D-Roc, Notorious B.I.G, Diddy and Junior Mafia circa 1996
Photo: Courtesy of the Wallace estate

NEW YORK — Diddy, Swizz Beatz and members of Junior M.A.F.I.A. were among the many in attendance at Imperial nightclub Thursday night for Damion "D-Roc" Butler's welcome-home party.

Butler was released from prison late last year for his involvement in a shootout between members of Lil' Kim's and Capone-N-Noreaga's camps. C-N-N had collaborated with Foxy Brown, with whom Kim was embroiled in a feud at the time.

The 2001 incident resulted in the imprisonment of Butler and another shooter, as well as Lil' Kim. The female rapper was sentenced to one year and a day in prison for perjury and conspiracy. The shootout and aftermath fractured the relationships among many in Biggie's Junior M.A.F.I.A. circle.

New York radio station Hot 97 DJs Mister Cee and Funkmaster Flex spun sets at Imperial. "If you lived in Brooklyn for more than five years, put one hand in the air for B.I.G.," Cee told the crowd. Memphis Grizzlies players Darius Miles, Rudy Gay and Hakim Warrick were also in attendance.

Diddy arrived near 1 in the morning in his Maybach and quickly entered the venue past "hip-hop cop" Derrick Parker, who was working security for the club. Butler and his entourage immediately followed.

Butler grew up in Brooklyn with Biggie, and in the B.I.G. biopic "Notorious," his character is shown taking the fall for his friend on a gun charge in order for Big to try his hand at a professional music career. The Junior M.A.F.I.A. member was later released before being imprisoned again years later following the Manhattan shootout with C-N-N.

Butler had a hand in the production of the popular DVD "Chronicles of Junior M.A.F.I.A.," but he hasn't spoken out much since his release or in support of "Notorious."

• Notorious B.I.G.
• Diddy
• Swizz Beatz
• Junior M.A.F.I.A.
• Foxy Brown

Foxy Brown
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

Publisher Simon & Schuster filed separate lawsuits in the New York State Supreme Court Thursday against rappers Foxy Brown and Lil' Kim for not delivering books for which they'd accepted advances.

According to The Associated Press, Brown (born Inga Marchand) was paid $75,000 in 2005 for an autobiography tentatively titled "Broken Silence," and which was due by February 2006. Kim (born Kimberly Jones) signed up in 2003 to write her debut novel by June 2004 and was paid $40,000.

The suit seeks the return of the advances from the two women, each of whom has done prison time since signing her respective deal — Kim in 2005 for lying in a trial about a shooting and Brown in 2007 for violating probation from an earlier altercation with a manicurist.

"Both accepted the money and both books never were delivered," Simon & Schuster spokesperson Adam Rothberg told Bloomberg News on Thursday.

Simon & Schuster has published a number of titles by other rappers, including 50 Cent's autobiography, a series of books by 50, based on his rhymes, and others by members of G-Unit.

"We are disappointed that Simon & Schuster has made the decision to file this lawsuit," said Lil' Kim's lawyer, Bernard H. Jackson III, in a statement to MTV News. "Kim has had every intention to fulfill her obligations under the agreement from day one but there were certain resources that are standard for any book publisher to provide that we felt were not available in order for her to complete the project. Many attempts have been made to resolve this matter privately by Kim and she still looks forward to doing so."

Brown's lawyer, Laura Dilimetin, released this statement to MTV News: "In 2005, after Foxy Brown's delivery of her uniquely personally written synopsis, both Simon & Schuster and Inga Marchand were excited to join together to publish her autobiography, 'Broken Silence,' one of the most highly anticipated books in rap history. Then tragedy struck, and Foxy Brown was diagnosed with sudden severe hearing loss, and her health became a priority. With Simon & Schuster's blessings, Foxy Brown underwent extensive surgical procedures and a lengthy recovery time, fighting to restore her hearing. After returning, we were told that Simon & Schuster decided not to go forward with the project. Many attempts were made by Foxy Brown's agents to resurrect the deal, to no avail. Now that Foxy Brown is being courted by many publishers to negotiate a new book deal, I find it suspect that after all of these years of silence, Simon & Schuster picks now to bring this meritless action when they were the ones to halt the project. Foxy Brown would love to continue with Simon & Schuster and welcomes talks to solidify a deal."

What do you think the books should have been called? Tell us in the Newsroom blog!

[This story was originally published at 12:07 pm E.T. on 7.25.2008]

• Foxy Brown
• Lil' Kim

Rick Ross
Photo: MTV News

He doesn't just make love, he makes magic. But Rick Ross told MTV News on Tuesday that he isn't making any woman his wife — at least right now. Over the past couple of weeks, there has been speculation and reported confirmation that the Boss was proposing to the Brown Fox, Foxy Brown.

Foxy and Ross adorn the cover of this week's Hip-Hop Weekly magazine, with the cover story teased as an exclusive about their impending nuptials. Their report had Foxy packing up her goods and hightailing it from her digs in New Jersey to live with Ross in Miami. All this comes on the heels of pictures hitting the Net of the couple hugging. Judging from the photos, however, it's hard to tell beyond a shadow of a doubt whether the hip-hop pair are boos or just showing some rap-world love.

You could hear the streets whisper about another huge hip-hop wedding. The groom could perform "Here I Am," while the bride could take the stage at the reception and rap "Get Me Home."

But earlier this week, Ross shot down the rumors. Although he didn't say if he and Foxy are indeed a couple, he did deny that he popped the question. In fact, he's already hitched ... to the moolah.

"Nah, nah, nah," he told us in Los Angeles. "The engagement is just speculation. I'm married to the money."

Ross is partnering up with another hip-hop star soon though: Baby from Cash Money. The two are filming a movie called "H" and are supposed to have a duet album to go along with it. Before that, the Boss will appear in DJ Khaled's next video, "Out Here Grindin'," along with Ace Hood, Young Jeezy and Akon. Ross' next LP is titled Deeper Than Rap, and he says it'll be out before 2009 comes.

• Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)
• Foxy Brown

Foxy Brown (file)
Photo: Scott Wintrow/Getty Images

Just weeks after being released from prison, Foxy Brown avoided a trip back to Rikers Island on Thursday when she pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of menacing in a Brooklyn, New York, courtroom.

According to Brown's lawyer, Laura Dilimetin, the plea deal allows the rapper (born Inga Marchand) to avoid a felony assault charge from an incident in 2007, during which she is alleged to have hit a Brooklyn woman, Arlene Raymond, in the face with a BlackBerry.

"There was no penalty and we consider it a victorious day today, and we're moving forward so she can focus on her career, family and fans," Dilimetin said. "She feels great. She's really happy and excited to move forward. We're very pleased with this outcome."

Brown was sentenced to time served and handed the judge a letter of apology, which puts the diva in the clear on all her outstanding legal cases, including an assault case in Florida that she recently pleaded out of. In that case, Brown was accused of throwing hair glue at an employee of a Florida beauty shop last year and allegedly scuffling with an officer who attempted to question her about the incident. She will serve six months' probation in that case and perform 15 hours of community service, as well as write apology letters to the store owner and the employee, according to the Miami Herald. She was also ordered to enroll in an anger management course and pay her court costs and fines.

Upon her release from Rikers Island prison on April 18 after serving eight months for a probation violation, Brown said she felt she had learned from her mistakes and would try to have better judgment in the future.

Some media outlets reported earlier this week that a bench warrant had been issued for Brown on Tuesday in connection with the BlackBerry case, but Dilimetin told MTV News that day that the warrant was issued in error due to a scheduling change by the court.

Dilimetin said she's also been told that there was a civil lawsuit filed in connection with the BlackBerry case but that she does not know who filed it because she hasn't seen the suit yet. "We're going to fight this civil lawsuit hard and make sure there are counter-claims against the person who filed it," she said.

• Foxy Brown

Foxy Brown (file)
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

On Friday (April 18), an hour after being sprung from New York's Rikers Island, where she served eight months of her year-long sentence for probation violations, rapper Foxy Brown spoke exclusively to MTV News, calling from a white Bentley, in which a celebration was already underway. Amid whoops of joy and jubilant conversations with friends, Foxy said prison was a life-changing experience for her.

"Oh man, it feels effin' incredible!" she said, explaining that she couldn't curse because her mother was in the car with her. "I'm so excited and so happy. I'm so happy to be home. My freedom. I have a whole newfound respect for my freedom. Little things I would take for granted. I'm like, 'Oh my God, a Snickers bar, oh my God!' It's an incredible feeling. I feel really good."

Brown (born Inga Marchand) suffers from hearing loss and relied on manager Chaz Williams to repeat the questions for her, but no interpretation was needed to gauge the rapper's relief at leaving her prison cell behind. Asked where her first destination would be on Friday afternoon, Foxy said, "I really, really want to go to church first and get it right with God. It's only through His grace that I was able to survive this, and I want to get down on my knees and thank Him ... and then it's on!"

On her list of other things to do: Hit the studio, attend a few welcome-home parties and, from the sound of the frantic conversation in the car, find a place to eat lunch, since, with the Pope in town, it was going to be hard to fight cross-town traffic to get to her first choice, Chinese restaurant Chin Chin.

The most difficult part of being in prison, the 29-year-old MC said, was overcoming others' perceptions of who the real Inga Marchand is versus the character of Foxy Brown.

"The hardest part was people's perceptions of me," she said. "I had officers who were wonderful and the inmates showed me — you'd think Barack [Obama] was in the building when I walked through. They showed so much love, it was so incredible. But I had situations with officers who, you know, only went by what they read on [the New York Post's gossip column] Page Six. And then they would get to know me and say, 'Oh my God, she's so sweet and she's so nice.' At the end of the day, they're like, 'We really love you,' and it was a great experience."

For Brown, there is a clear separation between her celebrity persona and the real woman who was locked down for most of the past year, 76 days of which she spent in solitary confinement after an altercation and for reportedly being verbally abusive to prison staff and refusing to take random drug tests.

"While I was incarcerated, I was Inga," she said. "There was no Christian Louboutin boots; there was no Fendi bags. It was just me. I had no nails on. It was just literally me in the flesh. I guess that was the hardest part, just even with Foxy trying to find Inga."

With a new album on the way and her legal troubles mostly behind her, Brown said she was feeling positive and had learned from her mistakes. "I feel really good about my growth, and I feel change is the essence of maturation," she said. "And I feel that I went through an enormous change, and I'm really excited. I've definitely learned [from my past mistakes]. Just having better judgment."

And though she served her time and didn't complain about the conditions, the rapper still couldn't help feeling that she might have gotten the Foxy Brown sentence and not the Inga Marchand one. "If you really, really, really look at the situation," she said. "I did not deserve a sentence that harsh. I really didn't."

• Foxy Brown

Foxy Brown (file)
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

After serving an eight-month sentence at New York's Rikers Island for probation violations, rapper Foxy Brown left the prison on Friday (April 18).

Foxy (born Inga Marchand), who is reportedly in talks with television networks about a reality show chronicling her life after prison, is slated to release her next album, Brooklyn's Don Diva, in May.

Looking relieved, Brown emerged from a white Bentley wearing a headscarf, big sunglasses, a brown leather jacket and black top and was immediately swarmed by photographers and well-wishers shouting things like "You did it," "Stay strong," "Foxy stay home" and "Free at last!"

The diva smiled and said, "I feel good to be back home! Brooklyn's Don Diva, May 17," she told the throng of reporters and fans, referring to her album's upcoming release date.

At one point, she yelled out, "I been in jail too long," adding a few minutes later, "They said I couldn't do it ... eight months." Basking in the glow of attention and tearing up a bit, she asked the crowd for a "big round of applause for my mother," one of several well-wishers, along with an aunt and attorneys, who crowded in as she was packed back into the car after shouting, "I love y'all."

Brown isn't out of hot water just yet. She's scheduled back in court May 5 for allegedly throwing a BlackBerry at a neighbor during an argument last summer, the New York Post reported.

Brown was originally sentenced to serve one year in prison for violating her probation from a 2004 fight with two manicurists in a New York nail salon but was released early for good behavior. She was put in solitary confinement for 76 days in October after an altercation in the prison and for reportedly being verbally abusive to prison staff and refusing to take random drug tests. During her incarceration, a judge also denied a request from the rapper to obtain an early release in order to get treatment for her hearing condition.

• Foxy Brown

Foxy Brown
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

When Foxy Brown's fans have talked about "Gotta get you home" over the past several months, they haven't been paying homage to her decade-plus-old song. They meant they would like to see the Brooklyn MC out of the confines of Riker's Island, where she has been serving out a year sentence for parole violation since August of last year. But according to her manager, Chaz Williams, Brown is due to be released from jail on Friday.

"She did every single minute of her bid in jail and she did it under the most severe conditions," Williams said, according to Billboard.com. "They had her on continuous lockdown just because she is a celebrity. They were trying to break her spirit." (Stephen Morello, deputy commissioner of public information for the city's correction department, told the site that Foxy was placed in protective custody per her request, noting that some inmates request that status "because their prominence or other circumstances might make them targets").

The self-proclaimed "Bad Girl" has been relatively quiet since a prison fracas that got her sent to solitary confinement in October; she was moved out of solitary the following month. This past January, Foxy filed for early release to seek better treatment for her sensorineural hearing loss, which she suffered in 2006 right in the middle of making a comeback on Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records.

"I ask you to please take into consideration that my health is in jeopardy," Brown reportedly wrote in a handwritten letter that was submitted as part of an appeal to New York State Supreme Court. "Yes, I've made some bad choices and stupid mistakes," she continued in the four-page letter. "But please understand that sitting in a prison with murderers and criminals is not rehabilitating or what I need to deal with my inner issues. ... Up until now, you've only heard about Foxy Brown the artist. I'd like to show you Inga Marchand the beautiful person that my mom raised me to be. Jail has shaken me to my core, and my time away has impacted me greatly."

Williams explained to MTV News that Brown wanted to see a hearing specialist in California.

"Her hearing implants need to be programmed a certain way," he said in January. "They can't be removed and sent in for repair without a serious surgery. So she would have to go to a doctor in California. And while people incarcerated don't necessarily get the doctor of their choice, they don't perform that type of implant within the prison system."

Also in January, a track named "Star Cry," leaked to the Internet where Foxy addressed her controversy the past few years and how she is portrayed in the media.

"How can y'all judge my life, like I ain't have a struggle?" she vented. "Sometimes I feel like I live inside a f---ing bubble/ I work hard for mine, baby, I'm a thoroughbred/ And I don't care what channel 5 and the haters said."

Her next album, Brooklyn's Don Diva, is slated to drop May 13, and she is reportedly in talks with television networks about a reality show as well. There has been no definitive word on the fate of Black Roses, the LP that she worked on while at her first recording home, Def Jam. The project was to feature such notables as her dear friend Luther Vandross and one time inseparable confidant/ rhyme accomplice Jay-Z.

"Jay wants to jump on every record," Foxy told MTV News in 2005. "I'll come in the studio and I'll hear a verse [already recorded], like, 'Where did that come from?' But I love that. Jay is in a class by himself and doesn't easily get on people's records. For him to want to be such a part of my music means I'm doing a great job. There's definitely a 'Bonnie and Clyde' [part] four, five and six on my album.

"It's coming along just as I've imagined it," Jay divulged at the time. "We're going through it, we're having our clashes, it's all perfect. The music is coming out amazing, though."

Several tracks from the set have leaked over the years, however, surfacing on mixtapes. In August of last year, right before she went to prison, it was announced that Brown had officially left Def Jam and brokered an independent deal on Koch Records.

• Foxy Brown
• Jay-Z

Missy Elliott
Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

The next time you see Missy Elliott, she's going to be in 3-D. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Walt Disney Studios is creating a stereoscopic 3-D video for Missy that combines the tunes "Ching-a-Ling" and "Shake Your Pom Pom." The songs will appear on the February 5 soundtrack to the dance sequel "Step Up 2: The Streets" and might resurface on the rapper's yet-untitled new LP, due in May. The video will premiere on "TRL" on Monday. ...

A New York judge denied Foxy Brown's request to get out of jail early so she can go to California for an ear examination and for a repair of her electronic ear implant. According to The Associated Press, the Manhattan district attorney's office reported on Monday that State Supreme Court Justice Melissa Jackson will not allow Brown, 29, to go to Los Angeles for the treatment, which prosecutors argued she could get just as easily in New York, where she is being held for violating her probation. ...

Styles P, Ray J and Large Professor have huddled together with AZ to help the hip-hop lyricist with his new album — it's Undeniable. The disc is due February 19. ...

Former "American Idol" finalist Clay Aiken, who has faced questions about his sexuality since entering the spotlight more than four years ago, recently told New York magazine that not only is he sick of answering questions about his preferences, he's tired of thinking about something that he simply doesn't have time for. Aiken told the magazine that his social life is "nonexistent, really I'm not a nighttime person." While he's in New York performing in the Broadway production of "Monty Python's Spamalot," he does not plan on dating anyone and is not involved with anyone. "Heck, no," he said, adding that his only companions are "my dogs." Not only that, but Aiken, 29, claims that he's never had a romantic relationship, unless you count the girls he took to dances in high school. "I just don't have an interest in ... any of that at all. I have got too much on my plate," he told the magazine. "I'd rather focus on one thing and do that when I can devote time to it, and right now, I just don't have any desire." ...

The Arctic Monkeys scored a record seven nominations for this year's NME Awards, including nods for Best Album, Best Live Band, Best Album Artwork, Best Video, Best Track and Best British Band, for which they'll be competing against Babyshambles, the Cribs, Klaxons and Muse. The news was more mixed for Amy Winehouse, who is up for Best Solo Artist, but also Worst Dressed and Villain of the Year, where she'll get stiff competition from U.S. President George Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The awards will be handed out in London on February 28. Radiohead are in the running for Best Album, and the Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, the Killers, Kings of Leon and My Chemical Romance are up for Best International Band. My Chem also picked up a nomination for Worst Band, where they will compete with Fall Out Boy, 30 Seconds to Mars and Panic at the Disco. ...

Peter Bjorn and John made a big splash in '07, but bandmember Peter Morén has actually been hammering away at an album of his own for many years, and it's finally good to go. The Last Tycoon, the Swede's first solo outing, is more low-key and acoustic than PB&J's Writer's Block release, and is due April 8. The album incorporates vibraphones, strings, synthesizers, a musical saw, drum machines and more. ... Andrew McMahon (Jack's Mannequin, Something Corporate) is the subject of a new documentary narrated by Tommy Lee. "Dear Jack," due later this year, revolves around the singer/pianist's recent battle with leukemia. "Andrew is such a hero, and I jumped at the opportunity to help tell this incredible story," Lee — who played drums for the first Jack's Mannequin album, Everything in Transit — said in a statement. Check out the trailer right here. ... Almost five years after the release of his major-label debut, Chariot, which featured the hit "I Don't Want to Be," Gavin DeGraw will finally release his more rock-leaning self-titled follow-up this spring, according to Billboard. The first single is "In Love With a Girl." ...

You know whose fault all this illegal music-file downloading is? Your Internet service provider, that's who! At least according to longtime U2 manager Paul McGuinness, who laid the blame on ISPs in a fiery speech Monday at the annual MIDEM international music conference in France. According to the Los Angeles Times, McGuinness' keynote address targeted ISPs as both the primary culprits and potential healers of the worldwide record industry's ongoing ills. "I think the failure of ISPs to engage in the fight against piracy, to date, has been the single biggest failure in the digital music market," he said. "They are the gatekeepers with the technical means to make a far greater impact on mass copyright violation than the tens of thousands of lawsuits taken out against individual file-sharers." McGuinness added that he thinks the prosecution of music fans for illegally downloading music is "counterintuitive," even if there is an "educational and propaganda" effect to them, then issued a challenge to ISPs to do the right thing, suggesting legislation might be required if they don't. McGuinness also had harsh words for record companies who don't treat artists fairly and said U2 have always been one of those bands who "understood that it would be pathetic to be good at the music and bad at the business and [has] always been prepared to invest in their own future. ... We were never interested in joining that long, humiliating list of miserable artists who made lousy deals, got exploited and ended up broke and with no control over how their life's work was used, and no say in how their names and likenesses were bought and sold."

1.28.08

Joel Madden needs to see a shrink — in an upcoming episode of the new Starz comedy "Head Case," that is. The Good Charlotte frontman and new dad will appear on the February 13 episode of the show, which revolves around a judgmental psychotherapist (Alexendra Wentworth) who sees celebrity clients when she isn't out shopping. If you're already psyched for the show, go to Amazon.com's Unbox section to check out the original short-form episodes that launched it. ...

Thank your lucky stars — the Grammy Awards ceremony will go on this year as planned, according to an interim agreement announced Monday (January 28), The Associated Press reports. While the Grammy telecast was still good to go following last week's announcement that the striking Writers Guild of America would not protest it, the interim agreement means content for the show will be written under a WGA contract. "In the interest of advancing our goal of achieving a fair contract, the [WGA West] Board felt that this decision should be made on behalf our brothers and sisters in the American Federation of Musicians and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists," WGA West President Patric Verrone reportedly said in a statement. "Having our talented writers on the team further ensures the highest level of creativity and innovation, something our audience has come to expect every year," Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow reportedly said in a statement of his own. ...

Miley Cyrus' Saturday show in New Orleans had a bit of a hiccup when the singer otherwise known as Hannah Montana announced that she wasn't feeling well and left the stage, according to a video posted on TMZ.com. Cyrus returned to finish her set, albeit in a seat, and dad Billy Ray sang with her. ...

Rivers Cuomo, Adam Sandler, Tony Hawk, baseball player Nomar Garciaparra and Andy Samberg kicking around a soccer ball together on a Saturday afternoon? According to ESPN.com, that was the scene over the weekend when the celebs took the field at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, for Garciaparra and wife/ ex-soccer pro Mia Hamm's charity Celebrity Soccer Challenge. Cuomo scored his team's first goal, and he later reportedly said, "It was a dream come true. Passing with [the L.A. Galaxy's] Landon Donovan and going against Mia Hamm — it's just unreal. I was terrified, but I was so excited that the excitement overcame the terror." Milo Ventimiglia, Elisabeth Shue, Seth Meyers and others also participated in the event, the proceeds of which went to the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. ...

Jim Jones is reissuing his Harlem's American Gangster mixtape, hosted by Dame Dash and featuring the Byrd Gang crew, February 19. Fans are already familiar with the tape, which was previously available in limited form, but it has since been remixed, remastered and bolstered with new tracks, including "Rockefeller Laws." "Some people do soundtracks to the movies about Harlem," he said in a statement. "We do soundtracks to the streets of Harlem, which made us who we are today." His new studio LP will drop in the summer. ...

Modest Mouse and the National have something special to jot down on their calendars: opening dates for R.E.M. The tour will launch after the release of Michael Stipe and the gang's April 1 album, Accelerate. The cities are as follows: Vancouver, British Columbia (May 23); Los Angeles (May 29); Berkeley, California (May 31); Morrison, Colorado (June 3); Chicago (June 6); Toronto (June 8); Raleigh, North Carolina (June 10); Columbia, Maryland (June 11); Mansfield, Massachusetts (June 13); Wantagh, New York (June 14); Philadelphia (June 18); New York (June 19); and Atlanta (June 21). ... Hot Chip, Spank Rock, Peaches and others are liberally reworking classic tracks by the Pharcyde, Masta Ace, Tone Loc and others for a new collection, Delicious Reimagined, due early this year. Raunchy electro-clash singer Peaches — who has collaborated with everyone from Pink to Iggy Pop — remixed Loc's "Wild Thing" almost 20 years after the song originally came out, adding her own new vocals along the way. ...

Hayden Panettiere spoke about the warrant for her arrest — which she was slapped with in the fall after confronting Japanese fishermen to protest the hunting of dolphins — at a related demonstration in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. According to The Washington Post, the "Heroes" actress and Save the Whales Again! Campaign spokeswoman told a crowd, "I was wearing a wetsuit and shoes. I was like, if I'm going to jail, I ain't going to jail in a bikini." ... peta2 has a few new friends you might know: MTV News' own John Norris, as well as the stars of "Rob & Big." Norris stars in a new online video for the youth animal-rights organization that explains why he went vegan, while Rob Dyrdek and Chris "Big Black" Boykin appear in an ad with their dog, Meaty, along with the statement "Have the Balls to Spay or Neuter Your Dog." ...

Black Lips have drooled out an exclusive iTunes Live Session EP that the so-called "flower punk" band recorded over the summer in San Francisco. The Lips are also in the running for Yahoo's User's Choice program, the winner of which will play a performance in the company's studio in Santa Monica, California. And they've also lined up a run that will start February 4 in Seattle and end March 22 in Atlanta. ... The second half of Thrice's four-disc concept album will be in stores in the spring. The Alchemy Index, Vols. III & IV: Earth & Air, is scheduled for release April 15. ... From Autumn to Ashes drummer Jeff Gretz recently suffered two broken bones in his foot and will be forced to sit out the band's tour for the next few months. Flood of Red's Graham Griffith will fill in for Getz for most of the tour's remaining stops. ...

New Kids on the Block fans are going to have to keep "Hangin' Tough" — despite reports over the weekend, the old-school boy band is not planning to stage a comeback. While the once-hugely popular teen heartthrobs' Web site has apparently relaunched, bandmember Danny Wood wrote on his MySpace page on Monday morning, "I wanted to address the rumors of the NKOTB Reunion Tour. There has been no talk of this and you are getting it from the source directly. ... You can't believe everything you read." Still, he added, "Never say never!" Let's keep our hopes up.

• Missy Elliott
• Foxy Brown
• Styles P
• Clay Aiken
• Arcade Fire

Foxy Brown
Photo: Scott Wintrow/ Getty Images

Foxy Brown has made plenty of headlines in the past year for a variety of run-ins with the law, court appearances and being sentenced to a year in prison in August on a probation violation.

But the rapper hadn't addressed her tribulations — until this week, when a new track, "Star Cry," leaked to the Internet. (Download a clip of the track here.)

She raps on the chorus: "Lord have mercy/ I'm so controversy/ Bet you never seen a star cry/ I gave you my life/ You get my blood, sweat and tears/ Hip-hop's bad girl for 10 f---ing years."

"I loved the record. I didn't know if [her manager] Chaz [Williams] or the label was going to put it out," Foxy's friend and former publicist Marvet Britto told MTV News. "I heard parts of it before, but I'm just now hearing the entire thing. I think it's great. She's opening up and unleashing and revealing some of the pain."

According to Williams, the track was recorded prior to the rapper's sentencing in August. Williams said Foxy held a few private recording sessions, during which she wouldn't allow anyone else to enter the studio. It was during that time that she recorded "Song Cry."

"It was real introspective and real personal to her and she acted that way during the recording of it," Williams explained.

"I thought it was one of the best records she's done by far, to me," he added. "I felt that it was something that she did a lot different than she did before, even when she did personal records. 'Cause she made the distinction between her stage presence and her personal, which is Inga Marchand [Foxy's birth name]. I think it's easy for artists to lose sight of who they are, especially when you have so many people trying to get at you. And I think her experience, both bad and good and more bad, relating to the hearing problem, made her take another look at herself and see that she was vulnerable, really vulnerable, and she put it into the music."

Although Foxy doesn't rap specifically about her hearing problem, she takes aim at the New York tabloid media's coverage of her.

"How can y'all judge my life, like I ain't have a struggle?" Foxy spits. "Sometimes I feel like I live inside a f---ing bubble/ I work hard for mine, baby, I'm a thoroughbred/ And I don't care what channel five and the haters said."

In reference to the lyrics, Williams cited instances when the media camped outside of Foxy's mother's home to get sound bites from the rapper after court dates or the puzzling time she was robbed in Brooklyn, New York, late last year.

Even now, he noted, with Foxy's recent request to be relieved from her jail time in order to undergo treatment for her hearing impairment, it's largely been blown out of proportion.

Williams admitted his client is seeking a release but explained that Foxy suggested a number of options in her request, including house arrest while she recovers from surgery.

Williams made it clear that Foxy wasn't trying to dodge her ordered jail time.

He said the rapper underwent regular maintenance for her hearing impairment, which includes a device placed in her ear. Williams said Foxy usually receives treatment locally in New York, but because of the circumstances, she's requesting to see a specialist in Los Angeles, where she first had surgery for her hearing loss.

"Her hearing implants need to be programmed a certain way," he said. "They can't be removed and sent in for repair without a serious surgery. So she would have to go to a doctor in California. And while people incarcerated don't necessarily get the doctor of their choice, they don't perform that type of implant within the prison system.

"She understood when she went in that she would have to do the time and has served most of her time," Williams finished, noting that he believes Foxy has fewer than 100 days remaining because of good behavior. "She's not trying to avoid her responsibilities."

• Foxy Brown

Usher
Photo: ABC

Usher's father, Usher Raymond III, passed away at an Atlanta hospital on Friday, a rep for the singer confirmed to MTV News. The cause of death was not immediately known; People.com reported that the funeral will take place this week at the Taylor Funeral Home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. ...

Britney Spears spent more than two hours at the Los Angeles office of Kevin Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, on Monday (January 21) for an ongoing deposition in the former couple's custody battle, according to People.com. Spears was videotaped driving up to the office, accompanied by friend Sam Lufti, at around 10:40 a.m. PT and left at around 1:20 p.m. The deposition is expected to continue on Tuesday.

1.18.07

Lindsay Lohan has gotten a harsh assignment as part of her community service for misdemeanor drunk driving. The Associated Press reported that the 21-year-old actress will be working two four-hour days at a morgue as part of her court-ordered program meant to show drivers the real-life consequences of drunk driving. Lohan — who must serve 10 days of community service as part of her plea deal — worked at an American Red Cross blood-services facility in a Los Angeles suburb in November. She has also been ordered to spend two days working in a hospital emergency room. ...

A New York judge told Foxy Brown on Thursday that she's going to have to provide medical proof for why she should be let out of jail to repair her defective cochlear implant, a surgically implanted hearing device. AP reports that acting Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson told the rapper (born Inga Marchand) that she needs more information before deciding if she can let Brown out of jail to fly to California for treatment and a repair of the implant. Brown, who was sentenced to a year in jail in September for probation violation, recently petitioned the court via a handwritten letter to allow her to travel for treatment, saying that her hearing condition is worsening in jail and that she faces serious, potentially permanent hearing loss if the issue isn't resolved. Assistant District Attorney Cindy Chung had objected, saying Brown had not shown any proof that the procedure could not be done in New York and calling the request a "desperate and frivolous petition." Before being led out of court, Brown reportedly told the judge she had done a lot of thinking in jail about how to control her emotions and make better decisions, saying, "I have too much talent to throw it away. ... I know I will make you proud and my family proud." The seemingly nonplussed judge replied, "I'm glad you're learning some very hard lessons that needed to be learned." ...

Britney Spears, who has done little to promote her Blackout album aside from appearing in the tabloids on a daily basis, has landed a paying gig. Spears will host a party for the Scandinavian Style Mansion at a private residence in Beverly Hills, California, on February 16, party organizer Claus Hjelmbak confirmed. "She's going to do the press line and be there for a few hours," Hjelmbak told MTV News. She was a guest for a similar party for the Mansion featuring items from luxury brands on December 1. "Even though she wasn't the host, she was so sweet to everybody and so generous with her time," Hjelmbak said. "She made all these little kids and all my clients feel amazing." ...

Amy Winehouse's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, was in court Friday (January 18) to enter a plea of innocent to charges of assault and conspiracy. According to The Associated Press, Winehouse was not in the London courtroom to hear Fielder-Civil confirm his name and enter the plea, but she did show up afterward in a silver BMW, surrounded by bodyguards who shielded her from the paparazzi. Despite rumors that the couple could be headed for divorce, Winehouse was seen whispering, "I love you handsome ... gorgeous one," to her husband as he was led away. Fielder-Civil, 25, who is accused of attacking a pub landlord, and then later conspiring along with several other men to convince the man to withdraw as a witness in the trial, has been in jail since November. Fielder-Civil is due back in court on February 29 to enter a plea on the charge of obstructing justice. AP reports that the landlord in the case, James King, denied the conspiracy charge during his appearance on Friday. ...

Dreams come true: Paramore are set to co-headline a tour with their idols Jimmy Eat World. The trek will launch in March, with dates to be announced shortly. "If it all ends tomorrow, we will be happy knowing that we got a tour with the band that gave us a reason to play music," Paramore singer Hayley Williams said in a statement. "We got to know them last December while playing festivals together. They put on a great show and we think it's going to be an awesome bill," added Jimmy Eat World singer Jim Adkins. ... Every Time I Die, Chiodos, Motion City Soundtrack, Meg and Dia, Thrice and the Bled are featured on the audio portion of the Take Action! Volume 7 CD/DVD compilation, which is scheduled for a March 4 release. ...

The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. — the site of a recent bid by talk-show host Stephen Colbert to have his portrait enshrined alongside some of America's legendary presidents — is about to unveil an exhibition honoring hip-hop. "Recognize! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture" will open February 8 and feature photographer David Scheinbaum's portraits of famous rappers, paintings by Kehinde Wiley of LL Cool J and Ice-T based on famous European and American paintings from the 17th-19th centuries, and a poem by Nikki Giovanni that will be transcribed onto the walls of the exhibition by artist Shinique Smith. There will also be four portrait murals created by a pair of Washington graffiti artists that will be featured in the hallway between the galleries. ...

Velvet Revolver's Slash recently told Illinois' Northwest Herald that the band will begin working on its next LP in April. Slash is also planning to record a solo album sometime in the next year or two, he said. ... Staind frontman Aaron Lewis' three-night solo acoustic run at the Mohegan Sun Arena and Cabaret in Uncasville, Connecticut, next month will be filmed for the rocker's first-ever solo DVD. There's no word yet on when the effort will be ready for mass consumption, but we'll keep you posted. ... Chevelle and Finger Eleven will hit the road together next month for a spate of live gigs. The first is set for February 19 in Flint, Michigan, and so far, shows are booked through March 18 in Providence, Rhode Island. More dates will be revealed in the coming weeks. ...

Hard as it may be to believe, Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore has recorded the score to an adult film, according to Wired. "Extra Action (And Extra Hardcore)," which hits stores March 18 and was directed by Richard Kern, is an hourlong film that features "unpretentious, unadorned and definitely undressed" women, asked to "roll around and do something interesting for a few minutes." ...

Seal has signed on as the headliner of Musicians on Call's fourth annual Benefit Concert & Auction, which will take place January 29 at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York's Times Square. Among the items up for bid from the organization, which brings music to patients in health-care facilities, are two front-row concert tickets and a one-on-one piano lesson from Gavin DeGraw, a Fender bass signed by Sting, an acoustic guitar signed by Bon Jovi, and a meet-and-greet and two tickets for a Daughtry or Carrie Underwood/ Keith Urban show. ... Against stiff odds, Tanya Andersen has beaten the Recording Industry Association of America again. The single mother, who became a folk hero among the thousands of targets of the association's downloading lawsuits when the RIAA dropped its 2005 suit against her for lack of evidence, got word on Tuesday that a judge had ruled in her favor once more. Wired News reports that an Oregon judge ordered the RIAA to pay the 42-year-old Andersen's legal-defense fees from the copyright-infringement case, upholding a September ruling that the organization had appealed.

1.17.08

Mary J. Blige "lives" again: The R&B singer belted out two songs — "Just Fine" and "Hurt Again" — along with her band and taped appearances for upcoming episodes of "One Life to Live." In the eps, slated to air February 15 and 18, Blige acts as a surprise guest at a birthday party for one of the show's characters. "It's absolutely amazing to be integrated into a soap opera I've watched since I was a little girl," she said in a statement. Blige previously performed songs on the soap in summer 2006. ...

Remy Ma's case was adjourned again on Thursday (January 17), because her lawyer is ill. The hearing for the rapper, who is facing charges of charges of gang assault and witness tampering, had originally been scheduled for January 10. ...

Universal Motown has fine-tuned its new-releases schedule, and some of the year's most anticipated albums are right around the corner. Coming down the pipe are Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III (March 18), David Banner's The Greatest Story Ever Told (March 25), Q-Tip's The Renaissance (March 11), Ashanti's The Declaration (March 25), Erykah Badu's New Amerykah (February 26) and, finally, Nelly's Brass Knuckles (June 24). ...

Christmas trees have been tossed out and menorahs packed away for next year, but Amy Winehouse and super-producer Mark Ronson — who teamed for Winehouse's lauded Back to Black album — are sketching out plans for a holiday album, according to Rolling Stone. "We're talking about making a holiday record, with Christmas songs on one side and Hanukkah songs on the other," Ronson told the mag. "She's got songs called 'Kosher Kisses' and 'Alone Under the Mistletoe.' " Winehouse and Ronson both have Jewish roots. "She's writing songs, and we talked about getting a studio," he added. "I have to finish a few other things first, but I imagine we'll go into the studio this year." One of those "things" is apparently Daniel Merriweather's yet-untitled new album, according to a separate Ronson interview with BBC News. ... BBC News. ... The pressure is on. The Directors Guild of America reached an agreement with the major studios on Thursday, turning up the heat on the Writers Guild of America to settle their walkout, which began in November, according to the Los Angeles Times. The three-year directors' contract was an improvement over what the studios had originally offered writers, and now that it is complete, there is pressure for the WGA to use the agreement as the basis for its own new contract. ...

Scarlett Johansson is the latest celeb to pay a visit to troops overseas. The "Nanny Diaries" actress will hang with soldiers in the Persian Gulf for five days, signing autographs and visiting military installations along the way, as part of a United Service Organizations/ Army Morale Welfare Recreation entertainment tour. "I've wanted to go over and visit for some time, and now my moment has arrived," Johansson said in a statement. "It's one thing to reply to a letter or extend your thanks to service members in a speech, but it's another thing to visit them and spend time with those that do so much for us back home." ... Zac Efron, Denzel Washington, Emile Hirsch, Forest Whitaker and father-to-be Matthew McConaughey will present trophies at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on January 27. The show, which has a waiver from the striking Writers Guild of America, will air January 27 on TNT and TBS. ...

John Legend sure is busy. In addition to performing at a MusiCares event on February 8 and at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo in March, the singer/pianist will also play an acoustic set mid-flight onboard Delta Air Lines' new Grammy plane. The Recording Academy, Delta and CBS — the network that is due to air the Grammys on February 10 — have put together a contest that starts Thursday, with winners flying from New York to Los Angeles for the ceremony, and also catching rehearsals beforehand. To enter the sweepstakes, which ends January 29, check out the Web site of your local CBS TV affiliate and see if it is one of the 16-plus participating stations. ... The new season of "American Idol" is under way, of course — but don't forget about last year's winner, Jordin Sparks. The 18-year-old singer is continuing to promote her self-titled debut, which was released in late November, with a chat and performance of "Tattoo" on Fox's "Talkshow With Spike Feresten" on Saturday night. Jordin Sparks has had a poor outing, barely cracking the Billboard albums chart's top 10 in its first week of release. ...

These are the worst of times for EMI. Shortly after news broke that up to 2,000 staffers at the beleaguered major label might be laid off soon, Reuters reported that one of the label's biggest veteran acts, the Rolling Stones, have inked a deal to release a film soundtrack on a different label. The one-off pact with rival Universal Music Group for the soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's upcoming documentary on the band — "Shine a Light," which is due in March — has prompted speculation that the Stones may be the latest act to jump ship from EMI. ... Your time-wasting days may be over. Hasbro, the company behind the game Scrabble, has asked Facebook to remove its popular version of the word game Scrabulous, claiming that it infringes on Hasbro's copyright. ... Clap Your Hands Say Yeah will donate the proceeds from their Tuesday concert at NYC's Bowery Ballroom to Planned Parenthood of New York City, according to Pitchfork. ...

Ginuwine still has beef with King Music Group Inc. The R&B star — who sued the record label in early October, claiming he was tricked into signing a contract with a label that didn't even exist — has filed a breach-of-contract and fraud complaint against the company and its purported founder, Michael Bourné. Ginuwine had previously reached a settlement with King Music Group, according to the complaint, but now he says the terms of that agreement have also been breached, in addition to his original contract. "King Music Group and Bourné's latest breaches have resulted in significant damages and numerous lost professional opportunities for Ginuwine, as well as his inability to record new material," the complaint states. According to Ginuwine, per the terms of his original contract, he was to receive $1.75 million, including a $500,000 advance, to record his first album for King Music. But he claims he didn't receive any payment from the label, and that there was no corporate record for King Music Group Inc. anywhere in New York, California, Florida or Tennessee. ...

While Britney Spears is "happily dating" one paparazzo, Adnan Ghalib, some others aren't so lucky. Four photographers were arrested for reckless driving after chasing the pop singer's car in Southern California on Wednesday night, according to The Associated Press. Los Angeles police offers also pulled over Spears and interviewed her, but let her go after her license checked out OK. Authorities said the four paps were following too closely behind Spears' Mercedes, were driving at unsafe speeds and made multiple dangerous lane changes, according to AP. ... Kiefer Sutherland, who started serving a 48-day jail sentence for DUI and probation violation December 5, will be released Monday, according to "Entertainment Tonight." The "24" actor celebrated his 41st birthday, on December 21, behind bars. ...

Live Nation has been slapped with a lawsuit by a man who alleges he was beat up by a member of Mötley Crüe and security during the band's concert with Aerosmith in Tampa, Florida, on November 22, 2006, according to The Tampa Tribune. Gerald Schneeman of Rockford, Illinois, reportedly claims that while standing in front of the Ford Amphitheatre stage, he was hit in the head with a guitar by a Mötley Crüe bandmember — who was not named in the suit — after which the musician leapt off the stage and took down Schneeman. The suit goes on to say that once Schneeman was on the ground, security assaulted him and dragged him from the venue. Schneeman alleges he suffered bodily injury, scarring and disfigurement, although details of his injuries were not listed in the suit, according to the Tribune.. ...

Michael Derderian, the co-owner of the Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, where 100 people were killed in a 2003 fire during a Great White show, was granted early release from prison by a state parole board on Wednesday, according to an AP report. Derderian, 46, who went to prison in September 2006, is set to be freed in October 2009, after serving more than three years of a four-year sentence. Families of some of the victims had asked the parole board to force Derderian — who has been disciplined several times for breaking rules at his work-release job and in prison — to serve his entire sentence because he ran a dangerous business and allegedly did not show enough remorse for his role in the deadly fire.

• Usher
• Lindsay Lohan
• Coldplay
• Britney Spears
• Foxy Brown

'VH1 Hip Hop Honors' 2009

• Eminem
• Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)
• DMX
• Public Enemy
• Foxy Brown

The Top 10 Hot Messes Of 2007

• Foxy Brown
• Radiohead
• Akon
• 50 Cent
• Amy Winehouse

Paris Hilton, Avril Lavigne, Kate Bosworth, 50 Cent And More At Fashion Week

• Lil' Kim
• Foxy Brown
• Mos Def
• Cee-Lo
• Fonzworth Bentley

Jay-Z's 'Reasonable Doubt' 10th Anniversary Concert With Beyonce, Bleek And ?uestlove

• Jay-Z
• Memphis Bleek
• Beyoncé
• Foxy Brown

Jay-Z Says Goodbye To New York With R. Kelly, Missy, Pharrell, Beyonce And More

• Jay-Z
• Pharrell Williams
• The Neptunes (Hip-Hop)
• N.E.R.D.
• Missy Elliott

Avril, Pink, Nelly, No Doubt, More On 2003 Grammy Red Carpet

• Nelly
• Kelly Rowland
• No Doubt
• Foo Fighters
• Avril Lavigne

• Jennifer Lopez
• Foxy Brown
• The Big Tymers

MTV 20th Anniversary Party

• Black Rob
• Boy George
• Huey Lewis
• Foxy Brown
• Blaque