Showing posts with label R. Kelly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label R. Kelly. Show all posts

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Kid Rock: That [Confederate Flag] Is What I'm About! Tell The PC ________ To Suck _________!

Entertainer sparks controversy over his embracing of the Confederate flag.

Robert Ritchie (Kid Rock) once again brings controversy. Before he became this total asshole, he actually is a pretty nice guy. He actually came to Dayton to perform at the Nutter Center. He actually filmed his encounters with fans and random strangers.

The former rapper now rebel country rocker is a proud Republican who wears the stars and bars with pride. The Confederate flag being lowered from the South Carolina capitol was met with cheers and conservative outrage.

At the Kentucky Speedway, the flags flew.

At the Summer Country Concert in Minister, Ohio, the flags flew.

And when that flag when down from the state capitol grounds in South Carolina, you seen a bunch of protesters with the flag swinging.

The Michigan born entertainer moved to Alabama and found himself embracing Southern hospitality.
He's not going down without a fight.
Hanging around with beer guzzling Hank Williams, Jr. and high kicking Chuck Norris turned him into a wackadoodle.

The entertainer told his fans at a concert that if anyone hates the Confederate flag, they can suck.....Well you know!

Yeah, he told the protesters and the political correctness crowd to kiss his ass....

He aimed at Rev. Perm who recently complained about him waving that flag around.

Of course the network that may have inspired that White terrorist to kill nine innocent church goers in Charleston was happy to have a discussion on it.

Kid Rock has a son who is a performer as well. His own son, Robert Ritchie, Jr. is half black.
Idiotic.
The NAACP once again in hot water. The NAACP turns a blind eye to issues. This would be the latest controversy facing the oldest civil rights organization.

Kid Rock and his son were honorees at the NAACP Convention.

The NAACP recently face controversy after they got upset over Rachel Dolezal. The former president of the Western chapter was outed as a White woman. Dolezal hid her race because of her family's hatred of her dating Black men. They fired her out the cannon despite her work.

They also looked the other way during the Donald Sterling controversy. The former NBA owner told his mistress that he didn't want Black people at the Los Angeles Clippers games.

Kid Rock has the right to be "Confederate Yankee". He can take that flag and wrap it around his ass, his neck and his privates. No one is stopping him. If it can help push Rebel Soul and attract a base of white extremists, more power to him.

But as soon as another mass murder happens in America, I hope they don't find his music in their possession.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Robin Thicke And Pharrell Williams Owe $$$!

The mega producer Pharrell Williams (center) and pop singer Robin Thicke (left) got to break dollars to the estate of Marvin Gaye. T.I. (right) was a featured act in the hit song Blurred Lines.

The R&B/pop singer and mega producer are pissed that they owe up. The greedy family of Marvin Gaye managed to win over the U.S. federal court. They claimed that the mega-hit Blurred Lines sounds similar to Got to Give It Up, a song that was a hit when their father Marvin was alive.

Robin Thicke already facing legal drama with his ex-wife Paula Patton is now shelving cash for using stealing the legendary R&B singer's soul.

Nora Gaye is an entertainer and daughter of Marvin.
The impact could damage the reputation of Pharrell Williams. He is the producer of many hits including his own "Happy" which got nominated for an Oscar.

I am going to be honest. I am not happy about this. I don't hear no similarities to the songs. But to a federal jury and federal judge, the difference is clear: They jacked Marvin Gaye.

But Marvin's daughter Noah Gaye, a singer and actress in her own right is happy. She was one of the many family members who brought up the lawsuit to U.S. federal district.

The family won $8 million in royalties.

The AP reports that the Gaye family is satisfied with the decision. We don't know if Robin Thicke or Pharrell will appeal the decision.

"Right now, I feel free," Nona Gaye said after the verdict. "Free from ... Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke's chains and what they tried to keep on us and the lies that were told."


An attorney for Thicke and Williams has said a decision in favor of Gaye's heirs could have a chilling effect on musicians who try to emulate an era or another artist's sound.

The Gayes' lawyer branded Williams and Thicke liars who went beyond trying to emulate the sound of Gaye's late-1970s music and copied the R&B legend's hit "Got to Give It Up" outright.

"They fought this fight despite every odd being against them," Busch said of the Gaye family outside court.

Thicke told jurors he didn't write "Blurred Lines," which Williams testified he crafted in about an hour in mid-2012.

Williams told jurors that Gaye's music was part of the soundtrack of his youth. But the seven-time Grammy winner said he didn't use any of it to create "Blurred Lines."

Gaye's children -- Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye III -- sued the singers in 2013 and were present when the verdict was read.

The verdict may face years of appeals.

"Blurred Lines" has sold more than 7.3 million copies in the U.S. alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures. It earned a Grammy Awards nomination and netted Williams and Thicke millions of dollars.

The case was a struggle between two of music's biggest names: Williams has sold more than 100 million records worldwide during his career as a singer-producer, and Gaye performed hits such as "Sexual Healing" and "How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You)" remain popular.

During closing arguments, Busch accused Thicke and Williams of lying about how the song was created. He told jurors they could award Gaye's children millions of dollars if they determined the copyright to "Got to Give It Up" was infringed.

Howard King, lead attorney for Williams and Thicke, told the panel that a verdict in favor of the Gaye family would have a chilling effect on musicians who were trying to recreate a genre or homage to another artist's sound.

King denied there were any substantial similarities between "Blurred Lines" and the sheet music Gaye submitted to obtain copyright protection.

Williams has become a household name -- known simply as Pharrell -- thanks to his hit song "Happy" and his work as a judge on the "The Voice." He wrote the majority of "Blurred Lines" and recorded it in one night with Thicke. A segment by rapper T.I. was added later.

Williams, 41, also signed a document stating he didn't use any other artists' work in the music and would be responsible if a successful copyright claim was raised.

Thicke testified he wasn't present when the song was written, despite receiving credit.

The trial focused on detailed analyses of chords and notes in both "Blurred Lines" and "Got to Give It Up."
Marvin Gaye was a legendary musician who touched the world. He was gunned down by his own father in 1984.
Jurors repeatedly heard the upbeat song "Blurred Lines" and saw snippets of its music video, but Gaye's music was represented during the trial in a less polished form. Jurors did not hear "Got to Give It Up" as Gaye recorded it, but rather a version created based solely on sheet music submitted to gain copyright protection.

That version lacked many of the elements -- including Gaye's voice -- that helped make the song a hit in 1977. Busch derisively called the version used in court a "Frankenstein-like monster" that didn't accurately represent Gaye's work.

An expert for the Gaye family said there were eight distinct elements from "Got to Give It Up" that were used in "Blurred Lines," but an expert for Williams and Thicke denied those similarities existed.

Gaye died in April 1984, leaving his children the copyrights to his music.

Pharrell responds to the verdict.

While we respect the judicial process, we are extremely disappointed in the ruling made today, which sets a horrible precedent for music and creativity going forward. Pharrell created 'Blurred Lines' from his heart, mind and soul and the song was not taken from anyone or anywhere else. We are reviewing the decision, considering our options and you will hear more from us soon about this matter.

Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines (feat. T.I. and Pharrell) (Interscope/NuAmerica/Star Trak Records)



Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up (Motown Records)

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Kid Rock: _______ Beyonce And Obama!

Rocker Kid Rock kicks off a feud with Queen Bey.

Back in the hey days, Kid Rock was once a rapper. Now he's converted to a rebel rocker who talks shit like Hank Williams, Jr. and Ted Nugent. As he preparing for his album First Kiss, he manages to express himself without being arrested for lewd conduct.

Kid Rock  is a proud Republican and hides no feelings towards President Barack Obama and Queen Bey.

S. Baldwin had posted yesterday about the rocker making controversial statements about the president and Beyonce. He was in the RollingStone Magazine ranting off about how Beyonce's album sales fucked his album releases.

The rocker allowed Mitt Romney's presidential campaign to officially make use of his music in campaign events, using his song "Born Free".

Kid Rock later endorsed Mitt Romney's candidacy and performed on Romney's behalf at campaign events. By May 2012, Kid Rock was still the first of a handful of high-profile musicians to endorse Mitt Romney, including Ted Nugent and Lee Greenwood. Kid Rock performed alongside Lynyrd Skynyrd and Trace Adkins at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. He introduced Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan, at a rally in Michigan in October 2012; Ryan went onstage to "Bawitdaba".
Rebel Rocker pissed off Bey's fans.

A former fixture of Detroit, the rocker now flexes his conservative roots in Red State America.

In the latest issue of Rolling Stone, the singer detailed why he's "flabbergasted" by the intense Beyoncé fandom. "Beyoncé, to me, doesn't have a fucking 'Purple Rain,' but she's the biggest thing on Earth," he said. "How can you be that big without at least one 'Sweet Home Alabama' or 'Old Time Rock & Roll'?"

His criticism quickly turned to not understanding the physical attraction to the singer. "People are like, 'Beyoncé's hot. Got a nice fucking ass.' I'm like 'Cool, I like skinny white chicks with big tits.' Doesn't really fucking do much for me."

Fans of the "Drunk in Love" singer, known as the 'Beyhive,' have taken to social media to vent their frustrations with Rock and anger towards his criticisms. All of his recent Instagram pictures have been flooded with thousands of comments from super-fans with icons and usernames referencing Beyoncé.
Brush it off. 
While some of the comments are just a marker of presence — users simply posting the bee emoji or "#Beyhive" — others have turned personal and violent. "I HOPE KID ROCK MOM GETS GANG RAPED AND CATCHES AIDS AND DIES," reads one such note on a picture of Rock at the Today show.

"You ain't shit even to this day," says another. "Who are you? And why are you 70 [and] still being called a kid?"

Rock recently released his 10th studio album, First Kiss. As noted in the profile, Rock received a controversial NAACP award in 2011. The Detroit chapter honored him with the Great Expectations award while many members protested the singer for his heavy use of Confederate flag imagery.

It's a goddamn shame that even the NAACP gives this guy an award. Kind of like Donald Sterling but without the basketball team.



Thursday, December 11, 2014

Rapper Commits Murder-Suicide! Pissed That Wife May Have Flinged With Trey Songz!

View image on Twitter

Former Aftermath Entertainment rapper Hayes murdered Canadian model/actress Stephanie Moseley before killing himself. We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the family of Stephanie Moseley.

LAPD determined that this event was a domestic violence dispute. This rapper was pissed that his wife may have cheated on him with a famous singer. It's allegedly that the actress may have hung out with R&B singer Trey Songz, and it drove the rapper crazy. Hayes has ties to boxer/media mogul Floyd Mayweather.

Investigators concluded that Hayes shot his wife while sleeping before he took himself out. This event happened in the early Monday morning at the Palazzo East in a LAPD news release Wednesday evening.

“Investigators have determined that Hayes killed his wife Stephanie in their home and then took his own life,” the news release stated.
Earl Hayes is shown in a photo he posted on Twitter in June 2012.
Earl Hayes was a rapper who worked with Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather semi-retired from his boxing career to focus on entertainment. Mayweather is a rapper and media mogul.

Hayes, 34, was a musician and friend of professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Moseley was a dancer who starred in the show “Hit the Floor” on VH1.

Mayweather’s camp communicated with Hayes shortly before the deaths, law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times.
Trey Songz really did invent sex. He's being accused by friends of Earl Hayes as the reason to why he committed murder on his estranged wife.
Friends and family members who arrived at the apartment complex Monday said the couple had been having marital problems.

Police at the scene of the shooting, which prompted a SWAT response, initially said the case was believed to be a murder-suicide.

After the bodies were found inside the couple’s home, police spoke to witnesses who corroborated that belief, Wednesday’s news release stated.
The Unit capo and Money Team capo stirred the pot. 50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather stated that Stephanie Moseley cheated on Earl Hayes with R&B singer Trey Songz.
Mayweather and his former friend 50 Cent may have agitated the event. They claimed that the Mosley may have cheated on Hayes with R&B singer Trey Songz.

"He was crushed and never got over it," a source close to Hayes told TMZ.

Apparently the infidelity with the singer was one of many that he accused her of having, and was the cause for a separation between the couple two years ago.

Songz has not responded to the rumors, but did post a message of prayer for the actress/back-up dancer soon after news broke that she and Hayes were found dead inside an L.A. apartment. "R.I.P babygirl. Once an angel on earth, now watching over us from Heaven. You'll b missed but never forgotten. Love," he tweeted.

Hayes worked with Timbaland, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent and was signed to Interscope for a brief moment.



_____________________

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

R. Kelly Dropped From Ohio Concert!

Entertainer R. Kelly get the ax after protests.

Sometimes, R. Kelly can't catch a break. Since 2003, the entertainer has been in spotlight for being a nasty freak and possible child pedophile. There was a summer concert with him being a headliner act, but that was put on the back burner after protest from some women's groups. So it's a no go for Robert Sylvester Kelly.

The R. Kelly concert scheduled to open the inaugural Fashion Meets Music Festival next month in Columbus, Ohio has been canceled because of backlash over the R&B singer’s past. The Columbus Dispatch reports that some are pretty upset over the cancellation.

“We wanted to make sure we heard the Columbus listeners ... to make a statement and support the city we live in,” said festival spokeswoman Melissa Dickson, who added that a public-relations firm is helping the event repair its image.

The decision to pull Kelly’s Nationwide show on Aug. 29 came late last week after Saintseneca, a Columbus band also set to play the festival, announced plans to cancel because of Kelly’s appearance. WCBE (90.5 FM) withdrew its sponsorship shortly after.

Those departures were preceded by a local duo, Damn the Witch Siren, which on July 3 abandoned their festival appearance because of Kelly’s history, which includes a 2008 acquittal on 14 counts of child pornography and a Chicago Sun-Times investigation linking the Grammy winner to underage girls.

Still, the 47-year-old I Believe I Can Fly singer hasn’t been short on work: He headlined the Bonnaroo (Manchester, Tenn.) and Pitchfork (Chicago) festivals last summer.

But word of his planned appearance here drew almost-instant criticism.

Organizers of the Fashion Meets Music Festival, which is to take place in and around the Arena District on Aug. 29-31, issued a brief announcement last night via Facebook and Twitter to say the artist and event have “parted ways.”

Kelly’s publicist released the following statement: “R. Kelly is sorry to disappoint his fans but looks forward to seeing them in the near future during one of his upcoming tours.”

The remaining festival events and after-party shows will take place as scheduled in locations such as McFerson Commons. Performers include O.A.R., Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child and Future Islands.

There won’t be a replacement concert in the arena.

Monday, July 28, 2014

The Queen Of Soul Ain't A Fan Of Johnny Rockets!

Johnny Rockets pissed off Aretha Franklin.

Restaurant customer: Do you know who I am?

Apparently you don't know who I am, because you're service was so bad the Queen of Soul was totally pissed off with it.

The Associated Press report that Aretha Franklin has some harsh words for a server who showed D-I-S-R-E-S-P-E-C-T by telling the Queen of Soul she wasn't allowed to eat her takeout inside the restaurant.

A spokesman for Franklin says the situation unfolded Tuesday at a Johnny Rockets restaurant on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

The spokesman says Franklin ordered a hamburger after performing a sold-out show. But he says the server screamed at Franklin, saying she couldn't sit down to eat because she ordered takeout.
The Queen of Soul was not impressed with Niagara Falls, Ontario restaurant.
Franklin says in a statement that the worker was "very rude, unprofessional and nasty."

A Johnny Rockets spokeswoman says the franchise owner is sorry for the actions of "a new and very young employee."

She says the owner has spoken with the employee and has clarified his takeout policies.


________________________

Friday, March 28, 2014

Nick Cannon Dons Whiteface!


Mariah Carey's extra baggage emerges in whiteface.


It's kind of funny that a hapless talent like Nick Cannon continues to plague America. I mean don't get me wrong he's got at least a gig or two. But seriously, he's Mr. Mom to most people.

He's came a long way from Nickelodeon to the top.

After all he's got the baddest chick in pop music as his wife and mother of his children.

But is there anything that Cannon has that is worth value?

I'm actually shocked. His album will have a parental advisory warning on it.
The 33-year old actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenager on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent.

As he prepares for his newest album release, White People Party Music, Cannon runs this generic White boy image.

Going as Connor Smallnut, the entertainer reacts to the publicity by going even further into the suburbs.

ABC News reports that the entertainer's stunt will certainly generate a sure amount of controversy.

For one thing, Cannon took the social networks and posted:

"It's official... I'm White!!!" he wrote. "#WHITEPEOPLEPARTYMUSIC #Wppm in stores April 1st!!!!!!Dude Go Get It!!!Join The Party!!!! #GoodCredit #DogKissing #BeerPong #FarmersMarkets #FistPumping #CreamCheeseEating #RacialDraft "Bro I got drafted!!""

In response to any backlash, Cannon recalled another actor who changed his color.

"Shout out to @RobertDowneyJr This is one of my favorite characters of all time! Hilarious!!! There is a big difference between Humor and Hatred," he wrote.



Cannon, who is married to Mariah Carey and has two children Moroccan and Monroe, was referring to Downey's character in "Tropic Thunder," who wore a blackface as an actor in the movie.



Could you be even more crazier than Nick Cannon?

I mean the racist right is really pissed at the concept.




Do you actually believe that this whiteface donned by Nick Cannon is offensive?

Would you be upset if a White person dons Blackface?






Monday, August 19, 2013

Rapping At 40!

Music genre pass a milestone.

Hip-Hop celebrates a milestone. It's turning 40 years old today.

Man we're getting old when your favorite acts are in their forties and fifties. Of course all the new acts are too mainstream and the music is lost to the controversy of being too pop friendly or the ire of conservative assholes like Bill-O (Bill O'Reilly).

Hip-Hop music made it possible for Barack Obama to become the President of The United States. Without the endorsements of Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, Ludacris and Russell Simmons, Obama would not of been in the White House right now.

All you need was the four elements.

A rapper, a scratch (beat), break dancing, and graffiti.

While it's not confirmed on where it's origins came from, all I know about the music is the fact it's a product of The Bronx, New York.

Wikipedia offers a definition. Hip hop music, also called hip-hop or rap music  is a music genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted.

It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements: MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching, break dancing, and graffiti writing.

Other elements include sampling (or synthesis), and beatboxing.

While often used to refer to rapping, "hip hop" more properly denotes the practice of the entire subculture.

The term hip hop music is sometimes used synonymously with the term rap music, though rapping is not a required component of hip hop music; the genre may also incorporate other elements of hip hop culture, including DJing and scratching, beatboxing, and instrumental tracks.

Creation of the term hip hop is often credited to Keith Cowboy, rapper with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

However, Lovebug Starski, Keith Cowboy, and DJ Hollywood used the term when the music was still known as disco rap. It is believed that Cowboy created the term while teasing a friend who had just joined the U.S. Army, by scat singing the words "hip/hop/hip/hop" in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of soldiers marching.

Cowboy later worked the "hip hop" cadence into a part of his stage performance, which was quickly used by other artists such as The Sugarhill Gang in "Rapper's Delight".

Hip hop as music and culture formed during the 1970s when block parties became increasingly popular in New York City, particularly among African American youth residing in the Bronx.
DJ Kool Herc is considered the father of hip-hop.
Block parties incorporated DJs who played popular genres of music, especially funk and soul music. Due to the positive reception, DJs began isolating the percussive breaks of popular songs. This technique was then common in Jamaican dub music, and was largely introduced into New York by immigrants from Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean, including DJ Kool Herc, who is generally considered the father of hip hop.

Because the percussive breaks in funk, soul and disco records were generally short, Herc and other DJs began using two turntables to extend the breaks.

1520 Sedgwick Avenue has been called "an otherwise unremarkable high-rise just north of the Cross Bronx Expressway and hard along the Major Deegan Expressway." As hip hop grew from throughout the Bronx, 1520 was a starting point where Clive Campbell, later known as DJ Kool Herc, presided over parties in the community room at a pivotal point in the genre's history.

DJ Kool Herc is credited with helping to start hip hop and rap music at a house concert at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue on August 11, 1973.

At the concert he was DJing and emceeing in the recreation room of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue.

Sources have noted that while 1520 Sedgwick Avenue was not the actual birthplace of hip hop – the genre developed slowly in several places in the 1970s – it was verified to be the place where one of the pivotal and formative events occurred that spurred hip hop culture forward.

During a rally to save the building, DJ Kool Herc said, "1520 Sedgwick is the Bethlehem of Hip-Hop culture."

The roots of rapping are found in African-American music and ultimately African music, particularly that of the griots of West African culture. The African-American traditions of signifyin', the dozens, and jazz poetry all influence hip hop music, as well as the call and response patterns of African and African-American religious ceremonies. Soul singer James Brown, and musical 'comedy' acts such as Rudy Ray Moore and Blowfly are often considered "godfathers" of hip hop music.

Hip-Hop is the roots of Black culture. For over 40 years, the music has created legends.

Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Lil' Wayne, LL Cool J, Run DMC, N.W.A., Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, Nas, Bone Thugs 'N Harmony, Ice-T, Kanye West, E-40, DMX, Big Punisher, Fat Joe, UGK, Busta Rhymes, Outkast are enshrined in the memories of hip-hop.

These entertainers have maintained place in the history of hip-hop.

And today, as it struggles in the digital age, many entertainers in the hip-hop community have now resorted to releasing promotional mixtapes to get their music out there. They understand that the music sales are declining and in order to at least achieve a successful album, they have to release mixtapes and generate a mainstream buzz.

Well happy birthday, Hip-Hop. May there be many more years ahead of you!


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Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Usher's Son Accidental Drowning!

0806-usher-raymond-V-getty
35 year old entertainer's young child was injured in a pool accident.


This coming from celebrity news agitator TMZ.

Usher appears on RCA Records.

The entertainer and reality show host's son was injured in a pool accident in Atlanta, Georgia.

he child was playing in the pool with his aunt and saw a toy in the drain.  He dove down to get the toy and his arm got stuck in the drain.  The aunt immediately dove in to rescue him but couldn't get his hand out.  The maid then dove in and tried but was also unsuccessful.

The maid screamed for help.  Two men working in the house came out, dove in and freed the boy.  He was given CPR immediately and rushed to the hospital.  Usher arrived and drove in the ambulance with his son.

5-year-old Usher Raymond V is the oldest of Usher's two sons with ex-wife Tameka Raymond. We're told Usher and Tameka are currently at the hospital.

Doctors have been running a series of tests and doctors say he'll be ok.

This is the second accident to strike a child in Usher's family. Tameka's 11-year-old son Kile from a previous relationship passed away last year from injuries sustained during a jet ski accident.

We here at Journal de la Reyna send our prayers to Usher and his family during this tragedy.

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Lauryn Hill Bitching About 3 Months In The Iron College!

The official mugshot of entertainer Lauryn Hill. The 37-year old singer will be spending time in the iron college for not paying her taxes. She goes into an epic rant about how the United States Justice System screws over Black people.

She's lucky!

The former Fugee singer could have gotten at least 10 years in the federal joint for deliberately not paying her taxes. The singer will go to the federal joint for a three month stay and a few years of probation.

Lauryn Hill appears as an artist on Sony Music Entertainment.

The entertainer is one of many Black celebrities in the news for blowing money fast. She joins the ranks of Lil' Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Young Buck, Wesley Snipes, R. Kelly, Mary J. Blige and Swizz Beatz as entertainers who have a longstanding issue with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The singer may have to fork over Grammy's, her platinum plaques, her home, car and her trademarks as collateral.

Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actress. Early in her career, she established her reputation as an actress in the film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, and then as the front woman of the hip-hop group Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The album sold over eight million copies and earned five Grammy Awards for Hill, including Album of the Year and Best New Artist.

To date, she has won a total of eight Grammys.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark, N.J. federal court also sentenced the famed rapper and actress to three months of home confinement with electronic monitoring after the prison term. Hill must also serve a year of supervised release and pay a $60,000 fine in addition to paying her tax debt to the IRS.

Hill is a 37-year-old South Orange, N.J. resident who won fame as a member of the Fugees and then launched a solo career that included the Grammy-winning The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill . She pleaded guilty last year in the tax case.

In a courtroom statement to Arleo, Hill said she had always intended to pay the overdue taxes eventually, but found herself unable to raise the money during a period when she had dropped out of the music business.

Hill had faced a maximum sentence of one year each on three counts. Her lawyer, Nathan Hochman, had argued for probation.

Hochman said Hill had paid more than $970,000 to satisfy her tax liabilities.

Last month, Hill used Tumblr to address media reports that stated she'd reached new label deal with Sony Worldwide Entertainment to release music that would help her pay the tax debts. Hill confirmed a deal with Sony but said the reported nature of the deal and dollar amounts involved were inaccurate.

Prosecution records filed in the tax case by the office of U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman showed that Hill owned and operated four private corporations in addition to her entertainment career. Royalties from the recording and film industries were Hill's primary form of income, the prosecution document charged.

Hill received more than $1.8 million in income during 2005, 2006 and 2007 but didn't file tax returns during that time. Although her guilty plea specifically related to that three-year period, Fishman said her sentence also took into account additional income and tax losses for 2008 and 2009, when she similarly failed to file tax returns. The sentence also addressed overdue New Jersey state taxes.

In all, federal prosecutors said Hill had earned approximately $2.3 million during the five years and had an unpaid tax total of $1,006,517 before more recent payments.

Hill is tentatively scheduled to begin her prison term July 8. It was not immediately clear where she would serve the sentence.

Hill took to Tumblr to express her outrage about her sentencing.

It has been reported that I signed a new record deal, and that I did this to pay taxes. Yes, I have recently entered into an agreement with Sony Worldwide Entertainment, to launch a new label, on which my new music will be released. And yes, I am working on new music.

I’ve remained silent, after an extensive healing process. This has been a 10+ year battle, for a long time played out behind closed doors, but now in front of the public eye. This is an old conflict between art and commerce… free minds, and minds that are perhaps overly tethered to structure. This is about inequity, and the resulting disenfranchisement caused by it. I’ve been fighting for existential and economic freedom, which means the freedom to create and live without someone threatening, controlling, and/or manipulating the art and the artist, by tying the purse strings.

It took years for me to get out of the ‘parasitic’ dynamic of my youth, and into a deal that better reflects my true contribution as an artist, and (purportedly) gives me the control necessary to create a paradigm suitable for my needs. I have been working towards this for a long time, not just because of my current legal situation, but because I am an artist, I love to create, and I need the proper platform to do so.

The nature of my new business venture, as well as the dollar amount reported, was inaccurate, only a portion of the overall deal. Keep in mind, my past recordings have sold over 50,000,000 units worldwide, earning the label a tremendous amount of money (a fraction of which actually came to me).

Only a completely complicated set of traps, manipulations, and inequitable business arrangements could put someone who has accomplished the things that I have, financially in need of anything. I am one artist who finds value in openly discussing the dynamics within this industry that force artists to compromise or distort themselves and what they do, rather than allowing them to make the music that people need. There are volumes that could (and will) be said.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

R.I.P. Aaliyah: More Than A Woman!


File:Aaliyah Dana Haughton 02.jpg
I Miss You, Aaliyah!
With all the talk of the death of Neil Armstrong, I haven't forgotten about another legendary talent we've lost. 

Before I and most of the world was glued to the television on September 11, 2001, I remember the day that I've heard that R & B singer Aaliyah was killed in tragic plane accident in the Bahamas.

I remember buying Aaliyah's third album on the whim of her first single "We Need A Resolution". My sister begged me to buy that album because she was at work and didn't have the cash to get it at the time.

I was 20 at the time of the tragedy. I was going to community college and I was going to work and struggling to live on my own. One night I came back from the club and I decided to sleep over at my parent's house.

AaliyahI come in at 3am and told my parents that I'll be sleeping in my old room tonight. As I entered the home, I went to turn on the television and watched MTV's The Lyricist Lounge Show, a show that once featured comedian Tracy Ellis Ross. Across the screen ticker was an announcement that Aaliyah was killed in a plane incident according to the Associated Press. I remember that Kurt Loder and Sway Calloway were talking about it on the MTV News updates. 

I told my sister about it the next day. She was attending a nearby university at the time. We were both saddened by the lost of this great talent.

It's been over 10 years since the tragedy and new album is in the works. Timbaland, Missy Elliot and rapper Drake are collaborating on an album based off some of her unreleased tracks.

Aaliyah's death came after finishing up the single "Rock The Boat". This video was directed by hip-hop video director Hype Williams. The plane that carried Aaliyah, the pilot her manager, some of her personal staff and two of her family members crashed upon takeoff. The pilot was inexperienced and was on cocaine at the time of flight. 

Gladys Knight is the godmother of the late singer and Damon Dash former CEO of Roc-A-Fella Records was to marry the singer after the filming of her last movie Queen of The Damned. They were devastated by this tragedy.

From Wikipedia, She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankerson's Blackground Records. 

Drake announced that he will produce Aaliyah album.
Hankerson introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with R. Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records.
Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million; it sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first major film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film's soundtrack, which spawned the single "Try Again". The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this feat. "Try Again" earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist.

After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her part in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in an airplane crash in The Bahamas after filming the music video for the single "Rock the Boat". The pilot, Luis Morales III, was unlicensed at the time of the accident and had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. 

Aaliyah's family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. Since then, Aaliyah's music has continued to achieve commercial success with several posthumous releases. Aaliyah is estimated to have sold 24 to 32 million albums worldwide. She has been credited for helping redefine contemporary R&B and hip hop, earning her the nicknames "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop". She is listed by Billboard as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, and 27th most successful R&B artist overall.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

R. Kelly: The King Of Debt & Bills!

Singing the blues. IRS saying R. Kelly owes them big time!
 
You can sing your way out of a trial but yet again, problems face the 45 year old singer Robert Sylvester Kelly. The IRS is looking at the singer for unpaid taxes and yes this can land him back in court again.

According to E! News Online, the singer owes nearly $5 million in unpaid expenses dating back from 2005 to 2010.

Others who have tax problems include Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, media mogul Martha Stewart, political pundit Dick Morris, actor Wesley Snipes, entertainers Willie Nelson, Lil' Wayne and Lauryn Hill.

The issue comes at a bad time! R. Kelly recently had surgery on his throat and had a divorce finalized after recent split from his 12 year marriage to Andrea Lee Kelly.

R. Kelly has been one successful pop singer. Since his breakout in the late 1980s, the singer has went on to release over 15 albums and is proclaimed as the King of R & B.

His turmoils included the marriage to the late singer Aaliyah, which led to their acrimonious split from producing albums together.

The feud with rapper/media mogul Jay-Z. The rapper and singer had apparent scheduling conflicts and huge egos at the time of their collaboration album The Best of Both Worlds. The singer was apparently upset over Jay-Z performing at concerts with or without him, and they clashed behind the curtain. A member of Jay-Z entourage pepper sprayed Kelly and his bodyguards. That led to a federal lawsuit. They haven't spoken or collaborated since the incident.

The allegations of having sex with minors have been plaguing R. Kelly for years. From Aaliyah to an alleged tape of the singer having sex with a young woman who turned out to be under age. Kelly was indicted in Chicago on 21 counts of having sex with a minor, which were later reduced to soliciting a minor for child pornography. The singer managed to beat the case.

This recent controversy is certainly going to have the critics talking. Yes, I am sure they'll eventually say something about the child pornography/sex with minor issue! Some won't acknowledge that he was acquitted on the charges, but since he's in trouble again, they'll keep dinging him until he's dead and gone.

The singer's representatives are telling the media that the issue will be solved quickly and R. Kelly looks forward to promoting his next albums.

Courtesy of ABC News.


 
 
 
 
 
 
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