HipHopWired Reports
Slaughterhouse is still in full effect even though their album has released. On the solo tip, Crooked I is the next to step up as he is preparing his EP titled Pig Face Weapon Waist which is slated to drop September 2 through digital download.
Speaking with Joell Ortiz, HipHopWired was able to gain insight on the movements and the strategic planning behind every solo and group release that they have in store.
“Nothing will be sporadic when dealing with anything Slaughterhouse. It will all be in sequence; it will all be timed. We're not one of those groups to just put things out and it's all going to be thought out and planned and we're going to make sure that in 2010, people are going to be talking about us.”
For those that question the title of the EP, it is actually the alter-ego of the West Coast rapper as he has done stage performances with a pig mask on and was dressed in a Dickie suit. For those that are still scratching their heads and are still puzzled, hey…it must be creativity and expression of the artist.
The digital release will feature the likes of K-Young, Tha Outlawz' EDI and of course another posse cut from the growing sensation that is Slaughterhouse.
“Guess Who's Back” will serve as the first single for the release and will find him pairing up with Snoop Dogg on the track. Clearly the two have been able to put the past behind them and see the light at the end of the tunnel as Snoop, once released from Death Row Records, had his beef with Suge Knight. At the time of the beef, Crooked was under the record label which fueled an unknown rivalry between the two.
In regards to the tension, Crooked stated that a call was made from Snoop and a one on one showed that there was actually no beef between the two and only miscommunication. In the end, business outweighs everything and anything that can promote good business will be fully taken advantage of. With collaborations such as this, the West may soon be able to resurrect itself and lead the charge once again.
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HipHopWired Reports
Still fresh off the release of the album, Loso's Way, Brooklyn bred rapper Fabolous is already back in the studio to bring a sequel to his DJ Drama Mixtape, There Is No Competition, which was released back in February. As with the album having a movie accompany it, the mixtape will do double time as it will be a double disc mixtape.
He has also stretched his arms out to his upbringing with Desert Storm as he will also be bringing DJ Clue along for the ride for the upcoming release. Drama will hold everything down on the first disc and Clue will take charge of the second disc.
Fabolous first got his major push through his extensive work with DJ Clue and even started the idea of embodying Carlito's Way when he released the mixtape Loso's Way: Rise To Power back in 2006 which made reference to the prequel to Carlito's Way which starred Jay Hernandez and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
News broke through a Twitter from Fabolous:
"Also started workin on the There Is No Competition 2.. Double disc mixtape. One side @djdrama, One side @therealdjclue..
Niceeeeee!!!"
As of now, there is no release date, but if it is anything like the first dose that was served up, the wait will be worth it.
Fab also started his five-city Classic Remix Concert Series yesterday with a show in New York City. The event was planned through help from Hot 97, Cornerstone and Footlocker. This has all come as a part of the deal the rapper made with Reebok. The series will also see him performing throwback and new material in New Orleans, Miami, Houston and ending in Atlanta, Georgia on September 3.
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Connecticut Post Reports
MILFORD -- An Orange police officer was charged Friday with posing as his twin brother to trick a 25-year-old woman into having sex with him at his parents' Milford home last month.
Officer Jared Rohrig, 25, of Flax Mill Lane, has been on paid administrative leave from his job since July 23, pending the outcome of an internal investigation, said Orange Police Chief Robert Gagne.
The unnamed woman told police July 22 that she was sexually assaulted July 19 at the Rohrig home, where she went to meet Joe Rohrig, Jared's identical twin.
The woman had been having a sexual relationship with Joe Rohrig since March, and on July 19 she talked on the phone with someone she believed was him and agreed to meet at his house, according to a search warrant.
When she arrived, she got into the hot tub with the Rohrig brother she believed was Joe, began kissing him and agreed to go to an upstairs bedroom with him.
But as they were having sex, the warrant states, she noticed something missing: the cowboy tattoo on Joe's left buttocks was not there.
The woman "immediately began to cry and asked him where his tattoo went," the warrant states. "The male replied that he had never had a tattoo and told her that she must have hooked up with his brother who had a tattoo." The female victim realized at this point that this was not the person that she had previously had sexual relations with."
She told police that at that point she got out of bed and tried to leave, but the man "grabbed her arms and threw her on the bed, where she continued to cry," and he continued having sex with her, the warrant states.
When the woman told Jared Rohrig to get off her, he allegedly put a pillow over her face, and while it did not prevent her from breathing, she felt "scared and claustrophobic," according to the warrant.
Her attempts to push him off were unsuccessful "because he was too strong and she gave up," the warrant states.
Later, the man -- still claiming to be Joe Rohrig -- drove the woman home in Jared Rohrig's pickup truck, but could not find the way, even though Joe had previously visited there several times, she told police.
Jared Rohrig allegedly told the woman that his brother, Joe, who had a steady girlfriend, did not want to meet her that day, but "he told me to go for it."
She told police she later received a text message from Joe's cell phone, the same one Jared had allegedly used to speak with her earlier, and the message read: "I want to apologize for what my brother did last night. I had no idea what was going on until this morning."
Jared Rohrig, hired by the Orange Police Department on July 11, 2008, is still in the department's 18-month probationary period and is not a member of the police union, Gagne said.
Jared Rohrig surrendered to police Friday and posted $50,000 bond. He is to be arraigned on charges of first-degree sexual assault and criminal impersonation Sept. 8 in Milford Superior Court.
A telephone call to Rohrig's Milford lawyer, Thomas Lynch, was not immediately returned.
A graduate of Jonathan Law High School, Rohrig is the son of Joanne Rohrig, a Republican member of the Board of Education, and the family owns Lasses Restaurant and catering in Milford.
A separate investigation into anonymous allegations that adults served alcohol to minors at a July 12 graduation party at the Rohrig residence has determined those charges to be "unfounded," said Milford Police Chief Keith Mello.
There was no evidence substantiating the claims, Mello said, adding that investigation showed "the family went to significant steps" to avoid giving minors access to alcohol at the party.
"The female victim looked at the male and asked, 'When did you think I was going to find out? When I realized you didn't have a tattoo? When we didn't use Joe's car to drive home? Or when you didn't know how to get to my house because you've never been there?' " the warrant states.
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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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