ChasinDatPaper's Posts

Hilarious: Cedric The Entertainer On Lopez Tonight + Ron Artest Interview & Performance Of His New Song "Champions" [3 Videos]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 23, 2010 at 7:13am

Videos After The Jump

Cedric The Entertainer hit up Lopez Tonight to hype his new special 'Cedric The Entertainer's Urban Circus' and tell a few jokes.

You know being in L.A., Ced had to talk about the Laker's championship. He joked about people celebrating by setting fires to their own cars and wheel barrels.

Ced also performed his new country song with hip hop lyrics, lol.

Later on the Lakers' Ron Artest came out for an interview and to perform his new banger "Champions".

Cedric The Entertainer's Urban Circus' airs tonight at 10pm on TBS.

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Cedric The Entertainer "Stand Up Routine"

Ron Artest Interview

Ron Artest performs "Champions"

Jay-Z To Be Called To Testify In Copyright Trial Of Freeway Ricky Ross vs Officer Ross

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 23, 2010 at 6:47am

Freeway Ricky Ross, the ex-cocaine kingpin warned there would be a lawsuit coming against rapper, Officer Ross and Universal and he's made good on that promise.

On Friday, June 18 Freeway Ricky's legal team filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in the California U.S. District Court according to ContactMusic.

Jay-Z, who was responsible for signing Officer Ross to Def Jam in 2006 when he ran the label will be called on to testify in what is sure to be a very interesting trial.

Freeway Ricky is asking is requesting a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction to block the release of Officer Ross' new record, 'Teflon Don'.

He is also seeking half of all money made by the rapper, born William Leonard Roberts II while using his name.

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UFC 116 - "The Biggest Heavyweight Fight Ever" Shane Carwin vs Brock Lesner Preview [Video]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 5:39pm

Michael Vick ,The # 1 Most Disliked Athlete In Sports. Alex Rodriguez, Tiger Woods, Ben Roethlisberger Make Top 10 In Forbes List

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 5:33pm

Call them the athletes we love to hate.

Michael Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, Tiger Woods and, yes, Alex Rodriguez, made the Top 10 of Forbes' Most Disliked People in Sports for 2010.

Sparred by his conviction for dog fighting, Vick topped the list with 69% of those polled citing him as someone they "dislike alot," "dislike," or "dislike some."

Though Vick completed his 21-month sentence and publicly apologized for his actions, he still holds the top spot spot for most disliked person in sports for the second year in a row.

Woods' infidelities catapulted him from the No. 1 spot in golf to fourth place on the despised list, while A-Rod made some improvement in this year's ranking, going from third place in 2009 to eighth place this year.

The E-Poll Market Research surveyed 1,100 people nationwide, ages 13 and older, to create the infamous list.

The Top 5 include Vick, Al Davis in second place, Roethlisberger in third, Woods in fourth and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones holding down fifth place. Six through 10 are rounded by Mark McGwire, Terrell Owens, Rodriguez, Allen Iverson and Gilbert Arenas.

Of those polled, 53% said they disliked Woods in some way, despite his numerous public apologies. Woods is appearing on Forbes' list for the first time.

Things got better for A-Rod, a year after he admitted using steroids while he played with the Texas Rangers. While 57% of people disliked A-Rod in 2009, only 45% of people disapprove of him Wednesday.

Noticeably absent from the list is Manny Ramirez, who held second place in 2009, along with Kobe Bryant, who held fifth place last year.

Source: NY Daily News

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Uncle Luke Wilds Out, Publicly Disowns His 3 Grown Kids. Calls Them "Sperm Donations" [Audio]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 4:00pm

Audio After The Jump

Luther Campbell aka Uncle Luke is fed up with his grown kids making videos talking about what a horrible father he's been. So he just said to hell with it and publicly disowned all of them except his youngest child he's raising with his wife.

“I have one kid. His name is Blake Campbell and he stays with me and me and my wife raise him," Luke told Houston's 97.9 The Mad Hatta Show.

For those of you that may not have been paying attention. In the last several weeks three of Luke's oldest kids [Lecresha, Luther Jr and Shanetres] have come out publicly via videos calling their father everything from a deadbeat dad to a woman abuser. Lecresha even said he shot her mom in the leg.

As he was disowning his own kids, Luke had a Public Service Annoucement for other teens thinking about having sex.

"I'd like kids out there and everybody to understand that it's important to practice safe sex. And it's important to not have sex without condoms because you will be sperm donating. And when you sperm donate to angry parents and angry mothers. Then unfortunately the only thing it's about is a check. When you get a check then the results of that check is your sperm donation kids are online talking bad about you after you spent millions and millions dollars in child support."

LOL, this is both sad and funny at the same time, but most of all 100% ridiculous.

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R.H. Bless "Bring That Beat Back Vol. 2 East Coast Rhyming, West Coast Riding" [Mixtape Download]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 12:14pm

Track Listing:

1. R.H. Is The Shiit

2. I Don't Sing

3. I'm Easy

4. Menace To The Industry

5. Whasup Ok Uh Huh

6. High On You

7. I Love My Life

8. Roll With The Rebel Ft. Nena Blue

9. This Is The Life Ft. Preech

10. Cast Stones At Me

11. Ain't Fraid To Cry

12. My posse

13. Where You From

Download Here

Bun-B Says He Will Be Teaching A Class At Rice University "I Gotta Set Up A Reading List & All This Dumb Sh*t" [Video]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 10:11am

Video After The Jump

Trill OG Bun-B of UGK will be stepping out of the vocal booth and into the class room.

Bun will be teaching a class on Hip-Hop and Religion at Rice University in Houston according to HipHopWired.

"I gotta set up a reading list and all this ole dumb sh*t. Well it's not dumb sh*t, it's real sh*t," Bun joked.

The Port Arthur, Texas rhyme spitter says don't come to class with demos expecting to get put on, he going to be all business.

"That's the problem the professor's got, he's concerned about that. If they come to the course specifically to give me a demo then that's a wrap the first day,"

And don't think Bun's not going to be on top of his game. He will be keeping an eye on the students that took the course to actually get something out of it.

"I will be looking to see who's in class everyday. You may get priority for perfect attendance. Pay attention to me, imma pay attention to you."

So there you have it. If you're attending Rice U. in Houston go sign up for Bun's class, scheduled to begin next Spring.

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Max-B Speaks To VladTV About His Lawyer, Appeal & Sends A Message To The Kids & Fans [Audio]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 8:00am

Audio After The Jump

The Boss Don, Max-B spoke with VladTV from prison to give him and his fans an update on his appeals process.

Max has been granted an appeal and at this point is waiting on his appeal court date. He could be back on the street soon if he's granted bail.

Max confirmed that he is officially out of his contract to Jim Jones and his debut album 'Vigilante Season' drops in September.

Biggavel says his previous jail stint has helped him deal with being locked up this time.

"I get love, it's a regular thing. I'm still Max, but I aint a rapper. I'm not doing what I do for a living, so I'm just in here fighting my case," Max says. I get along with n****s. I aint into nothing crazy. I just be chilling, doing my time."

Vlad asks Max how it felt when the judge read off that 75 year sentence.

"Let me straighten this out. I didn't get 75 [years] I got 40, they sentenced me to 40. I was a little devastated, but it was excessive, my time was excessive, my charges was excessive," Max explains. "I got total faith in my appeal, I will be back. It's gonna be even bigger now when I come back to life. Cause the odds are against me."

Max goes on to talk about his new lawyer, send shouts out to Tony Yayo for holding him down and sends a message out to the kids.

"I just tell the kids just pray, listen to your parents, do the right thing. Stay out of trouble, stay in school. This [jail] aint nothing to glamourize, this aint nothing for the glamour. This sh*t is real, I'm in here fighting for my life. I had a career going on, just in the snap of a finger your whole life can change for the worse. So tell the kids, Max-B will be back. I love all the kids, I love all the fans."

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Lady Gaga Packs Heat, Bares Cheeks In New Rolling Stone [Unscensored Pics Inside]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 7:23am

Lady Gaga is always in the middle of a controversial situation. Whether that's calculated or just happenstance you be the judge.

The woman who's carrying Interscope Records on her back, covers the new Rolling Stone wearing weapons and not much else.

She tells the mag that her new album is already finished.

"I think I'm gonna get the album title tattooed on me and put out the photo," she says. "I've been working on it for months now, and I feel very strongly that it's finished right now. It came so quickly. Some artists take years; I don't. I write music every day."

So look for her new joint coming soon.

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Jay-Z Being Sued By Private Jet Company For Stiffing Them On $137,485 Bill

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 6:56am

Jay-Z may be big pimpin these days, but he might want to keep better track of his bills as he is in debt to a private jet company according to TMZ.

Air Platinum Holdings is suing the Roc Nation star for unpaid flight time. The rapper flew with the company for 55 hours, but only paid for 37 hours of service.

Air Platinum is seeking $137,485 dollars in fees and various taxes.

Total breakdown of fees owed below

-- 18 hours of flight time at $4,500-per-hour (discounted from $6,000-per-hour) ... $81,000
-- Catering for 17 domestic flights ($500-per-flight) .... $8,500
-- Catering for 4 international flights ($750-per-flight) ... $3,000
-- International fees ... $8,500
-- Taxes ... $12,285
-- Luxury trip to England ... $24,200

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Dead Prez Returns With New Gangsta Grillz Mixtape. DJ Drama Speaks On It [Video}

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 6:19am

Video After The Jump

Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables

Headliners: Dead Prez and DJ Drama

Mixtape: Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz

Essential Info: The red, black and green forever! M-1 and Stic.Man of Dead Prez are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their classic debut, Let's Get Free, with a new mixtape in conjunction with DJ Drama. The street CD — which came out Tuesday (June 22) — also gives a nod to another classic of theirs, 2004's Revolutionary but Gangsta.

"The Dead Prez tape is called Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz," Drama said Saturday in Atlanta, backstage at Birthday Bash 15. "I jumped on it. I remember when Dead Prez first came out. I did an interview with them, [during the] old 'Soul in the Hole,' Loud Records day. It's a way for me to get in and do projects that people might not expect, but it's still quality music. I take my brand where I want to. Dead Prez is definitely deserving of a Gangsta Grillz. It's a good balance.

"The guys go in on a lot of records," Drama added. "The hits as well as some obscure joints. They had to go in on 'Over.' Drake borrowed the style; they took it right back. They did their thing. They went in on Gucci's 'Wasted.' You'll be surprised about that. They went in on a couple of instrumentals. It's some heat on there, man."

Of course, the Drake track Dram refers to is the song "Far From Ova," which is already on the Net. Last month, for Mother's Day, Prez also released "The Beauty Within," which uses the beat and reworks the hook from B.o.B's "Nothin' on You."

Other Heat This Week

» Superstar Jay and Lamar Odom - I Am Mixtapes: NBA Championship Edition
» DJ Rollin Deep - Mixtapes or Die Volume Two: Lakers Championship Edition
» Young Kenny - The Absolute Best of Wiz Khalifa

MTV Shows

Source: MTV

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Caught On Tape: New York Cop Beating The Crap Out Of Iraq War Veteran

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 6:00am

Video After The Jump

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Prosecutors have released potentially explosive evidence against an NYPD officer on trial for beating a man with his baton.

That alleged victim is an Iraqi war veteran.

Prosecutors are relying on the piece of video, because the alleged victim cannot be found.

Nobody is disputing the beating itself, or whether it's police brutality and whether the officer tried to cover it up.
The video is high quality and crystal clear, but whether Housing Officer David London went too far is still blurry and still up to a jury.

The video taken from security cameras shows the 45-year-old housing cop beating an Iraq war veteran with is baton.

It happened at an Upper West Side public housing development.

The alleged victim, 28-year-old Walter Harvin had just returned from Iraq and was at his mom's apartment complex.

In the video Harvin is seen shoving Officer London, and London then reacts by swinging and bashing Harvin with his baton. Even beating the ex-soldier after he's cuffed.

Prosecutors say London tried to cover-up the July 2007 assault, but defense attorneys say the officer did what he had to do.

He's charged with 2nd degree assault and filing false records.

Right now the Manhattan criminal jury is tackling the question on whether London committed an act of police brutality or used necessary force to subdue a suspect.

The Iraq veteran suffers from PTSD and his location is not known.

If the officer is convicted, he faces 7 years in prison.

News Coverage Of Beating

Raw Footage Of Beating

Source: ABC

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Was Miley Cyrus's MuchMusic Awards Performance Racist? Some Say It Was [Watch Video Inside]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 5:45am

Video After The Jump

Miley Cyrus performed an un-tamed version of "Can't Be Tamed" at the MMVAs this weekend.

The 17-year-old presented a tribal-themed version of her hit song at the 2010 Much Music Video Awards in Toronto Sunday night.

Cyrus screamed and squealed and threw around her wild hair while her back-up dancers sported grass skirts, tribal markings, not to mention the spears and some nearby shrunken (doll) heads.

At the beginning of her set, Cyrus emerged from what appeared to be a white egg and danced around the "tribe" members, many of whom were wearing khaki and donned spears.

Presumably Cyrus was the Skull Island creature they were trying to tame as, at one point, she hung off a stick two men were holding as though she was one of the captives in "King Kong" (which was released in 1933).

While Cyrus writhed on stage, her skimpy white bodice threatened to expose her nether regions. Perez Hilton was also present at the show, but did not appear to capture the moment.

Cyrus' earlier MMVA performance was a little less exotic. As she sang "Party in the U.S.A.," a hooded creature on a bike emerged from back stage. Cyrus then changed the song's lyrics from "a Jay-Z song was on" to a "JB song was on" and the hooded biker revealed himself to be...Justin Bieber! The tween audience nearly exploded as Cyrus rubbed up against her 16-year-old peer who looked happy to oblige.

Cyrus pulled double duty as MMVA presenter. While introducing Canadian hip hop artist Drake, she repeatedly flubbed her lines, blaming the cue cards, which she said she couldn't read and were not moving fast enough.

A white clad Drake then took the stage but refused to perform as he "only had one ear," i.e. he probably couldn't hear himself out of the other due to a missing or malfunctioning ear piece. An awkward silence ensued as fans waited for about two minutes for the hip hop star to perform before the cameras cut back to the next presenter.

Cyrus and Bieber took home four MMVAs between them Sunday night. Cyrus won International Video of the Year for "Party in the U.S.A," which she dedicated to her dad, Billy Ray, for Father's Day. Bieber won Video of the Year by a Canadian for "One More Time" as well as UR Fave New Artist and UR Fave Video for "Baby."

"It's my first award, and to have it in Canada is just amazing," Bieber told the crowd. "I want to say thank you to all my fans who got me in this position."

Source: NY Daily News

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Woman's Husband Arrested After She Writes President Obama Asking For Immigration Help

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 5:18am

New York (CNN) -- Not everyone expects a response when they write a letter to the president of the United States. But Caroline Jamieson got much more than she expected when her husband ended up in jail and afraid he would be deported.

Jamieson, vice president of marketing at a new-media advertising company, wrote President Barack Obama in January because her husband, Hervé Fonkou Takoulo, was facing deportation to his native Cameroon. Takoulo failed in a bid before political asylum almost a decade ago, and a judge issued a deportation order after they were married.

After he and Jamieson married on 2005, Takoulo applied for a green card based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen. But immigration law requires that the deportation order be lifted before the couple can appear before immigration officials to argue their case that the marriage is legitimate and not a ploy to legalize Takoulo's presence in the United States.

"We want to be given the chance to interview and prove that we are a married couple, so Hervé can get a green card, and that has proven extremely difficult to do," Jamieson told CNN.

They never received a direct response to the letter. But they did get two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers waiting outside their East Village, Manhattan apartment on June 3 when Takoulo was leaving the apartment to go to the gym.

Her husband was held at ICE headquarters for six hours, alone in a room, until he was chained at the wrists, around his stomach and his ankles and taken to the Hudson County Correctional Center in New Jersey, she said.

For the next two weeks, a frantic Jamieson wrote letters to politicians and anyone else who might be able to help. She got responses, she said, but none seemed to lead anywhere. Takoulo was allowed to call his wife once a day at designated times but he knew little about his situation. He spent his days with repeat sex offenders and men accused of felonies, fearing imminent deportation.

"I did everything I could and went into survival mode and pushed for all these connections to the press," she said. "We are fortunate to have that leverage. What about the people in the country who don't have access to those means?"

Then, on Thursday, he was brought to an immigration processing jail in Manhattan and released. There was no explanation offered for his release, but Takoulo is now wearing an electronic ankle monitor while his case is being reviewed.

ICE spokesman Brian P. Hale said the circumstances of Takoulo's arrest were undergoing an internal review and he was released as "an alternative to detention pending a review of his case."

Investigators are looking to determine whether "appropriate separation" between Jamieson's letter to the president and Takoulo's deportation case were violated. If so, he said, the case will go to the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility and the Homeland Security Department's inspector general for "immediate and appropriate action."

Takoulo graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook with an engineering degree in 2008 and received several job interview offers after graduation. But the deportation order hung over his head and prevented any followup.

"All he wants to do is contribute to this economy," Jamieson told CNN. "We want to be a productive couple. He's been dying to work."

The couple has been following Barack Obama's rise in the political world since 2004.

"I felt a special kinship to him because I'm of mixed race, and my husband obviously has a similar background," Jamieson told CNN.

Regardless of whether or not her letter was mishandled, the incident has deeply affected the couple's faith in the Obama administration.

"I feel really confused, I don't understand how something like this is possible. I can't imagine that at the top of the Obama administration that they realize that something like this is happening," Jamieson told CNN.

Source: CNN

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Paul Wall Drops 100 Lbs. After Undergoing Gastric Surgery, Says It Saved His Life [Video]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 22, 2010 at 4:30am

Video After The Jump

When Houston rapper Paul Wall shot to stardom in 2005 with his debut The People's Champ, he didn't have much of a weight problem.

But, as he blew up and his schedule got busier, his unhealthy habits began to catch up with him and if you browse through pictures of the rapper over the last five years, you'll notice the fluctuation in weight.

Eventually, Paul's syrup sippin' had to stop because he had ballooned to around 320 pounds. That's when, he says, he had to do something because his health was at risk.

"I tried doing it the legit way. I stopped sippin' "syrup, stopped taking pills ... all that, but it ain't work," Paul tells BallerStatus.com. "So I went out, went on and got surgery man.

"I lost 100 pounds, so I'm back at my fight weight. I'm ready. The champ is back."

Paul underwent what a procedure called gastric sleeve surgery just after New Year's. It basically"removes about 60 percent of the stomach so that it takes the shape of a tube or sleeve," according to Your Bariatric Surgery Guide. Before surgery, however, Paul tried to drop weight the all-natural way -- cutting out things in his diet and exercising. He actually ran on his treadmill and exercise bike on a regular basis. In the end, Paul said he had no choice but to go under the knife.

"[The surgery] saved my life for real," Paul said. "I really didn't have too much of a choice, because the doctor told me I was morbidly obese. So, I really didn't have a choice. I was like 'Man, I'm morbidly obese, I need to do something. Man, I got to save my life.' "

With a new healthy frame of mind, Paul says he ready to get back into the ring and on his grind. His first order of business is his upcoming album Heart of a Champion, set to drop July 13th.

Paul's good friend Travis Barker handled half of the album's production, while the Neptunes contributed to at least one track. Guest appearances include the likes of Jay Electronica, Raekwon, Jim Jones, and Kid Sister, among others.

Until July, fans can download his new mixtape, Sole Music, which he released last week.

Source: BallerStatus

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Fat Joe Detained, Questioned Over Sexual Assault

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 21, 2010 at 10:07pm

MADISON, Wis. — Rapper Fat Joe was questioned and released by Madison police after a woman said she was groped after getting into a limousine with the platinum-selling artist.

The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the alleged incident happened Sunday night following the rapper's concert at the Orpheum Theatre.

Police spokesman Officer Howard Payne says the rapper was "detained briefly to be interviewed" about the alleged groping of the 33-year-old Madison woman.

Police say that after the concert the rapper, other man and the woman got into the limo bound for a hotel. She called police about 12:34 a.m. Monday to report the incident.

No arrests have been made, but police say the investigation continues.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Nicki Minaj Interview With DJ Envy On MTV Sucker Free: She Talks About How Hard It Was To Get Into The Industry [Video]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 21, 2010 at 12:41pm

Video After The Jump

The People's Choice, DJ Envy caught up with Nicki Minaj backstage at one of her concerts in Boston.

Nicki broke it down how she had to really grind to get her big break. She explains that it took a long time before Lil Wayne put her down on the Young Money team.

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WTF? Real Life "Hannibal Lector" Charged With Killing Cellmate Then Eating His Lung After He Mistakes It For Victim's Heart

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 21, 2010 at 9:54am

The French courts are dealing with a real life Hannibal Lector.

Prisoner Nicolas Cocaign got into a fight with cellmate Thierry Baudry in January 2007. He killed Baudry by punching, kicking, stabbing him with a pair of scissors and suffocating him with a trash bag.

Cocaign then decided he was going to eat his victim's heart because in his words "I wanted to take his soul" according to The London Telegraph.

He used a razor blade to cut open Baudry's chest and removed his lung, mistaking it for the victim's heart.

The psycopath ate part of it raw, then fried the rest with some onions on a grill in his cell.

A third cellmate, David Lagrue, witnessed the attack and eventually killed himself according to the New York Daily News.

Cocaign's lawyer wants his client put in a mental institution.

"My client should not be in prison, he should be in a mental institution. The prison authorities must share the blame for not spotting his fragile mental condition," Fabien Picciottino told the court.

A verdict is expect Thursday.

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Jay-Z Settles Lawsuit With Boston Red Sox Star David Ortiz Over "40/40" Club Name

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 21, 2010 at 9:23am

Jay-Z has reportedly agreed to settle a trademark infringement lawsuit with David Ortiz after suing the baseball player over the name of his nightclub in the Dominican Republic.

The Big Pimpin' star and his business partner Juan Perez filed a lawsuit in New York in April (10), accusing the Boston Red Sox star of infringing upon the name of their 40/40 sports bars by naming his hotspot the Forty/Forty Club.

They claimed Ortiz had been a patron at their Manhattan club on "several occasions" before opening his own bar in his native country, according to the New York Post.

But the two parties have now reportedly ended the legal dispute, with Ortiz agreeing to rename his venue and pull down its promotional website FortyForty.net.

Source: ContactMusic

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Report: Music Business Struggling, Badly Beeds Eminem's "Recovery"

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 21, 2010 at 9:12am

LONDON (Reuters) – "Recovery," the new album from rapper Eminem, could not be more aptly named for a music business facing an alarming fall in sales so far this year. The Detroit star's seventh studio album hits shelves on Monday, a day earlier than planned after tracks leaked on to the Internet. It comes about a week after the release of Canadian artist Drake's debut "Thank Me Later," which is also expected to perform strongly.

But the duo are unlikely to lift the gloom hanging over the music business for long, with year-to-date U.S. physical and digital album sales by early June down 11 percent year-on-year to 130.6 million, extending a decade-long decline.

To make matters worse, the recent boom in touring, which labels and bands sought to exploit as recorded music faded, is showing signs of weakness caused by high ticket prices and economic uncertainty, and digital download growth is slowing.

Official figures for the key U.S. market as it approaches mid-year show how tough conditions are for music companies and acts who blame illegal file sharing for their woes.

According to Nielsen Soundscan, which tracks sales, 4.98 million albums were sold in the week ending May 30, possibly the lowest figure since the early 1970s. By comparison, the record one-week tally set in December 2000 was 45.4 million.

Analysts put the low figure down to a weak lineup during that particular week, and Drake's record is forecast to be one of the largest launches of the year so far while Eminem, another "tentpole" album, follows hot on its heels.

CDs STILL CRUCIAL

Yet while major and independent labels are pinning their future on digital music, whether it is access models or actual ownership, they can ill afford to abandon physical sales which account for somewhere in the region of 70 percent of revenues.

"The physical format is in decline, but I don't think it will go away completely," said Ed Christman, who tracks music sales for industry publication Billboard.

"What you want to do, since the digital 'magical bullet' hasn't appeared, is to sustain your revenue from CD sales for as long as you can."

Although relatively small in terms of a label's revenues, digital streaming, downloading, online subscriptions and advertising are seen as key to the industry's future.

"The revenue is still small, but at least it's revenue," said one major label executive. "Don't forget, some 95 percent of the digital market is illegal. If we can grow that five percent significantly, we've got a future."

That task is proving slow going, and while a recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that the music industry will return to growth in 2013, some analysts are less sure.

"Given the incredible number of ways a person can now listen to music for free or near free, that gap between interest and willingness to pay is the biggest hurdle in record labels' quest to grow digital revenues," Billboard said of the report.

In the short term, all eyes will be on Eminem, one of the world's best-selling artists of the last decade who has said in interviews to promote Recovery that he is over his prescription drug addiction, is sober and more tolerant than he used to be.

Whether the "nice guy" image appeals to fans is unclear.

Early reaction to the album, out on Universal Music Group's Interscope label, has been mixed.

London's Evening Standard was among the most positive with a four-star review that concluded: "After seven albums, Eminem is so far ahead of the pack he only has himself to compete with. Even by that measurement, he's winning."

The Independent was less glowing, stating: "If we're being brutally frank, I think we already know far more about Eminem's private life and his alleged mental torment than is probably healthy for us, let alone the rapper himself."

Source: Reuters

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