NY Post writer faces backlash over tweets about Slick Rick

In all my years, I have never heard anyone question the legendary status of Slick Rick...EVER! I guess there's a first time for everything. Hip Hop Wired reports:

The Brooklyn Nets' overtime victory against the New York Knicks almost swept an earlier occurrence in the night under the rug. Luckily, it's 2012 and basketball fans keep their cellular devices handy for moments like this. It all began with an halftime performance from legendary MC Slick Rick, meant to commemorate the battle of the boroughs. Unfortunately, things didn't go so smooth.


According to leaked fan footage, Rick the Ruler performed two classic jams in "Hey Young World" and "Mona Lisa," but seemed to be off kilter for unknown reasons. The fan can even be heard saying, "I think Slick Rick is drunk! Slick Rick is high! He's high!" While we can neither confirm or deny those claims, let's say that the performance wasn't Rick's best. Fans agreed, and expressed their dismay with a wave of boos. We're thinking MC Ricky D either skipped out on soundcheck or the monitors weren't working because his rhymes often weren't in sync with the music.

Nevertheless, the performance was so bad that New York Daily News Knicks beat writer Frank Isola felt inclined to question Rick the Ruler's status as a Hip-Hop legend via Twitter.

"The Nets are claiming that halftime performer Slick Rick is a 'Hip Hop legend.' On what planet, exactly?"




 

Dallas police officer suspended for pursuing a rap career

Uhhh, yeah. This would happen in Dallas, TX. A Dallas police officer gets placed on leave after recording a song with some violent content. Hey, maybe she can sign with Maybach Music Group? Sorry, I couldn't resist myself. Anyway, Hip Hop Wired has more on the story:

Music moguls have worked several different jobs on the road to stardom, and Dallas Police Lt. Regina Smith hopes to be no different.

The cop doubles as a rapper and label head who runs Big Rush In Global Media. She has been placed on leave over her aspiring rap career, and content posted on her website, BigRushin.com.

Under the moniker, Lucille Baller, Smith released a rap track that got her in trouble due to its lyrics. “Don't push Ms. Lucy, because you won't like the consequences,” she warns on the track. “Mess with me or I will shoot a [expletive], cuz Lucille Baller, she been to hell and back.”

Rocking a wig, and a tight-fitting ensemble, Smith's alter ego is a far cry from how she looks in her uniform.
According to the department, Smith—who is the widow of a police officer killed while on duty—may be in violation of their code of conduct. In addition to the song, her website is being reviewed to see if it breaks rules barring officers from participating in any activity that will depict the department in a disrespectful manner.

In a separate video, Smith showcases her shooting skills. “I got miss Lucy right here,” she's explains, gun in hand. “Miss Lucy aint' loaded.” Smith also threatens to shoot anyone who “tries to take advantage” of her.
She goes on to criticize the department over how she's been treated since her husband's death.  “I have been alone in my struggle as far support from the department,” she says.

Smith's label is a tribute to her late husband, and earns its title from his nickname “Big Rush.”

Black Friday causes ruckus everywhere

Every year it happens. Yet people are still very much determined to get to the stores and get those "deals" on Black Friday. Before I get to the story, let me take a moment to salute the Wal-Mart employees that protested working on Black Friday. Now, Hip Hop Wired has reported on a few incidents that took place last Friday:

While workers at Wal-Mart were busy protesting, Black Friday shoppers all around the country went forward with their post-Thanksgiving holiday plans, some of which resulted in arrests.

Two teens were arrested in Portland, Maine for fighting inside a Foot Locker store at the Maine Mall, while a Florida woman was taken into custody for throwing merchandise inside a Wal-Mart store.

Mohamud Mohamed, 18, was charged with disorderly conduct and violating the terms of a previous jail release, after he fought, Steve Alphonse, also 18. Alphonse was also charged with disorderly conduct.
According to South Portland Police Lt. Todd Bernard, the brawl occurred at around 1:15 a.m. Friday (Nov. 23). Three other people were involved in the fight, but authorities are unsure what led to the disagreement.
The teens were both taken to Cumberland County Jail and released early Friday.
Officers had their hands full inside the Maine Mall, dealing with several shoplifters, and a man who fainted inside the lingerie section in Macy's, but was told to move along.

Over in Almonte Springs, Fla. a Wal-Mart shopper was arrested at a for allegedly throwing merchandise. Samantha Chavez, 28, was busted Thursday (Nov. 22) night, also on a disorderly conduct charge. Police witnessed Chavez repeatedly trying to cut a line, after being told not to do so. While being escorted out of the store, Chavez began throwing her merchandise, and was wrestled to the ground for not complying with police orders, as she screamed "I didn't do anything!"

Chavez was taken to the Seminole County Jail, and later released after posting $550 bond.

Elsewhere around the country, a man in Massachussets is facing a reckless endangerment charge for leaving his girlfriend's two-year-old child in the car while he went inside a local K-Mart to buy a 51-inch TV. He claims that he brought the toddler inside the store, but that the child got lost somehow. Security alerted police to the incident, and they were able to catch up with the suspect at his home, but are unsure how he made it back without actually getting back into the Nissan Versa that he drove to the store.

In San Antonio, a man pulled a gun out on another man who punched him in the face while they were both waiting in line at Sears, and at a Seattle Wal-Mart a senior citizen was arrested and charged with vehicular assault for hitting two shoppers with his SUV. Police believe the man, 71, was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

Fight breaks out at Hector Camacho's wake

I don't if this is something I should be embarrassed about this or not, but the only reason I know who Hector Camacho is, is because he appeared on an episode of The Wayans Brothers. But, he was actually a real fighter...an apparently so were the women in his life. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Hector "Macho" Camacho's life was always filled with controversy. It looks like the same drama might follow him to the grave as well. 

The many women in the boxer's life came to blows on the second day of the late fighter's wake according to numerous reports coming from his native Puerto Rico.

"I am the actual girlfriend of Macho, and those who don't like it better not bring it," said Cynthia Castillo, who claimed to be Camacho's girlfriend at the time of his death according to ESPN. "They shouldn't be going after me. They should be thanking me for being with him at all times."

Castillo kissed the mouth of the slain boxer at the viewing and then walked to the area reserved for family.  She was then confronted by Gloria Fernandez, who claimed to have been Camacho's girlfriend for the past 25 years, as well as Esther and Estrella Camacho, the boxer's sisters.

Camacho was shot numerous times on November 20th while sitting in a parked car with a friend outside a bar and died three days later when the decision was made to take him off of life support.

Jamie Foxx offends Christian groups by calling Barack Obama "Lord and Savior"

I don't think anyone is surprised by the action or the subsequent reaction. In this day and time, people have their religious radars up, looking for every infraction. With Jamie Foxx, they didn't have to look very hard. He apparently called Barack Obama "Lord and Savior", as a joke. Hip Hop Wired reports:


Foxx called President Obama “our lord and savior” while at the Soul Train Music Awards, and the title raised more than a few religious eyebrows.

During the ceremony, which aired over the weekend but was taped not long after Obama won re-election, Foxx said “It's like church in here. First of all, give an honor to God and our lord and savior, Barack Obama.”

Not surprisingly, the Django Unchained star has offended Christian groups.

Bill Donahue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights in the United States was utterly shocked by the Oscar winner's words. “Foxx's epiphany is startling. It just goes to show that even though Obama did not succeed in stopping the oceans from rising (as he promised to do in 2008), he did succeed in convincing Jamie Foxx, and no doubt legions of others, that God exists,” Donahue wrote in a statement. “Whether  God can survive an ACLU lawsuit accusing him of violating church and state grounds remains to be seen.”

In response to the pointless firestorm, Foxx announced that he was just being silly. “I'm a comic, [and] sometimes I think people get a little too tight. It's getting a little tougher for us comedians [because] some people take it and want to make a huge story out of it, but it's a joke.”

Even though he was kidding, loyalty among Obama's Black supporters has long been questioned. The commander and chief is very popular with minorities leading the belief that Black people are less likely to be critical of his presidency, no matter his missteps.

As it turns out isn't  the 44-year-old isn't only one likening the POTUS to Jesus Christ. New York-based artist, Michael D'Antuono, released a painting of the president with a crown of thorns around his head and his arms stretched out, similar to that of Christ on the cross.

D'Antuono has since received 4,000 emails from Christian groups blasting his work.

Ryan Leslie ordered to pay $1 Million for returned laptop

Now, I'm a huge fan and supporter of Ryan Leslie's music. Have been since 2009. But, as Harvard educated individual, I must say I expect more sound decision making. He is being ordered to pay a German man $1 million. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Ryan Leslie got what he wished for, and now he has to pay for it. A Manhattan federal court jury has ordered the singer/songwriter to pay a German autoworker a cool $1 million for finding and returning the crooner and sometimes rapper's stolen laptop.


Leslie previously went to YouTube when his laptop was initially lost asking for its return and offering the reward for whoever returned. Initially, in late October 2010 he offered a $20K reward before upping the ante to $1 million the next month. However, once he got back his Macbook (which was stolen from a Mercedes-Benz while he was on tour in Cologne, Germany), Leslie didn't feel obligated to pay up—citing that the music files he needed were damaged and implying that Armin Augustein was involved in the theft. Augstein, who returned the computer to German authorities in November 2010, filed a lawsuit to get his dough.

The New York Post, who takes particular delight in calling Leslie a rapper and throwing Hip-Hop jargon into their story, reports that Augustin is happy with the decision. "I'm very happy . . . that the American judicial system, which is so totally different from ours, functioned so well with a jury that are not professionals and are laymen," said Augustin in German.

The verdict came down after only three hours of deliberations.

Ryan Leslie took to Twitter to comment on the decision. "Ain't no way to get around ups & downs." Jury of my peers rules for the plaintiff," he tweeted.

Katt Williams leads police on a chase on his Can Am

Katt Williams just can't seem to get himself together. He's had more brushes with the law than Tupac and ODB put together. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Katt Williams is in trouble with the law again. After he was arrested on November 14th after an alleged nightclub fight in Oakland, Calif., Katt led police officers on a bizarre chase.

After police officers were called to a Hyatt after it was reported that Williams was disturbing the peace, Williams was spotted driving a Can Am (a three-wheeled motorcycle) on a sidewalk. Driving through, he was said to have almost hit five pedestrians.

According to reports, Capitol Protection Officers had flashed their lights for him to stop. Williams then was said to have taken his helmet off, turned to the officer and said “I'm not going to stop.”

The comedian wasn't cited for his actions, even though he ran several more red lights after the incident. Check out more photos from Katt's altercation down below.

The Vincent Tucker Radio Show signs with West Virigina radio station

West Virginia-based UHCC Radio adds Syndicated, Award-Winning Broadcast, The Vincent Tucker Radio Show, to it's lineup.

Beckley, West Virginia-based UHCC Radio announced today the addition of rising entertainer Vincent “Heartbreak” Tucker to its Saturday night lineup beginning Saturday, November 24. The station will broadcast the online syndicated & award-winning broadcast, The Vincent Tucker Radio Show, Saturday nights from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. EST.

Tucker states, "“We are honored that UHCC Radio would want to add our syndicated program to the station and excited about expanding to West Virginia. We’ll continue to entertain & bring the celebrity guests as only we know how.”"

Touted as “The New Home for Black Star Power”, The Vincent Tucker Radio Show is syndicated by its parent company CWC Entertainment Group L.L.C. and powered by www.fbrn.us. Every week, Vincent “Heartbreak” Tucker goes through the latest in music, entertainment, news, sports and hot topics that affect the hip hop generation. Joined by co-hosts Myskenna, Yellostar, J.B. & “The King of Chaos” Comedian Savel Rhines, Heartbreak provides his unique perspective and attitude as the team welcomes celebrity guests, recording artists and fascinating characters in the world today.

A creamery store manager loses her job over Obama rants

Sooner or later, people will start to realize they can't put everything on Facebook and Twitter. Denise Helms had to learn this the hard way. Hip Hop Wired reports:

No one in safe when launching racist attacks at President Obama. Many have fallen into the “freedom of speech” area where they feel within their rights to go at the commander in chief, but when you're representing a company the ramifications of said actions can result in unemployment—a lesson which Denise Helms learned the hard way.

The 22-year-old of Turlock, Calif. was fired from her position as manager of a Cold Stone Creamery location, late last week, for using Facebook to weigh in on the president winning a second term. “And another 4 years of the n***er,” she wrote. “Maybe he will get assassinated this term.”

After the post was picked up in the news circuit, Helms was interview by the Modesto Bee, and didn't understand why anyone took issue with her words. “I didn't think it would be that big of a deal,” she said. “The assassination part is kind of harsh. I'm not saying like I would go do that or anything like that, by any means, but if it was to happen, I don't think I'd care one bit.”

Helms deleted the post, but lashed out at those who think that calling the president the “n-word” and speaking on his assassination was in bad form. “So apparently my post last night about Obama got onto Twitter and Fox 40 came and interviewed me ‘cause apparently a lot of people in Sacramento think I'm crazy and racist. WOW is all I got to say!! I'm not racist and I'm not crazy. just simply stating my opinion.!!!”
She has since deleted that post as well.

Chris Kegle, store director of the Turlock Cold Stone Creamery, said that Helms' words were “very disgusting,” and “do not reflect” the opinions of the company. After receiving more than a dozen angry phone messages once the story made local news, Kegle chose to fire Helms. “We made the decision because of her comments, but also the community feedback.”

Her words also raised eyebrows over at the Secret Service. Agent Scott Gillingham of the agency's Sacramento office is looking into her comments. Unbeknownst to Helms, making threats about the president being assassinated is a felony under U.S. Code Section 871 which states that anyone who “knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States,” will be “fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.”

Not understanding that social media threats hold just as much weight as verbal threats, has gotten others in trouble for posting about the president. In September, a 21-year-old man in North Carolina tweeted about hitting Obama with “that Lee Harvey Oswald swag,” and was arrested.

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan assess why Obama won

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan mat not be over his loss to the Obama Administration. They are still voicing their thoughts as to why they believe they loss. Hip Hop Wired reports:

At long last, Mitt Romney has figured out why he isn't president. Addressing his top donors via telephone Wednesday (Nov. 13), the Republican former governor blamed the defeat on the president being “very generous” to minorities and young voters.

Standing on the pillars of lowering student loan interest rates, student health care, and other enticing issues, Romney theorized that President Obama had the election effectively sewn up, before the votes actually came in. “The president's campaign focused on giving targeted groups a big gift—so he made a big effort on small things. Those small things, by the way, add up to trillions of dollars.”

Romney went on to state that he's “very sorry” that his bid for president was denied. “I know that you expected to win,” he told the donors. “We expected to win….It was very close, but close doesn't count in this business.”

According to campaign finance chairman Spender Zwick, Romney raised a whopping $900 million to run for the nation's top office, and plans to keep his supporters informed by releasing a monthly newsletter.
While Obama was named the election's winner once he surpassed the needed 270 electoral votes, Romney grabbed “47 percent” of the popular vote.

....

One week after he and Mitt Romney lost the presidential election, Paul Ryan has figured out what led to the defeat. President Obama was named the winner after passing the 270 electoral votes needed to become commander in chief, but Ryan sees the popular vote as the real election surprise.“I think the surprise was some of the turnout, especially in urban areas, which gave President Obama the big margin to win this race,” he told Wisconsin new station, WISC-TV.

“There's always an Electoral College strategy to winning these things, and you know what states you need to win to get to 270 electoral votes. When we watched Virginia and Ohio coming in, those as tight as they were, and looking like we were going to lose them, that's when it became clear we weren't going to win.”
Ryan's reflection differentiates him from Karl Rove, who stood his ground in believing that the nominees didn't lose Ohio until the bitter end. Still, losing— especially his home state of Wisconsin— was no walk in the park. “Mitt didn't pick me for a certain state, he picked me for issues, for governing for debt crisis. We had hoped to win Wisconsin, fought hard for Wisconsin. We cut the president lead in half, but nevertheless, it wasn't enough.”

As pointed out by TheGrio, Ryan has recycled the “urban voters” adage which he used during an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, noting that the president “should get credit for achieving record-breaking turnout numbers from urban areas, for the most part.”

Jesse Jackson Jr. probe continues

Though Jesse Jackson Jr has won his election, his troubles are far from over. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Rep. Jesse Jackson has finished up his second stint at the Mayo Clinic. The Congressman, went back in October to receive treatment stemming from a bipolar diagnosis; but just as he's getting out comes more bad news: his wife has been named in the federal investigation of which he is involved.

His medical problems have been the second biggest story surrounding  the 47-year-old. The second of course is the federal probe over misappropriation of funds, which now includes his wife, Ald. Sandi Jackson, accused of using campaign money to decorate their Washington D.C. home.

Jackson has been away from work since June, and despite being nominated to a new term last week, continues to maintain a low profile.

A rep for the Mayo Clinic confirmed his departure. “He's no longer there,” said Nick Hanson. “I don't know where he is.”

Ironically, Jackson's father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., was not informed that his son ended his stay at the Minnesota hospital. “He's still there as far as I know,” he told the Chicago Tribune. “I know he's still there.”
Aside from making a robo call to his constituents, and a quick interview with The Daily, Jackson has not offered too much insight into his condition, or plans to return to work. Now Jackson is under pressure to speak from Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the latter of which urged him to “have a conversation with his constituents about his intentions.”

As previously reported, Jackson is looking to reach a plea deal with authorities over the financial allegations.

General William Ward demoted for his lavish spending

It's sad the type of news that are coming out people in leadership roles in the government these days. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Panetta stripped Gen. William “Kip” Ward of a star Tuesday (Nov. 13), demoting him down to a three-star general, thanks to lavish government spending sprees.

In light of this latest damaging story, Panetta made it clear that the choices of select members do not reflect the entire Department of Defense. “Secretary Panetta insists that leaders within the Department of Defense exemplify both professional excellence and sound judgment,” Pentagon press secretary, George Little, said in a statement. “The secretary is committed to ensuring that any improprieties or misconduct by senior officers are dealt with swiftly and appropriately.”

Ward, a former head of U.S. Africa Command is accused of spending military money and vehicles to take his wife shopping, to a spa, and on a trip to Bermuda where the couple stayed in a $750 a night suite. During a trip to Washington, Ward, his wife, Joyce, and his staff members used a five-vehicle motorcade, according to a report by the Defense Department.

The couple also received tickets to a Broadway show where they went back stage and met with Denzel Washington, and also stayed at the famed Waldorf Astoria hotel, all on the government's dime.

A spokesperson for Ward noted that he is “not perfect” but maintained that he “has never been motivated by personal gain and fulfilled each and every mission assigned to him and served his country and the men and women assigned to his commands with distinction.”

News of his demotion is more than just a blow to his career, but will cost him nearly $30,000 a year in retirement pay. As a result Wards take home pay will be $208,802 instead of $236,650. He must also pay the government back $82,000.

Connecticut man steals delivery car and finishes deliveries

Wow, there is some sort of honor amongst thieves...some of them anyway. Check out this story from Hip Hop Wired:

Just because you're a thief, it doesn't mean that your moral compass is completely broken, which may be why a Connecticut man stole a delivery car only to finish the job of dropping off food items.

Keith Hinds was charged with larceny Friday (Nov. 9) for jacking the vehicle from a driver working for the Black Bamboo Chinese restaurant.

The delivery driver's first mistake was leaving the car running outside while he ran to make a drop-off to a local school. By the time he made it back outside, the car was taken by Hinds.

After calling the police, the driver phoned his boss, and was surprised to find that his route had been completed, courtesy of the criminal with a heart of gold. “That's when it clicked to me that somebody was making delivered with my car,” the driver said. “At first I thought it was a practical joke, then it turned out it was real.

Police busted Hinds just as he was wrapping up his next drop-off. In addition to the larceny charge, the 45-year-old was picked up for possession of less than a half an ounce of weed, possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as other drug charges.

Hinds was being held on $5,000 bond, in lieu  of a court appearance yesterday.

Texas woman buys covered mirror thinking it's an iPad

Well, I'm not quite sure what to make of this one or how to look at it. I'll let the story speak for itself. Hip Hop Wired has the story:

The technology stronghold that Apple has on the masses is causing people to lose all forms of rational thinking.

A woman in Arlington, Texas was sold a mirror instead of an iPad in an embarrassing scam of epic struggle proportions.

Jalonta Freeman assumed she was sticking it to Apple by purchasing what she thought was a $200 iPad at a local gas station. The seller was offering a $600 discount on the popular notebook, leaving Freeman with no choice but to jump on the deal. With no suspicion in her heart, and no need to actually open the package holding the product that she was buying, Freeman forked over the money to the man who was in a hurry. "He was like 'Okay, I gotta hurry up and go' and stuff," she told a local news station.

After the man disappeared, Freeman ripped open the package only to find that it was small mirror that had been covered with duct tape to feign the appearance of an iPad. Buying the mirror left Freeman feeling like she had been robbed, but taught her to inspect merchandise before jumping to make a purchase...especially at a gas station of all places.

The man who pulled the impressively simple heist has not been identified.

Shyne and Game trade insults

For whatever reason Shyne Po's Kendrick Lamar insults struck a chord with West Coast flag carrier, Game. The two have been trading jabs for the past few weeks now and it seems to be picking up. Hip Hop Wired reports:

It doesn't take much to get the Game to comment on, or participate, in a rift or beef. Taking offense to Shyne's infamous commentary on Kendrick Lamar's new album, Jayceon Taylor drops a "Cough up a Lung (New York Freestyle)" video, with bars aimed at the former Bad Boy rapper and for that other rapper who is suing him
. 
Last month, Shyne said the beats on Lamar's good kid/M.A.A.D. city were "trash." The Game has already commented on Shyne's taste, but this time he put it in rhyme. "Now that I've got everybody's attention, let's address this bi**h @ss ni**a going at Kendrick," he spits in the black & white clip. "Say the album's trash, ni**a you full of gas/Poke holes in you, let you fill up a New York cab/ni**a in Belize all into his feelings, 'cause he did 10 years for shooting at the ceiling/Then he gave you a mill, little ni**a shoulda chilled/Cute curly sideburns talkin' about he real."



If you didn't know by now, be clear that Shyne doesn't care what you think..about anything that he does. Whether you're President Obama, Game, Kendrick, Lamar, or anyone taking issue with his random, but honest, commentary, Shyne's stance will not be shaken. So, rather than get upset over a potential beef with Game for coming to the defense of Lamar, Shyne had nothing but kind words for the West Coast Rapper.
"That' my son. I got love for him. I always have love for him. I'm proud of him because he's something that I helped create," he said in an interview with Street Kode.

"He studied me, and he aspired to be like me. I always have love for him because he never fronted. He always paid homage."

Shyne went on to compare his relationship with Game to that of a wayward young sibling. "I look at him as a little brother. But you know, sometimes your little brother do things that don't make sense."

The Belize native also admitted that had he known how close Game was to Lamar, he wouldn't have spoken out about hating the 25-year-old's good kid m.A.A.d city debut.

Despite taking such a positive approach, on Twitter Shyne is letting his fans speak his thoughts, retweeting attacks on Game for name-dropping him in the "Cough Up A Lung" record.

Peep the interview:

Robert De Niro calls Jay-Z 'rude' and 'disrespectful'

One of the original gangsters of Hollywood, Robert De Niro, has called out the author of the American Gangster album, disrespectful. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Take note, Robert De Niro considers anyone not returning his phone calls as a sign of disrespect, no matter who you are. Jay-Z learned this first hand when the Oscar winning actor told the Grammy winning actor how he really felt at a Leonardo DiCaprio birthday party in NYC.

The New York Post reports the two giants in their respective field's crossed paths at the party held at The Darby. While Hova tried to be cordial, sources say DeNiro was frosty. The source of the tension is Jay allegedly ducking Bob's calls after offering to contribute music to the TriBeCa Film Festival.

"Bob was sitting at a table, and when Jay-Z went over to say hello, De Niro told Jay that he never called him back," said the source.

Another source added, "Bob wasn't in any mood to make polite conversation. He told Jay that if somebody calls you six times, you call them back. It doesn't matter who you are, that is just rude."

Even Jigga trying to make light of his faux pas, and his wife coming by to help cool things down, couldn't sway Deniro. "Beyoncé came over, but that didn't calm Bob down,"  said the source. "It was the talk of the party. Everyone was saying there's only one star in New York bigger and badder than Jay-Z, and that's Robert De Niro. He can be quite scary when he's angry."

Both De Niro and Jay-Z reps declined comment so at the moment only those two know what was exactly said. Safe bet that if De Niro does ever call again, Hova will hit him right back on the jack.

Elmo puppeteer cleared of any foul play

The man the does the voice of Elmo has been vindicated of any wrong doing and his accuser has recanted his story. Hip Hop Wired reports:

It only took a full day of media stories, but the man accusing Sesame Street puppeteer Kevin Clash of bedding him when he was 16, has changed his story. The unnamed accuser has recanted the tail, which pointed the finger at Clash for engaging in a s-x act with a minor.

From TMZ:
The accuser's lawyer just released a statement saying, "[The accuser] wants it to be known that his s-xual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship. [The accuser] will have no further comment."

It's unclear why the accuser suddenly changed his story ... but sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... the accuser's attorney had been meeting with Clash's attorney as recent as an hour ago, discussing a financial settlement and 6-figures were on the table.

Sesame Workshop, the company behind Sesame Street, conducted an internal investigation and found Clash guilty of no wrongdoing. The 52-year-old admitting to  having a physical relationship with the man, but he was of age. "We are pleased that this matter has been brought to a close, and we are happy that Kevin can move on from this unfortunate episode," the company said.

After announcing that he would take a leave of absence from work, today, Clash expressed happiness over the new development. "I am relieved that this painful allegation has been put to rest," he said in a statement.  "I will not discuss it further."

The release of Call of Duty Black Ops II causes an uproar

Gamers everywhere have been waiting on this game. Someone got shot while waiting for the game and but the game still sells millions when it dropped. Hip Hop Wired reports:

It got real on the streets of Los Angeles and all a wheelchair-bound man was trying to do was get a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

The LAPD is looking for the suspect who shot the man as he waited to purchase the much sought after video game.

The incident took place at approximately 1 a.m. Tuesday (Nov. 13), at a GameStop in the Koreatown area of the city. “The suspect walked up, shot him and then fled on foot,” said Sgt. Pete Llanes. The victim was hit in the abdomen and transported to a hospital for treatment, where he is said to be in stable condition.
Police have not yet uncovered the gunman's motive.

Fans stood in line Monday (Nov. 12) night to get the newest release from Activision. With the first Black Ops earning more than $650 million in just five days, the stakes are high for the second installment.

 

An analyst named Michael Olson of Piper Jaffray Cos. believes that when the finally tallies are all in, Black Ops 2 will have sold between 6.5 million and 7.2 million units in a single day in the UK and US combined. Last year's Call Of Duty title, Modern Warfare 3, broke records with 6.5 million copies sold its first day in s US and UK stores.

There are no official totals from the game's manufacturer, Activision, yet.

 

Katt Williams was arrested and sued in the same week for separate incidents

For whatever reason, Katt Williams just can't stay out of trouble. Over the past week he has been arrested as well as sued for two completely different things. Hip Hop Wired reports:

[H]is latest rift could cost him $5 million


Williams is accused of punching his female assistant, leaving her with lasting ailments.

Melissa Ishage filed a suit with the L.A. County Superior Court alleging to have worked as the father of seven's personal assistant, before an altercation on Oct. 6, left her injured. According to the former employee's attorney, she was punched in the head, knocking her to the ground, and causing "serious and permanent injuries." After the run-in, Ishtage went to the hospital.

While she does not explain what led to Williams flipping out, police were called to the location, but no one was taken into custody.

Authorities are still investigating the incident.

No statement yet from Williams.

And Allhiphop.com has reports on his arrest:

Williams was arrested for assault in Oakland last night (November 14). The incident occurred at a club named Kimballs Carnival, which is in East Oakland. Police were called to the scene and arrested Katt Williams, although he has yet to be officially charged. The incident is one in a string of events involving Katt Williams over the past 30 days. In October, Katt Williams was arrested for pulling a gun on actor Faizon Love in Hollywood, while his assistant filed a $5 million lawsuit against him, claiming he assaulted her and punched her in the face on October 6.

Lil Wayne loses $2 million over QD3 case

You know what...I have no words for this. Oh well, Allhiphop.com reports:

Lil Wayne was ordered to pay film maker Quincy “QDIII” Jones III over $2 million over a dispute over a documentary on Monday.

The Young Money mogul was ordered to pay exactly $2,195,000 to QDIII over a documentary about the rapper. The judgment was levied based on a counter suit by QDIII, which charged that Lil Wayne prevented the movie from being profitable.

TMZ reports that the rapper was unable to make it to court due to seizures that prevented him from flying.

Police officer loses his job over Freddie Gibbs smoking marijuana

Freddie Gibbs may be costing some people their jobs. At least one police officer lost his job for hanging out with the rapper. Allhiphop.com reports:

Freddie Gibbs got a police officer in hot water after the officer allowed him to use his squad car in an upcoming music video for Gibbs’ song, “BFK”.  The YouTube video posted is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the music video, showing Gibbs rapping in front of the squad car, which is parked at an angle and has its lights flashing.


Three-year Indiana Police Force patrolman Jason Johnson, who also made a cameo in the video in his uniform, was reprimanded and demoted after his superiors caught wind of the video. The story appeared on the cover of the Indiana Post Tribune.

According to the paper, in one shot, Gibbs leans against the front fender, and one of his homies says, “We’re smoking weed with the police outside.”  The camera then pans to officer Johnson, who is watching the rapper perform in full uniform. This officer is an idiot for 1) allowing his car to be in a music video with people smoking weed, and 2) for appearing in his uniform. I put all of the blame on the officer, and not Gibbs, in this situation. He’s an officer of the law. He should have known better.

Sidenote: Freddie Gibbs dry-snitched on a TSA agent last year when an agent let his luggage slide by with two bags of marijuana inside it. The agent left a note in his suitcase that read, “Come’on Son”. Gibbs posted the note on Twitter, and the TSA launched an investigation into the matter. Not sure if anyone was fired over his tweet, but most likely, if they found the person, they were canned.

Puerto Rico voting to become a U.S. State

Not that I don't absolutely love Puerto Ricans because I do, but I'm really hoping the country stays independent and doesn't vote into the union. Hip Hop Wired reports:


While the country was tied up with the presidential election yesterday, Puerto Rico quietly took steps to become a state.

In a two-part referendum more than 50 percent voted that Puerto Rico be named the 51st state of the union, bringing them one step closer to making the dream a reality.

According to the breakdown, 65 percent moved in favor of full statehood, 31 percent sought to receive sovereign statehood, and 4 percent voted to become fully independent.

President Obama has stated that he is in support of the idea, but the island still has to convince Congress to allow the statehood. If approved, Puerto Ricans will be able to vote in American elections, and will  no longer be exempt from paying federal taxes.

America holds strong ties with Puerto Rico. Aside from the well-known public figures like Supreme Court judge, Sonia Sotomayor, there are now a million more Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. than on the island.

As it stands, Puerto Rico fell under U.S. control after the Spanish-American war. In 1917 its people became U.S. citizens,  allowing them the right to serve in the American army, but not to vote.

Nearly a century later, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, but control is left up to its own presidency, which would change depending on the decision of Congress.

50 Cent admits to twitter feud being all hype

We all know 50 Cent is a master at manipulating people into keeping him relevant. Seems that Mayweather may have taken a note or two. Hip Hop Wired reports:

This past weekend, 50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather Jr. had Twitter on fire. The former buddies were both going back and forth, hitting each other with disses and it had looked like the "Money Team" were all finished. However, 50 Cent revealed on his Twitter account that it was all for play-play. 

"I'm sick of all this nonsense Floyd asked me to act like were fighting cause no one was paying any attention after his 60 days," 50 tweeted earlier this morning. The publicity stunt was well speculated for a while, especially after 50 Cent started doing business with Mayweather's adversary, Manny Pacquiao.

"I know some the thing we do in hip hop for shock value are wrong. He just wanted some attention Floyd is like a brother to me," he added. "He just called he mad I said something about domestic violence. He just want be in music. You ever hear him RAP? Domestic violence is very serious my apologies,my grandmother said we need to stop playing I'm done sorry."

But, we'll see how this plays out because a billionaire is offering up a few million to see the two duke it out. Allhiphop reports:

While it still remains to be seen if rapper 50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are friends or not, a group of investors that includes a billionaire, are offering the pair $5 million to settle their differences.
Billionaire Alki David and partner Damon Feldman of Celebrity Boxing offerings the pair $5 million for a three-round celebrity boxing match.

50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have been embroiled in a war of words and tweets over the past month, after a falling out, apparently over business.

The issue appears to be over a proposed boxing venture the pair were supposed to do together called The Money Team Promotions.

But shortly after Floyd Mayweather Jr. was released from prison in August, 50 claimed prison had “changed” Mayweather.

He then announced he was creating a new promotion company with Floyd’s rival, Manny Pacquaio, which was confirmed by Pacquaio’s business manager Michael Koncz.

More recently, on November 1, 50 Cent announced he was done with The Money Team Promotions.

Their war of words escalated over the weekend, when the pair traded shots via Twitter.

According to David, the show would air on FilmOn.com and BattleCam.com, two ventures that David owns or is an investor in.

To make things safe, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and 50 Cent would fight three 2-minute rounds in head-gear, along with big celebrity boxing gloves.

The proposed fight will happen in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 14, if either of the two men accept the offer.

Both 50 Cent in Floyd Mayweather Jr. have been silent on their Twitter accounts over the past several days.

Up to 40,000 left homeless in New York

I remember in the song "What If", Jadakiss asked "What if Manhattan was hit by Hurricane Katrina?" Well, though Mahattan didn't sustain a lot of damage, New York in general has. Almost 40,000 New Yorkers have been left homeless. Hip Hop Wired reports:

New Yorkers are still struggling during what is expected to be a long road to recovery thanks to Hurricane Sandy, which hit the East Coast as a tropical cyclone, last week.

Up to 40,000 New Yorkers have been left homeless in Sandy's aftermath, and the city is bracing for a cold front dropping temperatures to 30 degrees.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg revealed the numbers during a post-Sandy update Sunday (Nov. 4). “The magnitude of the problem is we think we could have something between 30,000 and 40,000 people that we're going to have to find housing for,” he said.

Despite the monumental task, Bloomberg assured the public that the city is “working on it.”
As it gets colder, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo stressed that the task makes for a “massive housing problem.”

Roughly 145,000 households in New York City were still without power as of yesterday, 86,000 of which were in Queens, 20,000 in Brooklyn, 12,000 on Staten Island, and 7,000 in Manhattan.

While Sandy has brought out the good side of people, there are also those looking to profit off of the need for shelter. Amid complaints that hotels in the city were raising prices after the storm, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launched an investigation into the matter.

People posting pictures of ballots on social media

Some people just don't understand that everything isn't meant to be shared on social networks. One of those things is your voting ballot, as you see Blue Ivy's moms doing above. It is prohibited in certain parts of the United States. Hip Hop Wired reports:


The pull of social media can be a strong one, and even though it's Election Day, voters must fight the urge to share ballots via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or other social networking destinations.

While it seems like everything can be posted online, photo sharing of your voting decision can result in jail time, depending on the state. Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, and Texas all “prohibit the use of photographic and recording equipment inside polling place.”

A search on Twitter shows that #vote, #Ivoted, and #govote, have all become trending topics, but part of restricting the use of phones is for the courtesy of others, as reported by All Thing Digital:

It's worth noting that many states prohibit activities that interfere with other people's voting processes. So, even if photography is allowed in your polling place, disrupting or intimidating someone else, or capturing an image of their ballot, might be a big no-no.

No matter how hard it may be to put the phone aside, and cast a vote without followers “liking” or commenting, failing to follow the rules has its consequences. In Wisconsin, posting photos of a ballot is a Class I felony punishable by 18-months in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Cast your vote, just keep it to yourself.

Cleveland bus driver officially fired

Though everyone has been saying for a long time the bus driver that delivered that epic uppercut was fired, despite me telling them otherwise, he has now officially been relieved of his position. Hip Hop Wired reports:

No one can forget the vicious Mortal-Kombat-style uppercut delivered to a Ohio woman who went off on, and attacked a bus driver. Now that bus driver is without a job.

According to TMZ,  Artis Hughes was officially let go from his job. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority announced today, that after reviewing the assault which Hughes said was an act of self-defense, they concluded that he has to go.

In the video, the woman is heard berating the driver, and attempts to physically attack him, but authorities weren't moved to allow Hughes to keep his job, so says their statement:

"Mr. Hughes claims that his actions were in self-defense. The evidence does not support that claim. We expect our employees to diffuse any potential situation. We do not believe that Mr. Hughes took the proper steps to diffuse this situation.

The proper procedure would have been to pull over and stop the bus, then call Transit Police for assistance."

As for the woman, who is said to be 25 years old , the GCRTA acknowledged that she was "out of line," and have filed charges against her.

Hughes hasn't (yet) released his own statement but from the looks of the fade that he blessed the irate passenger with, he was already on the edge.

Maybe he could use a little time off.

Jesse Jackson Re-election despite personal issues

See ladies and gentlemen, this is why I say you need to be more active about voting for your local officials. How a man with legal and health problems that has been in and out of rehab wins an election, I have no idea. Not because he shouldn't be, but shouldn't he be somewhere getting himself together? Hip Hop Wired reports:

U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. was re-elected to his congressional post Tuesday (Nov. 6) grabbing 63 percent of the vote in the Illinois Second Congressional District, despite being absent from the job for the last several months.

Jackson has served in House of Representatives since 1995, but took a leave of absence in June for health issues that were originally kept under wraps. 

The 47-year-old did not run any ads or campaign for re-election, has since announced that he suffers from bipolar disorder and is receiving another round of treatment at the famed Mayo Clinic. "My deep and sincere thanks to the people of the 2nd Congressional District, I am humbled and moved by the support shown today," Jackson said in a statement. "Once the doctors approve my return to work, I will continue to be the progressive fighter you have known for years. My family and I are grateful for your many heartfelt prayers and kind thoughts."

Amid an intense media spotlight, made greater by the announcement of an FBI probe into suspected misappropriation of official funds, Jackson made the decision to go back to the Mayo Clinic in October.

Last month the father of two put out a robo-call to constituents giving an update on his health and asking for patience during his recovery.

Baltimore Ravens player owes Trick Daddy's father some money

Well, I'm not sure if the Ravens play the Miami Dolphins this year, but if they do, one of their players might face a bit of a problem. Hip Hop Wired reports:
'
Bryant McKinnie, the former University  Of Miami Hurricane and standout NFL player for the Baltimore Ravens, owes the father of Miami native and rapper Trick Daddy $375,000 for bills run up at strip clubs like King Of Diamonds. 

The rapper's father, Charles “Pop” Young, filed the lawsuit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court Monday afternoon. Trick's son says that McKinnie racked up tabs up at the strip clubs between February 2009 and September 2010, borrowing the money from him.

After racking up the bills Young, who was at the time the general manager of King Of Diamonds, said that McKinnie promised to pay the bill back but to date, he still hasn't paid up. Young's lawsuit includes an alleged promissory note from Oct. 1, 2010 that indicates that Young loaned McKinnie the money in cash in the different venues.

Woman bites off her boyfriend's finger in a domestic dispute

Well, let this be a lesson to all the men out there that think it's okay to threaten and assault women. Hip Hop Wired reports:

A domestic assault turned semi-cannibalistic when a Chicago woman bit off her boyfriend's finger during a fight Friday (Oct. 26). The unidentified woman was being choked by her boyfriend, 37-year-old, Jerry Stevenson, and took drastic measures to get away from him.

Leading up to the argument that turned physical, Stevenson went to his girlfriend's house with a shotgun, threatening to kill her and her twin children. When she tried to run away, Stevenson reached out to strangle her, at which he put his finger in her mouth. According to prosecutors, once he placed his fingers in her mouth, she bit down hard and severed the limb.

Stevenson was transported to St. Anthony's Hospital, and doctors were able to re-attach his finger. He has been charged with one count of domestic battery,  plus two counts of misdemeanor domestic assault.

A known gang member in the area, and a registered s-x offender, Stevenson appeared in Cook County Bond Court Sunday (Oct .28), with a bandage covering his injured hand. He was ordered by Judge Maria Kuriakos-Cecil to be held on $250,000 bail. 

His next court appearance in scheduled for Nov. 2.

2 Chicago teens charged in armed robbery that ended in murder

The violence in the streets of Chicago continues. Hopefully, they'll see some kind of relief soon. But, now 2 Chicago teens have been charged with murder. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Chicago police have charged two suspects believed to be involved in the shooting death of a high schooler on his way home from school, News One reports.

Terrence “Jawan” Wright, 18, was shot during a robbery that turned fatal, two weeks ago.
The family of the teen, who was openly gay, believes that he was the victim of a hate crime. “I believe they only did that to him because he was gay,” said his brother.

“For them to say it was a robbery is foolishness because like I said what are they going to rob him of? School supplies or books?,” added his uncle, Tywan Bouldin, who revealed that the youngster was being bullied inside and outside of school. “His shoes or his clothes. He don't wear stuff like that. So what was the point?”

Wright had transferred to Banner Academy South High School, after being picked on at his previous school. On the afternoon of his death, he was approached by five people and attempted to fight back before he was shot.

Jarone Carter, 16, has been charged as an adult for first-degree murder, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and attempted armed robbery. The second suspect, a 14-year-old, has also been charged with murder but his identity is being concealed due to his age.

Gucci Mane continues to spew hate all over the industry

He started out a couple of weeks ago with Jeezy and T.I. Now he's turning his attention toward others like Nicki, French Montana, Nas and Yo Gotti. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Gucci has recently vocalized his disdain for  Young Jeezy, plus took shots at Keyshia Cole and T.I.,  and on a visit to Atlanta's Hot 107.9, he added two more rappers to the pot. As the story goes, Minaj and Montana were once managed by Waka Flock's mother, Debra Antney. According to Gucci, after both artists broke from her company and gained stardom, they didn't pay homage to the work she put in.

Of the two, Minaj got the lightest tongue lashing, but she was far from being let of the hook. “When she came to Atlanta she gave me a shout out, said I helped her in her career, but at the end of the day I just think a lot of times you keep it real with somebody, you can't expect them to keep it real with you,” he explained. “I told you man [in] this industry, [people] that want to be famous, people forget how to keep it real and forget the people that helped them get to where they at.

“I tip my hat to Nicki for being hard worker, but at the same time, she know she didn't keep it real.”
In the case of Montana, Gucci said he's just all the way fake, and well aware of his status. “French Montana know he didn't keep it real.”

Although it may seem that he's bitter or angry, that's not the case. Far from being consumed with daily thoughts about the two, Gucci merely felt the need to speak his mind, because he was affected. “My thing I aint going out my way to even tell somebody that they they aint real, or they fake, or they lame cuz all that, that's got nothing to do with me. But when it starts spilling into my business and my affairs, I'm a vocal person, I usually speak on it.”

By the end of the interview, Yo Gotti also sustained a few verbal blows.

Honored California teacher arrested for having an affair with student

I'll never quite understand what grown men find attractive about teenage girls. I barely liked teenage girls when I was a teenager...but that's neither here nor there. Another teacher has been arrested for having an affair with one of his students. Hip Hop Wired reports:

A teacher in San Diego, Calif., who was honored for being really good at his job, was arrested for allegedly having an affair with one of his students, police revealed Tuesday (Oct. 30).

Terrance Lee Smith, 32, teaches freshman English at Chula Vista High School, and was arrested Monday (Oct. 29) on suspicion of carrying out an intimate relationship with a student for two years. Smith was busted when the mother of the victim contacted Chula Vista police, once she learned of the relationship.

Before arresting him, detectives spoke with the young lady involved, who admitted to engaging in various encounters with Smith at school, in his car, and in his home. The two carried out the physical relationship between 2006 and 2008, beginning when she was 16.

Detectives also obtained additional evidence aside from the victim's statements in building their case against Smith. He was booked on 14 charges of s-xual contact with a minor, and is being held on $350,000 bail.

Having become one of 10 finalist in the county's “Teacher of the Year”  award race, news of his arrest was a surprise. “This came as a big shock to us,” said Manuel Rubio, spokesman for the Sweetwater Union High School District. “Definitely we are concerned first and foremost with the safety of the students.”

A graduate of Chula Vista, Smith was hired in 2005, and was very popular among students.

Chris Brown's choice of Halloween custom causes backlash

Chris Brown insists on rubbing people the wrong way. This time he's done it with a Halloween outfit. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Chris Brown made an interesting decision in choosing a costume when he and his friends dressed up as Arab terrorists.

Above the caption "Ain't nobody f-cking wit my clique!!!" Brown posted the photo of himself and his crew mimicking  Arabic men holding rifles. Although his intention may not have been to offend, the singer caught some pretty swift backlash for the stunt.

"My nationality is not like that and my nationality is not a costume for you to wear @chrisbrown how disrespectful!" wrote one person of Arabic decent.

Another commenter hypothesized about Brown's true goal. "Chris Brown [is] trying to break the record of Most Bad Decisions Made In A Row."

The photo is seen as offensive in that it further associates the Muslim religion and Arabs with terrorism. Given the September attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya, stemming from religious uproar caused by an anti-Islamic film, the timing of his decision couldn't be more unfortunate.

Brown hasn't yet responded to the hate, or apologized for the costume.

The death of Natina Reed is currently under investigation

As we reported earlier this week, singer/actress Natina Reed, was killed in a car accident. Georgia police are now investigation the accident. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Police in Georgia are trying to piece together what drove Blaque's Natina Reed to walk out into traffic Friday (Oct.  26). The 32-year-old was struck by a red Honda Accord and pronounced dead once transported to a local hospital, 29 minutes later.

While there were no witnesses to the accident, in an interview with MTV News  Gwinnett County police spokesperson Corporal Edwin Ritter, explained that authorities are still unsure why Reed was in harms way. “We're just trying to figure out why [Natina] went out into traffic like she did,” Ritter said. “We don't know why it happened, but we are looking into it now. If anyone can help us determine why she was there or explain why this happened, we'd like to speak to them.”

The driver who hit Reed called 911 after the incident, and Ritter further reiterated that criminal charges will not be filed. "It was an accident, that's all it is. It was not a hit and run."

Earlier in the week, Reed's ex, Kurupt with whom she shared a son, released a statement on her death. "This is a tremendous loss to our family," he said after thanking well-wishers for their support. "Natina was a great person and I wish everyone had the opportunity to meet her and know her as I did."

According to her group members Blaque had plans on releasing a new album, and were working on a reality show.

Hurricane Sandy hits the East Coast

This past week, the East Coast has been getting battered by Hurricane Sandy. And there's enough talk and news surrounding the natural disaster. First of all, let's start with Mitt Romney. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Mitt Romney is doing more damage control over previous comments he made about wanting to cut the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

In the wake of Sandy—the storm which destroyed many areas on the East Coast—Romney is assuring the public that while last year he thought that disaster recovery should be left up to the state, and not the federal agency, if he were president he wouldn't leave victims without proper assistance.
 
One day after dodging the questions about his stance 14 times, Romney released a statement outlining his new position. “I believe that FEMA plays a key role in working with state and localities to prepare for and respond to natural disasters,” he said.

“As president, I will ensure FEMA has the funding it needs to fulfill its mission, while directing maximum resources to the first responders who work tirelessly to help those in need, because state and localities are in the best positions to get aid to the individuals and communities affected by natural disasters.”

Secondly, there's the New Jersey Governor postponing Halloween due to Hurricane Sandy. Which by the way, is absolutely asinine in my opinion. Hip Hop Wired reports:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has changed the date of Halloween, in his state.

Rather than celebrating the holiday today, Christie has postponed observance until Nov. 5, while the area recovers from the after effects of Sandy which hit the area as a tropical cyclone late Monday (Oct. 29).

“I've taken this action to minimize additional risks to lives and the public safety as we begin the process of rebuilding and recovering from Hurricane Sandy,” Christie announced in a statement. “In too many communities in our state, the damage and losses from this storm are still being sorted out, and dangerous conditions abound even as our emergency management and response officials continue their work.

“As governor, it is my responsibility to use all available resources of the state government to protect against the emergency created by Hurricane Sandy — postponing Halloween celebrations by five days is a commonsense and necessary step to accomplish that.”

Officials on a local level made decisions on halting Halloween celebrations before Christie's announcement.

Lastly, there's President Obama's response to the act of nature. Hip Hop Wired has more:

President Obama made it to New Jersey Wednesday (Oct. 31) afternoon, where he was given an aerial view of the devastation leftover by Sandy.

With areas still not reachable by foot, Obama was met by state Gov. Chris Christie, who lauded his efforts in expeditiously singing declarations  allowing for federal aid to make it to the area.

“We are here for you and we will not forget, we will follow up to make sure you get all the help you need until you rebuild,” the president said while in the island city of Brigantine, where he stopped by the  Brigantine Beach Community Center to greet victims who sought shelter in the building.

The president also praised Christie for being “responsive” and “aggressive,” and gave thanks to first responders for their hard work.

More than 2,000 members of FEMA have been sent to the area to help victims of the vicious storm. “We expedited the emergency declaration for the state of New Jersey and for local counties that have been affected,” Obama explained. “What that means is people can immediately begin applying for emergency assistance.”

In the aftermath of the storm, public transportation in the tri-state area was put on hold, and 12,000 flights to and from the East Coast were grounded.