Sunday, March 30, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Rapper T.I. pleaded guilty to two counts of of illegally possessing machine guns and silencers, and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm shortly around 1:30pm this afternoon during an Atlanta court appearance.
The rapper, born Clifford Harris, Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27, 2009 at which point he will receive a sentence of one year and one day, so long as he meets all of the conditions of his plea agreement, ordered U.S. District Court Judge Charles Pannell, Jr.
Under the agreement entered, T.I. will also serve a total of 1500 hours of community service, divided in increments of 1000 hours before his sentencing, and 500 hours after he completes his prison sentence.
He will in part use the sentence as an opportunity to speak to "at-risk youth," encouraging them to obey the law and avoid situations similar to those he has reportedly faced since 1997.
"We believe this resolution is in the public’s interest," said U.S. Attorney David Nahmias following T.I.’s plea, adding that his agreement to speak to young people should prevent and deter some from committing crimes and ruining their own lives.
The Grand Hustle CEO was also fined $100,000. Once he begins his prison sentence sometime next year, T.I. could have his sentence reduced by about two months, or 15 percent of his total sentence, for good behavior.
T.I. remains on house arrest, where he has been since posting a $3 million bond in October 2007. Should he fail to meet the terms of his agreement, he faces a sentence of up to 57 months in prison.
Additionally, if Judge Panell feels that the rapper has not accepted responsibility for his actions, he could face an additional 40 months in prison, for a total of 97 months.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Sean "Diddy" Combs denies Tupac shooting
By Nolan Strong
Hip-Hop star Sean "Diddy" Combs has responded to a controversial new article in the Los Angeles Times, which claims the mogul had advanced knowledge of a planned assault on the late Tupac Shakur.
A new investigative piece printed today (March 17) in the Los Angeles Times claims that Combs and Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G" Wallace had advance knowledge of a plan laid by music executive Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond and an 18-year-old associate named James Sabatino to assault Shakur for a number of different reasons.
In an exclusive statement to AllHipHop.com, Sean "Diddy" Combs vehemently denied the allegations in the Los Angeles Times.
"This story is beyond ridiculous and completely false," Combs told AllHipHop.com. "Neither Biggie nor I had any knowledge of any attack before, during or after it happened. It is a complete lie to suggest that there was any involvement by Biggie or myself."
The story details an alleged plan of the events leading up to Shakur’s shooting at the Quad, including a new figure, an Italian-American named James Sabatino, who was 18-years-old at the time of the attack.
Sabatino, whose father is an alleged captain in the Colombo crime family, is accused of helping Rosemond orchestrate a plan to assault Shakur at the Quad in 1994.
When Shakur confronted his own attackers with a raised gun, the plan went awry and Shakur and his manager Fred Moore were shot several times.
In the piece, one of the unnamed sources involved with the shooting actually offered to produce Shakur’s $40,000 dollar medallion for an undisclosed amount.
Sabatino is currently serving an 11 ½-year prison sentence for wire fraud and racketeering, for charging up $200,000 using fake credit cards, allegedly for helicopters, limos and hotel suites for Bad Boy’s entourage during 1997's "No Way Out" tour featuring Combs.
In October of 2007, Sabatino filed a $19 million dollar lawsuit against Combs and Bad Boy from prison, claiming Combs agreed to pay him $200,000 for footage taken of B.I.G. in 1994.
Despite the fact that a contract was never signed, Sabatino claims that in 1997, he was given a down payment of $25,000 but Combs has not paid him since, reportedly because the LAPD had previously named Sabatino as a person of interest in the slaying of the Notorious B.I.G.
A number of sources have told AllHipHop.com that the story investigating Shakur’s shooting at the Quad is the start of a bigger series Phillips and the Los Angeles Times are planning in relation to the deaths of both Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.
Combs chastised the Los Angeles Times’ piece and completely denied any involvement in the Quad shooting.
"I am shocked that the Los Angeles Times would be so irresponsible as to publish such a baseless and completely untrue story," Combs stated.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
New Evidence Surfaces In Tupac Quad Shooting
By Martin Berrios and Chris Richburg
Nearly 15 years after Tupac Shakur was pistol-whipped, shot five times and left for dead outside a New York recording studio, new evidence has surfaced implicating two associates of entertainment mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs for orchestrating the rap icon's ambush, AllHipHop.com has learned. In an upcoming article written by Chuck Phillips on the latest developments, the Los Angeles Times claims that Combs was notified in advance that the trap for Shakur had been laid, according to sources familiar with the incident. "Tupac was mostly right about what he wrote about [in his songs]," author Chuck Phillips told AllHipHop.com, although he admitted Shakur "had a couple of things wrong" in regard to Bad Boy’s possible role in the shooting. The article claims that Combs was present in the Quad Recording Studio with at least two dozen Bad Boy Records associates when the assault took place 10 floors below in the lobby. "Tupac’s shooting at the Quad was really catalyst for everything that happened afterwards including his own death and including the death of Biggie," Phillips said. "It started the whole thing off and if you lay it out in a timeline which I do, you can just see; it’s obvious and kind of sad for two guys to be this talented. I ended up with a much larger story than I imagined." Sources familiar with the incident state that James "Jimmy" Sabatino and Czar Entertainment CEO Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond were among those that Combs met on the night in question. Sabatino, the son of a reputed captain in the Colombo crime family, reportedly told Combs personally that Shakur would be attacked at Quad Recording Studio. Rosemond, who people speculate paid Shakur back for being slighted over prior agreements, is also said to have formed a close relationship with Combs following the attack. "One of the people involved in what happened to Tupac has family associated with the mob. It wasn’t by them; it didn’t have anything to do with the mob," Phillips continued. "This person was at Quad studios that night, and this person knew Puffy and Biggie and Jimmy Henchmen and Haitian Jack. A white Italian guy; he’s now in jail. He’s involved in this and frankly I never knew anything about this situation." Soon after Shakur’s 1994 assault, sources claim that Sabatino allegedly introduced Combs to mobsters and escorted the music executive to mobbed-up nightclubs in New York and Miami after he was welcomed into Combs' inner circle. Combs invited Sabatino on his 1997 No Way Out tour, where the alleged mob associate used fake credit cards to charge up hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills for posh hotel suites, limousines and parties allegedly on behalf of the Bad Boy entourage. Sabatino’s relationship with Combs continued as he worked with the mogul’s Bad Boy Records until his 1998 arrest in London. Sabatino was later extradited to the United States, where he was convicted and jailed. He is currently serving 12 years in a federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania for racketeering and wire fraud. According to the Los Angeles Times, Sabatino maintained a presence at Bad Boy by financing a recording made by Shakur’s musical rival, Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, that was released after the East Coast rapper’s murder in 1997. The implications are the latest in a series of events surrounding the murder Shakur, who was shot to death in 1996 in Las Vegas, and Wallace, who was slain the following year after leaving a party in Los Angeles. Phillips admits he came across the new details surrounding the Quad Recording Studios shooting while investigating the still-unsolved murder of Wallace in New York. Upon following up on leads, the writer claims he uncovered FBI records to support what he found, as well as interviewing key people with ties to the incident. Conspiracy theories surrounding the Quad Recording Studio shooting have run rampant. While some believe Wallace and Combs set up Shakur at the venue, others maintain the pair had nothing to do with the shooting, but had prior knowledge that Shakur was going to be robbed.
"I don’t believe that Biggie and Puffy set Tupac up," Phillips said. "According to these people I have interviewed and according to these documents, they knew about it," he said. "But they didn’t know they were going to get shot. They knew he was going to get beat up. Then it kind of went haywire when it all happened." In addition to the new information, Phillips' story uncovers an ongoing New York federal grand jury that is currently investigating a series of unsolved Hip-Hop and rap-related crimes, including the 1994 Quad assault. As recently as a month ago, interviews have been conducted surrounding a number of open cases. Those interested in obtaining new information on the Quad Recording Studio shooting will be able to examine photo galleries, copies of confidential documents related to the shootings.
An interactive timeline as well as audio of lyrics and videos from Shakur and Wallace will also be featured when Phillip’s story on the incident becomes available Monday (March 17) on the L.A. Times website.
Interestingly, the case has ties to the murder of Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizelle as well.One of the men present when Shakur was shot, Randy "Stretch" Walker, was later gunned down in Queens, New York on November 30, 1995, exactly one day to date of the Quad shooting. Sources have long stated that Walker's alleged murderer, Ronald "Tinard" Washington, was also one of the men suspected of acting as a lookout when Jam Master Jay was gunned down on October 30, 2002.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
GAME RELEASED FROM JAIL
By Nolan Strong
It’s official: Compton Hip-Hop star The Game has confirmed that he was indeed released from prison on March 10, just eight days after checking into the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. Today (March 13), the rapper issued a statement to AllHipHop.com apologizing to fans for the conflicting information about his release. "I apologize….but due to the sensitive negotiations on this matter I felt it appropriate not to give an exact date on my release," The Game said in a statement. "I am truly grateful to my attorney, family and management for doing a great job in this respect."
The rapper stated that upon his release, he went directly to the recording studio to work on a street album that will drop before his highly anticipated release L.A.X. (Los Angeles Times).
"I went directly to the studio with producers Cool & Dre and recorded several records including my street record Big Dreams," The Game revealed. "Thank you to all my fans as well for the support."
The Game, born Jayceon Taylor, surrendered to authorities on March 2, after he pleaded no contest to a felony charge of gun possession in a school zone in February.
The charges stemmed from an incident in which the rapper pointed a gun at another man during an argument after a game of basketball in Los Angeles.
The Game must also serve 150 hours of community service and three years probation. Big Dreams will be serviced to DJ’s on Tuesday March 18th, while L.A.X. (Los Angeles Times) is scheduled to hit stores in June 2008.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
JUELZ SANTANA ARRESTED WITH HOLLOW TIPS
By Roman Wolfe
Dipset member Juelz Santana was arrested near the entrance of his Teaneck, New Jersey home, after police found hollow point bullets and marijuana in his Bentley.
The rapper, born LaRon James, was arrested last week as he approached his home in the gated community of Glenpointe. The arresting officer claimed he smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from Santana’s Bentley and upon further inspection, noticed several marijuana roaches, Dutch Masters and White Owl cigars. After police learned the rapper was driving with a suspended license, they searched the vehicle and found 29 hollow point bullets wrapped in a sock, as well as $19.500 dollars in cash in a hidden plastic bag filled with “hundreds of Jolly Rancher candies.” According to The New York Daily News, after being searched, police also found a rolled marijuana blunt in Santana’s sock. Police also found a sandwich bag of marijuana in the police car where Juelz Santana had been sitting.
Representatives for Juelz Santana were not available as of press time.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
CAMPFAM RECORDS
