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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NewsDay Reports
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Police in Las Vegas say they're searching boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s Rolls-Royce at his home after witnesses reported it was involved in a shooting outside an ice skating rink.
Lt. Patrick Charoen said Monday that police obtained a warrant to search the vehicle at one of Mayweather's Las Vegas-area homes after the shooting late Sunday night outside the Crystal Palace Skating Center.
Charoen (shar OHN') says no one was hurt in the shooting, but a vehicle was hit with several bullets between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Mayweather isn't named as a suspect. Charoen says witnesses only identified his vehicle, which drove away.
The 32-year-old Mayweather is scheduled to fight a welterweight bout Sept. 19 against Juan Manuel Marquez.
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NY Daily News Reports
Sorry Heidi, you're no Britney Spears.
Heidi Montag's first "live" performance of her single, "Body Language," on Sunday's Miss Universe competition was nothing short of embarrassing and entertaining.
Though the "Hills" star assured the show's host Billy Bush on Twitter that her performance would "be as live as can be," Montag took a page straight out of Spear's lip-synching routines and delivered a sorry show.
According to TMZ, pageant staffers were concerned the reality star turned singer wouldn't be able to deliver the show because she "can't remember the lyrics" to her own song.
The source added that Montag, who appeared to have used the same costumer who created Spears' 2000 MTV Video Music Awards outfit, looked "like a train wreck" and "can't dance."
Despite endless hours of rehearsing in the dance studio, this is where the buxom blonde's comparison with Spears ends.
Montag's lack of rhythm couldn't even pull off the weak choreography in the performance, which thanks to NBC, was edited out to introduce the 15 finalists.
But at least she has her family to count on as fans! Montag's sister-in-law, Stephanie Pratt, wrote on Twitter, "U embodied my hero Britney Spears... You are an unbeliveable performer!!! Wow!! U looked so hot too :)"
While it is unknown how many more performances Montag will force audiences to watch, she remains hopeful about her new foray into singing.
"I think people don't know what to expect, and how can they? It's my first performance live and it's in front of a billion eyes," Montag told the Associated Press before performing. "So I'm very excited to show everyone what I'm coming with."
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AllHipHop Reports
Lauren Raysor, the attorney responsible for prosecuting rapper Remy Ma, has called a press conference today (August 24) New York challenging record labels to curb the violence in Hip-Hop culture.
Raysor will use the press conference to request that all labels create a morality clause in their contracts, which means an artist’s deal would be terminated for any acts seen as objectionable to society.
Two years ago, Raysor represented Makeda Barnes-Joseph against her former close friend Remy Ma (Reminisce Smith).
Remy was sentenced to 8 years in prison on assault, illegal weapon possession, and attempted coercion after shooting Joseph in the abdomen.
According to a representative for Raysor, the “morality clause” concept would not be a device to target Hip-Hop artists, but a contract item to ensure all musicians consider the career ramifications for any violent acts.
"Lauren P. Raysor is asking all record companies to insert a 'morality clause' in their contracts with all artists, not just rap and Hip-Hop artists, as a way to show them there are consequences for their actions,” the spokesman said.
Accompanying Raysor will be Nicole Bailey, principal of the Learning Tree Multi-Cultural School.
At press time, attorney Raysor also plans to present an extensive timeline displaying all the major violent confrontations pertaining to Hip-Hop artists
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Right near the high school where he became a phenomenon, the NBA's reigning MVP hosted a screening of the documentary, "More Than A Game," a film about James' ascent to superstardom and the four childhood friends who helped him get there.
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BallerStatus Reports
Rapper Common and his "friends" have signed on to headline the second annual "Common & Friends" concert at the Hollywood Palladium in September 26.
In addition to Common, the "friends" on deck include The Roots, De La Soul, Ludacris, Nas, plus "huge special guests," reads the event's flyer.
The show is being put together to raise funds for the Common Ground Foundation, created by actor and hip-hop artist Lonnie Rashid Lynn, also known as Common.
"For the second year in a row, Common and the biggest artists in hip-hop will come out and lend their support for the Common Ground Foundation," said Executive Director, Jodie Blum. "With proceeds from this amazing event, we are able to raise much needed funds to empower youth in the United States."
Tickets for the event are already on sale through LiveNation.com. Tickets are $100 for general admission and $200 for VIP Balcony seating.
According to the organization's press release: the Common Ground Foundation is "committed to the empowerment and development of urban youth in the United States. The Foundation's vision serves as an inspiration for equality, opportunity and hope among youth in underserved communities."
For more information, visit CommonGroundFoundation.org.
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The Telegraph UK Reports
The manhunt for the 32-year-old was stepped up as authorities intensified their search around his parents' homes in Canada.
Police believe he had been in contact with his divorced parents shortly after the murder of Jasmine Fiore, his wife.
It is not known whether they knew he was on the run from police when he made contact, but law enforcement sources said they had assisted him.
Mr Jenkins is suspected of strangling Fiore and then reporting her missing the evening of Aug 15 before fleeing.
Mr Jenkins and Fiore met in Las Vegas in March and married a few weeks later. The couple separated shortly afterward, but had reportedly recently reconciled.
Fiore's body was found in a rubbish bin in Buena Park an Orange County city about 20 miles south-east of Los Angeles. Her teeth had been pulled out and her fingers cut off, apparently to impede her identification. Investigators used the serial numbers on her breast implants to identify her, a spokesman for the Orange County's district attorney's office said.
Authorities believe Mr Jenkins, a millionaire property developer who appeared on the VH1 show "Megan Wants a Millionaire", fled via car, boat and on foot to enter his native Canada.
Investigators said his father's private jet flew from Honduras to the US around the time Mr Jenkins made his escape.
They believe he has been in contact with his mother, who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, and, despite the international manhunt, she has allegedly been assisting him.
His father has a home in Calgary, and authorities in the city have been alerted to watch for Mr Jenkins.
The last confirmed sighting of Mr Jenkins was on Wednesday night, when he led authorities on a high-speed boat chase on the US-Canada border.
After eluding the coast guard, using a cutter and a helicopter, he led a speedboat at a marina on the Canadian-US border and fled on foot.
The US Marshals Service has issued a $25,000 reward for information leading to Mr Jenkins' arrest.
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