DMX Arrested Twice in Same Week

DMX is having a tough week. The embattled rapper was arrested early this morning at his home in Arizona on seven misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and four felony drug possession charges.

Today's arrest comes just three days after he was apprehended at his home after a speed camera caught the rapper doing more than 100 miles an hour in a 55mph zone on a Phoenix highway in January.

This time X did not go without a fight. According to Sheriff Arpaio, the growling emcee attempted to barricade himself in his bedroom. He eventually came out and submitted to police officials. Five pitbulls were rescued from X's home and taken to the First Avenue Jail, where they will remain under the care of inmates.

DMX Pictures

Woman Paid to Return R. Kelly's Infamous Sex Tape

According to recent reports, an aide to R. Kelly allegedly paid a woman to return the infamous sex tape at the center of the singer's child pornography trial. The shocking allegation was disclosed to a judge in closed door hearings last month.

An unnamed Atlanta woman is reportedly willing to testify that she had a threesome with the R&B crooner and the underage girl that appears in the incriminating sex tape. The new witness claims she was given an unspecified amount of money in exchange for a videotape featuring Kelly.

It's unclear whether the singer was aware of the deal between his aide and the witness. Jury selection for Kelly's case began earlier today.

R. Kelly Pictures

DMX Arrested for Speeding in Arizona

Trouble seems to follow DMX. The rapper was arrested at his Arizona home on Tuesday after a speed camera caught X doing more than 100 miles an hour in a 55mph zone on a Phoenix highway in January. According to Arizona state police, the rapper was taken into custody, booked and eventually released on bond Wednesday morning.

The rap star, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was charged with reckless driving, racing on a highway, three counts of criminal speed, two counts of endangerment, and driving with a suspended license. "Criminal speeding endangers the lives of everyone on the road," Roger Vanderpool, Arizona Department of Public Safety director, said in a statement. "Mr. Simmons wasn't signaled out because of his notoriety." Read the full story.




DMX Pictures

Lil Wayne Pleads Not Guilty to Arizona Drug Charges

Lil Wayne appeared in a Arizona court yesterday and entered a not guilty plea on charges of multiple drug possession charges -- three being felonies -- and a misconduct involving weapons charge.

The rap star, whose real name is Dwayne Carter,
was arrested in Yuma, Arizona, on January 22 after his tour bus was searched at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint and agents allegedly discovered marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and a .40-caliber pistol.

This isn't the rapper's first run in with the law. Carter was arrested in Boise, Idaho, in October 2007 for possession of drugs. Carter is due back in court on May 19.

Continue reading Lil Wayne Pleads Not Guilty to Arizona Drug Charges

Witness to Testify She Had Threesome With R. Kelly, Alleged Victim

R. Kelly's upcoming child pornography trial has taken an interesting turn. An unidentified woman is due to testify that she engaged in a threesome with Kelly and the underage female featured in the infamous sex tape at the center of the case. The Grammy-award singer was slapped with child pornography charges in 2002 for allegedly videotaping himself having sex with a minor.

The alleged victim, who's now in her 20s, will reportedly testify that she is not the female in the tape. Kelly's lawyers will, obviously, back the victim's claim. Unfortunately for the singer, the prosecution's witness could punch a big hole in the defense's case. The witness is set to testify that the alleged victim did in fact engage in a sexual encounter with Kelly, regardless of whether she's the girl in the tape. If convicted, the 'R' in R&B could face up to 15 years in prison. The trial is set to begin May 9.


R. Kelly Pictures

Remy Ma Speaks Out From Jail Cell

"Its nothing. I'm in here chillin' -- eating mad mackerel," Remy Ma joked in a recent interview from New York's Rikers Island correctional facility. While it sounds like the rap diva is making out just fine in the pokey, she quickly went on to discuss how things aren't all roses.

"I'm in the cell 23 hours a day -- max security. It's real crazy over here," Remy explained. "You got certain officers that are extra nice and you got the ones that are extra not nice. I be telling them it's not my fault that my commissary is more than their salary."

Remy, whose real name is Reminisce Smith, was accused of shooting her longtime friend Makeda Barnes-Joseph in the stomach for allegedly lifting $3,000 from her purse. The 26-year-old rapper was found guilty of first-degree assault on March 27.

Continue reading Remy Ma Speaks Out From Jail Cell

Police Record to Akon: We Don't Believe You

Platinum-selling R&B artist Akon, whose recording career centers around the purported four-and-a-half years he spent imprisoned, has recently been exposed as a fake.

Though the singer has frequently bragged about having been the "ringleader of a notorious car theft operation," for which he served three years in a Georgia prison, his criminal record proves otherwise. In fact, the greatest sentence the fraudulent singer ever received was three months probation.

According to his fables, in jail the diminutive star "fought almost every day for two years," allegedly becoming a feared combatant among the inmates because "I knew where to hit you to knock you out, so I didn't fear you."

Continue reading Police Record to Akon: We Don't Believe You

50 Cent, Tony Yayo Hit With Lawsuit for Assault on Teen

50 Cent and G-Unit member Tony Yayo have been slapped with a civil lawsuit for the alleged 2006 assault on the 14-year-old son of the Game's manager and Czar entertainment head, Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond.

According to the New York Daily News, Cynthia Reed, the mother of the teen, is seeking unspecified damages for the assault, which is said to have been prompted by a sweatshirt. "It's hard to believe that a 14-year-old boy walking on E. 25th St. at 6 in the evening was attacked by four adult males just because of the shirt he was wearing," Richard Reich, the attorney representing the teen told the paper.

Yayo, whose real name is Marvin Bernard, plead guilty to harassment charges in February and was ordered to perform 10 days of community service for his role in the assault. Bernard's co-defendant Lawal Fletcher was sentenced to nine months in prison after admitting to slapping the teen.

50 Cent was not present for the assault, but Reed claims the rap star was responsible for the actions of his cronies. The rapper's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, dismissed the suit, saying Reed is looking for "a quick payday."

Plies Slapped With $10M Lawsuit

Rapper Plies has been named in a recent lawsuit filed by five Gainesville, Florida, residents stemming from a 2006 shooting at local nightclub. The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday, alleges negligence on the part of the rapper, whose real name is Algernod Washington, Slip-N-Slide Records and the nightclub.

According to officials, on July 2, 2006 members of Plies' entourage pulled out guns and fired inside the club. The rapper and four unknown men were arrested. Five people were injured during the incident and are seeking $10 million in damages.

"If they're suing Mr. Washington, they're suing the wrong person," Plies' attorney Robert Rush told the Gainesville Sun. "He does not have legal liability. It is not an entertainer's job to provide security for a club where the entertainer is performing."


Plies Pictures

Beanie Sigel Sent Back to Prison

Beanie Sigel has violated the terms of his supervised release, yet again. According to authorities, the rapper gave a false urine sample to probation officials on February 29 and tested positive five times earlier this month for controlled substances, including Xanax and Percocet.

Sigel, whose real name is Dwight Grant, was sentenced to three months in prison and one additional year of supervised release, which he is to continue in a drug-treatment program.

"I told you the last time if you didn't toe the line, jail was the only option," U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick said in court on Friday. Judge Surrick also made it clear that Grant would not receive any leniency because he'd "been given the benefit of doubt" many times before.

Judge Surrick also acknowledged that Grant had "been given the benefit of doubt" many times before and denied a request by the rapper's defense attorney Fortunato N. Perri Jr. to permit Sigel to surrender once he straightened out his affairs. Grant was taken into custody immediately following the sentencing hearing.

Continue reading Beanie Sigel Sent Back to Prison

Remy Ma and Papoose to Tie the Knot Next Month in Prison



Remy Ma's not going to let the possibility of spending the next 25 years in prison keep her from proceeding with plans to marry Brooklyn, New York rapper Papoose. When the news surfaced that the two were engaged, Papoose denied the rumor. Now, the emcee is speaking out about his relationship with Remy.

"We always wanted to keep our personal lives personal, so that's why we never went public with our relationship," Papoose wrote in an e-mail to MTV. "Right now, I just feel like she gotta live through me. Yes, we were scheduled to be married on a yacht April 27th. But due to circumstances beyond our control, we are now making arrangements to be married in prison."

Remy, whose real name is Reminisce Smith, was accused of shooting her longtime friend Makeda Barnes-Joseph in the stomach for allegedly lifting $3,000 from her purse. The 26-year-old rapper was found guilty of first-degree assault on March 27. Remy Ma is scheduled to be sentenced April 23.

Papoose went on to tell MTV that Smith plans on appealing the case. He's also requesting that fans show their support through letters. "All her supporters who feel Remy had an influence on their life should write a short letter to the judge asking for the shortest sentence possible," he added. "Send it to LettersForRemy@gmail.com."

T.I. Pleads Guilty to Weapons Charges

Grammy award-winning rapper T.I. entered a guilty plea to three weapons charges at the federal courthouse in Atlanta today.

U.S. District Court Judge Charles Pannell Jr. scheduled the rapper's sentencing for a year from today. In the meantime, the rap star must perform 1000-1500 hours of community service and abide by his plea agreement. In accordance with T.I.'s plea deal, the rapper will serve 366 days behind bars once he's completed at least 1000 hours of community service. T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, was also fined $100,000.

"While I'm not looking forward to being incarcerated, I have a long road of redemption to travel," Harris said outside the courthouse. "I am dedicated and committed to that." Read the full story.

Continue reading T.I. Pleads Guilty to Weapons Charges

Remy Ma Convicted of Assault

Grammy-nominated rapper Remy Ma was found guilty of first-degree assault today in New York state Supreme Court. The rap star's attorneys claimed the shooting was an accident during Monday's closing arguments, but the Manhattan jury didn't buy the story.

The rapper, whose real name is Reminisce Smith, turned herself in last July and was charged with attempted murder, which was later reduced to first-degree assault, in connection with a shooting in New York's Meatpacking District on July 14, 2007.

Smith stood accused of shooting her longtime friend Makeda Barnes-Joseph in the stomach for allegedly lifting $3,000 from her purse.

The rap star was stunned by the verdict and openly sobbed while being escorted out of the courtroom. She faces up to 25 years in prison.

Continue reading Remy Ma Convicted of Assault

Nate Dogg Pleads Guilty to 'Regulating' on Ex's New Boyfriend

West coast rapper/singer Nate Dogg plead guilty to aggravated trespassing and battery last week, according to TMZ.com. The singer, whose real name is Nathaniel Hale, was sentenced to three years informal probation and must complete a domestic violence/batterers' treatment program.

In 2006, Hale was charged with misdemeanor aggravated trespass, battery, telephone harassment, dissuading a witness from reporting a crime and violating a restraining order from a previous domestic incident after breaking into his ex-girlfriend's home and, reportedly, punching her new boyfriend in the face. Three of the original five charges were eventually dismissed. The couple went on to file restraining orders against Hale.

In addition to his legal problems, the 38-year-old rapper suffered a stroke in December 2007. The stroke left the rap star paralyzed on his left side, forcing Hale into a medical rehabilitation facility in January.

Diddy Settles L.A. Assault Lawsuit

Sean "Diddy" Combs has settled a lawsuit brought by a man who said the hip hop mogul punched him after a post-Oscar party outside a Hollywood hotel in February 2007, according to documents posted on TMZ.com.

Gerard Rechnitzer claimed that Combs punched him and pushed his girlfriend without warning outside Teddy's Nightclub at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Rechnitzer filed a lawsuit on March 2, 2007, seeking unspecified damages. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed. Read the full story.

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