Swizz Beats and Mashonda Divorce

Swizz Beats and RnB singer Mashonda decided that it was finally time to get a divorce. Like a lot of music couples, this one just didn't work out. They were married for 4 years prior to the divorce. They have a son together who both still plan on taking care of. It seems as if they have separated on good terms which is good to see. Swizz Beats currently runs Full Surface Records which is the record company Mashonda sings for. Mashonda has a album due out in 2008 entitled Back to Business.
Here’s their official statement:

“Swizz Beatz and Mashonda have agreed to seperate on amicable terms. Their union was one shared in love and deep admiration for one another. For the last seven months, the two have been working on establishing a formidable friendship, being great parents to their son, and remaining great supporters of each other’s careers.The couple has agreed to continue their entrepeneurial spirit. Mashonda is set to launch a new luxury swimwear line, a musical venture , and beginning an arts based school for children. Swizz is hard at work producing for a number of artists, and on his follow up album through Universal Motown Records. The couple has asked that their privacy be respected at this time.”

Wesley Snipes Sentenced to 3 Years in Jail

This isn’t rap-related but I just found it interesting to read the letters that Denzel Washington and Woody Harrelson submitted to the judge who will be sentencing Wesley Snipes on his tax-fraud charges Thursday. Prosecutors have already asked the judge to throw the book at Snipes. You know, make a real example of the actor/martial-arts enthusiast/father of five. He may not get the pre-requisite Hollywood DUI every 6 months like the people who fill up The Green Door or Phillipe’s, but he is more offensive to the mainstream because of his other anti-establishment tendencies.

It’s not my place to say how Wesley should be punished for his crime. Nor is it my place to judge that crime in relation to other corporate white-collar cases, or high-profile celebrity cases.

But can appreciate how this kind of show of friendship is rare.

Denzel Washington’s character reference excerpt:

“I was fortunate enough to meet Wesley Snipes over 20 years ago and have called him a friend since that first day…Wesley is like a tree - a mighty oak. He stands for so many, “like a tree, planted by streams of water with leaves that do not wither.” Many who know him have witnessed the fruit of his labors, have sat in his shade and even been protected by his presence. I am proud of him, proud to call him a fellow thespian and most importantly, proud to call him a friend. I hope that sharing my observations will assist you in making the appropriate decision in his case.”
Woody Harrelson’s character reference excerpt:

“My first movie was also his first movie, Wildcats with Goldie Hawn. Both of us were 23 and our birthdays are only one week apart. I was, along with Goldie’s character, the only Caucasian associated with the team. A few of the folks on the production were followers of Louis Farrakhan. It was the first time I experienced racism towards me. This was challenging and what could have been an ugly situation turned out to be quite the opposite. Wes took the time to discuss and dissect the issue of racism with all of us…he strives for rightness in all his relations and I realized early on what a true citizen of the world Wes is. He continues to earn my respect to this day.”

A federal judge on Thursday April 24th sentenced the actor Wesley Snipes to three years in prison for willfully failing to file tax returns.Snipes, who was convicted in February, received one year for each count, to be served consecutively, and an additional year of probation. The sentence was handed down by Judge William Terrell Hodges of Federal District Court.

Carter III Pushed Back Again!

It was recently confirmed that the long awaited album Tha Carter III from New Orleans rapper, Lil' Wayne has been pushed back.
Originally slated for a December 2007 release, the album was pushed back to May 2008 and now Weezy's rep confirmed that the album is pushed back once more and is due out in June. The alleged cover art hit the net earlier today and it looks pretty funny.
Tha Carter III will be the rapper's sixth solo project and his first solo release since 2005's Tha Carter II. It will also mark the end of Weezy's Tha Carter trilogy which included 2004's Tha Carter and 2005's Tha Carter II. The two albums were certified gold and platinum respectively.
The Carter III's first official single, "Lollipop," was recently released and is currently all over the radio.
When speaking of the album, Wayne told Billboard, "It's one of those albums people are really waiting on, so I made it so that whatever is on it will stick with you forever. I'm taking my time with it. And I'm giving artists I respect and people I want to do songs with -- not songs the label fixed -- an opportunity to collaborate."
Tha Carter III hits stores June 10th via Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown Recordings.

Young Buck Officialy out of G-Unit

Well, I knew this was gonna happen. 50 cent recently stated on Hot 97 "You can take this as official notice right here". "Pretty much you can say Young Buck is no longer in the group G-unit but signed to G-unit as a solo artist". There were subtle signs, Young Buck stopped hyping G-Unit South, and launched Cashville Records instead. There were Buck’s comments about Tony Yayo’s assault charge on Hot 97. And of course, other comments about not beefing with Game.
Then there were the less subtle signs: Buck’s appearance onstage at a Baby and Lil Wayne concert. His interview on an Arizona radio station where Buck said, “I’ve been loyal….and its hard to be down with somebody when there’s no communication….It makes me feel like ‘what’s going on?’ There’s a video, everybody’s there, and there’s no Buck. Or you see your man moving overseas, on tour with the camp, with G-unit. Or you go to Thisis50.com and you see G-unit pictures is there, without Buck’s face…and then there’s no communication so I don’t really understand why…”
Oh boy. But the straw that broke the camel’s back was apparently, was this unsolicited offering from Young Buck to Quinton Hatfield of YoRaps…
“A lot of times a lot of artists don’t recoup off of albums so a lot of times they never get to see the backend from that project. I’m the only artist on G-Unit that ever recouped off of an album meaning I went off on this “Buck The World” project not owing Interscope and G-Unit nothing, I can say that much. I’m still waiting on a royalty check period, I never seen a royalty check since I’ve been signed with G-Unit. So hell yeah I’ll tell you one damn thing the show money is that good. I’ve never in my career cashed a royalty check, how you like that? Put that one in big black letters!”
Now after this interview went up, Buck’s manager Sha Money XL went into damage control mode, doing a really good job of calming the situation and also releasing a statement that Buck “cleared $10million” as a G-unit artist and that the writer was “taking Buck’s words wrong.” Meanwhile YoRaps released their own statement, basically saying, don’t use us as a scapegoat, come check the tape. But it didn’t really matter because, 50 was already reaching for the eject-button.
Why would Buck’s comments about royalties be that big of a deal? According to inside sources…..A few years back, Young Buck was in big trouble with the IRS. We’re talking $500,000 worth of trouble. So, 50 Cent bailed him out and paid the debt.
Allegedly Buck celebrated getting off the hook, by buying a Bentley. But either way, 50 recouped $300k of his loan over time by taking Young Buck’s royalty checks. Not his show money, or his label advance, or even his watch deal money.
So with $200,000 still in the red, from what I hear, that’s why Young Buck’s seemingly innocuous comment on a hip hop website spiraled into a G-unit drop kick.
Now, is Young Buck a valuable member of the group? Definitely. His Tennessee swag brings much needed diversity to their Queens County hard nosed rap. And Buck is still featured on the upcoming G-unit album. But he’s looking at an uphill battle as a contracted solo artist in a hostile environment if things are not amicably resolved.
Can they be amicably resolved?……I hope so.

HAHAHAHA FUNNY AKON AND TPAIN VIDEO

This video is really funny. I was dying laughing the first time i saw it. It's really funny that T-Pain actually sounds like that yet he has many fans. A lot of people really like him but it seems like anyone can make that voice through a computer. Watch this as Akon calls T-Pain