The Boston Marathon suspect may have been unarmed during "gunfight"

Wow. If this story is true, and I'm saying whether it is or not, it definitely raises some eyebrows about the information we've been receiving about the bombing in Boston. Amiss reports that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been transferred to prison, a story has come out that says he was unarmed during the "gunfight" he was captured in. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Something isn't quite right about all of the details coming out of the Boston Marathon bombings. Contrary to the statements of Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, the surviving bombing suspect never exchanged gunfire with authorities at the time of his capture. In fact, he was unarmed.

After the teen was caught, Davis revealed that shots were fired from the boat where he was found. "Over the course of the next hour or so we exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who was inside the boat, and ultimately the hostage rescue team of the FBI made an entry into the boat and removed the suspect, who was still alive," Davis said during a news conference last week.

However, an anonymous source confirmed the story was a lie.

The Huffington Post reports:

Authorities originally said they had exchanged gunfire with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-KHAHR' tsahr-NEYE'-ehv) for more than one hour Friday evening before they were able to subdue him.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation, say investigators recovered a 9 mm handgun believed to have been used by Tsarnaev's brother, Tamerlan, from the site of a gun battle Thursday night, which injured a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officer. Dzhokhar was believed to have been shot before he escaped.

The officials tell The Associated Press that no gun was found in the boat. Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said earlier that shots were fired from inside the boat.

The news adds suspicion to the theory that Tsarnaev may have been framed. His parents have claimed his innocence from the beginning, as have some of his friends. Many of those who grew up with the suspect describe him as being a "good guy," and an "average American teen." Thus, they were understandably shocked to learn that he was one of two people suspected in the marathon bombings.
Surveillance footage from the day of the tragedy shows Tsarnaev at the marathon carrying a black backpack, and walking behind his older brother/alleged cohort, Tamerlan. Another image captured by a citizen after the first explosion, shows the college student without the bag and leaving the scene.
Tsarnaev moved to the states as a child, spending a decade in America before becoming a citizen last year. He reportedly confessed to the crime from his hospital bed, and has been charged with using weapons of mass destruction.

Late Thursday (April 25) the suspect was moved to a prison hospital facility 40 miles outside of Boston.

Authorities have yet to announce if they will seek the death penalty in the case.

R. Prophet of Nappy Roots assaulted by the Police

Just because you're in the public eye, and people know who you are (or used to, anyway) does not mean you safe from the boys in blue. R. Prophet of Nappy Roots found this out the hard way. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Prophet was arrested Saturday for disorderly conduct and other stuff, and in the middle of the bust he screamed, "I'm R. Prophet!!!" But cops thought he was proclaiming, "I'm a prophet" ... which made him look like a nutcase, and things went downhill quickly.

Kentucky State Police say they had to tase the ex-Nappy Roots rapper multiple times for resisting arrest ... and again for kicking out the back window of a police cruiser. The photos tell the story of the struggle.

But Prophet tells TMZ, it's all BS ... he was fully cooperative and cops repeatedly tased him for no reason as he laid helpless on the ground and handcuffed, adding, "I felt they were doing me like a slave. I thought I was dead." He also says when he was thrown in the back of the cruiser he was pepper sprayed and tased again.

Prophet says it got so bad in the car he thought they were going to drive him somewhere and kill him. In a panic, he says he gashed his head on the window.

The trooper who arrested Prophet tells TMZ, the rapper was highly intoxicated, walked directly into traffic and was a danger to himself and others.

Boogie from Parliament Funkadelic passes away at 60

Another legend is on his way home ya'll. Bassist for the Parliament Funkadelics has passed away. Hip Hop Wired has the story:

The mighty Parliament/Funkadelic collective lost another member last Thursday (April 18) in bassist Cordell “Boogie” Mosson; he was 60-years-old. The Plainfield, N.J. native was considered one of the necessary anchors of the P-Funk sound, which George Clinton created and tweaked since the band's inception in the early 1970s.

Mosson and Garry Shider (also known as “Diaper Man” and “Starchild”) left Plainfield for Canada in 1971 and formed a band, United Soul. Clinton caught wind of the pair, recognizing Shider from his childhood in Plainfield. After producing some tracks for United Soul, Clinton invited Shider and Mosson to join Parliament-Funkadelic. Mosson played in the band from 1972 until the early 80s, reuniting with Clinton several times since including last year in a series of Clinton-led P-Funk All-Stars shows.

Ohio native Bootsy Collins played bass alongside Mosson and often stood out for his bold playing style in comparison to Boogie's steadier groove. When Collins opted to go solo, Mosson became P-Funk's main touring bassist.

Born Cardell Mosson, the name Cordell stuck after pressings of P-Funk albums featured the common misspelling. The bass player entered the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame with 15 other members of the P-Funk group.

Aftermath of China earthquake; thousands injured

The recent earthquake in China has killed more than 100 people and injures thousands more. Hip Hop Wired reports:

A catastrophic earthquake hit China Saturday (April 20) more than 189 people, and leaving an estimated 11,8000 seriously injured. The quake was centered in the South-Western province of Sichuan, leaving 100,000 people homeless.

Measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale, the earthquake rocked the area at around 8:00 a.m. "We lost everything in such a short time," recalled a 20-year-old college student whose grandfather was crushed to death when their house crumbled.

Many of those affected were in the rural areas around Ya'an city.

Victim, Wang Qiong, also killed in Saturday's tremor was buried atop a mountain near the ruble that once was her home. "We started work as usual at 8a.m., but all the machines began jumping," noted Qing's sister-in-law who was working at a brick factory at the time of the quake. "We panicked and ran outside. We all rushed back home but by the time I got here there was nothing left. When we dug [Wang] out, she was already dead."

Qiong, 45, was disabled and stayed at the family home raising pigs. She leaves behind a husband and 12-year-old daughter.

Residents have complained of rescue workers moving swiftly in getting rid of all of the dead bodies, and injured victims, but taking their time at delivering food and water.

Officials have mobilized government assistance to clear through the ruble, and offer blankets, and other emergency supplies. The Chinese Red Cross has also sent out its own relief teams.

The student misidentified as Boston bombing suspect found dead

This is the danger of misinformation, especially in the media. The young man that was misidentified as a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing has been found dead. Hip Hop Wired reports:

The body of man missing since last month, and wrongfully identified as one of the Boston bombing suspects, has been found in Rhode Island. Authorities uncovered the body of Sunil Tripathi in the Providence River Tuesday (April 23) evening.

Although Tripathi's identity has yet to be fully confirmed, Providence police Lieutenant Joseph Donnelly  told the Boston Globe that it's "very, very possible," the body is that of the student.
Tripathi was a student at Brown University and went missing on March 16. The remains were discovered in the water, behind  the Wyndham Garden Providence hotel, at approximately 6 p.m.
News of the body comes a day after a moderator of the "FindBostonBombers" Reddit forum apologized to Tripathi's family for naming him as the suspect accused of setting off a series of explosions near the marathon's finish line. "I'd like to extend the deepest apologies to the family of Sunil Tripathi for any part we may have had in relaying what has turned out to be faulty information," the moderator wrote in a statement. "We cannot begin to know what you're going through and for that we are truly sorry.

A woman who went to high school with Tripathi wrongfully named him as one of the men wanted by the FBI. "Several users, twitter users, and other sources had heard him identified as the suspect and believed it to be confirmed," the statement continued. "We were mistaken."

Reddit's general manager, Erik Martin, also apologized to the family.

The accusation added Tripathi to a list of others mistaken for the suspects, or targeted, based on their skin color. Last week, a Bangladeshi man from the Bronx was beaten out of retaliation for the marathon attack, which he had nothing to do with.

We now know that the two men believed to have set off the series of explosions, were actually natives of Chechnya, but it was originally assumed that they were of Arabic.

The remaining suspect,  19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, has been charged with using "weapons of mass destruction." His brother, Tamerlan, was killed in a police shootout last Friday (April 19).

Trina's younger brother gunned down in Florida

This just goes to show that just because you're in the spotlight that doesn't mean you are immune to tragedy in the streets. Trina found that out. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Trina's younger brother was killed, All Hip Hop reports. He was shot in broad day light, following an altercation in his Miami neighborhood.

Wilbren Bain Jr., also known as "Gookie," died after being transported to a Miami hospital. His shooter is said to be a friend, who opened fire following an ongoing dispute.

Conflicting reports state that Bain was shot and died today, while a reported message from Trina's management place the incident over the weekend. “I have some very sad news to post. Over the weekend, Trina's little brother was shot in Miami, FL. Wilbrent Bain Jr. is also known to friends as Goonkie and is 19 years old,” the post reads. “He is currently in critical condition at a local Miami, FL hospital. Please keep him in your prayers and send your blessings to Trina and her family! Feel free to post comments as I will be forwarding them to Trina herself.

Bain lived in northwest Miami his entire life and survived a shooting in 2008. "He's a very good kid," said family friend the Rev. Gary Johnson. "It's unfortunate. It's a terrible tragedy."

He had a criminal record which included weapons possession and domestic violence.

Authorities have a suspect in custody but have not yet made an official arrest.

Afternath of the plant explosion in West Texas

This hasn't been a good week. For the second time in one week, and explosion has made headlines. This is nothing new because bombs go off and explosions happen everyday overseas, but I don't think US soil has seen thus much action in a while. Hip Hop Wired reports:

A massive explosion erupted at a fertilizer plant in West Texas Wednesday (April 17) evening, destroying multiple buildings and homes. At least five people were killed, and more than 100 are expected to be injured from the blast.  Many in the small town, located roughly 20 miles from Waco, TX, evacuated neighborhoods torched in the aftermath. Witnesses described seeing a huge ball of fire erupting from the plant. "It was a like a nuclear bomb went off," Mayor Tommy Muska said. "Big old mushroom cloud. There are a lot of people that got hurt. There are a lot of people that will not be here tomorrow."

The number of casualties is estimated at 5-15 people, but could rise substantially as authorities continue rescue efforts.

Several victims were trapped by the explosion, including tenants inside an apartment complex, and a group of fighters-- some of which are still unaccounted for this morning. “We're still missing 3-4 firefighters,” said Sgt. William Patrick Swanton. “No police or EMS are missing, as far as I'm aware.”

The blast-- which comes days after an explosion in Boston killed three--was so powerful that it was felt up to 100 miles away.

Gucci Mane arrested the day after release

I'm hoping at some point someone close to Gucci will tell him he has a lot more to offer the world than rap music and a jail record. Gucci has was arrested...again! Hip Hop Wired reports:

Shortly after being released from prison—a grand total of one day—La Flare was arrested again on Friday for a probation violation. 

Reports TMZ:

Gucci Mane wastes no time ... He's back behind bars -- exactly ONE DAY after being released from jail -- TMZ has learned. 

Mane was locked up on March 26 after allegedly assaulting a man with a bottle in an Atlanta nightclub.  A judge initially denied the rapper bail.  The judge then softened and two days ago set bail at $75,000.

Good news for Mane -- he was sprung from the pokey yesterday.
Bad news for Mane -- he was re-arrested today for a probation violation.
Sorta good news for Mane -- we hear Saturday is movie night in the pokey.

On April 9, the "So Icey" rapper was indicted on aggravated assault charges thanks to his champagne bottle fade.

Reportedly, Gucci's re-arrest didn't have anything to do with his assault case. Before his return to the bing, the court mandated that he remain on a 24-hour curfew at home, wear an ankle monitoring device and submit to random drug testing.

A man named TJ claims to have been attacked by Gucci after asking to take a picture with him at a Philadelphia nightclub.

Notorious French gangster escapes from prison

So it must be real easy to get explosives these days, because it seems like everyone is trying to blow something up...even in prison. Hip Hop Wired reports:

A notorious French gangster used dynamite to blast through five prison walls to get to his freedom Saturday (April 13). More than two dozen European nations have been put on high alert to potentially nab the escapee, believed to be armed and dangerous.

Redione Faid was serving time in the Sequedin Prison in Lille, for a slue of armed robberies, and broke out in a scene straight out of Hollywood movie script. In making the escape, the 40-year-old held five people hostage--four of whom were prison guards-- set five different prison doors ablaze, blew up his getaway car, and has not been seen since.

No one was injured in the blast.

“It happened very quickly, it was clearly very well organized, we are still busy putting the facts together,” an official noted.

Faid's wife is suspected of smuggling the explosives inside the prison via a blanket.

“I thought my last hour had come,” said witness Rosa Lafont. She was visiting her son in prison as Faid was breaking free. “Suddenly, everything started blowing up. The walls started shaking, as did the windows and the doors. I was really scared.”

Authorities have named Faid a “dangerous prisoner,” and have no idea where he could be hiding out. “The hunt will initially focus on Belgium of course because we share a border but also extend to the entire Schengen area and beyond,” vowed Christiane Tabura, justice minister of France.

In 1995, Faid stayed on the run for three years before being apprehended and sentenced to 20 years. He was paroled a decade later. This latest prison trip came when Faid was suspected of masterminding  a 2010 robbery that ended in the death of a police officer.

Faid wrote in his autobiography that his crime spree is inspired by  legendary gangster films, Scarface and Heat.

According to his attorney, Faid is "very intelligent," and using his "intellect to serve his ambitions." Also, he's just tired of being locked up. "[Faid] cannot stand being imprisoned anymore."

Coolio back in hot water after allegedly punching mother of his child

I get sad watching some of my favorite 90s rappers in 2013. Can we get some good news about these legends, please? Any way, Coolio is back in trouble. Hip Hop Wired reports:

The "Fantastic Voyage" rapper allegedly punched his baby mother in the face earlier this month. But that's only a small portion of the tomfoolery. 

TMZ reports:

Coolio should know better than to bring another woman home to the house he shares with his girlfriend ... and he should also know better than to allegedly punch her in the face.

TMZ has learned the rap legend -- aka Artis Ivey Jr. -- was popped on April Fools' Day after he allegedly pushed Anabella Chatman to the ground and punched her in the face. And to add insult to injury ... according to the police report, Coolio then hightailed it out of there with their toddler son and the other woman.

Actually ... he didn't get out clean. Anabella says Coolio struck her with his car as he beat his hasty retreat -- in fact, cops say she had tire marks on her leg. Pretty compelling evidence.

Coolio tried convincing cops HE was the victim and that she scratched him in a jealous rage, but they weren't buyin' what he was sellin' ... so he was taken to the pokey.
Calls to Coolio were not returned.

Keep in mind that this is the same man who was arrested last year and taken to the same prison where his son was was being held.

Aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings

By now I'm sure everyone has heard about the bombings that took place earlier this week in Boston. Details are still emerging. Hip Hop Wired has the latest:

After a pair of blasts near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, investigators are slowly piecing together clues and other related data regarding this still-developing case.  So far, two people have been reported dead with over 100 others suffering with various injuries. Unfortunately, one of the deceased was an eight-year-old child. 

According to a report from The Boston Globe and several news outlets, police and other officials do not yet have a suspect but have started to question individuals. The act is being considered early on as an act of terror, although this has not been officially confirmed. The explosions at the Marathon prompted a stern response from President Barack Obama.

“We still do not know who did this or why. And people shouldn't jump to conclusions before we have all the facts,” said President Obama. “But make no mistake; we will get to the bottom of this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.”

According to the most recent Globe report, 115 people were brought for treatment among seven area hospitals. Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said the blasts happened 50 to 100 yards between each other around 2:50 p.m. Commissioner Davis and his police force have been combing the area all evening, with investigators viewing hours of videotape to search for any suspicious activity.

Reports of a third explosion at the JFK Library in nearby Dorchester have not been confirmed by officials to be part of the bombing sequence.

The Marathon had many families in attendance, considering that the city of Boston was celebrating the civic holiday, Patriot's Day. Schools and local government offices were closed, and the crowds flocked to take part of the festivities in the Back Bay section of the city to celebrate the efforts of the runners.

Witnesses say the blasts caused some victims to lose their limbs, and there are reports coming in that say two packages were seen arriving in the area just before the explosion.

Donnell Rawlings a.k.a. Ashy Larry on The Urban Advocate

On Saturday, March 30, 2013, comedian/actor Donnell Rawlings a.k.a. Ashy Larry (from The Dave Chappelle Show and MTV2's The Guy Code) stopped by The Vincent Tucker Radio Show. The Urban Advocate got a chance to catch up with the hilarious comedian and find out what he's been up to. Interview conducted by the one and only Vincent "Heartbreak" Tucker. Check it out!

A dozen people stabbed at Lone Star College

I don't know what's going on over there at Lone Star College, but this is the second time this school has shown up in our news section. This time there was a stabbing. Hip Hop Wired reports:

A suspect stabbed more than a dozen people at a Texas college Tuesday, leaving two victims in critical condition. The attack occurred on the campus of the Lone Star Community College System, at around 11:15 a.m. this morning.

Police have detained the attacker, whose identity has yet to be announced. He is described as a 21-year-old White male, who is enrolled at the school.

The attack was reported via a 911 call Tuesday morning. "Our call center received a call stating that a male was on the loose, stabbing people," Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia explained.

Five police units, four deputies, and one sergeant responded to the call. Once on campus, cops were able to secure the location, but have not yet determined the suspect's motive, or the exact weapon he used. "We do not know exactly what type of weapon was used other than to say that it is at this point an unknown instrument," Garcia added. "We don't know whether a knife or some other type of instrument."

In total 14 people were hurt, with two refusing medical treatment. Garcia further stated that of the remaining 12 people taken to local hospitals, "four are listed in fair condition."

Officials closed the LSCCS campus as police continue with the "active" investigation.

The stabbing incident comes three months after several victims were injured in a shooting on a different Lone Star Campus located in north Harris County.

Jay-Z giving up ownership stake to go into sports management

I'm not sure if this is a power move or not, it looks like Jay may be giving up his stake in the Brooklyn Nets to venture into sports management. Hip Hop Wired reports:

The rapper/mogul is reportedly looking to divest his ownership stake in the NBA franchise in order to be able to represent players as an agent. 

Yahoo! Sports reports:

Entertainment mogul and rapper Jay-Z has started the process of divesting his small share of ownership with the Brooklyn Nets to extend his Roc Nation Sports representation business into basketball, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Jay-Z – whose real name is Shawn Carter – owns less than 1 percent of the Nets, but has been a central public figure in the franchise's marketing and move from New Jersey to Brooklyn. 

Selling his share of the Nets is a necessary prelude for Jay-Z to obtain his National Basketball Players Association certification as an agent.

NBA rules mandate that no one individual affiliated with a player representation company can have an ownership stake with an NBA team.

It was already speculated that Hova would make this move after he announced the formation of Roc Nation Sports one week ago. The sports representation agency's first signing was Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano. However, considering Jay-Z's ties to the Nets and personal connections with players like LeBron James, it was a given that he had his sights on eventually representing NBA players, too.

If all goes to plans, Jigga plans to be free of his stake in the Nets by the 2013 NBA Draft, freeing him up to pitch his services to the next crop of pro ball players.

But don't expect the "Big Pimpin'" rapper to be discussing the finer points of NBA contracts just yet. Says Yahoo! Sports:

Much like the arrangement with CAA's baseball side, Jay-Z will let the firm's basketball agents handle contract negotiations and day-to-day business with athletes. The potential impact will come with athletes linking to Jay-Z's global reach in marketing, entertainment and business. 

Earlier this week, the Brooklyn native announced that Roc Nation was partnering with the Universal Music Group, thus becoming a standalone record label.

Los Angeles Lakers retire Shaq's number 34

One of the most dominant centers in NBA history and one of the greatest players to ever put on a Lakers jersey has had his number retired. Well deserved if you ask me. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Shaquille O'Neal is a lock for the NBA Hall of Fame and will go down as one of the greatest centers in history, period. Last night, the NBA Lakers retired the big guy's No. 34 jersey.
The NBA reports:

Shaq joined Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan and the rest of the Lakers' greats Tuesday night when the club retired his No. 34 jersey in a halftime ceremony.

"I just wish Dr. Buss was here to see this, to enjoy this joyous occasion," O'Neal said of Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who died in February. "I always hoped and prayed it would come. It was a dream come true."

Although O'Neal rarely finds himself speechless, he's thrilled to receive the honor he first imagined back in 1996 when he chose the Lakers.

"It gets me real emotional," O'Neal said before the game. "Growing up in Newark, New Jersey, and my father teaching me about the game, always mentioning Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and telling me when I was a young medium juvenile delinquent that, `If you do things right, son, maybe one day you can be as great as those guys."'

Shaq even had some sort of kind words for his old buddy Kobe Bryant, who he won three NBA championships with during his run as a Laker.

"We've talked a lot since our playing days," O'Neal said. "There's two different kinds of dislike. There's an athletic dislike, and there's a real dislike. We never had a real dislike. We had a million good times and a thousand bad times. ... If I had it all over to do again, would I do it different? Probably not."

Check out video of the ceremony below, and an interview with NBA TV on the next page. Congratulations Shaq.

Former NBA player indicted for murder

Former NBA player and alleged gang member Javaris Crittenton has been indicted for murder. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Crittenton is the same guy that threatened to shoot his then teammate Gilbert Arenas way back in 2010. He was also accused of murdering a 22-year-old woman , Jullian Jones, about a year later. Allegedly, Crittenton shot at "gang members" in Southwest Atlanta that had robbed him sometime earlier. However, Jones (a mother of four) was shot in the leg and died in surgery.

Although he has been out on bond since the charges were leveled, yesterday (April 2) an Atlanta jury indicted him on 12 charges, including murder, and he is expected to turn himself in. Crittenton has denied any involvement in the shooting.

The 6' 5" guard starred at Georgia Tech before becoming the the 19th pick (the Los Angeles Lakers') in the NBA draft in 2007. Now, he is also accused of being a gang member.

Reports WSBTV:

Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Banks said not only was Crittenton a gang member, but once he was robbed, he tried to settle the score and find other members from rival gangs who tried to take jewelry from him. Crittenton allegedly opened fire, killing the mother of four children. 

The then-NBA player joined Mansfield Crips in Los Angeles after getting drafted with the Lakers. 

"This is very concerning to our office that gang activity extends beyond the street level, but actually ventures into professional sports and what type of message that actually extends to the young people here in the city of Atlanta," said Banks. "So we are very concerned with that and we want to ensure that the young people here in the city of Atlanta don't copycat those efforts."

Talib Kweli discusses his opinion on Officer Ricky

Talib Kweli has never been one to hold his tongue when asked about his thoughts on hip hop. This time, when asked about Officer Ricky, Talib gave his honest opinion. And I for one applaud him. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Talib Kweli isn't one to mince words. The Brooklyn wordsmith took a bold stance Monday (April 1) to address the still-brewing controversy over Rick Ross' questionable “U.O.E.N.O.” lyric. Although Rozay apologized last week, Kweli isn't impressed with the effort. 

Appearing on Huffington Post's “HuffPost Live” with host Marc Lamont Hill, Kweli's critique of the Maybach Music Group boss was heard loud and clear

“I don't care if Rick Ross is 40 years old; he's a misguided 40-year-old person,” said Kweli in response to guest and journalist Rosa Clemente's assertion that Lil Wayne and Ross are not part of Hip-Hop culture. “And when we embrace them, we have to embrace them with love. Everything everyone's saying about that line is correct. Rick Ross condoned rape in that song and he should apologize. And his apology that he offered was unacceptable.”

Kweli kept the foot on the pedal, saying that Ross' sidestepped the issue too easily and dug in some more.  Hill later played video footage of the Ross apology from New Orleans station Q93, and then opened up the discussion to the rest of the panel.

Ebony Magazine's News & Life Editor Jamilah Lemieux and Washington Post columnist Rahiel Tesfamariam joined Kweli and Clemente in the rousing debate. Covering a lot of ground, things appeared to get heated between Clemente and Kweli but the discussion ended on an impressively amicable note.

 

DJ Clue arrested for possession of illegal pills

Desert Storm! Cluminati! Do Remember! One of raps most legendary mixtape DJs and Power 105 radio personality, DJ Clue, has been arrested. Hip Hop Wired reports:

The groundbreaking mixtape DJ and Power 105.1 radio jock was arrested in NYC  morning after a routine traffic stop.

TMZ reports:

DJ Clue -- one of the biggest hip hop DJs of all time -- was arrested in New York City this morning ... after cops say he was in possession of illegal pills. 

38-year-old Clue -- who's worked with everyone from Notorious B.I.G. to DMX and Jay-Z -- was initially pulled over early Wednesday morning for a routine traffic violation ... and that's when cops discovered he was driving on a suspended license. 

Police conducted a search and reportedly discovered three pills wrapped in tin foil.
Clue was taken into custody and according to NBC4 in New York, he was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and aggravated unlicensed operator. 
Story developing ...

Yeah, we're wondering if those pills were Mollys, too. Blame Trinidad Jame$.

According to NBC, Clue, born Ernesto Show, was pushing a black Range Rover when he was pulled over near Varick Street. When they check his license they discovered it was suspended. A search turned up the pills and he was taken into custody. He is schedule to be arraigned later today.

Video of father whooping his daughters over twerking on Facebook

Since I'm not a parent, I guess my opinion on this video doesn't really matter. In all honesty, if I were a parent and I found out my daughters were doing twerk videos and putting them on Facebook, there's no telling how I would react. So, should the girls have been punished? Absolutely! Was their punishment excessive? Depends on who you ask. Anyway, Hip Hop Wired has the story:

Twerking, the popular and s-xually suggestive dance craze, is so popular that it even has a Wikipedia entry. After a father discovered his two teenaged daughters recording a twerk video to post to Facebook, the man took extreme measures in disciplining the girls.

Over the weekend, a user on WorldStarHipHop (WSHH) uploaded the video of the dad beating his daughters with a cable wire. The video was titled, “Good Or Horrible Parenting!? Father Catches His Daughter Doing A Twerk Video On FB & Goes Ham!” and also featured a description. The caption read, “Father punishes his daughters by whooping them with a cable wire after finding out they did a twerk video on Facebook. Good parenting or did he take it too far?”

We'll let the viewers be the judge of that, but the scene of the father wailing on the girls and the screams of pains that ensued should say it all. There's nothing warm and fuzzy about the clip and since it's been posted, the video has gone viral around the globe. Even the United Kingdom's Daily Mail posted the clip on their website.

The discussions on social media have been varied, with some saying the father should be arrested and others applauding the act as good parenting.

Read more at http://hiphopwired.com/2013/04/03/dad-hands-out-fade-to-teenage-daughters-over-twerk-video-video/#Et8j4omzSVfm8GUC.99 

***UPDATE***

As previously reported, the father who took out some frustration in the form of whipping his misbehaving daughters with a cable wire is now facing criminal charges for the act. The Dayton, Oh. father has been accused of allegedly beating his children with a video cable from his television and DVD system. 

ABC-22 reports that Greg Horn, 35, was indicted after a video reportedly featuring him and the girls surfaced online and went viral.  He has been indicted on charges of child endangering and corporeal punishment. The girls were visiting their father and according to police, Horn beat them for allegedly sneaking out of the house. It was earlier said that Horn was furious at his daughters for recording a “twerk” dance video to post on Facebook. That detail has not been officially confirmed.

Police were alerted to Horn's residence by the girls' mother, who noticed that one of the girls had welts on her thighs along with open wounds. Curiously enough, the charges come during the first week of Child Abuse Awareness Month.  An official from Montgomery County Child Services spoke on the dangers of child abuse with ABC-22.

“The goal is to always keep kids safe," said Kevin Lavoie from Montgomery County Children Services. "We don't want people to have any reservations about calling 224- KIDS and letting us know about a circumstance or a concern."

The graphic video displayed the brutal beating, causing some viewers to respond negatively while others praised the act as good parenting. For those calling for justice, their call was eventually heard. According to Mugshotsonline.com, Horn has been in trouble with the law before after an arrest for parole violation back in December.

Horn is scheduled in court on April 16 for an arraignment hearing.

GZA made a science teacher of a New York program

One of the most respected emcees in New York is now on to a new job as a teacher. Allhiphop.com reports:

In Hip-Hop’s early years it was scrutinized as a genre by popular media, the government and the general public for being violent, obscene and destructive to the communities of America.

Coupled with the popular opinion that “the streets” have ways of taking kids out of their desks in the classroom and to the corners of their local neighborhoods, Hip-Hop’s educational value was deemed limited from the start.

But not so fast -  according to a recent CBS news story, hip-hop music is being used in New York City’s public schools to teach 9th graders about science by writing rhymes and rapping.

The pilot program uses Hip-Hop music to teach science in ten of New York City’s public schools and was founded by Dr. Chris Emdin of Columbia University’s Teachers College.

“The people who most embrace hip-hop culture are the same populations who are most disinterested in school and disinterested in science,” Emdin explained in an interview about the rapping science program.

“To me, the markers of success are the students who see themselves as scientists, who are having conversations about science,” Emdin said.

In seeking ways to engage minority students, Emdin formed an alliance with the Wu-Tang’s The GZA, who has been a guest speaker and instrumental in the children’s development.

Even though the GZA dropped out of high school in the 10th grade, the GZA says he has a lifelong passion for science that he wants to share.

“The goal is just to awaken the children, make them more aware and embrace science and everything connected to it,” GZA said.

The work with New York City’s school system comes on the heels of GZA’s work with some of the world’s top physicists and cosmologists at MIT and Cornell University, as they consulted him for his project Dark Matter, verifying the scientific possibilities of his rhymes.

According to the CBS study, across the country, the latest study of high school seniors shows Asians had the best average test scores in science. Latino and black students had the lowest.

Trayvon Martin's girlfriend writes a letter and tells of the teens final moments

Trayvon Martin's girlfriend finally discusses her memory of the teens final moments from her perspective in a letter. Allhiphop.com reports:

Trayvon Martin’s alleged ex-girlfriend has been known as Witness 8 but has been providing the latest polarizing updates in Martin’s murder case. Last Thursday (March 28th), the prosecution revealed a new piece of evidence in the form of a handwritten letter from the Martin’s ex-girlfriend that she sent to his parents a month following his February 26th, 2012 murder.

The letter was dated March 29th, 2012 and verifies the young lady’s previous claims made about the night. In the letter she details how Trayvon was followed and even attempted to evade his follower:

“It started to rain so he decided to walk through another complex because it was raining to [sic] hard. He started walking then noticed someone was following him. Then he decided to find a shortcut cause the man wouldn’t follow him. Then he said the man didn’t follow him again. Then he looked back and saw the man again. The man started getting closer. Then Trevon turned around and said why are you following me. Then I heard him fall, then the phone hung up.”

The letter was made public as State prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda in a reply to the defense calling for sanctions on the state for failing to inform the defense  in a timely fashion that Witness 8 made false statements previously. Witness 8 previously lied about her age and being hospitalized during Martin’s wake.

This new evidence was obtained on March 13th when the prosecution deposed her in South Florida. The trial is set for June 10th.

College player already walking after leg injury

I actually missed the game and the CBS replay of Kevin Ware's leg injury. After seeing the picture, I don't feel cheated at all. The good news is he will be fine. Hip Hop Wired reports:

It was a moment in sports that if you have seen, you immediately wished you could "unsee." Kevin Ware literally snapped his lower leg in yesterday's Louisville vs. Duke NCAA tournament game. Thankfully, after surgery, he is already capable of walking on crutches.

The injury was seen on national television, making viewers queasy, silencing the arena and leaving people praying for the sophomore guards health. The look on the players faces said it all. Ware underwent a 2-hour surgery after the injury with doctors having to insert a metal rod in his leg. Reportedly, Ware was heard yelling to his teammates 'Win the game!"

Now that is a warrior.  Teammates also wore Ware's jersey in honor of their temporarily fallen teammate.  Photos of Ware in the hospital holding Louisville's Regional Championship trophy, after beating Duke 85-63, soon enough started making their way online after his successful surgery.

Luckily, the University of Louisville's team doctor says the injury should not be career threatening. We hope Kevin Ware makes a speedy recovery.

"Guns For Greatness" event yields 115 firearms

This is actually not bad for a one day event  in New York City. If the goal is to get illegal guns off the street, Blue did well. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Over the weekend, Michael "Blue" Williams' "Guns for Greatness” gun buyback program held its first exchange event in Brooklyn.  According to reports from the NYPD, the program was successful in getting 115 weapons off the streets. With just under a week to prepare for the inaugural event, Williams and his team can count the program an early success.

As previously reported, NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly approved the buyback plan on March 25. Taking place last Saturday (March 30), gun owners were lured by the promise of tickets to the upcoming concerts of Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and the joint Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z show in exchange for firearms. A large part the guns were turned in by Black and Latino males, which served as the main target demographic for “Guns for Greatness.”

A tally of the weapons include 55 revolvers, 33 semi-automatic handguns, nine rifles, five shotguns, four rifles, one assault rifle and a collection of BB guns and starter pistols. Similar “guns for cash” programs have been popping up nationwide, especially in neighborhoods and cities ravaged by violence.  Recently in New Jersey, the cities of Camden and Trenton set records with 1,137 and 2,600 guns collected respectively. In Los Angeles, one man showed up at a gun buyback event last December with 22 pistols alone.

A press conference with Commissioner Kelly and Williams will take place this evening. “Guns for Greatness” partners will also be in attendance as well.

To get connected with the “Guns for Greatness” program, please follow this link.

Check out some of the guns that were dropped off at Brooklyn's Christian Cultural Center this weekend. Also, check out photos from other successful NYC gun buyback program events.

Brooklyn rapper murdered while in Miami

Another aspiring rapper has been gunned down. This time it was Brooklyn-based rapper NuMoney. Hip Hop Wired reports:

An aspiring Brooklyn rapper's dreams of rap stardom have been dashed after he was shot dead in Miami last week. Kenneth Casilla, who rapped under  the name NuMoney, was killed in M-I-Yayo's Little Haiti neighborhood and his family is looking for answers as to why.

NY1 reports:

"They took my son. Why?" Yvette Casilla said. "What did my son do to them to kill him like that? He was 20 years old."

Yvette says Kenneth went to Florida to further his music career.

"From little, he was talented," she said. "He would dance, rap, play ball."

Investigators with the Miami-Dade Police Department said Kenneth was shot and killed last Saturday night at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Police say the shooting happened in a parking lot by an apartment complex near the intersection of 152nd Street and Sixth Avenue in the Little Haiti section of Miami.

Yvette Casilla said her son was sitting in the passenger seat of a parked car with two other people who have not been identified.

"He was in a car with somebody he knows and another guy in the back, and my son gets shot and nobody else gets shot," she said.

So far no arrests have been made and there are no suspects.

Timbaland accused of million dollar insurance scam

As far as I know, Timbaland hasn't been broke since "Pony". So, the thought of him pulling an insurance scam is a little unbelievable. But, that's exactly what he's being accused of. Hip Hop Wired has the story:

Timbaland is seeking a payout over a $1.8 million watch that allegedly went missing, but the company behind the expensive jewelry doesn't believe his story. The super producer is being accused of committing insurance fraud to get a check.

Not that he needs the money, since his net worth is estimated at $75 million, but conflicting stories has the insurance company suspicious.

From TMZ:

TMZ broke the story ... Timbaland filed a lawsuit against American Home Assurance Company claiming his 2-year-old daughter lost his Jacob & Co. watch bedazzled with 30 carats of diamonds ... and the insurance company won't ante up.

But in new legal docs ... A.H.A.C. claims it doesn't owe Timbaland a dime -- claiming he's been as slippery as a seal, lying like a rug. The insurance company claims:

-- Timbaland bought the watch for $900,000 but insured it for TWICE the purchase price.

-- Timbaland reported the watch stolen ... but 4 months later claimed his daughter misplaced it.

-- Everyone involved told a different story ... the wife implicated another female, the assistant implicated the maid, the maid only copped to sleeping with Timbaland's brother-in-law and the brother-in-law refused to cooperate. No one ever mentioned the daughter losing the watch, like Timbaland belatedly claimed.

The missing watch came during a hectic time for the Virginia native. His family believed that he was going to attempt suicide because he was upset over losing the watch. In August of 2010, the father of two went out for a drive and couldn't be reached by family members. He was eventually found by police, and taken back to his home.

Days later he confirmed that he was distraught over the stolen watch, but had no intentions of taking his life.