People.com Reports
Serena and Venus Williams are ready for some football! The tennis stars are joining Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez and Gloria and Emilio Estefan in becoming limited ownership partners in the National Football League's Miami Dolphins, PEOPLE has confirmed.
The announcement that the Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., residents would become the first female African-Americans to hold an ownership stake in a NFL franchise and two of the few African-Americans league-wide to hold this unique distinction was made by Stephen Ross, owner and managing partner of the Dolphins.
"I am so excited to be part of such a renowned organization," says Serena. "Having spent so much of my childhood in the area, being involved with a staple of Miami culture is a huge honor. We look forward to many championships and much success together with the Miami Dolphins."
Agrees Venus, "I am honored to be a partner in the Miami Dolphins franchise and thankful to owner Stephen Ross for allowing Serena and I to be part of Miami Dolphins history."
Promoting Miami as a Melting Pot
"We are focused on diversifying our fan base and broadening our reach," Mike Dee, new Chief Executive Officer of the Miami Dolphins, tells PEOPLE. "Having these high profile celebrities owning some of the team will help us get more people to the games and add excitement around the event. And it doesn't hurt that they all love football."
To further promote the ethnic diversity that makes Miami a cultural melting pot, the Dolphins will strengthen and improve their entertainment element by getting Lopez, Estefan and Anthony to entertain at games. Anthony's performance is set for during the Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets game Monday Oct. 12 as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
"I'm a huge sports fan," Anthony told PEOPLE in July when his partnership was announced. "These opportunities don't come around too often."
In addition to welcoming these new owners to the Dolphins, other celebrity oriented promotions will further tap into Miami's cultural diversity. Rapper T-Pain has updated the Dolphins' out-of-date fight song, and other pop stars such as Fergie, who is a frequent visitor to Miami and a lover of the Dolphins, will perform at football games.
Further capitalizing on Miami's strong night club cachet, the Dolphins have also inaugurated an "Orange Carpet," reflecting their team colors. "At every game we are going to host the Orange Carpet leading to our new Ocean Dr. Club VIP area," Dee tells PEOPLE. "This way, any celebrities, former football players, or other sports stars who are attending the game will be seen as they enter the stadium headed for the VIP club."
Ross, who bought his share of the team for $1 billion, according to Sports Illustrated, believes Miami is a unique community, a similar city to New York and Los Angeles. He wants to celebrate its prestige with a major celebrity and entertainment mix at the games.
"He also wants to put a team on the field that will win," Dee tells PEOPLE, citing that both the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl will be held in Miami this February.
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This is the best thing DMX has done in years -- because last night in front of Madeo, the oft-incarcerated rapper completely slammed the entire state of Arizona, insulted the sheriff who controls his fate and broke out some darn impressive freestyle.
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London Times Online Reports
Caster Semenya, the new 800 metres world champion, has arrived back in South Africa to fresh controversy over claims that levels of testosterone had been found in her body that were three times higher than those regarded as normal for women.
Semenya, who is facing tests on her gender by international athletics body the IAAF, provided samples before the World Championships in Berlin which showed the high levels, according to news agencies.
Higher-than-normal levels can occur naturally but the 18-year-old will now be subject to detailed scrutiny to decide whether that is the case in this instance.
The new development did not dent the enthusiasm with which Semenya was welcomed after touching down in Johannesburg with her South African team-mates.
Thousands of supporters crammed the airport waving placards, singing, dancing and hoping to catch a glimpse of the teenager.
Leonard Chuene, president of Athletics South Africa (ASA), called for the matter over her gender to be laid to rest.
He said: “We have not once, as ASA, doubted her. It’s very simple: She’s a girl.
“We took this child to Poland to the junior championship under the IAAF. Why was there no story about it? She was accepted there. No-one said anything there because she did not do anything special.
“She is the same girl. No-one asked why did we take her. She went to Mauritius and ran well, suddenly everyone noticed her. You say we didn’t do much to protect her. What did you want us to do?
“As ASA we didn’t have any of this information (on her gender) that people wanted us to protest about. When you go to dope testing, you go with a woman and she can see you are a woman.
“When you are born, you can see whether you are a boy or girl. You don’t test children in the lab to confirm.”
It is understood the IAAF have been monitoring Semenya for some time following incredible improvements in her performances in the last 12 months culminating in her gold medal victory in Berlin.
The IAAF had asked the South Africans to withdraw her before the race but news of the gender test leaked out by accident because a fax was sent to the wrong person.
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Dwayne McKenzie
Hartford Courant Reports
FARMINGTON — - A request for oral sex led to an attack on a woman at rapper 50 Cent's mansion, according to court documents obtained Monday.
Police said the woman, who was not identified, had cuts and a gash on the back of her head after the early morning incident on Aug. 16.
Dwayne McKenzie — who works for 50 Cent and lives in a building at the rapper's sprawling estate at 50 Poplar Hill Drive — is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Hartford today.
McKenzie, 28, and Michelle Krzykowski of New Britain, who turns 21 today, were charged with second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault and breach of peace, police said. McKenzie, who has arrest records in Farmington and Hartford, also was charged with first-degree unlawful restraint.
McKenzie was arrested Thursday after he was stopped by New Britain police on suspicion of violating seat belt laws, and Krzykowski turned herself in on a warrant the same day, said Farmington Lt. William Tyler. Krzykowski is due in court Sept. 1.
50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson III, was not involved in the assault, Tyler said.
According to the warrant for McKenzie's arrest, McKenzie asked a woman for oral sex. The woman had danced in a music video for another man who also was at the mansion that night.
One of the woman's friends took offense and argued with McKenzie, police said. The two women and their friends decided to leave and were in the driveway when Krzykowski ran at the group and grabbed one of the women, witnesses said.
McKenzie yelled that she was attacking the wrong person, and Krzykowski turned her attention to the victim, hitting her in the head with a hard object, the warrant states. The resulting gash required nine staples to close.
Witnesses told police that McKenzie pinned the victim to the ground while Krzykowski hit her. Krzykowski had been doing anything McKenzie told her to do that night, one witness told police.
The victim was able to get away after blasting her attackers with pepper spray, police said. She got into a friend's car and they left, calling 911 from a cellphone about 3:50 a.m.
Krzykowski told police she was very drunk and didn't remember talking to the other women at the house, although she recalled they had called her "cracker" — a derogatory name for white people — and that one of the women hit her.
McKenzie told police two women were involved in a fight, and that he broke it up and escorted them off the property.
In a different Farmington case from May, McKenzie faces charges including assault and strangulation. He also was found guilty in 2007 of illegal possession of a firearm, for which he received a suspended, five-year prison sentence, according to court documents.
McKenzie is part of 50 Cent's business known as "G-Unit," said his lawyer, Gerald Klein.
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AllHipHop Reports
“Brutal” pressure to deliver a guilty verdict for No Limit rapper Corey “C-Murder” Miller could possibly work in favor of the recently imprisoned entertainer.
Despite casting the deciding vote twice in Miller’s much publicized murder trial, Mary Jacob now admits that she was not entirely convinced the 38-year rapper was guilty of killing Steve Thomas in the now-closed Platinum Club on Jan. 12, 2002.
According to reports, Thomas, 16, was shot through his heart while being stomped by a group of men during an event at the nightspot. A 10-2 verdict, the minimum required by state law for a second-degree murder conviction, was delivered on August 12 to seal Miller’s fate.
The rapper was sentenced to serve a mandatory life sentence in prison on August 14. Jacob’s decision to change her vote from innocent to guilty came after witnessing the emotional breakdown of a young juror who she felt was pressured by other jurors to side with those who believed Miller was at fault.
"This thing had to come to an end for this girl's health, her sanity," Jacob told The Times-Picayune about the 20-year-old Xavier University student who voted for the rapper's innocence. "I believe what happened to Steve Thomas on the floor of the Platinum Club happened to her verbally. "I was more worried about this little girl than I was about Corey Miller," added Jacobs, who still believes that prosecutors did not prove their case "beyond a reasonable doubt."
Steve Thomas
"Corey Miller will survive whatever happens to him," she said.
As jurors deliberated over the case, Jacobs noticed the physical toll the situation took on the student. The group was firmly split 9-3 in favor of conviction on their second day of deliberation.
However, the student’s condition ultimately swayed Jacob’s opinion as she chose the quickest way to end the young woman’s ordeal.
"They literally made this 20-year-old girl so violently ill," Jacob said. "She was shaking so bad. She ran into the bathroom. She was throwing her guts up. She couldn't function anymore. That's when I decided, the judge don't want to listen to me, doesn't want to listen to us? I told them, 'You want him to be guilty? He's guilty, now let's get the hell out of here.'''
At this time, no comment was made by Miller's family, his former attorney, Ron Rakosky or the Jefferson Parish district attorney's office on Monday (Aug. 24) regarding the latest on the Miller/Thomas murder case.
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AllHipHop Reports
New York DJ Kay Slay has announced plans to release a brand new album titled More Than Just A DJ.
The popular Hot 97 DJ has enlisted an all-star cast for More Than Just A DJ, which features cameos by Busta Rhymes, Bun B., Ghostface, Raekwon, 50 Cent, Jim Jones, Drake, Juelz Santana, Joell Ortiz, OJ Da Juiceman and others.
“There is a lot of talk about bringing New York Hip-Hop back,” Kay Slay said in a statement. “I was a part of the birth of our culture, and my new album does not disappoint. More Than Just a DJ is bringing real Hip-Hop back!"
More Than Just a DJ is Kay Slay’s fifth official independent release, following his albums DJ Kay Slay & Greg Street presents: The Champions - North Meets South (2006) and The Soul Controller (2007).
The first single from Kay Slay’s new album is titled “Blockstars” and features Plies, Jim Jones, Busta Rhymes & Ray J.
A second single titled “Thug Luv” featuring Maino, Papoose, Red Café and Ray J. is currently being planned as well.
DJ Kay Slay’s More Than Just a DJ is due in stores October 13 on E1 Music.
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AllHipHop Reports
Police in Baton Rogue have accused rapper Lil Boosie of offering a bribe to an officer who arrested him on marijuana and gun charges.
During a pre-trial hearing yesterday (August 24), State District Judge Chip Moore refused to suppress statements Boosie made, which could effect the outcome of his trial on the charges, which takes place September 28.
Deputy Nicholas Locicero testified that he and another officer in an unmarked unit stopped Boosie’s 2007 Dodge Challenger, after they noticed the rapper submerged in a could of smoke.
They found the rapper smoking a cigar filled with marijuana and he was also in possession of a large amount of cash.
Once Boosie was stopped he allegedly said to the officer “This is Boosie. How much do you want?”
The officer found a gun in Boosie’s vehicle, in addition to a bag of marijuana, which fell off of his lap as he exited the Challenger.
Boosie’s lawyers have argued that since he was not given a field test, he may have been intoxicated when he made the statements to arresting officer.
Lil Boosie, born Torrence Hatch, is charged with his third charge of possession of marijuana which could land him up to 20 years in prison, while he faces a mandatory minimum of five years for the gun charge.
Lil Boosie is scheduled to stand trial September 28.
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MTVNEWS Reports
Bill O'Reilly is back at it again. The conservative talk-show host criticized Jay-Z on Monday, a day after the leak of the rapper's new song, "Off That," which takes aim at "The O'Reilly Factor" host, among others.
"This ain't black versus white, my n---a, we off that/ Please tell Bill O'Reilly to fall back," Jay-Z raps over electro synths courtesy of Timbaland. On the track, which also features Drake, the Brooklyn MC also fires off a salvo at right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh. Jay-Z charges both men with stirring up racist sentiments before closing his verse saying, "It's 2010, not 1864."
In a segment on his show titled "Reality Check," O'Reilly played the song, highlighting the lyrics in question, before quickly dismissing the barb and moving on.
"A regular Otis Redding, isn't he," O'Reilly responded, sighing.
This isn't the first time the two have tangled. O'Reilly, a noted hip-hop hater, lashed out at Jay-Z and Young Jeezy earlier this year during the presidential inauguration, when Jay premiered his verse to Jeezy's hit, "My President," at Washington D.C.'s club Love.
O'Reilly and comedian Dennis Miller alleged that the song was harmful to America. The dustup lasted a few days but ultimately subsided.
O'Reilly has a long history of going after rappers. In the past, he has been in feuds with Nas, Ludacris, and Eminem. Cam'ron is the only rapper to have appeared on the show, for a segment involving hip-hop's influence on education. He and Dame Dash disagreed with O'Reilly before the host cut them off and ended the segment.
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NY Daily News Reports
Some were shocked. Others disgusted. But for some, it was the breast day ever!
Dozens of semi-nude women gave the city a Double-D eyeful Sunday when they bared their boobs in Central Park and then marched through the streets.
The daring display was part of "National Go-Topless Day" - indeed, there is such a thing - and stunned jaded New Yorkers and wide-eyed tourists alike.
"This is unbelievable - and super," said Dalvin Jan, 21, who rents bicycles for a living on Central Park South. "I'm going to tell my wife to join in."
With Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" blaring from speakers and chants of "free your breasts, free your mind," the troupe of bare-breasted women - and their enthusiastic male supporters - paraded their way along Central Park South.
"We're all here for the same reason - to allow women to be free in the park like men," organizer Sylvie Chabot, 54, of Montreal, told the crowd at a midday rally at Columbus Circle.
Motorists honked their horns in support while bemused tourists took photos from passing tour buses.
"I'm pretty surprised," said Carolyn Meierjurgen, 49, of New Jersey, who was taking a horse carriage ride in the park. "If they want to do it, let them do it. I couldn't," she admitted.
Several unhappy onlookers complained to cops who were powerless to intervene.
New York is the only state in the country where women can be topless legally, after a 1992 ruling in the state's highest court. That means any woman can walk around the city at any time with no shirt on.
Among the speakers was Ramona Santorelli, of upstate Rochester, who was the plaintiff in the 1992 case.
"It's not about baring your breasts," she said. "But the true meaning is to normalize women's bodies."
Yesterday's protesters noted that is not always the case.
Artist Jill Coccaro, who goes by the name Phoenix Feeley, tested the New York law in 2005 after cops arrested her for exposing her breasts on Delancey St. She cited the 1992 ruling when cops grabbed her, but was held for 12 hours. She sued. The city later settled for $29,000.
Topless events took place across the country, from Los Angeles to Columbus, Ohio.
Organizers gathered signatures for a petition asking Congress to relax nudity laws, which they plan to hand over on Go-Topless Day next year.
Most passersby were amused by the sight of scores of half-naked people.
"It's nice for them," said unfazed Swedish tourist Birgitta Asplin, 58. "It's the human body - nothing more!"
But others said it was all a very bad idea.
"This is extreme liberalism and why America's in decline," shouted one woman, who said she was a doctor but declined to give her name. "It's degrading to women to tell them to expose their breasts publicly."
"I'm not shocked - we're in New York City," said Lindsay Hall, 28, of Maryland. "But speaking from a woman's perspective, I disagree with them. There's something to be said for modesty," she added.
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MSNBC Reports
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled Michael Jackson’s death a homicide, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press, a finding that makes it more likely criminal charges will be filed against the doctor who was with the pop star when he died on June 25.
The coroner determined a fatal combination of drugs was given to Jackson hours before he died in his rented Los Angeles mansion, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been publicly released. Forensic tests found the powerful anesthetic propofol acted together with at least two sedatives to cause Jackson’s death, the official said.
Dr. Conrad Murray, a Las Vegas cardiologist who became Jackson’s personal physician weeks before his death, is the target of a manslaughter investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. Dateline NBC's Josh Mankiewicz confirmed that Murray is the target of a manslaughter probe. According to a search warrant affidavit unsealed Monday in Houston, Murray told investigators he administered a 25 milligram dose of propofol around 10:40 a.m. after spending the night injecting Jackson with two sedatives in an unsuccessful attempt to get him to sleep.
The warrant, dated July 23, states that lethal levels of propofol were found in Jackson’s system. Besides the propofol and two sedatives, the coroner’s toxicology report found other substances in Jackson’s system but they were not believed to have been a factor in the singer’s death, the official said.
Murray has spoken to police and last week released a video saying he “told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail.” His attorney, Edward Chernoff, had no immediate comment but has previously said Murray never administered anything that “should have” killed Jackson.
A call to the coroner’s office was not returned Monday.
Murray has spoken to police and last week released a video saying he “told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail.” His attorney, Edward Chernoff, had no immediate comment but has previously said Murray never administered anything that “should have” killed Jackson.
A call to the coroner’s office was not returned Monday.
According to the warrant, Murray had been treating the singer for insomnia with the sedative for six weeks. Murray said he had been trying to wean Jackson off the powerful sedative by using smaller doses in combination with the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam.
On the morning Jackson died, Murray said he tried to induce sleep without using propofol, starting first with valium at 1:30 a.m. When Jackson was still awake at 2 a.m., Murray injected Jackson with lorazepam, then injected him with midazolam at 3 a.m. Murray told police he administered several other drugs over the next few hours.
By 10:40 a.m., Jackson, still unable to sleep, urged Murray to give him propofol. Murray said in court documents that he administered 25 milligrams of the drug at that time, then left Jackson alone under the influence of the drug to make phone calls to his Houston office. When he returned, Jackson was not breathing. He performed CPR while a member of Jackson's staff called 911. The singer was rushed to UCLA Medical Center where he was declared dead sometime later.
The affidavit says, while Murray acknowledged to police that he administered propofol, authorities find no evidence that he had purchased, ordered or obtained the medication under his medical license or Drug Enforcement Administration tracking number. Police detectives found about eight bottles of the anesthetic in Jackson's house along with other vials and pills that had been prescribed to Jackson by Dr. Murray, Dr. Arnold Klein and Dr. Allan Metzger.
Dr Conrad Murray
Valium, lorazepam, clonazepam, tamsulosin and other drugs also were confiscated in the search, and propofol was found in Murray's medical bag. According to the warrant, Murray told police he was not the first doctor to administer propofol to the singer.
Authorities subpoenaed medical records from Klein, Metzger and Dr. David Adams, in addition to Murray, the affidavit states. They also asked for medical records from Dr. David Slavitt, who conducted the independent medical examination of Jackson for Anschuntz Entertainment Group, Dr. Randy Rosen and nurse practitioner Cherilyn Lee.
The affidavit also states that Jackson told Murray that two doctors in Germany had given him propofol. Murray said he repeatedly asked Jackson what other physicians were treating him and what drugs they were prescribing. Murray said Jackson refused to give the information.
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HipHopWired Reports
Raekwon The Chef has unveiled the track list and artwork for his highly anticipated fourth album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Part 2. Scheduled to drop September 8th, Rae spoke exclusively with Hip-Hop Wired about the project.
“This album right here my dude is more street. I just really took off the glamour and the glitter and basically just went back to being that MC from the projects. I didn't really drop too many jewels because I knew that everyone wanted what they wanted right now. Because if started getting too optimistic and too gem dropping, it may be too far over people's head to really understand. So I just really wanted to kind of keep this album on some street shit, talking about my days of bagging up. Bagging up crack. This is going on, that's going on, stories from the hood. Typical real shit that happen in the hood. I just wanted to make sure that I capitalize on that world because that's what this album is about. When I made the first one, we were fresh off the block . Straight drug dealing niggas trying to come up with a solution to get the fuck out the streets one way or another. And I kind of took that blueprint with me on this one. I never really tried to out do it but make sure I was on the same pattern as I was back then. You know what I mean?”
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt II will include collaborations with Ghostface, Method Man, Styles P, Beanie Sigel and Lyfe Jennings as well as production from Erick Sermon. Speaking more about the album, Rae also added that he was running his own lane and not trying to compete with the Auto-tune and dance crazes running Hip-Hop today.
“I'm not really sitting here trying to bust my brain to get into the new world or what it is today. All I can do is just create like I been creating and however it comes out, it's gonna come out. I feel like I paid a lot of dues. I am one of the dudes that a lot of people look at as being creative as it comes to his album or whatever. I'm just gonna keep it the way I keep it. I don't sit there and try to deal with the consequences of today's Hip-Hop. My thing is, I'm an artist so I'ma always go in there and give it my best shot. And that's what I always do. Overall, Chef don't come with nothing but whatever it's gonna be. Right now I know the capacity of where people want me to be at with this album, but like I said I'm just gonna put it on the table and its back to the hoodie action again. Just throwing on the good hoodie and the Timbs and just basically going in the studio gettin it in. My key thing that I love to do is to come in the studio and forget that I'm a big artist and go back to that grind factor and that's what I did. I'm one of them real Champion gear rappers so I'm coming in with the streets on my back.”
Here is the track listing below for Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt II.
1. Return of the North Star (feat. Papu Wu)
2. House of Flying Daggers (feat. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah and Method Man)
3. Sonny's Missing (Produced by Pete Rock)
4. Pyrex Vision (Produced by Marley Marl)
5. Cold Outside (feat. Ghostface Killah and Sugar Bang)
6. Black Mozart (feat. Inspectah Deck)
7. New Wu (feat. Method Man and Ghostface Killah)
8. Penitentiary (feat. Ghostface Killah)
9. Surgical Gloves
10. Broken Safety (feat. Jadakiss and Styles P)
11. Canal Street
12. Ason Jones
13. Have Mercy (feat. Beanie Sigel and Blue Raspberry)
14. 10 Bricks (feat. Cappadonna and Ghostface Killah)
15. Fat Lady Sings
16. Catalina (feat. Lyfe Jennings)
17. We Will Rob You (feat. Slick Rick, GZA and Masta Killa)
18. About Me
19. Mean Streets (feat. Inspectah Deck and Ghostface Killah)
20. Kiss The Ring (feat. Inspectah Deck and Masta Killa)
21. South Star (feat. Papa Wu)
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}