REAL OR RUMOR: DA BRAT TO SERVE 3 YEARS IN THE SLAMMER ON AN AGGRAVATED ASSAULT CHARGE.

While LisaRaye is traveling from city to city living it up in clubs, taking shots to the head (which some would consider unbecoming of a First Lady) with the likes of Lil Kim, Queen Pen, Missy Elliott and Gabrielle Union, and waiting for the day when she can throw her cheating hubby and his alleged mistress under the bus, her half-sister, rapper Da Brat could be walking in the same footsteps as fellow rappers Foxy Brown and Remy Ma. Word around the web is that the washed up rapper from Chicago has agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors to serve three years behind bars due to an assault charge she picked up after knocking a cocktail waitress out cold for bumping into her at Jermaine Dupri's costume party last Halloween. Da Brat, real name Shawntae Harris, got into fisticuffs with the waitress and by the end of the night and after a bunch of shoves, pushes and windmill shenanigans, Da Brat had clocked the waitress in the face with a champagne bottle.

Since the incident Da Brat has been out on bail and will allegedly turn herself in to law authorities by the end of this week. But considering Brat's 'preferences,' could this really be considered as punishment?

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DWAYNE WADE REVEALS REASON WHY HE HAS CHOSEN TO GO BALD; BALLER ALSO SUED FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT REGARDING HIS RESTAURANTS.

"For those of you who haven't checked out my latest video from Vegas, you're missing my new look. I've cut all my hair off. I've gone bald for the simple fact that I'm focused solely on basketball. I'm not concerning myself with waking up in the morning, brushing my hair trying to look pretty. I'm really focused on playing and bringing home the gold. Also, in China I'm not letting anybody cut my hair. If you're not my barber, it's not happening. The bald look will last me the next 30 days. My head looks good, but my body feels even better...."

--That's D-Wade commenting on why he has chosen to go bald. The All-Star is now in Beijing, China preparing to bring home the Olympic gold medal alongside his USA Olympic teammates Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Wade says he has pushed his body past it's limits in an effort to perform at his very best during the Olympic games.

In related news, Wade is facing a lawsuit for breach of contract from former partners Mark Rodberg and Richard von Houtman. Rodberg and von Houtman helped Wade open two restaurants last year and were planning a third, according to a story in Florida's Sun-Sentinel. But both D. Wade's Sports Grills shut down in the last couple of months and the plaintiffs are saying it's because Wade didn't fulfill his end of the deal by making the required marketing and promotional appearances on behalf the restaurants. Wade, however, is saying that he did meet his obligations and Rodberg and von Houtman , who are looking for $15,000 and attorney's fees, needed to slow their roll and let the restaurants marinate for a minute before expanding.

"If anything, Dwyane has a concern that the value of his name has been tarnished by ceasing operation of the restaurants," Steven Peretz, Wade's attorney, told the Sun Sentinel. "This is an instance where D. Wade called a timeout on the expectation of the restaurants. The pilot restaurants have not shown any record for success."
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LIL KIM & FOXY BROWN BOTH SUED BY PUBLISHING COMPANY FOR FAILING TO DELIVER POST-JAIL BID MEMOIRS.

Former friends-turned-rivals Lil Kim and Foxy Brown have more in common than spending time behind bars, rapping about their designer clothes and the sexual tricks they play on men. They're also become known for taking money for work they have yet to produce. Brown and Kim may soon find themselves side by side in courtroom over a new lawsuit filed by book publisher Simon & Schuster. Last week, Simon & Schuster filed two separate lawsuits in Manhattan Supreme Court yesterday (July 25), accusing both rappers of failing to deliver books for the company. The lawsuit claims Lil Kim of accepted a $40k advance for an untitled book that was to be finished by 2004. Brown also pocketed a cool $75k for an autobiography titled Broken Silence, yet neither rapper delivered a finished book to Simon & Schuster. Both rappers spent time incarcerated and both claimed to be writing books during their stays in prison.

Lil Kim served a year and one day in a Philadelphia prison for lying under oath about a shootout, while Foxy Brown served eight months in prison for repeatedly violating the terms of her probation.
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THE GAME UNDER INVESTIGATION FOLLOWING SCUFFLE AT FAMILY MEMBER'S FUNERAL; MAKES PLANS TO BECOME THE NEXT DIDDY.

Rapper The Game is at the center of a police investigation after a family bust-up at his cousin's funeral last weekend (7/5/2008). The Compton, California native, real name Jayceon Taylor, reportedly angered family members after his promises to financially contribute to his first cousin's funeral were not met. Taylor's relative, Robert 'Kirky' Kirkwood tells website TMZ.com that when his sister died, the rapper volunteered to pay $7,000 - half the cost of the burial. According to reports, the rapper attended Saturday's ceremony unexpectedly and spoke at the service about family values, sparking a feud between the pair outside the church. Kirkwood then filed a police report against the rapper, accusing The Game of punching him in the face. Authorities have confirmed there was an altercation resulting over financial matters at the funeral and an investigation is in the works.

In other Game news, now dude is making plans to concentrate on becoming the next great hip-hop mogul after he retires from rap at the end of 2008. The rapper recently announced his upcoming third album would be his last, stating he plans to devote more time to his kids. But he insists he won't be turning his back on rap - he hopes to become the next Diddy or Dr. Dre. As the force behind the label Black Wall Street, The Game insists he'll become a major player as an industry bigwig. He says, "I've been spending 100 percent of my time being Game, so I haven't been able to focus on my producers and my artists, so this year I'm gonna get it crackin'...the same way Dre, Quincy Jones and Diddy do it (sic) - by being a rap mogul. There are a lot of ways to keep hip-hop alive without being an artist. I don't have to be vocal to make it happen."

Ummmm-hmmm.
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JENNIFER LOPEZ GETS SUED & SUPOENAED AT THE SAME TIME + CANDIDS OF HER & HUBBY IN PORTOFINO.

Jennifer Lopez is suddenly being sued and subpoenaed at the same time. In one case, a flight attendant is suing the film and music star for $4 million alleging that her German shepherd guard dog caused her to fall and suffer back injuries during a private flight in 2006. Lisa Wilson's filing in Brooklyn Federal Court, and obtained by E! News, accuses J.Lo's pooch of "attacking her and biting her pant leg" during a NetJet-provided flight from Long Island, NY to Burbank, Ca. Wilson claims the injuries have prevented her from obtaining further work. She began treatment within days for back pain and in April of 2007 underwent surgery. Because J.Lo "insisted on giving Wilson warnings about how to behave around the animal in flight," Wilson said in her lawsuit that the artist "knew or should have known that the animal had vicious propensities" and as a result is liable for the seven-figure damages. Meanwhile, the New York Post reports that J.Lo was subpoenaed and asked to tell "all she knows" about the Dec. 27, 1999, shooting at Club New York, which resulted in the conviction of rapper Jamal "Shyne" Barrow on assault and weapons charges. Lopez, who was with her then-boyfriend Sean "Diddy" Combs" that night, is being called to testify in a lawsuit brought against Shyne by Natania Reuben, who was shot in the face during the incident and is suing the rapper for $130 million in damages.

However, as you can tell by the pics below of J. Lo and hubby Marc sightseeing, shopping and swimming in the waters of Portofino during the July 4th weekend, subpoenas and lawsuits are the last thing on her mind.

MORE PICS OF J.LO AND MARK AFTER THE JUMP!

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DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT PIGGY-BACKING OFF OF TYLER PERRY....EVEN IF YOU ARE FAMILY.

Hellur! Family or not...don't even think about attempting to even use your first-cousin's celebrity name to promote your work....especially if your first cousin happens to be famed stageplay writer, movie producer, director (...and whatever else does he does) Tyler Perry. Perry's cousin Marlon Campbell tried to name drop his famous relative while promoting his own movie, only to learn that Mr. Madea wasn't having it. According to TMZ.com, Perry's lawyers got wind of Campbell's film Oblivious being marketed with the use of Perry's name and quickly sent a letter to Campbell, stating any connection between Tyler's work and Oblivious is "intentionally misleading" and "wrongfully infringes upon the economic value of Mr. Perry. Mr. Campbell does not have the right to use Mr. Perry’s name in the furtherance of Mr. Campbell’s endeavors. The use of Mr. Perry’s name in connection with the promotion of any projects of Mr. Campbell, you or your agency is intentionally misleading, constitutes a substantial misrepresentation of the facts and wrongfully infringes upon the economic value of Mr. Perry and his products and productions.”

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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.

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WENDY WILLIAMS HUSBAND ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TO KILL WENDY'S BIGGEST RIVAL: HOT 97's MISS JONES.

According to the New York Daily News, shock jock Wendy Williams' husband plotted to kill a Hot 97 rival DJ for badmouthing his wife on the air, an explosive federal lawsuit filed charges Wednesday. Kevin Hunter, who is married to Williams, sought out a male WBLS employee for help in finding a hitman to rub out Hot 97 personality Tarsha Jones, the lawsuit claims. Hunter "was apparently angry over some comments that Miss Jones made about his wife on the air," the lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court claims. A lawyer for Hunter and Williams could not immediately be reached for comment. The blistering allegations are included in a federal sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Nicole Spence, a 29-year-old talent booker for "The Wendy Williams Experience." Spence says Hunter regularly called her a "whore," referred to her with the b-word and called her cell phone to tell "her that he had been dreaming about sleeping with her." Hunter does not work for the radio station.

The hothead hubby also turned his rage onto Williams after he caught her having a forbidden cigarette, the lawsuit alleges. "Hunter stormed into the room, yelled and demanded that the employees leave and physically abused Williams, pinning her against the wall with his hand around her neck, choking her while repeatedly pounding his fist into the wall directly by her head," the lawsuit claims. Williams, 43, then then turned to the same employee her husband tried to enlist in a murder plot to find someone to kill him, the lawsuit alleges.

Williams, whose popular "The Wendy Williams Experience" airs on WBLS, once worked for Hot 97 but was fired in 1998 after getting into a spat with a co-worker Angie Martinez.

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RAPPER PLIES SUED FOR $10 MILLION OVER SHOOTING AT FLORIDA NIGHTCLUB.

Rapper Plies has been dragged back into a shooting controversy at a Florida nightclub. Plies--real name Algernod Washington--has been named in a lawsuit stemming from a 2006 incident in Gainesville. Local lawyer Christopher Chestnut has filed a lawsuit at the Alachua County civil courthouse. In the legal papers, he alleges Plies showed negligence in his part in the shoot-out. At the time, Gainesville Police reported that members of Plies' entourage pulled out guns and fired during one of his shows. The authorities arrested four people, including the rapper. Plies later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a concealed weapon. His lawyer, Robert Rush, insists Chestnut's plaintiffs are suing the wrong person. He states it is not his client's responsibility to provide security for fans at concerts.

Chestnut, who is representing five Gainesville residents injured at the concert, is seeking $10 million in damages. The attorney also names Slip-N-Slide Records and the 238 West nightclub, where the shootout took place, as defendants.

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GABRIELLE UNION SUES 2 BOGUS ADVERTISERS FOR INVASION OF PRIVACY.

Actress Gabrielle Union is suing two men for invasion of privacy, after they posted a fake job advertisement looking for an assistant for the star. The two defendants, Calvin High and Steve Raymond, both from Georgia, are alleged to have advertised the job of executive assistant on listings website Craigslist.com, claiming they were acting on Union's behalf. But the actress says she's never heard of either defendant and was unaware of their actions. Union claims to have suffered "severe emotional distress" as a result of the bogus posting. She also says that High and Raymond subjected her to "embarrassment and humiliation" by putting out the false ad.

Her lawsuit, filed in a Georgia district court on Friday, seeks unspecified damages and also names as defendants "John Does 1-10,' because Union's lawyers, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, LLC, claim the acts were committed "in conjunction with and/or with the help of several other individuals who are unknown... at this time." They go on to state: "At least one individual responded to the advertisement for the position... and subsequently contacted Ms. Union directly inquiring about the advertisement."
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DIDDY SETTLES OUT OF COURT WITH MAN WHO RAN INTO HIS 'STATIONARY HAND.'

Diddy's dough has gotten him out of trouble once again. The mogul has settled a lawsuit with a man who accused the rap mogul of punching him in the jaw. As reported earlier, Gerard Rechnitzer, a real estate agent, filed a lawsuit against Diddy in March 2007 claiming the mogul punched him in the jaw outside the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles in February 2007. Rechnitzer said Diddy attacked him while he was trying to stop the Bad Boy mogul from hitting on his fiancé. He also claimed Diddy pushed his fiancé and attempted to spit on a female who was accompanying him and his fiancé. Diddy responded to the claims saying that Rechnitzer attacked him first and that ‘[He] outstretched one of his hands, which was not closed-fisted, to shield [him] self and that any contact between him and Rechnitzer was caused by the real estate agent’s forward motion against [his] stationary open hand.”

The rap and fashion mogul was scheduled to stand trial on assault charges in May (2008), even though he didn't face any criminal charges in relation to the incident because police found no cause for Rechnitzer's complaint when they investigated the altercation. However, last Friday (3.21.2008), Combs' attorney filed a legal document in Los Angeles to say the case has been settled. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed, reports website TMZ.com.

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INJURED AUDIENCE MEMBER SUES THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW.

A woman is suing The Oprah Winfrey Show after she allegedly suffered serious injuries during a stampede to locate prime seats at the taping of the talk show. Orit Greenberg claims she was pushed down a flight of stairs by other Oprah audience members as they rushed into Harpo Studios in Chicago, Illinois in December 2006. Greenberg, who filed her complaint in Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois on Wednesday (19Mar08), alleges she and an "excess number of patrons" assembled in a waiting room before the show, and were then told to enter the studio and sit "where they wanted". At that point, she claims Winfrey's fans "rushed the gate" to the studio.

Greenberg accuses Winfrey's production company Harpo of failing to adequately control the crowd, reports website TMZ.com. After suffering "severe and permanent injuries" from the incident, Greenberg is seeking over $50,000 for medical care and other damages from Harpo and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

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IN TODAY'S 'THIS NIGGAH, HERE' NEWS: DIDDY SAYS HIS ASSAULT VICTIM'S JAW 'RAN INTO MY STATIONARY OPEN HAND.'

Have you ever read something that some celeb has said that was so outrageous, outlandish and unbelievable, it made you wanna just throw your hands up in frustration and exclaim to anyone within earshot and yell out, 'This niggah, here!' Well, that's what I did when I came across the following article.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs has defended himself against accusations he assaulted a man at a post-Oscars party last year (2007) - by insisting the alleged victim ran into his "stationary open hand". The rap mogul stands accused of punching Gerard Rechnitzer in the jaw after the 27-year-old objected to Combs' attempts to woo his fiancee at a Roosevelt Hotel party in Hollywood in February 2007.

Last month (Jan '08), four people came forward with eyewitness accounts backing Rechnitzer's claims. But in legal papers filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Combs argues that all he did was try to protect himself from Rechnitzer, who is seeking unspecified damages in a lawsuit filed in March 2007. Combs' documents, obtained by website TMZ.com, read: "(Rechnitzer) continued moving toward me and, without warning, lunged at me. "Instinctively, I outstretched one of my hands, which hand was not closed-fisted (sic), to shield myself... "Any contact between Mr. Rechnitzer and myself was caused by his forward motion against my stationary open hand."

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BRANDY'S MOM, SONJA NORWOOD SUES KIM K. & HER SIBLINGS FOR STEALING; KIM K. DENIES IT. SAYS SHE'LL SEE HER IN COURT.

Somebody lying. Brandy's mama, Sonja Norwood, is suing her son, Ray J. ex-girlfriend and soft-porn co-star, Kim 'I don't need any money for a sex porn tape because my rich daddy left me enough to last a lifetime' Kardashian for racking up over $100,000 on her Am ex card in 2006, 2007. Kim says she didn't do it. But I'll bet dollars to donuts that she's lying. Norwood's first choice was to avoid suing the Kardashians for alleged credit card abuse, but, she says, they gave her no other choice. "I did not want to commence litigation against the Kardashian family without conducting an exhaustive investigation into the charges and discussing all options, including criminal prosecution, with my family," Norwood said in a statement Tuesday.

"After Ray J and Brandy urged me not to file criminal charges because of their prior friendship, I decided to afford the Kardashians an opportunity to resolve this matter without a lawsuit," Norwood said. "When the fraudulent charges were brought to their attention, they apologized profusely, and advised us, through their attorneys, that they would pay the debt in full. However, they have since reneged on that promise."

CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS STORY (BY CLICKING 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP! ON THE BOTTOM LEFT)...INCLUDING KIM'S STATEMENT DENYING SONJA NORWOOD'S CLAIMS.

In the lawsuit, which names Kim Kardashian as well as siblings Khloe, Kourtney and Robert Jr., the R&B singer's mother claims she had only given authorization for one purchase in 2004 on the Norwood American Express card. Kim at the time was a stylist for Brandy, and Brandy's brother, Ray J, also appeared in the infamous sex tape with Kim. Norwood claims Kardashian made extra unauthorized purchases and passed on the credit card number to her siblings, who also made unauthorized purchases – including items bought at their two family-owned clothing stores, Dash and Smooch and "other stores that I have never visited to take advantage of me. I very much look forward to having the Kardashians account for their misconduct in a court of law," according to Norwood. The suit also claims in 2006, the Kardashian siblings amassed $62,793.83 in unauthorized charges. And, in 2007, they spent another $57,841.82 on the card, totaling $120,635.65.

Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian has come forward to deny Norwood's allegations, telling People magazine that she and her family members made all of their purchases with Mrs. Norwood's permission. "We have her signature on all items," Kardashian told the magazine. Her spokesperson says, "The charges against the Kardashians are meritless. Both Kim and Khloe were employed by the Norwoods and never used their credit cards without their express authorisation. The Kardashian family looks forward to proving the absurdity of these claims in a court of law."

Sonja Norwood's lawsuit seeks the return of the money plus 10 percent interest.

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UT-OH! LUDA'S CATCHES A LAWSUIT, RAPPER ACCUSED OF STEALING TRACKS FOR HIS 'RED LIGHT DISTRICT' ALBUM

Three music producers are suing rapper Ludacris over claims he stole one of their tracks and used it on his hit album The Red Light District. The hip-hop star - real name Chris Bridges - is facing a lawsuit from the trio, known as the Boogiii Men Entertainment Group, who claim there are major similarities between a demo CD they sent to Bridges' record label in 2004 and a Ludacris song titled Get Back. However, The Medicine Man and Tic Toc are credited as the song's producers.

The real producers - Damon 'Damethegreat' Mayfield, Markus 'Vincent' Vick and Anthony Turner - from Chester, Pennsylvania, insist all of their follow-up calls to the star's Disturbing Tha Peace label were met with a lukewarm response and they were never credited on Bridges' 2004 LP. They have now filed papers in Philadelphia accusing Bridges of copyright infringement, according to Allhiphop.com. The Boogii Men have worked with artists like Charlie Baltimore, Juelz Santana, Rampage of Flipmode Squad, Special Ed, Jaguar Wright and others.

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LIL WAYNE ARRESTED ON 3 FELONY DRUG CHARGES; SERVED WITH LEGAL PAPERS FOR NON-PAYMENT ON HIS BENTLE BEFORE BEING; FREED ON BOND

I swear one day this lil n!ggah gon learn.

Lil' Wayne has been released from custody in Arizona, after posting $10,000 bond. The rap star, whose real name is Dwayne M. Carter, is facing three felony drug charges. Federal agents said Wednesday that they found the rapper carrying illegal drugs, including cocaine and marijuana. The artist and 11 others were in a tour bus that was stopped by police on I-8. U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency officials said that a Border Patrol dog sniffed out the drugs. A search turned up nearly 4 ounces of marijuana, a little more than an ounce of cocaine as well as drug paraphernalia. They also found a .40-caliber pistol registered to Lil' Wayne. He has a permit to carry concealed weapons in Florida, but authorities are trying to find out if he violated any weapons laws in Arizona.

In related news, while sitting in a Yuma, Ariz jail cell Wednesday, the rapper was served legal documents pertaining to a lawsuit regarding his 1999 Bentley Arnage. Le Marck deAndre of California, who was refurbishing and repairing the car, claims Weezy stopped making payments on the $91,000 bill. Carter was served with court papers as he sat in jail.

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GINUWINE SUES RECORD LABEL FOR THE 2nd TIME IN 3 MONTHS FOR FRAUD & BREACH OF CONTRACT.

R&B star Ginuwine is suing his record label for breach of contract and fraud. The singer claims he was duped into signing a deal with former pal Michael Bourne's King Music Group, Inc. last year (07) - and has yet to see any of the promised $500,000 advance. Ginuwine - real name Elgin Baylor Lumpkin - signed a $1.75 million deal to record an album with the company, and then discovered there is no corporate record suggesting the label actually exists anywhere in New York, California, Florida or Tennessee.

This is the second time the Pony hitmaker has filed suit against King Music and Bourne; a similar breach of contract action resulted in Ginuwine and label bosses settling out of court in 2007. Now the singer claims Bourne defaulted on that settlement deal, and hasn't paid him what was agreed. He claims the contract breach has caused significant damages to his career and kept him from professional opportunities. In a statement, the singer's attorney Brandon Witkow says, "It is our belief that Mr. Bourne never intended to follow through with his and King Music Group's obligations under the Settlement Agreement. Mr. Bourné has continuously misrepresented his intent and ability to comply with his promises. As a result, Ginuwine has no other choice but to pursue further legal action to obtain compensation for his lost professional opportunities and other damage he has suffered."

Well, whatever the case may be, Ginuwine is still out there on the grind. I found several pics of the R&B star performing at the Troxy nightclub in London, England back in October. Unfortunately, there weren't any pics of him shirtless.

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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."

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MICHAEL JACKSON, WILL SMITH & THE LATE TUPAC SHAKUR SUED BY SYL JOHNSON FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.

Blues singer Syl Johnson is suing stars including Michael Jackson, Will Smith and Tupac Shakur for copyright infringement, claiming they illegally sampled his song Different Strokes without giving him credit for the track. The veteran star filed suit recently in an Illinois court, claiming Jackson's hit Blood on the Dance Floor, Smith's Who Stole the D.J. and the late Shakur's Peep Game all used his song - without paying for the rights to do so.

Johnson - real name Sylvester Thompson has also filed papers against the legendary rap group N.W.A. for their song Real N**gaz Don't Die, and KRS-One, for his track Criminal Minded. The respective acts' record labels have also been named in the legal papers. Johnson is seeking unspecified damages, reports TMZ.com.

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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).

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