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Max B Recalls Knocking 'A Wave Called Yes Tape' Mixtape Out In One Night [Audio]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 29, 2010 at 6:20am

Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables

Mixtape: A Wave Called Yes

Headliners: Max B and Young Riot

Key Cameos: "Living the Life" (featuring Curren$y)

Essential Info: Max B said his wave just doesn't dry up. While the New York MC awaits his appeal of a decades-long prison sentence for manslaughter and various other charges, his music is still being heard. Amalgam Digital recently released a mixtape by the spitter and the upstart Young Riot.

"That's me and my young god, Young Riot," Max said on the phone from the New Jersey State Penitentiary. "He's holding it down while I'm up in the spot. We got a few treats on there. I remember the night we did them. [The executives at Amalgam] drove me out to Boston, 2 in the morning. I went out there and drank a 60 of Hennessey and knocked out the whole tape. Knocked the tape out in one night. That's what professionals do. This is when I was going to trial. They came and got me on a Friday or Saturday, I had to be back on Sunday, Monday morning to go back to court. It was a real busy week. I was really busy on trial. For the music to come out that good while I was on trial, that was surprising to me. That just let me know, no matter how long I'm gone from the game, I'm still a natural. I still can make quality work. I'mma still be Biggavelli."

Amalgam is going to let A Wave Called Yes rock for the summer then drop Max's solo LP, Vigilante Season. B recently won a court case to be freed from his contract with Jim Jones, who discovered him.

"We recorded 40 songs in three weeks," Max said of his dealings with Amalgam last year. At the time, he was still contractually bound to Jones and did not know if the music would be allowed to be released. "Nonstop in the summertime. Vigilante was real special to me. It was like they giving me a shot. Even if it wasn't coming out, they gave me the feel of just going to do the album. I was doing it my way."

As for when Max will be free to record again, he says it's in God's hands now. The rapper's appeal could take between 18 months and three years to be resolved. If he loses that appeal, it could be an additional three years before he can appeal again. Max was sentenced to 75 years in prison in September 2009 for conspiracy, robbery, manslaughter and a myriad of other crimes. The jurors in the case felt there was ample evidence to convict him of the 2005 robbery of two men in a Fort Lee, New Jersey, hotel room. One of the men was shot and killed. Max wasn't at the scene of the crime, but the prosecutors built their case with him as the mastermind. Max still denies being involved. His stepbrother Kelvin Leerdam was also convicted in the matter, and Max's former girlfriend Gina Conway was involved as well but eventually testified against the men. Leerdam is serving time along with Max.

"I always kinda had that problem with finding the right people," Max said of the choices that led him to prison, right as he appeared to be on the verge of mainstream recognition. "People always say you gotta surround yourself with people who have your best interests in mind. I always found that hard to do, because when you're in my situation, everybody acts like they got your best interests, but they don't. We know who got your best interests — your mother, your father, your kid's mother, whatever. Your immediate family. But you can't have them on the road with you every day. You gotta be around your n---as.

"You gotta pick them carefully," he added. "I always had a problem with picking the right people I surround myself with. That's always been my downfall, ever since I was a little kid. That's something I gotta learn off experience. This is definitely an experience. The toughest sh-- I been through in my life. You already know when I beat this, it's gonna be beautiful. I just can't wait. That's the only thing keeping me going. Me saying [to myself], 'Max, when you beat this, it's gonna be a whole new lane out there for you.' Me being able to attack this sh-- right and make a living for my mother and my kids and be a good productive [citizen] in society. I'm a G. My moms raised me as a G. The only reason you don't hear me stressing out, I know I'm coming home and I know I'm coming home soon."

Source: MTV

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Dr Death: Banned U.S. Surgeon Flees To Australia, Found Guilty Of Manslaughter Of 3 Patients, Suspected In Dozens More Deaths [Video]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 29, 2010 at 6:00am

Video After The Jump

The surgeon once dubbed 'Dr Death' has been found guilty of killing three patients and permanently injuring another.

After about 50 hours of deliberation, the Brisbane Supreme Court jury in the manslaughter trial of Jayant Patel announced it had finally reached a verdict about 5.40pm (AEST) on Tuesday.

Patel arrived back in court flanked by his lawyers and his wife Kishoree, who has been present for the duration of his 15-week trial.

Stony-faced, he stood in the dock as the jury announced he was guilty of the manslaughter of Mervyn Morris, Gerardus Kemps and James Phillips.

The jury also found him guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to Ian Vowles.

The charges all relate to Patel's time as director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005.

Justice John Byrne agreed to a request by crown prosecutor Ross Martin SC to delay sentencing Patel until Thursday morning.

Justice Byrne, however, refused to allow the former doctor to remain on bail until then.

Mrs Patel left the courtroom in tears as her husband - who became known in Queensland as 'Dr Death' after he fled to the US in 2005 - was led from the dock to the cells, and she declined to speak to waiting media outside the court.

During the trial the court was told Patel caused the deaths or injuries by performing the wrong operations on the wrong patients, in a hospital that could not support this sort of major surgery.

Prosecutor Ross Martin said there was evidence Patel was a man driven by 'toxic ego', who performed surgeries that were beyond his level of skill.

The court heard Patel caused Mr Morris's death in June 2003 because he failed to properly investigate the cause of his rectal bleeding, and unnecessarily removed part of his colon.

Mr Phillips, 46, was so unwell that he was an unsuitable candidate for an oesophagectomy performed by Patel in May 2003, and the hospital's intensive care unit was ill-equipped to manage his post-operative care.

Mr Kemps died because Patel rushed an oesophagectomy without proper planning, and then allowed him to bleed to death.

The court was told Patel then failed to diagnose Mr Kemps' internal bleeding, and delayed taking him back into theatre.

He then stitched the patient back up while he was still bleeding profusely.

The jury was told Patel caused Ian Vowles grievous bodily harm in October 2004 by unnecessarily removing a large section of his bowel, despite polyps showing no signs of cancer.

The court was told Patel came to Bundaberg knowing that he had been disciplined for 'gross negligence' in the US in 2000.

Under the US order, he was required to seek a second opinion when performing major operations like oesophagectomies.

While this order did not affect his legal ability to undertake such procedures in Australia, Patel failed to disclose this information to his colleagues, employers or patients.

Before retiring to deliberate, the jury was told they could consider whether knowledge of previous disciplinary action for gross negligence would have affected the patients' decision to give their consent, or whether it would have given Patel cause to reflect on his own abilities in offering the surgery to them.

Outside the court Mr Kemps' wife, Judy, said she was incredibly relieved to see Patel finally brought to justice.

'It's been a long five years but it's all over,' she said.

'It's just all confusing, but I'm just so happy ... I'm free, I'm free.

'It's closure alright.'

Patient advocate Beryl Crosby said it was a huge relief.

'I hope with all my heart that these people and their families can move on,' she said.

She said it didn't matter to her if Patel got off later on a technicality in the Court of Appeal.

'For a lot of people this is going to be closure.

'The verdict was guilty, it doesn't matter what happens from here.

Source: Sky New Australia

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G-Unit - Where The Dope At [Download]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 28, 2010 at 11:21pm

Download Here

French Montana ft Dame Grease - If It Aint Money [Download]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 28, 2010 at 11:10pm

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Were Chris Brown's BET Awards Show Tears Real? Stars Weigh In On His Performance [Video]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 28, 2010 at 3:00pm

Video After The Jump

No star has been vilified over the last year or so more than singer Chris Brown. Tiger Woods you say? Not even close in my opinion.

Chris' career was riding high until the February 2009 night when he assaulted then girlfriend, Rihanna.

Since that point the press and a lot of fans have ripped the man to shreds and deservedly so. Hitting a woman is not something that should be taken lightly.

Probably one of Chris' lowest moments as a professional entertainer had to be the 2009 BET Awards show when he wasn't allowed to participate in the tribute to his fallen idol, Michael Jackson.

At some point though, every person deserves a second chance.

Last night (June 27), Chris got that chance and gave what many feel was the performance of the night. He tearfully sang and danced his way back into a lot of fans good graces with his MJ tribute.

But were the tears real, or just a desperate act for a man who's career is on life support?

The internet is buzzing and seems like everyone has an opinion on what they saw last night.

Avis Thomas-Lester blogged in today's Washington Post that Chris' performance was a "reinvention ploy". She wrote, "All those tears were a bit much. I'm about as devoted a Michael Jackson fan as any, but I'm not buying that Chris Brown was close enough to M.J. that the weepy breakdown during his performance of "Man in the Mirror" was real. I think it was contrived to elicit publicity and sympathy for prior wrongs."

Personally, I think his performance was sincere. It seemed like all of the emotions from the last year just came to the surface at once.

Other stars who witnessed it live gave their opinions in the video below. Most seemed to think his emotions were genuine.

What do you guys think, were those real tears or just an act?

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Stars Weight In On Chris Brown's MJ Tribute

Chris Brown "MJ Tribute" At 2010 BET Awards Show

Lil Boosie To Appear In Court Today, Some Fans Can't Understand How He Got Himself Into This Mess Asking "How U Famous & Still Doing The Same Stuff U Used To Do?"

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 28, 2010 at 11:00am

Video After The Jump

Louisiana rap star Lil Boosie is literally in a fight for his life starting with his court appearance today.

Boosie, real name Torrance Hatch was indicted by a grand jury for the murder of 35 year old Terry Boyd. Police are also investigating what role he may have played in at least two other homicides according to AllHipHop.

A former employee of Boosie's Bad Azz Entertainment, Darryl “Bleek” Milton was found shot to death in his car April 1st.

Boosie is also a suspect in the shooting death of rapper Chris “Nussie” Jackson who was killed last February. Nussie and Boosie had been beefing for a while.

In a 2009 interview, Nussie explains the origins of their beef. Saying he used Boosie's name recogntion as Boosie "Bad Azz" to get in the game by calling himself "Nussie" Bad Azz.

But the beef goes way deeper than that. People suspected Nussie had something to do with the murder of Boosie's friend, rapper Lil Ivey.

Nussie sheds some light on that situation during the interview as he speaks about a confrontation he had with Boosie..

"I told ya [Boosie] I aint killed ya boy [Lil Ivy]. If I did it, me and you wouldn't be talking right now, you said 'alright brah.'"

Nussie didn't take Boosie as a serious threat in the streets.

"To be honest with you, we not on the same level to be beefing," Nussie said. "It's kind of embarrassing for me to be saying i'm beefing with Boosie. Cause Boosie a talented rapper and i'm a gangster, aint no comparison."

Boosie is also dealing with a fan base that looks up to him and kids that are confused by the situation he's gotten himself into.

His friend, Arthur "Silky Slim" Reed told WAFB, "I think the most important part for us to realize is there are hundreds of thousands of little kids that listen to him and this is their hero," Reed said. "When you come from basically nothing, these communities are basically nothing but survival camps. When someone makes it out, you look up to them."

"I don't have a huge amount to say about Boosie. Boosie has to stand up and be a man for his actions. My whole thing is that kids should see this as a turning point in their lives," Reed added.

Some fans are standing behind the rapper by posting "Free Boosie" messages on websites, but others are fed up.

A Facebook user by the name of "E.R." wrote "Boosie dumb as hell how u famous and still doin the same stuff u use to do, u suppose to exclude urself from that type of lifestyle and try and better others when u make it."

Boosie says he's innocent, but faces a tough legal battle. If convicted of 1st degree murder he faces the possibility of death by lethal injection.

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Nussie Speaks On Beef With Lil Boosie

Kanye West Hit With Lawsuit Claiming He Stole The Hit Song "Stronger" [Court Docs Inside]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 28, 2010 at 9:30am

(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop star Kanye West is entangled in a new lawsuit that was recently filed over his hit 2007 single “Stronger,” from the hit album Graduation.

Songwriter/producer Vincent “Vince P.” Peters filed the lawsuit on Friday (June 25th) in United States District Court For the Northern District of Illinois.

Peters claims he wrote the track in 2006 and played it for John Monopoly, a manager/business associate of Kanye West, at his Chicago home on November 12th, 2006.

According to Peters, West recorded his own version of “Stronger” about seven months after a copy of the song was given to Monopoly.

Peters claims Kanye West copied significant portions of his song “Stronger” and incorporated them into his own version, which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

The Grammy Award-winning single has sold over 3 million copies, while the album Graduation has moved almost 2 million units.

According to iTunes, “Stronger” is also the 16th most downloaded song of all time.

Peters is seeking an undisclosed amount of damages and a trial by jury.

Kanye West is currently finishing material for a new album, Good Ass Job

Source: AllHipHop

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Crystal-Studded Michael Jackson Glove Sells for $190,000

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 28, 2010 at 9:00am

When Michael Jackson’s denim jacket from his Jackson 5 days sold for $26,000 — more than five times its estimated sale price — it was the first indication that the late pop star’s belongings were going to sell for more money than anyone may have anticipated.

Even his brothers’ and sisters’ items were selling for thousands at Julien’s Auctions summer sale on Friday at Planet Hollywood. On the one-year anniversary of Jackson’s death, everything was a hot commodity.

Fans, bidders and curious passersby filled the auction area at Planet Hollywood for the nearly six hours of bidding on 251 lots of Jackson memorabilia.

But there was one item that everyone really came to see — one of Jackson’s signature Swarovski crystal-studded gloves.

After nearly 150 lots and much anticipation, the glove finally made its appearance.

At an auction in November in New York, a glove Jackson wore when performing his signature moonwalk for the first time at the “Motown 25” concert in 1983 sold for $420,000.

“I’ll start the bidding at $1 just so you all can say that you bid on Michael Jackson’s glove,” auctioneer Kathleen Guzman said as bidders raised their paddles in a frenzy.

Then the real bidding began. It started at $31,000 and rose to more than $100,000 within seconds.

Julien’s Auctions employees raised their own studded-gloved hands furiously as competing bids came in from anonymous bidders over the phone and online.

In the end, a $160,000 bid from Wanda Kelley of Los Angeles won out. The glove was expected to see for between $20,000 and $30,000.

Kelley said she was prepared to go higher than her $160,000 winning bid, but she was reluctant to say how much higher.

“Let’s just say I wasn’t walking out of here without that glove,” Kelley said coyly shortly after claiming her prize.

Aside from the glove, Kelley scooped up most of the gold records in the Jackson collection. She said she’s been a fan all her life but wasn’t aware that today marked the anniversary of his death.

“I’ve just been so busy. I was up in my hotel room watching CNN and it was a surprise to me to hear it was the anniversary,” Kelley said.

Julien’s Auctions owner Darren Julien said the price of Jackson memorabilia has skyrocketed since his death last June. That was more than obvious during Friday’s sale. Julien said Jackson's 251 lots sold for $1.98 million, nearly double what the auction house originally expected.

His MTV music video award, priced between $6,000 and $8,000 in the Julien’s catalog, sold for $37,500. Handwritten lyrics to “Bad” went for $8,000, 10 times its estimated sale price. A signed fedora went for $45,000 and a corduroy shirt for $23,000.

The jacket Jackson wore during his 1996 wedding to Debbie Rowe sold for $60,000 to a woman sitting with Anna Nicole Smith’s former boyfriend and the father of Smith’s daughter, Larry Birkhead. The T-shirt Jackson wore in his “Beat It” video sold for $36,000, and an autographed replica of the jacket he wore in the video went for $110,000.

Susie Lopez of California paid $24,000 for a caricature drawn and signed by Jackson. Lopez traveled to Las Vegas with the goal of picking up one his drawings after losing a bidding war at a New York auction in November.

“The drawings are just so personal, not like some of the other items up for bid. I don’t think people realize what a great artist he was,” Lopez said as she held her catalog marked with other items she was interested in. “I got what I came for.”

Noboru Ochiai scooped up one of the priciest items of the afternoon, a custom jacket for $100,000, along with a fedora for $37,500. Both were worn by Jackson during a 1997 interview with Barbara Walters.

Ochiai was bidding for Japanese pop star and magician Princess Tenko.

He was hoping to pick up a pair of Jackson’s autographed black loafers for Princess Tenko, but he lost to an anonymous bidder on the phone who purchased the pair for $75,000.

As for the glove, Ochiai wasn’t even considering bidding. “Too expensive,” he said.

Donning their Jackson T-shirts and “I love MJ” bracelets, Kandice Jones of Las Vegas and her daughter Deanna didn’t come to bid but to remember Jackson and compare prices with their own memorabilia.

Kandice Jones said she’s been collecting Jackson memorabilia since 1979 and has lost count of how many pieces she owns today. Perfume bottles once owned by Jackson, an autographed copy of his “Thriller” album and a signed Jackson doll are among her most prized possessions.

Her love of Jackson has become a family affair passed on to her children.

“I really didn’t realize how passionate I was about him until he died,” Deanna Jones said. “I was crying for days.”

The Jones family was devoting the day to celebrating and remembering Jackson, beginning with a memorial service Friday morning and the auction in the afternoon.

Later tonight, they’ll be watching their VCR tape copy of his memorial service from last year and making one of Jackson’s favorite dishes — cheese enchiladas.

Source: Las Vegas Sun

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Playboy Suing Drake For Copyright Infringement Over Song "Best I Ever Had"

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 28, 2010 at 8:10am

Playboy the American men's magazine empire is making an unexpected move and filing a lawsuit against Drake.

The rapper's #1 hit record “Best I Ever Had” is earning him more than just platinum plaques and will force him to face a possible court date now that Hugh Hefner's signature company has filed a copyright infringement complaint against him.

According to the legal documents, Aubrey Graham b.k.a. Drake, Cash Money Records and Universal Music Group are responsible for infringing upon the use of the song “Fallin In Love” by Hamilton, Joe Frank and Dennison/Reynold.

The original song, whose rights are owned by Playboy Music Inc. and Playboy Enterprises, is reportedly the song heard in the beginning of Drake's track and was used without permission.

Playboy says that Drake and the other defendants quote:

“Knew or should have reasonably known, that the sound recording was protected by copyright…” and that “each Defendant continues to infringe upon Plaintiff's rights in and to the copyrighted sound recording.”

The company also says that since the infringement is “continuing” and “ongoing“ they want an injunction to stop the sales and distribution of the record and Drake and the defendants held responsible for Playboy's costs and attorney fees.

Playboy would also like a portion of all gains, profits and advantages made off their original production.

Source: HipHopWired

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T.I. Returns, Chris Brown Gives Electrifying Michael Jackson Tribute At 2010 BET Awards + Performances By Trey Songz, Usher, Alicia Keys, Eminem & More Inside [18 Videos + Pics]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 28, 2010 at 7:00am

Videos After The Jump

Kanye West kept his cool, and Chris Brown completely lost it on what turned out to be a night of hyped comebacks and flashy arrivals at the BET Awards 2010. (Because it certainly wasn't a night of time management, with the show running a long-winded three-and-a-half hours.)

Sure, there was some déjà vu, too, with Mo'Nique scoring her bazillionth Best Actress award, and an expectant Alicia Keys winning twice, for Best Female R&B Artist and Best Collaboration, which she shared with an absentee Jay-Z for "Empire State of Mind."

But it was the long-lost wild cards that the fans were tuning in to see.

West and some dramatic pyrotechnics, including an explosive lava flow and a sparkly snow flurry, opened the show with "Power," marking the venerable rapper's return from Taylor Swift-interrupting exile.

T.I., backed by Travis Barker on drums, did a hot version of "Yeah Ya Know" for what was his first big post-prison performance.

And while Todd Bridges showed up to give a shout-out to Gary Coleman ("I was even hearing [that phrase] in prison!") it was Brown who was tasked with the expected yet still-surprising Michael Jackson tribute marking the first anniversary of the King of Pop's death. Brown even started out in silhouette, making us squint at first to see who was donning the trademark fedora.

Brown did justice to Jackson's dance moves (as much as anyone could, that is) and his sweet timbre, but whether it was out of feeling for Jackson or introspection directed at his own past foibles, the tarnished 21-year-old choked up and never recovered when "Man in the Mirror" got going.

And that was OK, considering the circumstances.

It was also a big night for honoring Mom.

"My mom didn't even know what channel this was going to be on," half-joked Best Female Hip-Hop Artist winner Nicki Minaj, clad in a prom-ready white gown and topped with a rocket-red wig.

Canadian upstart Drake praised his mother for raising him as a single mom while accepting his award for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, and Trey Songz, named Best Male R&B Artist, peered into the crowd and wondered where his mom went, only to realize she was already onstage behind him.

Performance highlights included Eminem's thundering rendition of "Not Afraid," which at one point included a massive gospel choir; Keys' medley of a bunch of her hits; Songz' covering "Purple Rain" in anticipation of Prince being honored with the BET Lifetime Achievement Award; and the all-lady tribute to Prince, featuring Keys, Patti LaBelle, Janelle Monae and more.

Prince's turtleneck with the drawing of himself on it was pretty cool, too.

"I'm just so thankful to be a part of this world of music," the wee, dapper legend said in thanks. "Thanks for a wonderful night. I'll never forget it as long as I live."

Smooth crooner John Legend was honored with the BET Humanitarian Award for his good works, particularly his efforts to eradicate poverty through improved education.

The show was hosted by the multi-costumed Queen Latifah, who didn't just wear a bunch of different gowns, but also a leopard-print muumuu, a basketball jersey and her prison-warden outfit from Chicago.

Viewers' Choice: Rihanna and Young Jeezy, "Hard"

Best Female R&B Artist: Alicia Keys

Best Male R&B Artist: Trey Songz

Best Female HIp-Hop Artist: Nicki Minaj

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist: Drake

Best Collaboration: Alicia Keys and Jay-Z, "Empire State of Mind"

Best New Artist: Nicki Minaj

Best Group: Young Money

Video of the Year: Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, "Video Phone"

Young Stars Awards: Keke Palmer

Best Actress: Mo'Nique

Best Actor: Idris Elba

Best Movie: Precious

Best Gospel: Marvin Sapp

Centric Award: Monica

Subway® Sportswoman of the Year: LeBron James

Subway® Sportsman of the Year: Serena Williams

Best International Act: Dizzee Rascal

Lifetime Acheivement Award: Prince

Humanitarian Award: John Legend

Source: E!Online

Chris Brown "Michael Jackson Tribute"

Kanye West "Power"

Drake and Jeezy "Fireworks/Over/Lose My mind Remix"

Eminem, B.O.B & Keyshia Cole "Airplanes /Not Afraid"

T.I. "Yeah Ya Know (Takers)"

Soulja Boy "Pretty Boy Swag"

Dondria "You're The One Remix" (feat. Jermaine Dupri)

Roscoe Dash "All The Way Turnt Up/Show"

Mishon "Turn It Up" (feat. Roscoe Dash)

Cali Swag District "Teach Me How To Dougie"

Ludacris, Nicki Minaj & DJ Khaled "My Chick Bad/All I Do Is Win Remix"

El Debarge "Medley"

Diddy & Dirty Money "O Let's Do It Remix/Hello Good Morning"

Alicia Keys "Medley"

Usher "There Goes My Baby"

Monica & Deniece Williams "Everything To Me vs Silly"

Trey Songz "Yo Side of The Bed/Purple Rain"

Prince "Tribute"featuring Keys, Patti LaBelle, Janelle Monae and more.

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Half Brother Of 3-6 Mafia's DJ Paul Indicted For 6 Murders, Drug & Racketeering Charges [Video]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 27, 2010 at 3:07pm

Video After The Jump

When the officers came to the house, they noticed a distinct smell.

"I smoked a little marijuana to help ease my mind from the fact of my girlfriend cheating on me," Craig Petties said, according to an arrest report.

But this was more than one man dulling his sorrows with weed. In a bedroom closet of the home in southwest Memphis, officers found three duffel bags stuffed with marijuana. Six hundred pounds in all.

That 2001 discovery, big as it was, only hinted at things to come for Petties.

In the years that followed, authorities say, he moved to Mexico and, working with a branch of one of that country's most notorious cartels, operated a trafficking empire that funneled hundreds of kilos of cocaine and more than a ton of marijuana into Tennessee and other states.

The enterprise has been described as one of the largest and most ruthless such businesses ever uncovered in the region.

The story of Petties' alleged rise from petty drug peddler to international trafficker illustrates how the drug business works and Memphis' role as a distribution hub. It also shows how an enterprise built on American demand for marijuana and cocaine can spread violence and mayhem from Mexico all the way to middle-class Memphis suburbs.

While in Mexico -- a nation wracked by drug-related violence -- Petties allegedly was ordering the killings of rivals, suspected informants and others in the Memphis area.

The victims include a 28-year-old man who was shot and killed in his garage near Shelby Drive and Hacks Cross while his young children were in the home. Later, assassins executed two men in a car in Hickory Hill, and fatally wounded a man in an afternoon shooting in a restaurant.

In all, the 50-count federal indictment accuses Petties of conspiracy in six murders, as well as an assortment of racketeering charges.

The resulting federal case is a sprawling web involving dozens of defendants and witnesses.

Petties, who could face the death penalty if convicted, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He declined a request for a prison interview, and defense attorney Ross Sampson also wouldn't comment.

A trial date has not been set.

But even as he sits in prison, Petties remains the subject of fear, hatred and even mythic lore on the streets where he grew up.

One narcotics officer tells of T-shirts in South Memphis emblazoned with Petties' picture. Messages on social networking sites range from calls for his death ("PUT HIM IN THE GROUND") to admiration ("Trying to get that Craig Petties money").

His story is a testament to how the city's deep social problems suck young people into the trade.

This photo of Craig Petties was taken by Mexican authorities shortly after his arrest in Queretaro in January 2008.

Troubles began early

Craig Petties was born in 1976 and came of age in the 1980s just as a new, highly addictive form of smokable cocaine called crack swept through inner cities throughout America. It touched the Riverview neighborhood where Petties grew up in a small, brick, shotgun-style house that his mother had bought for $17,000.

His section of West Dison Avenue was "a well-known drug trafficking area," wrote a police officer who arrested Petties in 1996.

Petties got into serious trouble early in life.

His first arrest came at 15, when he was charged with possession of a sawed-off shotgun. According to juvenile court records, he had set off the gun in his house when he and a friend were looking at it -- Petties called the police and said that he planned to use the gun to scare robbers who had taken his coat.

In the summer of 1993, when he was 16, he was twice arrested and accused of selling crack.

That December, days before his 17th birthday, he was arrested for attempted murder.

He had been with a group of young men who walked up to Eric Cole and started shooting, according to records. Cole was hit in the back, survived, and identified someone other than Petties as the one who shot him.

Still, authorities moved to try Petties as an adult. Records from the case offer a glimpse at his home life.

He was raised by his mother, Ever Jean Petties, and lived with one sister. The whereabouts of his father were unknown.

His mother reported in 1993 that she received $1,279 per month through her position as a foster parent and from her job at the board of education. That put the family income slightly above poverty level.

After Petties turned 18, his arrest record continued to grow. In 1998, for instance, he pleaded guilty to burglarizing railroad boxcars.

In March, Ever Jean Petties declined to be interviewed. "I'm not doing nothing on my son and I'm not talking about anything."

One significant person in this story doesn't show up in the juvenile court records.

According to U.S. Marshals spokesman Dave Oney, Petties is a half-brother of Paul Beauregard, better known as rapper DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia, a group that has sold millions of recordings.

It is known for songs on topics that include drug-trafficking and murder, the very activities Petties is accused of.

A publicist at Columbia Records said Beauregard wouldn't comment.

You can read the rest of the story on the Memphis Commercial Appeal website.

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'Batman 3' Movie Script Under Way,Film Could Hit Theaters In 2012, Director Christopher Nolan Speaks On It [Video]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 27, 2010 at 8:00am

Video After The Jump

The arrival of "The Dark Knight" in 2008 reminded cinema enthusiasts everywhere why filmmaker Christopher Nolan should be taken seriously. Comic book fans and mainstream moviegoers alike have patiently waited for an announcement regarding a third Nolan-helmed "Batman" film ("Batman Begins" was the first) ever since the closing credits on the most recent examination of Gotham City's gritty streets. Thankfully, Nolan himself is beginning to think about his "Dark Knight" follow-up as well.

At a press junket promoting Nolan's latest project, "Inception," the upcoming psychological thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the filmmaker told MTV News that he's already thinking about "Batman 3" — well, sort of. "Yes and no I suppose would be the answer," he said. "We know we're aiming for 2012 [as a release date]. That's been talked about. We're just working on the script, really. My brother [Jonah Nolan] has been hard at work on it for quite some time. It's based on a story that myself and David Goyer have written."

Nolan has previously discussed the third "Batman" film in broad strokes. For example, he's said that the Joker won't appear in the film, effectively ending speculation that the late Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning role would be recast. But beyond speaking about the project in general terms, Nolan isn't ready to discuss "Batman 3" in too much detail — though that fact should change once his work on "Inception" is fully finished in a few weeks.

"I've been very completely in this movie," he said about his work on "Inception," which arrives in theaters on July 16. "In a couple of weeks, I'll surface and figure out what I'm doing next and how I'm going to approach it."

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Source: MTV

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Soulja Boy Deletes His Twitter, Leaves Thousands Of Dollars In Revenue Behind

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 27, 2010 at 7:46am

(AllHipHop News) Atlanta rapper/producer Soulja Boy has deleted his Twitter account, after amassing over two million followers on the popular social networking site.

Although the rapper has yet-to-reveal his reasoning for deleting his Twitter account, the website was abuzz with the news, as the rapper quickly became a trending topic.

The rapper caught a lot of negative feedback from people on Twitter using the hash tag #ifsouljaboysarapper.

The move could also cost Soulja Boy thousands of dollars in lost revenue.

According to reports, Soulja Boy and Kim Kardashian were the highest paid celebrity tweeters, earning up to $10,000 per-tweet.

Source: AllHipHop

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Pure Coonery 101: Goon Caught Stealing Bike Threatens Owner On Cam "You Better Leave Before I Beat You Up" [Video]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 26, 2010 at 6:00pm

Video After The Jump

Everybody has seen the Dave Chappelle Show Episode "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong". The video you're about to check out is is similar except the guy trying to keep it real clowns himself in my opinion.

Ok, tape starts and we see a guy near a bike outside of what looks like a deli or store. The owner who is filming asks the guy if he just cut his bike lock then yells "this guy just cut the lock on my bike!" which leads to this exchange.

Goon "You better take off on your bike man before you get beat up"

Bike owner "You gonna take care of this or you want me to call the police?"

Goon "Imma beat you up, you better leave with your bike"

Bike Owner You're gonna hit me with this security guy standing right here?"

Goon "He's just security, he's not a cop. It aint his problem, I'm telling you , you better leave before I beat you up"

The goon steps toward the bike owner in more threatening manner telling him he's about to get punched.

The bike owner obviously aggravated at this point says "you think I haven't been assaulted before?"

By this time two dudes passing by try to calm the situation. Mind you that there are security guards in the vicinity, but they have not been seen on cam and don't appear to be doing or saying anything..

The more I watch this continue to unfold I start getting the nagging feeling this is fake. Some kind of right wing propaganda to create a talking point that blacks are out of control thugs. And the white liberal media has been hiding it.

But let's say the video is real. The goon that attempted to steal the bike is a complete idiot,

#1 For trying to steal the bike and not taking off when he was caught

#2 For threatening the bike owner on camera

The goon needs to go get a damn job.

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Katy Perry Goes Topless On Cover Of UK Esquire [See Full Pic Inside]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 26, 2010 at 4:22pm

First she "Kissed A Girl" and liked it, now she's going the way of R&B singer D'Angelo by posing damn near "butt ass" to help sell her new record.

Katy Perry appears topless on the cover of the UK version of Esquire Magazine.

Not coincidently the singer's new album 'Teenage Dream' is coming out in August. She recently released the catchy new song "California Gurls" featuring Snoop Dogg as the first single.

The song sits atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the third week in a row.

Unfortunately Katy won't be able to dance as energetically as she normally does anytime soon to enjoy the song's success. She's recovering from a mishap in Canada that left her with 17 stitches.

According to UK's Daily Mail, Perry, "cut her leg open after falling over during an energetic dance session at a Toronto nightclub."

"17 stitches later... Don't make fun of my dance moves tomorrow. That's what got me here in the 1st place! Thanks for the souvenir Canada," Perry later wrote on Twitter.

Check out the Esquire cover pic below, it's nice.

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Gucci Mane Performs "Wasted" At The 23rd Annual Ascap Awards

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 26, 2010 at 3:49pm

Video After The Jump

The Brick Squad General, Gucci Mane was in the building at the 23rd Annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.

Gucci surprised the Beverly Hills, California audience by coming out to perform his hit record "Wasted"

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Peep Drake's Freestyle From 'Better Than Good Enough' Outtake [Video]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 26, 2010 at 12:07pm

Video After The Jump

A 20-something rap phenom with an eye for the finer things, Drake is finding that when it comes to the ladies, not all of them share his champagne taste. In an exclusive outtake from the documentary "Drake: Better Than Good Enough," the Young Money MC visits New Orleans radio station Q93.3, where he spits a freestyle that goes in about everything from finances to females.

"Why has every woman never dined here before?/ Am I the only 23-year-old wine connoisseur?" Drizzy wonders, as the room erupts with rowdy howls co-signing the hip-hop star's rhyming skills.

The full-length doc depicts the months before Drake dropped his hotly anticipated debut, Thank Me Later. But the freestyle sequence showcases one of the qualities that has made Drake a breakout star: his charismatic, hyper-informed flow. The outtake also captures the heightened buzz that preceded his first major-label offering, as the radio DJ coaxes the star into giving "a preview" of the kinds of bars to come on Later.

Ready to flex his lyrical chops, the scene opens with Drizzy animatedly accepting the challenge. A focused Drake even refuses an instrumental ("No beat," the star insists), spitting a verse a cappella.

"Please make your long story shorter/ Time is of the essence for the king of second quarter/ Numbers do the talking/ I have nothing for reporters/ I just hope we make these flights and don't get held up at the border," Drake spits.

The verse demonstrates his trademark verbal agility ("Jumpin' to the top/ This my leap year"); his witty humor ("I got new girls / But none of they love is for certain/ And call old girls/ But none of they numbers are workin'); and his easy candor ("They ain't rootin' for me/ They ain't clappin' for me/ I'm only saying, can somebody just be happy for me?").

As the station dissolve into hollers of approval, Drake's Young Money associate Mack Maine tosses out a challenge to any rappers ready to step to the Toronto MC.

"I got a mil' on Drake!" Maine shouts gleefully. "Against any of y'all! — old school, new school, need to know this!"

Source: MTV

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WTF? Gary Coleman Literally Exposed: Bizarre Video Of Actor In Shower With Other Midgets Emerges. Owner Of Footage Threatening $10,000,000 Lawsuit

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 26, 2010 at 8:30am

Video Link Inside

Gary Coleman might not have been big is stature, but a newly released video of the deceased actor may reveal why his ex-wife Shannon Price didn't want to leave him.

The clip from the documentary "Midgets vs Mascots" popped up on kikster.com and shows the actors' private parts exposed.

The owner of the footage is threatening to file a $10,000,000 lawsuit if the clip isn't taken down according to TMZ.

Ben Carlson, the director of the documentary is outraged calling the clip "a direct and blatant violation of our Rights and quite frankly offensive on so many disturbing levels." He wants the footage immediately removed or be paid $10,000,000.

View the NSFW clip HERE. View cease and desist letter HERE

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Dr Dre Speaks On 'Detox', Says "Under Pressure" Leak With Jay-Z Isn't The Real Thing [Video]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 26, 2010 at 7:34am

Video After The Jump

Hard Knock TV's Devi Dev caught up with Dr Dre and got the inside scoop on his 'Detox' album and the leaked single "Under Pressure" featuring Jay-Z.

Dre told her 'Detox' is definitely coming and that he's putting the finishing touches on it now.

Devi asked him if the "Under Pressure" leaked track was the real thing.

"Absolutely not, I didn't even get a chance to finish the record," Dre told her. "The vocals are real rough, it's not blended right. The hook is not even on the song. It's not done. the music isn't done. It's just one of the things you have to deal with today because of technology and all that. It's like real easy for somebody tor somebody to steal your sh*t. What can you do?"

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Drake Interview On Jimmy Kimmel + Performances Of "Over" x "BedRock" Featuring Nicki Minaj [4 Videos]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 26, 2010 at 6:58am

Videos After The Jump

Drake chopped it up with your favorite talk show host's, favorite talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday (June 24).

The two joked about Drake being a Jewish rapper from Canada which goes against the grain of the typical successful rapper.

Drake told the story of how he met Lil Wayne through Lil-J of Rap-A-Lot's son Jas Prince. Drake did a hilarious spot on impression of Weezy.

Later on in the show Drake hit the stage up to perform "BedRock" with Nicki Minaj and "Over".

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Drake Interview Part 1 of 2

Drake Interview Part 2 of 2

Drake Performs "Over"

Drake Performs "BedRock" With Nicki Minaj