(AllHipHop News) A woman who was beaten by an associate of 50 Cent’s at his Connecticut mansion won a judgment yesterday (April 8) in court.Shana Chin, 24, claimed that Dwayne McKenzie, a member of 50 Cent’s entourage who lives in the mansion, beat her during a Memorial Day party in 2008. McKenzie and Chin had been dating since 2007, but the relationship went sour when she found out McKenzie was allegedly cheating on her. A fight between the two took place in McKenzie’s bedroom in on Memorial Day in May of 2008 and McKenzie allegedly chocked and slapped Chin. A Waterbury Superior Court ruled in favor of Chin after the judge presiding over the case ruled that there was enough evidence to support Chin’s claims of assault. McKenzie has been ordered to pay $30,000 and has already taken a violence education program. McKenzie is a member of 50 Cent’s entourage who has had several encounters with police in Connecticut. In August of 2007, he was arrested for firing  a gun at a man who attempted to steal his chain outside of a Hartford nightclub. McKenzie was rearrested in October of 2007, after he allegedly pistol-whipped a promoter, after the man failed to announce an after party taking place at 50 Cent’s mansion. In August of 2009, he was arrested again for allegedly brawling with a woman who refused to give him oral sex at the mansion. During her testimony, Chin made the shocking allegations that McKenzie was the culprit who firebombed 50 Cent’s mansion Dix Hills, Long Island mansion in May of 2008.No one was been arrested for the fire, which police have already deemed suspicious.

(AllHipHop News) Oprah Winfrey is attracting big name talent that will be featured in various shows on her new TV network, OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). According to The Wall Street Journal, Jay-Z and Condoleezza Rice will be featured on the premiere episode of a new series titled Master Class, that features celebrities and politicians relaying real life stories into the camera. Jay-Z told The Wall Street Journal he immediately accepted Winfrey’s offer to be included on a show on OWN, which will launch on January 1st as a joint venture between Winfrey’s Harpo Inc. and The Discovery Network. “I didn’t even think about it,” Jay-Z said. “I just said ‘yes.'” Master Class is part of a new slate of programming being produced by OWN for the upcoming launch of the network. Other shows include  Life Is Not a Straight Line, Note to Self, Swell and Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind, which will spotlight Lady Gaga and Avatar director James Cameron. Winfrey announced she will host a new evening hour-long show on OWN titled Oprah’s Next Chapter, which will air two to three times a week and will feature Winfrey taking celebrities and politicians around the world, as she interviews them.

(AllHipHop News) Kelis has announced her new album Flesh Tone will hit stores this summer on Black Eyed Peas member will.I.am’s record label. Flesh Tone is slated to be released on will.I.am Music Group/Interscope Records. The album, which hits stores July 6th, is Kelis first album of all-new material in almost found years. The album features production by will.I.am, Free School, Boys Noize, Burnz, DJ Ammo and Benny Benassi. The first single from Flesh Tone is titled “Acapella” featuring David Guetta, which was inspired by her son “Knight” with her former husband, Nas. “It’s very ‘last woman standing,’ ” Kelis told MTV News about the video. “It’s like the end-of-the-world child type thing. It’s got all these ethnic influences in it. There is a Native American element to it and an African element to it and an Asian element to it. It’s really tribal and kind of surreal at the same time.”Last night, Kelis performed “Acapella” on Jimmy Kimmel live with David Guetta.

(AllHipHop News) Super producers/DJ’s Just Blaze and The Alchemist will battle each other this May during an exclusive event taking place in London. The two DJ’s will showcase their skills on the turntables during a friendly competition during The Doctor’s Orders, a popular re-occurring Hip-Hop event that takes place in London and other venues throughout the United Kingdom. The two producers will utilize a set of four turntables during the rare 2-hour performance, which takes place on May and also features Spin Doctor, Mr. Thing and Chris P Cuts. The event takes place on Thursday May 6th from 9:00 PM – 2 :00 AM, at the East Village Club.Atlanta, Georgia rapper Lil Scrappy has been tapped to headline the Golden Week Show taking place this May in Okinawa, Japan. The rapper will hit the stage in Japan at Koza Music Town on May 7th.  He will be accompanied by DJ Don Cannon. According to reports, Scrappy is set to tour the country on the G’s UP Japan Tour, although additional dates were not available at press time.  Lil Scrappy will hit the stage at Koza Music Town at 8:00 PM, while doors open at 6:00 PM. Additional performers include Artis R.O.D., KeKe Bubbles, LuLu, Young Bless, Mr. E and others. Multi-platinum producer/activist Wyclef Jean has been tapped to open the 2010 of Rehab, the popular “daylife” party that takes place at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The long running, world-famous pool party is entering it’s seventh season with an exclusive performance featuring Wyclef. Over 4,000 people from around the world are expected to attend the party, which is also being filmed by TruTV for the third season of Rehab, Party at the Hard Rock Hotel. “There’s no doubt the Hard Rock Hotel is Las Vegas’ ultimate destination for the world’s most beautiful, stylish, and affluent people from all over the world,” said Phil Shalala, CMO, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.  “We’ve been looking forward to the summer of 2010 for two years now, knowing that our multi-million dollar expansion would be complete.  The new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is unlike anything Las Vegas has ever seen and promises to be an experience our guests will never forget.”  Rehab’s pool was also ranked as one of the top 10 pools in the world by The Travel Channel.

(AllHipHop News) Vallejo, California rapper E-40 landed three separate brand new albums on Billboard’s rap chart this week, as his latest releases are sitting in the #5, #6 and #14 positions. The rapper’s releases Revenue Retrievin  Day & Night Shift and the release Heavy On The Grind have sold a total of 30,000 units independently since hitting stores on March 30th. The albums were released on the label Heavy On The Grind, which is run by E-40’s son, Droop-E, who serves as President and executive producer of the projects. According to E-40, the success of his independent releases is due to his relentless working on the Internet and other non-traditional avenues to market his products, which each contain different barcodes. “I got out there, did my homework and went back to my roots and made these albums for the streets that made me,” E-40 told AllHipHop.com. “Then I utilized the internet and engaged in social networking by interacting with my fans and I found out what they wanted and what they liked best. Then I considered the state of this economy recognizing that people want the hook up, they want more and that’s exactly what I gave them. Most albums have 10 or 12 tracks on them, I exceeded that number then I doubled my product giving my fans who are also consumers a bigger bang for their buck.”Each one of the Revenue Retrievin releases contain 19 new songs, while Heavy On The Grind is being sold digitally though iTunes with a whopping 42 tracks from E-40. At FYE stores, the physical CD is packaged with a T-shirt and a 10 free ringtone bundle pack. Additionally E-40 dropped 5 videos that included features from Snoop Dogg, Too Short, Gucci Mane, Mistah F.A.B., San Quinn, Messy Marv, B-Legit, Jazze Pha and others. “I would like to thank everyone that participated in making this project happen, the grit don’t quit” E-40 said.

(AllHipHop News) Two weeks ago, the Internet lit up at the sight of a leaked track from Drake’s anticipated debut, Thank Me Later. “Shut It Down,” a So Far Gone-lite record featuring The-Dream, was reported in September as Drake’s official lead single before any word of “Over” had surfaced.While the overall response to “Shut It Down” was more than favorable, Stadiumred producer Omen, who worked on the track with Drake’s right-hand 40, told VIBE that version heard on the Net had a few elements absent.“[‘Shut It Down’] is still missing some ingredients. It’s missing a full Dream verse and a full rap verse from Drake,” he says. “The leaked version wasn’t the way it was supposed to be presented. It was just something that caught on so quickly… I don’t know how the hell radio got it. Drake’s [rap verse is] basically playing around with the song’s concept more, not really telling a story, but just talking to the ladies.”Omen also revealed that “Shut It Down” was the first song Drake recorded for Thank Me Later in the early fall. Though he’s still unsure whether other tracks he co-produced with 40 made the final cut, from what Omen’s heard of the album, he says fans can expect more hip-hop than heard on the mixtape that made Drake famous.“It’s more rapping than So Far Gone… a lot more rapping. Even if he is singing it’s just the chorus. ‘Shut It Down’ has probably the most singing on the album and then he has another one with a Sade vibe that’s dope,” he says. “He’s definitely improving his singing too. He just hired a vocal coach that he’s working with during The Away From Home Tour. This is going to be one of the top hip-hop/R&B albums out this year. I can feel it.”The 33-year-old Harlem producer added that he spoke too soon about “Shut It Down” being Drake’s first single.“I jumped the gun [Laughs]. What happened is everyone was real excited and saying this is the single, but you know how the industry works, when an album’s being recorded there’s always going to be other producers that bring something different,” he continues. “It still was a very good song to be in the single contention. It could be second, could be third. I’m not sure which, but I’m sure it’s going to be a single.”Omen first worked with Drake in 2008 on the track, “Overdose On Life,” off Drake’s second mixtape, Comeback Season. Drake’s major label debut, Thank Me Later is scheduled for release on June 15. —Tracy Garraud

(AllHipHop News) Independent promotion and production entity Rival Entertainment has announced 2 special tour dates featuring Wale, K’Naan, and Sage Francis.

The shows will be split up with Wale and K’Naan performing tonight (April 8) at Atlanta’s Center Stage venue.

Wale previously headlined an Atlanta show in 2008 as part of the city’s annual A3C Festival. Last year, he was accompanied by B.o.B. in an Atlanta show that featured the last public performance of T.I. before serving a one-year jail sentence on weapons charges.

Wale’s debut LP Attention Deficit was released last November, charting in Billboard’s Top 25 and to date selling close to 100,000 copies.

Somali-Canadian artist K’naan has seen his international popularity expand with the release of his well-received 2009 sophomore LP Troubadour. Songs such as “ABCs,” “Dreamer,” and “Wavin’ Flag” has been used to promote the video games (Madden 09, Fight Night Round 4), the NFL Draft, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Sage Francis will make a rare Atlanta appearance on June 19. An underground star for over a decade courtesy of projects like the Non-Prophets (with Joe Beats) and his “Sick of” mixtape series (1999-present), Francis will be promoting his 4th solo studio album Li(f)e, set to be released on May 11.

In addition, Rival Entertainment will showcase cult animation favorite Aqua Teen Hunger Force in a unique live performance on May 15 at Center Stage.

Tickets for the Wale/K’naan show can be obtained tonight at the door for $20.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com, while Sage Francis tickets can be purchased at www.ticketalternative.com.

Below are the remaining dates for the Wale/K’Naan tour dates:

4/13: Cleveland @ House of Blues

4/14:Columbus, Ohio @ Newport Music Hall

 

Wale Performing Tribe’s Electric Relaxation in Atlanta (2009)