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After two separate sentencing delays, New Orleans rap star Lil Wayne was officially sentenced to prison today (March 8th) in Manhattan Criminal Court.

Lil Wayne was sentenced to the prison term after the rapper admitted to possessing a loaded .40 caliber handgun that was found on his tour bus after a performance in New York in July of 2007.

The rapper was taken away in handcuffs to begin serving his time on Riker’s Island, a prison that is just emerging from a scandal over preferential treatment of certain inmates and celebrities.

In October of 2009, several prison officials resigned from the prison after it was revealed that Brooklyn rapper Foxy Brown and other inmates had been given preferential treatment while serving their time behind bars.

Lil Wayne was originally supposed to be sentenced to prison on February 9th but the date was postponed to March 2nd, because the rapper needed root canals, in addition to having his platinum “grillz” removed.

The March 2nd date was rescheduled to today (March 8th), after a fire broke out in Manhattan Criminal Court’s basement which sent eight people to the hospital.

Lil Wayne could be out in as little as eight months. He is expected to remain in protective custody during his time behind bars.

"Law is mind without reason. .................I'll return," Lil Wayne told fans on his Twitter page this morning.



Shyne and Def Jam CEO/Chairman Antonio “L.A.” Reid have mended their strained relationship and are working towards releasing the rapper’s first album in over six years.

Reid traveled to Belize to re-sign Shyne to Def Jam, the same label that released his last official album, 2004's Godfather: Buried Alive.

"I have come here to stand by Shyne and to officially kick off our partnership with Island Def Jam Music Group and Gangland Records and so it is really an honor to be here,” Reid told 7 News of Belize during a trip to the island.”

Although their last attempt to release a record ended in a bitter war of words in the press, Shyne, real name, Moses Michael Leviy, was honored to be back with Def Jam under a new, seven-figure deal.

“It is an honor and a pleasure, not just for me but for Belize,” Shyne added. “Chairman Reid is on the level of Berry Gordy, Clive Davis, the biggest music men in the history of music, and so to have a partnership with Gangland Records and Island/Def Jam is incredible for me.”

L.A. Reid was confident that his relationship with Shyne this time around would lead to success for the rapper, who spent over 8 years in prison over a violent shoot-out in a New York club while partying with Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jennifer Lopez.
“I don’t expect it, I can promise it,” L.A. Reid said of Shyne's potential success.




Bryan “Baby” Williams, co-CEO of Cash Money Records, has made his first public statement on reports last month on the label’s foray into the oil and natural gas industries.
As first reported on Newmello.com, Cash Money opened a website for Bronald Oil & Gas, an independent company focused on finding and utilizing oil and gas reserves in North and Central America.

In an interview with Ozone Magazine, Williams revealed that he also has his own oil company, and that he’s been involved in the business for close to 5 years.

“I’ve been in the oil business about 4 or 5 years now. That’s something me and my brother decided to do outside of music,” Baby explained. “I read about oil a lot and I was able to get in business. [My company] is called Browner Oil, and I’m making good money off that; that’s something for my kids and my kids’ kids. They can live off that money forever.”

The Bronald Oil & Gas company has been looking for investors to expand drilling opportunities that are both environmentally safe and lucrative.

With new albums from Drake and Nicki Minaj under development, and music to be released from Lil Wayne while he serves a 1 year jail sentence, Baby admitted that his oil business has not gotten as much attention as he would prefer.

But with the return he’s had on it to date, Williams plans to put more resources into the project.

“I did a few different deals. That was just one of them. When you’re dealing with oil, you buy in different areas,” Baby detailed. “Right now I’m active; I got pumps and s**tthat are getting money monthly. I like that oil shit. I’m gonna put some more time into it.”





Rising rapper Waka Flocka Flames was shot, several sources have told NEWMELLO.COM While details are sketchy, sources stated that the rapper was shot robbed and shot twice in College Park, Georgia. His last show was at Atlanta, Georgia hotspot, Tongue & Groove last night (January 18). Waka Flocka Flames is an artist affiliated with Gucci Mane’s So Icey Entertainment.






It has been confirmed that Atlanta producer Shawty Redd is in custody awaiting charges on first-degree murder.

Redd, real name Demetrius Stewart, was in his home with another unidentified individual on the early hours of New Year’s Day. At some point, the two became embroiled in an argument, and the unidentified male allegedly threatened the producer.



Redd then obtained his firearm and killed the man.

Following the shooting, Shawty Redd contacted authorities and turned himself over to Henry County Police.

At press time, no bond has been issued and Redd is awaiting arraignment today (January 2).

Shawty Redd has been a coveted producer for the last decade, arranging tracks for Young Jeezy (“Hypnotize,” “Who Dat, “Trap Or Die”), Snoop Dogg (“Sexual Eruption”), and Gucci Mane (“Trap House,” “Stash House”).





TMZ.com reports that R&B/Hip-Hop producer Teddy Riley is accused of violently attacking one of his daughters during an altercation on December 23rd.

Riley, who has worked with artists like Kool Moe Dee, Heavy D. & The Boyz, Bobby Brown, Keith Sweat, Michael Jackson and Madonna, is also credited with creating the “New Jack Swing” style of music in the 1990’s.

He is accused of striking his 18-year-old daughter Taja Riley and her older sister in their Los Angeles home on December 23.

According to TMZ, a restraining order was filed and granted in Los Angeles Superior Court. Taja claims that the 43-year-old Blackstreet member abused her and her sister by “stomping, punching and bashing” them causing “contusions” and other injuries.

She claims that at one point during the altercation Teddy Riley lifted a Rock Band guitar and threatened to kill “someone” with it.

Teddy Riley has been ordered to stay 100 yards or away from Taja and he is due in court next in January in relation to the incident.




Multi-platinum songstress Mary J. Blige is rebuking reports that she punched her husband Kendu Isaacs in the face Tuesday night at her NYC album release party.

According to initial reports from anonymous “sources,” the fight occurred when Isaacs was seen flirting with several female waitresses, causing Blige to strike and taunt him.

“She turned to him and was screaming, 'You're not going to ruin my night,' " an alleged witness told the NY Post. “They got up in each other's faces before someone tried to separate them, at which point she shoved the guy aside, pulled back and popped [Isaacs] in the face. She was yelling at him, 'What are you gonna do, Chris Brown me?'”

From there, Blige’s bodyguards were said to have escorted Isaacs from the M2 Ultra Lounge venue.

Blige’s publicist Kerynne Tencer released a statement denying the incident, and proclaimed the couple’s relationship is on steady ground.

“People lie and don’t know what they’re talking about,” Tencer explained. “They’re as happy as can be. They’re spending the holidays together with their three children. Everything’s great.”

Blige and Isaacs, who also serves as her manager, have been married since 2003.

On Tuesday (December 21), Blige released Stronger with Each Tear, her 9th studio LP after a 2-year hiatus. To date, Blige has maintained a streak of every album since 1992’s What’s the 411? going platinum or multi-platinum.

The album features guest spots from Drake, T.I., and Trey Songz. Production credits include Ryan Leslie, The Runners, Polow Da Don, The Dream, Stargate, and Tricky Stewart.

UPDATE
The NY Post has released footage of Mary J. Blige's altercation with husband Kendu Isaacs. The viral clip shows the couple arguing, and Blige attempting to strike Isaacs before being restrained by several entourage members. At press time, it is not known if this is footage of the full altercation, or whether a blow was landed before or after.

At press time, Blige nor her publicist have commented on the footage.







Philadelphia rapper Beanie Sigel was injured in a car accident last night, reps say.

Representatives for Sigel maintain a large tractor trailer truck ran his vehicle off the road. Sigel was not the driver of the car and sustained injuries.

The full breadth of those injuries is unknown, as is the exact location of the accident.




Lil Wayne appeared in a New York court today, where he received a February sentencing date for a weapon violation last October.

The rapper, born Dwayne Carter, appeared in court around 10:30 AM, flanked by members of Cash Money Records, including label CEO’s Bryan “Birdman” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams.

Lil Wayne remained silent as the judge set a February 9th sentencing date, where he is expected to be sentenced to at least a year in prison for weapon possession in New York.

In October, the rapper pleaded guilty to one criminal count of attempted possession of a weapon.

The charges stem from a 2007arrest in which a .40 caliber gun was found on the rapper's tour bus.

In a popular remix to “O Let’s Do It” featuring Georgia rapper Waka Flocka, Lil Wayne references the crime.




Yesterday (December 9), Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David S. Cunningham ordered Nas to pay $51,101 a month in spousal and child support to ex-wife Kelis.

Cunningham made his ruling following two days of testimony from Nas and Kelis.

Kelis verified that she inked a new recording contract with Interscope Records for $175,000. However, her attorney explained that the majority of that sum was paid out to her managers, leaving the singer with only $50,000.

When cross-examined, she told Nas attorney Mark Kaplan that her comeback career was a far cryfrom her former chart topping fame circa the 2003 single “Milkshake,” indicating that her latest song was quietly dropped on Twitter.

Her income could also not be determined, as documentation shows Kelis has not filed an income tax return in years.

In Nas’ testimony, the Queens legend confirmed that he would not release solo album in 2010, but did not disclose whether that included his Damian Marley collaboration LP Distant Relatives. His statements also revealed that he owed $700,000 to his manager, and $2.5 million in back taxes to the IRS.

Along with the spousal and child support decree, Nas is now relieved of having to pay the $13,000 a month mortgage for the ex-couple's Los Angeles home, in which Kelis currently resides.

Before yesterday’s verdict, Nas was reportedly paying close to $40,000 a month in temporary support.

At press time, neither Nas nor Kelis have personally commented on the ruling.



A violent feud between rappers Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane came to an end tonight (December 3rd) on Atlanta radio station Hot 107.9, during DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz radio show.

Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane have had a feud the dates back to 2005, over the hit single “Icy,” which was supposed to be featured on Young Jeezy’s debut album Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101.

Instead, "Icy" appeared on Gucci’s independent 2005 release Back to the Trap House. The feud culminated with Gucci Mane murdering an affiliate of CTE in 2005. He was acquitted of the crime in 2006.

“You know nobody can ever change this history we made, we made classics,” Young Jeezy said of his mended relationship with DJ Drama. “And besides that, we opened up a lane for a lot of these young cats to come into the game. I seen more trappin’ in in the industry now than I ever seen. I know we had a lot to do with this….I just want everyone to know, just by me and you sitting here talking, that’s what men do. Now it’s back to the money, it’s back to the business. I aint gonna lie, I was caught up in my feelings… We gotta make some more history and we gotta open some more doors for these people man.”

DJ Drama, who recorded several Gangsta Grillz mixtapes with Young Jeezy during his rise through Hip-Hop’s underground, became involved in the feud when he decided to release a Gangster Grillz mixtape with Gucci Mane in 2008.

Young Jeezy labeled the Philadelphia-bred, Atlanta-based DJ as a traitor and claimed that the DJ began to act shady after he became famous, a charge which DJ Drama denied.

As a result of his relationship with Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy and DJ Drama also had several altercations at various music industry functions, although, their situation never escalated to the level of the beef between Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane.

“On my end its like even through everything, we weren’t speaking a lot, there was stuff in there. Then I realized we can agree to disagree,” DJ Drama said. “We are letting you know it’s bigger than us. We do what we do for yall. We are about to get so much more money, we are about to make so many more outlets for revenue for the city, for everybody to eat.”

Young Jeezy’s feud with Gucci Mane was much more serious.

The feud over “Icy” saw Jeezy releasing diss records like "Stay Strapped," while Gucci released tracks like "Round One" and "Hurry."

In the aftermath of these records, the pairs feud quickly became violent in May 2005, when Gucci Mane and an associate were allegedly set up and ambushed by men five men, later identified as affiliates of Young Jeezy’s CTE record label.

Gucci and an associate were visiting a woman when the five men stormed the residence with guns and duck tape and pistol whipped the rapper and his associate.

Gucci Mane fired upon the men, striking one, before fleeing the scene.

Days later, a man identified as Henry Lee Clark III was found dead from a gunshot wound behind a local elementary school.

According to reports, Clark, aka Pookie Loc, was still wearing his CTE chain when police found his decomposing body.

Gucci Mane was eventually hit with a murder charge over the shooting but the charge was dropped in January 2006, when Gucci Main's lawyers proved that the rapper acted in self defense.

On the radio tonight, Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane ended their dispute peacefully, when Gucci phoned into the station from jail.

“I’m a 100% down with it [squashing the beef], you know I’m 10 toes forward. I’m with it and I think it’s a great idea and that’s what I’m fittin’ to do. I hope everybody is ready cause it’s back on,” Gucci Mane said to Young Jeezy.

“That’s what it is homie,” Young Jeezy replied. “What’s understood aint gotta be said man. We gonna do this for the city so you just hold your head up. Me and Drama gonna hold it down brah, and that’s what it is. 100.”