil Jon and spoke of his strong latin roots. "When I was starting out in Miami, other rappers were afraid to speak Spanish," Pitbull told AllHipHop.com. "They thought it was corny. That's the reason that Luke signed me in '99, cause I did English and Spanish." Pitbull stayed with Luke Skywalker Records until his contract expired and then decided to sign with TVT records. With influences from Dade County, Atlanta, Bass, and Latin music Pitbull continues to think smart. "TVT lets me do me," Pitbull said. "My approach is different. My style is versatile. I'm not pigeon holed as an artist." On his debut TVT Records release M.I.A.M.I. (Money Is A Major Issue), which is approaching gold record sales, Pitbull worked with the Diaz Brothers who have been producing for him since 2001. He also worked with producers Jim Johnson and his lablemate Lil Jon. "Jon knows what the people want. If your music isn't playing in the clubs, you might as well stop making music," Pitbull said. Rappers featured on the album are Trick, Fat Joe, Picalo, and Obie. His vicious lyrics give him street credibility and the popularity needed to make it in today's industry. "My goal is to rock n**gas in the north. At first they didn't want to let us [southern rappers] in, but we learned how to rap and now we're taking this shit over," he continued. "I can't wait to go to the Puerto Rican Day Parade, with a bunch of Chevys kitted up with different interiors, and show them how we do it in Miami. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 18th:"New rap city- new host " Today begins a new "Rap City" on BET where Hip-Hop has finally left the basement and will now reside in a brand new, modern set. Along with the set, Mad Linx will replace Big Tigger as the host of the highly rated show, starting today. "It's a brand new set, a brand new look," Linx told AllHipHop.com. "We're going to be bringing the hottest in Hip-Hop. It's completely sexy. BET put their foot in it." While Tigger's era in the "Bassment" was more in tune with Hip-Hop's earlier years, Linx said the new set reflects the diversity of the rap nation. "I can't speak for what the network was going for, but as a whole our generation has gotten older. Some of our hottest artists are in their 30's," he said. "This [set] represents that." Another change will be the absence of freestyles with the artists."That was Tigger's lane and I'm going to stay in my lane. I would completely embarrass myself, but he did that very well," he said. Linx has other skills aside from rapping. Residents of Tampa, Florida might be familiar with the Queens-born host, because he's also an on-air personality on radio station WLLB Wild 98.7 in the region. In addition, he is a video DJ for EA Sports video game monolith. Through it all, Linx said he felt fortunate to help a new era in "Rap City," which is the longest running Hip-Hop related TV show. "Everything that's going on with me is definitely a blessing," he concluded. -provided by allhiphop.com                   discuss Jan 18th:"is MICHAEL JACKSON the baby daddy AGAIN??" Michael Jackson is denying the accusations of a Los Angeles woman who claims he is the father of her newborn twins. Sholeh Bocchelli has filed court papers claiming the troubled pop star is the biological father of her two sons, who were born late last year. Bocchelli also claims Jackson hasn't let her see the kids, conceived by in-vitro fertilization, since they were born. But Jackson has been quick to respond to the claims. In a statement issued by the star's aides yesterday, he insists, "There is no truth to this accusation." -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 18th:"50 Cent's Louis Vuitton Mansion? " Rapper 50 Cent hopes to team up with top fashion house Louis Vuitton to decorate the mansion he bought from troubled boxer Mike Tyson. The 29-year-old MC, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, is in discussions to plaster the walls of the 18-bedroom house in Farmington, Connecticut, with the distinctive 'LV' logo. But the controversial rap artist says he does not want to have to pay for the work. "Louis Vuitton wants some money, but 50 is saying they will get publicity for it, so they are discussing that now," said a friend. The house boasts 38 bathrooms, a 3500 square foot disco and a 1500 square foot gym. "Tyson decorated it ridiculously," revealed 50's friend. "In every room were gold plaques that read: 'Team Tyson. 50 has to get rid of all that." Tyson, 38, declared bankruptcy in August 2003. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 18th:"Suge Knight Accused of Financing Dr. Dre Assault " Rap mogul Marion 'Suge' Knight paid Jimmy Jones Johnson $5,000 to attack rapper Dr. Dre at the Vibe Awards in November - according to the attacker himself. Johnson has told police Knight hired him to harm and embarrass his former Death Row Records partner Dre - who has a restraining order against the hip-hop boss - as he accepted his Lifetime Achievement Award at the Santa Monica, California ceremony. Knight's lawyer has denied the claims, stating "there is absolutely no truth to it. I am so confident that there is no issue." With a criminal record filled with past felonies, Johnson - who was allegedly stabbed after he punched Dr. Dre - is facing life imprisonment, reports website AllHipHop.com. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 18th:"Young Buck Pleads Not Guilty " As expected, rapper Young Buck (a.k.a. David Darnell Brown) pleaded not guilty Friday to an assault charge for allegedly stabbing Jimmy James Johnson after Johnson allegedly punched his mentor Dr. Dre during the Nov. 15 taping of the Vibe Awards. As previously reported, Johnson pleaded not guilty Monday to a felony assault charge for allegedly hitting Dre in the face after asking for an autograph. Buck turned himself in to police on Nov. 19 after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He’s been free on $500,000 bail. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison, authorities said. Buck is expected back at court Feb. 18 when a court date will be scheduled to determine if there is enough evidence for a trial. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 18th:"Patrons flock to REBEL SALUTE " TONY REBEL'S ANNUAL 'Rebel Salute' show grew to seemingly unprecedented numbers this year. Now in its 12th year, the show captured tremendous local and international media attention, and it lived up to the expectations of being a conscious and entertaining stage show packed with talented acts. But the event was not all smooth sailing. The roads to the Port Kaiser venue in St. Elizabeth could not contain the thousands of vehicles which flooded the streets, and the resulting effects were frustrating to say the least. This problem seemed to have been solved last year, but it returned on Saturday night with deadly effect. From as early as minutes past 9 p.m., the Nain main road was backed up with vehicles for miles, and the situation became compounded by irresponsible drivers jostling for spaces. Even the tiny lanes tucked away in bushes, which were alternative routes, became jammed with vehicles hustling desperately to reach the show. Patrons complained loudly of waiting up to four hours in traffic just to get inside. That problem aside, the show was laced with the requisite hitmakers to ensure a pleasing ride through the night. Harsh words From the talented Jimmy Cliff, who has not performed locally for years, to the harsh words of Anthony B, who finished his abbreviated Sting performance, the pickings on stage for the night were many. Mutabaruka, Terry Linen, Buju Banton, Assassin, Jah Mason, Chezideck, Perfect, Fantan Mojah, I-Wayne, Turbulence, Chuck Fender, Richie Spice, Anthony B all had rewarding moments on stage, although their segments were different. People will probably have their picks for who stole the show, but every artiste listed above secured their respect on the stage. The traffic delays expectedly had its toll on the timing of the show. When Luciano was to hit the stage, it was minutes to 9 a.m. Sunday morning, and Morgan's Heritage and Abdel Wright had not yet performed. Though the morning sun pelted mercilessly, hundreds strolled out but hundreds more stayed inside to watch the show come to its natural end. -provided by www.jamaica-star.com                   discuss Jan 13th:"EMINEM and DAVE MAYS come face-to-face!! " It seems that there is no resolution in sight in the ongoing verbal feud between Eminem and The Source. On Tuesday evening in Detroit, Em and Source co-owner David Mays got into an off-air verbal confrontation at a radio station. Reports are still coming in, but according to sources close to the altercation, Mays was being interviewed at the station for an evening radio program. Some of Mays' words were directed toward Eminem. Shortly thereafter, Eminem arrived at the station with approximately 10 men. While sources say that no violence took place, there was plenty of shouting and four-letter words being flung. Last week, the long-running beef heated up in the wake of a song and video made by Source co-owner Benzino. Neither Eminem, his reps, nor spokespeople for the station would comment on the matter. Mays could not be reached for comment at press time. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 12th:"Nas marries Kelis " To be announced -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 12th:"Man killed in car crash (jamaica)" The car which fell into a ditch along St. Johns Road, St. Catherine, on Sunday. CHRISTOPHER MARRIOT, 26, on Sunday became the fifth person to die in a car accident since the start of the year. Reports from the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) are that about 11:00 a.m., Mr. Marriot was driving a Toyota Corolla motor car, which was operating as a taxi, along the St. Johns Road, Spanish Town, when he reportedly overtook a line of traffic and collided with a Toyota Corolla motor car which was making a right turn. Marriot's car ran off the road into a ditch. The five persons travelling in the vehicle were injured and were taken to the Spanish Town Hospital where Marriott was pronounced dead and the others admitted. The Spanish Town Traffic Department is conducting investigations. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 12th:"Credit card scam cracked (Jamaica)" FRAUD SQUAD DETECTIVES have uncovered a scam in which fradualent Platinum and Visa credit cards linked to addresses in the State of Maryland, United States of America, are being used to make purchases in Jamaica. Deputy Superintendent Fitz Bailey, of the Fraud Squad, said that since the start of the year, the squad's investigations have uncovered four cases where fraudulent credit cards, were used to make purchases. He confirmed yesterday that they have arrested a woman in connection with the scam. Fraud Squad detectives were alerted about the fraudulent credit cards after a bank became suspicious and contacted them. "One person attempted to get a cash advance of US$2,700 at one of the Bank of Nova Scotia branches," The woman, Rena Brimson, was accused of using a credit card under the name Mary Lista and was arrested and charged with uttering forged documents and attempting to obtain money by means of forged documents. The police say the credit cards were used to make purchases varying from $300,000 to US$10,000 ($610,000). They were also used to purchase appliances, plane tickets and to clear goods at customs. Personal information The police also report that fradulent driver's licences from Maryland which bear the name and personal information of the person to whom the credit card belongs were being presented as identification along with the credit cards. Already police theorise that the persons creating the cards get the information about real card owners and this is used to create fradulent credit cards and driver's licence. The scam, which the police say started during the Christmas season, has been fairly difficult to detect by merchants. This is so because the merchants usually receive clearance from the Credit Card Center when the cards are swiped. However later, the fraud is detected when the signatures are found to be fradulent or the owner is found not to be in the island at the time of the purchase. In light of the scam, the police are encouraging merchants to exercise extra caution when accepting credit cards for purchase of goods. Deputy Superintendent Bailey said where possible, the merchants should request local identification. -provided by www.jamaica-star.com                   discuss Jan 12th:"Jay-Z Signs Foxy Brown to Def Jam " Def Jam’s new president Jay-Z has made his first executive decision. Foxy Brown, once rumored to have been Jigga’s first artist on a planned S. Carter imprint, is now the first rapper signed to Def Jam in the label’s new Hova era. In 2001, Def Jam released her album 'Broken Silence,' followed by a project called 'Ill Nana 2: The Fever,' which was never released. Since leaving Def Jam shortly after “Fever,” she’s been recording material for an LP tentatively titled 'Black Roses,' featuring guest spots from Barrington Levy, Dido and Luther Vandross, according to MTV. Other projects to be released under Jay-Z include records from 112, Mariah Carey and Memphis Bleek. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 12th:"D'Angelo Charged With Drunk Driving" R&B star D'Angelo has been charged with drunk driving and possession of drugs after being stopped by police in his native Richmond, Virginia. The singer - real name Michael Eugene Archer - was stopped by cops on Sunday, who discovered "what we believe to be cocaine and marijuana," according to Chesterfield police captain Karl Leonard. Two time Grammy winner D'Angelo, 30, is due in court next Tuesday to face charges of DUI, possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 12th:"TRINA speaks up about her foreclosure" Last week, reports surfaced that the luxury home of Katrina "Trina" Taylor had gone into foreclosure. Official documents revealed a suit filed by Chase Manhattan Mortgage with the 17th Circuit Court of Broward County in September 2004 seeking foreclosure of the Pembroke Pines property, now valued at $300,000. Now, Trina is speaking out calling the reports "inaccurate" and explaining that she has sold the home and is living larger. "The truth is the Trina recently sold her first home, a single family house valued at $300,000 to a lovely married couple," according to her rep CJ Robinson. "The 'Diamond Princess' took up residency 4 years ago and had simply outgrown the property and decided it was time to move into something bigger." And fans wondering whether Trina is having money trouble can rest assured - the 'Diamond Princess' is still living lavish. "She is reportedly spending $3 million dollars on her new digs and knowing her it will be spectacular." -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 12th:"TWISTA'S bodyguard murdered!! " According to reports Twista's bodyguard was shot dead outside the Cafe Allure in Chicago. Sources claim Timothy McClellan who was serving as the head bouncer tried to stop four men from entering the club when one of them began firing recklessly. McClellan, 34, and another man were killed instantly while a third man, shot in the back of the head, was on life support late Saturday. Four patrons were treated at hospitals for gunshot wounds. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 12th:"50 Cents new album-St. Valentine's Day Massacre " 50 Cent will release his sophomore effort, St. Valentine's Day Massacre on March 8th, 2005. 50 had swift success of his multi-platinum debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. "Look out, I'm about to do it again," comments 50 Cent. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 12th:"T.I. gives birth" CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER TO T.I. AND TINY OF XSCAPE FOR THEIR BABY BOY KING. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 12th:"DR DRE attacker in court" Jimmy James Johnson, the man who allegedly initiated the Vibe Awards melee on November 15 by attacking Dr. Dre, pleaded not guilty to assault at his arraignment Monday in Los Angeles. Johnson, whom authorities believe punched Dr. Dre in the face after the producer refused to sign an autograph , remains in custody on a parole violation connected to a previous charge of armed robbery. He is due back in court January 26, when a date for a preliminary hearing will be set. Meanwhile, Young Buck, who has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly stabbing Johnson, will be arraigned on Friday. The G-Unit rapper, whose real name is David Darnell Brown, faces up to eight years in prison if convicted, according to Deputy District Attorney Hamid Towfigh. Lt. Frank Fabrega of the Santa Monica Police Department said investigators are still attempting to identify two other men seen brandishing knives in videotape of the incident. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 12th:"Big hike in minimum wage (Jamaica)" LABOUR minister Horace Dalley last night announced a 20 per cent increase in the national minimum wage, and a 12.5 per cent hike for private security guards, and warned employers of punitive sanctions if they refuse to comply with the new rates. Dalley also reminded employers of private security guards of the latter's right to freedom of association. He said that he would enforce the law to protect the guards' right to join trade unions and negotiate through the collective bargaining process. The minimum wage increase is more than six times the three per cent proposal put forward by employers, and was for them an unpleasant surprise. Last night, the Jamaica Employer's Federation said it was "shocked and concerned about the rationale" for the increase. The government has linked it to inflation, which is now running above 13 per cent. JEF executive director Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd said it appeared that the labour minister had disregarded most of the submissions on what the increase should be, adding however that employers had little choice but to accept the decision. "We have to look now at how to manage this increase," said Coke-Lloyd. The new rates announced by the minister, and which become effective January 31, are as follows: . the national minimum wage moves from $2,000 per week to $2,400 per week; and . the hourly rate for industrial security guards moves from $80 to $90; The security guards have also been granted an increases in their laundry allowance from $16 to $18 per hour; firearm premium allowance from $17 to $20 per hour; and doghandler's premium allowance from $12 to $14 per hour. Dalley said that the increases were predicated on the 13.1 per cent inflation rate between January and November last year and the projection that it will not exceed 14 per cent for the calendar year. The increase, he said, would keep "the most vulnerable Jamaican workers" ahead of inflation. The labour minister said special note was taken of the sacrifice made by public sector workers under the Memorandum of Understanding between government and unions and that the rates were balanced in the interest of those workers, as well as the helpers they employ. Dalley, in an obvious reference to the JEF, said that some groups, in lobbying for a lower increase, "advanced the argument that any double-digit increase in the national minimum wage would lead to the possibility of job loss." Last night, Coke-Lloyd raised that same argument, saying the consequence of a large increase is likely to come later in job cuts as companies recast their figures to factor in the new wage bills, especially those, she said, who were guided by the Memorandum of Understanding between unions and the government which pegged increases at three per cent. The JEF itself was projecting for an average five to six per cent increase, Coke-Lloyd said. "We have seen a 24 per cent decline in the security indus1try already," said Coke-Lloyd, speaking with the Observer. "That could continue." Dalley said however that while a fall-out in employment is possible, "empirical data from a range of developed and developing countries have failed to establish any direct link between these two variables". The JEF proposal would have added $60 to weekly rates. Employers now have to find four times that amount had proposed a $60 increase in the weekly rates which, they said, would be in line with what is affordable for public sector workers, the main employers of household help, whose wages were currently frozen. The federation had also suggested that a higher increase could lead to job cutbacks, as was the case in the private security industry following the last increase. The Jamaica Confederation of Trade Union had proposed a 14 per cent increase in line with the projected calendar inflation rate; the Planning Institute of Jamaica had said that an 11 per cent increase would keep the average low-income household out of poverty, while the Jamaica Household Workers Association had suggested 50 per cent. Coke-Lloyd said that the debate now needs to shift to the cost of living for Jamaicans, and how to properly manage that on a 'living wage', in order to end the perennial battle over the minimum wage issue which arises with each increase. Dalley said yesterday that he had also rejected a revival of the suggestion that the ministry re-impose differentiated categories of minimum rates based on sector or category of employment. "Upon careful examination, this is not a practical course. It would involve the introduction of layers of bureaucracy and be extremely difficult to enforce," he said. He also gave notice that the ministry would be seeking an amendment to the relevant legislation this year to ensure that a more punitive schedule of sanctions are introduced for non-compliance with the new minimum rates. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 7th:"PHARELL pissed at REEBOK cause his ICECREAM melted!! " A year after inking a deal with Reebok, Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes is suing the sneaker titan for $4 million -claiming that they breached their contract. Williams, who entered a deal with Reebok to manufacture his Billionaire Boys Club clothing line and Ice Cream footwear, filed a suit in a New York court just before Christmas. Pharrell is accusing the sneaker company of failing to produce products that satisfied BBC's "approval standards." In January 2004, only a few months after the execution of the agreement, certain Reebok personnel began to acknowledge to BBC that Reebok could not adequately produce the full range of licensed products. In a manner consistent with the design and quality standards and specifications required by BBC," the lawsuit alleges. "Reebok repeatedly assured BBC that the non-conforming and disapproved aspects of these samples would be corrected. Reebok, however, failed to correct these deficiencies." -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 7th:"EMINEM and BENZINO finally going to be friends" The ongoing feud between Eminem and The Source magazine has officially entered the legal realm. New York federal judge Gerald E. Lynch ruled Monday (Jan. 3) that Eminem's copyright infringement lawsuit against The Source will go to trial. The case was filed when The Source released two early recordings of Eminem as a teenager, lyrically insulting black women. Judge Lynch initially banned the Hip-Hop publication from putting out an album that would include Eminem's freestyle. But the judge later revoked the ban and allowed The Source to release snippets of the track. Eminem's lawyers appealed Lynch's decision. The conflict between Eminem and The Source owners Ray Benzino and Dave Mays has been highly publicized, but both parties have recently promoted squashing the beef. A truce isn't a truce if both parties don't agree, and that seems to be the case in the ongoing beef between Eminem and Benzino. The MC's new video, "Look Into My Eyes," is a pointed response to Eminem's "Like Toy Soldiers." -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Jan 4th :"Lady Saw, Remy Martin Team Up To Really Get Your Man" Despite the raunchy vibe of her hit single "I've Got Your Man," dancehall toaster Lady Saw wants you to know that she doesn't practice what she preaches. "I wasn't the one who wrote the song," she said. "It was actually written by a man. The "I wasn't the one who wrote the song. ... I knew I would have a lot of women hating on me afterwards, but I did it anyway." — Lady Saw last time I mentioned his name on the radio, he wasn't too happy, so I won't mention it again. Anyway, he came to me and said he had this song and that I was the only person who could do it. I thought, 'OK, I'm the bad one. I can do this.' I knew I would have a lot of women hating on me afterwards, but I did it anyway." For the single's red-hot remix, Lady Saw enlisted the help of the Terror Squad's first lady, Remy Martin. "I met Remy Ma at a Source Awards pre-party in Miami," Lady Saw said. "I had wanted to get her on the track, but my label [VP Records] was telling me that she was charging all this money to do songs. So when I met her, I asked her myself. She said she didn't know who my label had been talking to. I told her I couldn't pay her that much because I wasn't big yet, and she agreed to do the song for free as long as I promised to do something on her solo album. "After she recorded her verse, VP called me and played it for me over the phone," she added. "She killed it! I had to call her immediately and let her know that she mashed it up wicked." While there is no talk yet of a video for the remix, director Kevin De Freitas helmed a clip for the single that features Lady Saw as a restaurateur by day and madam of sorts by night. Like Sean Paul before her, Lady Saw said she had a plan to make "I've Got Your Man" the crossover success it is quickly becoming. "The thing about this song is that it's more English than patois," she explained. "Americans can understand the song better because there isn't as much patois. I did that to cross over. "You will always have men who cheat and women who steal men," she added. "Once you have a song that stirs that kind of controversy, it is bound to blow. There were women requesting the song on the radio in Florida and dedicating it: 'This is Debbie, and I'm dedicating this to Carla because I got her man.' " While Lady Saw says picking a follow-up single to "I've Got Your Man" is a ways off, she does have a few songs in mind from her current album, Strip Tease. "I'm loving 'Strip Tease' right now," she said. "I'm envisioning a video that's real 'Coyote Ugly'-style with women dancing on a bar, soaking wet. I'm really feeling that." There is also talk of "Dreaming of You" being the next single. In addition to "I've Got Your Man," Lady Saw has also been putting in time as a featured artist. Many may remember her turn on No Doubt's "Underneath It All." Saw recently teamed with fellow dancehall artist Elephant Man for a remix of Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz's "What U Gon' Do." "Willie Daniels at VP called me and told me that Jon wanted me to be on a remix and that Elephant Man was also going to take part," she said. "We were in California at the time, so they e-mailed an MP3 of the song to the studio and I just did it right there. Jon called me later that day and told me he loved it." Lady Saw has also been featured on a remix of Rupee's "Tempted to Touch" (see "Rupee Educating People About The Temptations Of Soca"), and there's talk of a possible collaboration with Akon. "I was supposed to listen to a new track from Alicia Keys, but I haven't received it yet," she said of other possible collabos. "People give me CDs every day. They may not all be known artists, but I get music all the time. So you never know where I'll pop up next." -provided by mtv.com                   discuss Jan 4th :"DEPORTEE HELD AT AIRPORT " A 32-YEAR-OLD man who told the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court he was a graduate of Kingston College, was recently caught using forged documents to return to the United States, a week after he was deported. The man, who was identified by a United States Deportation Certificate as Maurice Martino Beecham but who was heard to have used at least three other aliases, pleaded guilty to uttering forged documents at the Sangster International Airport and was fined $150,000 or three months in prison. Irregularities The court heard that the accused man had gone to the AJAS counter at about 1 p.m. and had presented a New York Birth certificate and a Florida driver's license in the name of Allan Hayward. He was being processed for a US Airways flight when irregularities were seen on the documents. The police was called in and when the documents were further inspected they were found to be forged. This was pointed out to Beecham and he admitted that they were in fact forgeries. He told the court he had been in the United States since 1996 working as a deliveryman and was deported last month for breaches of the US Immigration Act. He said he took the step as he wanted to get back to his family and the only person he had here was an older aunt. After hearing the judgment of the court Beecham pleaded for some leniency saying he could not afford the fines but was only given 30 days with surety to pay it. -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Jan 4th :"Mechanic killed in Grants Pen " Dorothy Henry (right) being consoled after her son Anthony Henry was shot dead by gunmen in Grants Pen, St. Andrew, yesterday. THE MUSIC AND praise to God from a nearby church being held in the community centre did not stop gunmen from taking the life of 27-year-old Anthony Henry on Grants Pen Avenue, St. Andrew, yesterday. Henry, also called 'Blacka' was shot dead by three gunmen as he made his way to his mechanic shop. His death was the second in the community for the morning as earlier gunmen had shot dead Devon 'Fenny Face' Johnson, 33, at 4 a.m. The police report that residents heard explosions at that time but did not find the dead man's body until 6 a.m. when the police were called. The police said they were investigating both deaths but were unwilling to give a motive for either of the killings. The police report that Henry had just arrived at work and was coming out of his vehicle when the three men approached him and fired shots at him. He died on the spot. When THE STAR arrived on the scene, Henry's mother Dorothy Henry was being consoled by other persons as she sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. She retrieved his wallet from the police and cried out that his phone was stolen by his attackers. "Dem tek him phone. Dem haffi tek him phone after dem kill him," she said as she sniffed and walked back to the crowd. Expressed fear Mrs. Henry was comforted by a woman as she told THE STAR that she was not in a position to speak. She, along with several of the bystanders, expressed fear at going back home. Although being fearful of what would happen, none of the residents were willing to say what had happened or if Henry's death was connected to the killing of Devon Johnson. Mrs. Henry's sobbing transformed to a loud wail shortly after as her son's body was covered and lifted into the back of the white Toyota Hiace minibus. "Dem kill Blacka," she screamed as the shouts from the church less than a 100 metres away got louder. "Dem kill mi son, dem kill Blacka," she said while being led away by a member of the crowd. In the meantime, the Constant Spring Police who are investigating were unable to say if both deaths were related. They said it was too early to tell if there was tension in the area or if there was a gang feud. They said they were maintaining a strong presence in the area and was hoping for a speedy breakthrough. Henry's murder is the fifth islandwide since the start of the New Year. On Saturday, two men 29 and 35 were murdered in the St. Andrew South Police Division in separate incidents. In another incident, a third man was murdered in the Kingston Western Division early Sunday morning. -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Jan 4th:"Carmello and LaLa from Mtv" Did you see LaLa from MTV on the New Years special. Well did you notice her ring finger?? Yes LaLa (whos about 25-27 ok maybe 30 years old hee hee) and her man Carmello Anthony (how old is he 21??) got engaged on Christmas Day...Congrats to them!!!! -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 28th :"Boxing Day tragedy Holiday crash kills six more " OCHO RIOS, St. Ann: MEMBERS OF a St. Mary family who were planning to have a family reunion yesterday woke up to discover that they will have to plan, instead, for the funeral of at least four members. The four were among six persons who plunged to their death in a gully while travelling in a car along the Lodge main road in St. Ann early yesterday morning. The police have not been able to say what caused the death of the six, but it is believed they all died from drowning, as the car was submerged in a section of the White River which runs through the gully. Two of the victims, Kayon Graham and her son, Kaydon Graham, were visiting the island from New York for a family reunion. Graham was pregnant and was due to have her baby in February. Her cousins Davonda Samms and Roniesh Sinclair, both brothers also lost their lives along with Jamaica Defence Force soldier Damone Chisholm and young pastor, Andrew Shotta. CAMPION STUDENT Samms was a student at Campion College, having been awarded a scholarship in the recent GSAT exams from Marjam Preparatory School in Ocho Rios, while his brother, Roniesh, was a student at the University of Technology. Reports are that Graham and her family went to visit an aunt in Ocho Rios, St. Ann. On their way back home to Gayle in St. Mary, they hired a black Toyota Caldina motor car in Ocho Rios, driven by Headley Stanford of an Ocho Rios address. The car was reportedly making its way to Gayle, when on reaching a hilly section of the Lodge main road, it reportedly ran off the road and plunged into the gully. The six were killed, while Stanford and an unidentified passenger escaped unhurt. The accident reportedly took place about 12:30 a.m. In his account of the accident, Stanford said, "The car just spin around in the road and went over the gully." Police Constable Courtney Johnson, the Constabulary Communication Network's liaison officer for St. Ann, said no charges have been laid against the driver as the matter is still being investigated. Meanwhile, scores of grief-stricken family members turned up at the St. Ann's Bay Hospital yesterday morning to view the bodies, some weeping uncontrollably, while trying to come to terms with their loss. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 28th :"Lady Saw on BET" Lady Saw "I've Got Your Man" will be a New Joint on BET 106 & Park on Tuesday 12/28 @ 6PM - 7:30PM Also, look for live appearances By LADY SAW and ELEPHANT MAN On BET's NOTARIZED 100 Videos of 2005 New Years Eve 12/31 from 11am - 7pm (with repeats during the weekend) -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 28th :"Chuck Fender held abroad" DEEJAY CHUCK FENDER reportedly had his travel documents temporarily seized as he was detained and questioned by officials for a few hours on his arrival in Toronto, Canada on Saturday. Reports from Fender's camp are that law enforcement officials held on to the deejay as he landed in the country, and questioned him about crimes which had been committed in the United States. Fender, whose given name is Leshorn Whitehead, apparently bears the same name as a fugitive in the United States whom the officials were looking for in connection with these crimes. Checks made by THE STAR to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority could not shed any light on Chuck Fender's situation. After calling the general security posts for information, our calls were directed to voice mail systems. Checks with the local branch of the airline with which he flew, were also unsuccessful. Swooped down Fender and other members of his Fifth Element record label had been travelling to Canada to perform at a club in Toronto. He told THE STAR that as soon as he disembarked from his flight to check in, officials swooped down on him, took him away from his management team, locked him into a room and started questioning him. "It looks like they were looking for someone with my name," Fender told THE STAR. "Because as soon as mi reach, dem take all my documents and take me into a room. They took my finger prints, me eyeball scan, me weight, my height and faxed this information to the FBI in the States. When the results come back, they say it was not me they wanted but someone else with the same name." -provided by jamaica-star.com                   discuss Dec 28th :"Snoop Dogg: 'I Cheated'" Rapper Snoop Dogg has revealed his marriage fell apart when he cheated on his wife Shante. Interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine, the "Let's Get Blown" star admits he's trying to reconcile with his estranged wife after initially filing for divorce in May. Snoop confirms the break-up was his fault. He says, "I cheated on her. That's the worst thing you could possibly do - lose somebody's trust who really loves you." The rapper reveals he has spent the months estranged from his wife recalling the first time they made love when they were teenage sweethearts. He adds, "Probably my best one (orgasm) was the first time I made love to my wife. It was in this little cheap-a** hotel in North Long Beach. She made me wait a whole year. That's why I love her so much." -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 28th :"Shootout at ja rules party" Police in Peoria, Illinois, are investigating a nightclub shooting that occurred during an afterparty for Ja Rule, who had just finished performing at the Peoria Civic Center. According to a police report, Ja Rule was standing near the dancefloor at Club Ignition around 1 a.m. on Monday, speaking to a crowd of people when someone approached him and threw a drink at him. A scuffle broke out between several males on the dance floor, but it was broken up by the time police reached the area. The club began to close after the fracas — its closing time is 1 a.m. — and as the crowds exited, a gunshot rang out in the vicinity of Club Ignition's stairwell entrance. Hundreds of partygoers began to panic, pushing and shoving their way out onto the street or back into the club. Though there were police officers inside and outside of the club, it was not immediately known if the single gunshot had struck anyone inside the club. However, a short while later officers did locate a victim outside the club, Peoria resident Marshall Payton, who had suffered a small-caliber bullet wound to his left hip. Payton told police he was walking down the staircase inside the club, heading toward the front door, when he heard a "pop" and felt a slight pain. It wasn't until he got outside the club that he realized he'd been shot. Payton was taken to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, where doctors told police that the bullet did not cause any major damage or strike any bones and didn't need to be removed from Payton's leg. Police determined Payton had been shot at close range, because of burn marks on his clothing. A shell casing was later recovered from the stairwell of the club. The incident is still under investigation. A spokesperson for Ja Rule could not be reached for comment. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 16th :"Ashanti Insists She's Not Nelly's Girl " R&B star Ashanti has denied Nelly’s claims the two are dating by insisting the pair are just friends. The "Only You" singer has long been romantically linked to Nelly, but she refuses to confirm the rumors - even though the "Hot in Herre" star has confessed, "She's single, I'm single. Have we dated? Yes. We enjoy each other's company and we're cool." Answering the rapper's claims on MTV's Total Request Live on Tuesday, Ashanti said, "I think that's absolutely right. We went out, maybe to get something to eat." "We're friends... He's not my man; I'm not his girl. We're cool." -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 16th :"Snoop Ditches His Pimp Image to Win Wife Back" Hip-hop star Snoop Dogg has dumped his pimping ways in a bid to win his wife Shante back. The rapper filed for divorce from his childhood sweetheart in May, citing irreconcilable differences, but now claims he made a big mistake. And he's ditching all his sex projects, including the top-selling 'Snoop Dogg: Doggystyle' series of porn tapes - because his wife always disapproved of his pimping ways. He says, "My wife don't like it. She knows I'm not participating. But you're still being close to it. That's why I'm not gonna f**k with it anymore." The decision is the beginning of Snoop's attempt to save his marriage. He adds, "I know I said I wanted a divorce, but that ain't what I really wanted. That's the devil working. My thing was, I was so demanding and not willing to listen." "That's why it was all bad, because of the simple fact that I'm Snoop Dogg and in a powerful position and sometimes that s**t gets to my head." "I just got to come back to being, you know, Calvin (Broadus), and realizing what matters most to me - my wife and my kids. That's what I'm trying to do right now. Put that back together again." -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 16th :"Reasons to ODB's death" The death of rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard was deemed an accident by the New York medical examiner's office, which said he died from the combined effects of cocaine and a prescription painkiller. The artist, whose legal name was Russell Jones, died November 3th at a Manhattan recording studio. He died "as a result of intoxication by the combined effects of cocaine and Tramadol, a prescription painkiller but not a narcotic," said Ellen Borakove, a spokesperson for the New York City medical examiner's office. "The manner of death is an accident," she added. ODB complained of chest pains before collapsing at the studio, and was dead by the time paramedics reached him. He was just days short of his 36th birthday. The rapper had been working on his comeback album for Roc-A-Fella Records for more than a year and was said to be nearly finished. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 16th :"Lil Kim Hospitalized" The New York Daily News reports Lil' Kim is recovering at home after spending two nights in the hospital following a severe allergic reaction to something last week. Doctors were unable to pinpoint a cause. The situation is causing a delay in the taping of her VH1 reality show. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 16th :"Loon leaves badboy " Loon has departed his long term recording home of Bad Boy Entertainment and founded an upstart company, Boss Up Entertainment, the Harlem rapper said. Loon said that he felt it was simply time to move on from his present situation and strike out on his own as a business man. “I want to definitely make sure people understand this: I’m not your angry, frustrated artist that just wants to get out of dodge. It’s not that type of situation,” he said. “The past four years haven’t been in vain, even though I didn’t attain the success that I wanted to out of my solo project. I’m just really ready to start my own team." The rapper said that he ultimately wanted to have more control over his career. With Boss Up (the name of his label), Loon revealed the he wanted to develop a team of workers and executives to actually follow the example laid out by Combs. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 6th :"Jay-Z Caught Up in Pregnancy Rumors" Hip-hop star Jay-Z is tangled up in reports he is expecting a child with TV host Free. The co-host of Black Entertainment Television (BET) show 106 & Park - real name Marie Wright - has refused to comment on this week's rampant internet rumor that she is pregnant by the rapper, boyfriend of Destiny's Child beauty Beyonce Knowles. While Free is keeping quiet about the rumors, representatives for BET tell website EURWeb, "There is no truth to the negative rumors or conjecture being reported about the private life ... of Free." -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 6th :"50 CENT gets into a scuffle" According to reports 50 Cent was involved in a scuffle with the entourage of another rapper in a Lagos, Nigeria airport Saturday night. 50 was in Nigeria to take part in the annual event Star Mega Jam which involves a four-city tour of Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Benin. The squabble began when 50 Cent, who arrived to the airport two hours behind schedule, was prevented from taking his seat in the first class section of the aircraft by local rapper Eedris Abdulkareem who was already on the seat meant for 50. In the argument that ensued, one of the bodyguards with Eedris reportedly brandished a bottle and ignited a scuffle which prompted officials of both the ADC Airline and the Airport Security unit to force everybody, including the artists and senior entertainment journalists, to disembark from the aircraft. Nigerian newspaper, This Day claims that 50 flew back to the United States following the incident. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 6th :"Usher buys a Maybach" R&B star Usher has bought a luxurious chauffeur-driven new car so he can enjoy passionate drives with Naomi Campbell. The singer spent over $300,000 on the top of the range Maybach 62 and personally oversaw customizing the vehicle to turn it into a love nest on wheels. An insider at the car dealership says, "Usher worked on the customizations for about two months, but he was most concerned about the privacy features, like the partition between front and back and curtains on the windows." Campbell and Usher started dating in October and last month attended the MTV Europe Music Awards in Rome together. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 1st :"Ruben Studdard Out of the Hospital" American Idol star Ruben Studdard has been released from the hospital in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, after spending three days recovering from exhaustion. The singer was admitted on Tuesday after a bout of bronchitis left him very tired and he spent Thanksgiving morning in the hospital before he was allowed to leave and spend the rest of the holiday with his family. Studdard is expected to return to Los Angeles next week, where he's currently filming a TV diet segment for news show Extra -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 1st :"50 Cent’s ‘Valentine’" 50 Cent's new album will drop February 15 with the title 'The Valentine’s Day Massacre.' His second album is named after the infamous 1929 Chicago gangland killing that took seven of Bugs Moran’s men on Valentine’s Day. 50 Cent says his new album goes after artists who have spoken ill of him and his G-Unit. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 1st :"I Wayne Signs to VP Records" (Jamaica-New York- November 23rd, 2004) VP announced today that roots and culture artist I Wayne has signed a multi-album deal with VP Records. The talented young singer who has recently topped the charts with songs like "Can't Satisfy Her" and "Living in Love" will release his first album on VP in the 2nd quarter of 2005. VP Records is excited to continue their support of roots and culture artists with positive and thought provoking messages. I Wayne will be a member of an elite family of cultural artists who have released records with VP including Morgan Heritage, Luciano, Capleton, Bushman, Junior Kelly, Warrior King, and others. Chris Chin, President of VP Records had this to say about I Wayne joining the VP family "This is an artist that has a long career ahead of him, his talent has taken the industry by storm, and we are very pleased that he has decided to let VP help him build for the future." Recent performances from I-Wayne, who is 24 years old, have sent fans into a frenzy. His performance opening up for Capleton at Club Amazura and at the Long Island Music Fest with Bunny Wailer, Luciano, Half Pint, and Tony Rebel had the masses screaming for more. His tremendous stage performances and heavy radio airplay have every indication that the artist will be a breakout success in 2005. VP Records A&R rep Neil Diamond, who has been working with the artist and his management team Loyal Soldiers, was enthusiastic about the signing. "There needs to be a new breed of artists to carry on the traditions of the legends in this business, and we feel that this artist could be the next Luciano, Garnett Silk, or Jacob Miller." -provided by vprecords.com                   discuss Dec 1st :"Lil Jon gets married" Congratulations are in order for Lil Jon The King of Crunk married his queen this weekend at a resort in Puerto Rico. Lil Jon walked down the aisle at the Wyndham El Conquistador Resort and Golden Door Spa in Fajardo, near San Juan, at a small Saturday afternoon ceremony. The couple married under a white columned canopy, in front of around 80 guests on a field overlooking the ocean. Its rumored attendees such as Usher and Snoop Dogg. -provided by wedr.com                   discuss Dec 1st:"Lady Saw- hip-hop's most sought after" KINGSTON, JA - November 30, 2004 - First Lady of Dancehall Lady Saw is becoming hip-hop's most sought after accomplice as she has recently collaborated with a variety of artists. The controversial queen lent her vocals to a remix for Lil Jon's track "Whatcha Gonna Do" (with Elephant Man,) and worked with Rupee for the official remix of his hit "Tempted to Touch." In addition, Remy Martin from Terror Squad jumped on the remix of Saw's raunchy rude-gal anthem " I Got Your Man." It's no secret why she'd be sought out; her work on No Doubt's hit single "Underneath it All" won the group a Grammy, dubbing Saw the first female deejay to land this award. It's been a few years since fans of "Underneath It All" have heard from Lady Saw. Now, she has re-emerged from the dark, smoky corners of Jamaica's dancehalls with the September release Strip Tease. Her sixth release with VP Records, Strip Tease is a concoction that's been brewing for a while. Featuring production from such heavy-hitters as Dave Kelly, Black Shadow's Troyton Remi, Lloyd 'John John' James, Don "Vendetta" Bennett, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespear, much of the 17-track collection was recorded in her home studio, and bares all aspects of Lady Saw. Hyper-charged tracks like t