Real Music People

Jermaine Dupri is getting some heat in his hometown of Atlanta as his restaurant, Cafe Dupri, has gone broke and former employees are saying that they were not paid. Checks issued to them by his business people bounced too. It’s also being said that the restaurant shut its doors and left its employees jobless without any prior notice. Jermaine’s mom managed the cafe on his behalf and when she was asked about the closing, she lashed out and said a business is only as good as its employees and if the employees who were complaining worked harder, the restaurant might have done better. If you ask me, someone sounds a little too defensive.

LeRoi Moore, the sax player in the Dave Matthews Band, has died at the age of 46. Moore was seriously injured in an ATV accident back in June 30 outside Charlottesville. He had a punctured lung and broken ribs. Moore went back into the hospital last month due to complications and died in Los Angeles after taking a turn for the worse. The band recently gave a statement on his death saying “LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. Moore had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.”

Parole officials released the transcripts of John Lennon’s killer Mark David Chapman’s latest hearing last week. The assassin reportedly told officials during his latest unsuccessful bid for release that he was ashamed and sorry for killing the former Beatle and that he has come to realize the gravity of what he did over the years. He says “I recognized that that 25-year-old man, I don’t think he really appreciated the life that he was taking, that this was a human being. I feel now at 53 I have grown into a deeper understanding of what a human life is. I have changed a lot.” Chapman has been in prison for nearly 28 years. He was sentenced to 20 years to life after pleading guilty to the murder. The denial of his parole means that he has to stay in jail for at least 2 more years.

Rappers are known for living the baller lifestyle but that doesn’t mean they aren’t cheapskates. Yung Joc reportedly can’t pay up $2,000 to support his 7-year old son. The rapper’s baby mama, Fatimah Jester, says that Yung owes her the two grand and is suing the rapper to have him pay. She tells WSB-TV that he has all kinds of cars which include Bentleys, Benzes and Rovers but he still hasn’t provided anything for his boy. A judge will hear the case on September 11. If that isn’t enough trouble for the rapper, he is also facing weapons charges. What is it with rappers and weapons charges? Everyone seems to have one.

If you’re all confused about DMX’s arrests, don’t worry. You’re not alone in the world. Even the judicial system is having the same problem. The rapper was picked up in Florida over a bench warrant issued against him in Arizona. Florida’s go-to lawyer Brad Cohen tried to bail him out but couldn’t because Arizona courts list him as having a no bail hold. DMX was listed as having a $25,000 cash bond but it got changed somewhere along his plethora of arrests. The rapper now has to stay a Florida jail until his October 2 court hearing for a possession charge he has in Miami.

P Miller just recently revealed himself to the world but he’s wasting no time getting down to business. In 2009, he will be launching a family-friendly cable network called Better Black Television. According to a company statement, the network will provide “positive content for a black and brown culture”. BBTV will have all sorts of entertainment like scripted and unscripted programming, news, drama and comedy series, movies, animation, sports and entertainment news, children’s educational and teen programming and even “responsible hip hop music and videos”. Apart from P Miller being on board, BBTV advisory board members include Oscar winner Denzel Washington.

Hip hop is one rich industry. According to Forbes, in the last year alone, Jay-Z released a platinum album and signed a $150 million deal with Live Nation for a 10-year contract. But that pales in comparison to 50 Cent who, after taxes, took in over $100 million when his stake in the high-calorie Vitamin Water was bought by Coca-Cola. In total, 50 raked in over $150 million in just 12 months – double what Jay-Z made last year. So 50 comes in first on the list of richest hip hop artists for 2008. Jay-Z comes in second. Diddy comes in third for the second year in a row after raking in $35 million from all his revenue streams. Kanye West came in fourth with $30 million.

In a move that is so unlike Kanye West, the rapper is reportedly going to add a line of Fatburger restaurants to his growing empire. According to MTV, the stylish artist is going to be opening 10 branches in his hometown of Chicago. Maybe there’s a lot of money to be made in the burger business. Or maybe it’s just one of his lame attempts at trying to keep it real. Why did he have to choose Fatburger though? In N Out is a far more superior chain. I would even accept it more if it was White Castle instead.

Lil Wayne is turning out to be a cheapskate. Last week, the rapper was ordered by a Miami judge to pay New Orleans jeweller Jack Sutton $146,000. Lil Wayne reportedly purchased a $138,000 diamond ring and $32,000 gold and diamond necklace from the jeweller back in October 2006. The deal was done by phone with the rapper promising to make monthly payments. Lil Wayne sent one $24,000 installment which prompted Sutton to send him the jewellery but then the rapper stopped paying. A source says that Lil Wayne may return the $138,000 ring rather than pay the cash. If you don’t have the cash, don’t buy the bling.

Bono has reportedly been ordered to lose weight before U2 release their new album and start a proposed world tour next year.

The singer – who has been entertaining celebrity friends including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and Robert De Niro on his yacht in France this summer – has been told he needs to lose his excess pounds before the band start their promotional duties again.

A source said: “U2 have an album coming out around January. And then the band is going on another world tour in March and April - so the boys have been told to start exercising all the summer weight off.”

U2 – comprising Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. – are rumoured to be calling the new record, their first in four years, ‘No Line On The Horizon’.

Tracks on the LP have been leaked on the internet after a fan recorded the music from the upcoming record that Bono was playing in his French villa. The four leaked songs are believed to be called ‘Moment of Surrender’, ‘For Your Love’, ‘Sexy Boots’ and ‘No Line On The Horizon’.

Singer Sean Paul has been arrested on drug charges at a reggae concert in Sweden last week. Swedish cops say that the singer was brought from the huge Uppsala Reggae Festival to a local police station on suspicion of possessing narcotics. It’s being said that 200-300 people were also brought in from the fest on drug related charges. In addition to concertgoers, police say 10 artists performing at the show were also hauled in for questioning. Cops say that they have sent all evidence to a lab for testing and will have results in a month. I can’t wait to find out just who got high.

Considering who he has for a boss, should we even be surprised that Yung Berg has been arrested? The rapper who was signed on to DMX’s label was busted last week in New York City after police investigated a complaint by a limo driver. Sources say a limo driver reported a dispute with five passengers, and when police investigated the complaint, they busted Berg and his buddies on a bundle of charges. The rapper whose real name is Christian Ward was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of marijuana and menacing. DMX must be so proud of him.

Rapper Rick Ross is allegedly the worst Baby daddy in the whole wide world. Tiallondra Nicole Kemp, the baby mama of 2-year old William Leonard Roberts III, is claiming that the kid’s dad, the rapper whose real name is William Leonard Roberts Jr., is a deadbeat dad. She also wants to establish that Rick Ross is the papa. Ross’ people say that he already pays support and foots the medical bills. The rapper’s lawyer Allan Zamren says “Mr. Roberts (Ross) is an excellent person and an outstanding member in his community. I’ve known him for quite some time and it’s a pleasure to represent him.”

Akon was due in court last week to face criminal charges which stem from an incident last year when a crazed Akon threw a 15-year old fan off stage at the 2007 KFEST concert in June. However, the hip hop artist did not show for his court date which left the judge to order him to appear in court on September 3rd for a possible deposition. If no deposition is needed, then Akon’s case will be put on the trial calendar. Akon was last in court in December 200 when he pleaded not guilty to the charges of second degree harassment and endangering the welfare of a minor.

The NYPD made a major breakthrough as they have arrested an employee of the karaoke club, Spotlight Live, that hosted Lil Kim’s birthday bash in connection to the death of a young woman whose body was found in a utility closet of the establishment. The victim’s mother sobbed to the media “My only daughter. I have no more daughter. I was a single mother for all my life. I work hard for her.” My condolences go out to the victim’s family and friends. As for Lil Kim’s involvement, a spokesman for the rapper said in an emailed statement that she had no idea on the matter until it broke the news.

Grammy-winning singer Mary J. Blige has been sued in New York for $2 million by a company that says she stole some of the music she used on her latest hit album and in an iPod commercial.

The Drama Family Entertainment company filed the lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday.

The lawsuit claims the company suffered copyright infringement because the singer’s Growing Pains album contains the song Work That. The suit says the song was created by a producer who worked for the company at the time.

The song was featured with a silhouetted Blige in an iPod commercial. But iPod maker Apple Inc. isn’t named in the lawsuit.

Sounds like a bad case of not learning to share…

Diddy is no longer going to be the only hip hop mogul with his own line of drinks. Diddy may have his Ciroc vodka but Dr. Dre is about to catch up to him. Drinks America Holdings Ltd. is partnering up with Dre to produce his own line of liquor. The company has done the same with the likes of Willie Nelson’s Old Whiskey River Bourbon and Trump Super Premium Vodka. Dr. Dre is coming out with 2 items, Aftermath Cognac will be released first which will then be followed by a line of 80-proof flavored and unflavored sparkling vodka. Now that is something that will seriously knock your block off. It’s being said that his liquors will be hitting the shelves in the next 60 days.

Several of the industry’s biggest stars were sent running for their lives when a gunshot was fired at Jermaine Dupri’s after party in an Atlanta nightclub earlier last weekend. Photos of Diddy’s bodyguards rushing the music mogul out of Club Dream have surfaced on the internet after a fired round resounded throughout the club. Diddy didn’t even have the time to put his champagne down before he was rushed out the back door. Usher, Gabrielle Union and Larenz Tate also made a bee line for the exits after the shot was heard. So far, law enforcement sources are only reporting one minor injury related to the incident. There’s still no word if any suspects are in custody.

Usher has re-hired his mother just over a year after he fired her. The ‘Love In This Club’ singer – who ditched his manager mom Jonetta Patton in May 2007 - has now employed her for a second time in a bid to kickstart the success of his latest record ‘Here I Stand’.

The pair released a statement saying: “Usher has dissolved his management arrangement with Benny Medina and has re-engaged Jonetta Patton as his manager.”

Usher’s decision to get rid of Jonetta last year was reportedly due to a rift between Jonetta and Usher’s wife Tameka Foster.

At the time, Usher said: “This is great for me because it means I now get to have my mother strictly as my mother, with no added pressure.”

However, executives at Usher’s label, Jive Records, were said to be concerned about Jonetta’s sacking. A source said: “They think Jonetta’s done an incredible job with his career.”

‘Here I Stand’ sold just 433,000 copies in its first week, compared to Usher’s 2004 album ‘Confessions’ which sold 1.1 million.

Snoop Dogg’s tour bus was stopped by police yesterday afternoon, and two of the singer’s entourage were arrested for marijuana possession.

The ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’ singer was in the bus when officers in Dallas decided to stop the vehicle after noticing it had expired stickers.

When they investigated the bus, police found evidence that Ethan Calhoun, 27, and Kevin Barkey, 26, were in possession of two ounces of the drug.

A spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety said: “Members of a commercial vehicle inspection team pulled the bus over on Interstate 45 in Corsicana because the vehicle had an expired registration sticker. Troopers searched the bus for drugs after they said they smelled marijuana and found two ounces of the drug.”

The two men were booked and taken to the Navarro County Jail. If convicted, they face fines of up to $2,000 and possibly six months in jail. They have now been released after paying bail of $1,500 each.

Snoop did not let the incident affect his performance with alternative rock group 311, and received tumultuous applause from the crowd in Dallas’ Cotton Bowl.

This is not the first time Snoop has been involved with a drug-related arrest.

Last year, he was arrested at California’s Bob Hope Airport in Burbank on suspicion of transporting marijuana. Later that year, he was charged with gun possession.

The singer pleaded no contest to both charges and was sentenced to five years’ probation and 800 hours of community service.

The divas of hip hop are reuniting as reports say that Jay-Z is set to work with both Kanye West and Timbaland on sessions for his new album. And here you thought he was retiring already. Early reports say that Jay-Z’s new stuff was going to be produced solely by Timbo but the hip hop star has revealed that the sessions are more of a musical competition between his peers. Jay says “I’m a person that works off music. If Timbaland makes 10 great tracks then he produces the album, if Kanye West makes 10 great tracks then he produces the album; if he makes three, I’ll take three. I let the music dictate the direction. You know I love Timbaland, he is like a brother to me, but until the music is done it’s premature.”

Rapper 50 Cent recently had a sit down with Sister 2 Sister magazine about his ongoing feud with his baby momma Shaniqua Tompkins. He told the mag that the war broke out when he insisted on finding his son a better home and improving his education. He says “It wasn’t important before the beginning of last year because he was being home schooled… I was paying a teacher $60,000 just to teach him by himself. He was learning slower because it was just him and the teacher. So he needed to go to where he had the best possible schooling district and I found a house in the area that was, like, $1.5 million.” But he claims that Shaniqua started receiving bad advice, insisting on more child support. Things escalated when she got evicted from the home he’d bought. Shaniqua has reportedly fled with his son and continues to battle him for custody and child support.