Grafh links up with Rittz and legendary rapper Bun B for a collaboration titled "Let Me See It." This DJ Green Lantern-produced banger is off of Grafh's upcoming album "THE ORACLE III" – available everywhere music is streamed and sold March 6, 2020! The new 15-track project features Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, Hopsin, Crooked I, Bun B, Rittz and Dope Gang Porter. Cop it today!
Nicki Minaj's husband's past is coming back to bite him in the ass -- he's been arrested by U.S. Marshals on an indictment for failing to register as a sex offender ... TMZ has learned.
Kenneth Petty was in federal custody Wednesday -- we're told he turned himself into the Marshals. According to court docs, he'll face a judge later today. Petty moved to California in July 2019, but according to law enforcement he got pulled over in Beverly Hills in November and that's when his legal troubles started.
We're told Bev Hills PD made a traffic stop on November 15 and determined Petty was a registered sex offender in New York state but had not registered in California ... as required.
He was arrested and released on a $20,000 bond. The L.A. County D.A. charged him for failing to register as a sex offender.
It appears he still didn't check in after that because now the feds are in on the case. He was indicted in federal court for the same thing ... failing to register.
As we've reported, Kenneth's rap sheet includes a 1995 conviction for first-degree attempted rape. He served almost 4 years in NY state prison for the crime and was required to register as a sex offender. If convicted on the federal charge for failure to register, Kenneth faces up to 10 years in prison.
TMZ broke the story ... Nicki and Kenneth hit up the Bev Hills Courthouse to get a marriage license in July ... around the time the couple moved to Cali.
South Bronx, New York spitter Yung JB continues to promote his latest project titled "Drug Dealers 3" by releasing a banger off of it titled "Fuck Your Feelings."
A local public health emergency was declared Wednesday after new novel coronavirus cases were reported in Los Angeles County.
The announcement came at a news conference with health officials, who said the county now has six new confirmed coronavirus cases. The six new cases are linked to an assumed known exposure source, meaning the county still does not have any known cases of community transmission.
"There's either a travel history to an area with an outbreak, there's exposure to known travelers coming from areas where there's an outbreak, or the person is in close contact with a confirmed case," said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, head of the county health department.
The declaration allows greater coordination among various levels of government. It was made out of "an abundance of caution" and not panic, officials said at the Wednesday news conference.
Ferrer laid out a series of steps the department will be taking in the days and weeks ahead: "We are increasing our capacity for testing at our local public health lab. (It is) among 10 California health labs that have received CDC test kits and we have additional kits on the way. We are currently testing and have been since last Wednesday," Ferrer said. "We will ensure that people who test positive for the novel coronavirus and their close contacts are quickly identified and closely monitored and supported while they are in isolation and/or quarantine."
County residents can expect more confirmed cases in the near future. She urged people to follow basic sanitary practices such as frequent and thorough hand washing, covering their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing, and avoiding other people if they are sick, but also plan for the possibility of "more extensive social distancing requirements," including verbal salutations instead of handshakes, and whenever possible, trying to stay at least six feet away from strangers at public events.
Megan Thee Stallion will NOT be releasing new music this week, after all ... not if her label gets its way, and 1501 Certified Entertainment wants an emergency court hearing on the matter.
Label honcho Carl Crawford just filed a motion to dissolve the temporary restraining order Megan got earlier this week ... which allowed her to drop new music on Friday. However, the label says she had no right even taking them to court in the first place.
According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Crawford says Megan's contract stipulates all disputes between her and the label must be handled in arbitration. Coincidentally, this is the very contract Megan complained was one-sided and unfair when she signed it as a naive 20-year-old.
He also claims Megan's guilty of booking several gigs without its approval -- but what really chaps Crawford's britches (it's a Texas case, after all) is her plan to release music on March 6.
In docs, 1501 Certified says she can't drop that music without its approval ... it's part of her contract. Even if she wants out of it, it remains in place for now, and Crawford says he's exercising his contractual right to control distribution of her music.
Crawford's also not buying Meg's claim that "disappointment of her fans" is a basis for getting a restraining order to release the music.
He's demanding a hearing today in Harris County, Texas ... so a judge can hear the label's side of the story before the music comes out on Friday. No word yet if that hearing will be granted.
Megan's clearly still planning to forge ahead with her new music release. She just shared a tease of her new project called "Suga" ... including the track list. She says it's gonna drop on Friday 3/6 ... stay tuned.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk does media in NYC, then hits Vegas. Champion Israel Adesaya and team take in the UFC Apex; Zhang Weili gets fitted and photographed. Neil Magny and Li Jingliang look forward to their clash. Yoel Romero is grateful for his title shot. UFC 248 is Saturday, March 7 in Las Vegas.
The parents of a 6-year-old boy gave conflicting accounts Tuesday about the abuse leading to their son's death.
Maurice Isaiah Torres died as result of a bacterial infection from sodomy and chronic child abuse, a medical examiner said. Isaiah died March 30, 2015, at a Bella Vista medical clinic.
His parents, Mauricio Alejandro Torres, 50, and Cathy Torres, 48, testified Tuesday at the capital-murder trial of Mauricio Torres. He's also charged with battery. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Cathy Torres pleaded guilty in 2016 to the same charges and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The two are still married, but have had no contact with each other.
Mauricio Torres was previously convicted of the charges and sentenced to death, but the Arkansas Supreme Court overturned the conviction last year and ordered a new trial.
Torres took the witness stand Tuesday to testify in his defense. He said he disciplined his son to please his wife, but claimed his wife was responsible for most of Isaiah's injuries.
He admitted to placing a stick in his son's rectum as a punishment after the child raided their refrigerator and got into a cake. Torres said he was also upset the boy soiled himself during the night.
Torres left the witness stand and walked in front of the jury. He told the jury he called Isaiah a baby for soiling himself. He turned his back to the jury, bent over and showed where he placed the stick. He then made his son squat with the stick inside.
"That's punishment for the mess he made," he said.
His wife was telling Isaiah to go up and down faster, Torres said. He said Isaiah was pushed, lost his balance and fell to the floor on the stick.
Torres fell backward to the floor to show jurors how Isaiah was injured.
He said he was responsible for some of the bruises and injuries to his son, but said his wife caused most of them.
He was a coward for not protecting his son, Torres said, but never thought the abuse would lead to Isaiah's death.
Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Nathan Smith showed Torres a photograph showing the bruises on Isaiah's face.
Torres said his wife and two daughters also abused Isaiah.
"I loved my son and I always will," Torres told Smith. "He lives in my heart."
"I did not murder my son," Torres said when Smith asked about his son's death. "I abused him, but I did not murder him."
"You shoved the stick up his rectum," Smith said.
"No, I did not shove a stick up his rectum," Torres quickly responded.
"You called a 6-year-old boy beaten to a pulp a baby," Smith said.
"Yes," Torres said.
Torres told the jury to do what they wanted, but he was telling them the truth.
"I'm not here trying to save myself," he said while looking at jurors. "If you want to give me death that is your right. I love America. It has been good to my family."
Cathy Torres testified Tuesday morning and blamed Isaiah's abuse on her husband.
She admitted to spanking Isaiah, but denied she was responsible for any of the bruises or wounds covering the boy's body.
Cathy Torres said she was innocent in her son's killing and only pleaded guilty because she feared she would not receive a fair trial and wanted to avoid a possible death sentence.
She said she didn't know her son was injured with the stick.
The defense ended their case Tuesday. The trial will resume today when lawyers are expected to present closing remarks.
The seven men and five women serving on the jury will then begin deliberation.
Here is the official lyric video for "PTSD" by G Herbo featuring Juice WRLD, Lil Uzi Vert and Chance The Rapper. Stream the full album https://fanlink.to/PTSD
Three 6 Mafia's DJ Paul just got hit with his second lawsuit in as many days ... and this time Trippie Redd's caught up in the legal mess over a 'Hit' song.
Reginald Boyland, the man behind On The Strength Records, is suing DJ Paul over Trippie Redd's track "Death" ... which dropped last November. Confused? Let us explain.
Boyland says, in legal docs obtained by TMZ, "Death" sampled DJ Paul's famous 1997 "Hit a Muthafucka." Big mistake, according to Boyland, because he claims Paul no longer owns the rights to 'Hit.'
In the suit, Boyland says he got rights to the song in a 2015 settlement with Paul. He had sued DJP claiming 'Hit' sampled his track, "Pimps In The House."
Fast-forward to Trippie Redd's "Death" -- and Boyland's now calling out Trippie for never getting permission from him to sample 'Hit.'
Boyland says he'd already informed Paul and Trippie they owe him some "Death" dough but got no response. He's suing for copyright infringement and wants a slice of the profits from Trippie's track.
As we first reported ... a group of Memphis-based artists are also suing DJ Paul and Juicy J in a separate lawsuit for allegedly stiffing them on various songs.
Tyson Fury is the man everyone is talking about. The new WBC World Heavyweight Champion of the world and ‘Gypsy King’ joins us alongside his wife Paris to tell us how his mental health is post-fight, why he has already signed up to a rematch with Wilder and when we can expect that all-important Fury vs. Joshua fight. But his wife Paris wants him to retire after one more fight - will she get her way?
Champ Israel Adesanya chooses a car for each day of the week; challenger Yoel Romero does LA media and demos moves on Paige VanZant. UFC PI is a hub for UFC 248 fighters including champion Zhang Weili, Li Jingliang, Sean O'Malley and Drakkar Klose.
Boss Don Records CEO and a member of 38 Spesh's Trust Army, The Musalini, links up with Ty Farris and Vic Spencer for a new gem titled "Collection Plate."
OKLAHOMA CITY — A recruiter from an Oklahoma college was fired after high school students in Oklahoma City said he made them line up by their skin color and hair texture.
The recruiter, from Oklahoma Christian University, addressed 11th-graders during an assembly Monday at Harding Charter Preparatory High School in Oklahoma City, KFOR reported.
“He barely talked about the school itself,” Rio Brown, a student, told the television station.
Instead, he proposed an exercise to the students in the gym.
At Harding Charter Preparatory High School, college recruiters stop by all the time, but this gym assembly was different.
“He was like, ‘Let’s play a little game,’” another student, Korey Todd, told KFOR. "He said, ‘OK, everyone now line up from darkest to lightest skin complexion.’”
"He said, ‘OK, who is going to line up the fastest?” Brown told the television station.
Students said the recruiter told them to reshuffle their line.
"He told us, ‘Nappiest hair in the back and straighter hair in the front,’” Brown told KFOR. “Teachers left,” Brown said. “They were crying and they were offended. Their faces just look disgusted. I know they had a talk with him after, like, ‘That’s not OK.’”
According to officials at the university, the recruiter was fired after the incident.
Michael “Harry-O” Harris, the former Los Angeles cocaine kingpin who financed the record label known for signing 2Pac, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg, has been denied an early release from federal prison, despite reports last year that his freedom was imminent.
Since the late 1980s, Harris, 58, has been serving federal and state sentences related to operating an 11-state cocaine trafficking empire that dealt directly with the Colombia-based Cali Cartel. But his work from behind bars as a journalist and philanthropist has earned widespread support for his release, including from community leaders and elected officials in the Bay Area.
Last August, the Daily Mail reported that Harris was being freed “in coming months” and planned to stay at a halfway house in Texas. However, six months later, he remains incarcerated in Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc with a release date set for October 2028, officials at Lompoc and the Central District U.S. Attorney’s office confirmed this week.
Throughout his life, both inside and out of prison, Harris has been known for success. In his 20s, he became a millionaire through cocaine sales, and went on to finance the Broadway hit Checkmates.
In the early 1990s, while serving prison terms totaling more than 40 years, Harris financed the start of Death Row Records with a $1.5 million investment to the label’s co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight. The label went on to produce some of the best-known records in rap history, including Dr. Dre’s The Chronic and the last 2pac album released during the late rapper’s life, All Eyez on Me.
“I was not a drug dealer. I was a person who decided to sell drugs, but I also at another point decided that I didn’t want to do that anymore,” Harris said in a phone interview for the 2001 documentary Welcome to Death Row. “So I took those proceeds and invested in various real estate and businesses that turned out to be quite profitable.”
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