INDUSTRY INSIDER-
The Inside Scoop on this week in Hip Hop.
Week of: 6/25- 6/29
Written By: Natalie Hinds


Happy Friday everyone! This is ya gurl Miss Hinds, here to update you on what’s been happening in Hip-Hop this past week. A lot has taken place, not to mention the BET Awards; did you like how Mo’nique did her thing in the opening?? Let’s get right to it…shall I proceed?

UPDATE!! Eve was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to wear an electronic, alcohol- monitoring anklet after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence. Details of her sentence include, 36 months probation and 45 days of alcohol monitoring on SCRAM, an alcohol monitoring program. The anklet will test her consumption of alcohol every hour, 24 hours a day. Of course she must attend 10 Alcohol Anonymous meetings in addition to enrolling in a three-month first offenders alcohol program. Wow! Talk about strict! Eve honey, you better not even THINK about consuming any type of alcohol!

UPDATE!! Usher is going to be a daddy! His fiancée, Tameka Foster, broke the news to People Magazine. “We are extremely excited at this point in our lives, planning a wedding and the joy that comes with expecting our first child together,” said the couple in a statement released to the Associated Press. For Tameka, who’s been friends with Usher for the past seven years, this will be her fourth child; three were from a previous marriage. I don’t believe it! It’s happening all too fast, a proposal and now a baby? Didn’t you just have it “bad” for Chilli not too long ago?

Foxy Brown was involved in an altercation last Saturday (June 23). The altercation stemmed from an argument that ended in the termination of her relationship with her boyfriend. The woman, Roshawn Anthony, assaulted Brown on the behalf of Timothy Collier, Foxy’s ex-boyfriend. Collier, an alleged pimp, sent Anthony along with 2 other women to ravage Foxy after learning that she no longer wished to be with him. Anthony was the only woman arrested and sent to Rikers Island. She was hit with robbery and assault charges and was freed yesterday due to Foxy’s refusal to testify to a grand jury. Prosecutors still have six months to indict charges against Anthony if Foxy changes her mind about testifying. So who’s bad now Foxy??

Jay-Z has found himself in the middle of a lawsuit! The king of pop, Michael Jackson, R. Kelly along with more than a dozen music publishers have gathered together against Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club for failing to pay royalties. According to the lawsuit, 40/40 Club has “danced around licensing rules to entertain club goers with unauthorized public performance of music compositions.” Broadcast Music Inc. is leading the charge on behalf of Michael Jackson and more than a dozen artists and music publishing companies, seeking an unspecified amount of copyright infringement charges. I’ll be sure to keep you all posted with that story.

Soooo who tuned in to the Main Event (BET Awards) on Tuesday, June 26th @ 8pm? For those of you who did, you would have noticed that although claiming to have solo careers, Beyonce, Kelly and Michele, along with “tag along” Solange continue to perform as a group better known as Destiny’s Child + Solange. Although Bee’s performance was a good one, Kelly didn’t have to come on the stage to conclude her opening act. And for the record, Ciara honey, you did you thang girl!

Why must we black women stoop to this once our careers have hit rock bottom?

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YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THESE CATS? REAL HIP HOP!!

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That about sums up this week’s rundown of what’s what in hip-hop. Until next week my humbles readers, this is ya gurl Miss Hinds and I’m out!