T.I.’s redemption begins…

ATLANTA, Georgia(AP) — Rapper T.I. has admitted having unregistered machine guns and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Now he has a chance to avoid a lengthy prison sentence by telling kids not to make the same mistakes he didT.I. plead guilty to weapons charges and will be sentenced after completing 1,000 hours of community service.

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, must spend at least 1,000 hours talking to youth groups about the pitfalls of guns, gangs and drugs before reporting for about a year in prison under a deal worked out Thursday.

“I’m looking forward to turning this negative time in my life into a positive,” Harris, 27, told reporters after the hearing. “I know I have a long road of redemption to travel.”

Dressed in a gray business suit, Harris pleaded guilty Thursday to possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, unlawful possession of machine guns and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

He will be sentenced to serve about 12 months in prison after completing the community service, although his prison time could be increased or reduced depending on his fulfillment of the terms of the deal and good behavior, officials said.

Harris is one of rap music’s most successful artists. His sixth album, “T.I. vs. T.I.P.,” was released July 3, debuting at No. 1. He appeared in the 2007 film “American Gangster,” which starred Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said Harris will remain “under strict bond conditions” during the next year.

• T.I. pleads guilty to weapons charges

He said Harris’ sentencing was deferred “to allow him to perform a unique and extensive program — at least 1,000 hours — of community service. That service will focus on using his high public visibility and his talents to tell at-risk young people about the mistakes he has made and to educate them about the dangers of violence, guns, gangs and drugs.”

Nahmias said under the agreement, Harris will have to serve a year in prison and three years of supervised home detention, perform a total of 1,500 hours of community service and pay a $100,000 fine.

Failure to fulfill his obligations will net Harris a “much longer prison sentence,” Nahmias said.

Harris told reporters he takes the charges against him very seriously.

“I’d like to thank God for blessing me with a second chance in life and success,” he said.

He was arrested Oct. 13, just blocks away and hours before he was to headline the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.

Harris was charged with possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, as well as possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.

He was allegedly trying to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers. He initially pleaded not guilty, and has been under house arrest since he was released on $3 million bond on Oct. 26.

U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. must approve the deal.

Harris, who is co-CEO of Grand Hustle Records, grew up in Atlanta. His first taste of success came with his 2003 album, “Trap Muzik.” In 2004, warrants were issued for his arrest on probation violations for a drug conviction, and he was sentenced to three years behind bars.

NEW ALBUMS OUT!!

Locally

King of Dancehall Artiste,Redsun is said to be working on a new album that will be out latest mid next month. Currently he is working on making a video to his soon to be released single,Break Off.

Watch this space for more updates on when the song and the video will be released or keep it locked on Homeboyz radio for the latest in local music!

If there is anyone who is under the public eye it is none other than Sanaipei Tande (Sana). She is said to be one of the industries most talented musicians and there is truth to this statement. She is currently working on her own album(eagerly awaited by all) but at the moment she has released a song with Big Pin, ‘You’ said to hit the waves soon..

Keep it here for more information on your favourite local artists..91.5 representing the Streets!

Internationally

To all you lil’ Wayne fans out there, his new album is out!! The album titled ‘The Leak’ features such songs as ‘I’m me’ ‘Gossip’ and ‘Love me or hate me’.

If you feel Lil’ Wayne this album is a must get….its off the chain!! You can buy it from stores now or download it from iTunes on the net

Silverstar to Perform At Jump Off!

Well known, Uk based Silverstar Dj’s, are said to grace the country by performing at the Jump Off this Easter weekend…Dj’s Randy and Gussy are currently the talk of the entertainment industry making their big mark in the UK aand set to perform in kenya during the Easter Jump Off this Weekend..

Randy and Gussy officially became ‘Silver Star’ around 1996, aged 15.

They started off playing locally, mainly in the North West London area (where they all grew up) at events such as house parties and christening’s, their growing popularity meant this soon escalated in more bookings for various other events,

Their reputation soon preceded them as their versatile styles secured them well-deserved respect from peers and elders alike. This status insured a demand and has surfaced in Silver Stars bookings for supporting top artists including Beenie Man, Sean Paul, TOK, Lexxus, Beres Hammond and many more on their UK tour dates. They have also played alongside some of the world’s top sounds and dj’s including Stone Love Movements, Tony Matterhorn, Kilamanjaro, Fire Lynx, Mighty Crown and also the UK’s very own Heartless Crew, Roll Deep, Rampage, So Solid Crew, Pay As You Go Crew and more.

Since September 2003 Silver Star have their weekly show, Silver Star Presents…. on BBC’s 1Xtra on Tuesdays midnight till 2am. This show is aired worldwide including on Homeboyz radio 91.5 fm on Fridays from 9pm till midnight.

Silver Star have now become an ‘international sound system’ themselves with dates abroad including Sweden, Switzerland ,Estonia and now Kenya going from strength to strength – for Silver Star there is no limit or capacity to the level of success they’ll achieve, it’s a question of ‘watch this space’.

Curtis Young(a.k.a Gussy), born 13th February 1981, got his name ‘Young Gussy’ through his father, DJ Gussy.
Music always played a big part in his life, especially through his father who had popular sounds called Def Jam Crew and Sound Shaper Road Show and was a radio dj on JBC (London).
Through collecting sound tapes and listening to his father his own ability and style began to develop.
His cousins also influenced him and it was with two of them; Sober G and Stevie D that the sound was originally formed. Viper then joined them and this became the beginning of Silver Star, shortly after Randy joined them and the three of them were officially ‘Silver Star’.
Gussy takes his music seriously and is hard to test on facts and figures concerning dancehall!

George Brown(a.k.a Randy) was nicked-named Randy from a very young age by his family. Born in Kingston Jamaica,it was a local sound in Portland that encouraged Randy’s love of Reggae music – as a child he would follow the sound, learning while watching.

Randy (and his brother) later came to the UK to join their mother. He found himself in North West London where he joined Copland Secondary School in Wembley. It was at this school that he met Gussy. (Randy also went to St Andrew’s & Wembley Youth Club and played football for Brent – where he got to know Viper), Randy went to a local party where he MC’d for the first time in the UK, which Gussy heard about – this emerged as the beginning of Randy joining Silver Star.

His taste in music leans to the conscious – Roots / Culture / Reggae – though ready to get hype when necessary.

Randy is a chilled, laid back character that is very grounded – he has a good strong spirit that leaves its effective mark.

An Attack on Tupac Shakur launched a Hip-Hop War

Email Picture

In 1994, Tupac Shakur was ambushed, beaten and shot at the Quad Recording Studios in New York. He insisted that friends of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs were behind it. New information supports him:

NEW YORK – Cameras flashed as paramedics carried the victim into the glare of Times Square on a stretcher. Blood seeped through bandages from five gunshot wounds.

Tupac Shakur had been beaten, shot and left for dead at the Quad Recording Studios on New York’s 7th Avenue. As he was borne to a waiting ambulance through a swarm of paparazzi on Nov. 30, 1994, the rap star thrust his middle finger into the air.

It was a portentous moment in hip-hop — the start of a bicoastal war that would culminate years later in the killings of Shakur and rap’s other leading star, Christopher Wallace, better known as the Notorious B.I.G.

The ambush at the Quad remains a source of fascination and frustration to music fans and law enforcement officials alike. No one has ever been charged in the attack.

Now, newly discovered information, including interviews with people who were at the studio that night, lends credence to Shakur’s insistence that associates of rap impresario Sean “Diddy” Combs were behind the assault. Their alleged motives: to punish Shakur for disrespecting them and rejecting their business overtures and, not incidentally, to curry favor with Combs.

The information focuses on two New York hip-hop figures — talent manager James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond and promoter James Sabatino, who is now in prison for unrelated crimes.

FBI records obtained recently by The Times say that a confidential informant told authorities in 2002 that Rosemond and Sabatino “set up the rapper Tupac Shakur to get shot at Quad Studios.” The informant said Sabatino had told him that Shakur “had to be dealt with.”

The records — summaries of FBI interviews with the informant conducted in July and December 2002 — provide details of how Shakur was lured to the studio and ambushed. Others with knowledge of the incident corroborated the informant’s account in interviews with The Times and gave additional details.

According to this information, Rosemond and Sabatino, infuriated by what they saw as Shakur’s insolent behavior, enticed him to the Quad by offering him $7,000 to provide a vocal track for a rap recording.

Three assailants — reputedly friends of Rosemond — were lying in wait. They were on orders to beat Shakur but not kill him and to make the incident look like a robbery, the sources said. They were told they could keep whatever jewelry or other valuables they could steal from Shakur and his entourage.

A member of Shakur’s posse cooperated with the rapper’s enemies, relaying their offer of a $7,000 payment and keeping them informed of his whereabouts on the night of the assault, according to the informant and the other sources.

Rosemond, who has served prison time for drug dealing and weapons offenses, has been described by Vibe magazine as “one of the most respected and feared players in hip-hop.” His Czar Entertainment represents rappers Shyne, Too Short, Gucci Mane and the Game.

Rosemond has long denied any role in the Quad incident. He declined to be interviewed for this article, but his lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, dismissed the new information as “ancient double-hearsay allegations.”

Lichtman noted that Rosemond had never been charged or questioned in connection with the attack — a sign, Lichtman said, that federal authorities have “discounted” what the informant told them. Rosemond “was not involved in the assault and will not be prosecuted for it,” Lichtman said.

Sabatino declined to comment.

Combs, whose business empire includes Bad Boy Records and clothing and fragrance lines, also declined to comment.

The FBI documents do not name the informant. The Times learned his identity and verified that he was at the Quad on the night of the assault. When contacted, the man said the FBI records accurately convey what happened, and what he told investigators. He and the other sources interviewed for this article discussed the events of Nov. 30, 1994, on condition that their names not be published.

Their accounts are consistent with Shakur’s own. In interviews and on recordings, the rapper blamed Rosemond, Combs and their associates for the attack and promised to get even.

Amani gaurding her private life with Zeal?

In the same line is songstress Amani, who is rumoured to be dating bongo rapper AY.Amani cheekily brushes off rumours that the two recently had a run-away holiday in Mombasa where they were spotted having a romantic time.”It was just a coincidence that we happened to be in Mombasa at the same time. We have been friends for quite sometime and have a lot of respect for each other. We had a moment together before AY flew back to Dar,” she explains.

“I have been in Dar on several occasions and visited AY at his residence. The guy is a big star over there and you would know that from the way everybody stops him on the streets, asking for autographs. I don’t think he has his eyes on me,” she adds.

Early last year, Amani was dating another man whom she publicly announced as her boyfriend. But after a short while, the two fell out and ever since she has been guarding her private life with zeal,”I respect my body. When I mean to date someone I take the affair seriously. I don’t believe in just having a fling or a one-night stand. In short I don’t believe in casual sex,”she concluded.

Ice Cube Releases Raw Footage.

Ice Cube is back and raw as ever. Raw Footage, his new LP (and ninth solo album),hit stores on June 17th to follow up his 2006 release Laugh Now, Cry Later. The current single, “Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It” is doing well on radio and with it’s featured video, plus the album will see guest spots from Musiq Soulchild, Nas, Scarface and former Westside Connection member, WC. Production will include tracks from Fred Wreck and DJ Crazy Toones. Ice Cube is going to headline a show for an expected 20,000+ fans at this year’s South By Southwest indie music festival in Austin, TX which was held on March 15th. The show will be streamed live on uvntv.com, the TV network started by Ice Cube and DJ Pooh.

Snoop To Be in Soap Opera & Have His Own Animated Show.

Big Snoop Dogg, already a Hip Hop Icon, TV-Star and Hollywood Actor, is adding two more items to his endless resume, Soap Opera maestro and actor plus and Animated Series Star. First, the rapper has been tapped to remix the theme song for ABC‘s “One Life To Live.” According to the Associated Press, Snoop will not only create the remix to Soap Opera’s theme, but also make an extended cameo on the show, performing his hit single “Sensual Seduction” plus his next single, “Life of Da Party” which features Too $hort. Both songs are from Snoop’s new album, Ego Trippin‘, which is in stores now. “I’ve been a fan of ‘One Life to Live’ since I was a baby,” said Snoop “My momma always had it on the tube in the crib growing up. The opportunity to change up the theme song and give it some of my flavor will make the show the ‘Life of The Party.’”

Snoop’s debut on the Soap Opera will debut on May 8th and 9th along with his version of the show’s theme song.

Second, Comedy Central has announced that Snoop Dogg will soon have his own animated series on the television station. The untitled project will be centered around the Dogg Father as a 15-year-old’s life in Long Beach, CA. Snoop Dogg will executive produce the show along side Tom Lynch and it will air sometime in 2009. “We’ve been looking to get into business with Snoop, who’s always fantastic on our roasts,” Lauren Corrao (Comedy Central’s president of original programming and development) said, “He’s one of those people who truly crosses over between music and comedy.”

Remy Ma Denies Engagement to Papoose, Developments On Her Trial.

Recent rumors have been going around that Remy Ma and Papoose are now engaged. Papoose since has said that the two “share a friendship” and the engagement rumors are just rumors. “It’s not true,” “[We're] friends.” Remy Ma has now came out to say “I am not engaged and rumors of my engagement to Papoose are absolutely false, Papoose is like a brother to me,”  continuing “There must’ve been a misunderstanding between Egypt and a third party……the end.” Remy is referring to TV personality Egypt, who first reported the engagement rumor on BET‘s “Black Carpet.” In related news, new developments in Remy Ma‘s trial surfaced yesterday when a witness testified that the victim, Makeda Barnes-Joseph, pled for her life after being shot last summer. The New York Daily News reported that Krystal Bolton told the jury that she was sitting in a parked car outside the bar when the 23-year-old woman was shot in the stomach last July. Remy Ma is being charged for the incident which allegedly occured when Remy discovered $2,000 missing from her purse and a struggle broke out between the two women.

Juelz Santana Due In Court For Gun & Drug Charges

The stereotype of rappers getting into trouble for guns and drugs isn’t being helped this week. The New York Daily News is reporting that last week Juelz Santana was pulled over in New Jersey and the police reportidly found marijuana and hollow-point bullets in his Bentley near the entrance of his home in Teaneck’s gated Glenpointe community. The Dipset rapper reportidly yelled “This is bullshit” when officer John Abraham pulled Juelz over after the car smelled of marijuana then later saw a green leafy substance, Dutch Master White Owl cigars, weed roaches, and then found 29 hollow-point bullets wrapped in a sock along, a sandwich bag stuffed with marijuana along with $19,500 rolled up in small bundles stashed in a bag of jolly Rancher candies. Santana appeared in court on the 12th of MArch for the charges. Juelz was recently in the news when he told Hot 97′s Angie Martinez that Cam’ron was hindering his work at Def Jam. Juelz has a joing album with Lil’ Wayne in the works called “I Can’t feel My Face” along with his new album, both don’t have release dates as of now.

Kissing and not ready to tell?

 

Somewhere in the vicinity of Dass restaurant a camera flashes, startling the lovebirds. They turn around and stare sternly at the photographer who is in a nearby group.

The two decide to ignore the group when they ascertain the photo was not taken by paparazzi. They continue enjoying the night, shrugging off the suspicion that they may be featured in Pulse.

The couple is none other than former Coca-Cola pop star Sanaipei Tande and Manga – one half of Habib and Manga group.

It might be two years since Manga disappeared from the music scene but he has resurfaced, this time tagging along Sanaipei Tande. But he denies any romance between them. “I am not dating anyone,” he says.

A week later, Manga and Sanaipei walk into Pavement Club hand in hand to attend a Code Red gig, Play House 2. They share a couple of drinks and kiss for hours on end.

“I broke up with my chic last year and I am free to mingle but I’m just a friend to Sana,” he explains.

Sanaipei Tande also denies that they are an item.

“We have been busted in different places but we are not dating,” clarifies Sanaipei.

Manga is not ready to confess his love for Sanaipei although they are literally painting the town red. It is rumoured that the two are just ‘clande’ or an ‘arrangement’.

“Why are you guys making a big deal out of this situation? I have a life to live!” he exclaims.