CELEBRITY HIP_NEWS ARCHIVE [page 6]

 

PHARRELL WILLIAMS IS GOING TO BE A DAD [Aceshowbiz, 7/23/08]

Page Six reports that rapper Pharrell Williams has impregnated an unidentified woman who's now very pregnant and is often seen following him with the backstage crew when he performs. He reportedly has impregnated a woman and is going to be a daddy soon. Page Six reports that Pharrell impregnated "a model type" he met during his trip to Miami this year. The pregnant woman, whose identity remains unknown, "is very pregnant and travels with him. She hangs out with the backstage crew when he performs," a source claimed.  The source added, "Pharrell is extremely private and won't release any details." A representative for Pharrell refused to comment on the report. Pharrell is a music producer, singer-songwriter, rapper, entrepreneur and skateboarder. He is the lead singer and drummer for the funk-rock band, N.E.R.D and is best known for his solo single "Frontin'" (2003).

 

COURTNEY NOT IN LOVE WITH SHARING THE WEALTH [E! Online, 7/23/08]

A business management and accounting firm has sued Courtney Love, the Celebrity Skin artist for failing to fork over a percentage of the proceeds after selling a portion of Nirvana's publishing rights for $19.5 million. The Los Angeles-based London & Co. claims its cut should have been $975,000, based on an oral agreement Love made with the firm in which she pledged to hand over 5 percent of her earnings, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in L.A. Superior Court. It's unclear whether the deal referred to in the five-page suit is the one that occurred in April 2006, when Love unloaded 25 percent of her Nirvana holdings to former Virgin Records exec Larry Mestel, founder of Primary Wave Music Publishing. At the time, he was rumored to have paid more than $50 million for the privilege. A rep for Love couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Either way, the portion that she sold two years ago was bigger than Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic's respective pieces of the action combined. As executor of Kurt Cobain's estate, Love originally controlled about 98 percent of the rights to his groundbreaking band's song catalog since his suicide in 1994. Universal Music Group and the surviving members of Nirvana had to fight the widowed rocker tooth and nail for permission to release a greatest-hits album in 2002, followed by a boxed set and a disc of rarities.

 

TOP HONG KONG SHOWBIZ COUPLE WED [BBC News,  7/22/08]

Hong Kong actor Tony Leung has married long term partner Carina Lau in a Buddhist-inspired ceremony in Bhutan, according to reports. The couple's wedding was attended by royalty from the Himalayan country as well as prize-winning art-house director Wong Kar-Wai. Leung won a best actor gong at Cannes in 2000 for In The Mood for Love and starred with Lau in Infernal Affairs. Hong Kong's Apple Daily newspaper said local monks presided over the wedding.  Infernal Affairs was Hong Kong's biggest box office hit in 2002 and scooped best film, best director and best actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards the following year. The film was remade by Martin Scorsese in 2006 as four-times Oscar-winner The Departed. Leung has also starred in Ang Lee's controversial drama Lust, Caution, while Lau has appeared in Ashes of Time and 2046.

 

TOP STARS STEP UP FOR "FASHION ROCKS" CONCERT [Billboard, 7/22/08]

Some of the biggest names in music have signed on for the fifth annual Fashion Rocks concert, to be held Sept. 5, 2008 at New York's Radio City Music Hall and broadcast four days later by CBS. The lineup so far includes Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Chris Brown, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban, Lil Wayne, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Kid Rock and Duffy. Proceeds from Fashion Rocks, which is sponsored by Chevrolet, Citi, CoverGirl, Kohl's, Nivea and Verizon Wireless, will benefit Stand Up To Cancer. A related Fashion Rocks magazine will be included in 16 Conde Nast titles in September. Fashion Rocks last year birthed a spin-off, Movies Rock, where artists performed classics songs from throughout history. Movies Rock was also broadcast by CBS. The event coincides with New York's Fashion Week.

 

LEGENDARY HIP HOP FEMALE DJ K-SWIFT DEAD AT 28 [Vibe, 7/21/08]

Legendary hip hop female DJ K-Swift died this morning (July 21) at her home in Baltimore, Maryland after a swimming pool accident, according to reports by Allhiphop.com. K-Swift (born Khia Edgerton) began DJ’ing at the young age of 11, and became a pioneer on Baltimore’s popular Radio One station 92Q Jams, where she rose to Female Mix Show Coordinator, the only female in the country to hold such a title. The young DJ also was a member of the Violator-All Star DJ Coalition, as well as a member of the all female squad the Murda Mamis, and just appeared at Baltimore’s annual Artscape Music Festival this past Saturday (July 19). "I'm at a loss for words right now,” Murda Mami founder 1st Lady El told AllHipHop.com. “K-Swift was not only one of my Murda Mami sisters, she was a great friend. She knocked down doors for women in this industry, so humble and hard working…She will be missed." A business woman in her own right, K-Swift owned Club Queen Entertainment, a graphics management and production company which produced a variety of hit club music albums within the Baltimore area including Club Queen Vol. 1-6 and The K-Swift EP. K-Swift was 27-years-old. [Note at the time of publishing this article, her myspace said she was online!!!!]

 

ANDRE 'MAC MINISTER, CHOPPA' DOW CONVICTED [AP, 7/21/08]

A jury found a 37-year-old San Francisco rap music figure guilty in the slaying of a Kansas City rival in what authorities called a West Coast versus Midwest rap war. Andre "Mac Minister, Choppa, Chop" Dow faces life in prison after being convicted Monday of first-degree murder in the May 2005 killings of 24-year-old Anthony "Fat Tone" Watkins of Kansas City, and Watkins' friend, 22-year-old Jermaine Akins. Dow is a promoter who has appeared on rap albums, made headlines several years ago when he brawled with another rapper at a nationally televised Source Awards show. Police called the Las Vegas slayings revenge for the November 2004 drive-by slaying in Kansas City of 34-year-old California rapper Andre "Mac Dre" Hicks. Another aspiring rap promoter, 29-year-old Jason Mathis, also has been charged with murder and is awaiting trial.

 

McCARTNEY PLAYS FOR THOUSANDS AT FREE QUEBEC CONCERT [Billboard, 7/21/08]

Paul McCartney churned out a Beatles-laden set list to a pumped-up crowd gathered yesterday (July 20) for a free concert as part of Quebec City's 400th anniversary celebration. McCartney opened the show with the Wings song "Jet" after which he greeted the crowd in French. The audience erupted and the band then started into the Beatles' 1965 classic "Drive My Car." The gig also features performances of the Beatles' "All My Loving," "Got To Get You Into My Life," "The Long and Winding Road," "Blackbird," "Eleanor Rigby," "A Day in the Life," "Good Day Sunshine," "Let It Be," "Penny Lane," "Lady Madonna" and "Get Back, among others. Organizers expected some 200,000 people at the outdoor show on the city's Plains of Abraham. Tens of thousands of music fans began congregating early Sunday in hopes of grabbing a good view. Following a guest appearance the night before with Billy Joel at New York's Shea Stadium, McCartney arrived in Quebec City (Canada) Saturday evening and was greeted by hundreds of adoring fans, many of whom had waited several hours outside the Chateau Frontenac Hotel to catch a glimpse of him. The much-anticipated show, McCartney's only scheduled headlining performance in North America this year, drew ire from some in the province who have questioned his participation in the weekend birthday celebrations of French-speaking Quebec City because of his British roots. They claim his presence evokes painful memories of Britain's conquest of New France in 1760.. churned out a Beatles-laden set list to a pumped-up crowd gathered yesterday (July 20) for a free concert as part of Quebec City's 400th anniversary celebration. McCartney opened the show with the Wings song "Jet" after which he greeted the crowd in French. The audience erupted and the band then started into the Beatles' 1965 classic "Drive My Car." The gig also features performances of the Beatles' "All My Loving," "Got To Get You Into My Life," "The Long and Winding Road," "Blackbird," "Eleanor Rigby," "A Day in the Life," "Good Day Sunshine," "Let It Be," "Penny Lane," "Lady Madonna" and "Get Back, among others. Organizers expected some 200,000 people at the outdoor show on the city's Plains of Abraham. Tens of thousands of music fans began congregating early Sunday in hopes of grabbing a good view. Following a guest appearance the night before with Billy Joel at New York's Shea Stadium, McCartney arrived in Quebec City (Canada) Saturday evening and was greeted by hundreds of adoring fans, many of whom had waited several hours outside the Chateau Frontenac Hotel to catch a glimpse of him. The much-anticipated show, McCartney's only scheduled headlining performance in North America this year, drew ire from some in the province who have questioned his participation in the weekend birthday celebrations of French-speaking Quebec City because of his British roots. They claim his presence evokes painful memories of Britain's conquest of New France in 1760.

 

DESTINY'S CHILD REUNION IN 2009? [Aceshowbiz, 7/21/08]

The R 'n' B Destiny's Child has revealed great news to their fans after one of their members, Kelly Rowland, suggested that they are planning to reunite and release will new materials next year.  Beside revealing the reunion plan, to the press Kelly also stated that her group have never actually split up. "Me and the girls never split up - we are as close as we always were, like sisters, and we may do some projects next year," Kelly said. In 2005, Destiny's Child sent an official letter to MTV stating that they are breaking up to pursue solo career. Before sending the official letter to the music channel, the group had already announced their break up on June 11, 2005 at a concert in Barcelona, Spain. Their last album was "Destiny Fulfilled" released November, 2005.

 

COURT TOSSES FCC 'WARDROBE MALFUNCTION' FINE [AP, 7/21/08]

A federal appeals court on Monday (July 21) threw out a $550,000 indecency fine against CBS Corp. for the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show that ended with Janet Jackson's breast-baring "wardrobe malfunction." The court found that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) deviated from its nearly 30-year practice of fining indecent broadcast programming only when it was so "pervasive as to amount to 'shock treatment' for the audience." The three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the FCC "acted arbitrarily and capriciously" in issuing the fine for the fleeting image of nudity. The 90 million people watching the Super Bowl, many of them children, heard Justin Timberlake sing, "Gonna have you naked by the end of this song," as he reached for Janet Jackson's bustier. In challenging the fine, CBS said that "fleeting, isolated or unintended" images should not automatically be considered indecent. But the FCC said Jackson and Timberlake were employees of CBS and that the network should have to pay for their "willful" actions, given its lack of oversight. The $550,000 fine represents the maximum $27,500 levied against each of the network's 20 owned-and-operated stations. In a statement Monday, CBS said, "This is an important win for the entire broadcasting industry because it recognizes that there are rare instances, particularly during live programming, when it may not be possible to block unfortunate fleeting material, despite best efforts." 

 

RAPPER LIL SCRAPPY OUT OF JAIL [Billboard, 7/21/08]

Rapper Lil Scrappy is out of jail in Decatur, Ga., after being arrested following a fight with his sister's boyfriend. Reports from DeKalb County police spokesman Marcus Hodge are that Richardson got into an altercation with his sister's boyfriend Friday afternoon after the couple argued. Richardson was stabbed during the fight, but the injuries weren't serious. Police arrested Richardson and charged him with felony marijuana possession, felony use of a weapon during a crime, misdemeanor obstruction of police officers and misdemeanor battery. The 24-year-old rapper, whose name is Darryl Richardson, was released on $1,500 bond from the DeKalb County jail yesterday (July 20, 2008). 

 

AMY WINEHOUSE'S HUSBAND GETS 27 MONTHS IN JAIL [AP, 7/21/08]

Amy Winehouse's husband Blake Fielder-Civil was sentenced Monday to 27 months in jail for assault and obstructing justice.  Fielder-Civil has admitted to beating up pub manager James King in a barroom fight in 2006 and then offering him $400,000 to keep quiet about it. Judge David Radford told Fielder-Civil he had behaved in a "gratuitous, cowardly and disgraceful" way. Winehouse, who has regaled concert audiences for months with appeals for the release of "my Blake," was not at the London court. Three other men — James Kennedy, Anthony Kelly and Michael Brown — pleaded guilty to involvement in the plot. Brown received 33 months for assault and perverting the course of justice (the equivalent of obstruction of justice in the U.S.), while the other two received shorter sentences. Fielder-Civil has spent almost nine months in jail since his arrest, and could be freed in December, once he has completed half his sentence. Winehouse and Fielder-Civil, 26, married in Miami in May 2007. He was arrested in November and has been in jail ever since. Winehouse has become an international star since releasing the Grammy-winning album, "Back to Black," in 2006. But her music has been overshadowed by reports of drug use, run-ins with the law and her tempestuous relationship with Fielder-Civil.

 

RAPPER DMX ARRESTED AT PHOENIX MALL [AP, 7/20/08]

Rapper DMX was arrested at a Phoenix mall Saturday on suspicion that he gave a false name and Social Security number to a hospital to get out of paying for medical expenses. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said that when DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, went to Scottsdale's Mayo Clinic in April, he used the name "Troy Jones" and failed to pay a $7,500 bill. DMX's Scottsdale attorney, Cameron Morgan, declined to comment. Arpaio said his office began investigating the charge following an animal neglect investigation last year at the 37-year-old rapper's north Phoenix home. DMX was arrested in that case on felony drug possession and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges after authorities seized 12 pit bull dogs and dug up the remains of three others. The musician/actor has had other recent run-ins with the law, including an arrest at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport earlier this month on outstanding warrants after he failed to appear in court. The week before, he was arrested in Miami on charges of attempting to purchase cocaine and marijuana. Bond had not been set in the recent arrest.

 

SHAKIRA TO LEAD COLOMBIAN RALLIES FOR HOSTAGES [AFP, 7/20/08]

Pop star Shakira is to lead nationwide demonstrations in her native Colombia on Sunday (today) demanding the liberation of hundreds of hostages held by rebels in the jungle for years. Around 80 solidarity rallies are also planned in other cities around Latin America and the rest of the world, including one in Paris that will include recently freed Franco-Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt. Around five million people are expected to take part in demonstrations in some 1,000 towns and cities across Colombia. Shakira, Colombia's world-famous pop icon, is to sing Colombia's national anthem at the start of that commemoration before launching into a concert in support of the hostage liberation demonstration.

 

MICHAEL BUBLE SPOTTED KISSING NEW GIRLFRIEND [Aceshowbiz, 7/19/08]

Finding a new love, apparently, isn't a difficult task for Canadian music crooner, Michael Buble. Buble who recently split from girlfriend Emily Blunt, whom he met backstage at one of his concerts in 2005, was photographed in the arms of a female identified as Heather Fogarty, an American singer. The pictures are displayed on Perez Hilton's website, according to sources. Buble representatives have confirmed the pair's separation, "Sadly, after three years, they have parted ways. They are both extraordinary people with huge talent. Let's wish them well" adding that the twosome will remain good friends. The Grammy-winning, multiple Juno Award-winning Canadian crooner, big band singer and actor whose single "Everything"  from his album Call Me Irresponsible, was written for his then girlfriend Emily Blunt. The single hit #1 on Billboard Adult Contemporary in 2007. Other tracks by Blunt are Lost, Sway and Feeling Good. 

 

REGGAE/DANCEHALL ARTIST 'ELOQUENT' DEAD AT 27 [SQMAP, 7/20/08]

Reggae/Dancehall artist "Eloquent" whose legal name is Stephen Menzie, 27, was found dead on Friday (July 18,2008) afternoon following a bloody domestic dispute in Exchange, St. Ann, Jamaica. The artist's girlfriend is in hospital fighting for her life. Investigators theorize that it was murder-suicide. Detectives attached to the Ocho Rios Police are now trying to piece together evidence to determine what led to the bloody quarrel between Menzie and his girlfriend who is yet to be identified. Reports are that shortly after 2 pm, the couple was embroiled in a quarrel and that as the dispute became heated, Menzie allegedly used a knife to slash the woman's neck. She was rushed to the St. Ann's Bay hospital but was later transferred to the Kingston Public Hospital where she is undergoing emergency medical treatment. The entertainer was later discovered hanging by a piece of electrical wire on Landswood Road. At the time of his death, Eloquent was signed to Yellow Moon Records, which is owned and operated by Irie FM’s DJ Sunshine and was working on an album. Some of Eloquent's tracks include ‘Did You Pray’ (Yellow Moon), ‘Non-stop’ (Burchill) and ‘Glorify’ (Burchill), 'Good', 'Nonstop' and 'Grandma Cry'. On his myspace page Eloquent writes that “God motivates me. Sometimes when I’m on the streets, a song will just pop up in my head and I know it’s God,” comments a calm-spirited but confident Eloquent. “I want to make positive music that uplifts the world” and to be remembered as “someone who contributed positively to the music.”

 

VIDEO PREMIERE: NELLY'S 'BODY ON ME' FT. ASHANTI/AKON [SQMAP, 7/19/08]

After its sneak preview streamed earlier this week, the full version of Nelly's music video for his latest single "Body On Me" featuring Ashanti and Akon has finally premiered on FNMTV on July 18, 2008. The video was shot at the Red Rock Casino, Resort, & Spa in Las Vegas under the direction of renown director Benny Boom. The new track is being set as the second official single outed from Nelly's upcoming LP "Brass Knuckles", set to be dropped on September 16, 2008. The track is not only being included on the rapper's new record, "Body On Me" also appeared on Ashanti's latest record "The Declaration", that was released on June 3, 2008. Meanwhile, beside working with Akon and Ashanti, on the new LP Nelly also teams up with other famous names in the music scene. Some of the musicians that work with the rapper on "Brass Knuckles" are Stacy Ferguson a.k.a. Fergie, Babyface, Pharrell Williams and Jermaine Dupri.

 

MCCARTNEY APPEAL FOR PEACE OVER QUEBEC CONCERT [AP, 7/19/08]

Ex-Beatle, Paul McCartney, told Quebec nationalists on Thursday "to smoke the pipes of peace" over their opposition to his free concert celebrating the city's 400th anniversary. Several artists and politicians have questioned McCartney's participation in the weekend birthday celebrations of French-speaking Quebec City because of his British roots. The ex-Beatle said he has been working on expanding the few lines of French he used in the 1965 hit "Michelle." "Come on Quebece-ins (Quebecers), love me baby," said McCartney. The open-air concert is his only scheduled appearance in North America this year. Organizers are expecting a crowd of around 200,000.

 

JOLIE AND THE TWINS HAVE LEFT HOSPITAL  [AP, 7/19/08]

Angelina Jolie and the twins have left the building. The Hollywood superstar and her newborn twins left the French Riviera hospital before dawn Saturday (July 19) where she gave birth a week ago, the hospital said in a statement. Jolie slipped out with the twins, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt, deftly evading most of the paparazzi who have followed the family for months in southern France, ever since Jolie arrived for the Cannes film festival in May. It was not immediately clear if the twins' father, actor Brad Pitt, was with them. Jolie, 33, checked into the hospital on July 2 and delivered the babies by Cesarian section ten days later. Knox Leon weighed 5.03 pounds and the Vivienne Marcheline 5 pounds. The Jolie-Pitt clan had rented four rooms on the fifth floor of the maternity ward of the Lenval hospital, appropriately located on Nice's beach-front California Avenue. The hospital had treated the mirrored blue windows of Jolie's room, which looked out the Mediterranean, with a special material that blocked telephoto lenses from peering in.

 

BARENAKED BAND CANCEL DISNEY GIG [BBC News, 7/19/08]

Canadian band Barenaked Ladies have pulled out of performing at a gig next month because of lead singer Steven Page's arrest in New York last week. Page was charged with possessing cocaine, and pleaded not guilty, the band said. Best known for hits such as One Week and Pinch Me, the group had been due to play the Disney Music Block Party on Long Island. On the group's website manager Terry McBride said they did not want to put Disney in an "awkward position". The band had said they planned to continue performing and would begin work on their new album later this year. Known for its clean image and cross-generational appeal, the group recently released a new album for children called Snacktime and is a collection of original children's songs.

 

eM & eM MOMENT  [SQMAP, 7/20/08]

Ras Mandito and Bagga Case of Home T-fame for their remarkably sampling of the sound and nuances of the Blues Busters in honour of group's recent induction in the Hall of Fame of the Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA). Some suggested they should seriously consider forming a duo which would take their musical careers new heights.

 

TOKYO POLICE CLUB ON TOUR [Aversion, 7/18/08]

Tokyo Police Club is scheduled for a 12-City U.S. tour in support of  its first full-length, Elephant Shell (review) (2008) beginning in September at Ottobar, Baltimore and ending October 25 in New Orleans in time for the Voodoo Festival planned for October, 2008.

 

NELLY FURTADO'S GIG TURNED INTO A BLOODY RIOT [Aceshowbiz, 7/18/08]

Bad news comes from Nelly Furtado after her latest gig in Russia, held on July 13 has turned into a massive riot. The accident happened after the event's official rejected a local rapper Timati who was trying to get on the stage to perform with the singer. The rapper's duet with Furtado was actually planned to happen but for some reasons the official refuses to let the rapper joins the pop star on stage. Somehow the incident then got worse and turned into a big brawl that involved about 20 people including Timati and the "Like a Bird" singer's bodyguards.

 

NAS ON TRACK FOR FIFTH No. 1 ALBUM NEXT WEEK [Billboard, 7/18/08]

Nas' new Def Jam album may not have a title, but it will have a home at No. 1 on The Billboard 200. The veteran rapper is on course to notch his fifth topper on the big chart, as he leads Nielsen SoundScan's Friday Building chart with 113,000 copies. That total represents un-weighted sales at nine leading music merchants, through close of business Thursday. Those accounts -- Trans World Entertainment, Apple, Best Buy, Circuit City, Borders, Starbucks, Target, Anderson Merchandisers and Handleman Co. -- account for about 80% of the U.S. album market. Anderson now services all Wal-Mart stores. Nas' interim total is a tad behind the 116,000 that another rapper, Rick Ross, rang on "Trilla" on the Friday Building chart in March, on the album's way to a chart-topping total of 198,000. The artist's last No. 1 album, "Hip-Hop Is Dead," arrived in late December 2006, selling 354,000 copies during Christmas week. 

 

BOUNTY KILLA ARRESTED AT REGGAE SUMFEST  [Billboard, 7/18/08]

Jamaican dancehall artist Bounty Killa was arrested in Jamaica today (July 18) and charged with using profanity during a performance at Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay.  Bounty Killa, whose real name is Rodney Pryce, was arrested shortly after dawn. He was charged and released on bond. He is due to appear in court on July 31, 2008 when he will answer two counts of using indecent language and disorderly conduct. Pryce faces a maximum penalty of 30 days in prison, or a fine. Police said that Pryce was the penultimate act on the Sumfest festival's first night, when fans booed him after he criticized other DJs in his lyrics. Pryce, police said, unleashed a series of expletives and left the stage in a huff. Jamaican laws prohibit entertainers from using profanity on stage. Several high-profile entertainers have faced the court in recent years for using expletives during their performances. Bounty Killa has  several major hit singles, the biggest of which were "Copper Shot" and most recently "Cellular Phone." 

 

RUN'S DMC HOSPITALIZED [E! Online, 7/18/08]

Darryl McDaniels—the rap progenitor who put the DMC in Run-DMC—has been admitted to a New Jersey hospital, where he is expected to undergo surgery to remove two major blood clots later today (Friday), publicist Tracey Miller confirmed to E! News. The rapper had been suffering from pain and swelling in his left arm. The pain became so intense he went to the hospital, where doctors discovered the blockages. It's unclear how long the 44-year-old will remain in the hospital, but the unexpected sick-bay stay forced him out of a planned appearance at the AVP Beach Vollyeball Tournament scheduled to take place in Brooklyn tomorrow and air live on NBC. Just last week, the now solo star gave a well-received performance at Massachussetts' Becket Bowl, a fundraising event benefiting the Josh Beckett Foundation, which supports community programs that aim to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged kids. If Reverend Run ever wanted to call in a favor with the big man upstairs, now might not be a bad time.

 

'LAND OF TALK' INK DEAL WITH SADDLE CREEK RECORDS [Aversion, 7/18/08]

The Montreal based "Land of Talk" has inked a deal with indie label Saddle Creek Records to release its first long-player, Some Are Lakes in the United States. The band recorded the 10-track album with Justin Vernon in a Montreal studio. It follows up their 2006's debut EP, "Applause Cheer Boo Hiss", and arrives in stores Oct. 7, 2008. Some Are Lakes track listing are, Yuppy Flu, Death By Fire, The Man Who Breaks Things (Dark Shuffle), Some Are Lakes, Give Me Back My Heart Attack, It's Okay Young Bridge, Corner Phone, Got A Call and Troubled.

 

EX-GUNS N' ROSES DRUMMER BUSTED FOR DRUGS [E! Online, 7/18/08]

Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler was arrested early on Friday morning at a home in Hollywood on suspicion of drug possession. According to LAPD spokeswoman April Harding, police received a call at approximately 4 a.m. about a man creating a disturbance. Upon arrival, officers determined the 43-year-old musician was to blame and took him into custody. Adler was booked for being under the influence and for an outstanding warrant. The warrant was issued after the musician skipped a 2006 court date for an arrest the previous year on charges of being under the influence and driving with a suspended license. He was taken to county jail and bail was set at $45,000. A founding member of Guns N' Roses, Adler was briefly booted from the rock band in 1989, after his appetite for heroin began taking a toll on his ability to play. He was reinstated after signing a contract promising to kick the habit or face fines. But when the rocker's substance abuse persisted and a bunch of recording sessions were derailed when he showed up high, Axl Rose & Co. fired Adler for good in 1990. Adler filed a lawsuit a year later seeking back earnings. He and Guns N' Roses eventually reached a settlement that included a $2.2 million payment and 15 percent of all royalties on the recordings he made during his tenure. The drummer's drug problems became so bad that he suffered a series of strokes in 1996 that left him with a speech impediment. Earlier this year, Adler checked himself into the Pasadena Recovery Center as part of the second season of VH1's Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew.

 

KHLOE KARDASHIAN — JAILED THEN RELEASED [E! Online, 7/18/08]

Following a brief hearing today (Friday) at Los Angeles Superior Court, Khloe Kardashian was taken into custody at 8:45 a.m. and booked seven minutes later,  to serve a 30-day jail sentence for violating her probation on a DUI charge. The entire Kardashian clan, including sisters Kim and Kourtney and mother Kris Jenner, was on hand for support. The 24-year-old scenester and clothing boutique co-owner was sentenced Aug. 27, 2007 to 36 months' probation and community service with the California Department of Transportation, and ordered to complete an alcohol-education program, after pleading no contest to driving under the influence on March 4, 2007, according to Los Angeles City Attorney's Office spokesman Frank Mateljan. An attorney for the Keeping Up With the Kardashians player admitted July 3, 2008 in L.A. Superior Court in Van Nuys that she had not completed the alcohol class or the community service — You've got to be quick to keep up with the Kardashians. Khloe Kardashian's brief yet slightly eventful incarceration has come to a close. Kardashian was released at 1:29 p.m., bringing her total time in custody to four hours and 37 minutes. Her extraordinarily early release can be credited to the facility's vast overcrowding, a correctional issue that also befitted past inmates Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan, who logged a paltry 82 and 84 minutes at the facility, respectively.

 

ACTRESS SALMA HAYEK, BILLIONAIRE PINAULT END WEDDING PLANS [AFP,  7/18/08]

Oscar-nominated Mexican actress Salma Hayek and her French billionaire businessman fiance Francois-Henri Pinault have called off their engagement, a spokeswoman said Friday. The couple met in Italy in 2006 and in September, 2007 welcomed daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault, the first child for 41-year-old Hayek and the third child for the 45-year-old CEO, who, among other luxury brands, owns Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Pinault has two children from a marriage that ended in 2004. Hayek was nominated for an Oscar in 2003 for her portayal of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in "Frida." Pinault heads the luxury group PPR.

 

'A RAISIN IN THE SUN' RACKS UP 3 EMMY NOMINATIONS [Vibe, 7/18/08]

Diddy continues to try and win an award for everything short of breathing. The entrepreneur-turned-rapper-turned-fashion mogul will be attempting to win an Emmy at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards for A Raisin in the Sun, which he starred in as Walter Lee Younger and executive produced. The made-for-tv-movie debuted in February 2008, just four years after the Broadway revival of the play, which starred Diddy, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, and Sanaa Lathan. The cast also reappeared in the television adaptation.  Phylicia Rashad and Audra McDonald are in the running for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, and Combs and his fellow producers are up for Outstanding Made for Television Movie. The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards will air Sunday September 21, 2008 on ABC.

 

WHITNEY HOUSTON'S SINGING IS FLY [E! Online, 7/18/08]

Who needs movies on a plane when Whitney Houston's sitting nearby? Whitney Houston, the “I Will Always Love You” songstress was on a New York to L.A. flight earlier this week with daughter Bobbi Kristina when they gave an impromptu concert to at least one passenger within earshot. “Whitney and Bobbi Christina are singing the new Ne-Yo song,” the passenger emailed from the plane (they hadn’t taken off yet). “I am dieing!” And I’m happy to report Houston was looking healthy and well rested. She also enjoyed some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. “She looks fab,” my source wrote. “She’s in a white top, black pants and dark shades—and a great bob wig!” Whitney is currently in the studio working on her much-anticipated comeback album. Sounds like she's off to a good start.

 

JUDGE GRANTS 50 CENT UNRESTRICTED VACATION WITH SON [Vibe, 7/18/08]

All 50 Cent wanted was to see his son, and now he’ll get his chance. Amidst a feud with his ex-girlfriend, Shaniqua Tompkins, and after a clean court-ordered drug test on Thursday (July 17), 50 Cent has finally been granted an unrestricted vacation period with his son, Marquise, from Aug 3-12, 2008. For Shaniqua Tompkins, mother of Marquise, the test came up positive for opiates. In her defense, Tompkins had recently been taking cough medicine. The custodial issues between 50 Cent and Tompkins arose in April, and exploded after their Dix Hills, New York mansion was set ablaze in May. Tompkins and Marquise, 11, escaped through a second-floor window while 50 Cent was in Louisiana. Subsequently, Tompkins publicly blamed 50 Cent for the suspicious fire, which is currently under investigation, and has secured a restraining order against him. Both parties previously quarreled over putting the 5,200 square foot home in Tompkins’ name, while 50 Cent  reportedly demanded $4,500 in rent with threats of eviction circulating. Prior to the court hearing, 50 Cent filed a $20 million defamation lawsuit against Tompkins for the accusations last month. Though he’s able to see his son, the legal battles between them have yet to be put to rest.

 

TORCHED HENDRIX GUITAR TO BE SOLD [BBC News, 7/18/08]

The guitar torched by late rock legend Jimi Hendrix during a live performance in London is expected to fetch £500,000 at auction in September, 2008. The 1965 Fender Stratocaster was doused with lighter fuel and set on fire by Hendrix at the London Astoria in 1967. It was the first time Hendrix had set his guitar on fire. He later repeated the stunt at the Monterey Pop Festival. Hendrix was taken to hospital following the Astoria stunt, where he was treated for minor burns. The guitar is the subject of a 21-page feature in this month's Guitar & Bass magazine. Its distinctive face can be seen in film footage of Hendrix at the Marquee club taken two days before the Astoria concert. Also included in the sale are a Led Zeppelin drumkit, Doors star Jim Morrison's last notebook of poems and a song-sheet for USA For Africa's We Are The World - signed by Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and Michael Jackson.

 

MARIAH, NAS, NELLY SET FOR FREE SAMSUNG SHOWS [Billboard,  7/18/08]

Mariah Carey, Gavin Rossdale, LeAnn Rimes, Nelly and Nas, among others, will perform as part of the second annual Samsung AT&T Summer Krush, a free summer concert series designed to highlight Samsung's music-centric BlackJack II mobile phone. The concert series launches July 31, 2008 in Los Angeles with an approximately 35-minute performance by Carey at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Portions of the concert will broadcast later that evening on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Samsung AT&T Summer Krush continues Aug. 7 with a performance by former Bush frontman Rossdale at the Showbox in Seattle, followed by an Aug. 13 appearance by Rimes at Gilley's in Dallas. Rapper Nelly is scheduled to perform Aug. 19 at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, while Nas will perform at Webster Hall in New York on Aug. 27, 2008. The concert event continues to visit 1,000- to 2,000-capacity venues through mid-September with three additional artists, who will be announced shortly. Each show will feature music by Los Angeles-based DJ Matthew Sullivan. The Samsung AT&T Summer Krush was launched last summer.

 

MANDELA MARKS HIS 90th BIRTHDAY [AFP, 7/18/08]

Nelson Mandela, the icon of the anti-apartheid movement and South Africa's first black president, celebrated his 90th birthday Friday as tributes poured in from around the world. While Mandela employed his usual self-deprecating sense of humour, referring to himself as a retired old man, South Africans hailed him as the father of the nation and an unstoppable force for good even though he has long retired. Mandela was due to host a major bash with 500 guests on Saturday at his rural homestead in the Eastern Cape but spent Friday with his family and wife Graca as the couple also celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. Mandela retired from public life four years ago but has continued to be involved with his foundation, raising millions of dollars for AIDS charities and to help underprivileged children.

 

YUSUF ISLAM (CAT STEVENS) WINS DAMAGES [Reuters/Nielsen, 7/18/08]

British folk singer Yusuf  Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, accepted libel damages and an apology on Friday from World Entertainment News Network, a news agency,  that reported he had refused to talk to women at an awards ceremony who were not wearing a veil. The artist, who changed his name after becoming a Muslim in the late 1970s, will donate the "substantial" payout to Small Kindness, a U.N.-linked charity he chairs. Adam Tudor, the singer's attorney, told London's High Court that the story behind the legal action was published by World Entertainment News Network and was used on Contactmusic.com, a website said to have 2.2 million page views a month. The article appeared in March last year and suggested that the singer was "so sexist and bigoted that he refused at an awards ceremony to speak to or even acknowledge any women who were not wearing a veil," Tudor said. Islam, 59, is still best known for his hits as Cat Stevens, including "Wild World," "Morning Has Broken" and "Moonshadow." He sold an estimated 60 million albums as Stevens, but retired from showbusiness in 1978 after converting to Islam. He released his first mainstream pop album since then in 2008.

 

JAMAICA MUSIC HALL OF FAME 12 INDUCTEES [SQMAP, 7/18/08]

The Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA), celebrated its fifth anniversary on Friday (July 11, 2008) with the first inductees into the Jamaica Music Hall of Fame by saluting a wide array of musical icons from mento to reggae genre. The history-making ceremony was held on the lawns of the Pegasus Hotel. Seven of the individual inductees were honoured posthumously. These were legendary folklorist/poet, Louise "Miss Lou" Bennett-Coverly; master drummer and founder of the Mysic Revelation of Rastafari (MRR), Oswald Williams aka Count Ossie; pioneer mento/calypsonian, Norman Thomas better known as Lord Flea; founder of the Alpha Boys' School, Sister Mary Ignatius Davies; legendary producer/director, Vere Johns, who founded the famous Opportunity Hour talent contest, legendary record producer, Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd of Studio One fame; and giant record producer Arthur 'Duke' Reid. The original Wailers - comprising Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Junior Brathwaite, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Green - were also inducted. Of the group only Bunny Wailer, Kelso and Green are alive. Don Drummond, Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook and Jerome 'Jah Jerry' Hinds (all deceased) from the immortal Skatalites Band were also honoured Only two on the distinguished roll of honour were present to bask in the glory of their time-honoured moment. They were veteran ethnomusicologist/founder of the Jamaica Folk Singers and the Jamaica Orchestra for Youth, Dr Olive Lewin and the incomparable master guitarist, Ernest Ranglin. Ska legend Derrick Morgan, was unavoidably absent, as he is on a tour in Europe. The induction ceremony was hosted by well-known broadcaster/actor, Fae Ellington.

 

BEENIE MAN RULES AT REGGAE SUMFEST [SQMAP, 7/19/08]

Beenie man, dapperly dressed in white, proved why he is the King of Dancehall when he performed at Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay. After being the subject of Bounty Killer comments, he told the audience "Bounty Killer a my DJ, so nuh watch nutten!" "Bounty Killer sey dat mi a fish, well . . . Beenie Man a girls dem snapper!" The comment brought the more than 250,000 patrons who attended Sumfest Dancehall Night to their feet. Tonight is International Night II and artistes scheduled to perform are T-Pain, Lil Wayne and more.

 

PINK WORKING ON FIFTH ALBUM [SQMAP, 7/19/08]

Pink has finally restarted her musical career and is currently heading back to the studio to record new materials for a new album. The singer has also confirmed that she will be working with some renown music producers such as Butch Walker, Billy Mann, Egg White and Danja. According to reports Pink's upcoming fifth studio album will be dropped around the end of October or early November. The first single which will be "So What", scheduled to be aired on all CHR radio stations on August 18, 2008.

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