Three high ranking New York prison officials resigned from their posts on Friday in the aftermath of a scandal involving preferential treatment to certain inmates, including rapper Foxy Brown. Carolyn Thomas (Chief of Department), George Okada (Warden of Manhattan complex The Tombs) and Frank Squillante (Assistant Chief of Special Operations) all quit over two separate incidents. The three were accused of allowing Foxy Brown to conduct a photo shoot with XXL to promote her new album, while serving a year behind bars for violating the terms of her probation. Another inmate was granted permission to host his sons bar mitzvah, which included food provided by the prison and outside guests. Corrections Chief Peter Curico and prison Rabbi Leib Glanz and already resigned because of the scandal.
Rap group Public Enemy has announced their new partnership with music website SellaBand.com is already a success. SellaBand.com is a European-based website that allows fans to donate money to their favorite bands to help record and release albums, in return for profit sharing and exclusive merchandising offers. At press time, PE has raised over $37,000 from over 600 fans to record and release a new album in 2010. On their official blog, Public Enemy revealed they were “pleased with our start, but know that we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Rapper/author/activist Fonzworth Bentley will speak to students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham next Thursday (October 29). Bentley will appear at the UAB Hill University Center Great Hall, where he will discuss a number of topics relevant to students. The event is sponsored by the UAB Blazer Male Excellence Network and the UAB Black Student Awareness Committee. After the free event, which is also open to the public, Bentley will sign autographs of his book Advance Your Swagger: How to Use Manners, Confidence and Style to Get Ahead. The event kicks off at 6:00 PM.
Wyclef Jean will release a new memoir detailing his rise from poverty in the La Serre village in Haiti to being one of the most famous musicians in the world. The untitled memoir, which will be published by It Books/HarperCollins, will be written with bestselling author Anthony Bozza, who writes for Rolling Stone. Bozza has also co-authored memoirs with Tommy Lee (Tommyland) and Eminem (Whatever You Say I Am). “I am so happy to share my journey which took me from the hut to the projects to the mansion,” said Wyclef Jean. “I am just getting started and feel so excited about It Books publishing the early stories from my life.”