NE-YO AWARDED $700,00 IN DAMAGES AFTER BEING KICKED OFF R. KELLY'S TOUR.

Ne-Yo will soon have a cool $700,000 in his bank account thanks to R. Kelly. Last week, a judge ordered a concert promoter to pay R&B singer $700,000 in damages after he was dropped from Chester the Molester's tour in 2007. Ne-Yo was due to join the Kelly for a string of live dates but he was removed from the line-up amid allegations that Kelly feared the younger singer was upstaging him. Of course, Kelly denied the claims. Soon after, Ne-Yo filed a suit against the tour's promoter, Rowe Entertainment Inc. to claim compensation for being dropped. And now, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ordered the company to pay the specified amount to the star. R. Kelly was not named in the suit.

In related Ne-Yo news, the singer will soon follow in the footsteps of Outkast member Andre 3000 after creating his own animated series for the Cartoon Network. Ne-Yo is currently in talks with TV upper-ups to get his own show on the channel. He says, "It's a cartoon for adults, like Family Guy. I've been busy developing it. I created the characters and the world they live in. And I did the original drawings and wrote the story." The series will be called What The Bear and features a rude bear that has been in jail in another dimension. He adds, "I'm working on the music for the series, too. It will all be original."

....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

COMMUNITY GROUP OF BLACK MEN PLEDGE TO BOYCOTT R. KELLY UNTIL HE PUBLICLY APOLOGIZES FOR HIS LIL-GIRL-LOVING BEHAVIOR.

Am I the only one who isn't surprised that we haven't heard a peep from Chester Molester a.k.a. R. Kelly since his acquittal of child pornography charges a couple of months ago? Maybe he figured if he stayed behind closed doors long enough folks would soon forget about him and his little-girl-loving ways. Well, there's one particular community group who refuses to let Kelly and anyone else forget about those allegations brought against him. According to The Daily Swarm, a group of 19 male professors, writers and activists in the African-American community – including New York congressional candidate Kevin Powell – are calling themselves “Black Men Against the Exploitation of Black Women” and are urging people to “make a personal pledge to never support R. Kelly again in any form or fashion unless he publicly apologizes for his behavior and gets help for his long-standing sexual conduct in his private life and in his music.”

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY AFTER THE JUMP!

In the meanwhile and in between time, there are rumblings that R. Kelly is trying to leave his longtime label Jive and sign with Universal's Interscope. His new album, titled 12 Play: Fourth Quarter, is the fourth installment of the 12 Play series and will be released soon on Jive, but his management team has been seeking a new and more lucrative deal for future releases, and they’ve approached several other companies, including Interscope, reports The Business Sheet.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

FMR. BOX SUES JAY-Z FOR STEALING HIS RHYMING STYLE; FMR. FRIEND SUES R. KELLY FOR STEALING HIS 'STEPPIN' MOVES.

According to Allhiphop.com, former heavyweight boxer Mitchell Rose is planning to file an $88 million dollar copyright lawsuit against Jay-Z in Brooklyn Federal Court. Rose says he gave Jay-Z his demo tape on March 12, 2001, following a bout between William Joppy and Felix Trinidad. Afterwards, he was shocked to discover that Jay-Z allegedly stole his style of rhyming, delivery and even certain lyrics. “He took the style and the delivery. He’s using it on the regular, now Lil’ Kim is using it. All I want is justice. Jay-Z knows what I am talking about." The former heavyweight boxer who is known for knocking out Eric “Butterbean” Esch, claims he met Jay-Z right after the Joppy-Trinidad fight and gave a demo to the rap superstar, who promised to listen to it. “He took the demo with him and shortly after that he began using the whispering (which he now frequents) in his songs. I had previously trained some of my artists to use that style, but it quickly became obsolete after Jay-Z got a hold of it. He used the whispering to enhance his music and financially benefit from it. Jay-Z disregarded the fact that it was my demo where he got the style from as he went on to use it for his own personal gains, which is wrong.”

In related news, Jay-Z's former Best of Both Worlds parter, R. Kelly, who has just been acquitted of 14 counts of child pornography, is also being sued...again. Henry Vaughn, an associate of the self-proclaimed "King of R&B," is suing the crooner for stealing his "steppin'" dance moves, according to TMZ. Vaughn said he gave the moves to Kells to make him seem more mature. Kels shouts out Uncle Henry Love at the end of his song Step in the Name of Love.

I swear people sue over the most petty things.

....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

R. KELLY FOUND NOT GUILTY ON 14 COUNTS OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY + FANS (YOUNG & OLD) REACTIONS TO THE VERDICT.

Michael Jackson got off. O.J. got off; and now R. Kelly has acquitted of 14 counts of child pornography. Is there anyone out there who is are really surprised at this outcome? I told myself I wouldn't post anything news regarding Chester's molestation trial until a verdict was reached. However, I didn't think it would come so soon...I also didn't think the jury would find him not guilty; especially when there was proof-positive evidence (that the jury viewed with their own eyes)of the singer incriminating himself on tape. And now six years after being charged with making and starring in a child porn video, R&B superstar R. Kelly was found not guilty today by a Cook County jury and walked away a free man. Jurors deliberated for about three hours Thursday and part of today before reaching their verdict. The jury cleared him on all 14 counts filed against him. As the first "not guilty" was read, Kelly dipped his head and kept it bowed during the entire reading of the 14-count verdict. When the reading was completed, he took a baby blue handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed the tears streaming down his face. He then bear-hugged his defense attorneys. Kelly, who did not testify during his trial, faced up to 15 years in an Illinois prison. After the verdict, one of his attorneys, Sam Adam Jr., described his client as deeply religious. “When they read the verdict you got to see the real Robert Kelly,” Adam Jr. said. “He sat there and he was crying. He was thanking God. He was saying ‘Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus’ after each count. He is not the man there doing those things to that woman.” Asked who was on the tape if it wasn’t Kelly, Adam Jr. said: “If you find that out, let us know.”

When word of the verdict spread through the courthouse at 26th and California, some Cook County deputies as well as lawyers walking through the building's first floor hallways cheered. Outside the courthouse, a huge roar came up from about 75 waiting Kelly supporters. "I love him!" one woman shouted as Kelly left the building moments after the verdict was read. "I love him! Get that on camera!" Kelly did not comment to reporters but a Kelly spokesman said the singer wanted to thank his fans "who stuck by him and supported him with such love. And most of all, he wants to thank God for giving him the strength to get through this." Of course. Outside the courthouse, Chicago's Leshi Agee, 25, shouted, "We love you!'' to Kelly as the singer left in a black SUV. "He looks so good,'' said Agee. "Bye, baby.'' Agee, who came with her three children between the ages of 10 months and five years, said, "I knew he ain't done it because he ain't that type of person. They was hating on him. He proved everybody wrong.''

CONTINUE READING MORE OF THIS UNBELIEVABLE STORY AFTER THE JUMP!

Fourteen-year-old Kewan Mackey said, "I knew he ain't do it. I knew he was going to win. Money makes the world go around.'' Nicole Jones, 16, came down to the courthouse with 15-year-old sister Neshay Jones to support Kelly. They said they have avidly followed the case. "I think this whole situation was about money," Nicole said. "I think he's innocent."

The case centered on a 27-minute videotape anonymously sent to Chicago Sun-Times pop music critic Jim DeRogatis in 2002. Prosecutors said Kelly videotaped himself having sex with -- and urinating upon -- his underage goddaughter. In closing arguments, the state said more than a dozen witnesses identified the alleged victim as being on the tape. Prosecutors also said there was no doubt that Kelly is the man on the tape and that the video was made in his Lake View basement some time between 1998 and 2000. Defense attorneys keyed in on the fact that the victim, now an adult, has denied she's the one on the tape. They noted that Kelly's goddaughter is a "sweet, nice young lady," and certainly wouldn't have accepted cash for sex, as the girl in the tape is shown doing.

Of the 12 jurors, nine were men and three were women; eight were white and four were black. They included the wife of a Baptist preacher from Kelly's Chicago-area hometown, Olympia Fields, as well as a compliance officer for a Chicago investment firm and a man in his 60s who emigrated from then-Communist Romania nearly 40 years ago. Defense attorney Ed Genson praised the jurors as well as Judge Vincent Gaughan for their work during the trial -- and noted the length of the case. "I've gone from middle aged to senior citizen," Genson said. Jurors who spoke to the media at the Cook County courthouse at 26th and California after today’s verdict said that no juror caved just because they were tired of being sequestered and wanted to go home. “All of us wanted to go home, but we knew — like the judge said the first day — we had to do our duty,” said one female juror, who declined to be identified by name.

One juror who initially voted to convict R. Kelly said he was convinced the man seen on a sex tape, which prosecutors said was Kelly with his underage goddaughter, was indeed Kelly. But after discussions about the defense arguments that prosecutors had not proven the girl’s identity, the juror decided that prosecutors had not proven Kelly’s guilt in the child porn case beyond a reasonable doubt. Reporters told the jurors some details the jurors were not allowed to hear in court — that Kelly had married aspiring actress Aaliyah Haughton when she was 15 years old; that three girls had filed lawsuits against him claiming he lured them into sexual relationships when they were underage; and that other girls had threatened similar suits but settled out of court.

Asked by reporters if that evidence would have changed their minds, one male juror said “I would have had to work harder [to vote for acquittal].’’ Added a female juror, “If they had presented it, who knows what we would have done.’’ But jurors said they believed it was their task just to consider the case at hand: Was it R. Kelly and his goddaughter on the tape?

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

LIL MAMA ON WHY HER FIRST TIME MEETING R. KELLY WAS FROM AFAR & WHY SHE CLAIMS TO HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT FOR HIM.

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST!

"I met R. Kelly. I was in Chicago at a basketball game and I was performing, and he was on the floor with the basketball players, and I was performing all around the gym and all the basketball players were just looking at me, and R. Kelly was tapping on them like, 'Yo, who's that young girl? She's crazy!' And I was just rapping all hard and crazy. After I finished, they all gave me my props. He chose to stay really far away, because of the rumors and stuff like that, but he really showed his respect, and he's a classic Chester Molester. I got respect for that guy."

--Rapper Lil Mama dishing the details about 'meeting' R. Kelly for the first time (from afar) and why he chose to keep his distance from her. Lil Mama, next time you see him, whether it's from a distance or face to face, run in the opposite direction as fast as you can! Then again, since you're just 18-years-old, you may be a little too long in the tooth to tickle The Pissy Pied Piper's fancy. That's real talk too. Oh, and for the record, I added in the Chester Molester part....which is why it's struck out.

And again, you read it here first!
.....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

PROSECUTORS TO WEED OUT & ELIMINATE R. KELLY FANS AS POTENTIAL JURORS.

Don't expect a jury full of the golden-haired Chester MolesterR. Kelly's fans to determine the fate of the singer who has been charged with several child pornography charges. R. Kelly reportedly showed little emotion Monday and occasionally leaned over to speak with his lawyers as jury selection for his child pornography trial continued in Chicago. According to the Associated Press, the judge and attorneys questioned 150 potential jurors yesterday, asking about their previous knowledge of allegations against the high profile R&B superstar. Steve Cron, a defense lawyer from Santa Monica, Calif., who has practiced for 35 years, tells the AP that it's unlikely the defense could pack the jury with R. Kelly fans, because "the prosecution should be successful in excluding them," he said. Prosecutors may seek well-educated jurors, which could help their cause if they call technical experts to speak about the videotape, he said. The girl believed to be on the videotape, who is now 23, will reportedly testify that it wasn't her. And Kelly's lawyers — including prominent Chicago attorney Ed Genson — haven't conceded that it's Kelly in the video.

On the first day of the trial Friday, Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan addressed the potential jurors. "As you know, this is a high-profile case," he said, according to court transcripts. "And if you don't know, God love you. You're probably the only person on Earth that doesn't."

.....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

IN TODAY'S 'THIS NIGGAH, HERE!' NEWS: R. KELLY'S DISS TRACK 'I'M A BEAST.'

A couple of people have brought out the bitch in R. Kelly and now he's been forced to bring his bitch and moan campaign to the forefront in the form of a new diss track titled, I'm a Beast (and a Chester Molester). No doubt the man has a lot of anger built up that he’s finally released. And listening to the track, it could easily be noted that Kelly is going hard at a few people with his rapping and singing. Who he has in the cross hairs, is up for grabs. Speculation has been running rampant over who is in fact being targeted by the song since it hit the net on Monday (March 3).

The singer doesn’t name names, but with lines like "Why I gotta hate on you?/ Look at me, I'm rich, boy/You need a steering wheel the you riding my d***, boy," it could be said that he may be talking about Ne-Yo. The two are currently involved in a war of words over Ne-Yo’s dismissal from Kells’ Double Up Tour. Kelly claims the dismissal was contract related, while Ne-Yo maintains that jealousy over his crowd reaction was the primary factor.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY + LISTEN TO DISS TRACK AFTER THE JUMP!

Kells doesn’t stop there as he seems to still harbor ill will for a certain former Def Jam President. It’s no secret that Jay-Z hasn’t been on Kelly’s Christmas list for quite some time. Add to that a line that states "Say you's a 'go getta'/Go get your own s***, boy," you could easily throw Young Jeezy in the mix. But since their collaboration Go Getta was a certified hit, what sense would it make for the Grammy winner to vent on or any of the possible targets. You could even say that Kelly is talking about Regina and George Daniels, former good friends and business associates who are now warring with the man over his relationship with their young daughter.

Truth is, no one knows who the person or persons are that Kelly is blasting. Maybe the names will be revealed on a remix to the song. After, all he did joke about doing that at the end of I’m a Beast.

Listen to 'I'M A BEAST.'

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NE-YO ON HIS LAWSUIT AGAINST R. KELLY: 'I'M NOT GONNA DO A DIS RECORD ABOUT HIM...IT'S APPARENT HE HAS A PROBLEM WITH ME.'

R. Kelly has caught hell something proper-like this past week. R&B singer Ne-Yo is refusing to dwell on his public spat with R. Kelly, choosing to let his legal representatives tackle the issues. Kelly kicked Ne-Yo off his recent tour amid reports the headliner didn't like the way the Grammy award winner was stealing his limelight. But Ne-Yo is now keen to move past the controversy and concentrate his efforts on his songwriting. He tells MTV News, "That's something that my management and my lawyers are doing. Me personally? I've let it go. I'm not the hold-a-grudge guy. I'm not gonna see R. Kelly in the street and run up on him and swing on him. I'm not gonna do a dis record about R. Kelly. It was what it was. It happened. For whatever reason, he...felt threatened by me and kicked me off tour. Life goes on. I don't have a problem with the man. It's apparent he has a problem with me."
...

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

UPDATE: R. KELLY RESPONDS TO THE 'INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIP' HE HAD WITH HIS PUBLICIST'S STEPDAUGHTER

Last month, I added more sordid details surrounding the drama regarding R. Kelly sexing his former publicist, Regina Daniel's daughter, Maxine, 21. About seven months ago, Daniels (as well as her husband, George) severed her business and personal ties as Kelly's longtime publicist. At the time, the Daniels' claim Kelly 'crossed a certain line with me and my wife that you shouldn't cross. I respect his talent. You can't deny he's a talented person. But beyond that, everything else is just gone." It was later learned that the Daniels were allegedly the last ones to know that Kelly had been involved in a sexual relationship with Maxine since last June.

Now, Kelly (via his spokesman) has snapped back at these accusations and issued the following statement to TMZ.com:

"It's hard to take seriously the moral outrage expressed by George and Regina Daniels over R. Kelly's relationship with Mr. Daniels' adult daughter, Maxine. The fact is that they had no problem with the relationship -- indeed, they encouraged it -- while Ms. Daniels was on Mr. Kelly's payroll. It was Regina Daniels, then working as a publicist for Mr. Kelly, who persuaded him to attend her step-daughter's 21st birthday party. And it was Regina Daniels who shortly thereafter gave her step-daughter Mr. Kelly's private phone number, with the admonition: 'Don't tell your father.'It was only after Ms. Daniels resigned her position to avoid being fired for incompetence that her stepdaughter's relationship suddenly became an issue for her and her husband."

Ain't that a hole in the boat?

....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

'THE STUPID SHIT CELEBS SAY': DMX TO R. KELLY: 'WHEN I SEE YOU, I'MA SPIT IN YA FACE!'

Wanna read what has got to be a true and classified case of mediocre bitch-assiness? IF so, keep reading...

"You f*ckin' bitch. Whenever I see you, I'ma spit in ya face. He ain't have enough respect, when he see a nigga, to talk to a man face to face. You gotta talk to the crack in the door, because you in there with a minor?! F*ck yooooooou!"

--DMX ranting, raving, bitching and moaning about R. Kelly giving him the cold shoulder by not working with him.

'Talk to the crack in the door'? This, niggah, here! DMX need to leave that crack alone just as much as R. Kelly need to leave those little girl scouts alone. And that's real talk too.

....

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

MORE DETAILS REGARDING R. KELLY'S RELATIONSHIP W/FMR. PUBLICIST'S DAUGHTER & WILL SINGER MAKE HIS ALLEGED SEXTAPE VICTIM HIS NEXT 'WIFEY'?

I intended to post this last week, but I totally forgot about it! LOL! Just so you all know, the blog post is pretty lengthy.

More details have emerged regarding R. Kelly's indiscreet relationship with his former manager's stepdaughter, Maxine Daniels, as well as brand new details regarding his current relationship status with the infamous teen (now 23-years-old) from his sex tape. I swear, the higher a monkey climbs, the more his ass show. Don't it? Just when you thought you knew someone...BAM, BAM!...they do something else to convince you that they're still nine cents short of a dime. I'll explain that later on in the story. Anywhoo, as most of us know, about five months ago (on August 28, 2007 to be exact), Regina Daniels, abruptly resigned her duties as R. Kelly's publicist and family friend of over 14 years after accusing the singer of 'crossing the line'. At the time, some folks speculated that the reason for her departure was due to R. Kelly physically assaulting her. Not true at all. "...I have prided myself on loyalty, respect and professionalism. It saddens me that I was not always shown those same courtesies during my 14 year tenure as Mr. Kelly’s publicist...there are some lines that should never be crossed professionally or personally. Mr. Kelly crossed a line that forever altered the scope of our relationship," Daniels said in her official public statement.


Regina and her husband, veteran music retailer, George Daniels, severed their personal and professional ties with the R&B singer--someone they considered as their son--after learning Kelly had been having a sexual relationship with their daughter, Maxine, 21 (Blogger's note: see photo on the right). Kelly, 41, and Maxine (who the singer once referred to as his 'little sister') had been seeing each other since last June. From the looks of things, Kelly placed all of his morals, loyalty to family and common sense to the side once he noticed how 'womanly' his 'little sister' had become while attending her 21st birthday party last April at Bar One in Chicago. For weeks, Kelly aggressively pursued her and according to reports, she was a willing participant. Soon after, the 'couple' began dating on the down low and in true SugarMac Daddy form, R-ruh began lavishing his brand new boo with expensive gifts: Gucci handbags, an iPhone (oooh, what a treat! I mean, really!), designer dresses, jewels and trinkets and whatnot. He even opened up his home just so that he could kick it with her and her sorority sisters of the illustrious Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Needless to say, the girl is a grown ass woman who can date any man she wants to. No harm, no foul, right? Wrong. Well, sort of. I guess it depends on who you're asking. She couldn't have been too much of a grown-ass woman because she hid their relationship from her parents. As a matter of fact, while she was hiding...she was also lying.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY & FIND OUT ALL ABOUT KELLY'S NEW BOO, RASHANA AFTER THE JUMP!

Now, is that the business or what? But I digress. Anyway, Maxine--who had just broken up with her boyfriend before hooking up with Kelly--would tell her parents she was attending summer school Monday through Friday. What Regina and George didn't know was that Maxine would leave school on Thursdays to stay with Kelly before going home to visit them on the weekends. However, by July, Kelly and Maxine's courtship came to an end when Maxine felt she could no longer keep lying to her parents about her relationship with Chester...I meant Kelly. You would think her breaking things off with him wouldn't piss off the Pied Piper...but it did...but not for long though. What he did next boost his status up three notches on my Shit List...and that's a feat in itself considering the fact that he was already holding the number one spot! Think about it.

Even with his child pornography trial slated to begin in a couple of months, this dude still has the gray-haired balls to mess around with the same girl (no pun intended...well sort of...okay, not really...just a little bit...like a smidge of a little bit) from his infamous and incriminating sex tape. Yeah, you read it right. According to Jamie Foster Brown, her name is Rashana (Blogger's note: Rashana is not pictured in this blog post) and she is now 23-years-old. She also accompanied Kelly (along with his 10-year-old daughter, Joanne) on his recent Double Up tour. Kelly, who claims to 'love' Rashana and even goes as far as referring to her as his 'wifey,' has since moved her into his home once his wife Andrea (and their kids) moved out. No wonder she (Rashana) doesn't want to testify against him.

As far as where things stand with Kelly and the Daniels...well, first all, he had the nerve to be upset with Regina for giving him the silent treatment and leaving him to fend for himself. With his trial coming up, he's going to need all the emotional support he can get. It's just too bad that he betrayed and lied to, possibly, the only two people who ever had his back and believed in him the most. How you deceive and disrespect the same two people who taught you how to Step In the Name of Love? That, too, is not the business. Reportedly, George broke down and cried upon hearing the news that his daughter had been sleeping around with Kelly. And after George confronted Kelly and asked him for the truth, Kelly took the punk-ass route and proceeded to bitch up and began crying before swearing to George that he would never do anything like that because they were 'family.'

After the holy shinola hit the fan last November, George told EUR's Lee Bailey, "Bottom line is [R. Kelly] crossed a certain line with me and my wife that you shouldn't cross. I respect his talent. You can't deny he's a talented person. But beyond that, everything else is just gone." Brown says Kelly knew his relationship with Regina and George was over when George stopped receiving the tailor-made designer suits Kelly had been sending to him. Now, that's when you know you done f'ed up!

Regina is now back in the swing of things, doing what she does best. Just days after disassociating herself from R. Kelly, the 50-year-old publicist picked up celebrity clients Wyclef Jean, Young Dro and Fantasia. Bless her heart.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

'THE THINGS CELEBS SAY': R.KELLY ON WHY HE LOVED TASTNG HIS MOTHER'S LIPSTICK.

'She'd stir my coffee. She'd drink it to see if it was sweet enough, and she'd leave her lipstick ring on my coffee cup. I'd turn around and drink from the lipstick to taste the coffee and lipstick--'cause that's my mom. I love her.'

--Robert 'R.' Kelly on how his mother, Joann, supported him during his days of performing for money on the streets of Chicago.

Vibe magazine, June 2004 cover story
...

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

R. KELLY RESPONDS TO NE-YO'S LAWSUIT AGAINST HIM FOR DROPPING HIM FROM HIS 'DOUBLE UP' TOUR.

Representatives for R. Kelly have hit back at a lawsuit filed by Ne-Yo over a tour dispute, insisting the R&B superstar is "confident enough" in his own talents to have a younger singer join him on tour. Ne-Yo - real name Shaffer Smith - is suing Kelly's promoter, Rowe Entertainment, for breach of contract after Ne-Yo was dropped as the support act from the 40-year-old's Double Up tour in November (07). He also alleges Kelly didn't want him on the tour because his opening sets were getting bigger cheers from the crowd than the headliner's performances. In legal papers filed at Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday (31Dec07), Smith alleges he had an "oral agreement" in place with Rowe Entertainment, which is named as the defendant, and lost out on $785,000 in earnings from the tour, which was meant to be for a minimum of 25 dates.

But Kelly's spokesman, Allan Mayer, has denied the allegations, and insists the Bump N' Grind star had nothing to do with Ne-Yo being dropped from the tour. He tells AllHipHop.com, "The idea that R. Kelly had anything to do with Ne-Yo being dropped from the Double Up tour is just plain silly. As we said at the time, Ne-Yo was dropped because of a contractual dispute with the tour promoter, and in fact Ne-Yo is not suing Kelly but only the promoter. Ne-Yo may think blaming the situation on R. Kelly will improve his chances of collecting from the promoter, but if he does, he is sadly mistaken. Anyone remotely familiar with R. Kelly knows he is confident enough in his own abilities to be happy to share the stage with enormously talented people - the more talented, the better."

...

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NE-YO SUES R. KELLY FOR DROPPING HIM FROM TOUR; NE-YO SAYS HE HAD AN 'ORAL AGREEMENT' WITH R. KELLY.

R. Kelly's promoter has been hit with a lawsuit by singer Ne-Yo, after he was mysteriously dropped from a prestigious support slot on the R&B superstar's American tour in November (2007). The So Sick hitmaker -real name Shaffer Smith - claims he was kicked off the tour after just two shows because his opening set was getting a better response from the audience than concert headliner Kelly's headline act. At the time of the incident, Kelly's representatives claimed Ne-Yo had never signed a contract. But in legal papers filed at Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday (Dec. 31, 2007), Smith alleges he had an "oral agreement" in place with Kelly's promoter, Rowe Entertainment, which is named as the defendant. Smith also says he lost out on $785,000) in earnings from the gigs, which was meant to be for a minimum of 25 dates, and is suing for breach of contract, violation of the right of publicity and unfair practices, according to TheSmokingGun.com.

This isn't the first time Kelly has faced legal trouble after a tour - his Best of Both Worlds roadshow with rapper Jay-Z also ended in litigation in 2004. Smith's lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal woes faced by Kelly - he is due to stand trial for child pornography charges in May (08).

...end post...

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

IN TODAY'S 'THIS HEFFAH, HERE!' EDITION: WOMAN SENTENCED TO 5 DAYS IN JAIL FOR SNAPPING PICS OF R. KELLY IN COURTROOM.

When Jean Johnson, 49, showed up for her court date on a charge of violating her probation, she did not expect to see her favorite singer, R. Kelly, sitting across the aisle in the courtroom. The star-struck Chicago woman whipped out her Samsung phone and discreetly snapped four grainy shots of Kelly while the two were sitting in the courtroom's gallery. But her fun was not to last: The photos landed the grandmother in Cook County Jail over the weekend for violating a courtroom camera ban. "I feel stupid," she said. "I just got carried away. I'm a big fan of R. Kelly. I wanted it so that every time my phone rang, I could open it up and he'd be right there."

Johnson was released from jail on Monday—but without her cell phone—after she pleaded guilty Monday to contempt of court. Judge Vincent Gaughan sentenced Johnson to five days in jail. But he credited her with the time she already had spent there after she was taken into custody Thursday. The judge also ordered that Johnson's cell phone be destroyed. "I apologize to the court," Johnson told the judge. "I didn't respect the rules." Johnson, a mother of three, was in the courtroom Thursday to answer to a probation violation stemming from a drug-possession charge. In September, she completed 24 months of probation but was held in violation because she hadn't yet paid $200 of $900 in probation fees. Gaughan terminated Johnson's probation after she gave the judge her word that she had sent the check. The judge said it was "unfortunate" and "a shame" that the contempt charge arose at the end of her probation.

READ MORE OF THIS STORY AFTER THE JUMP!

Johnson, dressed in a blue Department of Corrections uniform, thanked the judge, wished him a merry Christmas and promised, "It will never happen again."

After her release, the nursing aide said she didn't know about the ban on cameras in court. There is a sign announcing the ban in the lobby of the Cook County Circuit Court, but she said she was running late and didn't see it. She said she hadn't planned to sell the photos but simply wanted to show friends. "If I would have known, I wouldn't have taken the pictures," she said. "I was just so excited to see him. I'm his biggest fan."

SOURCE: CHICAGO-TRIBUNE

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

JUDGE ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR R. KELLY

A judge has issued an arrest warrant for R. Kelly after the singer missed a court date in his child pornography case on Wednesday (12.19.07). The 40-year-old failed to arrive at the Chicago, Illinois hearing on time after his tour bus was reportedly stopped by police in Utah. Judge Vincent Gaughan has held off putting the bench warrant into effect until Thursday (12.20.97) morning at 9am - when Kelly is now due in court.

The singer must obtain permission each time he travels outside the state of Illinois, and prosecutors in Cook County told the Chicago Sun-Times that Gaughan has already given Kelly a lot of leeway. "This is just an abuse of the process. It's disrespectful of your honor," Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Shauna Boliker stated. Kelly's defense lawyer Ed Genson reportedly said the bus was "detained because of some snow" following a concert in Sacramento, California, and that police needed to check the bus log because it wasn't filled out the right way. According to the Sun-Times, Genson told Gaughan that Kelly had tried his best to make it to court on time.

However, TMZ.com reports that Kelly's tour bus and three more were stopped for going over 100 mph, and that after they were taken out of service, the passengers were left stranded. After the buses were pulled over, the investigating trooper noticed that the bus drivers seemed tired and asked for the buses log books, which weren't onboard or hadn't been updated, according to the site.

The R&B superstar is expected to stand trial on 14 child pornography charges next year (08).

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

*UPDATED INFO* CHESTER THE MOLESTER A.K.A. R. KELLY STRIKES AGAIN; *THE DANIELS RELEASE STATEMENT ON SITUATION.*

READ THE UPDATED INFO IN THE ORANGE, BOLD TEXT BELOW.

Is Chester the Molester a.k.a. R. Kelly still up to his shiesty and pedophile ways? That's the topic of discussion in just about every urban chatroom, messageboard and blog site on the Internet. The madness began when Kelly's longtime publicist of 14 years, Regina Daniels, severed her personal and professional relationship with Kelly last August. However, the shocking news of her resignation only surfaced about a week ago. The same woman (as well as her husband, George) who has publicly cleaned up after his ass, fought for and stood by Kelly--both professionally and personally--during the most turbulent times of his life said in a statement: "Mr. Kelly crossed a line that forever altered the scope of our relationship." Now, that's deep.

Whispers around the web and whatnot suggest the reason the Daniels ended all ties with the multi-platinum singer is because he was allegedly bedding their 21-year-old daughter, Maxine, who Kelly has known since she was 4-years-old. There was a time when dude referred to her as his 'lil sis.' Son of a bitch. It's a damn shame that Kelly (who gave the Daniels a shout out at the end of his hit song Step in the Name of Love remix) would piss on (no pun intended) the only two people who doled out so much faith, trust and respect to his Pee Wee Herman ass only to have it all tainted and stomped on because of this international idiot's inability to behave like a 41-year-old grown ass man instead of a teenage boy in heat at the height of his puberty stage. Monkey-dog ass muthaphuckah! I'm starting to believe that he just don't want anyone to care about his ass. His own brother and sister don't want to have anything to with him. His estranged wife, Andrea isn't far behind. And I'll bet yall dollars to donuts that his mom has been turning over in her grave for the past 6 or 7 years.

When contacted by EUR's Lee Bailey, Regina Daniels refused to comment on the photo (of her daughter which you can see below), or further explain her reasons for leaving the position. “Unless you’re calling to see how I’m doing, I’m still not going to comment on R. Kelly. I’ve said all I have to say,” Daniels told Bailey. She also said that if her husband, veteran music retailer George Daniels, wants to comment, Bailey can talk to him. Bailey called George Daniels, who also said "no comment," but clarified: "Bottom line is [R. Kelly] crossed a certain line with me and my wife that you shouldn't cross. I respect his talent. You can't deny he's a talented person. But beyond that, everything else is just gone." Daniels also affirmed that Kelly "never put his hand on Regina, or nothing like that." When asked if he is aware of Wednesday's explosion of Internet rumors about their daughter, he said, "I'm aware of that, too. No comment."

Read more about the madness as well as Regina's full official statement regarding her decision to steer clear of R. Kelly for the rest of her life after the jump after the jump!

Oh, and let me stress the fact that this is all heresay for now. Besides, she's an adult. Now whether she was an adult when and/or if she hooked up with Kelly is a whole other story, right? Only time will tell what's in store for him. However, knowing R-ruh's track record for lusting after little girls, I will continue to stand by each and every comment I made about him in this blog post. And that's really all I have to say about that!

Regina's resignation statement: “Friends and Colleagues – After careful consideration and counsel, I have decided to formally announce my resignation as publicist for R&B artist R. Kelly.

"My resignation was effective as of August 28, 2007. Throughout the course of my 25 years as a publicist, I have prided myself on loyalty, respect and professionalism. It saddens me that I was not always shown those same courtesies during my 14 year tenure as Mr. Kelly’s publicist. Though I have a great appreciation for Mr. Kelly as an artist, there are some lines that should never be crossed professionally or personally. Mr. Kelly crossed a line that forever altered the scope of our relationship. For this reason I made the decision to resign.

My husband, music retailer George Daniels, has also disassociated himself from Mr. Kelly. George and I are grateful for the show of support and encouragement that we have already received from many of you. We want you to know that we thank you, sincerely. Without change, progress is impossible. Keeping that in mind, I am excited to tell you that my agency, Daniels Entertainment Group, has an incredible year of expansion and success planned for 2008. Be on the lookout for an update in the near future."

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NE-YO ON HIS REACTION TO BEING DROPPED FROM R. KELLY'S 'DOUBLE UP' TOUR; SINGER APOLOGIZES TO FANS.

Ne-Yo was informed Monday that he was being permanently removed from his supporting slot on R. Kelly's current Double Up tour, despite overwhelmingly positive reviews received from "entertainment reporters, music critics, bloggers, fans, and concert goers," read a statement from Ne-Yo's rep. A contractual dispute is the tour's official reason for Ne-Yo's departure. But according to camp Ne-Yo, Kelly fired the singer because he "brought too much heat" for Kelly to compete against. He's written hit songs for Beyonce (Irreplaceable) and Rihanna (Unfaithful), spending a combined 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100," said Ne-Yo's business partner and manager, Tango, in a statement. "…The fans were really feeling his performances. He's good; maybe he's too good – that's the problem."

Ne-Yo adds: "I don't understand their actions because I was rehearsing, doing media, promoting the tour, and performing. In my opinion, I was doing everything possible to make the tour a success. I love being on stage in front of fans because of the immediate feedback you get. You know right away if they are feeling you; and they were really feeling our show. …To my fans and ticket holders – I apologize if you are disappointed," he said.

R. Kelly's rep, Allan Mayer, said the singer played no role in firing Ne-Yo, whose real name is Shaffer Smith: "Ne-Yo's departure from the 'Double Up' tour was the result of a contractual issue between him and the tour promoter. R. Kelly had nothing to do with it."

After a shaky start in Columbus, Georgia last week – during which Ne-Yo had to take over Keyshia Cole's opening slot when she failed to perform following J. Holliday – the tour continued with all three opening acts in Atlanta and continued through the south with scheduled stops in Greensboro, Birmingham and Charlotte.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

R. KELLY SAYS NO TOUR WITH KEYSHIA; 'FOCUSED' ON TRIAL

Despite Keyshia Cole's earlier statement, Kelly is 'currently focused on preparing for his trial and has no definite plans for anything beyond that,' according to rep. R. Kelly has denied that he's planning to go on tour in October, despite R&B singer Keyshia Cole's statement to MTV News that she was to be the opening act on the trek. "We're actually going on tour together in October," Cole said on Monday. But Kelly's representative responded with a statement on Thursday (August 23) that reads: "Reports that R. Kelly is planning a concert tour in October are not true. Kelly is currently focused on preparing for his trial and has no definite plans for anything beyond that." Neither Cole nor Kelly's representatives had confirmed when exactly in October such a tour would begin, or denied that one was being planned. The timing seemed implausible for a number of reasons, primarily because Kelly's trial on child-pornography charges begins September 17. The trial is expected to run for four weeks, but could run longer because of the unpredictable length of jury deliberations.

Also, for the past five years, when Kelly wanted to tour outside the Chicago jurisdiction, he had to ask the court for permission — in the form of a letter to the prosecutor's office — to give it time to object (which it often did). However, the state attorney's office told MTV News on Tuesday that Kelly has not yet sought permission to tour this October. Such permission will not be necessary once the trial concludes, as Kelly will either be free to come and go as he pleases, or he'll be awaiting sentencing.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

CANDID PIC: R. KELLY OUT IN PUBLIC W/UNKNOWN GROWN WOMAN...WELL AT LEAST SHE LOOKS GROWN!

I'll be the first to say it: I never thought I'd ever see a pic...at least a candid one of R. Kelly out in public; especially with his child pornography trial finally scheduled to begin next month. So imagine my surprise when I came across an image of the R-Uh (I think that's how he says it) out and about, as we bloggers like to say, with an unknown woman. Now, we've all read Kelly's estranged wife's story in Essence magazine and we all know what she looks like. Well, it's safe to say, that the woman in the pic below ain't her.

The R&B, crooner, whose latest album 'Double Up' just went platinum, was spotted leaving Pastis restuarant at the Meatpacking district in New York City with this young lady yesterday afternoon. Although there's no word on who the young lady is, maybe Kells is making a last attempt to garner a bit of positive publicity (if there is such a thing when it comes to him) before he drops the ten new uncut and uncensored chapters of 'Trapped in the Closet,' the the musical drama and so-called hip-hopera that has become a cultural phenomenon. The latest installment is due on DVD at the end of this month (August 31, 2007).

You can watch ALL 22 chapters of the series by going to IFC.com. 22 chapters?! Yeah, I'd have to watch that entire spoof of a drama all over again, because I refuse to wrack my mind trying to figure out what was the last chapter I'd seen.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!