News: UPDATE: 50 Cent's Lawsuit Continues, Defendant Testifies

Written by Cyrus Langhorne
Thursday, June 4, 2009 10:15:00

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson 's lawsuit against engineering firm BVH, regarding over-priced repairs made to his mansion, continued Wednesday (June 3) with the company's vice president being called to the stand.

BVH Vice President Greg van Deusen has claimed his company was only required to provide 50 with a basic examination of his home when purchased in 2003.

As the trial continued in Hartford, Jackson's lawyer, Michael Feldman, called van Deusen to the witness stand and said the big issue is the company's claim that it was only hired to do a rough walk-around inspection. "Point to me in the contract where it says that physical observation is limited to a walk-around visual inspection of the property? Those exact words were not used," Feldman said. "What we're trying to do is try to get as close to what we think the real number might be, given very limited information...They also make assumptions...I don't know that they necessarily check every single light switch and every single outlet in a house, for example." (WFSB News)

The company's lawyer argued his client was not responsible for Fif's expensive upgrades.

Mike Tyson 's ex wife originally wanted $25 million but 50 Cent bought the home for $4.1 million. The company's estimated that 50 Cent would have to spend around $500,000 in repairs but he ended up spending $6 million on repairs and renovations about half of which went to things which 50 Cent's lawyers say should have been included in the original estimate. BVH attorney Michael Byrne said that 50 Cent's lavish upgrades made the difference and that the estimators are not responsible for the difference. (Luxist)
50 appeared in court on Tuesday (June 2) to testify.

"I would not have purchased the property with $1 million worth of work to do. To be honest I would not have purchased a house with $700,000 worth of damages," he testified. "I would have felt I was living in a construction site." (New York Daily News)

As the trial continues, Fif has reportedly pulled his home off the market.

News: Bow Wow Wants Off Columbia Records, "Please Let Me Go"

Written by Cyrus Langhorne
Thursday, June 4, 2009 09:48:05

Bow Wow has made a public plea for a release from Columbia Records, citing his reasons for being unhappy at his longtime label home.

The rapper-turned-actor resorted to an online video to discuss his unhappiness with the label as of recently.

"Number one, Columbia has been messin' up since 2004-2005," he explained. "I think Columbia's problem is that they don't know how to work with rappers...I'm really the only rapper on that label...My labelmates consist of John Legend who they work extremely well with, Beyonce who they work extremely well with, but when it comes to rappers they're not really a rap label, they don't get it...They're not young, and I'm a young guy but they're not young, so they don't really understand what the young people want. They got Three 6 Mafia, but when is the last time that Three 6 Mafia have put out a successful album? You can't really blame the artists because the label is the energy." (Ace Showbiz)
Bow Wow also said his fans have noticed Columbia's lack of support.
"I'm going to talk directly into the camera because I know people are probably in the office getting calls saying Bow Wow was on here talking about he wants off Columbia Records," he said in a video. "Everybody in the office at Columbia Records, do me a favor. My fans, they see it. They recognize it. They see you guys ain't working as hard as you guys used to work back in 2000. It's a big difference, they see it...Can you please grant me this one wish? Columbia, can you please grant me this wish and let me go? That's all I'm asking, please let me go. Please, please, please, please, please, please. Thank y'all, I'm out." (Justin TV)
The rapper announced his retirement from rap earlier this year.
"This is my last album because for me, there's no more that needs to be done on the music side, I've done everything," Bow explained. "And the scary thing is I'm 22 years-old and I'm young. I'm still a baby, so it's kinda like on the music side, I've been doing it since five. That's 17 years of non-stop music, music, music. There's nothing more to accomplish that I haven't seen yet...I feel like now it's time to endure a new challenge...Close the chapter on the Bow Wow legacy...As far as albums, I'm good. Seven albums at 22, that's crazy." (Real Talk NY)
His last album debuted within the Billboard 200 charts last April.