Producer Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean) has requested a court-approved gag order in the divorce proceedings with R&B singer Mashonda.

Upon announcement of the divorce last year, gossip columns and sites began speculating the reason for the split was due to Swizz Beatz’ alleged affair with R&B superstar Alicia Keys.

After vehemently denying the claims for months, Swizz confirmed the relationship earlier this month.

Mashonda attorney Bernard Clair criticized the request, lambasting the veteran producer for child neglect and his verse on Drake’s “Best I Ever Had Remix,” which the high-powered divorce lawyer claimed was a classless attempt to brag about the affair that allegedly ended his marriage.

Speaking to the New York Post, Clair stated the issues with the divorce and child support were “flying under the radar until Mr. Dean and Alicia Keys went public about their long-term affair and he released a song implying that he likes it when Alicia serves him breakfast naked. Now that Mr. Dean’s questionable conduct is being scrutinized, he suddenly wants a gag order and the media to be locked out?”

The former couple divorced last April after four years of marriage.

Their one child, Kasseem, Jr., was born in December 2007.

At press time, Manhattan Superior Court Justice Deborah Kaplan has not made a ruling on Swizz Beatz’s gag order request.

Nas has filed a response for Kelis’s request for divorce and has asked the court to deny the singer any sort of spousal support.

The claim was filed in Los Angeles court on Wednesday.

Kelis filed for divorce last month, claiming irreconcilable differences.

Kelis is pregnant with the couple’s first child. She is due in July.

Both parents seek joint custody of the unborn child.

Nas and Kelis were married in 2003, but didn’t go public until 2005, according to People magazine.

The murderer of rapper Dolla has admitted that he shot the gun that killed the artist, but said that the act was done in self-defense, according to his lawyer.

Howard R. Price, lawyer for 23-year-old Aubrey Louis Berry, said that he had a previous altercation with Dolla that lead to a fatal confrontation.

Price alleged, through his lawyer, that he was scared for his life when he killed Dolla and shot at two other people.

Price has since been charged with murder and a pair of assault charges related to the Monday shooting. Additionally, his bail has been raised to $5 million. Berry is slated to enter a plea on Friday, a postponement from Wednesday.

Earlier in the month, Dolla (Roderick Anthony Burton II) and Price had an altercation in an Atlanta nightclub. By pure coincidence, the two crossed paths again in Los Angeles at a P.F. Chang’s and the conflict quickly resumed. Price said that Dolla was affiliated with the Crips gang and threatened him in the restaurant bathroom.

Full details of the shooting have yet to be released and a motive has not been announced by the police.

Price was arrested with a loaded 9m handgun on him at Los Angeles International Airport.

Dolla is a rapper that was signed to Akon’s Konvict Music label and was working on his debut album.

Independent powerhouse label Duck Down has announced their most recent coup in the acquisition of Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, and Sean Price as the super group Random Axe.

Random Axe marks the fourth major signing announcement by Duck Down in less than a month.

The label has also secured deals with Marco Polo and Torae for the album Double Barrel (June 2), Skyzoo and 9th Wonder’s The Salvation project (August 11), and newcomers Team Facelift.

In an exclusive interview with AllHipHop.com, Duck Down CEO Dru Ha praised the multi-faceted talent of Detroit’s Black Milk, and declared uninitiated fans will be blown away by the forthcoming album.

“It’s an exciting time for Duck Down with all of these new signings and up coming releases. There are never too many Sean Price projects for us [and his fans] and combining his powers with Guilty and Black Milk makes for a formidable unit,” Dru Ha told AllHipHop.com. “We’ve been in talks with Hex (Black and Guilty’s Manager) about this album for over a year now so to see it come to fruition is just another blessing for the label.”

Dru Ha is excited about Black Milk’s potential, stating that the artist had the potential to become as of a star as rapper Kanye West.

“Black’s production is earth quaking: from his drums, to his sample game to his ability to play and arrange live music,” Dru Ha continued. “His vision to craft a song and skills on the mic should be taken note of. [I] can’t wait to see where he takes this project with Sean and Guilty.”

Milk, who released 2008’s well-received Tronic LP, verified that album is nearly finished.

As the debut project’s sole producer, the Detroit native explained he would bring, innovative, harder variations to his style to accommodate band mates Guilty Simpson and Sean Price.

“It’s more than halfway done. We got about three or four more cuts to do,” Black Milk stated. “It’s going to be [just] dirt rhymes and hard ass beats. People are going to feel it. [It’s going] to be another part of my production; still the sh*t that I do but just flipping it in a different way. Cats will like it.”

At press time, the untitled Random Axe album is expected to drop in 2009’s third or fourth quarter.video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsfree video player