News: Jim Jones Pleads "Not Guilty" For Assault On Teenager

Written by Cyrus Langhorne
Sun, 17 May 2009 08:00:00
Byrd Gang leader Jim Jones reportedly pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery charges against a 17 year-old stemming from an alleged attack earlier this year at a performance in Florida.
The rapper, represented by his attorney Hoot Crawford, appeared in court Friday (May 15) afternoon.
Jones was not in attendance;Crawford pleaded on his behalf. He allegedly punched Damion Johns, 17, of Panama City, on the lip during a March 13 mtvU-hosted Spring Break concert at Boardwalk Beach Resort. Johns told police Jones asked him to move, and then hit him because he did not move out of the way fast enough. Johns said he punched Jones back, and that brought the wrath of Jones' bodyguards, who he said threw him to the ground. One bodyguard held Johns up while the other punched him in the jaw, he told police. (News Herald)

Jones has rejected a plea deal that would have required 10 days of community service for allegedly attacking a rival recording artist's friend. Jones, 32, was charged with misdemeanor assault after a fight with Javon Smith inside a Louis Vuitton store on East 57th Street.
Dipset associate Carlos Thompson was reportedly arrested in New Jersey on Friday (May 15) after being on the run from authorities and featured on "America's Most Wanted" for over three years.
He was arrested in Sayreville after authorities received a tip that he was staying in a townhouse in the borough, police said. Thompson was arrested about 3:15 p.m. in a residence in the townhouse development. Borough police Detective Lt. Timothy Brennan and Detective Sgt. Thomas Cassidy were contacted early Friday and set up surveillance near the townhouse. They were joined by New York City police, U.S. marshals and several borough officers, who entered the townhouse and quickly apprehended Thompson, Detective Matthew Bandurski said. Thompson had apparently been leasing the Sayreville townhouse since November. A team of 14 officers participated in the arrest. (New Jersey Real-Time News)

News: Rihanna & Cassie Nude Photos Fail To Dress Up Singers' Sales

Written by Cyrus Langhorne
Sun, 17 May 2009 00:05:00
Just over a week after leaked photos of Rihanna and Cassie hit the Internet, statistics have shown both R&B singers' recent sales have not increased.
Maintaining a fairly unchanged average, the young singers' nude pictures have not turned into a sales boost for the duo.
According to Nielsen SoundScan figures, the unwanted publicity served no purpose as far as Rihanna single sales figures are concerned. On the week ending May 3rd, she had 45,000 total downloads on songs by her or with her as a guest. The week ending May 10th, her numbers dropped to 44,000. For Cassie, just two days before the Rihanna pictures appeared, Cassie's own computer was hacked and topless photos of her hit the net. The next day, more explicit photos leaked, this time of Cassie fully unclothed. Still, Cassie's numbers stayed flat with 2,000 downloads both weeks. (Billboard)
Cassie's images were previously confirmed by the singer to her disbelief.
"The recent personal pictures that have been leaked on the internet of me were hacked and stolen out of my computer," a statement read. "These photos were obviously never intended for the world to see and it's sad that people would really take time to steal and post them, it's just evil. At the end of the day breasts are breasts, mine weren't the first you've seen and they won't be the last... people need to grow up. Let's move on." (Rush PRNews)
Bad Boy CEO Diddy resorted to his Twitter to playfully poke fun and downplay the images.
Meanwhile, Diddy, who has been romantically linked to Cassie in past and has mentored the singer throughout her career, came out in support of the singer. "Turn this one up real loud and dance on dem bi---es!!!!" he wrote to Cassie on Twitter, linking to a music video for the song "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John. "Let's Go!!!" (MTV)
Rihanna's alleged photos emerged which prompted her to reportedly leave the country.
The photos that are taken are missing some of Rihanna's tattos, and it isn?t certain that these are the R&B singers naked body, but her record company has took legal action to get these pictures removed of the websites. The photos consist of a naked Rihanna in front of a mirror naked with words written on the mirror with soap. Only 2 of the photos clearly show her face the other 4 you can?t tell. There have been rumors that Rihanna is so embarrassed and overwhelmed with the postings that she has left the country to get away from Hollywood. She has not commented on the photos herself. (CMR News)

News: Cassidy Turns Down Major Record Labels, "I'd Rather Have My Freedom"

Written by Cyrus Langhorne
Sat, 16 May 2009 14:00:00
Philadelphia rapper Cassidy recently updated fans on his career status and discussed his reasons for going the independent route.
Along with talking about taking his major label snub, Cass also addressed his rise from freestyles to albums.
"I love hip-hop," the rapper explained. "I just always wanted to prove that I was better than another rapper. I remember I got on this radio competition in Philly called The Cipher hosted by this DJ named Zulu. I [won] for months at a time. I became a personality, but nobody knew what I looked like. So I started battling dudes face-to-face...The focus and direction of artists [has changed.] It's bigger than it's ever been...People [are] making business music as opposed to making good music...Yeah, I don't want a deal right now. I'd rather have my freedom without people over me telling me what to do. If you was ever in the industry, you'd know what I mean." (Rolling Out)
G-Unit 's Lloyd Banks recently spoke on his issues with former major record company Interscope Records.
"I was ready to make a move," Banks said about leaving the powerhouse label. "I'm a brand-new engine. If anything, it's their loss. It's been a dark shadow cast upon that. That's why you hear [Funkmaster] Flex on the radio [boycotting Interscope], because it's an aura created around that machine, and the artists automatically get smacked in the head...I felt it's time for me to go somewhere where it's not biased and I get a fair shot. There's a lot of stuff on the table right now. You don't wanna speak about it until it gets ironed out all the way...Everything happened for a reason. I feel like I'm so blessed because of my work ethic and how easy the music is coming to me. It feels so good to be an independent artist with a brand. I have direct deals with iTunes and things of that nature, where it's direct money coming to me. It's 50 percent of me that's not pressed to be on a major." (MTV)
The rapper's last album dropped nearly two years ago following a prison stint and near-fatal car crash.
Cassidy returned with the harder I'm a Hustla, which was released roughly two weeks after he was charged with a murder that took place in his Philadelphia neighborhood. The extra attention had no negative effect on his career, with 2007's B.A.R.S.: The Barry Adrian Reese Story bowing in the Top Ten of the Billboard album chart; its lead single, "My Drink 'N My Two Step" (also produced by Swizz Beatz), peaked at number 11 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop chart. (Billboard)
He made his name renowned from an infamous freestyle rap battle against Roc-A-Fella's Freeway in 2002 and collaborations with Swizz Beatz.
The first MC of significance to be supported by Swizz Beatz's J-affiliated Full Surface label, Cassidy is a fresh-faced Philadelphian who gained a lot of attention as a battle rapper -- with a successful bout against Freeway as one of the first feathers in his cap. People who had been following him through several mixtape appearances were more than a little surprised by the angle taken on his first solo single, "Hotel." Rather than build on his street credibility, Cassidy used the song -- with vocal hooks courtesy of R. Kelly -- to establish himself as an MC who could just deliver a fluffy chart-aimed hit with equal ease. "Hotel" more or less piggybacked Chingy. (All Music)