(AllHipHop News) A “listening session” for Sean “Diddy” Combs and his group Dirty Money almost went up in flames, when a model’s hair caught on fire during the packed celebration. Combs was celebrating the release of his album Last Train to Paris on Tuesday (December 14th) at the London Hotel in Manhattan. According to The New York Post, Combs the London Hotel’s managers that about 20 people were expected to attended a private party for the album, but over 200 people showed up. A variety of scantily clad models frolicked around the room, as comedian Kevin Hart emceed the party. But disaster almost struck when one of the women leaned over a bathtub with a lit candle, which set her hair ablaze.”I’m still giving the interview [when the fire happened]. I didn’t register the information yet. I said and our s### is fire, cause this is what we do. I turn around to see a full fledge flame go out. Before the flame went out, she went under [the water],” Kevin Hart said jokingly. “At that time I was in panic, it was a difficult situation.” Rappers Fabolous and Trey Songz sat next to the woman, who screamed and dunked her head in the bathtub water. The New York Fire Department was eventually called to the scene and allowed Diddy’s celebration to continue, although sources told The New York Post that Combs is no longer welcomed in the hotel.

(AllHipHop News) Los Angeles Lakers star player Ron Artest has launched a new independent record label Artest Media Group, which will be distributed by San Francisco based label, SMC Recordings. According to Ron Artest, his new label is looking to sign established Hip-Hop acts, while developing the talent currently associated with the label, Artest’s second such venture since launch the Tru Warier imprint in 2002. “I am really happy to partner with SMC, this will be my first real shot of getting the music of myself and my new artists out,” Ron Artest said. “I love music and I love my fans so I am looking forward to sharing this with them.”Artest Media recently finished its first major project, which was the launch of www.ronartest.com, which is a multimedia website that highlights all of Ron Artest’s entertainment businesses. “Partnering with Ron Artest and his Artest Media Group puts us in an incredible position for acquiring new artists,” said SMC Records’ CEO, Ralph Tashjian. “Ron’s passion for the music and entertainment business, as well as his incredible reach to already established Hip Hop acts, makes this a perfect marriage.”Ron Artest will announce artists signed to the roster in early 2001.

(AllHipHop News) Rap star 50 Cent has been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit by an aspiring rap artist from Atlanta, Georgia, who claims he owns the original license for the beat to the rapper’s biggest hit single, “I Get Money.”Tyrone “Caliber” Simmons, 28, claims he purchased an exclusive license for all the rights to use, record, publish, re-produce and perform the “I Get Money” instrumental beat, which was produced by William “Apex” Stanberry. The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, claims that 50 Cent, Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit and Shady Records knowingly infringed upon his instrumental track, which was included on 50 Cent’s third album The Massacre.”The misappropriation of copyright-protected material is an endemic problem in the music business, and particularly in the genre of hip-hop/rap  This is one such case,” said Louis D. Tambaro, an attorney at Red Bank, N.J.-based Marks & Klein, LLP, one of the firms representing Simmons. “Our client was granted exclusive rights to the ‘I Get Money’ instrumental and was unceremoniously cut out of the loop when the defendants realized they had a huge hit on their hands.””I Get Money” also spawned a variety of remixes, including a popular “Forbes 1-2-3 Billionaire Remix” featuring Jay-Z, Sean “Diddy” Combs and 50 Cent. “This type of infringement is simply not fair and will not be tolerated,” added Kevin B. Legreide, an attorney at Legreide & Ceres, Toms River, N.J., which also represents Simmons.  

(AllHipHop News) A $20 million dollar lawsuit against Def Jam involving R&B singer Chrisette Michele will proceed through the courts, it was recently ruled.Judges for the New York Supreme Court rejected the label’s request to dismiss the lawsuit on December 7th, paving the way for a courtroom showdown between production company Four Kings Productions Inc. and Island Def Jam. Douglas “Biggs” Ellison filed the lawsuit against Island Def Jam Music Group, Shalik Berry (A&R) and Michele’s parents Lynette and Lemuel Payne in June of 2008. Ellison claims the defendants engaged in unlawful business practices, in an attempt to get Michele out of her exclusive contracts with his Queens-based production company, Four Kings Productions Inc.Michele, who is featured on Rick Ross’ current #2 hit single “Aston Martin Music,” set the court proceedings in motion in July of 2007, when she filed a lawsuit against Four Kings Productions.The original lawsuit claimed that Four Kings’ CEO, Ellison, embezzled money from her Def Jam contract and harassed her.While Michele eventually withdrew those allegations from her lawsuit, Ellison claims that his reputation was severely damaged when the accusations hit the press.Four Kings claims it entered into an agreement with Def Jam in September of 2005 and completed multiple songs, which appeared on Michele’s debut album, I AM.”As soon as the artist’s mother saw that Chrisette was receiving money, all a direct result of the efforts of the production company under its contracts with the artist, Lynette Payne quit her job as a teacher and, in willful disregard of the artist’s contractual obligations to Four Kings, usurped management functions regarding her daughter’s newly found success, in an effort to keep the money in the family,” Ellison claims in the lawsuit.A representative for Chrisette Michele dismissed the lawsuit shortly after it was filed in 2008. Her publicist Rochelle Brown claimed that Michele’s relationship with Ellison turned romantic, after the two met while the singer attended 5 Towns College in Long Island.”This is just a case of the jilted lover and gold digging manager getting caught,” her publicist Brown told AllHipHop.com June of 2008. “The Payne’s and Mr. Berry did not unlawfully try to get Chrisette out of her contract with Four Kings. Mr. Ellison’s devious plot to exploit and rip Chrisette off began to be revealed.”In addition to Rick Ross, Chrisette Michele has worked with rappers like Ghostface Killah, Nas and Jay-Z.