"Jay is a talented motherf*cka, don't misunderstand me. He is talented! BUT HE HAS NO HEART...BEHIND IT. There's no soul behind it. It's motivated by money...STRICTLY." - DMX
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MSNBC Reports
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico - Gunmen broke into a drug rehabilitation center, lined people against a wall and shot 17 dead in a particularly bloody day in Mexico's relentless drug war. The brazen attack followed the killing of the No. 2 security official in President Felipe Calderon's home state.
Dozens of sobbing relatives rushed to the El Aliviane center in Ciudad Juarez to find out if their loved ones were among the dead. Soldiers and federal agents patrolled the streets surrounding the center.
Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, is Mexico's most violent city, with at least 1,400 people killed this year alone.
Most of the homicides are tied to drug gang violence, which has taken a heavy toll across Mexico.
Calderon sent thousands more troops and federal police to Ciudad Juarez earlier this year, but the surge has done little to stem the raging violence. The city is home to the Juarez drug cartel, which is battling other gangs for trafficking and dealing turf.
Corrupt cops:
The government is struggling to revamp Ciudad Juarez's police force, which is plagued by corruption and the assassination of many of its officers. Other police have quit the force out of fear of being targeted.
The attackers broke down the rehab center's door before opening fire, according to Arturo Sandoval, a spokesman for the regional prosecutors' office. At least five people were also injured.
The massacre capped a particularly bloody day in Mexico's relentless drug war.
Gunmen killed the No. 2 security official and three other people in Calderon's home state of Michoacan, where the government is locked in an intensifying battle with the ruthless La Familia cartel, blamed for a string of assassinations of police and soldiers.
Jose Manuel Revuelta, who was promoted less than two weeks ago to state deputy public safety director, is the highest-ranking government official killed in the wave of assassinations sweeping Michoacan, the cradle of La Familia drug cartel.
Attackers drove up alongside Revuelta as he headed home and opened fire, state Attorney General Jesus Montejano said.
Revuelta tried to speed away, but only made it a few blocks before he was intercepted by two vehicles. Six gunmen got out and sprayed Revuelta's car with bullets, killing him, two bodyguards and a truck driver caught in the crossfire, Montejano said.
15 bullet holes:
An AP reporter at the scene saw the bodies of Revuelta and his bodyguards in the car, which had at least 15 bullet holes in the front windshield. Soldiers and federal police rushed to the site — just three blocks from the headquarters of the Michoacan Public Safety Department — and a helicopter circled overhead.
Soldiers and federal police have intensified their fight against La Familia since accusing the cartel of killing 18 federal agents and two soldiers since July. In the worst attack, 12 federal agents were slain and their tortured bodies piled along a roadside as a warning.
It was the boldest cartel attack yet on Mexico's government. Authorities said say La Familia was retaliating for the arrest of one of its top members.
The government has since rounded up more La Familia suspects, including Luis Ricardo Magana, who is alleged to have controlled methamphetamine shipments to the United States for the gang. Days before his capture, prosecutors detained the mother of reputed La Familia leader Servando "La Tuta" Gomez despite his threat to retaliate if police bothered his family. The woman was released after two days "for lack of evidence" of involvement in the cartel.
Calderon first launched his crackdown against drug cartels in Michoacan, sending thousands of federal police and soldiers to his home state after taking office in late 2006. Tens of thousands more have since been deployed to drug hotspots across Mexico.
Drug gang violence has since surged, claiming more than 13,500 lives, including more than 1,000 police officers.
Calderon defended his battle against drug trafficking in a speech to Congress on Wednesday. He said the government has taken on the cartels as no previous Mexican administration has dared to do.
"As never before, we have weakened the logistical and financial structure of crime," the president told legislators.
The federal Attorney General's Office, meanwhile, announced the arrest of its two top officials in Quintana Roo, a state on the Yucatan Peninsula, for allegedly protecting the Gulf and the Beltran Levya drug cartels.
Officials provided no further details on the allegations against the prosecutors, who were ordered jailed by a court Wednesday pending the investigation.
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RAP-UP REPORTS
A version of Jay-Z’s “Venus vs. Mars” surfaced last week featuring vocals from Cassie. But when the album version leaked this week, the Bad Girl had been replaced by Mrs. Carter on the hook. To make matters more confusing, only Cassie is credited in The Blueprint 3 liner notes, seen below.
This is not the first time Cassie has appeared on a Jay-Z record. She can also be heard on “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is…).” Listen to both ladies’ versions of “Venus vs. Mars” after the cut.
NY Daily News Reports
Aubrey O'Day really put her foot in her mouth this time.
The former Danity Kane member dug herself into a hole Monday night in a heated debate on Fox News' "The Sean Hannity Show" when the 25-year-old singer spewed out claims that both Adolf Hitler and Fidel Castro were "brilliant" men.
"As someone who has met [Castro]... I met him and worked with him while I was in Cuba. I'm not defending his behavior, but in many instances, but I do have to say, I will 100% agree, he's an incredibly brilliant man, he has outlived tons of our Presidents," O'Day said.
When Hannity gave the pop singer a second chance to clarify her point, O'Day reiterated, "I'm sure many murderers are brilliant people."
"Was Hitler a brilliant man?" Hannity asked.
"I don't condone Hitler one ounce, but yes, he was a brilliant man," she said. "He ran a country and convinced everyone of horrible things."
In response, Hannity shook his head and cut to Greta Van Susteren. In an effort to save what dignity she has left, O'Day issued a statement to TMZ.
"Murderers and dictators generally are some of the smartest people out there - they just use their brain power for evil purposes. I don't condone any of their evil behavior, but I was asked about their intellectual firepower... and in my opinion you can't have a low IQ and wreck [sic] that much havoc on the world," O'Day said. "What Hitler succeeded in doing, was deplorable... And I hope we never see such an abusive use of power again."
Still, despite such qualifiers, some members of the Jewish community find the singer's statements unforgivable.
Rabbi Chaim Cunin of Chabad House told TMZ, "When a woman like her uses public airwaves, with access to millions of wonderful citizens of America, and calls some of the most despicable, unspeakable hatemongers of history brilliant, then something is lacking with her intelligence. This is a constant reminder of how careful we need to be when we talk about hate, because hatred is always present."
He added, "We need to make sure we are careful and that hatred doesn't rear its ugly head. I'd like for her to think about some older Holocaust survivor having that comment beamed into their home while they are enjoying the freedom that this beautiful country provides and having to listen to her disgusting comments."
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Roger Stephens
KTLA Reports
Police say a 61-year-old man annoyed with a crying 2-year-old girl at a Wal-Mart slapped the child several times after warning the toddler's mother to keep her quiet.
A police report says after the stranger hit the girl at least four times, he said: "See, I told you I would shut her up."
Roger Stephens of Stone Mountain is charged with felony cruelty to children.
Authorities say the girl and her mother were shopping Monday when the toddler began crying.
The police report says Stephens approached the mother and said, "If you don't shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you."
Authorities say after Stephens slapped the girl, she began screaming.
The mother then called for security.
The girl suffered some redness in the face but was otherwise okay.
Stephens is currently being held without bond.
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ABC2NEWS Reports
Linday Lohan has turned down a close to $1 million offer to pose nude for Playboy magazine.
The Mean Girls star was previously approached by editors at Hugh Hefner's men's magazine to strip off for Playboy's 55th anniversary issue in 2008, but stated she wasn't interested.
The publication's bosses refused to give up and reportedly approached Lohan recently with a new proposal.
But the actress, who bared all for a provocative New York magazine spread early in 2008, has declined the invitation once more.
Her representative tells GossipCop.com, "She's not considering it right now.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 2, 2009 at 12:30pm
HipHopWired Reports
The Black Eyed Peas are riding high after breaking the Billboard record for longest act on the top 100 with their successful singles, “I Gotta Feeling” and “Boom Boom Pow.” Unfortunately for the chart topping group, someone's stepped up to shoot them down. A former employee on the Peas' concert tour is suing the band for an undisclosed amount of damages. Winter Sumpter claims that she was severely injured during band's 2007 “Black Blue & You” Tour. During the band's Burbank, California performance, Sumpter says she fell through a flight of stairs when “one of the treads became detached.”
In her court claim she says she suffered “severe and permanent injuries” and was left with “mental, physical, nervous pain and suffering.” Of course she's pointing the finger at the Peas for her clumsiness but she's not stopping there. She is also asking for a handout from their tour manager, and other concert officials. You know what they say; more money, more problems.
Despite the shady lawsuit, the Peas can crown themselves victorious overseas after a ban on one of their concerts was lifted. The band made headlines after Malaysian officials banned Muslim citizens from attending their upcoming concert in the country. Now however, that ban has been lifted and all citizens of Malaysia are free to attend at their will. The ban was put in place because the concert is sponsored by the Irish beer company, Guinness. Muslims are denounced from using alcohol as part of their Islamic law. Muslim officials have yet to provide a reason why the ban was lifted but they are imposing strict rules. Guinness will not be allowed to sell their product at the concert or use its logo for publicity. The concert is part of the beer company's 250th anniversary.
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For those who have an intravenous Internet hookup, Jay-Z's long-delayed, much-anticipated "Blueprint 3" leaked sometime in the wee hours Monday morning and made it's debut Tuesday on Rhapsody's and MTV's websites. We listened to the entirety of Sean Carter's 11th album in one fell swoop -- not even taking a break to sip overpriced Champagne, smoke overpriced cigars or take our Maybach out for a leisurely spin. That's either dedication or... a paying assignment from our editor.
"What We Talkin' About" (ft. Luke Steele of Empire of the Sun)
Jay-Z has enlisted Luke Steele of Australian hairspray techno auteurs Empire of the Sun to sing the hook. For those doing the math at home, that means that the man behind this album has more face-time on a Jay-Z album than longtime collaborators DJ Premier and State Property.
In the course of the cut, Jay-Z claims, "I'm not talking about profit; I'm talking about pain." Within 30 seconds, he's bragging about being bff's with Barack Obama. Apparently, Jay-Z feels the pain of the potential loss of the public option more than we will ever know. Hova also declares "I'm not talking about [rivals] Jimmy [Jones], Game or Dame [Dash]," thus robbing him of any semblance of conflict that might make his music that much more interesting.
"Thank You"
Rather than use the liner notes, Jay-Z decides to write a song thanking the fans for supporting him. He mentions that he has 10 No. 1 albums -- a factual inaccuracy. He has 10 official solo albums released prior to this one, and not all reached No. 1. You'd think that with all of his money, he could at least pay sidekick Memphis Bleek to fact-check for him. He also mentions his predilection for wearing really nice suits and going to the opera.
"D.O.A."
The long-ago leaked first single proves that no matter how cranky and cantankerous Jay-Z sounds, a Janko Nilovic sample can salve all wounds. Moreover, whether you agree or not with his traditionalist stance, Jay at least has a coherent point here.
"Run this Town" (ft. Rihanna & Kanye West)
The second single currently earning heavy urban radio play. You've probably heard it. If not, let me give you a hint about who runs this town -- it rhymes with May-B.
"Empire State of Mind" (ft. Alicia Keys)
Essentially, a list of New York City streets with the titular inspiration seemingly swiped from Nas' "New York State of Mind." For the 723rd time, Jay-Z compares himself to Frank Sinatra, an analogue that's becoming ill-fitting. There's something timeless about Sinatra's catalog and his choice of collaborators. Something tells me that Mr. Hudson, featured on the last track of "Blueprint 3," is no Antonio Carlos Jobim. Even Alicia Keys can't save this track from foundering.
"Real as it Gets" (ft. Young Jeezy)
This feels like a shameless shill to get Southern rap fans to buy the album, lured by the promise of a Young Jeezy cameo. When used properly, Jeezy's gravelly timbre can produce earthshaking force; but on "Real," the result is both rappers abandoning their gritty street raps for self-worshiping ennui. It's hard to blame them; it's tough to stay hungry when you have a personal chef.
"On to the Next One" (ft. Swizz Beatz)
The first track yet that doesn't make me want to skip onto the next one. Swizz Beatz is clearly channeling "A Milli," and while he doesn't get the exact same results, he clearly creates one of the album's standout tracks, sounding simultaneously au courant and catchy. Jay-Z continues his recurring obsession with being artistically progressive and moving forward.
"Off That" (ft. Drake)
Timbaland's beat sounds like one of the better castoffs from the last Justin Timberlake album, and Drake's hook is cool and self-assured. But there's something here that reads as stasis: Timbaland continues to envision the future as silver suits and astronaut ice cream, while Jay sounds like he would probably try to lecture the “Say Hey” kid for wearing tight pants.
"A Star is Born" (ft. J. Cole)
Featuring a guest appearance from J. Cole, the fledgling artist whom Jay-Z has signed to Roc Nation. Cole acquits himself fine with a nimble resonant verse about coming from poverty, though his performance lacks the appeal of past Jay proteges Beanie Sigel, Kanye West or Memphis Bleek.
"Venus vs. Mars"
A naked play to entice female listeners, with Timbaland delivering a monstrous beat. Unfortunately, Jay utilizes the lurid leering tone of the rich guy at the bar promising helicopter rides to any nubile female who will look in his direction. In 10 years, "Venus vs. Mars," will go down in history as the first rap song ever inspired by a self-help romance guide intended to illuminate gender differences. I can't wait until Drake releases his prog-rap opus, "He's Just Not That Into You."
"Already Home" (ft. Kid Cudi)
The most organic and hence best song on the album. Kanye fulfills his symphonic "Late Registration"-era aspirations and Jay fills it with regnant "Blueprint" majesty. The decision to pair up with Kid Cudi and Kanye West finally yields some dividends for Jay's experimentation. Granted, it's not exactly the London Muddy Waters Sessions, but it works. Kid Cudi's stoned insularity proves a nice foil to Jay's swagger and the song sounds fun and spontaneous.
"Hate" (ft. Kanye West)
The logical continuation of the "Graduation" dud "Drunk and Hot Girls," "Hate" sounds like the result of staying up all night in the studio mixing various liquors and then letting the tape recorder roll. You're in that deluded state where you think that everything you record is genius and filled with revelations. Then you wake up the next morning to realize that except for three seconds, everything you made was garbage. Except that never happened, and Jay and Kanye decided to put it on the album.
"Reminder"
Where Jay-Z reminds us that he's better than you and me. Presumably, this is supposed to even out the hospitality of "Thank You."
"So Ambitious" (ft. Pharrell)
Apparently, all ambition means these days is making songs that both Pharrell and Jay would've scoffed at during their "Roc La Familia"-era salad days.
"Young Forever" (ft. Mr. Hudson)
Sampling "Forever Young" on the the final track is one of the worst decisions of Jay-Z's legendary career and confirms everyone's deepest fears about the album: that it's a Hail Mary attempt by a veteran artist to stay relevant. There's maturing gracefully and then there's this -- a maudlin cut that sounds like bar mitzvah montage rap. After hearing this, cleanse with "Brooklyn's Finest" on repeat.
Verdict:
Regardless of this lackluster effort, nothing can alter Jay-Z's place as one of the greatest rappers of all time. That said, despite several strong moments, "Blueprint 3" documents an artist who refuses to wallow in the past, but lacks a (ahem) blueprint for the future. As with all Jay-Z albums, it tries to be all things to all people, and occasionally succeeds, but more often than not, it offers a tepid futurism. If Jay-Z is rap's Rolling Stones, this is his "Dirty Work," even if he maintains that he doesn't like his colors too bright.
LA Times ReviewRead more…
Porn Star, Pinky from pinkyxxx.com speaks on when she became such a freak and how far she will allow herself to go on camera. Graphic language.
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MTV Reports
You might have seen her getting down in music videos, but Mya said she still has a lot to learn before she shimmies and shakes on "Dancing With the Stars" starting September 21.
"So far, rehearsals have been really tough," she told MTV News. "So it's kind of like reversing my thinking, 'cause hip-hop is so loose and not structured, and tap is so loose and close to the ground and not structured, so it's so different. I have a lot of work to do in reversing how I think. And I have a lot of partner work to do, so I hope it doesn't hurt me. But I think music and musicality is going to help me stay on the beat."
Mya's dance partner, Dmitry Chaplin, is making sure he's supporting her every step of the way. "He's really nice and patient, thankfully. He's a pleasure," she said. "He's very talented."
Mya said Chaplin is also helping her get all the basics down before she can do any fancy footwork. "He's doing these drills every day to get me to learn the basics first, 'cause he tells me I can't possibility learn a routine and perform in front of professionals if I don't know the basics," she explained. "So we're really at the beginning point of learning basics and the waltz and the cha-cha. We haven't really moved far beyond that. He's taught me, like, two small combinations."
Mya admitted that, aside from learning the dances, she's also scared she might hurt herself in the process. "I had to change my shoes yesterday, 'cause my heels were starting to hurt — and keep in mind that everything was in heels," she said. "I had a foot fracture last year, and I've had injuries in the past. That's what my worst fear is. To get injured ... is something I'm nervous about."
She might be nervous, but she's also excited to get to know the other celebrities dancing this season — one of whom she was surprised to learn would be on the show. "I didn't think it was in her personality to do something like this, but it's great that she is," she said of rock progeny Kelly Osbourne. "And I actually met her last night, and she's very cute and funny, so she's very sweet. I was just surprised, 'cause she's more of a rebel to me."
Mya can take comfort in knowing that she has someone to rely on if she should need some advice somewhere along the way: her "Lady Marmalade" co-star Lil' Kim, who competed last season. "She was so good!" she said about Kim. "I haven't spoken to her [for advice], but she did say she was going to come out and support me."
WXYZ Reports
CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) - The criminal is finding new and legal ways to victimize the people he ripped off and threatened to kill.
"Ridiculous," says a loyal and longtime customer of Nick's Short Stop Party Store in Clinton Township, that 22-year-old Scott Thomas Zeilinski is suing the store owner and some of the clerks after he, Zeilinski, was shot during an armed robbery.
Zeilinski is serving an 8-22 year sentence for the robbery that happened in November of 2007. According to police and court records, Zeilinski came in wearing a mask and carrying a knife that he put to the throats of several employees, threatening to kill them before stealing cigarettes and cash. As he was leaving--reportedly still making threats--one of the young clerks grabbed a gun and shot him in the arm and back. Zeilinski's lawyer says his client is asking in excess of $125,000 for pain and suffering and emotional distress.
Since the robbery the store owner has spent thousands of dollars on security to keep his employees safe. He says he is hoping nothing like this ever happens again.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 1, 2009 at 12:41pm
Marsha speaks on working with Just Blaze and Dre for her new album and the difference between working on a solo project as opposed to her work with Floetry.
Also, footage from her August 2009 performance at the legendary SOB's in NY!
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 1, 2009 at 12:00pm
HipHopWired Reports
VH1's hit documentary “Behind The Music” is back, and this time with a lineup featuring some of the most iconic figures in Hip-Hop and R&B. VH1 announced the full lists of artists featured on the program Tuesday including Bobby Brown, T.I., 50 Cent and Lil Wayne.
The series kicks off with Wayne's story on Thursday, September 10 with the baby daddy of Nivea, Lauren London, Antonia Carter and an unidentified college student giving viewers a look into his trippy world. The serial baby maker divulges details to the VH1 cast of his childhood and past including his first experimentation with drugs and introduction into Cash Money.
Following Wayne's special, viewers can prepare themselves for Behind The Music: Bobby Brown. Debuting on September 24, Brown's episode should be especially interesting as the former New Edition member speaks on his infamous love affair with drugs and divorce from megastar Whitney Houston.
Next up, is the story of ATL's locked up legend and “King of the South”, T.I., on October 8. T.I.'s story was recorded months before he began his 1 year and 1 day stint in a Federal prison for felony weapon charges and details his life up until that point. Much like his MTV Road To Redemption reality show, TIP gets gritty about his rise and fall in the game taking fans on a candid ride into his life.
Lastly, Jamaica Queen's finest and successful Hip-Hop impresario, 50 Cent, tells his story on October 13. 50 relays the infamous near death experience that left him riddled with nine bullets and his contentious beginnings as a hustler on New York street corners. He contrasts those experiences with the enormous success of his albums, Get Rich or Die Trying and The Massacre and achievements of his G Unit Empire.
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HipHopWired Reports
Super producer turned movie director QD3 is gearing to unleash a barrage of DVD projects in the next few months. Taking a break from the highly successful Beef DVD series, QD3 told Hip-Hop Wired exclusively:
“We got a Lil' Wayne film that we just finished that we took to Sundance that'll be coming out real soon and then we have two other films. One that's about urban skateboarding called Concrete Jungle with guys like T.K. (Terry Kennedy) blowing up. We did a documentary on that because we felt like the whole skate movement is a real nice alternative to see another opportunity for inner city kids. Just like basketball and Hip-Hop, it's another lane for us to take now. We want to help accelerate that movement in a big way and urban skateboarding is huge in California for sure.”
QD3 also connected with Hip-Hop stars including Young Buck, Mobb Deep's Prodigy, Fat Joe and Mos Def for another shocking documentary. He stated to Hip-Hop Wired:
"We did another one called Number One With A Bullet which is about gun violence in the Hip-Hop community. It's done from a different perspective. In this movie… a lot of time rappers will act like it didn't hurt when they got shot and its a lot of bravado involved especially when they show it in music videos so in this film we're trying to show the other side. We have artist tell the real story and talk about the recovery. We have doctors and psychologists and artists themselves telling the story of what really happened in an effort to sort of deglamorize gun violence. By the time you get finish watching this movie, you're not gonna want to see guns at all.
After talking with the artists you'll definitely get the message that there's another side to gun violence than what you hear in the songs a lot of times. It humanizes it and CNN came to one of the screenings and said, "They've never seen Hip-Hop artist speak in this way before.” It was a completely different look. We spoke with a lot of the guys from G-Unit. We got B-Real in the movie, Ice Cube, Obie Trice and a whole bunch of other people.”
QD3 also made headlines several months back after legal battles over his authorized feature documentary The Carter, which focuses on the life of Lil' Wayne. After the film was completed, Wayne filed a lawsuit over “scandalous portrayal” and stated that he was supposed to receive final approval over the film before its showing and that some footage could be detrimental to his reputation and career…in particular him sipping syrup throughout the film. The case eventually was rejected. Not focusing on the negative, QD3 maintained, “I can't really speak on that but I think a lot of that was just miscommunication.” He further added to Hip-Hop Wired:
“The main thing that the documentary shows… I think a lot of people would imagine that Wayne is hanging out in clubs with a bunch of women and drinking champagne and that sort of thing. But I would say the main thing you learn when you watch the film is that Wayne is a workaholic. Straight up. After seeing this I think a lot of people will respect his process a lot more. We were with him like 7 or 8 months before he went platinum and then maybe two months after. That's the period we were shooting him for and I remember one day when he got a text from Sylvia Rhone that he went platinum, he was like, “O.K.” He didn't even flinch. He was “O.K., cool” and “get off my bus, I gotta record.”
His whole thing is he's like tireless worker and a lot of people will be very surprised how he's 100% dedicated to his craft and he's also daring like when he's on stage and in the studio, like there's no boundaries for him creatively. I think when people see it they're gonna have a whole different type of respect for him seeing him so young and successful yet staying truly focused on being good and becoming better. That's the main thing and it's not a whole lot of ego or fanfare about who he is as a star in the film at all. Wayne stays on his bus and he's got a recording studio up there and that's his life. So even if he pulls up at a hotel, sometimes he'll be on the bus just to record.
I really gained a lot of respect for him in that regard in terms of how he approaches his records and then how hard he works. I would have to say…I worked with Tupac a lot and I feel like he may end up with a bigger catalogue than Tupac if he hasn't already. That kid works, he's a hard worker, super focused and doesn't get caught up in the industry like that. He just stays in the studio all the time.”
Check out the trailers below for The Carter and Number One With A Bullet.
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