5 victims in shooting at Rucker Park in Harlem

The mecca of street ball has black cloud hanging over it's head today, after a shooting during the tournament. Hip Hop Wired reports:

This summer heat is leading to far too much gunplay. Last night (July 25th), a shooting at the Entertainer's Basketball Classic in Harlem's Rucker Park left five people injured. The gunshots rang off  at Holcombe Rucker Park court on Frederick Douglass Blvd near 155th St. (across from the infamous Polo Grounds housing projects) after an argument during a game, reports the New York Daily News.

"They started arguing, about a bad call or something like that," said Rodney Harris, 47. "The guy was standing no more than five feet away from me. He pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot once. He then shot one more time. Everyone started running."
“He was real close to me,” Harris said. “I thought I got shot."

NBA player Nate Robinson was in the park but was unharmed. Last summer, while in the mist of the NBA lockout, Kevin Durant played in the tournament and dropped 66 points in one game while more recently, Nas paid the yearly tournament a visit. As for yesterday's incident, the gunman remains at large and considering the amount of people that attend the games, things could have been much worse.

"He was watching the game,” Harris said. “After the shooting, he was okay. He wasn't hurt...he left like everyone else."
The five shooting victims were taken to area hospitals and all expected to survive, police said. One other person also was injured in the incident.
The shooter started running amongst the crowd but then walked calmly across the street toward the Fine Fare supermarket and fired a few more rounds, Harris said.
"Then he just walked away. He didn't even run. My friend, a basketball player, got shot in the ankle,” he said. “It could have been worse."
Abdul Sam, 25, who works at a nearby deli, also heard the gunshots and commotion.
"I heard about four shots. Everyone started running," Sam said. "This summer is crazy."

Five people shot over a bad call? Seriously, what do you think can be done to stop all this senseless gun violence?

Colorado victim filing a lawsuit against the theater following shooting

The fall-out of the Colorado shooting continues to unravel. A victim of the shooting is apparently filing a lawsuit against the theater where the shooting took place. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Less than one week after the shooting massacre in Aurora, Colorado, the first lawsuit has emerged. Torrence Brown Jr., one of the patrons who was at the theater when gunman James Holmes opened fire on a room full of innocent people, was not injured in the incident, but has plans to file a civil suit, reports TMZ.

One of Brown's close friends was shot and killed during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises at the Century 16 Theater, last Friday (July 20). Citing “extreme trauma” from the rampage, Brown has hired lawyer, Donald Karpel. He will take legal action against the theater for being “negligent” by not arming the front emergency door which Holmes is believed to have entered through, Holmes' doctors for failing to “properly monitor” him, and Warner Bros. Pictures, who distributed the film. “Somebody has to be responsible for the rampant violence that is shown today,” Kerpell told TMZ. However, being that Holmes probably didn't actually see the film—since it opened the night of the shooting— the latter part of Brown's lawsuit may not have legs.

Holmes made his first court appearance Monday (July 23), looking disheveled and unable to comprehend the proceedings. While he is not scheduled to be arraigned on murder charges for several weeks, Holmes may use an  insanity plea as a defense for his actions.

Prosecutors are expected to seek the death penalty in the case.

Lupe Fiasco has a moment thinking about lost friends; Chicago shootouts

Everyone knows Chicago is a rough city. 6 people were shot in a 15-minute shootout. Hip Hop Wired reports:

The City of Chicago is still in the throes of a violent summer that has reached epic proportions, as six people were shot in a 15-minute time span, Monday (July 23). The two separate incidents left two people wounded in the Marquette Park neighborhood, and four others in Merrill Park.

Police reported that the Merill Park victims were standing in the park at approximately 10:18 p.m., when a minimum of two shooters –one holding a rifle, and the other a handgun—opened fire. Among those hit was 17-year-old Alixi Johnson who sustained a bullet wound to the neck. He was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, and was declared dead at 11:01 a.m.

According to Johnson's family, the teen was a victim of a random attack. “He was a friendly guy,” said his grandmother, Forestine Randall. “He would go out of his way, above and beyond, to help someone. He wasn't no bad kid.”

Like many, Randall is fed up with the senseless violence. “I just wish that these kids would understand what they're doing and stop all this gangbanging, and shooting, and taking innocent people's lives.”

Another victim was a 34-year-old woman shot in the abdomen, and taken to John H. Stoger Hospital where she has been declared in “stable” condition. Two others, a 21-year-old man, and a 30-year-old woman were each shot in the leg, and hospitalized.

While the city as a whole continues to be plagued by gun violence, Johnson's death was the first fatality reported in his particular neighborhood in almost a year. Police recovered 50 bullet casings from the scene but have yet to apprehend any suspects.

Just 15-minutes earlier, a 13-year-old-boy and a 18-year-old man were both shot standing on a street corner. The boy, who was shot in the left thigh, was also taken to Christ Medical Center and told police that he was just standing around when he heard gunshots and felt pain. Meanwhile, the man was driven to Holy Cross Hospital, and was treated for a gunshot wound to the back and foot.

In total, at least 13 people were wounded in shootings around the city, starting at 8 p.m. Monday night.

Chicago continues to be crippled by gun violence. An earlier report revealed that murders in the city are up 38 percent from last year.

And on a recent stop at Rap Fix, Chi-town native, Lupe Fiasco was reminded of some the friends he lost to jail and violence. Lupe Fiasco found it hard to hold himself together...check it out:

Get More: Lupe Fiasco, Music News

J. Prince Jr. suing Drake and his management team

Wheelchair Jimmy maybe on the verge of losing his hood pass. Son of Rap-A-Lot CEO J Prince is suing him and his management team. Allhiphop reports:

Houston’s J Prince Jr., son of Rap-A-Lot founder and CEO J Prince, is suing Drake and his management team for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty, in what totals 10 claims against Drake and his team led by Cortez Bryant.

According to documents filed today in New York State Supreme Court, J Prince, Jr. stated that he deserves a cut of the profits earned for introducing Drake to Lil’ Wayne and Cortez Bryant’s management team, Aspire.

In the lawsuit, J Prince Jr. alleges that Bryant and Drake verbally agreed to pay J Prince Jr. a portion of the profits earned.

Prince claims that Bryant verbally agreed to, “use their experience, influence, and relationships to persuade Drake into entering an exclusive recording agreement and an exclusive management agreement with the two of them and Bryant, and was to use his influence to compel Lil’ Wayne to sign and promote Drake to and through Lil’ Wayne’s record company YME, once Drake signed the agreements.”

In addition, given J Prince, Sr’s relationship with Cash Money Records, the distributor of Young Money would “consult with them and take the lead on their business dealings with YME and CMR.”

The lawsuit also claims that on December 10, 2008, Bryant signed Drake to an exclusive management agreement with his company and defendant Roberson’s companies, Laurent and Three Kings, and that Bryant signed Drake to an exclusive recording agreement with his company, Aspire.

J Prince Jr. also claims that in or around April 2009, Bryant made J Prince aware of the signing and pledged to honor the original agreement.

Prince wants the court to appoint a receiver to stop Drake and team from renegotiating their contracts with Drake until they get paid the agreed upon amount. More news as details emerge.

Swizz Beats addressed MegaUpload case

Well I guess Swizz Beats The Monster isn't completely in the clear just yet. But, he did take the time to address his involvement in the case. Allhiphop reports:

Last week, the government revealed that they were officially looking into Swizz Beatz and his role as CEO of the company, as they attempt to bring a trial against Megaupload.com in the United States.

Several top executives at Megaupload.com were arrested on January 19, on charges of copyright infringement and racketeering.

Federal prosecutors claim Megaupload.com generated over $175 million in illegal proceeds from copyrighted works, costing the entertainment industry over $500 million in lost revenue.

“I’m a fan of music. I’m a fan of people that work hard. I would never be a part of anything that’s taking from an artist when I fight so hard to give so much to the artists,” Swizz Beatz said in an interview with AlLindstrom.com.

“I was giving the artists 90% of they s**t. Sometimes when something is so powerful and people can’t control it that type of attack happens,” Swizz Beatz reasoned. “You see that happen with multiple things in life. Things that are so powerful, they get shut down unexplainably.”

Swizz Beatz, born Kaseem Dean, may have a point.

Just last week, Megaupload.com’s billionaire founder, Kim DotCom, claimed that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden personally ordered the company’s shutdown.

Kim DotCom claimed that Vice President Biden met with the head of the Motion Picture Association of America over the issue of piracy.

“I do know from a credible source that it was Joe Biden, the best friend of former Senator and Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) boss Chris Dodd, who ordered his former lawyer and now State Attorney Neil MacBride to take Mega down,” Kim DotCom told TorrentFreak.com in a separate interview.

Last week, Kim DotCom scored a victory in the case, when a New Zealand judge ruled that FBI warrants obtained to search his mansion in Auckland were illegal.

Swizz Beatz, who has worked with artists like Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, and Chris Brown and has won three Grammys, defended his character.

Although he is being associated with a file-sharing battle similar to those launched against past services like Napster, Audiogalaxy, LimeWire, and others, Swizz Beatz denied any wrong doing.

“I’m in the business of inspiring people. And I can’t be in the business of inspiring people if I’m so-called robbing my friends,” Swizz Beatz said. “And my friends know that, that’s why ain’t nobody speak out and say any clown s**t about me. They know my character and they know what it is.”

Legendary television star Sherman Hemsley passes away at 74

It seems like I see his face every morning I wake up to TV One. The Jeffersons, Amen, Sherman Hemsley is responsible for a lot of good television. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Sherman Hemsley, who was most famous for playing George Jefferson on the The Jeffersons, has passed away at the age of 74. Hemsley died in his home in El Paso, TX, according to TMZ

Hemsley, who garnered his fame during his appearances on All In the Family,  became a household name courtesy of the show's spin-off, The Jeffersons.  Hemsley also starred in the TV show, Amen and has a foray as a  professional singer on his resume, releasing a single in 1989 called "Ain't that A Kick in the Head."

Hemsley iconic role as George Jefferson made a huge mark on Black television. He would reprise his role many times on sitcoms including The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, Tyler Perry's House Of Payne, Family Guy, All That, and many more.

There are no details as to how he passed away as of yet. Hemsley had no children and was not married.

NAACP puts together and HIV manual for Black churches

Looks like Black churches around the country may be getting a much need course in how to prevent HIV/AIDS soon. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Black churches across the nation will have more information on HIV/AIDS, and they have the NAACP to thank. The nation's oldest civil rights organization developed a manual for church leaders seeking to educated their parishioners.

Pastor Timothy W. Sloan of Houston, expressed concerned over his congregation's lack of knowledge about the virus, which has become an epidemic in Black communities. Sloan joined a group of pastors put together by the NAACP, to help construct the manual.

The goal of the 61-page work is to take away the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. “Sex is not something church people like to talk about. It's something they like to do,” remarked Rev. Joseph Smith of the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va. Smith also worked on the manual which may raise eyebrows because of the NAACP's support, but according to Sharon Arline-Bradley, director of the organizations health program, the manual is a necessity. “People look at us as just civil right rights, and what they're missing is that health is one of the most pressing civil rights issues of our time,” she said.

As HIV transmission rates continue to rise in the Black community, the Center for Disease Control has come up with a plan to combat the shocking statistics. A newly approved home HIV rapid results kit, will allow the public to take the test in the comfort of their own home. In addition to the home kits, the CDC is also offering free tests at select drug stores around the country.

Owner of legendary restaurant in Harlem has passed away

Harlem mourns the death of another legend today. Sylvia Woods, the founder of the renowned Sylvia's Restaurant, has passed away. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Sylvia Woods, owner of the New York City eatery, Sylvia's restaurant, has died, she was 86.

According to a statement released by the family, Woods passed away this afternoon at her Westchester County home, surrounded by loved one. “Sylvia gallantly battled Alzheimer's for the past several years, but never once lost her loving smile,” read the statement.

Upon hearing the news, the Rev. Al Sharpton offered fond memories of the owner's historical location. “Sylvia's has been more than a restaurant, it has been a meeting place for black America,” he said.

Woods and her late husband, Herbert, opened the restaurant, which started out as a 36-seat lunch counter, in 1962. “I know I had to make it or else my mama was gonna' lose her farm. So I gave it all that I had to give,” Woods one said in an interview of borrowing money from her mother, who mortgaged the family farm, to get her the funds.

Over the next several decades Sylvia's, located on 126th St. and Lenox Ave., has grown to become a tourist staple, serving several public figures, including President Obama.

Retiring in 2006,Woods expanded her business to include bestselling cookbooks and a line of hot sauce, barbecue sauce, and candied yams. She is survived by four children, and several grandchildren.

Boogie Down Productions' 1st lady passes away

Another hip hop legends has given up the ghost. Ms. Melodie of Boogie Down Productions has passed away. Allhiphop reports:

Rapper Ms. Melodie from the KRS-One-led collective Boogie Down Productions, has died, according to publish sources.

The death was tweeted repeatedly over various celebrities twitter feeds as well, but the news was broken by blog theurbandaily.com.

Ms. Melodie, real name Ramona Parker, was the one-time wife of KRS-One and eventually released an album called Diva in 1989.

She had an underground hit called “Live On Stage” and also made a notable appearance on the anti-violence posse cut “Self Destruction.”

The cause of death was not immediately available at press time.

Ricky Ross gets another chance to do battle over his name

Remember a couple of months ago, we reported the courts had thrown out "Freeway" Ricky Ross' case against Rozay? Well, apparently the federal courts have decided the case will be allowed to continue. Allhiphop reports:

The legal battle over the name “Rick Ross” rages on between “Freeway” Rick Ross and rapper Rick Ross, who owns the trademark to the name.

On Tuesday (July 17), a federal judge ruled that the case could continue in court.

According to the latest ruling, Freeway Rick can pursue Warner Brothers, since Rick Ross and his record label Maybach Music Group have a deal with the label.

According to the judge presiding over the case, Freeway Ricky has 10 days to amend his lawsuit, against Warner Brothers, for false advertising, unjust enrichment, and unfair business practice.

Freeway Ricky Ross has been battling rapper Rick Ross, born William Leonard Roberts II, in court, since 2010.

Freeway Ricky filed his first lawsuit against the rapper in June of 2010, in hopes of preventing him from using and exploiting, his birth name.

Freeway Rick claims that the rapper co-opted his name and likeness as a former drug kingpin and parlayed it into a successful rap career.

Freeway Ricky Ross is an urban legend, who had a drug empire that earned as much as $2 million per day.
 

Additionally, Freeway Ricky has been the subject of numerous articles in regards to the Iran-Contra scandal and he ha been featured on popular television shows like “American Gangster.”

But the rap star came out on the victorious end of two separate lawsuits, one in federal court and another, appeal in state court.

In the first ruling, the judge ruled that Freeway Rick could not capitalize on his own name, since it was built off of committing real crimes.

The state ruled that a statute of limitations on the allegations helped the rapper get the case dismissed from court.

To make matters worse, rapper Rick Ross received a federal trademark for the name, which he has used in commerce since his 2006 debut, Port of Miami.

B.G. sentenced to 14 years in prison

We've been following this case pretty closely over the past few months, and now it's finally come to a close. Former Cash Money Millionaire has been sentenced to 14 years behind bars. Allhiphop reports:

BG, a rapper that helped build Cash Money Records, was sentenced to 14 years for possessing a firearm, conspiring to obstruct justice and other charges.

BG, born Christopher Dorsey, was sentenced on Wednesday in New Orleans by U.S. District Judge Helen Berrigan.

Judge Berrigan also gave BG three years of supervised release at the end of his jail term.

The 28-year-old rapper pleaded guilty in December to the charges, which stem from a 2009 arrest.

BG, a felon, was convicted on three other felonious charges from 1998 to 1998.

Jerod Fedison and Demounde Pollard were also sentenced to prison time for their role in the case.

BG was a marquee artist with Cash Money Records and coined the term “bling bling,"...

Jason Kidd arrested after a long night of partying in New York

Jason Kidd is entirely too old to be making the mistakes of a 21 year old. Maybe New York wasn't the best move for him to make. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Jason Kidd celebrated signing with the New York Knicks by engaging in a series of bad decisions which commenced with being arrested for drunk driving, early Sunday (July 15). Like any athlete looking to bring down his (somewhat) upstanding public image Kidd was relentless in his efforts to make sure that his night ended in the most embarrassing way possible: by being carried out of the club.

One would assume that not being able to control your own two feet would deter a forward-thinking individual from getting behind the wheel of a vehicle—but Jason Kidd doesn't subscribe to a lifestyle of restraint. Rather than get a ride, Kidd drove himself, and was reportedly so wasted when driving down New York's Suffolk Court lane, that he had no idea how his car ended up wrapped around a power pole.

Once questioned by police Kidd said “I had a few drinks. I'm the driver,” as if it wasn't already evident. From there he was transported to a local hospital before being taken into custody.  In show of sheer irony, the 39-year-old was expected to be a mentor to newcomers on the Knicks like Jeremy Lin—who has since accepted an offer from the Houston Rockets.

Surely he's not the only one on the team who has made mistakes, but perhaps Kidd should seek guidance rather than give any out.

Check out photos of his unfortunate night below.

*Update* Jason Kidd pleaded not guilty to DWI charges.

Chicago teens arrested after posting a video on Facebook

At some point, someone has to teach these kids not to live out their lives on social networking sites...especially when you're doing something incriminating. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Three teenage boys from Chicago have been charged with first-degree murder after robbing and killing an elderly man, and following in the footsteps of other youngsters, by posting the attack online. Malik Jones, 16, Anthony Malcolm, 18, and Nicholas Ayala, are charged with killing 62-year-old Delfino Mora after choosing him at random for the game “Pick ‘Em Out and Knock ‘Em Out,' prosecutors said Monday (July 16).

Mora, was looking for cans to turn in for extra money in an alley on the city's Far North Side when the boys ran up on him. According to prosecutors, the three boys spotted the father of 12 at around 5 a.m. last Tuesday (July 10), and recorded the altercation via camera phone. "I think I'm gonna knock out this [expletive],"  Jones said on the tape, before handing the cell phone to Ayala. The three asked Mora if he had any money, and one struck him in the jaw when he didn't respond. Mora fell to the concrete hitting the back of his head. Jones later went through the victim's pocket, uncovering $60 from his wallet. "All three left the area laughing about victimizing the old man,"  Assistant State Attorney Terry Clancy, revealed at a bond hearing for the boys. Mora was left bleeding on the ground, as the teens went and robbed a 64-year-old elderly man for $1.

After the attack, Mora was transported to St. Francis Hospital where he died from cranial-cerebral injury, blunt head trauma, and asthma.

Jones posted the video to his Facebook page, but those close to the teens maintain that the incident was a prank that got out of hand.

Chicago has been in the news for its staggering murder rate which has increased by 38 percent since last year.

All three suspects have been charged as adults, for Mora's death.

Charlamagne Tha God blames radio beef for nearly being jumped

Charlamagne almost got "40 Glocc'ed " last week. Apparently, he was the victim of being nearly jumped on camera. MTV.com reports:

Hip-hop personality and New York City morning show host Charlamagne Tha God tends to speak his mind, which makes for entertaining radio but gets him into trouble from time to time. After a recent beef with Hot 97 legend Funkmaster Flex and a near altercation with Busta Rhymes, a cell phone video has surfaced of the Power 105.1 DJ getting knocked in the head and then nearly jumped by five men before running away.

Clearly attempting to harass him on video so it could be posted online, Charlamagne blasted the perpetrators via Twitter. "N---as try to jump me in front of the radio station this morning. Video cameras rolling and all," he wrote. "LMAO. Nice try. 5 on 1."

Saying they tried to "Worldstar" him, which is maybe the first time the controversial website known for its grainy beatdown videos has been used as a verb, Charlamagne said it comes with the territory of being an outspoken media personality in the hip-hop world. In the clip, Charlamagne refuses to give a drop to someone for a DVD and then gets outnumbered and swarmed.

He addressed the incident and explained why he ran away in his "Donkey Of The Day" segment during the Breakfast Club morning show. "Ya'll know that was a set up," he tweeted. "They didn't want no drop. They tried to get me the day before with the same s---."

Coolio's son may serve up to 10 years in prison

The one time "Gangsta's Paradise" singer seems to be experiencing some difficult times. His son is now facing some time behind bars. Allhiphop reports:

Grtis Ivey, the 22-year-old son of rapper Coolio, has been sentenced to nearly 4 years in jail on charges related to kidnapping and robbery.

Ivey was arrested on November 14, 2011 and charged after the beating and robbing of a resident in a Las Vegas apartment complex, TMZ reports. At that time, Ivey entered the home with a gun and a female prostitute accomplice, who helped rob the person.

Ivey agreed to a plea deal and plead guilty to a felony robbery charge and, in exchange, police dropped four additional felony charges that were levied against him.

He will serve at least 3.5 years in jail and up to 10 years, depending on the judges discretion.

Grtis Ivey is Coolio’s eldest son.

A judge will formally sentence him on September 12.

Vincent "Heartbreak" Tucker K104 interview

Vincent "Heartbreak" Tucker visits K104 morning team, DeeDee, Kevvy Kev and Lady Jade to discuss Register to Speak Out on Monday, July 16, 2012. Here's the full interview!

DMX hospitaliized after four wheeler accident

Just as DMX was making his come back, he has run into another road block. X was rushed hospital after an accident. Hip Hop Wired reports:

DMX was hospitalized with a concussion Saturday (July 14) after crashing his four-wheeler, reports TMZ. The rapper got into the accident outside his house in South Carolina, when he collided with a hill. After flipping over more than once, he landed on his backside.

Despite his injuries, X reported his own story to the website, explaining that he didn't remember many details from the incident. This latest trip marks the second time he has been hospitalized this year, the first occurring in January, for food poisoning.

After a list of well-documented legal issues, the 41-year-old has managed to stay out of trouble, and is focussed on a career resurgence. He released his The Weigh In EP in May. In promotion of the project, X announced a summer tour, and has plans to drop his Undisputed album this fall.

Just when it appeared that X may not be totally in the clear with the law, a touring suit brought against the Yonkers, N.Y. native was dismissed, last month.

No word yet on when X will be released from the hospital, but  whenever he does get out, he might want to stay off the four-wheeler for a while.

Guerrilla Black arrested on stolen credit card charges

Remember that rapper a few years ago that sounded an awful lot like The Notorious B.I.G. and could even pass for a younger brother or close cousin of the deceased rapper? Well, he's been locked up over stolen credit card charges. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Rappers need to get their lives together, because the feds don't play. Compton rapper, Guerilla Black, born Charles Williamson, was arrested Thursday (July 12) on charges of credit card fraud. U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan announced that the 33-year-old, known for his vocal likeness to the Notorious B.I.G., was taken into custody on a 22-count indictment from the Western District of Washington.

Black is accused of purchasing the stolen cards which were retrieved by hacking into computer systems, in two Seattle area business establishments. 

“Today's arrest shows that criminals cannot hide in cyberspace.  We will prosecute all parts of the criminal gang – regardless of where they may be,”  said Drukan. “I commend the cyber investigators of the Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force for making sure that all the participants — from the hackers to the end purchasers of stolen data — are held accountable.”

Aside from Black,  22-year-old David Benjamin Schrooten of the Netherlands, and Christopher A. Schroebel, 21, of Keedysville, Maryland, were named as co-conspirators and have been indicted and arrested for hacking into computers to obtain the credit card information.

An investigation concluded that customers had their credit car information stolen within minutes of making purchases at a local restaurant and a supply company. Black communicated with his cohorts via email, requesting to purchase “dumps” of stolen cards in “bulk.” Clearly very picky about his criminal activity, Black indicated that he wanted “freshly stolen” numbers to make it harder for customers to realize what was going on.

The list of charges he faces include conspiracy to access protected computers to further fraud, two counts of accessing a protected computer without authorization to further fraud, and six counts of access device fraud.

He was scheduled to make his initial appearance in a Los Angeles court sometime today.

Top 5 Street Fights in Hip Hop History

In the rap world, fights break out quite often. So in honor or tonight's discussion on Dirty Rotten Radio, I think it's necessary to countdown of The Most Notorious Fights In Rap History.

5) Diddy vs. Steve Stoute

4) T.I. vs Lil Flip

3) Ja Rule vs. 50 Cent

2) 2004 Vibe Awards Brawl

1) Source Awards Brawl

Meek Mill gets into a heated discussion with a pastor over his "Amen" track

Meek Mill gets into a heated discussion with a pastor over the radio about his brand new song "Amen" which features Wheelchair Jimmy. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Meek Mill and Pastor Jomo K. Johnson are not going to be good friends anytime soon. The latter is organizing a boycott of the Philly rappers hit "Amen" single, citing it as blasphemous. Both parties called into their local radio station Hot 107.9 at the same damn time to discuss their issues with each other, but things quickly spiralled into a lot of yelling.

"The way I'm looking at it, you want to be famous, or you want some money or you trying to get your church some money," Meek Mill told Johnson. "If you want that you could have came to me and said that or we could have had a talk about this. I'm out here feeding my family. For you to be talking about you trying to ban me—I done took 20, 30 drug dealers off the street. I'm out there passing them coats out to them kids. Where was you at?"

From here, the convo got very heated when Johnson mentioned that he "spent 25 stacks moving back into the hood" while Mill was in Miami making music.

"If you disrespect Jesus Christ and you disrespect the church, what do you think I'm going to do as a believer," snuck in Johnson while Meek ran down things he's done for the community like giving out Reebok sneakers to the kids. "Listen you may be meek, but I'm not. If you disrespect our God, then we have a right to proclaim that."

How focused is Johnson on getting his point across? He's selling a $2.99 e-book titled No Amen: Why Boycotting Meek Mill Will Help Save Hip Hop.

Check out the audio:

Rapper KMG of Above The Law passed away

Another West Coast rapper has passed away. Allhiphop reports:

Rapper KMG of West coast rap group has died according to multiple reports.

While the cause of death has yet to be revealed, friends of the rapper tweeted their condolences.

Above The Law got their start as an act on Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records, with their 1990 album Livin’ Like Hustlers.

They went on to release seven more albums, including Black Mafia Life and Uncle Sam’s Curse, two albums credited with pioneering the “G-Funk” sound.

After Eazy’s death Above The Law was signed to Tommy Boy and Death Row Records.

Detroit rapper housed was raided over suspected dog-fighting

Apparently, some people didn't learn anything from Michael Vick and DMX. Detroit rapper is being investigated for dog-fighting. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Detroit Rapper Young Calicoe had his home raided Wednesday (July 11), under suspicion that he is participating in dog and rooster fighting— which is illegal in the state of Michigan. Calicoe incriminated himself, when footage of him showing the animals off, was posted to the ‘Net.

Agents from the Michigan Humane Society and Detroit Police officers went to Calicoe's home to remove the animals many of which were stored in makeshift kennels, and appeared to be malnourished. Even though he was caught on tape, pointing out on animal as a “grand champ,” and even referencing Michael Vick's infamous dog-fighting conviction, Calicoe refuses to admit any involvement, once again going on Twitter to prove his innocence. “Now that they have Healthy lovable dogs in custody, I just hope that they find nice homes for each and every one of them,” he wrote, before deleting the tweet.

The animals will receive treatment from veterinarians, according to Michigan Humane Society spokesperson, Kevin Hatman. “We're just happy right now that the animals are going to be receiving high-quality care,” Hatman said. “I'm personally glad that the animals are here, and we're going to be taking a look at them.”

Calicoe has yet to face charges in the matter but has been accused of using the incident to garner publicity for his fledgling rap career. While the story has received national attention, it remains to be seen whether or not it will drive more interest to his music.

Check out the video footage:

Target refuses to carry Channel Orange in their stores

Target's timing is the only thing that makes this story news worthy. Target decided not to carry Frank Ocean's album in their stores. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Frank Ocean's Channel Orange debut quickly topped iTunes charts when it was released earlier in the week, but when the physical album is available one place you won't find it at is Target. Ocean confirmed via Twitter that the project will not be sold by the retail giant. “Album won't be available at target,” he wrote Wednesday (July 11). “Blame it on a generational gap. best buy on deck though.”

Target explained that their choice not to carry the release was fueled by Ocean's decision to prematurely drop the digital version. “At Target, we focus on offering our guests a wide assortment of physical CDs, so our selection of new releases is dedicated to physical CDs rather than titles that are realized digitally in advance of the street date,” a spokesperson said in a statement.  “Our assortment decisions are based on a number of factors, including guest demand. Target has a longstanding tradition of supporting music and artistry that reflects the diverse landscape of American culture.”

The 24-year-old's musical reign is evident, as his album is expected to push between 110,000-125,000 units its first week. Given the fact that the project  had little promotion, and was also streamed on his Tumblr page, the aforementioned numbers are no small feat.

Allhiphop reports:

Frank Ocean’s manager, Christian Clancy wasn’t buying that excuse and took to his Twitter account to vent his frustrations. Check out his tweet below:

According to Entertainment Weekly, Clancy is referring to Target’s past donations to a political organization that supported Tom Emmer, a right-wing politician who unsuccessfully campaigned to become Minnesota’s governor back in 2010.

In an effort to be impartial, I will tell you that Target does carry other gay artists music including Adam Lambert and Elton John.

Beanie Sigel sentenced to 2 Years for tax evasion

It's such a shame when some of the best lyricist in the game can't catch a break. Beanie Sigel has been hit with another prison sentence over his unpaid taxes. Allhiphop reports:

Philadelphia rapper Beanie Sigel will spend the next 24 months in federal prison, for failing to file income tax returns.

Beanie Sigel, born Dwight Grant, is being ordered to pay the IRS $728,536, for taxes on six years of income, from 1999-2005.

In April of 2012, Beanie Sigel pleaded guilty to three counts of failure to file income tax returns.
In total, Beanie Sigel earned over $2.2 million in taxable income during those years, yet he only paid $10,000 in taxes.

Part of the prison sentence was due to Beanie’s conduct, according to the sentencing memorandum.
The IRS accused the rapper of failing to cooperate with his probation officer’s attempts to determine his financial condition.

“For all we know, Grant has earned a significant sum of money and simply squirreled it away out of the reach of the government,” the sentencing memorandum reads. “He would not even cooperate with the probation officer to permit a home visit, a most basic part of the pre-sentencing procedure.”

The sentencing was also based on the rapper’s previous convictions and “his overall poor criminal history.”

According to the government, Beanie Sigel began his criminal life at the age of 15 and 23 years later, despite being a world-renowned artist, continues to run into trouble with the law.

The prison sentence comes as Beanie Sigel was mounting a comeback in his recording career.

In March of 2012, the rapper inked a deal with Chris Schwartz’s new record label through EMI and released a mixtape titled “Broad Street Empire Vol.1: Lost Files.”

Beanie Sigel was also working on an album of all new material titled The Classic.

So far, representatives for Beanie Sigel have yet to comment.

Lil Scrappy speaks on Frank Ocean's recent "coming out party"

Everyone seems to have an opinion on Frank Ocean's recent announcement. Well, Lil Scrappy's perspective seems to be the most intriguing response I've seen so far. Whether I agree or disagree is irrelevant, but I do think it's interesting. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Lil  Scrappy decided to weigh in, by telling  TMZ that while he is happy that Ocean revealed his love for another man, he blames "closeted" gay men for spreading AIDS. "I'm glad that he came out ... so all the real women that love to mess with real men, straight men, we can keep the AIDS situation down, you feel me?"

Scrappy further inserted his foot into his mouth by calling homos-xuality the "doorway to AIDS."

For one, AIDS cannot be spread between two people. The virus starts as HIV and turns into AIDS once the infected party's t-cell count reaches a certain number, putting their immune system in jeopardy, and making them susceptible to other diseases.  Also, while many straight Black men would like to blame the HIV/AIDS epidemic on men on the "down low," the fact of the matter is that unprotected intercourse (of all kinds) is at the root of the problem.

In 2009, NPR ran a story discrediting the myth linking the epidemic in the Black community to men who live double lives by sleeping with both men and women. The radio outlet interviewed director of the  National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, Dr. Kevin Fenton, who cleared up any leftover confusion. "It's critically important to know that we're dealing with a very complex epidemic, certainly among the Black community, and black women are bearing a disproportionate burden of disease compared with their white or Hispanic counterparts," said Dr. Fenton. "It's also important to realize that about one in five black women become infected because of injecting drugs, and about 80 percent of women acquire the infection through sexual transmission from male partners who are HIV infected.

"Their male partners may become infected either through injecting drugs themselves, through having multiple sexual partners or a smaller proportion through male bisexual activity. So it's important to understand the range of risk factors which occur in heterosexual transmission of HIV in the United States."

Despite being less than 15 percent of the population, Black people are leading the pack among all ethnicities infected with the virus. In an attempt to put a dent in the staggering figures, the CDC is now offering free-home testing kits, which were just approved by the FDA.

Charlamgne the God gives Scrappy the patented "Donkey of the Day"



Mysonne also calls Frank Ocean a "coward". Peep:

“i think these n*ggas is cowards that looking for exposure and buzzes, so they wait til albums drop to tell you there true Sexuality,’ he tweeted July 10.

“Never mind that youve built a career off of obvious deceit and false hood, but people say its ok cuz he can sing. What happen to integrity?”

“What happened to judging a man by his character. There are no more boundaries or rules and this is why Suckas can Rule!”

“the fact that he’s gay means nothing to me and had he been real and i still liked his music i would support him, But fake sh*t is fake sh*t!”

Doctors declare Usher's step-son brain dead

When it rains it pours. As Usher is dealing with an ugly divorce and trying to get his music career back on track, he got hit with some bad news over the weekend. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Usher's stepson, Kyle Glover, has been declared brain dead after a Jet Ski accident left him in critical condition, reports TMZ. Glover, 11, has had no brain activity since being admitted to the hospital, and is currently on life support. He sustained an injury to the head after being hit by a Jet Ski while in Lake Lanier, Saturday (July 7). The youngster was riding in an inner tube leading up to the accident, and was transported to a local hospital, where his mother, Tameka Foster Raymond, flew to be with him.

A representative for the Department of Natural Resources in Atlanta, confirmed to TMZ that they are investigating the incident, to determine the speed of the water ski leading up to the impact. Depending on their findings, the DNR will give a recommendation to the district attorney, who will decide if criminal charges should be filed.

Usher and his ex-wife have been engaged in a very public custody battle, but the former couple put their difference aside in the wake of the accident. The 32-year-old chartered a plane for Foster Raymond, so that she could fly in from out-of-town to be with her son.

The fall out of Game/40Glocc altercation

I thought Game was on to being a family these days. Apparently, he saw some reason to run up on Zoo Life member 40 Glocc and record it. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Game and his entourage allegedly jumped 40 Glocc after a party in Los Angeles, reports HipHopDX. Reports say a dozen of the "Hate It Or Love It" rapper's peoples jumped G-Unit affiliate Big Bad 40, who was alone, and that guns were drawn.

"Iphone in my left hand..... Mayweather'n this ni--a with my right !!! #AtTheSameDamnTime," tweeted Game about the beat down, which was recorded and of course promptly made it onto Worldstar (see below).

40 also took to Twitter to offer his side of the story. "I just got jump, see wht happen when u passive wit weeniesz! Lol, The weenie recorded it, let see how he edit it," tweeted the Zoo Life rapper. "Lol! Ni--az pulled burners on me to jump me! Lol. It don't get no pussier then that! #ZooLife."

Both rappers also share photos ( see them all in the gallery) with Game showing a picture of his Air Jordans with blood on them ("@40glocc come clean yo punk A$$ blood off my "Olympic 6's" bum A$$ ni--a !) and 40 revealing a bloody eye and scratches from getting kicked in the face. The latter maintains that he was unable to swing back while catching the fade because guns were pointed at him.

This isn't the first time the Game's and 40 Glocc's respective crew's, Black Wall Street and Zoo Life, respectively, have squared off. Last year, BWS' Menace and 40 got into a fight backstage at the L.A. Sports arena over a chain snatching.

***UPDATE***

Vlad TV caught up with 40, who spoke on the altercation.  

"My motto is if you ain't got a gun and they got some, you better run, ya feel me," 40 Glocc, who had a general "it is what it is" attitude, told DJ Vlad. "I had to do what I had to do, I was trying to get out of the situation. But it panned out, I'm still breathing, I'm still kicking. It happens. You see him, when he solo, he get knocked out."

40 Glocc, who doesn't plan to press any charges, is referring to RoseMo700 allegedly knocking out the Game in September 2011 at Fox Hills Mall in Culver City, CA. However, RoseMo700 is now dead due to an unrelated beef.

Here's 40 Glocc's response:

FDA approves HIV home test

Well, it looks like people will now be able to do an HIV test in the privacy of their own home now. Hip Hop Wired reports:

On Tuesday (July 3), the Federal Drug Administration approved home HIV tests, results of which will be determined  in 20-40 minutes. Last week, the Center for Disease Control announced the release of free home testing kits in 24 drug stores around the nation. The move is an attempt to remove the stigma behind getting tested, by making the kit easily accessible .

Made by OraSure Technologies, the tests have long been used by health care professionals, and include a cotton swab to be inserted inside of a patient's mouth. However, to ensure accuracy, the FDA encourages consumers to confirm positive results with additional testing at  a health care facility. "Knowing your status is an important factor in the effort to prevent the spread of HIV," said director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Dr. Karen Midthun.  "The availability of a home-use HIV test kit provides another option for individuals to get tested so that they can seek medical care, if appropriate."

Taking a test at home may be convenient, but not necessarily the best idea. According to the FDA one false negative is to be expected out of every 5,000 tests taken.

1st Annual Back To School Rally

The Urban Advocate is giving you all another opportunity to give back to the community...but this time it's for the kids!

Future Billionaires of America presents in partnership with Women of Nature and The Urban Advocate, its 1st Annual Back to School Rally!! The rally will be held on August 25, 2012 from 12-5 at Emerald City Bar and Grill located at 2532 Martin Luther King Blvd Dallas, Texas.

We are still in need of volunteers to help set up/clean up, meet and greet guests, assist with food and activities. We are also in need off school supply and food donations.

School supplies include:
Pencils
Pens
Erasers
Crayons
Markers
Map Pencils
Highlighters
Rulers
Bottled Glue
Glue Sticks
Wide/College Ruled Filler Paper
Pocket Folders
Spiral Notebooks
Dividers
Binders
Backpacks

Food includes:
Hot dog buns
Pickle Relish
Ketchup
Weiners
Shredded cheese
Chili
Chips
Bottled Water
Cookies
Juices
Napkins
Mustard

For more information please send an email to futurebillionairesofamerica@gmail.com or remon@theurbanadvocate.com and someone will get back with you in the most expedient manner. Please help us help others to better their lives through better education. Distribution doesn't start until August but now is the time to plan your part in assisting with this worthwhile community program. 

To RSVP for the event, go to Facebook.

Chris Rock draws criticism for calling July 4th a white people holiday

Comedian Chris Rock apparently rubbed some people the wrong way with a tweet about the 4th of July. MSNBC.com reports:

While Americans were watching fireworks displays and enjoying barbecues, Chris Rock was stirring up some fireworks of his own with a controversial July 4 tweet.

"Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren't free but I'm sure they enjoyed fireworks," Rock tweeted.

Reactions came fast and furious, with some fans telling the actor/comedian they were now swearing off his films for what they considered an unpatriotic comment.

Wrote David Burge, "Good one! I bet your Guatemalan house staff got a good chuckle."

And Jeff Schreiber, managing editor of libertarian-conservative blog America's Right, tweeted "Slavery existed for 2000yrs before America. We eradicated it in 100yrs. We now have a black POTUS. ‪#Go (expletive) Yourself." Schreiber later followed up with, "I'm not saying we're blameless for that horrid practice, but for @chrisrock to indict the US as he did is inappropriate at best."

Yet some jumped in on Rock's side. Actor Don Cheadle retweeted Rock's message with a simple "Haha," which put Cheadle on some Twitter user's enemies lists.

Cheadle later jumped into the Twitter fray, debating the comment with others. "Where exactly is the bigotry in that joke? Who is the victim? 18th century whites?" Cheadle wrote in a later tweet.

Actor Zach Braff also joined the fray, tweeting, "Slaves weren't freed for another 90 years. So maybe just enjoy some of the fireworks..."

Politics flew fast and furious, of course. Bradford Jones tweeted back at Rock and Braff, "u bashed July4th as "White peoples independence day." Know who gave u urs? Republicans. ur welcome."

Rock, however, didn't seem to be bothered. His next tweet was about a potential New York Knicks trade. But one reader found a connection even there. Lincolntf wrote to Rock, "White men trading black men amuses you these days, eh?"

Hip Hop Wired dug up this quote from a letter written by Frederick Douglass. Check out what Mr. Douglass had to say about the holiday:

“What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelly to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour.”

Another bath salts, zombie attack

These zombie attacks seem to be coming closer and closer to Texas. This time, it hits Georgia. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Karl Laventure, began to display erratic behavior at a golf course in Alpharetta, Ga. earlier this week, prompting patrons to call police.

Laventure chose his 21st birthday to head to the course, strip half-naked, threaten guests, and swing clubs. Once police arrived, rather than back down, he threatened them. "I'll eat you!" he screamed. "Don't make me eat you!" He was also making references to golfing, Tupac, Biggie, and God.

Police were finally able to subdue Laventure after shooting him with a taser several times. He later told police that he smoked a joint sprinkled with bath salts, and had no recollection of his attempted zombie attack.

While many believed that the zombie epidemic was directly related to bath salts, an autopsy of the original face-eater, Rudy Eugene, debunked the theory. Eugene was killed by police when he began eating a homeless man's face, but according to a medical examiner, there were no traces of bath salts in his system, as originally reported.

Man arrested for shooting Houston shooting

A man has been arrested in connection with the shooting that hospitalized Houston rapper, Trae the Truth. Allhiphop reports:

A 25-year-old Houston man has been arrested in connection with the shooting of Trae The Truth, that also left three people dead.

The incident unfolded on June 20 outside of the Diamond’s Gentleman’s Club in Houston, Texas.

Feanyichi Uvukansi

Police accuse Feanyichi Uvukansi of opening fire on a crowd as they were leaving the adult nightclub.

Authorities believe Uvukansi was gunning for Coy “Poppa C” Thompson 23, who was among the three killed in the gunfire.

Three of the victims died, while Trae The Truth and an associate Willie Watkins, sustained minor injuries.

According to a report by KHOU in Houston, Uvukansi said he was surprised to learn that he was a suspect, and told authorities that he did not bring a gun to the club.

Feanyichi Uvukansi was charged with multiple counts of capital murder and is being held without bond.