AllHipHop Reports
The economic woes in the city of Detroit have extended past the grave, as more than 60 bodies have remained unclaimed in the Wayne County morgue due to the next of kin being unable to pay for funeral arrangements.
That painful reality is now being remedied thanks to music industry veteran Shanti Das, whose non-profit May We Rest in Peace is working towards giving every unclaimed body a dignified burial.
Das, a former executive with LaFace, Arista, and Universal Motown, created her organization after watching a news piece that showed all the bodies crammed into a holding freezer. According to a Wayne County morgue representative, some of the bodies had been there for years.
“They were stacked up like my shoes in the closet. It was a lot of things that hit home for me,” Das explained to CNN, recalling his own family’s financial struggle to bury her father. “I just wanted to immediately take action. I thought oh my God, we have to try to restore some dignity to these families.”
Through the help of industry connections like Akon and Busta Rhymes, Das’ organization has raised $6000 in less than a month, and successfully completed the burials of six people.
Many of the next of kin were forced to sign off on the deceased loved ones, and simply hoped that the city would eventually secure the funds for a proper burial.
Along with a burial, a ceremony takes place where volunteers gather to pay their final respects.
“We’re a city known for abandoned houses. We’re certainly not going to let them know us as abandoning our people,” stated construction worker and funeral organizer Paul Betts to CNN.
Having worked with Outkast, Toni Braxton, TLC, Jermain Dupri, and many others, Shanti Das explained that her new passion simply comes from caring for her fellow man, regardless of their backgrounds.
“It’s going to take one person like me and a million others to start shedding lights on these problems. But just because I’m a country girl from Atlanta doesn’t mean I can’t help someone in Detroit,” she offered.
At press time, the city of Detroit has allocated $22,000 in their 2010 fiscal budget for unclaimed burials.
Donations for Shanti Das’ May We Rest in Peace non-profit can be made at http://maywerestinpeace.org/Read more…
AllHipHop Reports
A number of New York rappers are gathering to pay tribute to slain rapper Mike Beck, who was shot and killed in Brooklyn in October during a robbery.
Music executive Littles and rapper Maino have organized the “Self Destruction” unity concert on November 23, to raise money for Beck’s 10-year-old son’s college fund.
Beck was a member of the rap group Kill All Rats (K.A.R.), a group affiliated with Fat Joe, appearing on his "300 Brolic" remix.
“The streets need guidance, the recession has dudes in hoods around America hungry. I’m fresh off a platinum plaque, All The Above just went platinum,” Maino told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “So as far as I’m concerned I made it out the ghetto, but Mike Beck’s passing has given me the fuel to take a few hours out of my day and give back to the lane that got me where I am. The streets. This event will help send Mike Beck’s son to college. We have to start looking out for one another."
Mike BeckRapper Hell Rell, Saigon, Uncle Murda, Grafh, Cadillac Tah, Maino and a number of others were tapped to perform at the event because of their street following.
Hot 97’s DJ Kay Slay and K. Foxx have been tapped to host the concert with Fuse TV radio personality Dee Vazquez at the Imperial Night Club in New York.
“I will do my best to see that the message gets out there to our youth about what has happened to Mike Beck and others alike around the world,” Littles added. “We have to come together in peace November 23rd and the message will start in the Hip-Hop community. I worked hard along with the rappers performing to get this concert together and also spread the message “Self Destruction” something that affects us all.”
Imperial is located at 17 West 18 Street. The show starts at 9:00 PM.
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AllHipHop Reports
Kanye West gave a rare performance in London last night (November 15). West hit the stage for his first high profile concert, since an incident when he crashed the stage during Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech during the MTV Music Awards in September. Beyonce was performing at the O2 Arena when she brought out special guests Jay-Z and Kanye West. Jay-Z hit the stage with his wife and the duo performed the track “Crazy in Love,” while the R&B diva and West performed a remix of her track “Ego.” The concert was historic because Beyonce gave away all the tickets for the show, a first for an artist at the 02 Arena.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on November 16, 2009 at 12:30pm
AllHipHop Reports
Nine people were wounded in a shooting rampage last night during a concert featuring singers Trey Songz, Letoya Luckett and others.San Francisco Hip-Hop/R&B station KMEL 106.1 was hosting the sold-out “House of Soul” concert when a fight outside of the venue resulted in the shootings.
According to police, someone opened fire around 10:12p.m., but police were not clear if the victims of the shooting were attending the concert or not.
The victims who suffered more serious injuries during the shooting were taken to a local hospital, while others were treated at the scene.
Police are seeking a motive for the shooting, as well as a suspect.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on November 16, 2009 at 10:30am
Video After The JumpHipHopWired Reports
“It was important to me to reach out to Beans because I ain't gonna front, when I seen the way that clip was chopped and screwed and edited, I was like ‘Yo, that looks really, really bad.”
The Internet has helped rapper Joe Budden garner not only a solid fanbase, but a prominent voice in Hip-Hop where his opinion is held under a microscope.
Reported earlier, the Jerz native weighed in on the ongoing beef between Beanie Sigel and Jay-Z. The video made it seem as though he was riding for Jay and made it appear that the shots thrown form Sigel were wack and there was no point in him trying to come at Jigga because he wouldn't be able to win the battle regardless.
His opinion would float to Sigel's Philly affiliate Mike Knox who had his own choice words for Budden where he basically issued a warning to Jumpoff to watch what he says otherwise there could be certain consequences.
Utilizing the popularity of JoeBuddenTV, the rapper went on to provide clarity to that broadcast and maintained the fact that he never meant any disrespect.
“It was chopped up to look like I had a message that I didn't have, so It was important for me to reach out to him and let him know that shit was chopped and screwed. Some people don't know how the Internet works, not saying that he's one of those people, so I reached out and I got in contact with Mike Knox and Beanie Sigel and I basically let them niggas know that video looked like shit. It was chopped and screwed and edited to fuck up what I was saying and it wasn't like that at all.”
Adding how the media embraces beef, Budden felt it necessary to nip the problem in the bud before it became an actual issue.
“You just wanna stop shit before the snowball effect begins to take place. Fortunately for me, I've seen Beans and met Beans so many times that it was much easier for him to believe what I was saying. I've always shown that nigga the utmost respect because I'm a big fan of him and what he does.”
Any person in America is guaranteed the freedom of speech where he/she is freely open to voice his/her own opinion on particular subjects, but there comes a time where an opinion is unnecessary.
For Budden, there comes a point where he has to just sit back and watch instead of providing commentary due to the fact that his words, whether taken out of context or not, have only landed him in trouble.
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MTV Reports
50 Cent and Dr. Dre helped Game concoct a classic album on The Documentary. And although things between Fif and Game went sour, the G-Unit General said he's open to working with Dre again to break another MC.
"We were actually talking about a new artist, working together on a new project," 50 Cent told MTV News. "I said, 'Just because we had a car accident, that doesn't mean we're not going to drive again — it just means we had an accident with that one.' He laughed at me. He said, 'All right. I'll give it a try,' because he was unsure about how I would feel about helping with [another new artist]," he continued. "Obviously Dre can create the best possible production for the artist and groom him to the right space. But going to introduce him to the general public would be something you want 50 to go do."
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Video After The JumpMSNBC Reports
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Authorities acted on a tip Sunday and searched a wide area in south-central North Carolina trying to find a 5-year-old girl reported missing by her mother, who has been charged with human trafficking and child abuse involving prostitution.
Capt. Charles Kimble of the Fayetteville Police Department said several agencies spent the day looking for signs of Shaniya Davis between Spring Lake and Sanford, which are about 25 miles apart. Kimble would not elaborate on what information officers had received. They suspended the search at dark. The area included woods and some homes, police said.
"We're following up on a tip. It seems to be good, so we're out there looking," Kimble said.
The N.C. Highway Patrol sent a helicopter to aid in the search, Lt. Everett Clendenin said. Shaniya hasn't been seen since Tuesday, when a surveillance camera recorded the man charged in her kidnapping carrying the girl into a hotel room.
Earlier Sunday, authorities arrested Antoinette Nicole Davis, Shaniya's mother. The charges against Davis are related to her daughter's disappearance, said Theresa Chance, a spokeswoman for Fayetteville police.
Antoinette Nicole Davis
According to arrest documents cited by the newspaper, Davis "knowingly provide(d) Shaniya Davis with the intent that she be held in sexual servitude" and she "permit(ted) an act of prostitution."
Shaniya had only been living with her mother since last month. Davis reported the girl missing Tuesday morning from a mobile home community in Fayetteville, and authorities began searching nearby wooded areas.
Camera footage showed Mario Andrette McNeill carrying Shaniya into a hotel room, and he was arrested and charged with kidnapping on Friday. A kidnapping charge against a man described as Davis' boyfriend was dropped.
Authorities have said McNeill admitted to taking the girl, though his attorney says he will plead not guilty to the charge. They have not said if McNeill and Davis knew each other.
Mario Andrette McNeill
Police said a hotel worked spotted a child matching Shaniya's description at the hotel in Sanford, about 40 miles from Fayetteville. Relatives helped confirm that the child on the recording was Shaniya.
Fayetteville police officer Brian Gainey said Davis did not have an attorney and was scheduled to appear in court Monday.
*Update* Shaniya Has Been Found DeadRead more…
MR REAL TALK DVD IS BACK WITH A NEW MIXTAPE FOR THE STREETS. HOSTED BY DJ MESSIAH THE TAPE FEATURES YOUNG BERG, BOOGZ BOOGETZ, MASSPIKE MILES, MIKE BECK & TWO FIVE !DOWNLOAD HERERead more…
Posted by Mr.I Get It on November 15, 2009 at 4:14pm
Tia's son, DeAndre posing in front of Floyd's BentleyDaaaamn Rick! 50 belongs in a looney bin! Why would you f*ck with him and the champ?! idiotOne big happy family. Video coming soon!
DeAngelo, 50 Cent, Tia, DeAndre, lil' Ross, and the champ!
The champ, lil' Ross, 50 and Tia on the Maybach 62 .. Now that's BOSS!Album in stores tomorrow: Monday, Nov 16th.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on November 15, 2009 at 10:00am
TSN Reports
MANCHESTER - UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is seriously ill in hospital after collapsing in Canada, UFC president Dana White said Saturday.
"He's in rough shape, he's in really bad shape," White said Saturday after UFC 105.
"He is not well and he is not getting any better. . . . He's very, very sick and he's going to be out for a while. He's got a lot of problems."
Citing mononucleosis, the 32-year-old Lesnar was forced to postpone a title fight against Shane Carwin scheduled for UFC 106 on Nov. 21 in Las Vegas. The fight was pushed back to UFC 108 on Jan. 2, but that too has been postponed.
"He's got mono and he's got something else wrong with him. I know what's wrong with him, he just doesn't want me talking about it," White said.
"He doesn't have cancer or AIDS or anything like this, (but) he's got some problems, man."
White said Lesnar was currently in a hospital in North Dakota. The six-foot-three, 265-pounder owns property in Canada, White added.
"He dropped up there and had to go to hospital," White said.
He said Lesnar may have to go to the Mayo Clinic or another top hospital "to figure out what's wrong with this guy."
"He's not going to be getting well any time soon," White said.
The UFC has other concerns with fighters. White said the newly announced UFC 108 main event between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez is off because Nogueira has a serious staph infection.
"(It's) bad, to the point now that it's in his bloodstream," White said. "He's probably going to have to be hospitalized and intravenously given antibiotics."
Carwin is also out after undergoing knee surgery.
"It's crazy," White said of the injuries and illness.
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Videos After The Jump
The Black Eyed Peas got the rare chance to perform three songs on Saturday Night Live (Most artists only perform two). Their latest album "The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)" has been a huge commercial success that has already spawned two major hits "I Gotta Feeling" and "Boom Boom Pow"
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Sporting News Reports
LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao's speed and power were way too much for Miguel Cotto's heart.
Pacquiao put on yet another dominating performance Saturday night, knocking down Cotto twice and turning his face into a bloody mess before finally stopping him at 55 seconds of the 12th round.
The Filipino star used his blazing speed and power from both hands to win his seventh title in seven weight classes and cement his stature as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Cotto took such a beating that his face was a river of red from the fury of Pacquiao's punches, but he refused to quit even as his corner tried to throw in the towel after the 11th round.
"I didn't know from where the punches were coming," Cotto said.
The fight was billed as a 145-pound classic, and in the early rounds it didn't disappoint. The two went after each other with a vengeance and Cotto more than held his own as they traded punches in the center of the ring before a roaring sellout crowd at the MGM Grand arena.
Pacquiao dropped Cotto with a right hand early in the third round, but he wasn't badly hurt and came back to finish the round strong. But after Pacquiao put Cotto on the canvas with a big left hand late in the fourth round, the Puerto Rican was never the same again.
"Our plan was not to hurry, but to take our time," Pacquiao said. "It was a hard fight tonight and I needed time to test his power."
Cotto's face was marked early and he was bleeding midway through the fight as Pacquiao kept bouncing around and throwing punches in his unorthodox southpaw style. He tried to keep taking the fight to Pacquiao, but by then his punches had lost their sting and his only real chance was to land a big punch from nowhere.
"He hit harder than we expected and he was a lot stronger than we expected," Cotto's trainer, Joe Santiago, said.
Cotto fought gamely, but in the later rounds he was just trying to survive as blood flowed down his face and Pacquiao came after him relentlessly. Santiago tried to stop the fight after the 11th round, but Cotto went back out to take even more punishment before a final flurry along the ropes prompted referee Kenny Bayless to end it.
Cotto's wife and child, who were at ringside, left after the ninth round, unable to watch the beating any longer. They later accompanied him to a local hospital for a post-fight examination.
"My health comes first. I just want to make sure I'm fine, but I feel great. I'm swollen but that's all," Cotto said.
His face swollen, Cotto was bleeding from his nose and his cuts, and he simply couldn't stop Pacquiao from bouncing inside and throwing both hands at will.
"Manny Pacquiao is one of the best boxers I ever fought," Cotto said.
Pacquiao, coming off of spectacular wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, added another one against Cotto, who had lost only once and held the WBO version of the welterweight title.
Pacquiao did it in his trademark way, throwing punches in flurries and from all angles until Cotto began to slow down. Then he pursued him nonstop until the end.
The fight likely will set up an even bigger one against Floyd Mayweather Jr., and many in crowd were already chanting, "We want Floyd! We want Floyd."
"I want to see him fight Mayweather," trainer Freddie Roach said.
Mayweather may have second thoughts after Pacquiao did what no fighter has done before — win a belt in a seventh weight class. More impressive, though, is how he has fought, dismantling opponents despite moving up consistently from 106 pounds to the 144 he weighed for the fight.
The welterweight ranks will be the last ones Pacquiao conquers, though.
"This is the last weight division for me," Pacquiao said. "It's history for me and more importantly a Filipino did it."
He was so dominant in the later rounds that Cotto was fighting backward most of the way, simply trying to survive. Pacquiao was credited with landing almost twice as many punches — 336-172 — as Cotto.
"I knew when Cotto started backing up, the fight was over," Roach said.
Pacquiao earned a minimum $13 million, while Cotto got $7 million.
Pacquiao was favored, largely off his last two performances in which he forced De La Hoya to quit on his stool and then knocked out Hatton with a huge left hook in the second round. Some in boxing, including Roach, thought Cotto had been slowed by his devastating loss last year to Antonio Margarito and would be further slowed by having to come in 2 pounds lower than his normal weight.
That wasn't the case early in the fight, with Cotto winning the first round and fighting well. Once he was knocked down by a big left hand late in the fourth round, though, he slowed noticeably.
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Video After The Jump
Today we take you behind the scenes of Alicia Keys new video "Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart". In this video directed by Syndrome, Alicia has the power to bring life to the lifeless. The clip will premier on BET's 106 And Park Monday November 16th. Her new album "The Element Of Freedom" drops December 15th.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on November 14, 2009 at 10:25pm
MovieWeb.com Reports
Actor Terrence Howard recently spoke to MTV about the plans to make a sequel to this year's breakout hit, Hustle and Flow. According to the actor, Memphis pimp-turned-rapper, DJay, and his "struggles following the path of righteousness will soon be answered."
'Hustle & Flow 2,' we're gonna do it," Howard revealed backstage at the recent Vibe Awards. The pale-eyed actor claimed the film will have the same cast and has already been written. He wouldn't go into plot details, but said he couldn't wait to get back into the character's sweat-stained wife-beater and gold chains. "We start [filming] at the end of next year," he smiled. "It will be great."
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MSNBC Reports
MOSCOW - Russian police have arrested three homeless people suspected of eating a 25-year-old man they had butchered and selling other bits of the corpse to a local kebab house.
Suspicions were raised when dismembered parts of a human body were found near a bus stop in the outskirts of the Russian city of Perm, 720 miles east of Moscow.
Three homeless men with previous criminal records have been arrested on suspicion of setting upon a foe with knives and a hammer before chopping up his corpse to eat, local investigators said in a statement.
"After carrying out the crime, the corpse was divided up: part was eaten and part was also sold to a kiosk selling kebabs and pies," the prosecutor's main investigative unit for the Perm region said.
It was not immediately clear from the statement if any of the corpse had been sold to customers.
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