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He's got multiple aliases: Charlie Hustle, 40 Fonzarelli, The Ballatician, Mr. Flamboyant, 40 Belafonte to E-Feezy. But, he's professionally known as E-40, or the Ambassador of The Bay Area, and the Ambassador is gearing up for release of his 13th and 14th album on the same date.
In late March, E-Feezy is will be dropping two separate albums, entitled Revenue Retrievin' The Day Shift and Revenue Retrievin' The Night Shift.
Going to work with him, hip-Hop's finest profiles, Snoop Dogg, Gucci Mane, Too Short and Mistah Fab punch in along with the melodies of Bobby V, Jazze Pha, YV and J. Valentine on both day and night shifts. With a total of 38 brand new tracks, E-40 and his Bay Area conglomerate -- B-Legit, Messy Marv, Dem Hoodstarz, Ya Boy, The DB'z, Turf Talk, Clyde Carson, Husalah and Droop-E -- lyrically engineer a top shelf production.
"I'm excited about this album; it's been a year since I dropped The Ball Street Journal. It marks an important independent business venture for me. This way, I am able to go back to the basics and run my own campaign," E-40 said of the two releases.
Over the years, E-40 has served as the headliner of notoriety in the Bay Area, while creating a musical space of his own. In addition, he has gained international exposure for introducing new music genres to hip-hop music in addition to threading new terminology such as "Slaps" and "Thumpers" used to describe the sound. As his beat goes on, the rap veteran recently made the savvy decision to sign an independent label deal with Heavy On The Grind Entertainment/EMI, owned by Earl Stevens Jr. aka Droop-E, who is not only a hit making producer, but the son of E-40.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide commercial services for E-40," said Dominic Pandiscia, Senior Vice President & General Manager of EMI. "He has had a massive impact on hip-hop in the Bay area and beyond ,and we're extremely excited to partner with him on the next phase of his career."
Last year, nine of the songs from his The Ball Street Journal album were leaked weeks prior to the release of the album. As the countdown begins for Revenue Retrievin' Day Shift and Revenue Retrievin' Night Shift, fans can expect to get a preview of the new E-40 and his Heavy On The Grind Entertainment Movement via both YouTube and live UStreaming experiences.
Both albums hit the streets on March 30th.
The detailed adventures of E-40 will be announced via Twitter @TheRealE40.
BallerStatus
@ChasinMoPaper
What comes up must come down.
Still flying high from her Grammy Awards wins and fragrance success, Beyonce has been slapped with a major lawsuit.
House of Dereon, the clothing line she and her mother Tina Knowles helm together, is being sued by its Hong Kong-based manufacturer Vier International Ltd. for breach of contract.
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Vier says it lost $500,000 because the clothing company Donna Loren LLC and shipping company HJM International were "conspirators who induced the shipment of goods to the United States with the intent to convert them or pay less than the agreed upon contract price."
Vier named two entities owned by Knowles and partners -- Beyond Productions LLC and House of Dereon -- for taking part through purchase orders and requesting manufacturing specifications.
The company included claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), which is what is used in most Mafia prosecutions, but over the years has been expanded to other areas and includes civil claims by private parties like the claims here.
Source: RadarOnline
@ChasinMoPaper
John Mayer just got more candid than ever, opening up about Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Aniston and his "white supremacist" private parts. Yes, white supremacist.
In an interview with Playboy, Mayer explained that he was practically addicted to ex-girlfriend Simpson. "That girl, for me, is a drug," he said. "And drugs aren't good for you if you do lots of them. Yeah, that girl is like crack cocaine to me... Sexually, it was crazy. That's all I'll say. It was like napalm, sexual napalm."
Mayer was a little tamer in their discussion on his other highly publicized relationship with Jennifer Aniston, and cited something unusual as a reason for their breakup. "One of the most significant differences between us was that I was tweeting," he said.
"The brunt of her success came before TMZ and Twitter," he continued. "I think she's still hoping it goes back to 1998. She saw my involvement in technology as courting distraction. And I always said, 'These are the new rules.'"
But even after their breakup, it's clear that Mayer still cares for Aniston. "We just have a regard for each other's feelings that is pretty intense," he said. "It's been a deep relationship, and it's no longer taking place at all. Have you ever loved somebody, loved her completely, but had to end the relationship for life reasons?"
And although Mayer is known as a ladies man, he admits that when it comes to black women, he hasn't been so lucky. "I don't think I open myself to it. My d--k is sort of like a white supremacist... I'm going to start dating separately from my d--k."
MANHATTAN BEACH -- An 18-year-old Manhattan Beach man has been arrested for allegedly trying to buy urine from boys.
Kevin Duron is accused of walking into a restroom at Pacific Elementary School last week and offering two boys several dollars to urinate in a cup, Manhattan Beach Sgt. Brian Brown said.
The boys refused his request.
Duron was arrested on Monday for investigation of annoying children. He's being held on $150,000 bail.
Brown said it's believed Duron was trying to collect urine to pass drug tests.
Surveillance cameras captured Duron on his first visit to the school, police said, adding that a teacher recognized him when he returned to the school on Monday.
School officials notified parents of the incidents and say no students were hurt.
KTLA
@ChasinMoPaper
Some people seem to look for controversy no matter what.
Kobe Bryant is hosting a party for Show Magazine this NBA All Star Weekend. A decision that has drawn criticism from a few online publications.
Sure Kobe was involved in a scandal in 2003 involving an alleged rape (a charge that was never proven, Kobe settled out of court).
Does that mean the man isn't entitled to have a good time?
I'm sure he is getting paid a large amount of money to host the event.
Also Show Magazine told TMZ that the NBA had approved the flier for the event which means they don't see anything wrong with it.
The last thing the NBA would want is for their star player to be caught up in a situation that would reflect negatively on him and the league. So if they are ok with it then we should be too.
In my opinion people need to just lighten up.
Check out a few covers for the magazine below
An Ohio resident has filed a civil lawsuit against former Piston Allen Iverson that seeks $2.5 million plus damages stemming from an alleged incident at a Detroit nightspot last spring.
In an eight-page complaint filed in district court, Guy Walker claims he "suffered severe pain, emotional distress and mental anguish" from injuries suffered during an altercation at the South Beach Pizza Bar on the night of April 11.
Walker claims Antwuan Clisey, a Virginia resident, was working as a member of Iverson's security detail when Clisey initiated an unprovoked attack that cleared the bar, and Iverson, who was escorted away from the scene, did nothing to stop the altercation.
The complaint says Walker suffered "an orbital blowout fracture of the eye" as well as other injuries.
Iverson signed with the Philadelphia 76ers this summer, and a team representative said Wednesday that Iverson was attending to a family matter and was not with the team. A phone call to Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, was not returned.
No trial date has been set.
Source: Detroit Free Press
@ChasinMoPaper
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Yo Gotti just wants to preserve the environment. The Memphis, Tennessee, MC wants to uphold the integrity of the streets in hip-hop. He has talked about the responsibility on the shoulders of himself, Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane as three of the 'hood's ambassadors.
"Keep getting it, I respect you and salute you, my n---a," Gotti says on the record "Save Da Trap," talking directly to Jeezy. "I knew you for this rap sh--/ We used to speak on trap sh--/ You represent the streets and you know I do the same/ From one gangsta to another, dawg, I hope you never change."
Sad news this morning: Phil Harris, captain of the Cornelia Marie fishing boat featured on Deadliest Catch, has died in Alaska. He was 53.
Harris suffered a massive stroke on Jan. 29 while the Cornelia Marie was in port at St. Paul Island, Alaska. The boat captain was flown to Anchorage for surgery.
"It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our dad - Captain Phil Harris. Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end," sons Josh and Jake Harris said in a statement on the Cornelia Marie site. "For us and the crew, he was someone who never backed down."
In a statement the network said, "Discovery mourns the loss of dear friend and colleague Captain Phil Harris. He was more than someone on our television screen. Phil was a devoted father and loyal friend to all who knew him. We will miss his straightforward honesty, wicked sense of humor and enormous heart. We share our tremendous sadness over this loss with the millions of viewers who followed Phil's every move. We send our thoughts and prayers to Phil's sons Josh and Jake and the Cornelia Marie crew."
Source: USA Today
@ChasinMoPaper
LOS ANGELES – Jamie Foxx wanted to entertain a group of musically inclined high school students with a few bars from his Grammy winning hit, "Blame It."
But since the song is an ode to the effects of alcohol, he changed the lyrics to "Blame it on the a-a-a-apple juice." The kids roared.
"I changed it so you guys could sing it," he joked.
Students from four high schools gathered Tuesday at Walt Disney Concert Hall, where Foxx helped present new violins, flutes, French horns, trumpets and drums valued at $500,000 to students from 16 schools nationwide.
The instruments are part of the Fidelity FutureStage program, an effort by the investment firm to enrich arts education in public schools.
Founded in 2006, the program provides instruments, specialized training by professional musicians, and a chance for aspiring artists to perform with renowned orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Boston Pops.
Foxx told students he began as a classical pianist and eventually won a scholarship to study the instrument in college.
"That allowed me to come to L.A. and work on my craft," he said. "Then I went into acting and comedy, and then it was Ray Charles ..."
Foxx, 42, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Charles in "Ray," got the crowd fired up and had them chanting "mu-sic, mu-sic" before students came on stage to accept shiny new saxophones, clarinets and other instruments.
"This is way better than our old stuff," one student said.
Dominic Monaghan hosted the program, which was simulcast in Boston, Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles. Students in all four cities performed and received donated instruments.
After the program, Foxx praised Fidelity for stepping in where public funding had failed. He also encouraged other companies to participate.
"Even if a kid is not going to be the greatest musician in the world, just the fact that you gave him something, the fact that you said, 'hey, I care about you,' that's what it's about," Foxx said.
NEW YORK — Lil Wayne's sentencing has been delayed until March 2 due to dental surgery, his attorney announced in a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday (February 9).
The rapper was scheduled to be formally sentenced by a judge and begin serving his one-year term stemming from a 2007 arrest that resulted in a guilty plea in October for attempted weapons possession.
The Cash Money MC arrived shortly after 2 p.m. with his label heads Birdman and Slim. He quietly entered the courtroom as photographers snapped pictures from the hallway. Wayne wore a navy coat and black-framed glasses, and he sat still while his lawyer Stacey Richman spoke.
She informed the judge that she sent a notification to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office that the rapper is suffering from a cracked tooth and would need to postpone his sentence. The judge agreed and ruled to reschedule for March 2.
The rapper is set to undergo surgery February 12 in Miami, according to Richman. He will need a week to 10 days to recover. His defense offered prosecutors February 25 as a date for Wayne to turn himself him in after surgery, but Judge Charles H. Solomon instead selected March 2.
The judge then warned Wayne that he must return to Miami on Tuesday. Solomon insisted if he leaves tomorrow, there would be a chance his surgery would be delayed due to hazardous weather conditions leaving New York.
"I don't want this to get pushed back anymore," Solomon said. "This is the last adjournment."
Video After The Jump
Sade stopped by NBC's Today Show this morning to promote her new album.
After a brief interview she performed the title track "Soldier Of Love"
The album 'Soldier Of Love' is in stores today.
@ChasinMoPaper
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Video After The Jump
Her kid's an Oscar contender, but this proud Harlem mom is still happily singing for her supper in the subway.
Alice Tan Ridley -- whose 26-year-old daughter, Gabourey Sidibe, won raves and an Academy Award nomination for her gut-wrenching performance in last year's "Precious" -- shows up three times a week at New York's busiest subway stations to wow commuters with her electrifying R&B act.
"My name is not on Gabby's paycheck," the good-natured Ridley told The Post yesterday, after another rousing show in the Times Square underground.
Ridley, a former nursery-school teacher and Department of Education teacher's aide, has been belting out tunes in the subway for 18 years. She was among the first artists featured in the MTA's popular subway artists series, now called Performances in Public Spaces.
"For a while, I was teaching and doing the singing, burning the candle at both ends to support my family," Ridley said.
She eventually made subway singing a full-time job.
"When I come home at the end of the day, I have enough to pay my bills and feed my kids," she said.
"People always say, 'Why don't you sing in clubs?' I tell 'em, 'This is my club.' "
Ridley does perform at private events and has traveled to Chile, Argentina and Germany with her golden pipes. But her usual stages are in the 14th Street/Union Square, 34th Street/Sixth Avenue and Times Square/Eighth Avenue stations.
In recent weeks, she has had to cut her three-hour performances to an hour and a half.
"My voice is so big that it's blown out my amp, so I can't do more than that until I can afford a new amp," said Ridley, whose next gig is today at 4:30 p.m. at 34th Street.
Her singing helped pave the way for her daughter's breakout in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire."
"Four years ago, they asked me to play the part of the mother," Ridley said. "But being a mom and teacher, I just couldn't play that part. It was just too hard.
"I read the book, and I gave it to Gabby. Her friends encouraged her to try out for 'Precious,' and she got it."
Ridley recalled that when Gabby was a child, people would ask whether she wanted to be a singer like her mother.
"Gabby would say, 'No, I'm gonna be a comedian.' "
Source: NY Post
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Before he had to return to New York to face his one-year prison sentence, Lil Wayne gathered those close to him on Sunday night at the Miami club Dolce.
The Young Money family, including Nicki Minaj, Drake, Gudda Gudda and Mack Maine were in the building, as well as Wayne's Hot Boys partner B.G. and, of course, the Birdman. While the crew celebrated the Super Bowl victory of their home team the New Orleans Saints, the mood at the party had an undercurrent of sadness, as everyone was aware of Wayne's fate. Last week, Minaj discussed her feelings about Weezy's sentence with MTV News.
St Louis rapper Nelly reportedly got punched while trying to break up a fight Super Bowl weekend.
The New York Post is reporting an altercation took place between Nelly's security team and bouncers inside Club Liv at Miami's Fontainebleau Friday night just as Nelly was taking stage to perform.
As Nelly stepped in trying to play peacemaker he was punched by mistake. The fight then spilled out the back door of the club and continued outside.
No word yet on any injuries that may have occurred.
(AllHipHop News) New Orleans rap mogul P. Miller is hopeful The Saints’ victory over The Colts in Super Bowl XLIV will help the city overcome the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The city is celebrating their first Super Bowl victory in history, Mardi Gras and for some, the election of a new mayor, Mitch Landrieu the city’s first white mayor since 1979.
“The Saints winning the Super Bowl was more than a game for the people in New Orleans; it gave hope to a ‘Who Dat’ Nation and other nations that are dealing with tragedy,” Miller told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “This is a city that strived a long time to rise above poverty, crime and racism. For over forty years, our people have joined together through this one team representing the colors of black and gold, hoping to experience the sweet taste of victory.”
According to P., born Percy Miller, the city now recognizes the value of team work, rebuilding and never giving up.
“Just seeing the smiles on the players and the fans’ faces made me proud to be a native of the city of New Orleans, knowing that all of my life I’ve been the underdog and overcame adversity,” Miller said.
The former head of No Limit Records said that despite a disaster that practically washed the entire city away, the world has continued to embrace New Orleans’ culture, music, songs, food, and world famous Mardi Gras.
“The city that was washed away by a hurricane was brought back together by one of the greatest football teams of 2010,” Miller said. “The same hope that we could give to other cities and nations that have been devastated by a natural disaster like Haiti. I realize that even as we celebrate this victory, not too far away kids and their families are still dealing with tragedies. And we as people should team up and help.”
And Miller is putting his money up to make a difference as well.
The mogul is in the process of building a school in Haiti to help the impoverished nation recover from a massive 7.0 earthquake in January.
“My Super Bowl victory party won’t begin until the building of our school in Haiti is complete,” Miller promised.
For more information visit: http://ihearthaitikids.org/
On the eve of her father’s impending jail sentence, Lil Wayne’s daughter is keeping her head up.
Reginae Carter, the 11-year-old daughter of Wayne and his ex-wife Antonia Carter, took to Twitter to thank her well wishers and share her feelings. “Thank all of yall but Im staying strong because I got family and friends that care for me,” she wrote.
Although her father won’t be around over the next year, Reginae remains optimistic. “I’m just happy he didn’t get a longer time,” she said.
Like her dad, she shares a love for sports, witnessing the Saints defeat the Colts at Sunday’s Super Bowl in Miami. “But on the bright side who saw the saints beat the colts,” she asked. “I did.”
Reginae’s mother and Weezy’s high school sweetheart Toya Carter also chimed in with her thoughts. “Sad day for me and my fam,” she tweeted.
Lil Wayne is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday morning in Manhattan Supreme Court to a year-long prison term for gun possession. It is likely he will start serving his time the same day.
Before heading to jail, the rapper reportedly shot 10 videos on Friday and Saturday in Miami, including one for “Da Da Da” off Rebirth.
Source: Rap-Up
Video After The Jump
Joe Jackson appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Monday night, just hours after sitting in a courtroom to hear Murray plead not guilty to a single charge of involuntary manslaughter in his son's death last summer.
A Los Angeles judge set bail at $75,000, despite arguments from the prosecutor that Murray is a flight risk and needs a higher bail. Murray posted the bond and was released several hours later.
Michael Jackson's family, including his parents, four of his brothers and one sister, filled the first two rows of the small courtroom.
"I was looking for justice, and justice, to me, would be a murder charge," Joe Jackson told King.
Prosecutors charged Murray, who was Jackson's personal physician, with causing the pop star's death "without malice" by acting "without due caution and circumspection."
Murray was with the pop star when he died on June 25, 2009.
The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Jackson's death a homicide, resulting from a combination of drugs, primarily propofol -- a powerful anesthesia -- and lorazepam.
Joe Jackson suggested it was more than a doctor making a fatal judgment.
"To me, he's just a fall guy" Jackson said. "There's other people, I think, involved with this whole thing. But I think that he's interrogated -- he would come clean and tell everything he knows."
He said Michael Jackson told his mother, as he was preparing for his comeback concerts in London, England last year, that he thought he would be killed.
"He was afraid to even do all of these shows, because he was afraid that he wouldn't get a chance to finish all of the show," Joe Jackson said. "He couldn't do all those shows back-to-back. Even his kids say that he had told them that he would be murdered."
Murray turned himself in shortly before 4 p.m. at a branch courthouse near Los Angeles International Airport. He pleaded not guilty during a brief hearing before Judge Keith L. Schwartz.
The judge refused to suspend Murray's medical license as a term of his bond, but he did order him not to use any anesthesia on patients.
"I don't want you sedating people," Schwartz told Murray.
The involuntary manslaughter charge means that Murray caused Jackson's death by acting "without due caution and circumspection."
If convicted, Murray would face a maximum four-year prison sentence, according to prosecutors.
Jackson family members later reacted to what they saw in the courtroom:
"Not enough," Jermaine Jackson said when asked what he thought of the charge.
"I don't like what happened," Joe Jackson said as he left the courthouse.
La Toya Jackson later issued a statement through a publicist.
"Michael was murdered and although he died at the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray, I believe Dr. Murray was a part of a much larger plan," her statement said. "There are other individuals involved and I will not rest and I will continue to fight until all of the proper individuals are brought forth and justice is served."
Her statement did not elaborate on what she meant in her reference to "a much larger plan."
Last week Page Six stoked a rumor that Howard Stern is a possible candidate to replace the departing Simon Cowell on next season’s American Idol. Today the shock jock addressed the reports on his satellite radio show, admitting the job wouldn’t be out of the question. “There’s not a better job on the planet than judging a fucking karaoke contest,” Stern said, MTV reports. “It might be possible, we’ll see.”
As Rolling Stone reported last week, Stern’s five-year, $500 million contract with Sirius XM expires in January 2011, freeing up the radio personality to pursue other opportunities. While the New York Post wrote last week that Idol’s overtures to Stern might just be a leverage tool to help secure Stern a lucrative new contract from his current employer, Stern seemed pretty open about taking on the Idol job because he’s long been a fan of the show. “If I do say so myself, I can’t imagine anyone else but me replacing [Cowell],” Stern said. “I mean, how else are they going to make that show work? Who knows how to broadcast and who knows how to be interesting? And who’s not afraid to speak their mind?”
Idol producers are rumored to be considering offering Stern a contract that mirrors his five-year, $500 million deal with Sirius XM, but considering Paula Abdul and Idol split ways over a few million and Cowell will only make a reported $50 million per season to executive produce and judge on The X Factor, that figure seems a little excessive. “A $100 million to judge a karaoke contest? Yeah, I think I would do that show for $100 million,” Stern said. “It would be the best thing that happened to me. What a cush job: $100 million for four months. Who wouldn’t take that?”
Source: Rolling Stone
Lil Wayne got the most out of Super Bowl weekend, spending two days working around the clock and enjoying the big game on Sunday before having to report for his jail sentence on Tuesday. According to a source close to his camp, Weezy shot around 10 videos over the weekend — five on Friday and five on Saturday. The productions were rapid-fire, with Weezy shooting some videos in front of a green screen and some on location.
Miami's Marlin Hotel served as the backdrop for the "Da Da Da" clip.
"It was crazy," said Plex, of Wayne collaborators ¡Mayday! "They was trying to re-create, spin off of 'The Streets Have No Name' by U2 — the one where they were performing on the rooftop and people start gathering around. [Wayne's video] was doing something parallel to that on the rooftop of the Marlin. They had helicopter shots and all."
Boxing contender Sugar Shane Mosley made a cameo appearance.
"It was a whole mess of people. I didn't notice who was there, but I saw Shane because I'm a big fan. Then, you know, the whole Cash Money/ Young Money clique was there. A few NFL players were there. It was crazy. [The video] was set up like a reality show. They followed us out of the tour bus, up the stairs and then we jumped on the stage and started playing. It was fun, man." ¡Mayday!, who back Wayne up in the "On Fire" video, also shot a clip for "Get a Life."
So with visuals for those songs in the can, Wayne enjoyed watching his hometown New Orleans Saints take the championship from the Indianapolis Colts at Super Bowl XLIV. Afterward, Weezy was the guest of honor at a farewell party at Miami club Dolce. Drake, B.G., Nicki Minaj, Bow Wow, Wale, the Birdman and more were among those who came to see Weezy off in style.
¡Mayday! were the house band of the night at Weezy's request.
"They called us during the Super Bowl and said, 'We want you guys to rock tonight,' " Plex explained. "I had to cut my Super Bowl party short and go get my gear."
¡Mayday! were the house band of the night at Weezy's request.
"They called us during the Super Bowl and said, 'We want you guys to rock tonight,' " Plex explained. "I had to cut my Super Bowl party short and go get my gear."
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