Trick Daddy

Trick Daddy Says 'Magic City' Book Exposes The 'Real Miami'

08 Dec 2010 20:41:11 EST

From hurricanes to riots to the cocaine trade, the veteran MC tells MTV News, 'I told the truth.'
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Ricky Louis

Trick Daddy may call himself the mayor of Miami, but the city's tourism board would probably think twice before hiring the rapper as a spokesman.

According to the thug star, his hometown isn't fit for outsiders. And that's the sentiment he shares in his new book "Magic City: Trials of a Native Son." The first-time author writes candidly about his experiences in the sunny locale.

"I told the truth about the Miami life. It's a nice place to visit but you don't want to live here," he told MTV News about the book. "I lived through two major riots and three Category 5 hurricanes, I don't know if a lot of people could say that. And we grew up with the notion of 'If it wasn't for bad luck, there would be none,' so I decided, 'Let me write this book and give insight on what the real Miami is like on the other side of the bridge.' "

The tome is a gritty portrayal of the city, matching the material he spits on his albums. He said he decided to write the book after seeing so many projects — from documentaries to TV shows — shot in Miami, but not representing, what he felt, was the true essence of the 305.

Everything isn't South Beach, he said.

"They glorified Miami like it's a beautiful place, a beautiful city," he explained. "Miami don't got all the pretty women." He continued, "Crackheads are my best friends, and all the dope they was talking about in [the 2006 documentary] 'Cocaine Cowboys,' we were the ones that sold it. We killed each other over it and we were the ones that became addicted to it. Our kids' kids will still have to pay for this in years to come."

"Magic City" was published late last month and was co-written with Peter Bailey, who spent three years working with the rapper on the book. Now that the book is complete, however, TD said he's ready to return to music. He's in the process of putting together www.Thug.com, 2, which he hopes will remind fans of his appeal.

"A lot of people love my music but it's hard to really say that they are #1 Trick fans; they've bought a lot of bullsh-- over the years," he explained. "And me dealing with lupus and getting in trouble with jail, had opportunities to put myself in situations with people saying, 'Trick don't like to work.' I'm telling you this, I'm ready to work, I go everywhere but the electric chair, 'cause I done seen, heard everything but the wind."

Will you add Trick's "Magic City" to your reading list? Tell us in the comments!

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Trick Daddy's Top 10 Most Influential Miami Artists

12 Jun 2009 16:10:00 EDT

The Dunk Ryders boss gives us a rundown of his favorite hometown MCs.
By Shaheem Reid

Trick Daddy is a Miami legend. Any of the cats from the city who dominate radio today — Pitbull, Flo Rida, DJ Khaled — they have to give it up to the man first known as Trick Daddy Dollars. He's been a permanent fixture on the MIA scene, and it looks like he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Trick recently started his own independent label Dunk Ryders, and his Finally Famous: Born a Thug Die a Thug LP should drop in late August or early September. There's also an autobiography and a film by the same name due soon. As we keep rocking with Miami Week, Trick gives us his list of homegrown artists who impacted their city the most. Also, be sure to check out our exclusive 'hood tour with Trick included below.

Trick Daddy's Top 10 Most Influential Miami Artists

Luke and the 2 Live Crew
Influential Record: "Move Somethin' "
Trick's Take: "Luke is the godfather. He introduced the country to the music that we had cultivated in Miami. They captured the whole Miami feel, everything it represents — beautiful women and an opulent lifestyle."

Uncle Al and the Sugar Hill DJs
Influential Record: They broke everything!
Trick's Take: "Al represented the underground radio movement. He made the music say what he wanted it to say. Al stayed 'hood, lived in the 'hood and kept the tradition of the bass bins [big wooden speaker with tweeters] and the street jams."

Le Juan Love
Influential Record: "Everybody Say Yeah"
Trick's Take: "He was a young dude at the time — he was hot. He was the sh--. He never came out on the pretty-boy tip. He was always 'hood. The kids loved him and the grown folks loved him."


	It's Miami Week on MTVNews.com! Stay locked here for all we have to offer from the city's heavyweights.
	»Rick Ross, Trick Daddy Show Why Miami Is The Renaissance City
	»DJ Irie Turns Up The Heat In Miami
	»Rick Ross On His Rise To International Star
	»Pitbull Leads A Tour Of His Miami
	»Go Inside DJ Khaled's Hit Factory
	»Cool & Dre Bring Us Inside Their Miami Digs
	»Miami's Next Week Wave Of MC's
	»Scott Storch Is Back
	»Pleasure P Does Miami Proud With Solo Debut

Disco Rick and the Dogs
Influential Record: "Your Mama's on Crack Rock"
Trick's Take: "Rick gave street commentary. He talked about how we lived, how we were growing up. His music removed the censorship and gave you a look inside the real ghetto."

J.T. Money & the Poison Clan
Influential Record: "Dance All Night"
Trick's Take: "They were the first group from Miami that everybody rapped. Everyone had skills. They talked from the street hustler's perspective. J.T. was also one of the first to talk about the tension between the tourists and the locals. He talked about the smash-and-grab crime wave that was an epidemic at the time."

Slip-N-Slide All Stars
Influential Record: "Take It to the House" and "Shut Up"
Trick's Take: "These were the first people I considered family outside of my real kin. Everyone was very talented. A time machine could have had all of us together and on the same page. With them, I've seen a lot, together we did a lot. Brawls, bras and Parle Thursdays — that sums up the time we spent together."

Pitbull
Influential Record: "Go Girl"
Trick's Take: "Pit is the realist Chico (Cuban) I've ever met in my life. He's also the first to successfully introduce bilingual rapping. I have no other words to describe him. He's the realist I've seen in my life."

Prince Raheim and Crazy Legs 59
Influential Record: "Lose My Money (Honey)"
Trick's Take: "They epitomized the Miami bass sound. They helped shape that movement. A lot of their music was booty music. It was crazy in the clubs when their music came on."

Clay D
Influential Record: "Pull It All the Way Down"
Trick's Take: "Clay is the original black, greasy and grill'd typical Miami dude. His music was disrespectful and full of bass."

Half Pint
Influential Record: "Stomp and Grind"
Trick's Take: "Half Pint was also one of the pioneers of the Miami bass/club sound. Because he was also a DJ, he understood how to rock a party."

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Rick Ross Defends Trick Daddy Lupus Lyric

07 May 2009 13:51:00 EDT

'It is what it is,' Ross says of 'Valley of Death' line aimed at onetime friend.
By Shaheem Reid

Rick Ross and Trick Daddy clearly aren't on the great terms they once were. Weeks ago, Trick told MTV News that he was disgusted that Ross would mention his name disparagingly in the song "Valley of Death" from Deeper Than Rap.

"Very first line he called Trick Daddy stupid/ Said he had AIDS, telling people it's lupus," Ross raps about a letter he received from a friend in prison.

"I think it's pretty much clear," Ross said recently in Miami about the line. "It is what it is. Like I say, I received a letter, and, you know, I feel like when it comes to a situation like this, I don't know, [Trick's health] situation. I didn't feed into it. It was a letter. It is what it is."

Trick told MTV News that Ross has known about his lupus for more than 12 years. On Wednesday morning, Trick reiterated his harsh feelings toward Ross when he called into Angela Yee's Shade 45 radio program.

"I'd like to apologize for my kid's misbehaving in class. ... I let Ross start eating table food too fast," Trick joked to Yee. "When you don't raise your kids, they will throw their hands up at you."

Ross admitted that him and Trick haven't been on the same page.

"Right now, I feel like over the last year, I got to see a lot of the people that was halfway down," the Bawse said when asked about the status of his and Trick's onetime friendship. "I'm finnin' to play it like we do in the streets. Everybody who I feel was halfway down, praying on the Bawse's downfall, I feel they gonna have to answer for that. I'mma most definitely address it. I'mma keep addressing it. That's why it's always best to be 100 from the jump. Be real from the jump. People I show respect to ain't got nothing to do with money and power and fame. I just keep it 100. It is what it is, and we gonna wait and see."

It seems like the root of the problems with Ross and Trick is the picture of a teenage Ross at a correctional officers graduation ceremony that popped up online last summer. It was rumored that Trick Daddy leaked the picture. Trick denied that rumor last year and blamed some members of the press.

"You know how the media go," Trick said last July. "I'm just surprised it comes from so many so-called professional people that they would even involve my name in that. I had nothing to do with that from day one. They don't need to make up lies like I leaked pictures or I'm beefing with Plies and Rick Ross. Definitely not Rick Ross — that's my homeboy."

"When the Trick Daddy speculation came up, I was on tour. I gave him a call," Ross said during an April BET special named after his album. "Gangster to gangster. I wanna check your temperature. I know Trick Daddy, if he did do it, he wouldn't tell me. ... He knows what would come of that. So, most definitely, he denied it. I respected it, cool."

Well, maybe the two can find a mediator (DJ Khaled?) to sit down and resolve their issues. In the meantime, Trick is working on his LP Finally Famous, which is due this summer. Ross is still pushing Deeper Than Rap and working on a fourth solo LP. Rick Ross' latest video, "All I Really Want," debuted on MTV Jams on Thursday (May 7) and features The-Dream.

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Trick Daddy Says Rick Ross Is A 'Kid' Who Needs Discipline

06 May 2009 16:05:00 EDT

Latest salvo in war of words was delivered Wednesday on satellite radio.
By Shaheem Reid

"I got new rules. I'm going back to the old ass-whoopin' days," Trick Daddy proclaimed Wednesday (May 6). "I'm gonna start beating my kid's ass."

The Miami legend, who by "kid" meant Rick Ross, said Ross' disrespect has gone far enough. He addressed his ongoing problems with his once-close labelmate on Angela Yee's Shade 45 satellite-radio show.

"I'd like to apologize for my kid's misbehaving in class. ... I let Ross start eating table food too fast," Trick joked. "When you don't raise your kids, they will throw their hands up at you."

T-Double-D said he supported Ross, so he was taken aback by Ross' recent comments about him on the now-infamous "Valley of Death" from Deeper Than Rap. And Trick didn't exactly show a gold-tooth smile when Ross basically admitted he didn't trust Trick's word during the recent Deeper Than Rap BET special.

"I was a big Ross fan," Trick told Yee. "If you check all my interviews, the Web, radio, I never dissed him ... I supported him." He went on to say the Bawse assassinated his character and that during a phone conversation with Rick about a month ago, Ross warned him he would be "taking shots" at him.

"I said, 'What? Taking shots? While you're taking shots, what the f--- you think I'm gonna do?' "

Trick has the lead cut on the "Next Day Air" soundtrack, "Count My Money," and he has a summer release date for his next LP, Finally Famous. A single from the LP should be coming soon. From there, Trick is planning to release an autobiography called "Magic City: Trials of a Native Son" in August.

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Trick Daddy Says 'Next Day Air' Song 'Count My Money' Is 'Thug Fire'

27 Apr 2009 14:19:00 EDT

Film's soundtrack, which also features Raekwon the Chef and the late Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes, is due May 5.
By Shaheem Reid

Trick Daddy's "Count My Money" will be the first single from the "Next Day Air" soundtrack, due May 5.

"I want mine right now," Trick raps on the song. "Every dollar, quarter, every g--damn dime."

" 'Count My Money' is featuring the Murk Camp, my artists off of Dunk Ryder Records," he said of the song. "I was asked to get down with the soundtrack by the movie studio, and I worked with [director] Benny Boom a couple of times in the past, so it was only right that I get down with this project.

"The track is that same thug fire you're used to from Trick Daddy," he added. "Plus, I'm doing films right now. I just finished my first movie myself: 'Just Another Day' with Jamie Hector from 'The Wire' and Clifton Powell."

In that movie, Trick plays a street OG named Roman. "It's more than just music with me," Trick said.

Trick Daddy has an album coming out in the summer on his own Dunk Ryders label called Finally Famous. "My album comes out June 30, and it's going to be independent," he said. "It's all me behind it. Look for a lot of hits, look for records for the streets, look for that Trick Daddy vibe."

The "Next Day Air" soundtrack also features Raekwon the Chef, G-Unit signee Spider Loc and one of the film's stars, Darius McCrary. In the movie, McCrary plays Buddy, the mysterious muscle for drug kingpin Shavoo. Shavoo is the cousin of hapless thug Brody, played by Mike Epps. Chaos ensues when Brody and Shavoo plan for a top-dollar drug deal with stolen narcotics.

The "Next Day Air" soundtrack track list, according to the film's rep:

1. Trick Daddy - "Count My Money"
2. Raekwon the Chef - "Heat Rocks"
3. Glasses Malone- "Sixty Million Dollar Flow"
4. Kurupt - "Honestly"
5. Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes- "In the Life"
6. Penuckle - "Blunts and Roses"
7. Martin Buscaglia - "Cerebro Orgasmo"
8. Spider Loc - "A Day Ago"
9. Darius McCrary - "It's Real"
10. C Dash - "Gone Get It"
11. 5 Grand- "Get It How You Live"
12. Meek Mill- "So Fly"
13. Prophet - "Next Day Air"

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Rick Ross Offends Trick Daddy With Lupus Lyric

17 Apr 2009 14:06:00 EDT

'I would like to apologize to everyone suffering with lupus,' Trick Daddy says of Ross' 'Valley of Death' line.
By Shaheem Reid

Trick Daddy expressed to MTV News that he has not taken too kindly to Rick Ross addressing his condition on the song "Valley of Death." The song, on Ross' upcoming Deeper Than Rap, contains the lines, "Caught a little case, buddy had a little cheddar/ Pled out to 15, poured his life in a letter/ Very first line he called Trick Daddy stupid/ Said he had AIDS telling people that it's lupus/ Not the one just to jump to conclusions/ I'm getting money, small talk can be a nuisance."

The rhyme doesn't sound as if Ross himself is making the accusations, but rather someone in prison he was corresponding with. However, Trick still questions why "false" claims are being brought up and, regardless of the Boss' intentions, Trick says his disease shouldn't be taken lightly.

"Millions of people are stricken with lupus," Trick said. "I have stayed out of the bullsh--, I will continue to stay out of it. Ross had been with Slip-N-Slide Records as long as I have been with Slip-N-Slide Records. He's known I've had lupus for 10 years. I was referred to my doctor by Ted Lucas who is the head of Slip-N-Slide Records. I would like to apologize to everyone suffering with lupus. I would like to apologize for the insults."

Ross did insult Trick in a video that recently surfaced online. In the clip, Ross — after being told by the interviewer that it was Trick Daddy telling people that Rick was a prison guard — had venomous words for his then-labelmate and sometime collaborator.

"That video is, like, three or four years old," Trick explained. "It only just leaked. Somebody said, 'How you feel about Trick Daddy saying you're a prison guard?' I ain't never said that. He fell for that. Me and Ross had a conversation after that. I said, 'I'm not interested in fake beefing with you.' I'm not interested in beefing period — I have never been. I'd rather focus on getting money and building my company Dunk Ryders."

Ironically, Trick just completed a deal with Ross' former manager.

"E-Class — he's working with me," Trick revealed. "We're on the same team. He's joining our labels together, he's doing my management, we're getting money. This is something we should have done a long time ago. I've always respected E-Class, he's always respected me."

Deeper Than Rap hits stores April 21. Meanwhile, Trick Daddy's new album is still in production and being prepared for a June 30 release.

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Trick Daddy Denies Beef With Rick Ross, Says He's Not Responsible For Prison-Guard Rumors

29 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT

'I don't have problems with nobody, period,' rapper insists.
By Shaheem Reid

Yeah, Trick DaddyTrick Daddy has had his share of public fisticuffs, and he's said hateful words toward rap foes in interviews and video blogs, but the Miami Mayor insists the only beef he's cooking these days is in his kitchen.

"I refuse to go through some fake rap beef about something somebody on the computer said," Trick lamented over the weekend on the phone from his home.

At the heart of his comment was the recent Rick Ross prison-guard scandal.

While legal documents and pictures have purportedly surfaced that peg the Boss as a prison guard more than a decade — and The Smoking Gun released more details earlier this week — Trick Daddy's name has been thrust into the mix as well. Footage of an interview surfaced wherein RossRoss was asked what he thought about Trick Daddy telling people he was a corrections officer. Ross responded by saying the allegations were false and that Trick was a "sucker" (and that was probably the nicest thing he said) for trying to falsely blow him up. The only problem is, Trick says he never did go around telling people about his fellow Miami native's past — right side of the law or otherwise.

"Me and Ross had a clear understanding 'bout the whole station," Trick said. "The video [interview] comes from an attempt to start a beef like two or three years ago. Some people around you don't mean you good. After figuring that out, those people are no longer in the situation. When this whole thing came out, it had nothing to do with me. Then all of sudden this video popped up on [the Net]. I'm a man. I don't do sh-- like that."

Regardless of whether Trick was the culprit, Ross' comments about him did raise eyebrows. What does he think of the tongue-lashing?

"The only thing I can say to that is, I'm a grown man," Trick insisted. "I'm definitely not gonna [let] nobody make me say something negative. I'm a Rick Ross fan. A lot of years ago, a lot of people wanted me and Rick Ross to have this problem with one another, and they almost succeeded from what you can see in the video. The video is very old. It's two or three years old. As far as that situation, he was given some bad advice. He's a very talented person. It seems like me and Ross was going through some type of problems. I don't have problems with nobody, period. I don't care what the video says. Me and Ross never had problems. That was somebody lying."

Trick was also upset at the rumors that he might be behind the prison-guard photos that have recently popped up. Trick said he's heard ridiculous innuendo that he was behind those pictures surfacing after all these years.

"You know how the media go," he rationalized. "I'm just surprised it comes from so many so-called professional people that they would even involve my name in that. I had nothing to do with that from day one. They don't need to make up lies like I leaked pictures or I'm beefing with Plies and Rick Ross. Definitely not Rick Ross — that's my homeboy."

Trick and Ross did speak just days ago, and everything was on sturdy ground. "He's working on his album, man," Trick said. "The media tries to do what they do. You can't stop. You gotta get money."

On the Plies front, everyone has the right to believe that he and Plies had problems. Trick lambasted the young MC during a video blog from the set of DJ Khaled's "Out Here Grindin' " video shoot. Among the pleasantries, he called him "fake."

"I got pissed off and said what I said," Trick said. "But as far as me and Plies having a major problem, that ain't what this is. I don't have no problems with him.

"I been in this game a long time," he continued. "It's a certain respect or understanding you should have about me if you grew up in my area. If you from Florida, Georgia, them places, and you in between the ages of 15 and 35, I practically raised you on the music tip. There's a certain level of respect you should give me. You don't owe me, but at the same time, it's certain things that were said and done that I felt was disrespectful. But me and him got a clear understanding, I'm sure we do. [Him not showing up to Khaled's video shoot], that's what made me pop off at the time. But it started before that."

Trick recently inked a Cash Money Records deal with his protégés the Dunk Riders. That LP is just about done and is due out sometime this year. Baby and Lil Wayne are slated to have guest features.

Trick's next solo LP will be called Finally Famous. That project is scheduled for the top of 2009 with records "Ghetto Superstar" and "I'm the Realest" duking it out behind the scenes for first-single rights.

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Eminem Says He's 'In Limbo'; Plus Kanye West Vs. 50 Cent, Britney Spears, Remy Ma, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Led Zeppelin, Diddy & More, In For The Record

12 Sep 2007 20:46:00 EDT

West reportedly beating 50 in LP sales; reaction to Spears' album is decent; Ma allegedly faces more assault charges.
By MTV News staff

From all indications, it doesn't look like we'll be getting a new Eminem album anytime soon. The seldom-heard-from MC called up New York's Hot 97 on Wednesday afternoon (September 12) to congratulate 50 Cent on the release of Curtis. Em also told host Angie Martinez he was "in limbo" and "debating" about when — and if — he would put out another LP. Later he elaborated: "I'm always working, I'm always in the studio. It feels good right now, the energy of the label. For a while, I don't wanna go back to the negative stuff. ... Going through some personal things, coming out of those personal things, it feels good." Em also noted that he has been in the studio every day working on projects for his Shady label. ...

While we're on the subject, it's only a day in, but the retail cage match between 50 and Kanye West could be headed for a blowout. Billboard says 'Ye's Graduation is on track to sell about 575,000-700,000 copies its first week out, while 50's Curtis is on pace for about 550,000. Kenny Chesney, this week's other big contender, is on track to sell 400,000-550,000 units of his Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates. The mag reports that SoundScan has tallied the one-day figures as well: West sold 437,000 copies while 50 moved 310,000. To add insult to injury, West even appears to be crushing at some stores in 50's hometown of New York. ...

Despite the poor reception Britney Spears received for her performance at the VMAs on Sunday night, early reaction to her forthcoming LP appears surprisingly tame. People magazine's Chuck Arnold has reportedly heard five tracks from the yet-untitled November 13 release, one of which he called an "early fave" ("Heaven on Earth"), and Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt likens one song, "Break the Ice," to Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" — both tunes were produced by Danjahandz. ...

Looks like Remy Ma has gotten herself into more trouble, according to TMZ.com. The site reports that the rapper has been released on $250,000 bail and was forced to hand over her passport after allegedly roughing up a man at the Players Club in the Bronx, New York, in mid-August. The man was allegedly the boyfriend of a possible witness in her July 14 assault case — during the incident, Remy Ma is alleged to have shot her longtime friend Makeda Barnes-Joseph after a disagreement over money. In addition to the assault and weapons charges she's been hit with for the July incident, a district attorney's office spokesperson reportedly told the site that she will now also face charges of gang assault, tampering with a witness, intimidating a victim and third-degree assault. She is due in court September 20 to review her bail privileges. ...

Aretha Franklin has been hammering away at her duets LP for more than three years, and now — shortly before Reba McEntire's star-studded Reba Duets LP hits stores Tuesday — comes news that she's got the disc in the can. Jewels in the Crown: All-Star Duets With the Queen, due November 13, is bolstered by Mary J. Blige ("Don't Waste My Time," "Never Gonna Break My Faith"); Mariah Carey ("Chain of Fools"); John Legend ("What Y'All Came to Do"); Whitney Houston ("It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be") and Fantasia (on the album's first single, "Put You Up on Game"). Also featured on the album is a rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (featuring guitarist Keith Richards) and two collaborations with late male crooners: "What Now My Love" (Frank Sinatra) and "Doctor's Orders" (Luther Vandross). ...

The three living members of English hard-rock legends Led Zeppelin — singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones — have confirmed their long-rumored performance at a November 26 concert at the O2 arena in London in honor of late music icon Ahmet Ertegun. The show, in support of the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, will pay tribute to the Atlantic Records founder and feature the Zeppelin trio joined by Jason Bonham, son of late Zep drummer John Bonham. Though Page and Plant have played and recorded together since the group's demise in 1980 following Bonham's death, they have been estranged from Jones for much of that time and the trio have not performed together since an Atlantic Records anniversary concert in 1988. The O2 show will also feature Who guitarist Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Foreigner and Paolo Nutini. "During the Zeppelin years, Ahmet Ertegun was a major foundation of solidarity and accord," Plant said in a statement. "For us he was Atlantic Records and remained a close friend and conspirator — this performance stands alone as our tribute to the work and the life of our longstanding friend." ...

Show your bling, Diddy: Per a motion filed Monday, the hip-hop mogul is being asked to present photos of his jewelry for inspection in the assault case filed against him, TMZ.com reports. Gerald Rechnitzer alleges that Diddy hit him in the jaw as he was leaving an Oscar afterparty in Hollywood on February 25. According to TMZ, the motion — which was filed by Michael M. Marzban, Rechnitzer's lawyer — claims, "Needles to say, [Sean] Combs does not wear simple rings ... the rings he wore when he struck (Rechnitzer) are important and critical to the bio-mechanics of this case." The motion also requests that Diddy produce additional documents and reveal how much alcohol he may have consumed at the nightclub where the party was held. ...

Lindsay Lohan may have avoided serious jail time for her two DUIs, but the actress/singer isn't totally off the hook. On Tuesday, a judge refused to dismiss portions of a lawsuit against Lohan over an October 2005 accident in which her Mercedes crashed into a van, according to The Associated Press. The judge rejected a motion that the suit lacked legal weight and set an April 7 date for the trial, in which the driver of the van — who police said caused the accident with an illegal U-turn — has sued Lohan seeking $200,000 in damages. The suit by the driver, Raymundo Ortega, claims that Lohan was speeding away from the paparazzi and was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the wreck. ...

She probably won't be around to see it hit stores, but Koch has pegged November 20 as the release date for Foxy Brown's new album. The jailed rapper's Brooklyn's Don Diva was bumped up from its originally scheduled December 4 release date and will feature "Don't Surrender" (featuring Graf) as its first single. The rapper also released a statement, insisting that her jailing "is just a temporary situation. I made my bed and have no problem lying in it. My will is steady. What doesn't kill me will only make me stronger." "I think there are greater injustices in America that require our immediate attention, like what's going on in Jena, Louisiana," she added, referring to the group of black students who are being charged with attempted murder for allegedly beating up a white student. "I will not surrender, I'm fine, free Jena Six!" Brown's manager, Chaz Williams, also took the opportunity to dismiss rumors that the rapper is expecting: "She is not pregnant!" he said. ...

Ludacris, Usher, Talib Kweli and Wyclef Jean have been added to the roster for a concert to raise funds for a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. They will join John Legend, Robin Thicke, Stevie Wonder, Joss Stone and other previously announced acts. ... Chamillionaire is hoping for an Ultimate Victory after his new LP drops Tuesday, and what better way to score big than by joining forces with MySpace? As part of AllHipHop Week, the Grammy Award-winning rapper will roll out his new song "Hip Hop Police" and "The Bill Collecta" with a MySpace-sponsored September 20 performance at Sol in New York. ...

Scott Weiland doesn't like sitting around these days — his band Velvet Revolver had a day off from their North American tour in Nashville on Thursday, and the singer used it to make a special appearance at the Second Fiddle. Weiland performed the Marshall Tucker Band's "Heard It in a Love Song" with country singer Tommy Joe Wilson and his group. ... Avenged Sevenfold will hit the road starting October 29 in Los Angeles for a string of 18 gigs scheduled through November 25 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The band will be touring in support of its forthcoming self-titled LP, which is due October 30. ... Former "You Hear It First" artists Paramore have sketched out a U.S. trek with the Starting Line that will take them from Sayreville, New Jersey, on October 23 to New York on November 28. ... Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn is heading back to school for a master class with an American Studies professor at his alma mater, Boston College, Pitchfork reports. Finn will talk for 90 minutes about his life, career and music at the school's Lyons Dining Hall on September 25. ...

A benefit concert aiming to raise money for a Kurt Cobain memorial will take place Saturday at 6 p.m. at the 7th Street Theatre in Hoquiam, Washington — where he spent the first six months of his life. Funds raised through the event will be used to start a future youth center and park in the late rocker's name. Slated for the bill are Jed, the Whore Moans, Don't Even Know, Black Top Demon, Bench Grinder, the Bimm Quaid and Clouded Minds. ... Is Jon Stewart the new Billy Crystal?

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Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake To Sing On 'Oprah'; Plus White Stripes, Mary J. Blige, Trick Daddy, Led Zeppelin & More, In For The Record

11 Sep 2007 12:05:00 EDT

Stripes cancel festival-headlining gig; Blige attends Baby Phat event; rapper charged with disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest.
By MTV News staff

Justin Timberlake and Kelly Clarkson will join Reba McEntire on "Oprah" on September 19 and sing duets with the country star. Reba Duets, due the day before the "Oprah" show airs, also features JT ("The Only Promise That Remains") and Clarkson ("Because of You"). In other JT news, it seems like the VMAs might have taken a little too much out of the singer — he has postponed concerts slated for Monday in Sacramento, California, and two days later in San Jose after his doctor ordered him to rest his voice. His label, Jive Records, said in a statement Tuesday (September 11) that his strained voice is the result of his Sunday performance. The San Jose show has been rescheduled for September 23, and the Sacramento one will go down September 23. ...

The White Stripes have canceled their scheduled headlining performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Texas on Saturday, according to TV channel News 8 Austin. Concert promoters are citing medical reasons for the cancellation. Amy Winehouse and Rodrigo y Gabriela also previously dropped off the bill — Cold War Kids and Common are filling in for them. ... Mary J. Blige, Nick Cannon and Mya took in Kimora Lee Simmons' Baby Phat event on Friday night in New York. At the show, Simmons hyped the Simmons Jewelry Co.'s Green Bracelet — a portion of proceeds from sales of the bracelet goes to her Diamond Empowerment Fund, which raises money for the development and empowerment of African communities. ...

Trick Daddy was arrested at a Miami strip club early Tuesday (September 11) after a fight broke out there, AP reports. The rapper (real name: Maurice Young) was charged with disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest. Trick Daddy allegedly cursed and threatened staff at Tootsie's Cabaret, according to a police report obtained by AP, and when authorities asked him to leave, he allegedly refused to do so — and refused to be handcuffed as well. He was treated for injuries at a hospital after the incident, and his mug shot shows the rapper with a bloody nose and cheek. ...

Led Zeppelin's reported reunion for a one-off performance appears to have taken one step closer to fruition. NME.com reports that frontman Robert Plant confirmed last week that the rumors are true, allegedly saying, "There's not a lot to work out as it's only going to be one-off gig." Billboard.com reported Friday that a press conference pertaining to the band is slated to take place in London on Wednesday, and that the band would potentially reassemble for a tribute to Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, who died last year. The site also reported that the band had been spotted touring London's O2 arena during Prince's 10-night stand at the venue. ...

Oscar-winning double-threat Jennifer Hudson has inked her first major acting gig since wowing audiences in "Dreamgirls" — a spot in the highly anticipated "Sex and the City: The Movie." According to the Los Angeles Times, Hudson will play a personal assistant to Sarah Jessica Parker's sex columnist, Carrie Bradshaw. ... Cate Blanchett is beaming about the new "Indiana Jones" flick, telling Entertainment Weekly that Harrison Ford "looks f---ing great." She also said of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" — the title of which was leaked by castmember Shia LaBeouf at Sunday's VMAs — "it's phenomenal to be working with Harrison Ford and Spielberg and Karen Allen, all of whom were in one of the most amazing experiences of my childhood, watching that film. And then I'm stepping into the frame. ... It was really quite moving when Karen filmed her first entry into the film the other day. You know, Spielberg said, 'I feel so young!' It was fantastic." ...

Rob Zombie must have a knack for good timing. The hard-rocker — who will set out to tour with Ozzy Osbourne on October 18 — is squeezing out a concert album, Zombie - Live, five days later. The disc revolves around his 2006 Educated Horses tour and will feature "Super Charger Heaven," "Creature of the Wheel," White Zombie's "Thunder Kiss '65" and more. ... LCD Soundsystem's Nike-commissioned 45:33 — which had been previously available on iTunes only — is coming in CD form November 13 with three additional tracks previously available in the U.K. only. 45:33 — which is referred to as the group's "continuous, album-length disco symphony" in a press release — will be accompanied by the 12-minute "Freak Out/ Starry Eyes," plus a remix of "North American Scum" and "Hippie Priest Bum-Out." ... Relient K and Switchfoot will bring back memories of 2001 when they launch another joint tour together on October 16 in Charleston, West Virginia. The 30-city co-headlining jaunt will take the Christian pop-rockers — who toured together six years ago — across the States and will wrap December 3 in Everett, Washington. ...

Members of the Jackson family are coming to Michael's defense, saying media reports about his alleged dependency on painkillers and alcohol are not true. In an open letter, Jackson's mother, sisters and brothers say news organizations "have quoted 'sources' indicating that our family has attempted a drug intervention and engaged in an effort to take over his business affairs, because of this alleged drug and alcohol usage. We categorically deny ever planning, participating in or having knowledge of any kind of intervention whatsoever." The family members add that they and Michael have experienced years of false accusations and misrepresentations. ...

The Mouse is apparently at it again. In a post on their Web site, metal act Machine Head claim that another one of their shows on Walt Disney property — this one at the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida — has been canceled. The reported move came four days after the band called out Disney for an alleged last-minute kibosh on the opening date of MH's Black Tyranny Tour at a Disney property in Anaheim, California. "While no one is willing to provide evidence that would prove unfavorable to Disney, sources close to events have suggested that once again vague threats of liability, and now threats on job security, may have been levied, successfully resulting in the show being moved off Disney property," the group wrote. A spokesperson for Disney could not be reached for comment. ...

Weather Report founder and frequent Miles Davis collaborator Joe Zawinul died early Tuesday, AP reports. He was 75. Zawinul had been hospitalized since last month, and his manager told the Austria Press Agency he was suffering from a rare form of skin cancer. The keyboardist/composer was one of the creators of jazz fusion and worked with Davis on Bitches Brew, among other albums.

09.10.07

R. Kelly's next court date is set for September 28. On that day, a hearing on a pending motion in relation to expert witnesses will be held. No date has been scheduled for the R&B singer's child-molestation trial. ...

Justin Timberlake has added a Creative Arts Emmy to that "Box" — the singer and "Saturday Night Live" actor Andy Samberg took home the award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for "Di-- in a Box," the pair's wildly popular song about surprise packages, on Saturday. Timberlake wasn't at the ceremony to accept the award, but Samberg told People, "We'll definitely give him a call and let him know." ...

In other Emmy news, "American Idol" dodged the dubious distinction of becoming the most-nominated program to never receive an Emmy thanks to a win Saturday at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The show bagged its first Emmy — after being blanked 22 times over its six-year run — for outstanding technical direction for its April "Idol Gives Back" benefit show, which was also given an honorary Governors Award. ...

Coldplay have revealed some information about their upcoming fourth studio album in a note on their Web site, using sports metaphors to describe the process of picking the tunes. "Expect a short, concise record with no fat and at least two top-division songs released independently," the handwritten note explained. "[Our] feeling is that the album should be made up of the nine best records. If that means eight thrash-metal tracks and one ballad, then so be it." Among the songs being considered for inclusion are: "Lost!," "Cemeteries of London," "Violet Hill," "Poppy Fields," "42," "Yes!" and "Leftrightleftrightleft." According to the note, after a month off, the group is a few months from finishing recording in Barcelona, Spain, for an album it expects to be no longer than 42 minutes. ...

Former 'NSYNC crooner JC Chasez is a free agent. Months after his single "Until Yesterday" was released and his second solo album failed to materialize, Chasez has parted ways with Jive, according to his longtime label. He told EW.com the decision was mutual and that he wanted to "wipe the slate clean and then take on as many suggestions and ideas [as possible]." In an even more startling development, the singer said he recently wrote a song called "Treat Me Right" for the new album from his former nemeses, the Backstreet Boys. ...

Socially conscious rapper Mos Def is coming to the defense of the Jena Six, a group of black students charged with attempted murder for allegedly beating up a white student who was using racial epithets toward them. The charges could result in sentences of 20 to 100 years in prison, a prospect civil-rights

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Lil Jon, Trick Daddy Among Boatload Of Guests On Pitbull's Boatlift

27 Apr 2007 06:02:00 EDT

'You come through Miami and you got to see me one way or another,' rapper says of collabos on upcoming LP.
By Jayson Rodriguez

For most artists, songs usually come together with the help of a producer or collaborators. But the lead track from Pitbull's upcoming album Boatlift, due May 22, was actually put together by ... a secretary?

"I was up in New York, in Quad Studios, and was supposed to be working with my dawg Jim Jonsin, who's a big producer," the Miami rapper said, explaining how his song "Sticky Icky" came together. "And he was on the ninth floor. But when I go to the secretary and say, 'Yo, I'm here to see Jim Jonsin,' she thought I said, 'Jim Jones.' So she sent me to the seventh floor [instead]. I walk into the studio, and I see Jim Jones with all his goons. So I said, 'It's destiny for us to make a record.' I already had 'Sticky Icky,' so the next day I brought him that record and he just knocked it out."

The Lil Jon-produced song features more Miami bass than fans of Pit's recent tracks might be used to. But the Cuban-American rapper said Boatlift leans more to his rap roots than his previous album.

"It's a part two to El Mariel but more urban-based," Pit said. "There's more street records on there. I'm giving them another side to Pitbull. I had all the club records — you can easily go 45 minutes in the club just off my records. I just want to take these folks for a ride on this album based on what I know."

To help out, Pitbull enlisted not only Lil Jon and Jonsin on the boards but Mr. Collipark and the Diaz Brothers as well. And he said to expect collabos with Trick Daddy, T-Pain, Fabo of D4L and Trina, who's on the next single, "Go Girl."

"That's more uptempo," Pitbull said of the Trina track. "It's definitely a club joint, but with a street twist. This whole album is gonna be a lot more hard-core beats. The Afro-Cuban sound on my last album is gonna come to fruition more on my [Spanish-language] album."

In the meantime, Pit is working out the final track list for Boatlift, which features more guests than he's had before. To hear it from Pit, artists are lining up to work with him.

"You come through Miami and you got to see me one way or another," he said. "You come to the club, and you see me surrounded by four, five amazing-looking Latin women, and you like, 'Yeah, I definitely got to work with him.' [He laughs.] I ain't even gone platinum yet, and I got all the women. They like, 'What is the deal?' "

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