Ol' Dirty Bastard on the Mend

Wyclef & Clive Davis Form Strategic Alliance

September 29, 2000

Xzibit & Eminem Set for "Anger Management" Classes

Sade Makes Comeback at the MOBO Awards

September 28, 2000

Suge Knight Establishes Prisoner Appeal Fund

Puffy Settles Dispute Over "I'll Be Missing You"

September 27, 2000

Whitney Houston Charged

Vanessa Williams Sings "A Christmas Carol"

September 26, 2000

Michael Jackson Tops Hall of Fame Nominee List

Will Smith Inspires Children's Novel

September 25, 2000

MP3.com Hit With Another Lawsuit

Busta Hits the Road

September 24, 2000

Selma, Alabama Elects Its First Black Mayor

James Perkins became the first black mayor of Selma, Alabama on Tuesday. The 47-year-old Perkins ousted Mayor Joe Smitherman, a former segregationist who was seeking his 10th straight term in the non-partisan runoff. The 70-year-old Smitherman once publicly referred to Martin Luther King, Jr. as "Martin Luther Coon" and led the assault on marchers back in 1965. Selma marked the turning point of the Civil Rights era when demonstrators were brutality beaten in 1965 by police as they attempted to complete a 50 mile March from Montgomery, Alabama to Selma. The march was in protest for African-Americans to gain voting rights in the South without discriminatory practices and intimidation that previously kept them away from the polls. It was Perkins' third attempt to take Smitherman out of office. In the mayoral election on August 22nd, Smitherman did not get the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff.

During the campaign, Smitherman had warned that Selma would have an all-black government and business would leave if Perkins were elected. After the election, he said, "Mr. Perkins ran a good race and I respect him. I will not contest the result."

Perkins said during his victory speech, "Many have said that this campaign was about black and white, but I stand here to tell you that ain't so. This campaign has been about faith and fear. Faith won this campaign."

Marvin Gaye's Family to Secure Bond Deal

September 23, 2000

Elderly Get Tricked into Slave Benefits Scam

According to the Associated Press, hoax letters have been mailed out to elderly African-Americans across the South over the past three weeks, telling them they may be eligible for $5,000 in slave repartations or Social Security reimbursements.

The letters, which include requests for Social Security numbers, are apparently part of a scam aimed at stealing people's identities and running up credit bills under their names. Mark Pryor, Arkansas Attorney General, said, "What they are really trying to get is personal information from seniors." The slave reparation letter, written in all capital letters on plain white paper, is targeted at those born "prior to the year of 1928 and of the black ethnic race." It suggests that the federal government is seeking individuals entitled to payments under a supposed "Slave Reparation Act." The other letter is targeted at people born between 1917 and 1926. It says these "notch babies" are due $5,000 a piece because of a glitch in Social Security collections.

Pryor also said that people born between those years may indeed be getting less Social Security money because of the way the retirement program was set up, but Congress has not been able to fix the error. The letter plays on those congressional attempts, saying: "There is a measure attempting to be passed, but you must be registered in order to receive it."

Both letters, which were also circulated in black churches and senior centers, instruct people to submit their name, address, telephone number, and Social Security number to the "National Victims Registrar" in Washington. The payments would be added to future government benefits checks or issued in a lump sum, the letters promise. With the requested information, scam artists can assume others' identities.

Pryor concluded that he knows of no case yet where someone's identity had been stolen in the scam, but that people who have submitted their information should contact the Social Security Administration and check their credit reports.

Dre and Metallica Want Napster Banned at Schools

September 22, 2000

Death Row to Release Snoop Album

Death Row Records has announced that they will release an album of previously unreleased songs by label escapee Snoop Dogg. The album is entitled Dead Man Walkin' and will hit stores on Halloween. It includes tracks with Daz, Kurupt, Lil Malik, and Swoop G. The first single is called "Head Doctor" and details a menage a trois encounter after leaving a nightclub. The song is expected to hit radio stations by October 17th. The album will be executive produced by Death Row's incarcerated CEO Suge Knight.

In related news, Snoop will release his feature film Bones in October. Snoop plays a 20-year-old ghost who comes back to haunt his killers. The vivacious Pam Grier will play his girlfriend in the film, which is directed by Ernest Dickerson. Dickerson also directed Tupac in the film Juice. Snoop will also release an album of all new material, entitled Last Meal, on December 5th via No Limit Records.

Mary J. Blige to Serenade the Million Family March

September 21, 2000

Burger King Has Al Sharpton "Flame Broiling" Mad

Rabble-rouser Al Sharpton is threatening to organize a nationwide boycott against the restaurant chain, Burger King. According to Reuters,the pending boycott is in relation to a dispute between Burger King and La-Van Hawkins, a franchise owner of the restaurant chain. According to a press release issued by a spokeswoman for Rev. Sharpton, Hawkins filed a $1.9 billion lawsuit against Burger King in April, saying the restaurant created a ``fiasco'' for him and ''for potential minority entrepreneurs and franchise owners across the country.'' Hawkins said the company had broken a 1996 promise to let him operate restaurants in economically disadvantaged federal empowerment zones across a number of major U.S. cities. Burger King then counter-sued Hawkins, saying he owed it more than $6.5 million in royalties and loans.

Colin Storm, Chief Executive Officer for Burger King said in press statement, "We have tried to settle this dispute in good faith. Our case is based on the simple premise that Mr. Hawkins has not paid his bills to us. Mr. Hawkins and all of our franchises fully understand that they will not be approved for development of additional restaurants if they fail to pay their fees."

Sharpton, who is president of the National Action Network, will hold a press conference outside of a Wall Street area Burger King restaurant later today to outline considerations that Burger King needs to take to avoid a national African-American boycott of the chain. Sharpton's press release also stated that if Burger king doesn't make a "good faith effort" to meet standards set forth by African American leaders, the boycott would officially start during the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, DC.

Mariah Carey Sued for Copyright Infringement

September 20, 2000

Eminem Gives Deposition in Defamation Suit

Rap star Eminem returned to Macomb circuit court in Michigan yesterday to give a video deposition in the $10 million defamation of character lawsuit filed by his mother. In June, Eminem turned down her offer for a $2 million settlement. Fred Gibson, the attorney representing Eminemšs mother, Debbie Mathers-Briggs, told The Detroit News, "He made it clear that hešd rather pay his attorneys $100,000 and make sure she doesnšt get a dime." The mother of the hip hop star filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit and a $1 million civil lawsuit against the rapper. The lawsuits are based on the rapper's statements in magazines that his mother was addicted to drugs and had a history of suing people. Gibson also stated that Eminem testified that "the drugs she abused were prescription drugs." Gibson conceded that Eminemšs mom did use prescription drugs like Vicatin and Valium during the rapperšs childhood, but didnšt abuse them. Eminemšs sophomore album, The Marshall Mathers LP, has already sold over 5 million copes is currently ranked second on Soundscan.

Spike Lee to Direct Huey P. Newton Biography

September 19, 2000

FBI Probe Extortion of Tupac and Eazy- E

According to the website, smokinggun.com, The FBI "extensively investigated" whether the late rappers Tupac Shakur and Eric "Eazy-E" Wright were the victims of death threats and extortion plots hatched by individuals aligned with the militant Jewish Defense League. Details of the federal investigation began weeks after Shakur was murdered in September 1996. The records, many of which were heavily redacted prior to their release, indicate that the FBI probe was classified a "Domestic Terrorism" case because of the JDL’s alleged involvement. One FBI memo notes that the Jewish group "has been the subject of numerous Bureau investigations involving bombings and homicides," including the unsolved 1985 killing of Arab-American activist Alex Odeh.

According to the FBI records, agents in Los Angeles opened a preliminary criminal inquiry on October 17, 1996 after "two independent sources" provided information that JDL figures were "extorting money from various rap music stars via death threats." After six months of this initial inquiry, agents opened a full-blown "field investigation" on April 15, 1997 because, one memo states, there was a "reasonable indication" that "extortionate/criminal activity" was occurring.

On May 18, 1999, the FBI’s "Act of Terrorism" (AOT) investigation was formally closed. In a memo to the National Security division at FBI headquarters in Washington, a Los Angeles agent reported that the matter had been "extensively investigated," but probers were unable to corroborate the "source information" which triggered their criminal inquiry. Representatives for the JDL said that they did have a close tight relationship with Eazy -E and that they offered to provide security for him when he was allegedly threatened by Suge Knight over a recording contract dispute. To view the complete document, log on to www.thesmokinggun.com.

September 18, 2000

Eminem Gets Ripped by Senate Commerce Committee

The Senate Commerce Committee fired attacks at the entertainment industry on Wednesday accusing it of marketing violence towards children. The hearing was held following the results of The Federal Trade Commission’s report that movie, music, and video game industries were aggressively marketing adult rated products to kids. The FTC found that 80 percent of R-rated movies, 70 percent of "mature" video games, and all music recordings with labels for "explicit" content, were marketed to children 17 and under.

Lynne Cheney, the wife of Republican vice presidential candidate Dick, specifically attacked Eminem’s lyrics from his song "Kill You" from his multi-platinum album, The Marshall Mathers LP. "This man just won three major awards," said Cheney. "Can you imagine that the entire industry honors this man who makes this despicable material?" Eminem won three MTV Video Music awards last week. The Marshall Mathers LP is currently ranked second on Soundcsan.

Malcolm X Admirer Gets Probation for Stealing Diary

The theft was brought to light in May of last year when Malcolm X’s children discovered the missing diary at an auction when a dealer offered the diary for sale. The diary, which was on the fallen leader when he was assassinated, was used as incriminatory evidence during the trial against his killers. When the trial had ended, the diary was held in a safe in Manhattan Supreme Court, before it was stolen by Henderson. Henderson claimed he stole the diary in 1991 and only sold it in 1997 because he needed money for rent.

Henderson apologized to Malcolm X’s family in court as he plead for leniency. He was also fined $5,000. Henderson could have received up to seven years in prison. The diary is set to be rightfully bestowed to Malcolm X’s children after the sentencing of Henderson.

September 17, 2000

Darryl Strawberry

Baseball slugger Darryl Strawberry was released from jail and was sentenced to two years of house arrest after being arrested on Monday for driving while impaired and leaving the scene of an accident. Strawberry will not be forced to wear an electronic monitor, but can only travel to and from work, medical appointments, probation meetings, and urine tests. If Strawberry maintains good behavior for a year, the court may put him back on regular probation for the second year of his sentence. Judge Florence Foster said, "This was the best way to get him out of jail immediately and to let him start on the road to recovery."

Strawberry was arrested on Monday for reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident while driving to see his probation officer. The baseball slugger was accused of hitting a road sign, rear ending an SUV at a red light, and weaving in and out of traffic. No one was hurt in the accident. Sobriety tests reveled that he had been using a prescription anti-insomnia called Ambien. The drug leaves users drowsy for a day or more. Strawberry said about driving after taking the sleeping pill, "I used the wrong judgement. I just blacked out. I didn’t know if I hurt anybody. I feel really bad about that."

The all-star hitter began his career playing for the New York Mets in 1983, subsequently playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. In April 1999, the baseball star’s career took a turn for the worse when he was arrested for drugs and solicitation charges. Furthermore, Strawberry tested positive for cocaine in January and was subsequently suspended from the New York Yankees and major league baseball for a year. Strawberry also underwent surgery for colon cancer last month and previously underwent surgery in 1998 when he was first diagnosed with the disease. The surgery resulted in the removal of a two and a half-inch tumor from his intestine.

Clive Davis Adopts a Bad Boy

Davis signed a 50/50 joint venture deal in August with BMG Entertainment to form the new label. Davis will serve as chairman/CEO and will be involved in hands on production on future projects. He also named Charles Goldstuck as President/COO of J Records. Goldstuck was the former executive VP/GM at Arista.

September 15, 2000

Madonna Vents at the Press and Her Fans

Pop star Madonna has become a little irate as of late. She recently expressed to German magazine, Amica, the problems with her annoying fans and the press. "The fans are getting increasingly aggressive," said Madonna. They don’t leave me alone. They ring my doorbell, they order pizzas, they bother my daughter, they stand in front of my car so that we can’t get out of our driveway. They make life impossible."

Madonna also said, "If it were up to me, I wouldn’t give any interviews. I think they are A) boring explaining the umpteenth time what I do and B) I’m not interested in telling the world about my private life."

Madonna recently gave birth to her second child on August 11^th. She is currently living in England with her boyfriend, director Guy Ritchie, and her two children, Lourdes and Rocco. The one time material girl and exhibitionist also told the German publication about the overt nudity in the British culture. "My God, you see nothing but naked women in the newspapers here," said Madonna. "I just have not been able to get used to the naked girls on page three." Madonna will release her 13^th album, Music, on September 19^th.

Santana Rides High at Latin Grammys

Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist, Group, Band or Duo:
Mary Mary
"Shackles (Praise You)"

Best R&B/Soul Single, Solo:
Angie Stone
"No More Rain (In This Cloud)"

Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video:
Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott
"Hot Boyz"

R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year:
Mary J. Blige
"All That I Can Say"

Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist, Solo:
Angie Stone
"No More Rain (In This Cloud)"

Best Gospel Album:
Yolanda Adams
Mountain High.Valley Low

Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band, or Duo:
Destiny’s Child
"Say My Name"

R&B Soul Album of the Year, Solo:
Mary J. Blige
Mary

R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Group:
Destiny’s Child
The Writing’s on the Wall

Lena Horne Award for Outstanding Career Achievements:
Halle Berry

Aretha Franklin Award for Entertainer of the Year:
Toni Braxton

Nelly Dethrones DMX

September 8, 2000

Mack 10 Takes T- Boz on "The Paper Route"

TLC's Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and rapper Mack 10 were married last Saturday at a private ceremony outside of Los Angeles, California. Celebrity guests included T-Boz's fellow TLC member Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and Mack 10's Westside Connection cohorts Ice Cube and W.C. R&B singer Gerald Levert serenaded the happy bride as she walked down the aisle. The wedding party consisted of ten groomsmen and ten bridesmaids. Mack 10's son served as the ring bearer while his daughter was the flower girl. The couple became engaged last New Year's Eve. They are also expecting their first child together in November. Mack 10 previously stated in press statement, "We were homies for a long time, but it wasn't until the taping of TLC's "Unpretty" video that I finally made my feelings known to her. She felt what I felt, so we came together." In related news, Mack 10 is scheduled to release his fourth album, The Paper Route, on September 12th. The first single, "Tight To Def," features his new wife. Other guest performers on the album include the Hot Boys, Too Short, Ice Cube, and W.C.

Clive Davis & BMG Make Amends With J Records

Davis will serve as chairman/CEO and will be involved in hands on production on future projects. He has named Charles Goldstuck as President/COO of J Records. Goldstuck was the former executive VP/GM at Arista. More J Records staff announcement will be made next week.

Strauss Zelnick, head of BMG Entertainment, said, "We expect 'J Records' will be a powerhouse, an instant major. It will be a full service label, with black, R&B, pop and rock. We don't differentiate by format."

Antonio "L. A." Reid replaced Davis as president of Arista when his contract ended in May. Many insiders called the 67-year-old Davis' leaving a forced retirement. Upon Davis' initial leaving of Arista, many artists planned to jump ship and leave with him. As a sign of good faith, BMG will also allow Davis to executive produce the albums of his former artists Whitney Houston and Carlos Santana. He will also participate in a joint venture with Arista for Monica's forthcoming album. J Records roster will include former Arista Records artists Deborah Cox, Next, Q-Tip, and LFO.

September 7, 2000

Chris Rock Gets Jerked?

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences fumbled the ball recently as they left comedian Chris Rock's name off of ballots sent out to Emmy Award voters. HBO's Chris Rock: Bigger and Blacker was nominated for six trophies overall. The comedy special was left off of ballots sent to 120 people voting in the variety, music, or comedy special category. John Leverence, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences vice president, who administers the voting, said the error was discovered the day after the ballots were sent out and that HBO was notified immediately, along with the 120 or so voters who were contacted by phone. He told Reuters, "There is a fail safe built into any inappropriate tabulation because your vote will only be counted if you make a numerical ranking of all five candidates. If you've only done four, the accounting firm won't count them, and Ernst & Young is providing us with the handful of ballots that fall into that category. We will go back to those voters and give them another ballot because of the Academy error."

Eddie Murphy & Lil Zane Set to Clash

September 6, 2000

Ray Lewis' Fined by NFL

Baltimore Ravens football star Ray Lewis has been fined by the NFL for pleading guilty to obstruction of justice during the highly publicized murder trial which involved two of his friends. The $250-thousnd fine is believed to be the highest fine against a player for an infraction not involving substance abuse. Lewis' agent, Roosevelt Barnes, was upset with the ruling and said that because Lewis copped a plea to a misdemeanor charge, the NFL may need to "check the traffic records and fine everyone who ever ran a red light."

As VIBE Online previously reported, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting, the friends of the football star, were cleared of all murder charges in June in an Atlanta court. The two were charged in the stabbing deaths of Richard Lollar and Jacinth Baker on January 31st when a fight broke out after a Super Bowl party. Lewis, who was initially charged in the murder case, copped a deal and testified against his friends in return for murder and aggravated assault charges being dropped against him. Lewis plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice in return for his testimony about what he saw during the night of the murders. He also received 12 months probation.

Lewis told the courts how Sweeting showed him how he repeatedly stabbed one of the victims during the fight. Lewis quoted Sweeting as saying, "Every time they hit me, I hit them." During the testimony, Lewis used a laser pointer to demonstrate how Sweeting used the knife to stab Lollar.

Lewis also testified that he saw Oakley and a third member of his entourage, Carlos Stafford, fight with Baker. He said, "That was a frantic fight. They (were) really going at it." He also said that Oakley was the aggressor in the fight. He said Oakley punched Baker four or five times in the chest and Stafford kicked him. "Reginald was the aggressor at the time that I was walking up. He was really hostile toward the other two guys. Then one of the victims struck Oakley on the head with a bottle, spurring a fight that quickly escalated to chaos," said Lewis.

Despite his testimony, Lewis turned out to be the only person convicted in the case for obstructing of justice when he told his entourage to keep quiet. The evidence showed that Baker started the brawl when he hit Oakley in the head with a champagne bottle. Also, allegedly no one actually saw the stabbing.

Damon Wayans' Wife Wants Out

In related news, Damon will be starring in the feature film, Bamboozled. The film will also star Tommy Davidson, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett, and Michael Rapaport. Wayans will star in the film as a black writer brought on to assist an all black television sitcom, which is primarily written by white people. Spike Lee directed Bamboozled, which is expected to hit theatres on October 6th.

September 5, 2000

Walt Disney Settles "Black Hoe" Dispute

Walt Disney has agreed to pay a $2 million to Judy Goodwin, a former employee, to settle a lawsuit. Goodwin, an African American woman who formerly worked for the Disney owned Los Angeles radio station KLOS FM, filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the company on August 6, 1999. The lawsuit claimed that a promotion on the station's "Mark & Brian Show" gave away garden tools called "Black Hoes" and violated anti-discrimination laws by airing "racist and sexually degrading" commercial spots that played around the double entendre pronunciation of the word "whore." Goodwin's lawsuit claims that African-American female employees were forced to pack boxes of the "black hoes" and ship them to advertisers. It also states that the station's executives ran the promotion with the "conscious aim and intent of providing racially offensive, sexually charged entertainment for its primarily white male listening audience and advertising clients."

Disney initially vowed to fight the lawsuit saying it would "vigorously defend itself in this litigation." After community outrage, Walt Disney decided to work on solving the complaint and made a public apology and required its radio station's executives to undergo diversity training. Two other African-American female employees have also filed lawsuits against Disney claiming that they were forced to leave their jobs after they complained about the "Black Hoe" advertising campaign. Although, Leslie Childs may accept Disney's $250,000 settlement offer, Carla Woodson has firmly rejected Disney's offer of $750,000. Woodson's hearing will be held on September 28th when the judge will also consider whether to accept Disney's motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Death Row Marv Set to Replace Snoop

September 2, 2000

Eminem's Wife Sues for $10 Million

Eminem is being hit with another lawsuit. The Detroit rapper's soon to be ex-wife Kimberly Mathers, has filed a $10 million suit against the chart-topping superstar. The suit was filed in Macomb County court in Michigan on August 21. Mathers is fighting for sole custody of their four-year-old daughter claiming that Eminem is incapable of caring for their child. Mathers is also claiming a defamation suit stemming from Eminem's Kim-bashing which was brought to the stage in his recent "Up In Smoke" tour. In an apparent lashing out, Eminem dragged an inflatable doll on stage that apparently represented Mathers and proceeded to kick it around. The rapper's lyrics are also reflective of his animosity towards his wife with tracks like "Kim" from his sophomore album The Marshall Mathers LP which depicts a gradual murder of his then wife. According to Mathers, the couple had been unofficially separated since his June 4 arrest after he allegedly hit a man with an unloaded gun. The rapper, in a jealous rage, attacked the man after witnessing his wife kissing him outside of a Michigan bar. In July, the female Mathers reportedly attempted suicide after attending one of her then husband's shows during the "Up In Smoke" tour. Eminem's multi-platinum album, The Marshall Mathers LP, is currently ranked fourth on Soundscan.

Wayans Brothers To Film "Scary Movie II"

September 1, 2000

Actor Terrence Howard Arrested

Actor Terrence Howard was arrested on Thursday after allegedly grabbing a flight attendant by the arm and pushing her while traveling on a Continental Airlines flight from Toronto, Canada to Cleveland, Ohio. According to the Associated Press, Howard was taking his three-year-old daughter to the bathroom while the "fasten your seatbelt" sign was still on when he was met by the flight attendant and told to go back to his seat. The stewardess claims that's when the actor grabbed her wrist and pushed her. When the plane landed, Howard was arrested, but was released on Friday. Howard's wife, who was also on the flight, denied that the actor touched the woman. An attorney for Howard said, "He's very upset." He also added that while Howard may have made a mistake, it shouldn't be treated as a criminal offense.

Howard, who starred in The Best Man, was in Canada filming All That Glitters. The movie will star Mariah Carey and feature Da Brat and Eric Benet and is expected to be released in March 2001. His current film, Big Momma's House, stars Martin Lawrence and Nia Long.

Jennifer Lopez & Kings of Comedy Tops the Movies

Eddie Murphy's comedy, the Nutty Professor II: The Klumps,came in sixth, grossing $6.4 million. Kevin Bacon's suspense thriller Hollow Man placed seventh as Autumn in New York with Richard Gere and Winona Ryder trailed in at eighth. Coyote Ugly took a rest at the ninth spot as Bless the Child closed out this weekend's top ten. Here are the gross figures.

GROSS

* 1. The Cell $17.2 million
* 2. The Original Kings of Comedy $11.7 million
* 3. Space Cowboys $9.9 million
* 4. The Replacements $7.5 million
* 5. What Lies beneath $7.1 million
* 6. Nutty Professor II: The Klumps $6.4 million
* 7. Hollow Man $6.1 million
* 8. Autumn in New York $5.7 million
* 9. Coyote Ugly $5 million
* 10. Bless the Child $4.9 million