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The Los Angeles Dodgers, financially bedridden by the shaky stewardship of Frank McCourt, leaped out of their hospital bed Tuesday night, and are doing cartwheels out the front door today.

The Dodgers finally are on the verge of a new owner. A magical owner. A man who can instantly restore the credibility bridge that had been torched between a proud franchise and its fans.

A group led by former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson -- along with MLB and NBA executive Stan Kasten, and Peter Guber, head of Mandalay Entertainment, and financed by Mark Walter, CEO of Guggenheim Partners (a Chicago-based financial services firm) -- agreed to buy the Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt for $2.15 billion, a deal that includes the Chavez Ravine parking lots.

The deal came swiftly after MLB approved the three finalists Tuesday, and if the cash deal is approved by the judge overseeing the Dodgers' bankruptcy, the price will easily be the most ever paid for a professional sports team. The record is the $1.4 billion purchase price for the Manchester United soccer team, and the most paid for a North American sports franchise was $1.15 billion in 2009 for the Miami Dolphins. It was just four years ago when the Chicago Cubs was the most paid for a baseball franchise at $845 million.

No wonder MLB executives are holding their breath and hoping there are no poison pills in the deal; once it goes through, everybody's franchise value just went soaring.

The only guy happier than McCourt, who paid $430 million for his team in 2004, was Mets owner Fred Wilpon. His troubled franchise is now worth a whole lot more than a day ago.

Now, with New York hedge fund king Steve Cohen losing out in his bid along with St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke, Cohen could step in and offer a deal that Wilpon can't resist.

And perhaps no one is kicking themselves more than Jamie McCourt, who must be paid $131 million by April 30 in the divorce with her ex-husband. If she knew that her ex would get this kind of money for the Dodgers, she sure would have asked for a whole lot more dough.

The Johnson-Kasten group must now close the deal by April 30, explain why McCourt still will have a say in their joint venture on the parking lots on non-game days, and perhaps divulge whether Fox TV or Time Warner has agreed to have an investment stake in exchange for local broadcast rights.

Cohen had the top bid just a week ago at $1.6 billion, which included the parking lots, and suddenly, his offer was blown away by a staggering bid, one which had top MLB officials scratching their heads.

In the meantime, the Dodgers are celebrating, with their biggest star, Matt Kemp, tweeting: "Good day 4 the @dodgers! The great @magicjohnson is the new owner!! Let's start a dynasty baby!!''

Well, let's start paying a few bills first, pour in $250 million to $300 million to upgrade the decaying 50-year stadium, and then worry about jacking up their payroll.

It's too late for the new ownership group, with Kasten becoming president of the team, to do anything about this year's roster. The free agents are gone. The team is set. And their biggest impact will be made at the trade deadline where they likely would be able to afford anyone, particularly with a monstrous TV deal coming their way.

This, after all, is what the deal is all about.

Magic and Kasten and their financial group don't buy this team if the Dodgers still are locked into an outdated TV contract. If the Lakers are worth $4 billion to Time Warner, what in the world could the Dodgers bring with twice as many games?

Yet, before Dodger fans envision George Steinbrenner in their heads, buying every free agent in their land, this group likely will be financially responsible. Check out Kasten's record. He used to be president of the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves. They never spent wildly on a free agent under his watch.

And Magic didn't become a rich man because of his basketball skills. He's wealthy because of his business sense. And you don't lend your name, a few bucks and most important your reputation, if you don't plan on turning a profit.

Let's put it this way, Magic didn't jump into this business venture because of his love for the Dodgers. It's not like he's spotted at Dodger Stadium as often as, say, Kemp might be spotted courtside at Staples Center.

Yet, it's his name that has Dodger fans rejoicing in LA today, and the Dodger players lining up to at least get a few autographs.

The Dodger front office is excited for the stability, but understandably, wary. They have no ties to Kasten. Kasten has no ties to them. General manager Ned Colletti and his front office, along with general manager Don Mattingly have one year to prove themselves.

That's not a bad thing because this is a talented team that suddenly has no excuses. The Dodgers have drawn rave reviews from scouts all spring, and should be a contender in the NL West. If they fall short, and aren't in the race in September, heads could roll, with Colletti in the final year of his contact, anyways.

Kasten will be calling the shots, not Magic. He was president of the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks in the NBA and even the NHL Atlanta Thrashers. He was the one who hired Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz, and turned a downtrodden Braves' franchise into a dynasty, winning 14 consecutive division titles. He resigned from his three president jobs in 2003, became the Nationals' president in 2006, and resigned again after the 2010 season searching for the ideal opportunity.

Kasten found it.

He will focus on player development, not free agency. He will stress continuity, not splashy headlines. And he will demand perfection.

Money will not be a problem, but the ownership group certainly won't use it to magically cure their woes.

First, it's time to restore the team's legacy, reconnecting with their abused fans, and resurrecting the franchise's legacy.

This is a start, and for $2 billion, a new chapter is beginning in Los Angeles.

The turmoil is finally over.

Finally, the Dodgers can focus on baseball again.

Source: USA Today

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We've seen Street King energize the likes of Mike Tyson and Deepak Chopra already, next up is Joan Rivers. In the latest commercial for the energy drink, 50 wanted people get a comedic view of what happens when you take a rich character who hits the gym often wearing "athletic-inspired diva wear," but has no energy and give her a sip of Street King.

"It's exciting, it has a lot of humor to it. It has an interesting concept. Me and my partner came up with it," 50 told Access Hollywood. "It has a lot of different layers to it, for something that has to happen in 30 seconds. Joan is a big part of it. She has a great sense of humor so she's able to do it different ways than what was initially written."

Rivers gave herself the nickname "34 Cents" while on the set of the commercial she told AH. She also talked about the idea behind the shoot which went down Tuesday at Planet Fitness in Harlem.

“The premise of the commercial is I have no energy, I drink the drink, and I’m ready for fun,” explained Rivers.

Check out the footage below.

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Ryan Leslie will be releasing his highly anticipated visual album Les Is More on June 5th. The super producer/singer/rapper revealed the information while talking to a fan on Twitter Monday.

According to HipHop-N-More, guests on the album include 50 Cent, Young Jeezy, Kanye West and Pusha T.

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2 Chainz and Meek Mill "Stunt" in Tity Boi's latest video.

The G Fresh produced track is off of his T.R.U. REALigion mixtape.

Directed by Alex Nazari

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They say timing is everything and in the case of Mystikal and G-Unit that is very true. In an interview with AllHipHop, Mystikal reveals that had he gotten out of prison on parole sooner than he did, he would have been wearing a G-Unit cap instead of Cash Money's.

"Before I was released I was talking to lawyers back then. I had the opportunity to get on G-Unit South back then," Mystikal said. "I was excited about that opportunity. I was going up for parole. Had I got out I would have been G-Unit like a motherf*cker."

Do you think Mystikal would have been a good fit for the Unit?

Spotted at HHNM

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Papoose stopped by Tony Touch's Shade 45 show recently to bless him with a freestyle for "Toca Tuesdays."

Check it out below.

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2 Chainz is getting ready to drop another music video from his T.R.U. REALigion mixtape.

"Riot" was produced by DJ Spinz

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Here is the official covert art for T.I.'s new single for his first album since being released from prison, Trouble Man.

"Love This Life" is produced by 1500 Or Nothin and will be released on April 2nd.

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Elle Varner is one of r&b's hottest new voices. "Refill" is her latest single from her upcoming debut album Perfectly Imperfect, which will be released later this year.

Check it out below.

Yelawolf is on the mend from a ruptured spleen. The injury was major enough that the Alabama rapper says he lost 1/3 of his blood inside his body and was in ICU for two days.

Now that he's on the mend he wanted to say thanks to his fans for the well wishes and support.

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In what seems like just a couple of months Azealia Banks has gone from a name many hip hop fans didn't recognize to one that people can't stop mentioning. A public beef with Iggy Azalea, a hit song with "212" and a tendency to say whatever is on her mind will do that for a person if they can pull it off. By all accounts, Azealia can hold her own.

GQ caught up with Azealia for an interview and photo shoot. Check that out below.

Azealia Banks broke through with the indelible black-andwhite video for her goofily raunchy song "212," in which she spits merciless rhymes out of the juiciest lips since Angelina Jolie's. The clip, shot cheaply and on the fly, went viral (4 million hits and counting), earning her a record deal with Interscope, a top-ten spot on Pitchfork's best songs of 2011, and a laundry list of boldfaced fans, including Kanye West, Gwyneth Paltrow, Karl Lagerfeld (who hired her for a party at his home), and Lady Gaga's style guru, Nicola Formichetti, who will direct Banks's next video.

The Harlem-born 20-year-old seems almost aggressively unastonished by the attention. "I definitely have more money and sh*t," she admits, "but that's all virtual stuff. I've been making music for a while. And I could read about myself on the Internet for a while." And meeting the likes of Kanye? "It's cool, but they're just people. The skies don't part and glow orange." As Banks begins recording her first album, is she listening to anyone for inspiration? "Everyone," she says, but mostly "Azealia Banks."

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Things are going well for A$AP Rocky. His debut album is highly anticipated and he's become someone kids look up to for fashion tips and his work ethic.

Punchbowl TV recently caught up with the Harlem MC to chop it up about what he's been up to lately.

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Trina drops her new single from her upcoming album. It's definitely a different sound for her.

Props to KarenCivil.com for the audio

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Nemo is back with special guest Lil Duval for a new episode of GGN News. The two discuss the difference between women in L.A. and Atlanta.

Are women in Atlanta too spoiled" Do men treat the females in L.A. like dirt? Find out in the video below.

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Fans of the VH1 Reality show T.I. and Tiny’s Family Hustle will be happy to know that VH1 will is bringing it back for a second season.

According to a VH1 press release the program averaged 3.5 million viewers, and paired with Basketball Wives helped VH1 rank No. 1 on Mondays during prime time with women between 18-49.

New programming for the show will start fall 2012.

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Funeral Fab drops new visuals for "She Did It."  The song is off of his latest mixtape There Is No Competition 3: Death Comes In 3's

Directed by Aristotle.

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Trayvon Martin’s parents lashed out at reports that he had been suspended from school because of drugs, graffiti and suspected burglary, accusing cops of smearing their slain son to boost his killer, George Zimmerman.

“They’ve killed my son, and now they’re trying to kill his reputation,” his mom, Sybrina Fulton, said Monday.

Police leaked Zimmerman’s version of the Feb. 26 shooting in Sanford, Fla., saying Zimmerman fired only after the 17-year-old decked him with a single punch, repeatedly smashed his head on the ground and tried to grab his gun.

Officials told ABC News that Trayvon, who had no criminal record, received a 10-day suspension from Krop High School in Miami for having an empty marijuana baggie. Authorities also told the Miami Herald that he was suspended in October, when he wrote “WTF” on a locker, and his knapsack was found to contain items of women’s jewelry and a screwdriver deemed a possible “burglary tool.”

The grieving parents said any high-school scrapes had no bearing on Trayvon being shot to death while carrying only a bag of Skittles and an iced tea.

“We take pride in our kids and it tears me apart to sit here and listen to the slander they are giving my son,” Martin said. "Even in death, they are still disrespecting my son.”

Before an evening rally of 10,000 people, the parents, along with civil rights leaders and elected officials, presented a packed meeting of the Sanford City Commission with 2 million signatures on a petition demanding Zimmerman’s arrest.

The city, which appointed a new black police chief on Monday, has insisted that Zimmerman could not be arrested because he claimed self-defense.

“You have voted no confidence in the police chief, how can you have confidence, then, on the lack of police action?” the Rev. Al Sharpton asked the commissioners.

“America is on trial today,” said the Rev. Jesse Jackson. “The whole world is watching Sanford today.”

A month after the shooting, police leaked a new version of events. Zimmerman, a self-styled neighborhood watchman, spotted Trayvon leaving his father’s fiancée’s house in an Orlando-area gated community around 7 p.m. on Feb 26 and said he decided to follow because he thought the boy looked suspicious.

The 17-year-old was wearing a hoodie in the drizzle and talking to his 16-year-old girlfriend on the phone.

She has said Trayvon told her he was being stalked, and she heard him ask Zimmerman, “Why are you following me?” Then she heard the sounds of a scuffle and the line went dead.

Phone records corroborate that she was talking to Trayvon just before he died.

Zimmerman’s version, according to the Orlando Sentinel and ABC News, is that he lost sight of Trayvon and was walking back to his car when Trayvon approached him from the left rear.

Zimmerman told police Trayvon asked him if he had a problem, and when Zimmerman said no, Trayvon said something like, “Well, you do now,” and punched him in the nose.

Zimmerman says he fell to the ground and Trayvon jumped on top of him and began slamming his head into the ground. Zimmerman then shot Trayvon once in the chest from very close range, according to authorities.

Police arrived two minutes later.

According to the police report, Trayvon was facedown in the grass with his hands beneath his body.

Zimmerman’s back was wet and covered with grass “as if he had been laying on his back on the ground,” Officer Timothy Smith wrote in the police report.

Smith said Zimmerman was bleeding from the nose and the back of his head.

“I was yelling for someone to help me, but no one would help me,” Zimmerman told the paramedics who gave him first aid, Smith said.

Zimmerman was taken to the police station and interviewed, then let go.

At least one witness corroborated his story, telling cops he saw Trayvon on top of Zimmerman, punching him. Other witnesses have said they saw Zimmerman standing over Trayvon.

Cries for help were captured on several 911 tapes and were heard by a number of witnesses. Exactly who was calling out is in dispute — some say it was Zimmerman, others Trayvon.

The police report lists Trayvon as 6 feet tall and weighing 160 pounds. Zimmerman was listed as 5-feet-9. His weight was not recorded but pictures show he clearly outweighs Trayvon.

Martin family attorney Ben Crump said police were trying to “blame the victim by releasing bits and pieces of an ongoing investigation to build Zimmerman’s claim up.”

The Sanford police said it was investigating who leaked the information.

As the case became a national referendum on race and gun rights, some conservative websites began publishing unflattering photos of Trayvon and disseminating what were purported to be his gangsta-style tweets.

Zimmerman, an insurance analyst, has been in hiding since a fringe group put a $10,000 bounty on his head.

A CNN poll found 67% of Americans are following the case. A huge majority — 73% — say they believe, based on what they’ve heard, that Zimmerman should have been arrested.

Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg took a shot at Florida’s lax gun laws.

“This guy Zimmerman, how could he have had a permit to carry a concealed weapon — a loaded gun — in the first place? Because long before he shot Trayvon Martin, he was arrested for attacking a police officer and was the subject of a court order to prevent domestic violence,” Bloomberg said.

Zimmerman was charged with resisting arrest without violence in 2005 when he argued with a cop busting his friend for underage drinking. He completed a pretrial-diversion program, meaning his record was cleared.

Also in 2005, Zimmerman’s ex-fiancée accused him of shoving her during an argument at her Orlando home. He responded with similar accusations against her and they both obtained protective orders.

Source: NY Daily News

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R&R met up with the infamous Mobb Deep whilst out in Austin, Texas for SXSW! Prodigy and Havoc both talk about what they think of Hip Hop in 2012, Havoc talks sports and Prodigy tells us a bit about his time he spent in prison.

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