Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 15, 2009 at 10:00am
XXL Reports
Beanie Sigel is in hot water once again. The Philadelphia-bred rapper missed a mandatory court date yesterday for a drug possession case causing a judge to offer a bench warrant for his arrest.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer Burlington County muicipal court Judge Gregory McCloskey issued the warrant after Beans decided not to show.
As previously reported Sigel was arrested in August for marijuana possession on his way to a concert at nearby tavern, Kelly’s Bar.
Beans recently released a new CD, his first since 2007’s The Focus, on September 1. The disc, titled The Broad Street Bully, was released independently on Siccness Records and is described by label head Nemo Mitchell as more of a “mixtape” than a full-fledged studio album.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 15, 2009 at 8:30am
NY Daily News Reports
When it comes to Kanye West, it seems that President Obama is thinking what the rest of the country is thinking.
The President called the rapper "a jackass" in an off-the-record comment during a CNBC interview yesterday, but the comment became public when it was tweeted by ABC's Terry Moran on Twitter, Politico.com reported Monday night.
An ABC statement explains: "ABC News employees prematurely tweeted a portion of those remarks that turned out to be from an off-the-record portion of the interview."
Meanwhile, West himself admitted to Jay Leno what Americans -and Obama - had already figured out: Kanye screwed up big-time.
And maybe he needs to figure out why.
Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards, the rapper jumped on stage during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech and declared her award should have gone to Beyoncé Knowles.
After fielding a 24-hour firestorm of criticism and apologizing on his blog, West told Leno last night, "It was rude, period....I'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else's hurt."
West, who has had similar outbursts at previous awards shows, said, "I need to, after this, take some time off and just analyze how I'm going to make it through the rest of this life, how I'm going to improve.
"If there's anything I could do to help Taylor in the future or help anyone, I'd like [to]," he said.
Swift, who was invited onstage later at the VMAs by Beyoncé to finish her interrupted comments, gets a chance to respond this morning, when she appears on ABC's "The View."
West's discomfort was a gift from ratings heaven to Leno, who was kicking off his new 10 p.m. show last night.
He wound up with the country's hottest celebrity story landing in his grateful lap.
West had been previously scheduled on the show as a performer only, with Jay-Z and Rihanna. Leno told the audience that because of what had happened the previous night, "Kanye wanted to talk."
Leno asked West when he knew what he did was wrong.
"As soon as I gave the mike back to her and she didn't keep going," West said.
Still, after Leno asked him how his deceased mother would have reacted to his actions, West was silent for so long that Leno came back with a second question to coax an answer.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 15, 2009 at 8:06am
RAP-UP REPORTS
Kid Cudi’s debut album drops today. So how exactly will he be celebrating? Rap-Up.com caught up with the “Day ‘N’ Night” rapper on the eve of his album release to find out.
Mr. Solo Dolo will wake up early Tuesday morning with a drink in hand. “I’m drinking all day—seriously,” he tells Rap-Up.com. “I’m waking up at 6:30, or whatever time we gotta wake up, 40 oz. on deck—literally. And I have so much press to do, but I’m gonna be so saucy, every interview. When I wake up in the morning, I’m gonna piss excellence. It’s gonna be amazing,” he laughs.
The Ohio native is excited for his fans to finally hear the fruits of his labor. “I really want people to just embrace something new and creative and just think outside the box for a change and understand that it’s a message,” adds the 25-year-old. “It’s one of those albums that you can play from beginning to end and it’ll put you in that zone. I want to bring people into my world, and I think we did that with this album.”
Did Cudi accomplish his mission? Man on the Moon: The End of Day lands in stores and online today.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 15, 2009 at 7:30am
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMPRAP-UP REPORTS
Pitbull is joining the Kanye West bashing. The Miami MC was not afraid to sink his teeth into West after he interrupted Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech.
“Kanye, what a fu**in’ disrespectful motherf**ker,” he told TMZ. “I tell you one thing, he know who to do that to though.”
What would Pitbull do if ’Ye did that to him? “Ay ya yay! I come from a neighborhood where they say, ‘Don’t talk about it, be about it.’”
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2009 at 10:00pm
NY Daily News Reports
HOUSTON - The guy named Vinny with the Vandyke and Brooklyn accent looked out of place in the leafy Texas neighborhood of gated mansions.
That's because this Vinny was Vincent Palermo - onetime Mafia star turned FBI informant - a guy who managed to vanish from the world of scungilli and Sinatra to recreate himself 1,400 miles away in the land of BBQ and the Texas two-step.
Palermo, with a new name, lives under a cloak created by the feds after testifying against the DeCavalcante clan, the Jersey-based Mafia family whose members believe they inspired "The Sopranos" TV show.
Of course, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Before he admitted taking part in four murders, extortion and a host of crimes, Palermo operated Wiggles, a strip club in Forest Hills, Queens.
The club was a kind of one-stop shop for drugs and prostitution, and then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani made it Public Enemy No. 1 in his drive to shut down sex clubs.
Today, Palermo controls the Penthouse Club and All-Star Men's Club in Houston - strip joints city officials say are hotbeds of prostitution and drugs.
Most of Palermo's Texas neighbors will learn his true identity today when his face and identity will be revealed on a local TV station, KPRC. At that moment, he will face a new reality - should he and his family disappear. Again.
Palermo's transformation began in 1999, after an FBI takedown of the DeCavalcantes.
He started out legit, working at the Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan, where he earned the nickname Vinny Ocean. By the mid-1960s, he was married to the mob, choosing a niece of the boss, Simone (Sam the Plumber) DeCavalcante, as his bride.
Before rising to acting boss, he made his name by eliminating suspected informant Fred Weiss as a favor for the late Gambino boss, John Gotti.
On Sept. 11, 1989, Palermo and another gangster walked up to Weiss on a Staten Island street and fired. Weiss was shot twice in the face; Gotti was delighted.
After his 1999 arrest, Palermo hired prominent criminal lawyer Gregory O'Connell, a former prosecutor. He quickly turned informant.
His testimony helped decimate the DeCavalcante family, New Jersey's only homegrown organized crime family. The entire hierarchy is now behind bars or cooperating with the FBI.
After pleading guilty in a sealed courtroom on Oct. 20, 2000, he grew a Vandyke beard. He wore sunglasses while testifying. His cooperation inspired several family gangsters to plead guilty.
He forgot to tell the feds he gave his kids $1.1 million, a lapse that earned him jail time. He agreed to pay $2 million in restitution and keep his nose clean. Soon - with a nod from the feds - he was released.
He and his family were allowed to sell their $2 million stucco mansion in Island Park, L.I., and enter the witness protection program with new names and Social Security numbers. They disappeared into America.
In 2002, Palermo surfaced in Houston with a new name.
The next year, he bought a $875,000 gated mansion complete with fountain and statues in the front yard. He followed up with several properties that became the Penthouse and All-Star Men's Clubs, a Mexican restaurant and a car wash - all next to one another in a gritty section of Houston.
In an interview outside his home, Palermo told the Daily News his son Vincent Jr. runs the clubs. He admitted owning the property and collecting rent.
"He pays me rent. That's how I get income," he said of his son, listed as sole owner of Herewearegain Inc., which owns the clubs.
Before July 2008, his wife, Debra, was listed as sole owner, though Palermo lists himself as company president in a 2007 donation to the Republican Party.
The City of Houston, using Palermo's new name, insists he controls the Penthouse Club. In court papers, it says the evidence "leaves no doubt that the Penthouse Club is controlled and operated by Vincent (Palermo) Sr."
In a sealed court hearing, a state investigator used an old photo to identify Palermo as the man who runs the business that controls the club.
Recordings made by a cooperating informant named Ralphie back in 1998 make clear Palermo has long wanted to run a Penthouse strip club.
In one April 1998 conversation, Palermo boasted of his negotiations with Penthouse founder Bob Guccione to open a club.
"He bought a gentleman's club. I said, but you know what? I said you know, we wanted to do one in the city. The first one. Penthouse Live."
Palermo formed a corporation to market Penthouse lingerie and discussed opening a Penthouse club in Russia.
In 2002, Herewearegain Inc. got a liquor license for a Houston strip club named Caligula XXI, renaming it Penthouse Club in 2005. The club repeatedly made headlines in Houston for all the wrong reasons.
From Jan. 5, 2006, through Aug. 8, 2007, Houston police launched seven stings that produced evidence of 10 prostitution offers and 10 drug sales. Cops reported strippers offering to perform sex acts inside a "Champagne Room."
The club was also repeatedly cited for violations of no-touch rules and regulations barring dancers from coming within 3-feet of customers. A neighbor reported being solicited outside the club on his way home.
After Houston began targeting Penthouse, the club claimed it wasn't a strip club because dancers covered their nipples with latex or body paint. Club managers admitted to occasional "wardrobe malfunctions," but insisted Penthouse Houston was really a "bikini club."
The city moved to shut Penthouse because it violated the law barring "sexually oriented businesses" from within 1,500 feet of schools and residential properties. The club was forced to shut for a year in September 2008.
Across the street is the All-Star Men's Club, also operated by Herewearegain Inc., in a building Palermo owns. In May, nine club employees were arrested on prostitution and drug charges in yet another police raid.
He refused to talk about how he acquired the properties, referring The News to his lawyer, who also declined to comment.
A year after the city shut it down, Penthouse Houston intends to reopen Sept. 17, again as a "bikini bar."
In a brief interview outside his home, Palermo looked unchanged and unfazed. His hair had a touch more silver, but his accent was pure Brooklyn.
He seemed entirely at ease, walking with a slight swagger and claiming that many Houstonians know who he is due to an A&E special on the DeCavalcante crime family.
"Everybody knows who I am," he said. "It was on A&E."
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2009 at 8:41pm
HipHopWired Reports
For the usual artist, an upcoming album gives the green light to have their face in all types of news in order for them to promote the upcoming project. Rapper N.O.R.E, however, has taken another approach as it pertains to his release for Tuesday.
"Do not buy that album coming out on Tuesday," N.O.R.E. said at SOBE Live. "F*ck that sh*t! That's not my real album, f*ck that. That's not it, I'll announce it on the Internet or let people know, but that's not it."
Clearly, there must be some miscommunication going on somewhere in his camp. The album is supposed to be released through his Thugged Out Militainment so the statement has only raised a number of questions.
Speaking with 57th Ave, the rapper expressed his issue with his latest and the problem that has come due to the lack of support from record labels.
“But the worst feeling in the world is when you make a hit record that you know is a hit and nobody hears it or you drop an album nobody knows it's out!!! There's nothing worst in the world then going through that!!!! I just made the dopeest album of my career!!! And I'm honestly scared to let it out!!! Why now should I do so? I need the belief in a record label that I just don't have right now!!!”
Titled, S.O.R.E. for Still On the Run Eating, this project would be the rappers returns as a solo artist since 2007s Noreality. He had linked back up with his partner in rhyme, Capone, in March to release Channel 10. The album would be the return of the group CNN which hadn't released a project together in nine years.
Rumors have been floating that both Capone and NORE have spoken of an upcoming album similar to The War Report, titled Report the War, where they would reverse each individual track, such as "Money Bloody" opposed to "Bloody Money." It is speculated this album will be released sometime after both their new solo albums are released.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2009 at 8:29pm
HipHopWired Reports
From the beginning of the summer to the end, peace is nowhere in sight for one of the reigning monarchs of the Atlanta's music scene. Sharing the same mantle of power as T.I. and Ludacris is Young Jeezy, whom has found himself the target of several emotionally laced diss tracks as of late. The most recent comes from a former colleague and compatriot, Jody Breeze, whom has decided to take aim at the Snowman for reasons that are still clear only to himself.
Employing the hard laced track found on “Uptown,” the underrated and often ignored rapper from the Georgia boondocks takes a myriad of personal, seemingly pain-induced emotional jabs at a man that once shared stages and rocked crowds with him. Breeze even called Mr.17.5's street affiliations and history into question, a minor jab before insulting his family.
Four years ago, both men were members in P. Diddy's southern rap group, Boyz N' Da Hood, along with Duke and Big Gee. Issues arose between the two when Jeezy, who set the streets on fire with his legendary Trap or Die mixtape, parlayed his success into a tool for stronger negotiations in the boardroom which resulted in him being signed to a one album deal with Bad Boy Records and a very lucrative deal with Def Jam. Perhaps due to ignorance, the remaining members of the group were never able to imitate the breakout success Jeezy found, and faded into the annals of southern Hip-Hop history.
Jody Breeze's biggest hit to date has been 2005's “Stay Fresh,” a duet with Jazze Pha. With a chart topping hit like that, it's no wonder Breeze feels that he made Jeezy's career, as he once humbly proclaimed. Gorilla Zoe was in Boyz N Da Hood too and you don't see Big Gee or Duke making dissin' him. I think I smell another “Stay Strapped” in the air, maybe followed up with a touch of “24,23.”
You could say the Griffin, GA MC committed career suicide, but you have to have a career first in order to kill it.
Check out the track below.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2009 at 7:50pm
LATimes Reports
"Dirty Dancing" star Patrick Swayze has died after an almost two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
Annett Wolf, Swayze's publicist, confirms that the 57-year-old actor died Monday with his family by his side.
It had been reported recently that he had gone home to be with his family.
Swayze's role in "Dirty Dancing" propelled him to stardom in 1987.
But it was his role in the 1990 romantic drama "Ghost" that raised his celeb status to an even higher level.
His career was on an upswing recently too with his role in the critically hailed A&E drama "The Beast."
Patrick, you will always be remembered and forever be missed.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2009 at 12:00pm
Video After The JumpAllHipHop Reports
A representative for Jay-Z has issued a statement stating they had “now clue how” Lil Mama ended up on stage during the rapper’s highlight appearance during the 2009 MTV Music Awards.
Lil Mama crashed the stage about 5 minutes into Jay-Z’sperformance of “Empire State of Mind” featuring Alicia Keys.
You can clearly see Jay-Z was not happy with Lil Mama’s presence on the stage during the performance as he grimaces.
He can be heard saying “You’re T-Paining right now,“ before he slyly attempted to push her into the background, referencing an incident when T-Pain crashed a stage when Jay-Z was performing “D.O.A.”
Rapper Fabolous created a new “hash tag” on Twitter named #lilmamais, which has quickly become a trending topic, making fun on the teenaged rapper.
He Tweeted a number of humorous lines about Lil Mama, labeled the American’s Best Dance Crew Judge a “crazy motherf**er.
“#lilmamais fresh off hangin out wit Maia Campbell,” the rapper Tweeted, referencing the fallen actress who made headlines last week when a video surfaced of her allegedly using crack.
Lil Mama served as a judge on Season 3 of America's Best Dance Crew. Her best known hit is “Lip Gloss.”
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2009 at 8:30am
BallerStatus Reports
She's already confirmed that she was the side chick of Reggie Bush while he was dating Kim Kardashian. Now, Carmen Ortega is talking more about their secret relationship, and ... a sex tape?
In a recent article with Hip Hop Weekly, the stripper/model confirmed the existence of a sex tape starring herself and the NFL player. However, Ortega did not say whether she plans to release it just yet.
Additionally, Ortega says that Bush's infidelity wasn't the only reason the couple broke up. She claims, cheating was going on by both Kim and Reggie.
"If there was no cheating, then how did they find out who I am? I believe that there was cheating on both sides. That was the reason they broke up," Ortega tells the mag.
Reggie and Kim officially split back in July. However, both said their schedules were the cause, despite rumors.
In addition to the Carmen Ortega story, the new HHW issue features a relationship advice column with celebrity couple Ice-T and Coco, a "Hip Hop State of the Union" roundtable with Russell Simmons, and an exclusive interview with Michelle Obama's favorite designer, Brooklyn-based Sophie Theallet.
The issue is on newsstands now.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 14, 2009 at 8:00am
Statement And Video After The JumpBallerStatus Reports
After a video surfaced of actress Maia Campbell ranting in a drug-induced state, the reaction was shock among the internet community.
Rumors began to circulate about prostitution and heavy drug use, among other things, but not much has been revealed from people close to her. Well, Campbell's father, Ellis Gordon, released a statement to Essence recently, revealing that she's currently in a facility receiving treatment.
Here's his full statement, according to Essence:
Our hearts have been deeply touched by the outpouring of love that so many of you have freely displayed in the past several days about our beloved Maia C. Campbell. Our spirits have been lifted by your words of support and your acts of kindness and we have been encouraged to continue our efforts to assist our daughter and granddaughter to become whole again.
As a family, we have been struggling with Maia in her illness for quite some time. We continue to hold fast to our faith and hope that some day she will realize that healing will begin when she decides to reach out and accept the help and treatment that have been offered to her. We all have challenges in life that we must face, but when compound problems such as mental illness and substance abuse are prevalent, it can appear that there is no way out. However, our sustaining faith and trust in God compels us to believe differently. We strongly believe that Maia will be healed.
We also know that Maia's mother, the late Bebe Moore Campbell, who devoted much of her later years in life to mental health awareness and education, along with her family members and friends would welcome your prayers and support for Maia's sustained recovery. In addition, we urge your support for efforts to diagnose and treat mental illness in our community.
We ask that you not only pray for Maia's wellness, but also commit to understanding this insidious disease, which is devastating our loved ones and community. Help erase the "stigma" of mental illness, which is a very serious barrier to treatment, so that we can help those with the disease to live wholesome lives. Call for more treatment options and prevention strategies, have compassion for those stricken with this illness, and help guide those who have been unable to find their way to appropriate treatment. Additionally, support those families who are struggling to cope with loved ones with the disease because mental illness affects the entire family.
Finally, we ask that you support Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, which was established by Congressional Resolution, H. Con. Res. 134, in April 2008, and is celebrated during the month of July each year. It was established to enhance public awareness of mental illness, especially within minority communities. Please join us in this effort to bring attention to this problem, to identify resources and to strengthen the focus on treatment along with research relative to minorities and mental illness. This is the work that we continue on behalf of Bebe Moore Campbell.
Let us move forward, face our challenge, and turn that challenge into victory and a celebration of life.
To God be the Glory,
Sincerely,
Ellis Gordon Jr., Father
Doris C. Moore, GrandmotherRead more…
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 13, 2009 at 11:00pm
Pics And Video After The JumpMTV Reports
Kanye West was asked to leave Radio City Music Hall not long after he crashed the MTV Video Music Awards stage during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video.
The rapper rushed onto the stage and immediately protested Swift's win, saying Beyoncé instead deserved the honor.
"I'm sorry, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time," 'Ye proclaimed after he pulled the microphone out of the country star's hands. B looked stunned as she sat by in the audience.
West, of course, has a history of awards-show tirades, beginning in 2004 at the American Music Awards when he bolted during the show after losing out on Best New Artist and later telling reporters, "I felt like I was definitely robbed, and I refused to give any politically correct bullsh---ass comment ... I was the best new artist this year."
Two years later at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards, West took his complaints to the stage in a similar fashion to tonight's rant.
Justice and Simian's "We Are Your Friends" bested West for an award and the rapper interrupted their speech as he popped up onstage saying he should have won, because his clip "cost a million dollars and Pamela Anderson was in it."
He later apologized for his stunt, explaining he had a "little sippy sippy" before the production.
West seemed to take that instance in stride as he joked he was going to have another "sippy sippy" before the night was over.
But his verbal attack against Swift had a more vicious tone. According to a tweet from Jay-Z's DJ, Neil Armstrong, Swift and her mother were seen backstage crying afterward; Beyoncé brought Swift onstage for another chance at her acceptance speech later in the show. Various celebs have lashed out against West on Twitter, including Pink, who had to be escorted away from the rapper by security.
Prior to Sunday night's show, West was captured by photographers on the red carpet swigging from a bottle of Hennessey. In multiple pictures West can be seen cradling the bottle as he and his girlfriend Amber Rose were snapped; he is also seen sharing the bottle with Pete Wentz, and in a different shot, West is standing near Joe Jackson, who is holding it. Following his rant against Swift, West returned to his seat and flipped off the audience, who began booing him, before he sat down.
He was booed again in the show when Diddy announced the nominees for Best Male Video. "What I say?" Diddy asked, as the boos rained down.
West had already left Radio City Music Hall by then, however.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 13, 2009 at 8:30am
Video After The JumpESPN Reports
NEW YORK -- Serena Williams' U.S. Open title defense ended in bizarre, ugly fashion Saturday night, when she was penalized a point on match point after yelling and shaking her racket in the direction of an official who called a foot fault.
Williams lost to unseeded, unranked Kim Clijsters 6-4, 7-5 in a taut semifinal that featured plenty of powerful groundstrokes by both women. No one will remember a single shot that was struck, though, because of the unusual, dramatic way it finished.
With Williams serving at 5-6, 15-30 in the second set, she faulted on her first serve. On the second serve, a line judge called a foot fault, making it a double-fault -- a call rarely, if ever, seen at that stage of any match, let alone the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament.
That made the score 15-40, putting Clijsters one point from victory.
Instead of stepping to the baseline to serve again, Williams went over and shouted and cursed at the line judge, pointing at her and shaking a ball at her.
Dropping the f-word liberally, Williams said, "I swear to God I'm [expletive] going to take this [expletive] ball and shove it down your [expletive] throat, you hear that? I swear to God."
The line judge was called over to the chair umpire, and tournament referee Brian Earley joined in the conversation. With the crowd booing -- making part of the dialogue inaudible -- Williams then went over and said to the line judge: "Sorry, but there are a lot of people who've said way worse." Then the line judge said something to the chair umpire, and Williams responded, "I didn't say I would kill you. Are you serious? I didn't say that." The line judge replied by shaking her head and saying, "Yes."
Williams already had been given a code violation warning when she broke her racket after losing the first set. So the chair umpire now awarded a penalty point to Clijsters, ending the match.
"She was called for a foot fault, and a point later, she said something to a line umpire, and it was reported to the chair, and that resulted in a point penalty," Earley explained. "And it just happened that point penalty was match point. It was a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct."
When the ruling was announced, Williams walked around the net to the other end of the court to shake hands with a stunned Clijsters, who did not appear to understand what had happened.
"I used to have a real temper, and I've gotten a lot better," Williams said in her postmatch news conference. "So I know you don't believe me, but I used to be worse. Yes, yes, indeed."
Williams denied threatening the line judge but would not reveal what she said.
"I used to have a real temper, and I've gotten a lot better," Serena Williams said after the match.
"I didn't threaten [her]. I don't remember anymore [what I said], to be honest. I was in the moment. And, you know, everyone's fighting for every point. It was a really crucial point," Williams said.
Asked if the line judge deserved an apology, Williams added: "An apology? From me? Well, how many people yell at linespeople? Players, athletes get frustrated. I don't know how many times I've seen that happen.
"All year I've never been foot faulted, and then suddenly in this tournament they keep calling foot faults. I said something that I guess they gave me a point penalty for. Unfortunately it was on match point."
Lost in the theatrics was Clijsters' significant accomplishment: In only her third tournament back after 2 1/2 years in retirement, the 26-year-old Belgian became the first mother to reach a Grand Slam final since Evonne Goolagong Cawley won Wimbledon 1980.
"The normal feelings of winning a match weren't quite there," Clijsters said. "But I think afterwards, when everything kind of sunk in a little bit and got explained to me about what happened, yeah, you kind of have to put it all in place, and then it becomes a little bit easier to understand and to kind of not celebrate, but at least have a little bit of joy after a match like that."
Clijsters hadn't competed at the U.S. Open since winning the 2005 championship. Now she will play for her second career major title Sunday against No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki, who beat Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 6-3, 6-3 in the other rain-delayed women's semifinal.
Williams came into the day having won three of the past four Grand Slam titles, and 30 of her previous 31 matches at major tournaments.
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 12, 2009 at 12:50pm
LA Times Reports
Two Los Angeles police officers have been placed on paid leave as part of an ongoing investigation into how a photo showing the battered face of Rihanna appeared on a celebrity website after the singer was assaulted by her former boyfriend Chris Brown, four law enforcement sources familiar with the case told The Times.
The night before the Grammy Awards in February, Rihanna argued with Brown, who bit, punched and choked the singer in a rented Lamborghini in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles, leaving her bruised and bloodied, police said.
Two weeks later, a photo of Rihanna that showed those injuries appeared on the entertainment gossip website TMZ.com. The sources confirmed that the investigation is focused on at least two officers.
One of the officers, identified by sources as Rebecca M. Reyes, is a nine-year veteran of the department and was last assigned to the Wilshire Division. Her attorney told The Times that a search warrant in connection with the leak investigation had been served on her Los Angeles home.
The other, Blanca Lopez, is a rookie officer with the Hollenbeck Division and was a housemate of Reyes, according to sources, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because it was an ongoing investigation.
Both have been “assigned to home” pending the outcome of the probe, according to the sources who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly about the investigation.
Attorney Ira Salzman, who is representing Reyes, confirmed that the LAPD assigned his client to home during the Rihanna photo investigation but said his client had done nothing illegal and that department officials had not yet presented any formal allegations against her. Salzman, who described his client as a decorated officer, would not comment on whether Reyes had taken the picture of Rihanna or had at any time possessed it.
“My client did not do anything for financial gain,” Salzman said. “She did not sell the photo.”
Robert Rico, the attorney for Officer Lopez, declined to comment on the investigation. LAPD officials also declined to discuss their investigation, including who took the photograph, how it came into the possession of TMZ.com and how much, if any, money may have paid to the officers or associates for the image.
Also was unclear whether the image that was posted on the site was taken with a personal phone or with department-issued photographic equipment.
LAPD spokesman Lt. John Romero described the investigation as “a personnel matter” and said, “We are investigating vigorously.”
Romero said the department would not comment on whether any officers have been assigned to home.
A state law that went into effect this year makes it a misdemeanor for peace officers or law enforcement employees to profit by leaking confidential reports or images. In addition, the LAPD also has adopted strict rules about recording still or video images at crime scenes, which they made more explicit last year after a series of celebrity-related arrests in which details, and even images, appeared on celebrity and gossip websites.
Donald Etra, the attorney for Rihanna, whose real is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, said Thursday that he was pleased that police had gotten to the bottom of the case. He said that no victim should have to worry about such photographs being leaked. He also noted that his client had “nothing but praise for the LAPD.”
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 12, 2009 at 12:13pm
HipHopWired Reports
Just when you thought crunk was dead, it looks like it might just be back. Lil Jon, the originator and arguably the leader of the south's crunk movement, is stepping back on the scene. Sans his silently dynamic partners in crime, The Eastside Boys, Jon is rolling solo for the first time and releasing Crunk Rock. The new album is set to pack a punch with features from R. Kelly, Akon and the south's current “golden boy” Soulja Boy. Jon told Billboard.com that fans can expect every Lil Jon they've come to know on this album and even hear a new sound of Jon as he works with the electro Hip-Hop group, LMFAO.
“This album has all the Lil Jons you've ever heard. From the crunk Lil Jon, to the Usher-like Lil Jon, to the electro Lil Jon who's hanging with LMFAO. I've got to touch all my fans."
Unfortunately for fans ready to hear Jon and his multiple personalities, you'll have to wait just a little while longer. Crunk Rock is not scheduled to hit stores until November 24. For people that can't wait that long, don't get too upset yet. The first of surely many leaks from the album recently hit the net. The song is titled “Give It All U Got” and has a techno-pop feel. Incredibly bubble-gum and featuring vocals from singer Kee, it should be perfect for teeny boppers and avid listeners to bouncy dance music rappers like Flo Rida and Pitbull.
You can listen to Lil Jon and Kee “Give It All U Got” below:
So does this mean crunk really is dead? This song is definitely NOT what we were expecting….
Read more…
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 12, 2009 at 4:00am
Video After The Jump
Source : Rap-Up
Kid Cudi introduced himself to millions of households on Friday’s “Late Show with David Letterman.” Mr. Solo Dolo performed the Ratatat-aided “Pursuit of Happiness,” a cut off his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 12, 2009 at 2:30am
Concert Video And Pics After The JumpNewsday Reports
Jay-Z's ambitious plan to remix America's feelings about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks began with a star-studded benefit Friday night at Madison Square Garden that balanced reverence with revelry.
"They believed would weaken us," Jay-Z said, introducing "Run This Town," which featured Kanye West and Rihanna in one of her first public appearances since her troubles with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. "They were sorely mistaken . . . We stand here tonight even stronger."
For Jay-Z - whose first "Blueprint" album was released on Sept. 11, 2001, and who wanted the release of "The Blueprint 3," which he says is the last in the series, to come out on Sept. 11 as well - crafting the "Answer the Call" benefit was a way to take control of a tragedy that made so many, including himself, feel powerless.
The concert was designed to celebrate the extraordinary acts of heroism and the spirit of unity that sprung up because of the attacks. Jay-Z wanted to connect to the positive aspects of 9/11 rather than dwelling on the negative. "We're celebrating life tonight," Jay-Z said.
All proceeds from the concert will go to the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund, which also hopes to use the publicity from the show to let more people know about the charity.
Jay-Z got some high-profile help from wife Beyoncé, who performed "Diva," West, Santigold and Kid Cudi, as well as John Mayer, who supplied guitar riffs on "D.O.A."
But it was Jay-Z that fired the crowd up, with a mix of new and old, dedicating "99 Problems" to the terrorists and "Heart of the City," which became a massive sing-along.
"There's a lot of love in here tonight," Jay-Z said.
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