Exclusive: Busta Rhymes Charged With Assault, Management Denies Allegations

Rap star Busta Rhymes turned himself over to police yesterday (Jan. 3) and was booked on a misdemeanor assault charge, stemming from a Dec. 26 incident in which Rhymes allegedly assaulted a former driver. Eddie Hatchett, 39, claims that when he attempted to collect 19 days worth of back pay for driving services for Busta […]

Rap star Busta

Rhymes turned himself over to police yesterday (Jan. 3) and was booked on a misdemeanor

assault charge, stemming from a Dec. 26 incident in which Rhymes allegedly assaulted

a former driver. Eddie

Hatchett, 39, claims that when he attempted to collect 19 days worth of back pay

for driving services for Busta Rhymes, the discussion turned into an argument.

Hatchett

told police the rapper’s bodyguards him and that Busta Rhymes "punched and

kicked" him, causing bruises and a laceration on his face. "We

are totally innocent of this charge being thrust upon Busta Rhymes and [we] look

forward to putting this past us as soon as possible," Rhymes’ manager Chris

Lighty told AllHipHop.com.Busta

Rhymes surrendered to authorities after returning from a performance in the African

country of Angola. Rhymes,

Akon and an a group named Heavy Seven visited the Kuzola children’s shelter home

on Tuesday (Jan. 2) and left a $15,000 donation and used clothes that will be

donated to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Rhymes

is also facing assault charges for an incident last August, after his bodyguards

allegedly beat a fan for spitting on his Maybach in Manhattan. Police

still want to quiz Busta Rhymes about his knowledge of an infamous shooting in

Brooklyn in February, that left the rapper’s longtime bodyguard mortally wounded.