Friday, June 29, 2012

Pitbull and Shakira 'Get It Started' on New Single: Listen


Having already teamed up with UsherJennifer LopezChris Brown and Ne-Yo for hit singles, Pitbull has decided to tap another internationally renowned pop star, Shakira, for the first cut off of his next full-length. "Get It Started," the lead single from Mr. 305's new album "Global Warming," was released online on Friday (June 29).



"Get It Started" continues Pit's journey through the club, and also gives him a chance to compares himself to both Manny Pacquiao and Tom Cruise. Shakira shows up to provide the heart-wrung hook, emoting as the beat breaks off into a subtle stomp before quickly returning in full force seconds later.


Pitbull is currently riding high with "Back In Time," the lead single from the "Men in Black 3" soundtrack, which is at No. 14 on the Hot 100 has sold 1.1 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "Global Warming," the follow-up album to last year's "Planet Pit," will arrive this fall on RCA/Mr. 305/Polo Grounds Records.

Before the release of his next album, Pitbull will embark on the U.S. leg of his Planet Pit trek, which kicks off July 26 in Chicago. Shakira, on the other hand, released a video for the single "Addicted To You" last month, and has recently hit the studio with Pitbull's "Give Me Everything" collaborator, electronic giant Afrojack.

Here are Pitbull's upcoming U.S. tour dates:


July 26: Chicago, IL                  Charter One Pavilion                                            
July 28: Detroit, MI                   DTE Energy Music Theater                                 
July 29: Cleveland, OH             Jacobs Pavilion                             
July 31: Atlanta, GA                 Chastain Park Amphitheatre                              
August 2: Houston, TX                Woodlands Pavilion                                 
August 3: Thackerville, OK          Global Events Center                               
August 4: Albuquerque, NM         Hard Rock Casino Presents:  The Pavilion
August 7: Chula Vista, CA           Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre                                       
August 8: Los Angeles, CA          Gibson Amphitheatre       
August 9: Los Angeles, CA          Gibson Amphitheatre                                                       
August 10: Las Vegas, NV             Red Rock Amphitheatre                                      
August 11: San Francisco, CA        Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

Wiz Khalifa Ft. 2 Chainz- It's Nothin


Wiz Khalifa and 2 Chainz hop on the mic in their latest release "It's Nothin." The song is produced by Drumma Boy. Listen Below

NEW MUSIC: ALICIA KEYS - "NEW DAY"

Alicia Keys' "New Day" is here!

Alicia gave fans a sneak peek of new music from her forthcoming album the release of the first single titled "New Day."
The track, produced by Swizz Beatz of course, is a strong step back into the limelight for her. It's heavy bass, powerful vocal requests, and the crazy turntable mix toward the end proves to be an amazing start to what should be another chart-topper for Keys.
To hear “New Day,” visit:
http://soundcloud.com/aliciakeys/new-day

CASH MONEYexcerpt from the cover story of Billboard's Urban Power issue


Read an excerpt from the cover story of Billboard's Urban Power issue


Spend any time talking to Bryan "Birdman" Williams about his business these days and you'll quickly come to understand that he has two immediate goals: Releasing 100 albums in one calendar year and growing Cash Money Records Group, the company he founded with his older brother Ronald, aka "Slim," in 1991, into the record industry's first billion-dollar independent brand. Talk to those around him, like Cash Money's longtime business manager Vernon Brown, say, or even the elder Williams, and you'll get the sense that one of those goals may be just a bit out of reach, at least at the moment. And it might not be the one that you'd think.

"He's not putting out 100 albums per year," Brown says while sitting in his office high above Midtown Manhattan. "I'm putting that on the record: No, he is not."

Slim's initial reaction is different only in tone. It arrives, first, with a whistle. "That's wild," he says, his towering frame folded into a rolling chair in the control room of Studio E at the Hit Factory in Miami, which has served as Cash Money's de facto home base since the label relocated there from New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Two smartphones rest on the edge of the mixing board to his right, at least one of them set to a ringtone of the "Godfather" theme song that rattles off every five minutes or so. "If I could get 16, something like that, I'll be great. But 100? I don't think that'll happen. But, you know, he's got big goals. Has it ever been done?"


Certainly not by the likes of a label like Cash Money, meaning that no rap-rooted label has ever released anything even approaching 100 albums in a calendar year. The closest any similar operation is believed to have ever come is when Percy "Master P" Miller's No Limit Records dropped 23 albums in 1998. And just to put that number in perspective: Last year Cash Money released a grand total of three albums. Universal, the global music conglomerate and Cash Money's longtime distributor, released 700-plus albums in the United States across all of its brands.

Not that the younger Williams has any interest in backing down from his goal.

CASH MONEY FAN?

"It's a challenge, and I love challenges," he says while riding through the streets of South Beach in the back seat of a black SUV. It's a Friday afternoon in early June. The Miami Heat, the local NBA franchise he's adopted as his own, aren't yet world champions, and one of his marquee artists, the chart-topping rapper Aubrey "Drake" Graham, is still days away from being implicated in an incident involving Chris Brown that left several injured and turned a New York nightclub upside down. The streets are flooded, the South Florida skies are open, and it's pounding rain.

"I look at the charts," he continues, taking a piece of gum from the center console. "On iTunes' top 25, we have 13. On the top 10, we got six. I figure if I can get half of [the chart], I can get all of it. If I can get the top 10, I can get the top 20. If I can get the top 20, I can get the top 50 . . . It's an exciting challenge for me because I know we can do it."

Birdman is dressed all in black. Black on black YMCMB hooded sweatshirt (the logo represents his label's core brands, Young Money and Cash Money; the "B" is for "Billionaires") and black sweats. His shoes, a pair of Air Force 1 mids, are icy white. Among his many tattoos, the word "Pricele$$" floats above his left eye. He smiles with conviction as he talks.

"We have so many acts and, at some point, everybody is going to be popping at the same time," he says. "We've got rap, rock, we're expanding into the R&B area. We just signed our first reggae artist. We're also opening a YMCMB West Coast [operation]. I need more acts. We know that.

"We're going to put out more music. We'd like to be able to put out 35 albums in one year. It's like putting a pyramid together. I'm trying to figure out how we can put out 100 albums. I ain't even done 20 yet, let alone 100. I'm trying to figure that out."

As for that billion-dollar business?

It's been 21 years since the Williams brothers first founded Cash Money Records, and 14 years since they signed their initial pressing and distribution deal with Universal. Widely reported to be valued at $30 million with $3 million in advance, the P&D deal, finalized in May 1998, gave the label 85% of its royalties, 50% of its publishing and ownership of all masters. In the rap community, the stakes and the terms were regarded as unprecedented.

"I refused to let them take anything from us-that's how we got my deal," says Birdman, who credits Rap-A-Lot CEO James Smith for bringing the label to Universal. (Before the deal, Cash Money had been relying on independent regional distributors like Houston's Southwest Wholesale.) "I wasn't one of those people coming to Universal trying to live off their money. We wasn't really tripping on being with a major. I was making a million dollars a month, shipping 100,000 each album-that's at $10 [each]. And I dropped three or four of them a month."

But the terms of the deal proved too good to ignore. Once in the Universal system, Cash Money's success continued and any doubts about the deal's viability, on all sides, were quickly put to rest. Building on New Orleans' musical tradition and the Southern gangsta rap blueprint laid by crosstown rival No Limit, Cash Money strung together a rope of platinum hits led by the label's first release through the Universal system, Juvenile's "400 Degreez," which rode a pair of singles, "Ha" and "Back That Thang Up," to the top of Billboard's 1999 year-end rap chart and sold 4.8 million units, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

A series of significant releases immediately followed, including B.G.'s "Chopper City in the Ghetto" (released in 1999, it has sold 1.1 million); the Hot Boys' "Guerrilla Warfare" (1999, 1.5 million); Lil Wayne's debut, "Tha Block Is Hot" (1999, 1.4 million); and the Big Tymers' "I Got That Work" (2000, 1.5 million). But even that early success couldn't forecast the label's growth during the past four years.

That growth has been propelled by the breakout success of Lil Wayne, who famously took to the mixtape circuit in the mid-'00s to stoke a demand that exploded into a firestorm of commercial success. When his sixth studio album, "Tha Carter III," bowed in June 2008, it posted the first million-plus sales week since 50 Cent's The Massacre in 2005. Since that tipping point, Cash Money has grown from regional rap curio to R&B/hip-hop (and increasingly pop) radio powerhouse and retail juggernaut. The label's core roster of young superstars -- led by Wayne and including the Canadian actor-turned-rapper Drake as well as Billboard's 2011 Rising Star Nicki Minaj (both signed to Cash Money through Wayne's Young Money imprint) -- is in the middle of such a dominant run on all of the major charts that most any comparison falls well short.

"I don't think anyone in the urban field is on par with them now," says Sony Music Entertainment chairman/CEO Doug Morris, who as Universal Records chairman/CEO (1995-2011) oversaw the original Cash Money-Universal pact.

DJ Drama Ft. 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, & Jeremih - My Moment


DJ Drama releases a banger in his latest joint "My Moment" featuring 2 Chainz, Meek Mill and Jeremih. Drama drops "Quality Street Music" in September. Listen below.

NEW MUSIC: DJ KHALED FT KANYE WEST & RICK ROSS "I WISH YOU WOULD"


Funkmaster Flex blasts off DJ Khaled's new collabo with Rick Ross and Kanye West.
New Music: DJ Khaled Ft Kanye West & Rick Ross "I Wish You Would"

Mark Jackson assists the FBI in foiling an extortion plot centered around nude photos of himself

Quick, someone scour the talk radio archives to find Mark Jackson's thoughts on the time Greg Oden snapped naked pictures of himself that were leaked across the Internet. 
Because it would be interesting to hear his thoughts now that we know that the Golden State Warriors coach and former ABC/ESPN talker-on-TV took lascivious photos of his junk and passed them on to a woman he was having a dalliance with some six years ago. Never do that, guys.
To a relatively small extent, never do that. Because what you really, really shouldn't do is attempt to use those pictures to blackmail someone in order to extort money from them. Because, as Alexis Adams and co-blackmailer Marcus Shaw just found out, they have laws for that. Federal laws that rightfully put you into a lot of trouble if you decide to turn a legal, consensual and years-old relationship into an illegal money-making scheme. From The Smoking Gun:
Adams, 28, and Shaw, 40, have been named in felony criminal complaints filed under seal in U.S. District Court in Oakland, California. The duo, whose relationship is unclear, is accused of trying to extort a six-figure payment from Jackson in return for them not disseminating/selling the explicit photos to the "vultures of the media."
While the complaints refer only to the extortion victim as "V1"--a man the FBI describes as a "prominent member of the public who now works in Oakland, California"--a TSG source familiar with the federal investigation identified the 47-year-old Jackson as the shakedown subject.
We've had our fun with Jackson over the years, and it's true that he was married when this relationship occurred, but let's also remember that he was the victim in this case. Just as Adams doesn't deserve any sort of scorn for legally working as a dancer in a gentleman's club, as was her profession when Jackson met her, Jackson certainly shouldn't be on trial for straying outside his marriage or sending pictures of his Gentleman's Vegetables to a consensual Gentleman's Vegetables Receiver over the phone.
Adams and Shaw are the alleged crims, here. What's less clear is how one of the alleged co-conspirators made his way to the evidence behind Jackson's relationship with Adams.
In the document that The Smoking Gun uncovered, Shaw claims that he found the pictures and a CD's worth of voicemails from Jackson after he purchased the contents of a storage locker in Atlanta, where Adams used to live. Shaw apparently introduced himself to Jackson in early April, when Jackson's Warriors were in Memphis to play the Grizzlies, at the team's hotel. After showing the Warriors coach a folder containing the photos and CDs, Jackson gave Shaw $5,000 as payment to hand the folder over, money Shaw claims he wanted for a dental procedure and to reacquire his car from an impound lot.
And, as it is with most extortion plots, that wasn't enough for the blackmailers.
With negotiating prices reaching as high as $200,000, Shaw continued to haggle with Jackson over the coming weeks, with Jackson claiming that he'd pay anything to keep news of his missteps out of the hands of the "vultures of the media." And, with most extortion attempts that need the FBI to step in, that's exactly where this case ended up.
Claiming to be in the "reputation management business," Shaw described the photos--some of which were attached to the e-mail--as "shocking" and assured [Jackson's wife Desiree] Coleman that, "I am not deliberately trying to hurt you, however this is business, nothing personal." The e-mail to Coleman came from a newly created Gmail account that FBI agents traced via an IP address to Shaw's Internet service account.
The Gmail account--tencommandment7@ gmail.com--seemed to be a jab at Jackson for committing adultery. Additionally, the account's profile picture, the FBI reported, "was a photograph of V1 that he had sent to Adams during their affair."
Though Adams' role in all this isn't as well established — the FBI was able to acquire records from Shaw's phone, email, and Internet records — via text it appears she was compliant enough in the shakedown to be termed a "co-conspirator" by the FBI.
Adams, who currently runs a day spa in Atlanta, is out on bail. Shaw, a convicted felon, remains behind bars awaiting the extortion trial.
Jackson, on Thursday, released a statement:
The personal information in the extortion scheme related to a woman that I, mistakenly, had an extra-marital relationship with six years ago — prior to joining the Warriors — when I was a TV sports analyst. I made my wife aware of the relationship at that time, apologized to her and we reconciled. Obviously, my self-centered transgression at that time is not something I'm proud of, but I'm blessed to have an incredible wife, mother and partner and I thank the Lord for her each day.
I recognize the extremely poor judgment that I used both in having an affair six years ago — including the embarrassing communication I exhibited during that time - and in attempting to deal with the extortion scheme at first by myself. I made some egregious errors. I apologize for any embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends and, of course, the Warriors.
At that time in my life, I was not pastoring. Three years ago, my wife and I established a ministry. With deepest regret, I want to apologize to my Church Family.
I was wrong. We must live Holy.

CHICAGO TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA POSSESSION


Good news for green enthusiasts in the Windy City.


According to the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago City Council voted Wednesday that they would decriminalize marijuana possession, joining a number of states who have opted for fines instead of arrests for small amounts of the drug.
Beginning Aug. 4, police can issue tickets of between $250 and $500 to someone caught with 15 grams or less of pot. More than 18,000 people are arrested for pot possession in Chicago annually, allowing the new law to allocate dollars towards Chicago. When the marijuana cases are dismissed, there's no cash flow into the city.
Chi-town's Mayor Rahm Emanuel relied on a lengthy list of misbehavior to take care of the city's budget but says marijuana fines weren't put in place for financial benefits.
"It's not about revenue, it's about what (police officers) were doing with their time," the mayor said. "The only revenue I'm interested in, I don't want to be paying for these officers time and a half to sit in a courtroom for four hours on something that 80 to 90 percent of the time will be thrown out and everybody, both the residents and police officers and judges, already knows the outcome."

R. Kelly Describes Angry Ex-Wife Throwing $50,000 Ring In A Pond In New Book, ‘Soulacoaster, The Diary Of Me’


R. Kelly shares candid details of his 12-year marriage to Hollywood Exes star Andrea Kelly in his autobiography,Soulacoaster, The Diary of Me, out Thursday on SmileyBooks.
Andrea, who is the mother of Kelly's three children, is a cast member on the VH1 reality show that also stars former spouses of Eddie Murphy, Prince, Jose Canseco and Will Smith.
In the Soulacoaster chapter "The Breakup," Kelly describes the day a frustrated Andrea took off her $50,000 wedding ring and threw it in a pond in their backyard.
The problems in Kelly and Andrea's marriage had been mounting. According to Kelly, he continued to struggle with infidelity, Andrea was unhappy walking away from her dance career to be a stay-at-home mother, and they were constantly fighting.
Andrea KellyOne day, Kelly said he confronted Andrea about her feelings for him and it backfired.
"The way you're acting around here," he wrote, "I don't think you love me anymore." He repeated the statement, but she did not respond. So he challenged her.
"If you really don't love me, I dare you to take off your wedding ring and throw it in the pond out back," he wrote.
Andrea replied that the proposal wasn't a good idea. "You might not like what your dare will make me do," she said.
Kelly continued.
"Drea took the dare," he wrote. "She marched out to the yard and threw the ring in the pond — 'plunk!' Man, I couldn't believe it. I offered $10,000 to anyone who could fish that ring out of the pond. No one could."
R. KellyTheir problems escalated. They began discussing divorce. When Kelly realized that the relationship was over, he went to the movies by himself to see The Notebook. Though he enjoyed the love story about a couple who grew old together and died in each other's arms, he got visibly emotional in the theater.
"As the film credits started to roll, I couldn't move," he wrote. "I burst into tears. People walking past me patted me on the back, trying to console me. The Notebook was beautiful, and I was crying because its hero and heroine had died together. But I was also crying because I remembered a Valentine's Day — when a helicopter dropped a rainfall of roses — that had come and gone. My marriage had died. And there was nothing I could do to bring it back."
Kelly met Andrea when she auditioned to be one of his background dancers. He described their meeting as love at first sight. Though his initial attraction was physical, he loved her confidence. He described her as a lioness who "calmed [his] inner storms."
In the book co-authored by David Ritz, who also has titles with Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Janet Jackson, Kelly discusses being molested by a teenage girl when he was a child, being illiterate, his elementary school teacher who recognized his musical talent, and his fallout with Jay-Z during the promotional run of their Best Of Both Worlds album and tour.
Kelly released this week his album, Write Me Back.

Reg Traviss charged with two counts of rape.


Reg Traviss, 35, the former boyfriend of singer Amy Winehouse, has been charged with two counts of rape.


According to BBC News, Traviss was charged with two counts of rape and was arrested on April 5 by the Metropolitan Police in relation to an allegation of rape believed to have taken place between December 29, 2011, and January 1, 2012.
Rebecca Mundy, a lawyer in the CPS London rape and serious sexual offences unit, confirmed she had authorized police to charge Traviss with the crime.
Traviss is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on July 17th.
Amy, who consistently mourned the labors of love in her music, passed away in July 2011 from an alcohol overdose.
Read more: http://globalgrind.com/news/amy-winehouse-boyfriend-reg-traviss-charged-rape-details#ixzz1zDKMt31R

Kentucky becomes first team to produce No. 1, No. 2 pick in same draft


As if John Calipari needed any more recruiting ammunition after back-to-back Final Four appearances and a national title this spring, the Kentucky coach got some Thursday night.


The Wildcats became the first program ever to produce the first two picks in an NBA draft when the New Orleans Hornets selected Anthony Davis at No. 1 and the Charlotte Bobcats nabbedMichael Kidd-Gilchrist at No. 2.
The closest another program has come to pulling off that feat is UCLA's 1969 national title team, which produced the No. 1 and No. 3 picks in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lucius Allen. Only 11 other teams have even had two top-five picks in the same draft including Calipari's 2010 Kentucky team that had John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins go at No. 1 and No. 5.
"Somebody told me they are going to call it the Blue Room instead of the Green Room," a beaming John Calipari told the Louisville Courier-Journal.
New Orleans' selection of Davis was about as surprising as a star quarterback being named his high school's prom king. The 6-foot-10 All-American will immediately provide shot blocking and rebounding for the Hornets and should develop into an offensive threat too as he becomes more comfortable in the NBA.
Kidd-Gilchrist going No. 2 to Charlotte instead of either Florida's Bradley Beal or Kansas' Thomas Robinson was a bit more surprising. The versatile 6-foot-6 wing defends at least three positions, pushes the ball in transition as well as any player in the draft and has a reputation as a relentless worker, all attributes that will help a Bobcats team that was among the worst in league history last season.
Having Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist go back-to-back at No. 1 and No. 2 is the highlight of what should be another banner draft night for Kentucky. The Wildcats produced seven first-round picks and two second-rounders in the first two years of the Calipari era and had another six players drafted Thursday night.
It's debatable whether Kentucky even had the best draft among all college teams, however, since North Carolina had four players go in the first 17 picks. Harrison Barnes went No. 7 to Golden State, Kendall Marshall No. 13 to Phoenix, John Henson No. 14 to Milwaukee and Tyler Zeller No. 17 to Cleveland (via trade with Dallas).
ESPN's Heather Cox asked North Carolina's Roy Williams if there was a competition between him and Calipari over who could produce the most first-rounders. Williams wisely deflected the question, but he did make one challenge: He said he could handle Calipari on the golf course.

COPS WHO LEAKED RIHANNA ASSAULT PHOTO ESCAPE CHARGES


Two LAPD officers who were connected to the leaking of the photo showcasing Rihanna’s injuries from the 2009 incident with Chris Brown will not face any charges.

According to Fox News, though officers Rebecca Reyes and Blanca Lopez will not face any charges, they still are facing further disciplinary action by the Los Angeles Police Department and may be fired from their posts.
Back in 2009, Reyes reportedly took the picture off of a stack of photos showcasing Rihanna’s injury and snapped a picture of it with her cell phone, sending it to her personal email from her LAPD one. Reyes and Lopez then placed multiple calls to TMZ and Fox News, according to reports, in an attempt to sell the photo.
According to the investigation, there’s not a clear money trail to pin the two officers on criminal charges.
“[A prosecutor] must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Reyes and Lopez disclosed the image of Robyn F. (Rihanna) to TMZ and obtained money in exchange for this disclosure. ... As such, although both Reyes and Lopez's actions are suspicious, they are insufficient to support a criminal prosecution,” states a March 2012 report obtained by the Associated Press.
However, Donald Etra, Rihanna’s attorney feels as if this was an internal decision and the two should have been held accountable in a higher court.
"Apparently this was an internal decision by the district attorney,” said Etra. “A victim's privacy should be protected."
It is not yet clear if Rihanna will pursue legal action on her own terms.

ADELE IS PREGNANT! SINGER EXPECTING HER FIRST CHILD


U.K. superstar Adele is expecting her first child with her boyfriend Simon Konecki. The singer announced the news today on her Web site adele.tv.

In a June 29 post titled “I’ve Got Some News,” the singer writes:
"Im delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together. I wanted you to hear the news direct from me, obviously we’re over the moon and very excited but please respect our privacy at this precious time. Yours always, Adele xx"
No more drama, indeed. Congrats to the happy couple! Expect her album sales to continue rocketing.

Pras Speaks On Lauryn Hill: "I'm Bugging! I Can't Believe It!"


Following the news that former Fugees member Lauryn Hill is facing a possible three-year prison term for tax evasion, we reached out to Pras to get his thoughts about the ongoing matter.
Here's what he told us:
"I'm bugging! I can't believe it! I'm sitting here on a plane to L.A. listening to Phil Collins and Philip Bailey "Easy Lover" on my iPod. But I don't believe she'll go to jail, but damn bail is 150K?! Zimmerman was about the same. Go figure! ... This is crazy!!"
Hill pled guilty today to three counts of failure to file tax returns for the years 2005, 2006, and 2007 when she earned more than $1.8 million in those years collectively.
Hill was released on $150,000 bail and her sentencing hearing is set for November.
Read more: http://globalgrind.com/news/lauryn-hill-jail-tax-evasion-pras-fugees-statement-details#ixzz1zDH1Rwg4

'Think Like a Man' Sequel in the Works


Screen Gems is moving ahead with a sequel to last spring's surprise box office hit "Think Like a Man," the company said Thursday. 


The follow-up to the relationship comedy will be written by  Keith Merryman and David A. Newman, the team behind the first film. 
"Think Like a Man" chronicled the romantic travails of four couples and boasted an ensemble cast that included Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), Jerry Ferrara ("Entourage") and talk show host Wendy Williams. 
No word yet on which, if any, cast-members will be returning or what the plot will entail, though it is a safe bet men will still be from Mars and women from Venus in matters of love. 
There's certainly a financial incentive to return to the same territory. Based on the comedian Steve Harvey's best-selling book "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man" the first film went on to gross over $90 million at the domestic box office.  
Will Packer will produce via his Rainforest Films banner.  Harvey will serve as executive producer on the project alongside Rushion McDonald and Rob Hardy. 

CRUISE AND HOLMES, OVER?


TOM CRUISE AND KATIE HOLMES HEADED FOR DIVORCE

tom-cruise-katie-holmes-divorce
TMZ Reports:
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are getting DIVORCED ... after 5 years of marriage. Katie's attorney, Jonathan Wolfe released a statement saying, "This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family." Wolfe adds, "Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest." It's unclear if divorce papers have been filed with the court. We're told Tom and Katie have a prenup. The net worth of both Tom and Katie is around $275 mil, but clearly Tom raked in most of that. The last time Tom and Katie were seen together in public was back in February. She did not attend any of the "Rock of Ages" premieres.
Read more here

LAURYN HILL PLEADS GUILTY TO TAX EVASION


GUILTY TO TAX EVASION

lauryn-hill-guilty-tax-evasion
Lauryn Hill may be delaying her highly-acclaimed return to music. The singer plead guilty to tax evasion charges today in federal court.
According to NJ, Hill failed to file three years of taxes on income of $1.8 million, and is now taking full responsibility for it.
"There are many people in society who fail to file their taxes on time who only face civil liability,"Lauryn's attorney Nathan Hockman said in a statement. He continued with, "They chose Ms. Hill in particular because of who she was."
Reports also claim that Lauryn spoke only a little at her hearing today, with arms crossed and in front of her chest while being addressed by the judge. She was also ordered to undergo mental health counseling as directed by pre-trial intervention services.
L Boogie faces up to three years in prison and $75,000 in fines for her offense, which will be determined when she is sentenced in late November.
Damn! We really wanted to hear new music from Ms. Hill.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Get Well Soon! 50 Cent Home Resting After Car Accident

50 Cent is "resting at home" after suffering injuries from a car accident yesterday.

STORY: Prayers! 50 Cent Injured In Car Accident

According to his public relations spokesperson, Keesha Johnson: "50 is at home resting now and I'm told he is very sore."

Fiddy was involved in a bad car accident as his bulletproof SUV was rear-ended by a Mack truck on the Long Island Expressway in NYC.

Exclusive pictures from Thisis50.com show the rapper being placed on a stretcher and rolled into a hospital.

50 was taken to the nearest Queens hospital, where they ran tests on his neck and back.
50 was recently treated for a stomach virus a month ago. We're certainly happy that 50 is back at home resting. He hasn’t hit Twitter yet to give his fans an update, but we're wishing him nothing but the best during his recovery!

A No Show! Zimmerman Dipped Out On Previous Court Case & Fined $10,000 (DETAILS)

The courtroom is becoming a second home for neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. The 28-year-old is set to appear at another bond hearing on Friday, after a judge ordered him back in jail when prosecutors said he misled the court about his finances.



However, this isn’t the first time Zimmerman misled the court. Back in 2007, Zimmerman failed to show up at his deposition for a civil case and was fined $10,000.

According to the Miami Herald, Zimmerman sued Aames Funding Corp in 2006 as part of a class-action suit, citing he was never paid overtime for working 70-hour work weeks as a loan officer there.
Though he eventually won the civil lawsuit in arbitration, Zimmerman never appeared at his deposition where he was expected to give a sworn statement. It is not known why Zimmerman missed the deposition.

His attorney in the Trayvon Martin case, Mark O’Mara, has argued in court that Zimmerman should be released on bond come Friday, as he poses no threat to the community, isn’t a flight risk and stayed in touch with law enforcement officials after he was initially released.

Zimmerman was paid the $18,000 ordered by arbitrator in 2011 - years after he won the civil case.
Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin in a gated community in Sanford in February.

Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty, and says the shooting of the Miami Gardens teen was in self-defense.

Read more: http://globalgrind.com/news/george-zimmerman-trayvon-martin-failed-appear-previous-court-case-fined-10000-details#ixzz1z7WH0LZL