Jailed rapper Pooh Shiesty, real name Lontrell Williams, pleaded guilty to a single firearms conspiracy charge Tuesday under a deal with federal prosecutors that means he’s no longer facing a possible life sentence for allegedly shooting a man in the buttocks at a Florida hotel.
His about-face & conviction on Count 1, conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of violent & drug-trafficking crimes, led prosecutors to ditch the other 3 counts in his updated indictment, including the most serious one alleging he fired a gun during the confrontation at the Landon Hotel in Bay Harbor Islands on Oct. 9, 2020.
Magistrate Judge Lauren Fleischer Louis accepted the new plea after cautioning that the jointly recommended sentence of no more than 97 months outlined in the non-binding deal was not guaranteed at Shiesty’s future sentencing hearing before Chief Judge K. Michael Moore.
“If Judge Moore gives you a sentence that is higher than what you were hoping for, that will not be grounds to withdraw your plea. Do you understand?” Judge Fleischer Louis said during the afternoon hearing in federal court in Miami.
“I understand,” Shiesty, who already has been in custody for 7 months, replied.
While Williams’ admission of guilt does not guarantee he’ll receive prosecutors’ recommended sentence, it helps his standing in terms of how his points add up to determine the sentencing guidelines in his case. His guilty plea takes three points off of his total, which is substantial, a source tells Rolling Stone.
Williams’ decision to strike a deal followed after the alleged victim shot in the buttocks, identified as 28-year-old Brandon Cooper, was indicted in Florida on suspicion of taking part in an elaborate bank-fraud scheme, the Miami Herald reported.
“We’ve entered into plea negotiations because there have been developments in the case that I think changed the dynamics of the case,” Williams’ defense lawyer Bradford Cohen told Rolling Stone in October.
Williams, 22, has been behind bars since his June 9 arrest involving a separate incident. He was indicted in the Landon Hotel case weeks later and ordered held without bail.
The date for Williams’ sentencing was not immediately set.
Residents in Pompano Beach were outraged over the recent arrest of rapper Kodak Black, who authorities took into custody over the weekend & charged with trespassing.
Broward Sheriff’s deputies responded Saturday morning to a ShotSpotter alert at a public housing complex near 10th Drive.
A responding officer recognized the rapper & knew that Black — whose real name is Bill Kapri — had a cease & desist order from the Pompano Beach Housing Authority.
“He wasn’t doing nothing," resident Pat Celange said. "He pulled up, gave his gifts & they came around the corner."
"The SWAT team just came & said, 'you’re being arrested for trespassing,'" said resident Kendra Johnson.
Residents at the complex — which is where the rapper grew up — were outraged & believe the ShotSpotter system was set off by mistake.
"After the celebration, any neighborhood, you’re gonna hear fireworks," Mario Alexander said.
Black is known for giving back to the community where he grew up. But in September, he was issued a cease & desist letter by the housing authority after he donated A/C units to residents.
At the time housing officials said while the gesture was generous, they had a responsibility to ensure the units met “standard safety guidelines” to avoid “risk or harm to residents." They also said the rapper was shooting unauthorized music videos & cited noise & crowding concerns.
“It’s sad man, cause he does a lot for the community," resident Junior Jean Baptiste said. “He’s giving a lot of kids motivation. Kids are trying to make it out. That’s crazy”
An attorney for the rapper said he couldn't speak on camera but wrote on social media that Black has given back to his community, paid people's credit card debts, paid for the funeral of a fallen officer as well as the college costs of children of fallen law enforcement agents, adding, “It's never enough."
NBC 6 reached out to BSO about the arrest but has not heard back.
Black has sold over 30 million singles and has had several multiplatinum and platinum-certified singles, including “Zeze,” “No Flockin’” and “Roll in Peace.”
Rapper J $tash allegedly shot and killed a woman in front of her three children on New Year’s Day before turning the gun on himself, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Law enforcement authorities responded to reports of domestic violence around 7:14 a.m. on New Year’s Day in Temple City, California, according to a press release from the sheriff’s department.
When deputies arrived, they discovered two people, a 27-year-old female and a 28-year-old male, unresponsive inside the home.
According to the report, the woman had been shot multiple times and the male “sustained an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
Both were pronounced dead at the home.
Three children, ages 5 to 11, “were removed from the home unharmed upon the deputies’ arrival. The three lived in the home and are believed to be the children of the deceased female victim,” the report said.
A handgun was recovered at the scene.
“Right now, the evidence at the scene and the preliminary information we have from the children in the home is that it’s a murder-suicide,” Lt. Derrick Alfred told KTLA.
The male was identified as the rapper J $tash, whose legal name is Justin Joseph.. The woman has been identified as Jeanette Gallegos.
Lt. Alfred told the Associated Press that the woman had been dating J $tash for about a year, but he was not related to any of the children.
A judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Spencer Elden, who was photographed as a naked baby on the cover of Nirvana's Nevermind album cover and, now as an adult, accused the band and Geffen Records of profiting off child pornography.
Elden's lawsuit, filed in August, stated the album's image art was taken and used without his consent, and that the nudity of the photo amounted to child porn.
The list of defendants named in the suit included former Nirvana members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Chad Channing; Kurt Cobain's widow Courtney Love and two other managers of his estate; photographer Kirk Weddle and art director Robert Fisher; plus Geffen Records, Warner Records, and Universal Music Group.
Variety reported in December that attorneys for Grohl, Novoselic, Weddle, Love, Cobain, Nirvana, L.L.C., MCA Records, UMG Recordings, Inc., Universal Music Group, Inc., The David Geffen Company and Geffen Records jointly sought a dismissal of Elden's suit.
In the motion to dismiss, they reportedly argued the suit was time-barred and that Elden "spent three decades profiting from his celebrity as the self-anointed 'Nirvana Baby.'"
Judge Fernando M. Olguin presided over the case at the U.S. District Court in Central California and dismissed the suit on Monday after Elden missed the deadline of Dec. 30 to oppose the defendants' motion to dismiss, according to documents obtained by EW.
The dismissal was given "with leave to amend," so Elden could file a new complaint on the "defects" in the defendants' motion to dismiss. But he must do so by Jan. 13 or the suit will officially be dismissed without prejudice.
Danny Boy details his experience with Biggie Smalls alleged murderer Poochie. He also talked about feeling like Biggie was taunting Tupac after his death with the song "Going Back To Cali."
"3 Brothers" is a standout song from Lik Moss about the bond he has with his brothers Ar-Ab and Mullaz. And how he's carrying the OBH flag until they come home.
THE GOOD PEOPLE (the dynamic duo of Saint and Emskee) bring you their highly anticipated first release of 2022, "Makin Moves" – Now available everywhere music is streamed and sold!
It's full speed ahead for Falcon Outlaw as he releases another music video in support of his new stellar album, "Maplehurst Graduates." Backed by fire production from Nicholas Craven ... Falcon trades bars with Asun Eastwood, Saipher Soze and Daniel Son on "Snake Eater."
We know critics of Bill Cosby's overturned conviction would love to see him back in prison, but surprisingly ... a bunch of his former cellmates feel the same way, though not for the reasons you'd think.
It's not a matter of jealousy, according to Cosby's rep, Andrew Wyatt ... who tells us Cosby's old buddies at SCI Phoenix reach out to him about 3 times a week. Instead, he says the prisoners are missing their guru, of sorts.
As you know ... Cosby was sprung from prison back in June ... something he obviously celebrated, but his fellow inmates might not have been thrilled.
Wyatt says Cosby had become the voice of reason within the prison walls -- solving disputes between inmates, dishing out advice and pushing education as a means to improve their lives.
He also claims Cosby encouraged them to show corrections officers and the warden they could be good citizens on the inside, and they were ready to do the same when released or paroled.
Ironically, the disgraced comedian who'd once been called, "America's Dad" ... now seems to hold that title with the inmates at the Pennsylvania State Prison.
Wyatt fields most of the calls from inmates, but says Cosby tries to get on the line as much as he can to say hello from time to time.
While Cosby's enjoying his newfound freedom, we're told his former fellow inmates want him to return to SCI Phoenix as a motivational speaker.
Wyatt says Cosby's planning something like that down the road, but for now, he's focused on legal battles -- a civil lawsuit, and Pennsylvania's efforts to toss the ruling that freed him. Prosecutors want the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.
PGF Shawt comes through today with a new and different sound on his single "Granny's Kitchen." Directed by PGFFilms. The Atlanta native is currently working on 2 new projects this year titled "Narcos 2" and "I Am A Resurrection of Chad Butler". Watch the new visual below and follow him on Instagram.
Read more…
NEW YORK (AP) — A previously sealed $500,000 lawsuit settlement in 2009 between Jeffrey Epstein & an American woman that Prince Andrew claims protects him from an ongoing lawsuit was made public Monday.
The deal between Epstein & Virginia Roberts, now known as Virginia Giuffre, contained a paragraph that said it protects anyone “who could have been included as a potential defendant” from being sued by Giuffre.
Attorney Andrew Brettler, representing the prince, has told a Manhattan federal court judge that the agreement “releases Prince Andrew & others from any purported liability arising from the claims Ms. Giuffre asserted against Prince Andrew here.”
In August, Giuffre sued the prince, saying he had sexually assaulted her multiple times in 2001 when she was 17.
The prince’s lawyers have challenged the lawsuit on multiple grounds, saying “Andrew never sexually abused or assaulted Giuffre. He unequivocally denies Giuffre’s false allegations against him.”
They also wrote that Giuffre sued Andrew “to achieve another payday at his expense & at the expense of those closest to him. Epstein’s abuse of Giuffre does not justify her public campaign against Prince Andrew.”
Oral arguments over the request to dismiss the lawsuit without a trial are scheduled for Tuesday.
Recently, the lawyers have said Giuffre should be disallowed from suing because she has lived most of the past two decades in Australia & can’t accurately claim to be a resident of Colorado, where her mother lives.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan has rejected an attempt by the lawyers to halt progression of the lawsuit & to subject Giuffre to a deposition over the issue of where she is a resident.
In late 2019, Prince Andrew told BBC Newsnight that he never had sex with Giuffre, saying, “It didn’t happen.”
He said he has “no recollection” of ever meeting her.
The interview was widely panned by critics who said Andrew seemed insensitive to Epstein’s victims. Afterward, the prince was made to step back from royal duties.
Epstein, 66, killed himself in August 2019 as he awaited a sex trafficking trial in a federal Manhattan lockup.
His former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, 60, was convicted last week in Manhattan on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges after a month-long trial.
Judge Alison J. Nathan, who presided over the trial, asked lawyers on both sides to suggest when a sentencing date should be set and when a trial should be scheduled on perjury charges that were severed from the other charges Maxwell faced.
The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Giuffre has done.
ALASKA (WSYX) — A woman in Alaska says she discovered an abandoned baby with a heartbreaking note attached stating the parents didn't have the money to feed the newborn.
Alaska State troopers responded to a report of a baby found in an abandoned cardboard box around 2 p.m. on New Year's Eve.
Roxy Lane, who found the baby, posted a video on her social media page of the note and the baby, that was swaddled in a blanket.
Please help me!!! the note read.
I was born today on December 31, 2021 (at) 6 am. I was born 12 weeks premature. My mom was 28 weeks when she had me. My parents and grandparents don't have food or money to raise me. They NEVER wanted to do this to me, the note said.
"My mom is so sad to do this. Please take me and find a LOVING FAMILY. My parents are begging whoever finds me. My name is Teshawn."
Lane found Teshawn said she discovered the baby at the row of mailboxes by her home.
"I've been processing my feelings all day & running through all the different scenarios & reasons, with my bf & family, as to why something like this could have happened," Lane said on Facebook.
She suggested that the parents were young & probably unaware of Alaska's Safe Haven Law. Under the law, parents can give up their unwanted children at a local hospital, church, or police, or fire station.
She pleaded with anyone who may know the mother to reach out, because the mother may be in need of medical attention or "might be in a desperate situation, feeling abandoned herself."
"Clearly, someone in our community felt so lost & hopeless that they made probably the hardest choice of their lives to leave that innocent life on the side of the road with nothing but some blankets & a name. But she named him! There's some love there, even if she made a terrible decision."
Baby Teshawn was taken to a local hospital where he was found to be in good health, the Alaska State Troopers said.
"Today I saved a baby & I'll probably think about Teshawn for the rest of my life," she said.
In this episode of "People's Party With Talib Kweli," Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with rapper, writer and producer:
R.A. The Rugged Man
Here's what we got into:
• R.A.'s signature self-deprecation taking the edge off his shock humor. • The birth of his daughter changing him and 'First Born''s themes of embracing fatherhood. • The state of cancel culture and sex workers being judged by the self-righteous. • Breaking down R.A.'s classic, 'Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story' about his father. • His father buying him his first rap album and turning him onto old school soul. • Growing up in the same neighborhood as his idol Biz Markie. • Being black balled over accusations of R.A. inciting riots at shows. • Linking up with the Notorious B.I.G. on 'C*nt Renaissance'. • Why R.A. felt compelled to write the track 'Every Record Label Sux Dikk'. • Ego Trip's quote of Biggie's saying, "And I thought I was the illest." • Bringing in a stripper, vibrator and old mattress to a Rawkus Records photo shoot. • R.A.'s recorded argument with boxer Floyd Mayweather. • The black comedy horror film 'Bad Biology' that R.A. produced and co-wrote. • Taking rapper A-F-R-O on tour after he won R.A.'s 'Definition Of A Rap Flow'. • Getting choked up recording 'The Legends Never Die' about his father's passing. • How words like 'whiteboy' and 'cracker' have never offended R.A.. • Being caught in the middle of a feud between Talib and rapper Remedy. • R.A. vocally paying homage to the legends that built the house of rap. • MF Doom being known to send someone else to shows in his place donning the mask. • Taking strong influence from the legendary Kool G Rap. • Breaking down the songs 'All My Heroes Are Dead' and 'Angelic Boy'. • Debating if mass shooter's names should be made public or not. • The Astroworld concert tragedy and Travis Scott being blamed for the deaths that occurred. • R.A.'s song 'Gotta Be Dope' and A-F-R-O's crazy verse on the track. • Sean Price being a top comedic rapper of all-time. • The potential Verzuz battles of Nas, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliot. • The army of rap royalty features on his 2020 release 'All My Heroes Are Dead'. • Breaking down the songs 'Who Do We Trust?' and the 'Montero (Lil Nas X Remix)'. • People's claims of Nas X's imagery in his music and performances turn people gay. • What fans of R.A. can expect next from him.
TIME STAMPS:
3:30 -- R.A. and Talib discuss their collaboration on 'Learn Truth' and go on to talk about the signature self-deprecation found throughout R.A.'s lyrics taking the edge off his shock humor, coming up in the 80's and 90's era of censorship, R.A.'s daughter being born on the anniversary of his father's death, how his daughter's birth changed his world, writing his song 'First Born' about the embracement of fatherhood and he explains why he has no plans to hide the wild and crazy chapters of his life from his children.
9:57 -- R.A. breaks down why the shock value jokes heard throughout his music should all be taken with a grain of salt and they go on to discuss the sad state of cancel culture as well as sex workers being able to make a living without judgement from the the self-rightous. They also get into R.A.'s classic song 'Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story' as they discuss it being written from the view of R.A.'s veteran father who suffered the after effects of Agent Orange, which also brought birth defects to several of R.A.'s siblings.
19:16 -- R.A. speaks on his father buying him his first rap album which turned out to be a Fat Boys record, turning R.A. onto old school soul music and giving his sister special treatment. They also discuss his growing up in the same neighborhood as his idol Biz Markie, the 90's Crustified Dibbs era of R.A.'s career bringing him PTSD and the industry essentially black balling him over accusations of inciting riots at shows. They also get into his linking up with the Notorious B.I.G. on 'C*nt Renaissance' and why he felt compelled to write the track 'Every Record Label Sux Dikk'.
32:31 -- R.A. is asked about Ego Trip's quote of Biggie's saying, "And I thought I was the illest." when referring to R.A.. They discuss R.A.'s praise from fellow emcees, his antics and bad behavior getting in the way of earlier success, how he linked up with Rawkus Records, bringing in a stripper, vibrator and an old mattress for a Rawkus photo shoot, R.A.'s recorded argument with Floyd Mayweather and the black comedy horror film 'Bad Biology' that R.A. produced and co-wrote with Frank Henenlotter who he states became like a second father during his mentorship throughout the making of the movie.
40:06 -- R.A. and Talib discuss the legacy of Biz Markie, R.A. linking up with rapper AFRO and taking him on tour after he won R.A.'s 'Definition Of A Rap Flow' contest of which Talib was amongst the panel of judges. R.A. also gets into the recording of his song 'The Legends Never Die' about his father passing away from cancer and R.A.'s engineer convincing him to keep the take of his getting choked up on the mic. They also go on to discuss how words like 'whiteboy' and 'cracker' have never offended R.A. and the history behind those words and others never equating to the n-word.
48:21 -- R.A. and Talib reflect on the Twitter feud between rapper Remedy and Talib that R.A. got caught in the middle of several years ago. They get into the backstory of why Remedy came at Talib online, R.A. being a mutual friend of the two and his making attempts to mediate as well as the other white rappers that injected themselves into the argument. They also discuss Vinnie Paz backing Talib online, R.A. experiencing jealousy from other white emcees, racists hating on rap until artists like Eminem came along and R.A. vocally paying homage to the legends that built the house of rap.
57:58 -- R.A. talks about Method Man giving him props during his Crustified Dibbs days, MF Doom being known to send someone else to shows in his place donning the mask, R.A.'s deep influence of Kool G Rap and G Rap thanking him for dropping the line "I don't want fans that don't know who G-Rap is." They also get into R.A.'s 2020 album 'All My Heroes Are Dead' and break down the song 'Angelic Boy' written from the perspective of a mass shooter as they debate if these killer's names should be made public or if doing so gives the killers the infamy they were looking for and inspires others.
1:07:18 -- R.A. gives his take on the Astroworld concert tragedy, Travis Scott being blamed for the deaths that occured and they talk about the gulf between who's to blame versus who's accountable for possible negligence and if incidents like this one can really make a difference in how they approach precautionary measures for future events. R.A.'s song 'Gotta Be Dope' and A-F-R-O's crazy verse on the track is discussed along with who would be on R.A.'s fast rapping all-star team line-up, Sean Price being a top comedic rapper of all-time and the potential Verzuz battles of Nas, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliot.
1:16:32 -- R.A. bringing in an army of rap royalty features on his latest album is discussed. They also dig into his songs 'Who Do We Trust?', the 'Montero (Lil Nas X Remix)', people claming Lil Nas X's imagery in his music and performances turn people gay, Talib admitting to taking issue with Lil Nas X's trolling of Nas fans, they debate if the flaboyantly owning of Nas X's homosexuality is something new and R.A.'s verse on Montero is also brought up where he states, "What's worse, Lil Nas X Satanic sneaker, or leaving kids at the church with the Catholic preacher?". To close out the interview R.A. is asked what fans of R.A. can expect next.
With the ongoing violence in the streets of Memphis, Lieutenant $hyne pays homage to his beloved brothers in the heartfelt tribute video for his new single, “Trials& Tribulations” which will appear on his debut album, “Destined 2 $hyne.”
“Trials & Tribulations” was directed by Chindeu “Mr. Chin” Ernesto. With delicate crafted lyrics derived from his heart, $hyne gives the listening audience a glimpse into the pain he feels on the inside from losing countless loved ones over the past few years. “Trials & Tribulations” was produced by Blackout and follows the release of $hyne’s blazing “8 Legged Freak” EP. Both are available on all streaming platforms.
NIAMEY, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Police in northern Niger have seized more than 200 kg of cocaine worth around $8.7 million that was being transported in the local mayor’s official truck, two police sources said on Monday.
The mayor & his driver, who were in the vehicle at the time, were arrested with 199 bricks of cocaine at a checkpoint on the road heading north out of the desert trading hub of Agadez on Sunday.
A statement from Niger's Central Office for the Repression of Illicit Drug Trafficking (OCRTIS) confirmed that there had been a record seizure of more than 200 kg of cocaine in Agadez, but did not give details.
West Africa, most often a transit route for illegal drugs on the way from South America to Europe, has registered a series of record busts in recent years.
Senegal seized more than two tons of pure cocaine from a ship off its Atlantic coast in October, & Gambian authorities seized nearly 3 tons last January from a shipment originating in Ecuador.
After 17 tons of cannabis resin worth around $37 million were seized in Niger last May, Interpol's drug unit coordinator Jan Drapal told Reuters that drug kingpins were sending larger shipments in response to increasing European demand.
Antonio Brown tossed his jersey & shoulder pads toward the bench, threw his glove and undershirt into the stands and ran off the field bare-chested, waving a peace-out sign to fans in the end zone while Tom Brady huddled the offense for an important play.
Following his strange outburst Sunday, Brown is out as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers & one can only hope he finds peace.
Brown’s bizarre behavior quickly blew up on social media & dominated NFL headlines around the league.
But Brown’s mental health is no joke to be trivialized by a meme.
It’s easy to pile on the four-time All-Pro wide receiver, especially after he was suspended 3 games for misrepresenting his vaccination status.
However, Brown clearly needs help. His on-field, in-game meltdown was the latest troubling incident in a career filled with big plays & absurd actions.
Brown wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh, was released by the Raiders before even playing a game for them in 2019 & lasted 1 game with the Patriots. He got another chance in the NFL with Brady & the Buccaneers last year after serving an eight-game suspension for multiple violations of the league’s personal-conduct policy, & ended up winning a Super Bowl ring. Even Brady couldn’t save his buddy’s roster spot after this incident.
“It’s a difficult situation,” Brady said after the gam. “Everybody should do what they can to help him in ways that he really needs it. We all love him. We care about him deeply. We want to see him be at his best. Unfortunately, it won’t be with our team. ... I think everyone should be very compassionate & empathetic toward some very difficult things that are happening.”
Brown’s career in the NFL is most likely over. It’s hard to imagine another team would give the 33-year-old an opportunity & risk all the drama he brings.
Still, Brown should get the benefit of various mental health services the NFL offers players & team personnel. The league & the players’ union have plenty of resources available for anyone who needs it — if they ask.
While Brown deserves criticism for quitting on his team during a game — the Buccaneers were facing a third-and-7 and trailed 24-10 in the third quarter when he walked out — the mercurial seven-time Pro Bowl pick needs support from his friends & those close to him.
If Brown’s career is over, he’ll finish with 928 receptions, 12,291 yards receiving and 83 TD catches. His stats are worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but it’ll be tough to convince voters to overlook the character concerns.
For now, Brown has more important matters to address.
Lil Wayne's security guard has apparently had a change of heart, now wanting to file charges against the rapper for allegedly pulling a gun on him after previously deciding against it ... TMZ has learned.
Law enforcement sources tell us ... Weezy's guard is now pushing for prosecution against his former boss. Remember, he said the opposite when the alleged incident went down -- that he didn't want Wayne prosecuted -- even though he was the one who called cops.
Unclear what charges he's gunning for, but we do know this ... the guard claims LW hit him in the head & face, so presumably an assault charge of some kind -- if not more.
There's a big problem -- our sources say the case doesn't appear strong on its face and will probably go nowhere. Cops haven't even tried speaking with Wayne so far ... a sign it's not destined for prosecution.
We broke the story ... the guard alleges he and Wayne got into an argument at the rapper's Hidden Hills home after being accused of snapping/leaking pics. He says the argument got violent & Wayne brandished an AR-15. The guard says he skedaddled & called 5-0. Our sources say cops had issues with the guard's story from the get-go.
Our law enforcement sources say it looks like the man is ramping up for a civil suit.
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