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Rapper Bleu DaVinci charged with running cocaine for Black Mafia Family

Source

Add to the list of roughly 130 alleged Black Mafia Family affiliates facing federal charges in at least nine separate indictments the following name: Barima McKnight, aka the rapper “Bleu DaVinci.”McKnight was among six defendants whose identities were revealed on Friday, after a U.S. District Court judge in Atlanta signed an order to fully unseal an indictment that had been filed in July. The indictment charges a total of 16 defendants with conspiracy to distribute multiple kilos of cocaine.

McKnight, who took over the record label BMF Entertainment after alleged BMF co-leader Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory was indicted two years ago on cocaine conspiracy charges, was the sole artist signed to the Atlanta-based label. The feds allege that BMF Entertainment was in fact a front for the cocaine trade.As a rapper, McKnight never saw the success of other artists who aligned themselves with BMF, including Young Jeezy and Fabolous. Neither Jeezy nor Fabolous was signed to BMF Entertainment. But both were early members of the BMF party entourage that was a huge presence in Atlanta clubs such as Compound and Vision, and both have written or contributed to tracks about the storied crew.
According to the indictment charging McKnight:

DEFENDANTS were members or associates of the criminal enterprise known as the Black Mafia Family (BMF). The cocaine possessed and distributed in this conspiracy came from the most senior members of BMF, who are not indicted herein. It was only by way of their membership in BMF or association therewith that DEFENDANTS were able to gain access to the cocaine that was distributed as part of this conspiracy.

McKnight has not been apprehended, nor have the five other defendants whose names were revealed last week: Terry “Taz” Biles, Vernon “Wu” Coleman, Michael “Freak” Green, Innocent “Fifty” Guerville, and Deron “D-Shock” Hall.

Demetrius Flenory, his brother and alleged co-leader Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, and as many as nine of their 40 co-defendants are scheduled for trial Nov. 5 in Detroit, where the alleged $270 million cocaine enterprise was birthed before establishing central hubs in L.A. and Atlanta. The Flenorys face a continuing criminal enterprise charge, which can carry a mandatory life sentence.

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Beyonce

Beyonce Unveils the New B-Phone by Samsung

Original Source: Geeksugar

Beyonce was out in full force today launching the special edition Beyonce Upstage phone. The new “B’Phone” by Samsung is similar to the Ultra Music Phone in that it features the popular dual-face handset which everyone seems to be taking a liking to.

What’s unique about this phone is the fact that it includes a digital power amp, making the sound quality quite impressive for such a small phone. Other great features include a quick PC sync to easily create playlists, a 1.3-megapixel camera and bluetooth technology.

Wondering where Beyonce fits into all of this? The UpStage will come preloaded with Beyonce content and new B’Phone owners will receive access to load video and music content from Sprint.com including exclusive Beyonce photo gallery and videos, as well as a childhood song from Beyonce when she was 10.

This hot new burgundy and gold cell is said to hit Sprint and Wal-Mart stores on November 4.

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Biggie Notorious B.I.G. P. Diddy Puffy

Puffy (Sean Combs) slapped with $19M lawsuit over B.I.G. recording, video

A former business associate of music mogul Sean (Diddy) Combs has filed a $19-million lawsuit against Combs for music by the late rapper Notorious B.I.G.

James Sabatino was a consultant for Combs’s Bad Boy Entertainment Inc.

Rapper Notorious B.I.G. with producer Sean Combs (right) leave a Los Angeles party in March 1997, shortly before the rapper was shot to death. B.I.G.’s music and video footage is at the centre of a lawsuit filed by a former associate of Combs.Rapper Notorious B.I.G. with producer Sean Combs (right) leave a Los Angeles party in March 1997, shortly before the rapper was shot to death. B.I.G.’s music and video footage is at the centre of a lawsuit filed by a former associate of Combs.
(Associated Press)

He says he flew B.I.G., whose real name was Christopher Wallace, to Miami in 1994 to perform a show and record music. The rapper recorded 17 minutes of vocals and the session was also filmed for a video.

The lawsuit claims the music that was made and the 90 minutes of video belong to Sabatino because he paid for Wallace’s travel expenses and studio time. However, a contract was never signed.

Wallace was shot and killed in 1997 in Los Angeles after leaving a party. His homicide remains unsolved and in 2006, the L.A. police department launched an official inquiry into his death.

At the time of his death, Wallace and Bad Boy Entertainment were embroiled in a feud with Death Row Records founder Marion (Suge) Knight and Death Row star, rapper Tupac Shakur.
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Shakur was shot to death in Las Vegas six months before Wallace’s killing. Knight has denied any involvement in Wallace’s killing.

Later in 1997, Combs agreed to buy the music and footage from Sabatino for $200,000. Combs gave him a cheque for $25,000, promising the rest of the money in 60 days, according to court documents.

Combs has said he did not provide the rest of the payment because police had named Sabatino as a person of interest in the rapper’s slaying.

Sabatino and B.I.G. were scheduled to meet the night of the killing but Sabatino never showed up.

Sabatino filed the suit from prison. He was sent to jail on an unrelated charge.

The $19 million covers both actual and punitive damages.

Source: CBC News

J.R. Writer signs to Babygrande for seven figure deal!

Babygrande Records is pleased to announce the signing of J.R. Writer to a seven figure, multi-album deal. With his 2006 Koch Records’ debut, “History in the Making,” Harlem native J.R. Writer cemented his place in the landscape of the newest generation of hip-hop stars. “J.R. is an incredible artist. At 23, he has already accomplished so much and we will work closely with him to continue his success. His last album sold over 100,000 copies and if Koch Distribution can deliver again, we know we can.”

J.R. Writer’s first release on Babygrande will be “Writer’s Block 5” on November 20th, 2007.

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Amy Winehouse

“Amy Winehouse in bloody hotel brawl with junkie husband”

Good God.

From the UK Daily Mail:

Bloody and battered after ripping into each other during a drug-fuelled row, this is Amy Winehouse, the cream of Britain’s young singing talent, and her junkie husband Blake Fielder-Civil.

Stumbling around the streets of London at 4.45am, the pair bore the wounds of an almighty row which spiralled wildly out of control.

They have been holed up in a suite at a five-star hotel in Soho for the past three days after checking out of rehab for crack and heroin addiction.

The fight in the early hours of yesterday left 23-year-old Miss Winehouse with blood staining her pink ballet shoes and the knees of her jeans.

Purple bruises could be seen on the side of her neck and her knuckles were swollen.

But her 24-year-old husband appeared to have come off a lot worse – with cuts and scratches on both cheeks and around his neck.

Before the big fight, the singer had made a solo trip out of the hotel at 11pm, walking a few yards down the road to meet and hug a girl in her 20s before returning alone.

An eyewitness said it appeared the girl handed over some kind of small package to Miss Winehouse as they hugged.

The singer returned to her hotel room and within hours other guests complained of raised voices, clattering furniture and screaming.

Shortly afterwards, the concierge was called.

Miss Winehouse, who has a history of self-harming, had asked for medical assistance to patch up cuts on her arm.

At around 2.30am, said guests, the fight sounded like it had restarted – then Miss Winehouse was seen sprinting down the corridor to the lift, pursued by her badly bleeding husband.

One guest who got into the lift to reception at the same time said they started shouting at each other. “Amy was in floods of tears. This guy was screaming at her.

“She was cowering in the corner and I thought he was going to hit her. When the lift door opened, she took off across the lobby at a real pace.

“He was chasing after her and was about five paces behind by the time she got to the main hotel entrance.”

The couple then dashed into the street.

An eyewitness said: “Just after 3am, Amy came sprinting out and down the road.

“She was in a real state of panic. Blake was running after her, but couldn’t catch up.

“Amy was so hell-bent on getting away from him that she ran into the middle of the street and flagged down a random car that happened to be full of girls.

“She was saying, ‘Quickly, I have to get in, I have to get away, please help me’.

“Her voice was breaking, you could tell she was scared.

“The car drove off at speed and ended up about a mile away at Charing Cross station. Amy got out and went into a 24-hour shop to buy cigarettes.

“She was looking completely out of her head. Blake ran after the car for a while. He spent the next halfhour or so wandering around in a daze with blood over his face, looking in doorways for her, shouting her name out.

“Eventually, he got through to her on the mobile.

“There were a lot of tears and shouting, but they calmed down and met up at around 4am and slowly walked back to the hotel arm-in-arm. They got back at 4.45am.”

Later yesterday, Miss Winehouse’s father Mitch checked into the hotel and was expected to be joined by Blake’s parents Giles and Georgette for crisis talks.

Earlier this month, before the pair checked into a rehab clinic in Essex, similar family crisis talks in Hampshire erupted into a bitter row.

Yesterday afternoon, Miss Winehouse – wearing skinny-fit jeans, black ballet pumps and a T-shirt, with her hair in its trademark beehive – spent time in the hotel’s spa.

She also hired out the hotel’s private members area, where it is thought “peace talks” were held.

CunninLynguists – Dirty Acres coming this fall

Kelly Rowland “dehydrated”; Dave Chappelle “exhausted”

On Sunday (July 15), Kelly Rowland collapsed onstage in Lagos, Nigeria, where she was performing at the ThisDay Music Festival. According to a press release sent the day afterwards, the reason was dehydration. Rowland was taken to a local hospital and is currently in good condition.

According to TMZ, Dave Chappelle also caused a bit of a commotion this past weekend. While his rep says that he was sent to the emergency room for “physical exhaustion,”–where he was treated with “food, water and sleep” for 12 hours then sent home–various people called into DC 101’s “Elliot in the Morning” radio show with different stories. One caller said he saw Chappelle in detox in Prince William County saturday night, where the comedian “thought he was on a reality show. He thought everybody was an actor. It was crazy.” Another caller, a local law enforcement officer, said Chappelle was admitted into the ER and “ended up escaping.” A third caller said he was currently locked in a padded room at Prince William hospital.

Click here to hear the calls.

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Press Releases

Rema Ma charged with attempted murder

Rema Ma turned herself in yesterday (July 14) for attempted murder.

The 26-year-old rapper was out celebrating a friend’s birthday on Friday, when she noticed money missing from her wallet. She accused her friend, Makeda Barnes-Joseph, of taking it, and the dispute escalated, resulting in Ma allegedly shooting Barnes-Joseph twice in the abdomen at close range. The Terror Squad member then peeled out in her Escalade, only to crash it a few blocks down and flee in a taxi.

”I ask everyone to keep an open mind,” said Ma’s attorney Scott Leemon. ”Things are not always as they seem.”

She is being charged with attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Barnes-Joseph is said to be in stable condition.

Update: Concrete Loop posted this collage of (clockwise from left): 1.) Ma and Barnes-Joseph, 2.) The blue Escalade Ma crashed shortly after the shooting, and 3.) the pizza place where the party was.

The site also reports, via the NY Daily News, that the spat was over $2,000, and that Barnes-Joseph screamed, “Please don’t let me die!” as she lay bleeding on the ground next to her car.

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Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse goes platinum

AMY WINEHOUSE “BACK TO BLACK” GOES PLATINUM IN U.S.
KICKS OFF U.S. TOUR IN SEPTEMBER

(New York, NY, July 10, 2007) Amy Winehouse’s acclaimed Back To Black album, a mainstay of the Billboard Top 10 Albums Chart since its release a little more than 4 months ago, and hailed by many critics as one of the best albums of 2007, has been certified platinum by the RIAA. It’s yet another accolade in a year of unprecedented achievement for the British singer/songwriter, who locked down the coveted #1 position two weeks ago on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums Chart.

The current single, “Rehab,” has also been blazing up the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, rocketing its way up the Top Ten, and continues to reign as one of the biggest sales-gainers and mobile/digital hits of the year. Back To Black is steadily nearing the incredible milestone of 3 million albums sold worldwide, making it one of the most critically and commercially successful new artist debuts of the decade.

Amy will be bringing her raved about live show to the U.S. in a pair of popular music festivals this August, with the V Festival in Washington, DC on August 4, and the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago, IL on August 5. The charismatic star’s much anticipated end-of-summer jaunt kicks off at NYC’s Summer Stage on September 12, with a show the following day – September 13 – at the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, PA. She will be appearing at the Austin City Limits Festival in Austin, TX on September 15, with stops in Los Angeles on September 18 & 19, San Francisco on September 21 & 22, Seattle on September 25, Minnesota on September 28, and pulling into Chicago, IL on September 29 – with more dates to be announced.

KRS-One’s son commits suicide

Randy Hubbard Parker, the 23-year-old stepson of KRS-One, was found dead in his Atlanta apartment this past weekend. The Fulton Country Medical Examiner’s office said he died on Friday of a gunshot wound to the head in an apparent act of suicide. According to his mother, Simone G. Parker, Randy suffered from “severe depression.”

A private memorial will be held on July 18th, on what would have been his 24th birthday.

RIP