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Quincy Jones Suing Michael Jackson Estate For $10 Million

(AllHipHop News) Just days after reports that Michael Jackson made $160 million dollars over the last year, the man who helped transform him from child star to the King of Pop is seeking at least $10 million from his estate. Legendary music producer Quincy Jones claims he is owed unpaid royalties and production fees.

[ALSO READ: Michael Jackson Named Highest Earning Dead Celebrity]

Jones, who worked with Jackson on his early solo albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad, is seeking compensation for the use of MJ tracks in the documentary This Is It and the two Cirque du Soleil shows The Immortal World Tour and One. 

According to the suit, Jones has the contractual right to re-edit songs he worked on and should have been given producer credit for This Is It. He wants an account of the estate’s profits to determine the total amount of rightful fees due to him.

“To the best of its knowledge, Mr. Jones has been appropriately compensated over approximately 35 years for his work with Michael,” said the Jackson estate in a statement.

Hip-Hip Rumors: New Beef For WALE?

Wale never hurt a fly! The dude just does his poetry, makes dope songs and keeps is pushin’ so what is this I am hearing in the streets?

I’m hearing somebody is not happy with the D.C. rapper. Southeast aka Sace, who has rapped with Wale, has issues with Wale. He’s expressed his grievances in a new song. So, I listened to this song, “Forever Hitter Quitter,” and its pretty good. But he basically says that he helped Wale and never got any sort of recognition. He says he reached out to Wale and tried to be a man about it. But, it all fell apart when his brother died and Wale apparently didn’t recognition of his loss. So, he takes the Meek Mill beat and flips it into a rage track.

RELATED: Wale Details Relationship With Rihanna & Melissa Forde

Check it.

“They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!” -illseed.

Illseed, Out.

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“Treme” Actor Sues Macy’s & NYPD For Racial Profiling

(AllHipHop News) Another incident of “shopping-while-black” in a New York City department store is making news. This time the retailer is Macy’s and the victim is a star of the HBO program Treme. Robert Brown is suing Macy’s in Manhattan Supreme Court for allegedly having him detained by police for almost an hour in June. Brown says Macy’s employees accused him of using a fraudulent credit card.

The accusation of illegal credit card use against Brown is similar to the cases of Trayon Christian and Kayla Phillips. The two New York residents claimed they were discriminated against by Barneys earlier this week. Their situations sparked widespread criticism of the high-end store and led to an online petition asking Jay Z to end his business relationship with Barney’s.

[ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Derick Bowers Discusses His Jay Z Petition, Getting Charlamagne’s “Donkey of the Day” & What He Expects From Barneys’ CEO]

Brown was at Macy’s to purchase a $1,300 Movado watch as a college graduation gift for his mother. He was stopped and held by plainclothes officers who he says made the comment that he “could not afford to make such an expensive purchase.” He was not charged for any crime.

The Finding Forrester and Coach Carter actor also names the New York Police Department in his lawsuit claiming they violated his civil rights. He’s seeking an unspecified amount in the case. His lawyer says the lawsuit is about justice not money.

“Why was I put in cuffs? Why was I even approached?” Brown asked last night. “It was a slap in the face.”

New York City’s Law Department will review the lawsuit. Macy’s released the statement:

We are investigating the alleged claims, as we were just made aware of this lawsuit. We do not comment on matters in litigation.

[ALSO READ: Stars of “Notorious” & “Family Matters” Say They Were Racially Profiled By South Carolina Police]

Watch the Pix 11 report below.

Curren$y’s “Jet Life BitTorrent Bundle” Tops 4 Million Downloads

(AllHipHop News) In July New Orleans rapper Curren$y announced he and his Jet Life crew were uniting with the filing sharing site BitTorrent to release an innovative bundle package. The “Jet Life BitTorrent Bundle” included The Red Eye mixtape, cover art, the 8 minute documentary Chef Menteur, an opportunity to visit with the Jets, and a coupon for Red Eye Tour merchandise. It appears this new approach of distributing brand content is successfully redefining the way artists connect with their fans.

[ALSO READ: Curren$y’s Jet Life Crew Announce Innovative BitTorrent Mixtape Bundle & New Tour]

In what BitTorrent has dubbed “Mixtape 2.0 Culture”, Jet Life’s bundle package has extended the Hip Hop collective’s reach in several capacities. As a result of the bundle, the Red Eye mixtape was downloaded over 4 million times, growth of Jet Life apparel on their website increased by 500%, and advanced tickets sales for their tour jumped 30%.

“It’s especially true that rap artists understand that a track or a remix can serve as a flyer for your show and a way to build a fan base. That’s what the mixtape culture has been about for decades,” Matt Mason, Vice President of Marketing for BitTorrent told AllHipHop in August. “The fans see this is an evolution of the mixtape. It’s no longer just about a CD on a blanket on 125th Street. It’s a rich, multimedia fan experience.”

BitTorrent has also partnered with Public Enemy, Madonna, Moby, Linkin Park, and others.

[ALSO READ: Public Enemy Gives Away New Single For Free; Announces Remix Contest Through BitTorrent]

Hip-Hip Rumors: Bernard Hopkins Strange Fight Entrance?

So, at 48, people are trying to get Bernard Hopkins out of there. The man has been at this boxing this for so long, people want him OUT. So, he’s been campaigning for a big fight with Floyd Mayweather. I don’t know if people are fully vested in such a fight, but for his fight on Saturday, I am hearing B-Hop is planning to pull out all the stops to promote it.

So, he’s got a new name, “The Alien” and he’s going to live out his creed in a bit, my sources tell me. I got a tip that said Bernard is going to come from the ceiling in a space ship and get out of it as an actual alien. Then he will enter the ring to fight Karo Murat, his opponent. I don’t know what’s up, but if this is true, maybe it will help him get that fight with Floyd.

But, don’t hold your breath.

Read the exclusive interview with B-Hop where he disses Floyd Mayweather.
 
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Jimmy Henchman Gets Life In Jail, Still Faces Conspiracy To Murder

(AllHipHop News) James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond, the former manager of The Game and others, was sentenced to life in prison in Brooklyn court Friday.

The ruling ends a drug trafficking case that has carried on since the one-time mogul was convicted in 2012.

Authorities managed to prove that the Hip-Hop staple was moving about $11 million in cocaine in transactions that operated from coast to coast. Reports say he used his musical efforts to mask the cocaine enterprise.

Rosemond still faces conspiracy to murder charges stemming from an alleged plot against G-Unit’s Tony Yayo, who reportedly slapped his son in the street.

EXCLUSIVE: James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond Sentenced To Life; Official Statement

(AllHipHop News) Former Hip-Hop mogul James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond was sentenced to life in prison today (October 25, 2013) in Brooklyn federal court, for heading up the “Rosemond Organization,” which prosecutors said shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine to New York via several overnight courier services.

Prosecutors said Rosemond, 48, laundered millions of dollars of drug proceeds on the West Coast and through his New York based management company Czar Entertainment, which once managed popular artists like Game, Brandy, Sean Kingston and others.

In June of 2012, Rosemond was convicted of 13 charges against him, including running a Continuous Criminal Enterprise (CCE) from 2007-2010.

“My Resilience and determination will overcome all adversity and history will vindicate and be kinder to me,” Jimmy Henchman told AllHipHop.com in a statement released today by his publicist, Sibrena Stowe de Fernandez.

During Rosemond’s two-week trial, a number of former employees and former associates testified against him, including director Lee Daniels’ sister’s husband Henry “Black” Butler, who was provided Rosemond with the majority of his cocaine.

Butler, who is a high-ranking member of The Rolling 60’s Crips, helped Rosemond perfect the method of shipping hundreds of kilos of cocaine, which were sent to New York in crates meant for shipping music equipment.

The crates were picked up by runners, or employees of Czar Entertainment, some who took the stand to testify against their former boss.

Rosemond’s statement was brief, because the former rap mogul is facing a murder charge related to the murder of Lowell “Lodi Mack” Fletcher, who was gunned down in the Bronx in September of 2009.

Lodi Mack had served almost two years in prison for striking Rosemond’s young son, James Rosemond Jr. at the height of a violent feud between Czar Entertainment, which managed Game and 50 Cent’s G-Unit.

Rosemond is slated to go on trial for the murder next month.

Check out the full statement from James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond’s publicist Sibrena Stowe de Fernandez:

Today’s life sentence of music mogul, James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond for disheartening for several reasons and it’s unfortunate that Mr. Rosemond was unable to make an official statement because of the appellate process that he must go through and another case that he’ll soon battle.

For those of us who got to know Jimmy for who he is, know a great man who started from the bottom who helped and encouraged those around him to do the right thing. Many of us are surprised by the “person” the prosecutors described in the court room, but it isn’t the Jimmy Rosemond that his friends and family know.

Unfortunately, the persona that have been depicted in the press in the past, has created a persona in which I am not familiar with and unfortunately it has effected his ability to have a fair chance in the entertainment industry and among consumers and fans of certain media outlets and entertainment. The enemies he has accrued over the years within the media have been able to create the image of a person that they wanted to create without facts being checked.

Jimmy has managed and at times supported talented performers who’ve created hit records and songs including; Groove theory, Salt & Pepper, Gucci Mane, The Game and other musicians and actors. The on the job training and work opportunities that he gave countless people from interns, lawyers and employees many of whom are still in the entertainment business to date and who helped shape today’s entertainment industry.

When former employee, Tony Martin -who later testified against Jimmy was let go from Universal Music Group as a non paid intern he (Martin) asked Jimmy for a job. Jimmy took Mr. Martin under the wing and taught him the business of music and eventually earned over $100k a year, according to Mr. Rosemond. When Jimmy was wanted by the federal authorities, it was Tony Martin who assisted in Jimmy Rosemonds’ arrest and testified against Jimmy Rosemond as well.

Accountant John Dash who through his own illegal acts got arrested, was told that there was an interest in James Rosemond, he too testified that all of Rosemond’s cash and income came from illegal proceeds. But what wasn’t proven by Jimmy’s attorney was the fact that entertainment manager who have touring acts often receive cash payments.

The rest of the hanger-ons, opportunist and users who testified, they also were offered agreements by prosecutors. They are either expecting an early release from prison or is have already been released and are able to live and work as free men.

Jimmy Rosemond was known to employ the less fortunate to provide a gainful entertainment opportunities but some wanted to be like Jimmy. His favorite saying was “If someone like Barry Hankerson or Shakim and Kedar didn’t look out for me I would be no where, so I have to look out for someone also.” He was giving back to what was given to him. A trait that all successful moguls should practice.

What is concerning is to witness with my own eyes that anyone can be put away for the rest of his life based on hearsay and non credible individuals. Our prayers should be with Jimmy Rosemond and his family. His only remarks after the sentencing was, “My Resilience and determination will overcome all adversity and history will vindicate and be kinder to me.”

Mr. Rosemond is seeking a new trial because not only because of what he considers a fabricated evidence but also because he believes his attorney Gerald Shargel did a terrible job in consulting and representing him. His new legal team is confident that things will work in his favor and he apologizes to all that have felt he let them down.

Best Regards,
Sibrena Stowe de Fernandez, Pop Culture Expert
LaChic Media, President
SibrenaStowe.com

WTF News: Texas Mom Rips Her Son’s S###### Off in a Fit of Rage

A Texas mother got so angry with her her 6-year-old son that grabbed his s###### and ripped it off. What’s even worse is she tried to treat it herself by applying alcohol and super glue, stuffing his underwear with paper towels and telling him to go to bed. The boy’s father came home and found him bleeding. He’s recovering and the mom is in hot water. Watch the full story:

EXCLUSIVE: Derick Bowers Discusses His Jay Z Petition, Getting Charlamagne’s “Donkey of the Day” & What He Expects From Barneys’ CEO

(AllHipHop Features) 48 hours ago Derick Bowers was merely the owner of the start-up t-shirt company Adversitees, but numerous media mentions later and the 28-year-old Howard University graduate is now the de facto leader of the charge to get Jay Z to reconsider his relationship with high-end department store Barneys New York.

When news broke that African American customers, 19-year-old Trayon Christian and 21-year-old Kayla Phillips, were stopped by police at the request of Barneys’ employees after legally purchasing items from the store, Bowers decided that he had to hold his all time favorite emcee accountable for his connection to the franchise.

Barneys and Jay Z announced earlier this year that the two marketable brands were teaming up for the limited edition “A New York Holiday” clothing collection. The exclusive designer wear is scheduled to go on sale next month, but Bowers, and more than 3,000 signers of his Change.org petition, want the Hip Hop great to change course and cut ties with Barneys.

AllHipHop spoke with Bowers about why he took this stand against the man he considers his idol, his reaction to The Breakfast Club’s Charlamagne Tha God giving him and his supporters the “Donkey of the Day” on his radio show, and what Barney’s CEO Mark Lee should do beyond just offering statements and apologizes.

[ALSO READ: New Petition Started To Get Jay Z To End Partnership With Barneys]

AllHipHop.com: What was it about these particular incidents that made you feel the need to create this petition?

Derick Bowers: We’re use to discrimination, and when I say “we” I mean black folk, minorities, anybody that’s not white. We’re use to that discrimination, so it really wasn’t that surprising hearing that this happened. What’s more surprising is the fact that because of these actions Barneys clearly shows that they have no connection with the young, black Hip Hop community, and if that’s the case then why are they reaching for the brand power of Jay Z who is the face of that.

It’s hypocrisy, and that’s what really grinds my gears about the whole situation. Just piggy backing off what Kanye [West] said in his song “New Slaves.” Lines in that song were a direct correlation to what’s happening right now. Either you’re too broke to go in the store according to them, or if you got money we’re going to use you, and that’s Jay Z. I just hope he sees that. And even though he is doing good, and it’s not like he knew this was going to happen, he set this whole holiday collection to better his scholarship foundation, but now that Barneys has shown what they do, I think it’s time for you to pack that bag up and go somewhere else.

I know you’re stated that you are huge Jay Z fan. At any point did you feel apprehensive or conflicted about this?

Of course I was very conflicted. You don’t know me personally, but people who do know me know that I am the hugest Jay Z fan. I have every album. Anything that he has been affiliated with I have. I idolize that guy. His story is a great one. Being from Brooklyn and also being someone who was very into Hip Hop at one point, he was somebody that I definitely looked up to. I just supported the Magna Carta [Holy Grail] album, and I enjoyed it. And mostly every move he has made, even with some criticism, I’ve always supported those moves, because I feel like when you do reach a level of success you are going to get a lot of backlash, and you are going to get a lot of haters who don’t want to see that success. But this is something totally different.

I’m not personally attacking Jay Z. This attack is really at Barneys. What I’m asking from him is to withdraw that partnership to let them know we have that power, and you can’t take that from us. You can’t do anything you want to us. We are not just consumers. We’re not just what you think of us. So if he withdraws that power that’s hurting them where it hurts the most. That’s what really matters, that they pay a consequence for their actions, and they will not pay a consequence unless they feel it in their pockets. They can go off and give a statement saying that they’re going to change. They’ll still be Barneys New York, and their demographic of rich, white buyers will still shop there because it doesn’t affect them. But if Jay Z pulls out this deal they will feel that, and that’s what matters the most. So it’s important that he does that.

What if he decides not to end the partnership? What do you feel should be the next step for you or people who are like-minded as you?

I’m not trying to ruin what Jay Z has. I’m his biggest fan, so it’s bittersweet and it’s conflicting. I would love for him to think twice about this. He did it with Cristal. Even though he was not getting any monetary endorsements from them he was mentioning them a lot. He was giving them a lot of promotion to the Hip Hop community. When the owner of Cristal said that he didn’t really care for rappers to be in their market, [Jay] didn’t care for that and said that it was an insult to all of us, and he felt insulted and he moved on. He made his own bottle of champagne, and he took that to the next level.

This is the same thing accept it’s worse. This isn’t just some rich white man saying that he doesn’t want somebody to buy their stuff, even though they’re going to take the money anyway. This is discrimination, dehumanization of a group of people. At the very least it’s discrimination toward Hip Hop culture and black faces are synonymous with that so it becomes racism. And if Jay Z doesn’t agree with that, if he feels that he is going to continue to do this with Barneys and doesn’t see it as a problem then personally I cannot support Jay Z anymore.

I personally can’t support him. That’s for everybody else to decide. If he were to drop an album I honestly will be itching to listen to it, but what can you do? I’m more of a fan of equality and right than anything. I have a 17 month old , and my son may possibly experience something like that. Why would I want that? If I could change that then that’s better than being able to listen to a Jay Z album.

Today on Power 105 Charlamagne was speaking about people that were petitioning Jay Z to end his deal with Barneys, and he gave them the “Donkey of the Day.” What is your reaction to what he had to say about the situation?

I heard it in the car this morning with my wife. I really didn’t expect them to give the “Donkey of the Day” to people who wanted [Jay Z] to withdraw. Even if he honestly feels that it’s fake outrage… but then he goes on to talk about, “well, we don’t shop at Barneys anyway. Stop pretending like you care.” To me it was just a radio DJ talking. It didn’t really have any kind of substance to me. At the same time I know that Jay Z almost got Charlamagne fired at one point for something he said, so to me it sounds like politics. I’m not going to create that accusation. I’m just putting it out there that’s what happened. He said it himself in an interview with Jay Z recently, so you can’t really take anything he’s saying for purpose.

Angela Yee said yesterday on Twitter that it’s appalling, and that she doesn’t agree with Barneys. And more than 2000 signatures in 24 hours shows that people care. I understand the times of digital media and 140 characters and short attention spans. That’s how we are. We do have a short attention span, and the news cycle is only an hour, and if that hour doesn’t stretch out to another one then nobody’s talking about it, look a Trayvon. It’s true, but we are still thinking about that stuff. We’re constantly getting flooded with information so we take in more information, but at the same time I don’t agree with what he said. I don’t think we should get “Donkey of the Day.”

I’m not liking myself to the civil rights movement, but what if somebody had given Martin Luther King the “Donkey of the Day” for wanting to move to the front of the bus. I’m not trying to compare those two things, because they’re definitely not in the same league, but come on.

Why did you decide to give the proceeds from the sales of your “Barneys New Slaves” t-shirts to the Boys and Girls Club?

I know that they’re a very reputable organization when it comes to children all over the country. I didn’t want to take advantage of this situation like I’m trying to make money off of it. I do have shirt line called Adversitees that I own, and a lot of the shirts are statement shirts or a mixture of pop culture and political culture. This was an opportunity take that statement to fashion. If people didn’t want to go on Twitter, if people didn’t want to sign a petition, if they didn’t want to do all these things of somebody who wants to be an activist or protestor, at least they had the option to wear a shirt. People will see that. At the same time they will be able to help some deserving children in an organization like the Boys and Girls Club of America. I have faith that they will do the right thing with that money.

barneysnewslaves_grande

What would you like to see Barneys do that you think would help rectify the issues that have happened?

What I would like them to do is take ownership. Yeah this damage control they’re doing is nice. It’s cool, but every company is going to do that when they’re in the face of some crisis like this. They’re can hire the girl from Scandal to help them cover this up. They’ll do all the things that companies do to make themselves look better, but we want to know they mean it. That’s it. We just want to know they really mean it, and for them to say “we have to look at our policies,” no I want them to take ownership.

I want them to have a real dialogue. I want the CEO of Barneys to come to Brooklyn and have a Town Hall meeting with the people who want to be where he’s at. We’re not all that different. Just different skin tones, different salary brackets, but at the end of the day we breath, we want more for our children, we just want to be happy. If things like buying a $350 Ferragamo belt makes somebody happy, according to America we should have the right to that liberty. Why in 2013 do we still have to feel like we’re dehumanized?

I’m a son of Hip Hop and if I walked into Barneys at my age… I’m not that old. I’m almost thirty. I’ve matured. I work in a corporate environment, and I wear tailored suits. Honestly, I don’t really expect for them to be looking at me crazy. I know a lot of corporate black men that shop at places like Barneys, and they may not get looked at just because of the way they carry themselves. That’s not saying they’re not racist. That’s just saying there is a certain level of blackness that’s accepted and there has to be assimilation. As long as we can have a conversation about the fact that we have to assimilate to make us feel less threatening to you, to prove that we’re not criminals, then that’s a problem, and we will not support anything that feels that way.

To learn more about Bower’s petition visit change.org.

For more information about the “Barneys New Slaves” tees visit www.adversitees.com.

Epic Win of the Day: Burlesque Dancer Twerks to Beethoven

Sit down Miley Cyrus and make way for the professionals. This video of burlesque dancer Michelle L’amour has resurfaced online just in time for Friday. Check her out as she murders a twerk routine to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Not safe for work.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Are Planning a Mega Wedding Blowout

Hopefully for Kim, third time really is a charm because it looks like her engagement to Kanye West won’t be long. TMZ has learned that Kanye, more than Kim, wants to get hitched as soon as possible. In addition to swift matrimony, the wedding will be a grand affair.

We all know Kanye doesn’t do anything small so he’ll probably be the mastermind behind this whole thing. If this is true then it looks like Kris Jenner will have some competition in the planning department.

 

Hip-Hop Rumors: Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker Elope With ‘RHOA’ Cast in Tow?

Word on the internet curb is that Kandi and her fiance Todd Tucker rallied the Real Housewives of Atlanta troops so that they could fly to Cancun and get hitched. Tamara Tattles is claiming that cameras are on the seen right now, rolling what is at this point Kandi and Todd’s honeymoon.

No one from the RHOA team is actually coming out and confirming the rumors but there are quite a few pics of the ladies frolicking in a tropical popping up on Twitter and Instagram. Check out Exhibit A and peep how there appears to be a wedding set up going on:

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And, exhibit B:

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If this is true, then congrats to the happy newlyweds.

Pharrell: Beyonce Album Is Crazy, Beyonce Jumps Off Skyscraper (VIDEO)

(AllHipHop News) Ever since Beyonce released her fourth solo debut album in 2011 she has 1. had a baby 2. performed around the world multiple times 3. not released another album. Pharrell spoke with Billboard to assure them that Beyonce is not only working on an album but that it is phenomenal.

Pharrell attributes the delay to Mrs. Carters’ as-of-yet untitled fifth album to Beyonce’s perfectionist expectations she places on her music:

B’s album is crazy. Let me tell you what it is. She’s very particular. She’s a Virgo. And she’s not going to put it out until it’s ready and feels like it’s right to her. She’s got a very specific taste. I guess that’s the reason she’s Beyonce.

Pharrell also admits that even when people believe Beyonce is finished with the album “she’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m almost done.'” This proclivity to continuously working of Beyonce’s was cosigned by Diplo who said Beyonce scrapped her album in July of 2013.

While the world is clamoring for the next compilation of music from the Houston-bred songstress, Beyonce is occupied with other endeavors  such as jumping off of buildings.  The singer recently uploaded a video of her jumping from the top of The Sky Tower, 630 feet in the air in Auckland, New Zealand.

Check out Beyonce skydive over 600 feet in the air below:

Google Helps Fund Lyor Cohen’s New Music Company

(AllHipHop News) The has been a shift in the music industry paradigm since piracy financially crippled record labels and forced the inception of 360 deals to make up for lost profits. Former Def Jam Records President Lyor Cohen’s new music company that has been rumored for a year has officially received backing from Google and distribution through Warner Music Distribution.

Billboard reports that Cohen is starting an artist development and label hybrid business that will provide major label-level marketing and distribution while functioning as an independent label. Former president of Warner Bros, Todd Moscowitz and the former Warner Music exec VP Kevin Liles will also be joining Cohen on the label.

Cohen left his position as Chairman/CEO of Warner Music Group last September. It was reported by The New York Post Page Six in December of 2012 that Cohen was not only working on a new music company but also advising Kanye West and was “100 percent in Kanye’s camp.”

The chances of Kanye West joining Cohen’s new music company are mixed as Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label signed a “long-term deal” with Def Jam in June of 2011. However, no Kanye West albums have been released under G.O.O.D. Music and instead only under Def Jam/Rocafella.