Young Buck And Entourage Deny Involvement In Weekend Shooting; Witness Reveals Details
Contrary to previous reports, rapper Young Buck and his crew have denied being involved in a shooting that took place in the parking lot of the Hilton Garden Inn in Kennewick, Washington on Saturday (Apr. 28).
At least six shots were fired by two weapons during the shoot-out, which sent one man to the hospital with a single bullet wound to both legs and left patrons of the hotel terrified for their lives.
Police told Kennewick's Tri-City Herald that they were investigating reports that the shooting was a result of a fight that had broken out between Young Buck’s entourage and rival rappers, after Young Buck’s performance at Club Paradise.
Young Buck himself and a witness have come forth, proclaiming the rapper’s innocence in the situation.
“I had no involvement in that situation. None of my entourage was involved," Young Buck told AHH.com. “We stayed at the hotel where the situation happened, I had no argument with nobody, I had none of my entourage involved in no fights. There were no robbers, or no shooting between us or no other rappers or none of that s**t.”
According to the witness who was at both the Young Buck show and the after party, the shooting stemmed from an earlier incident.
“This shoot out had to do with a fight that happened earlier between two people that knew each other from Seattle and then other people showing up to have his back," an eyewitness told AHH.com. “It also had to do with a chain trying to be snatched, and people having that persons back.”
The incident and the reports have cast a negative light on Young Buck who is currently on parole.
“I ain’t have one bit of anything involved in this situation even nobody around me,” Young Buck told AHH.com “I was there when the shots rang out and I got the f**k out of the hotel like 'oh s**t.' I come up out of the lobby and shit and I see the damn n***a laid up in the elevator and s**t. We got in our bus and left. It wasn’t a situation with anyone in my crew. That f***ed me all the way up. I’m on parole, my parole officer and lawyers [were] calling me."
Nine Seattle area men were arrested and detained, as they attempted to flee the scene of the shooting and dump their weapons in the process.
The Source Files For Bankruptcy, Plans To Reorganize
The Source magazine and Source Entertainment Inc. have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan on Friday (Apr. 27) Dow Jones wire services reported today (Apr. 30).
According to court documents, The Source is still struggling to recover from dishonest business practices and negative publicity brought on by former management, which caused various advertisers to withdraw support for the well known brand.
The Source also converted and consolidated a previous Chapter 7 filing in Friday's court proceedings and listed assets of about $1.3 million and liabilities of $35 million.
In early 2006, investors in The Source Entertainment ousted founders David Mays and Raymond "Benzino" Scott from the company, when ad revenue and newsstand sales plummeted, after the pair became engaged in bitter feuds with a number of rivals, including 50 Cent and Eminem.
To complicate matters, the magazine defaulted on an $18 million loan from Textron Financial Partners, who successfully fought to have Mays and Scott removed from the company.
According to the bankruptcy filing, The Source also stopped sending magazine's to over 140,000 subscribers and magazine subscriptions have dropped by more than 50 percent since 2002.
An attorney for The Source said the company will emerge from the bankruptcy successfully, as a "reorganized" entity.
T.I. Breaks Down "T.I. Vs. T.I.P." To MTV News; Talks Working With Eminem
On T.I. vs. T.I.P. — a conceptual LP about his life — they get at it on six tracks. Another third of the project is dedicated solely to T.I. and the remainder goes to Tip.
"This is my life, this is the struggle I had to go through to bring myself to release another album," said T.I., who lost both his newborn daughter and personal assistant within the last year. "After all the stuff I went through following the success of King, it took a lot to even muster the effort or even care enough about the world outside my circle to even care about doing another album. ... All I did was take notes and record it along the way."
One of the more recent sessions he held for the album was with Eminem, someone who has his own dual-identity issues.
"It was an experience," T.I. said about working with Em. "He's probably one of the most lyrical cats in the game right now. Me being known as one of the most lyrical cats in the game, I had to get myself up. He lived up to all my expectations. He's a rappin' fool. He made me step my game up.
"We did three records," he continued. "One we did for him. You know how Marshall Mathers and Slim Shady have their beefs? Well [on that song], T.I. is trying to tell Marshall how to deal with Slim based on how he deals with Tip. Then Tip butts in, like, 'You can't tell nobody nothing.' Then Em comes in and tells me, 'Who are you to tell me anything?' I was like, 'I'm just trying to help, homie.' "
Their other two collaborations could end up on T.I. vs. T.I.P., including a song called "Touchdown."
"It's out of Eminem's norm, if Eminem has a norm," T.I. said of the track. "It's a record you wouldn't expect to hear him on, kinda like how you heard [him] on 'Smack That' for Akon or [Em's] 'Shake That' with Nate Dogg. You'll be like, 'OK, he's switching it up.' ['Touchdown' is] basically [him] talking about when you touch down in everybody's city, what you do. Hit the mall, buy a car or leave the club with all the girls. We have yet to finish that one. "
The one we finished is 'Whatever You Want It to Be,' " he added. "It's saying, 'I'm a man, if I ain't nothing else. Before I'm a rapper, before I'm anything else, I'm a man. If you don't respect that, it can be whatever you want it to be.' "
The producer Tip went the most in-depth with for this project, however, was — of all people — Wyclef Jean. It has yet to be determined if all their records will make the cut, but two front-runners are "Swagger" and "U Know What It Is."
"You can quote me," Tip burst out with a grin. " 'U Know What It Is' will tear the clubs up this summer."
"Show It 2 Me," which features Nelly, sounds like it could easily be a sequel to their previous teaming on Urban Legend's "Get Loose." The two go back and forth at points and Nelly uses an old-school flow like UTFO on "Roxanne Roxanne." Lil Wayne appears on "Yeah" and drops lines such as, "I'm flyer than a vampire."
Andre 3000 could also possibly check in, on a song called "Life of the Party." On that track, Tip talks about maturity, why he's now "too grown to be the life of the party," and how he has no time to argue with bouncers, overzealous fans or pestering playa haters.
Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland are all also scheduled to appear on the set, while Akon, Scott Storch and Danja have already performed and produced for the album.
SHARPTON TO CO-LEAD MARCH FOR DECENCY
*Reverend Al Sharpton, representing his National Action Network (NAN), is scheduled to co-lead a March for Decency in Music on James Browns' birthday, Thursday, May 3.
The march will kick off at 55th and Madison at Sony Music and head south to the Warner Music Group Building (75 Rockefeller Plaza), and then on to Universal Music (49th & 8th), and then on to the Time Warner Building (58th and Broadway). The final stop will be Columbus Circle for a rally.
The event’s focus is to protest sexism, racism, and homophobia in music and the image that is perpetuated in the recording industry that glamorizes misogyny. The National Action Network will call for record companies to implement a code of conduct for artists.
"I think it is important that we make a strong appeal as consumers to demand standards that will not offend us or dehumanize us based on race, gender or any other category,” said Rev. Sharpton.
The march will be led by Tamika Mallory, Director of NAN's Decency Initiative and Councilwoman Darlene Mealy of Brooklyn's 41st District.
Mallory states: "I am leading this march as a mother and as a young black woman who is part of the hip-hop generation. We must reshape the positive culture in music, and redefine images of women in media. We will no longer tolerate misogyny and racism as a mainstream form of entertainment for our children."
RAY J THROWS LAUNCH PARTY FOR SEX TAPE
In the past 72 hours, Kim Kardashian dropped her lawsuit against Vivid Entertainment over the release of her sex tape with former boyfriend Ray J, and Ray J threw a party in Vegas to celebrate the tape’s release.
Vivid's co-chairman tells TMZ: "We are pleased that Kim has dropped her legal action against us, we met with her several times and finally reached a financial arrangement that we both feel is fair."
According to Us Magazine, Kardashian will get close to $5 million from Vivid, who plans to make the tape available to consumers through the end of May before retiring the tape for good, reports TMZ.
Meanwhile, Ray J was at Las Vegas club Jet in the Mirage hotel last weekend toasting the release of his sex tape. While Whitney Houston’s boy toy sipped on Grey Goose and Dom Perignon in VIP, a Kardashian look-alike contest was being held on the main floor, the winner of which gets to star in the singer’s next “film,” reports TMZ.
50 Cent's New Creative Direction
50 Cent claims he will still self destruct.Just wait for that in 2008. For now, he is ready to release Curtis. Recently, when speaking of the new album, which is set to be released in late June, he said it was a lot like a Batman movie.
"You ever seen 'Batman Begins?" he asked MTV. "This album is like that for me as an artist — some of the content on the record is prior to Get Rich or Die Tryin'. For the people I played it for — Eminem, Dr. Dre, journalists — they feel like the record falls somewhere between Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre because of [its] content. That's why I titled the album Curtis, because it was prior to the world knowing me as 50 Cent."
He's also enlisted help for the new LP.
"I left no stones unturned...I went in the studio with pretty much everybody who I thought would provide a new creative direction for me. I worked with Kanye West, Pharrell, got music from Swizz Beatz, Will.I.Am. I wanted to see everybody, to see if they could give me something different to something I have already created. A lot of the material was good, [and] a lot of it will be shifted onto my record. I recorded the album again."
With all this talk, many felt this album would take the place of Before I Self Destruct, which is an album that he was working on before. Well, it is still coming out.
"What happened was, I recorded 18 tracks with the concept Before I Self Destruct and I moved them to the side and started again...It's kinda what happened to me with The Massacre; I recorded 13 tracks [for] The Massacre and put them aside. I started over; six of those 13 records ended up on Game's album. This time I put these records to the side and started a new album. Expect to see me June 26 with Curtis and in February with Before I Self Destruct."
Minnesota Timberwolves Player Troy Hudson Set To Release Rap Album
Troy Hudson, #16 of the Minnesota Timberwolves, will release his debut Rap album entitled "Undrafted" May 29th on Nutty Boyz/EMI.
The album's first single is sneitlted "Tru Love" and features a guest appearance by Ray J. Additional features on the album include 3-6 Mafia and Trick Daddy.
Houston is a lifelong fan of Rap music and was previously a member of the Mid-West group Nutty Boyz.
"I started writing and making music because of my love for it, but I also wanted to fill the void of music being represented from the Midwest. It seems that music and culture from this part of the country have been somewhat absent in the music industry. I would also like to help other young artists from the Midwest and other parts of the country pursue their dreams", states Troy.
Troy, owner of Nutty Boyz Entertainment, is hearing up for a tour to support the album release and currently has ten acts signed to his label.
The NBA star is also hosting a MySpace contest where a fan could win a canary and platinum diamond chain from his personal collection. The baler will personally fly the winner in and present him or her with the chain.
Jay-Z Made Open Toe Sandals Hot??
Sales of men's sandals jumped nearly 11 percent from February 2005 to January 2006 and another 13.4 percent from February last year through this January, according to data compiled by the NPD Group Inc., a market research company in Port Washington, N.Y. (There's still a lot of room to grow, too. At about $1.5 billion in sales a year, the men's sandal market is a fraction of the $6.2 billion women's market.)
Seeing an opportunity, the latest companies to get into the game are those whose footwear is normally associated with winter: boot makers.
"The perception of a men in sandals is changing," says Genevieve Ascencio, a spokeswoman for Frye, maker of macho Western wear. "It's not your typical 'guy in black socks on the beach' look. It's a lot cooler now, and people who have a lot of street cred are validating the trend."
She cited Grammy-winner Jay-Z, who raised eyebrows among hip-hoppers last year when he was spotted wearing flip-flops while strolling the beach with Beyonce. "If it's good enough for Jay-Z, it's good enough for every man," Miss Ascencio says.
Frye tested the market with men's sandals last season, Miss Ascencio says, and the boot maker will roll out its first line of sandals, with names like Lance Fisherman and Lance Thong, this spring.
Timberland got on board a few years ago and sells the Toraja Thong and the Holston Slide. Ugg Australia is in its second year in the men's sandal business, with a line featuring names like Slingshot, Tasmania and Grover. Most are lined with sheepskin, just like Timberland's boots.
The newcomers to the market aren't rattling longtime men's sandal makers like Birkenstock, Kenneth Cole and Teva, who were making sandals when it wasn't considered cool.
Outkast's Big Boi To Partner With Atlanta Ballet For Series of Collaborative Performances
Outkast's Big Boi will partner with the Atlanta Ballet for a series of collaborative performances.
The performance, entitled "World Premiere Collaboration" will be part of the company's Premier Series which takes places from April 10 - 13 2008. The venue is to be confirmed but will either be at the Fabolous Fox Theatre or Cobb Energy Center, both in Atlanta.
The event is billed as "daring, progressive and soulful". The performances will see Big Boi along with various Purple Ribbon Entertainment artists provide a musical backdrop live on stage for the dancers.
For more information, stay tuned to www.atlantaballet.com
Mom Chronicles Kanye's Porn Addiction In New Book
The New York Post reports that in 'Raising Kanye', a new memoir of Kanye West's youth in Chicago, Donda West says she repeatedly punished her son for his interest in raunchy adult magazines and videos, which began in fifth grade.
"I'll never forget the day he took the X-rated magazine to school [and] was passing it around for the other boys to see and the teacher caught him," writes Donda, who chairs the Chicago State University English Dept.
"When she asked him where he'd gotten the magazine, he said, 'From my mother's closet!' . . . Before I knew it, I'd lost my temper and smacked him across the face."
After Kanye entered high school, Donda one day borrowed his VCR to watch a movie - and discovered an ultra-hard-core porn tape inside. "It was triple-X-rated and I was mad as hell." To punish Kanye, she "required him to do a full-blown research paper complete with footnotes and bibliography . . . 'The Impact of Watching X-rated Movies on a Teen-age Boy' . . . Until he finished the paper to my satisfaction, there was to be no television, no going to play basketball, no friends over."
Wyclef Scores Angelina Jolie Documentary
Wyclef Jean helped out his friend, actress Angelina Jolie, by composing the score for her new documentary, A Place In Time.
The film was shot in 2005 and features footage from 40 camera crews that were dispatched across the globe for a period of six days. In the film, celebrity friends of Jolie visit orphanages, refugee camps and other areas of concern in an effort to raise awareness and encourage cultural understanding.
On Friday (April 27) Clef joined Jolie and other documentary participants such as Jude Law and Hillary Swank, when she debuted the film at New York City’s Tribeca Film Festival. Rather than the usual audience of film industry notables and critics, Jolie screened her work for over 600 New York high-school kids.
AND 1 Mixtape Tour Set To Hit The Road
The AND 1 Mix Tape Tour 2007, the original street basketball entertainment tour featuring the world’s best playground players, is returning to its blacktop roots this summer for a nationwide 10-city tour from June 16 through August 25. Tipping off in New York City, the tour will travel across the United States with its best team yet playing against summer league all stars from city to city.
Streetball: The AND 1 Mix Tape Tour, the popular television show documenting the on-court action and behind the scenes drama, is produced by ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE). Broadcasts kick off in July as part of a new two-year agreement. The season will feature 10 half-hour episodes centered around the search for the next AND 1 Mix Tape Tour Player. Throughout the season fans will have the opportunity to vote online for their favorite player from each city, with the contest winner announced in the season finale.
To kick off the tour, a new advertising campaign entitled The United Streets of America (via 72 & Sunny, El Segundo, California) will launch online and via print ads in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM and Complex. The premium design of the campaign highlights the AND 1 Mix Tape Tour as the premier streetball showcase and its players as statesmen of the game. Players on the tour and in the creative campaign include Professor, Hot Sauce, Escalade, Bad Santa, Helicopter, The Assasin, Go Get It, Baby Shaq, Silk, Springs and, 8th Wonder.
“We are excited to bring the AND 1 Mix Tape Tour back outdoors this summer,” said Mark Woolsey, AND 1 General Manager and CMO. “AND 1 is the premier streetball brand, and what better way to celebrate the eighth year of the tour and sixth year of the ESPN series than by taking it back to our roots where it all began for our fans and players.”
AND 1’s best team yet will take on the finest summer league all-stars in 10 cities, with one local baller from each market chosen for a 10-man team that will travel to Los Angeles on August 25 for the finale game, vying for the ultimate prize — an endorsement contract with AND 1 and a spot on the AND 1 Mix Tape Tour roster. Bringing the democratic process to life in conjunction with the United Streets of America campaign, one finalist from each market will be chosen by fans via online voting at www.AND1.com, where weekly highlight videos will be posted after each event.
“Before joining AND 1, I was just another regular ball player,” said Grayson “The Professor” Boucher, who shot to prominence after winning the Mix Tape Tour contest in 2003. “But because of the popularity of the AND 1 Mix Tape Tour and the phenomenon it has become, things have really changed for me. I get to do something I love for a living and I hope it inspires others to achieve their hoop dreams.”
The 2007 AND 1 MIX TAPE TOUR SCHEDULE*
City Date
New York 6/16/07
Boston 6/23/07
Atlanta 6/30/07
Washington D.C. 7/14/07
Philadelphia 7/21/07
Detroit 7/28/07
Chicago 8/04/07
Dallas 8/11/07
San Francisco 8/18/07
Los Angeles 8/25/07
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