Videos/Audio After The JumpThe General, 50 Cent called into Gomez Bros radio show yesterday (October 31) and got right down to business. He announced that "Before I Self Destruct" has a new release, date November 16th. The Beanie Sigel vs Jay-Z situation was a topic of conversation and he took a few shots at Fat Joe, Rick Ross & Ja Rule.Part OnePart TwoRead more…
People.com Reports
How could one of Hollywood's highest paid actors find himself owing $6.3 million in back taxes and deep in money troubles? The answer is easy if you believe Nicolas Cage.
In a lawsuit filed Oct. 16 in Los Angeles, the National Treasure star, 45, claims that his longtime business manager, Samuel J. Levin, duped "lined his [own] pockets with several million dollars in business management fees while sending Cage down a path toward financial ruin."
That journey began in 2001 when Cage – whose next movie is the crime drama Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – hired Levin to oversee and manage his business interests, investments and finances. Levin did not return calls seeking comment. A rep for Cage had no comment.
On The Market
Though Cage claims it was only recently that he learned the gravity of his financial condition, the actor started selling off some of his prized possessions months ago. In April, Cage bid farewell to his Bavarian castle, selling it to his German advisor, lawyer Konrad Wilfurth.
Now he has placed other homes on the market in California, Las Vegas and New Orleans, where two of his residences – each worth at about $3.5 million – are up for auction Nov. 12, according to the that city's Times-Picayune. Regions Bank foreclosed on Hancock Park Real Estate Co., the owner of Cage's properties, for $5.5 million in unpaid mortgage debts, the newspaper reported.
Tax Trouble
Cage's home liquidation comes as earlier this month the U.S. government placed a tax lien on his vast real-estate holdings because of $6 million in unpaid taxes dating from 2007, according to court papers. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service has another lien for more than $350,000 in unpaid taxes dating from 2002 to 2004.
East West Bank also filed a breach-of-contract complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court that claims Cage had failed to repay a $2 million loan that was extended this past August.
In the lawsuit filed against his business manager, Cage says he "relied on Levin to handle his financial affairs to ensure that he and his family would have a financially secure future built on the foundation of the substantial monies Cage earned through years of hard work."
But "he is now forced to sell major assets and investments at a significant loss and is faced with huge tax liabilities because of Levin's incompetence, misrepresentations and recklessness." (Interestingly, Cage sold off his rare comic-book collection in 2002 for more than $1.6 million, a year after hiring Levin.)
Now as the actor gets ready to hit the big screen again this fall, he faces "catastrophic losses" in upwards of $20 million. The next court hearing in the lawsuit is scheduled for February 2010.
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Video After The JumpTeam Demo, producers of 50 Cent's smash hit record "Crime Wave" take us step by step through the process of how they made the beat and got it submitted to G-Unit Records. This should put to rest once and for all any b.s. about whether or not the loop was jacked from Fabolous. 50's new album "Before I Self Desctruct" originally scheduled for release on November 23rd, has been pushed up. Tune in to Thisis50.com Monday to get the new release date !
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NY Daily News Reports
Remember "Glitter"? Mariah Carey is about to make you forget all about it.
In the past two years, the Long Island-raised superstar, 40, has revived an acting career that most critics thought was dead on arrival.
She has stepped up to the plate with risky roles. Her latest: a tough-as-nails social worker in the gritty Harlem-set drama "Precious."
The part was originally offered to Oscar winner Helen Mirren, and Carey came in to fill her shoes with determination — and without makeup.
Carey as a social worker in the gritty drama 'Precious,' about an abused teen
What's more, the film, which hits theaters this Friday and also stars Mo'Nique and Brooklyn-born newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, is being hailed as an Oscar contender.
It's a career turn no one could have envisioned for Carey back in 2001, when her semi-autobiographical star vehicle "Glitter" opened to atrocious reviews.
At the box office on its opening weekend, "Glitter" didn't even make the top 10. It disappeared from cinemas within weeks, the soundtrack sold poorly, and by the end of the year, after reports that she had suffered an emotional breakdown, Carey was dumped by Virgin Records, the company that had signed her for a whopping $80 million only months earlier.
In building herself back up, Carey has attained a unique position. She has earned recognition as a serious actress without letting go of her popular appeal. She has targeted roles in indie films while climbing back to the top of the pop charts and enchanting fans with her fairy-tale marriage, played out across the pages of the celeb glossies.
She started her rebound from "Glitter" with a baby step: a role in the 2002 comic thriller "WiseGirls," which premiered on cable, not in the multiplex. Carey, Mira Sorvino and Melora Walters played waitresses at a Staten Island restaurant run by the mob. Even though it wasn't a hit, the film dulled the pain of her performance the previous year. Wrote Fox News columnist Roger Friedman: "Even though she tends to wear skimpy outfits as usual, her line delivery is sharp and she manages to get the right laughs."
A producer of "WiseGirls," Anthony Esposito, so admired Carey's work that he announced she would appear in his next film as a boxing manager who pushes an unknown female fighter to fame. Other reports indicated that he had spoken too soon, and that Carey wasn't sold on the project. It never got made, and Carey's slow push toward screen stardom relied instead on an episode of "Ally McBeal" and cameos as herself.
In 2005, she soared back atop the pop charts when "We Belong Together," from her album "The Emancipation of Mimi," stayed at No. 1 for 14 weeks. She didn't have to wait long before she landed a supporting role in the low-budget road movie "Tennessee" after catching the eye of producer Lee Daniels, who would go on to direct "Precious."
"I never saw 'Glitter,'?" Daniels said at the time, "but I liked her work in ['WiseGirls']." Said Carey of the role: "Some people come into our lives and take a chance, someone like Lee Daniels."
The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2008. It was an especially busy month for Carey. Not only was her performance singled out as one of the best parts of "Tennessee," but she had recently broken Elvis Presley's record for chart-topping singles, and only the Beatles remained ahead of her on the list.
On top of those successes, Carey stirred up engagement rumors when she arrived at the "Tennessee" after-party with Nick Cannon, a rapper and TV personality 11 years her junior, and an enormous, sparkling ring on her hand. It was her first serious relationship since before "Glitter." She later revealed that Cannon had proposed on the rooftop of her Manhattan apartment, the 17-carat diamond hidden inside a candy ring pop.
Yes, you read that correctly — 17 carats!
On April 30, 2008, the two were married in a top-secret ceremony in the Caribbean. The next few months were an over-the-top celebration of their love. They made their first public appearance in New York at the Time 100 gala and dined afterward at the Waverly Inn. Cannon rented out a Six Flags amusement park in California and threw a Nick-and-Mariah-themed bash for their friends. The two openly discussed wanting children, and Carey has said in interviews that she is ready to be a mom.
But even as she was cavorting with Prince Charming and considering a family, Carey proved she had edge. Her feud with rapper Eminem, which has dragged on for years as he mines an alleged tryst with Carey to generate scathing lyrics, flared up again early this year. His track "Bagpipes From Baghdad" called Carey a "whore" and lashed out at her new husband.
Cannon defended Carey on his blog, a digital knight in shining armor, but she — in her inimitable style — had her own ways of getting even. Her chart-topper "Obsessed" — the first single from her latest album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" — asked why a certain drug-addled dude with a "Napoleon complex" wouldn't stop telling lies about her. Carey even dressed in drag in the music video, appearing as an Eminem-esque figure with a goatee and a hooded sweatshirt.
Eminem retaliated with "The Warning," which contained graphic allegations about sex with the singer. Even that failed to fluster Carey. Comparing the two tracks, she has said, "See, the difference is, my song is on the radio and his, you have to search for it."
But the trump card in the real-life emancipation of Mimi is "Precious," in which she plays a role so transformative that some critics have said it is impossible to recognize the diva.
Carey's welfare caseworker is flat-haired and tired, with just the hint of a mustache. "I looked so damn ugly!" she has said of shooting the film. "I just kept away from mirrors." But she told People magazine when the film hit the festival circuit, "There's a creative side of me that needs to do work like this."
Mirren, another of Daniels' past collaborators, had turned the role down because of a scheduling conflict. Carey was ready to follow Daniels' vision — he helped create the play-against-type performance that won Halle Berry an Oscar for "Monster's Ball" — and she sang at a "Precious" fund-raiser to help secure financing.
The film has impressed audiences at the Sundance, Toronto and Cannes film festivals and won the support of Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. It was the centerpiece of the New York Film Festival in October. Carey's red-carpet opportunities are multiplying, but to do her best film work yet she had to push aside that glamorous pop-princess image, at least temporarily. For Carey, "range" is no longer only about octaves.
"I basically told her, 'I want to see the Mariah I see when I'm in your house and we're kickin' it, watching TV and eating popcorn,'?" Daniels has said. "I knew she had it in her."
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Video After The JumpJay-Z gave fans in Toronto,Canada a special Halloween treat as he brought out Young Money's Drake who performed his hit single "Successful". Jigga played hype man, much to the crowd's delight. Hova is touring in support of his album The Blueprint 3.
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BallerStatus Reports
Gucci Mane may be one of the "Hottest MCs in the Game", according to MTV, but some of past decisions are keeping him from capitalizing off his fame with various shows outside his home state of Georgia.
The Atlanta rapper was scheduled to headline the North Carolina A&T University homecoming concert on Saturday (October 31) at the Greensboro Coliseum, but pulled out of the show, due to a "recent legal ruling that prohibits him from traveling out of his home state," said promoters.
His name already caused problems for the show prior, after A&T withdrew its name and financial support from the concert after receiving complaints about Gucci Mane's reported ties to gangs.
Student body leaders have apologized for booking rappers Gucci Mane and OJ Da Juiceman, which caused controversy, reports local news station WXII12.
Student body president Syene Jasmin and his chief of staff, Gary Brown, said they should have done a better job screening the performers scheduled for the Saturday concert.
The concert went on as planned, with acts such as Nicki Minaj, Keri Hilson, Trey Songz, Fabolous, Mario, GS Boyz and FLY picking up the slack.
Aside from his inability to perform outside Georgia, Gucci is gearing up for the release of his first major label album, The State Vs. Radric Davis, which is due to hit stores December 8.
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HipHopWired Reports
DJ Drama will be among the participants in CNN's upcoming panel discussion, “Black Men In The Age Of President Obama.” The one-hour special – presented by CNN and Essence Magazine – premieres this tonight, Saturday, October 31st, at 10:00 PM ET, with additional airings slated throughout the weekend (check local listings).
“Black Men In The Age Of President Obama” is hosted by CNN's Don Lemon, with panelists to include Bishop Eddie Long, Steve Perry and Farrah Gray – a diverse roundtable from the worlds of faith, business, and academia.
ATL-based DJ Drama was invited to represent the perspective of the Hip-Hop community, as well as his own unique biracial point of view. The panel discussion – taped earlier this month at Morehouse College's King Chapel – marks next week's one-year anniversary of President Obama's historic election.
Meanwhile, DJ Drama continues work on his hugely anticipated new album, Gangsta Grillz: The Album Vol. 3. Drama is also in the lab putting together mixtapes with Wyclef Jean and Lil Wayne.
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Shots Fired Man Down!! Beanie Sigel lights fire to Jay-Z's ass in on this track. Seems like everybody taking shots at Jigga these days but it's even worse when it comes from a former artist that knows him in and out.Download HereRead more…
Rap-Up Reports
Solange has parted ways with Interscope Geffen A&M after releasing one album on the label last year.
The 23-year-old singer announced the news on Twitter, revealing that she has chosen to go an independent route with her next project. “Although it’s been a wonderful journey & experience at Interscope Records, after truly recognizing what’s important to ME as an artist, I decided it was time for me to continue my path on a more independent platform,” she told her fans.
She thanked the Interscope executive team for their support, while looking toward the future. “I thank Ron [Fair] and Jimmy [Iovine] for believing in me as an artist and supporting my journey…and have nothing but respect for the Interscope family,” she tweeted. “I’m excited about continuing to dive in, experiment and creating music and art with no boundaries, fears or expectations. Gonna be fun folks.”
Solange’s Interscope release, SoL-AngeL and The Hadley St. Dreams, peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 when it was released in August 2008. The Motown-influenced effort spawned the singles “I Decided,” “Sandcastle Disco,” and “T.O.N.Y.”
She has been experimenting with a moody, electronic sound for her third as-yet-untitled album.
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For all the Graffiti Fiends, vandals, criminals and lunatics, the official IlladelStylez retail shop is on the way!! I'm not gonna bullshit and start talking about what we're gonna have, but you already know we stock the best shit to bomb with.....so.....keep your ears open for when the store is gonna be officially open and where it's gonna be located. Until then you can cop all your Graff supplies at ILLADELSTYLEZ.NET.
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ESPN Reports
LOS ANGELES -- Manny Pacquiao believes the biggest potential fight in boxing will never happen because Floyd Mayweather Jr. wants no part of him.
Pacquiao is training in Hollywood for his meeting with Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas, but the pound-for-pound champion spared a moment Thursday to evaluate his chances of fighting Mayweather, the unbeaten pay-per-view king. Although the matchup almost certainly would be a financial bonanza for both fighters, Pacquiao thinks fans shouldn't hold their breath.
"I don't think it's going to happen," Pacquiao said. "I'm sure he doesn't want to fight."
Mayweather has been circumspect about his plans for his next bout, saying only that he has never ducked anybody and would consider any opponent. In his comeback bout from a 21-month layoff, Mayweather demolished Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19 in a fight that generated more than 1 million pay-per-view buys.
Mayweather's advisers claim they haven't ruled out a bout with Pacquiao, likely among the world's few fighters who could match Money's speed. But the Filipino champion has surprisingly strong opinions about why it won't happen.
"Boxing for him is like a business," Pacquiao said. "He doesn't care about the people around him watching. He doesn't care if the fight is boring, as long as the fight is finished and he gets [plenty of] money. ... I want people to be happy. You have a big responsibility as a boxer."
If Mayweather and Pacquiao don't make a deal, Sugar Shane Mosley has been outspoken in his desire to fight Mayweather, even calling him out in the ring moments after his victory over Marquez. Mosley is slated to meet welterweight champion Andre Berto in Las Vegas in January.
After arriving in California last Saturday, Pacquiao has been ramping up his training regimen this week while also battling jet lag that forced him to sleep for about 20 hours on Wednesday, wiping out a day of training. Because of tax issues, Pacquiao's camp began in Manila and moved to Hollywood later than trainer Freddie Roach usually prefers.
"I'm not worried about it, because he's always known how to block everything out," Roach said. "If anybody can do it, he can."
Pacquiao looked fairly sharp while sparring 11 rounds Thursday at Roach's Wild Card Gym in front of a small group of spectators including Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest and his father, Ron Sr., both avid boxing fans and Pacquiao admirers.
Pacquiao will spar 12 rounds on Saturday before gradually scaling back in preparation for his trip to Las Vegas to meet Cotto, the once-beaten welterweight champion whose combination of size and strength will be unlike anything the former flyweight champion has faced. Cotto is in camp in Tampa. Fla., before traveling to the West Coast next week.
"I consider this one of the hardest fights in my boxing career," Pacquiao said.
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Video After The JumpA 49-year-old Eau Claire,Wisconsin woman dialed 911 last Saturday to report a drunk driver. When the dispatcher asked if she was following the driver, she told him she was the driver. It's amazing some of the ridiculous things people do when intoxicated, lol.Read more…
The Harvard Crimson Reports
Harvard students will be able to watch the “The Wire” for class credit next year.
At a panel last night, stars of the HBO hit series joined Harvard professors in discussing the applications of the show—which depicts the struggles of urban life in Baltimore—in understanding and combating real urban social issues.
“‘The Wire’ has done more to enhance our understanding of the systemic urban inequality that constrains the lives of the poor than any published study” Sociology Professor William J. Wilson said.
African American studies chair Professor Evelyn B. Higginbotham said that there would be a new course in which Wilson will use “The Wire” as a case study for poverty in America.
“I’m going to do whatever I need to do to get into that class. I’m excited,” said Martin A. Kessler ’13.
Attendee Sarah V. Chace ’80, who is also a fan of the show, said she already uses “The Wire” as a case study in a class on community leadership she teaches at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven. She said she came to the event to hear more about how other academics and the actors view the role of “The Wire” in depicting urban life.
The show’s enthusiastic fan base contributed to the excitement surrounding the sold-out event, which was sponsored by the African American Studies Department and two local charitable organizations, the Boston Foundation and the Ella J. Baker House.
“It’s probably the best form of media I’ve ever seen, TV or film,” said Brian D. Goldstein ’04, who now studies at the Graduate School of Design.
Panelists encouraged audience members to internalize these harsh realities of the real world problems that the show depicts and actively work to solve them.
“Everything we’re doing to make the world a better place is really for our kids,” said actor Michael K. Williams, who played stick-up artist Omar Little on the show. “Our kids are dying in huge numbers. It’s the real wire.”
Sonja Sohn, who portrayed detective Kima Greggs, described the work of Rewired for Change, the non-profit she started with other cast members to help at-risk youth in the areas of Baltimore depicted in “The Wire.”
She encouraged audience members to make similar changes in the communities they learn about through “The Wire” and the new Harvard course.
“Become a part of these communities. These circumstances will not change if you do nothing,” Sohn said. “Get it moving. Get it popping. Get up off your butt and do something.”
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Video After The JumpRakim speaks with Nick Huff of Hard Knock TV about the creative differences that led to his departure from Dr Dre's Aftermath record label. Ra is upbeat in the interview, stating that he and Dre are still cool and he even recorded some vocals for the long awaited "Detox" project. As of now though, he's focused on his own label and album "The Seventh Seal"
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AllHipHop Reports
A host of celebrities gathered in Manhattan today (October 30) to rally support for Love ‘N Haiti, a recycling project in Port-au-Prince that turns everyday trash into energy.
Rapper Tony Yayo, Melky Jean (Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter and Wyclef Jean’s sister), actor Jamie Hector (“The Wire”), actress Daphnee Duplaix (“One Life to Live”) and Mona Scott-Young (Monami Entertainment) encouraged New Yorkers to vote online for the eco-friendly program to win an international grant sponsored by the BBC World News.
“Love ‘N Haiti has benefits that reach far beyond the shores of my native country,” Melky Jean told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “It’s an innovative way to help clean up our planet while addressing the issues of poverty, unemployment and crime. This is a movement that everyone – Haitian or not – needs to get behind.”
The Love ‘N Haiti initiative aims to gather support to win a global competition for a grant to continue the recycling project in Port-Au-Prince, which aid in decreasing deforestation, creating jobs and reducing incidence of floods.
Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons, Garcelle Beauvais, former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Wyclef Jean are also among the supporters of the project, one of 12 finalists in the competition.
“I'm proud to be a part of this campaign, not only because it’s for my people, but because I care about our environment,” added Wyclef. “All it takes is one vote to make a difference. We need everyone to support Love ‘N Haiti.
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Audio After The JumpAllHipHop Reports
Beanie Sigel called into Philadelphia radio station 100.3 The Beat this morning (October 30), where he discussed a controversial new track in which he disses Jay-Z.
Sigel expresses his frustration with Jay-Z on the track, because of lines on Jay’s Blueprint 3, as well as the handling of Sigel’s career after a prison stint in 2004, as Roc-A-Fella Records was breaking up.
This morning, Philadelphia rapper called into Charlamagne Tha God’s Morning Show and explained his motivation for releasing the record in detail.
Sigel claimed that several lines on Jay-Z’s song “Already” were the catalyst for the shocking diss record in addition to this treatment at Power 99’s Powerhouse concert last weekend, which Jay-Z headlined.
Additionally, the “Broad Street Bully” revealed that he felt slighted for not being included on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 album.
Sigel also reiterated his claims that Jigga abandoned Roc-A-Fella rap group State Property, which featured group members Freeway, Peedi Peedi, Oschino, Omillio Sparks, and the Young Gunz (Young Chris and Neef ).“Jay in another place and I understand that. He did what he did as far as signing people to Roc-A-Fella Records, you did that,” Sigel told Charlamagne Tha God. “But as far as the push that people coulda got that really could have did things, you didn’t do that. If you look at 50 Cent - no disrespect to the G-Unit, cause I love the way 50 Cent did with his dogs - but if you look at it, them dudes got more money and more bread than anybody in State Property. Because 50 made sure of that. 50 took his people on tour and paid them, not tell them it was a good look for them to be on tour.”
Sigel claimed that life on Roc-A-Fella Records was not glamour and glitz, despite State Property’s output for Roc-A-Fella.
Collectively, or individually the Philadelphia group released hit records like “Feel It In the Air” (Beanie Sigel), “Roc the Mic” (Freeway) and “Can‘t Stop, Won‘t Stop” (Young Gunz) in addition to starring in two State Property movies and a State Property clothing line, which was sold in major department stores.
“The clothing line and all that came about cause Dame did that. Dame gave me the clothing line. I got the Pro-Keds thing that came from a situation that I did, but then Dame back doored the sneak and gets with the licensee guy who licenses Rocawear and buys the license out the Pro-Keds, without me knowing it,” Sigel said. “So now I am not getting 50 % profit that I would be getting off every Pro-Ked sneaker sold with the SP logo on it like the original deal was... As a team player, why just wear the Pro-Keds when I can cross-market it and have my own sneaker? Then Dame stopped making Pro-Keds with the SP symbol on it.”
Beanie Sigel revealed that he has not had a conversation with Jay-Z in over two years and that Dame Dash’s reckless spending was the reason for Roc-A-Fella’s demise.
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