Rapper 50 Cent pleads not guilty to domestic violence charge

Rapper Curtis ''50 Cent'' Jackson arrives for the premiere of the movie '2 Guns' in New York, July 29, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Carlo Allegri

LOS ANGELES | Mon Aug 5, 2013 3:29pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. rapper 50 Cent pleaded not guilty on Monday to allegedly kicking his ex-girlfriend and a judge ordered him to stay away from the woman and get rid of his guns.

The Grammy-winning rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, wore a suit and stood silently at the hearing stemming from a June incident at the condominium of his former girlfriend, model Daphne Narvaez, who is the mother of his child.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Bernard Kamins ordered 50 Cent to have no contact with Narvaez and to turn over any firearms he might have to police or sell them.

The 38-year-old rapper was charged last month with one count of misdemeanor domestic violence and four counts of vandalism after he allegedly kicked open a door at Narvaez's condo in the Toluca Lake community of Los Angeles, kicked her and destroyed a piece of furniture, a chandelier and a television. The property damage was valued at $7,100.

The rapper faces a maximum penalty of five years in jail and $46,000 in fines if convicted on all counts.

The city attorney's office has said that the altercation started over an allegation of relationship Narvaez had.

50 Cent shot to fame with his 2003 debut studio album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," which has sold about 15 million copies globally, making it one of the best-selling rap albums of all time.

He also starred in the 2005 semi-autobiographical film of the same name. He has had roles in the 2006 war drama "Home of the Brave" and the upcoming crime-thriller "The Frozen Ground," which stars Nicolas Cage and John Cusack.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Bill Trott)

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Rapper Naughty Boy tops British pop music chart

LONDON | Sun May 26, 2013 2:01pm EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - British rapper and producer Naughty Boy topped Britain's pop music chart for the first time on Sunday with "La La La", a dance track recorded with London singer Sam Smith.

Last week's number one, "Get Lucky" by French electronic duo Daft Punk and American singer Pharrell Williams, slipped down to second place.

British folk-rock singer Passenger's "Let Her Go" also fell one spot to number three, according to the Official Charts Company, which compiles the weekly rundown.

American rapper Macklemore's "Can't Hold Us", recorded with producer Ryan Lewis and singer Ray Dalton, was unchanged in fourth position.

In the album chart, Daft Punk went straight in at number one with new entry "Random Access Memories", knocking Scottish veteran Rod Stewart's "Time" down to second place.

(Reporting by Peter Griffiths; Editing by Pravin Char)

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Rapper Psy wows Harvard with global appeal, dance moves

South Korean singer PSY speaks at Harvard University's Memorial Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts May 9, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi

By Ross Kerber

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts | Thu May 9, 2013 10:31pm EDT

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - South Korean rapper Psy said he "partied hard" when his dance number drew its first 10 million views on YouTube last summer. Little did he know "Gangnam Style" would become the most-viewed video in the online service's history, with a global following and nearly 1.6 billion views as of Thursday.

"I partied hard to celebrate 10 million views!" Psy told about 1,000 people at Harvard University on Thursday evening, as he recalled his reaction when the song took off, making him a cultural phenomenon and leading to meetings with Los Angeles record producers.

"This is so unrealistic!" he recalled thinking.

Formally dressed and speaking in sometimes-halting English, Psy spoke for more than an hour and occasionally lapsed into signature dance moves such as grasping the reins of an imaginary trotting horse.

Psy's talk was partly a homecoming as he recalled his days as a student in Boston in the mid-1990s. But it was also a seminar about the star's surprise worldwide cultural appeal and the economic influence of East Asian culture.

Harvard professor Alexander Zahlten introduced Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, as a global figure who has shown the ability of Korean music stars, video-game programmers and other entertainment figures to find overseas popularity through Internet channels.

"He's a global citizen, and in turn influences people all over the world," Zahlten said. "He's deeply connected to digital culture."

After "Gangnam Style" set records, the video for Psy's follow-up song "Gentleman" received more than 20 million hits in the first 24 hours after its release last month, easily beating the previous record of 8 million views for Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend" in the first 24 hours.

Psy, 35, told the audience at the Ivy League school that music trumps national divides. "Music makes everyone united," he said. "Something beyond language." At some performances, he said, "I'm so proud. The crowd doesn't know what the lyrics are about, but they look so happy!"

Later he said the word for "style" conveyed similar meanings in all languages, and that he wrote the lyrics for "Gentleman" hoping they would find a similar worldwide resonance. "Really , it was linguistics," he said.

Psy also poked fun at his own less-than-stellar academic record. He said his nickname in college was "WWF" for his grades, "withdraw, withdraw, fail." He said he kept thinking big and poked fun at his robust midsection.

"I dreamed someday, some Korean artist would be well-known in the U.S.," he said. "I dreamed about it but didn't dream that was me, because as you see I have a very special body type."

(Editing by Paul Simao)

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U.S. rapper Gucci Mane jailed for alleged assault

ATLANTA | Wed Mar 27, 2013 4:47pm EDT

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Rapper Gucci Mane was jailed in Georgia on Wednesday for allegedly hitting a fan in the head with a champagne bottle at an Atlanta nightclub earlier this month.

Mane, whose real name is Radric Davis, turned himself in to authorities late on Tuesday, according to Fulton County Sheriff's Office records.

Mane, 33, faces an aggravated assault charge after causing a "severe laceration" to the man whom he hit with a champagne bottle on March 16, according to a police report. The fan had approached Mane and tried to strike up a conversation, police said. Mane left the nightclub before police arrived.

A magistrate judge denied bond for Mane at his first court appearance on Wednesday, sheriff's spokeswoman Tracy Flanagan said.

Mane did not enter a plea. His next hearing will be on April 10, Flanagan said.

Mane's attorney, Drew Findling, told Reuters he would appeal the denial of bond to a higher court. He said six witnesses interviewed by his office about what he described as a melee at the club did not pin blame on the rapper.

"None of them said Gucci had anything to do with it," Findling said.

The incident is the latest in a long string of legal troubles for the rapper, who has appeared in remixes with the Black Eyed Peas and Usher.

In 2001, Mane was arrested for cocaine possession and spent 90 days in jail. He served a six-month prison term in 2005 for assault, and in 2009 was imprisoned for a year for violating probation in that case.

A Georgia judge sentenced Mane to six months in jail in 2011 after he admitted to pushing a woman out of his car.

(Reporting by David Beasley; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Bernadette Baum and Leslie Adler)

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Dress in white for Psy, rapper tells fans

PSY performs during New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square in New York December 31, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Joshua Lott

SEOUL | Wed Mar 27, 2013 1:17am EDT

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean rapper Psy wants his fans to turn up in white at his April concert where he will launch a new song that he hopes will cement the success of his "Gangnam Style" Youtube hit.

"See this pic and let's be white on 0413", Psy tweeted on his @psy_oppa Twitter feed on Wednesday, referring to the April 13 concert to be held in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

The chubby rapper, who shot to fame with over a billion Youtube hits in 2012, subsequently poses in a variety of white clothing, ranging from a spacesuit to tennis whites and even a bridal gown and skimpy figure-skating dress.

His stylist says the 35-year old is more likely to reprise a concert style based on the suit used in "Gangnam Style" than anything more racy.

Psy has not yet revealed what song he will release.

(Reporting By Jane Chung, Editing by Elaine Lies and Michael Perry)

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A Minute With: Rapper RZA putting on "Iron Fists" for new movie

RZA poses for a photograph while promoting the upcoming film The Man With the Iron Fists in West Hollywood, California, October 24, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Alcorn

By Zorianna Kit

LOS ANGELES | Wed Oct 31, 2012 2:51pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper and music producer RZA is best known as the leader of the hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan which also includes such popular members as Method Man, Ghostface Killah and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard.

RZA branched out into film, taking on small acting roles and scoring music, including the soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Vol. 1."

Now, nearly a decade later, 43-year-old RZA has combined his childhood love of martial arts movies to co-write with Eli Roth the feature film "The Man With the Iron Fists," which he also directs and acts in the title role.

Shot on location in China, and co-starring Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu, Iron Fists is set during the 19th century and sees several groups of warriors and assassins descend on a village in search of gold. The quiet and unassuming local blacksmith (RZA) ends up being the village defender.

RZA, whose real name is Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, sat down with Reuters in Hollywood to talk about the film and the future of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Q: You had to pull double duty, working simultaneously in front and behind the camera. How did you balance that?

A: "My spirit had to be extra strong to pull this off. It was difficult because in the morning (as the director) I'm worrying about everybody else, I'm talking fast. Then I have to get ready for the scene and I gotta sync my voice down to this guy. I gotta sync my spirit to him. He doesn't smile once in the film. I smile. I'm not this morbid dude. He's almost empty."

Q: This is your biggest acting role to date. What did you learn as an actor?

A: "The thing about playing him that I could attest to as an actor was that I was lonely in China. I was personally lonely. And I think that shows on screen (in the character)."

Q: You're in an exotic location with Russell Crowe and some of the biggest names in martial arts. How could you be lonely?

A: "I had no love, yo. You know what I mean? Going into a massage parlor is not gonna give you no love. I was yearning for it. For a brief minute there, I learned why actors fall in love with their co-stars."

Q: How's that?

A: "Because the only girl I had was (co-star/love interest) Jamie Chung. We all went out one night after shooting and Jamie had a guy friend with her. I looked over and I was so jealous. I felt weird. I told my buddy, 'I'm about to punch this guy in the face!' In that moment, I just felt that she was my woman. And the sad thing for me is, it would have been a one way street because she wasn't interested in me at all."

Q: Looking back on your first experience directing a studio movie, what do you think?

A: "It was hard work. It was 18 hour days. It was cold. The food was terrible sometimes and the language was an issue. But I kept it fun. I didn't let nothing deter me from this path. I'm grateful and happy I had a chance to learn this craft and express it. I feel that out of everything I do as an artist - I make music, I write lyrics, I'm into fashion and clothing - filmmaking is the perfect medium and accumulates it all. I found what I should be doing. I matured into being this kind of person."

Q: So many members of the Wu-Tang Clan are doing their own thing. Will you be assembling again soon for another album?

A: "Only time will tell. For now, I will say Iron Fists is Wu-Tang. We have all the members participating on the soundtrack. And if you look closely, you'll notice that when (Rick Yune's character) needs a second suit of knives, there are W's on that second suit. You gotta look closely though. So the Wu-Tang is there. I made it subtly into the film so fans can enjoy it and feel the energy."

Q: Some groups have their time in the spotlight and disappear. Others manage to evolve and stay relevant. Where is Wu-Tang at?

A: "To me, film is the medium that Wu-Tang needs to be at. I don't think Wu-Tang needs to be in clubs while we gettin' drunk and dancing. We need to be in theaters now where we sitting with our families and really appreciating our childhood in a different way. This is the reason why (movies like) 'Iron Man', 'Captain America', 'Thor', 'The Avengers' all work. Because we are adults who read comics and now we want our children to understand what we love."

Q: So Iron Fists is the beginning of that for Wu-Tang - having others understand and appreciate the martial arts you all love?

A: "If Iron Fists goes over well and people accept it, we got great ideas for part two already. We've got a great sequel for all the characters and back stories that are so remarkable."

Q: Sounds like you're creating your own Marvel universe in a sense.

A: "Essentially, yes."

(Reporting by Zorianna Kit, editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Rapper Mac Miller straight to No.1 in indie victory (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Rapper Mac Miller became the first indie artist since 1995 to debut at the top of the Billboard Top 200 album charts on Wednesday, with his first album "Blue Slide Park."

Selling 144,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, Miller's No. 1 debut beat out Michael Buble's "Christmas" album, which climbed to No. 2 on the chart from last week's No. 8 position.

Miller, 19, has quickly established a fan base of more than one million followers on Twitter and Facebook and recently appeared on the VH1 television series "Single Ladies."

Jon Garcia at AllHipHop.com praised Miller for the album's production, "and the fact that he doesn't do too much to mess up the groove." MTV's Rob Markman called the album a "homegrown compilation...from a youngster whose rap appeal stretches way beyond his native Pittsburgh borders."

The last time an independently distributed artist's debut album reached No. 1 was rap group Tha Dogg Pound's "Dogg Food" in 1995. Miller's album "Blue Slide Park" is a Rostrum Records release, independently distributed by INgrooves and Fontana Distribution.

"Rostrum and Mac are proof that a digitally-focused independent effort works in today's dynamic music marketplace, by engaging fans directly," Dave Zierler, executive vice president at INgrooves, said in a statement.

Miller and Buble are followed by the "Now 40" music compilation, entering the Billboard album chart at No. 3 this week, with "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" soundtrack at No. 4, ahead of the film's release on Friday.

Adele's "21" holds steady at No. 5 after more than 35 weeks in the charts.

Justin Bieber's holiday album "Under The Mistletoe," which knocked Coldplay's "Mylo Xyloto" from the top position last week, fell to No. 6, while Susan Boyle's "Someone To Watch Over Me," fell to No. 7, edging out "Mylo Xyoloto" at No. 8.

On the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, Rihanna's "We Found Love" held onto the top spot, with LMFAO's "Sexy And I Know It" at No. 2.

Taylor Swift, who received the coveted entertainer of the year honor at last week's Country Music Awards, achieved two top ten debut singles this week, with "If This Was A Movie" at No. 3 and "Ours" at No. 5. A third single, "Superman," entered the chart at No. 13, after all three songs were released digitally for the first time last week.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Rapper Mac Miller straight to No.1 in indie victory

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Wed Nov 16, 2011 5:12pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Mac Miller became the first indie artist since 1995 to debut at the top of the Billboard Top 200 album charts on Wednesday, with his first album "Blue Slide Park."

Selling 144,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, Miller's No. 1 debut beat out Michael Buble's "Christmas" album, which climbed to No. 2 on the chart from last week's No. 8 position.

Miller, 19, has quickly established a fan base of more than one million followers on Twitter and Facebook and recently appeared on the VH1 television series "Single Ladies."

Jon Garcia at AllHipHop.com praised Miller for the album's production, "and the fact that he doesn't do too much to mess up the groove." MTV's Rob Markman called the album a "homegrown compilation...from a youngster whose rap appeal stretches way beyond his native Pittsburgh borders."

The last time an independently distributed artist's debut album reached No. 1 was rap group Tha Dogg Pound's "Dogg Food" in 1995. Miller's album "Blue Slide Park" is a Rostrum Records release, independently distributed by INgrooves and Fontana Distribution.

"Rostrum and Mac are proof that a digitally-focused independent effort works in today's dynamic music marketplace, by engaging fans directly," Dave Zierler, executive vice president at INgrooves, said in a statement.

Miller and Buble are followed by the "Now 40" music compilation, entering the Billboard album chart at No. 3 this week, with "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" soundtrack at No. 4, ahead of the film's release on Friday.

Adele's "21" holds steady at No. 5 after more than 35 weeks in the charts.

Justin Bieber's holiday album "Under The Mistletoe," which knocked Coldplay's "Mylo Xyloto" from the top position last week, fell to No. 6, while Susan Boyle's "Someone To Watch Over Me," fell to No. 7, edging out "Mylo Xyoloto" at No. 8.

On the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, Rihanna's "We Found Love" held onto the top spot, with LMFAO's "Sexy And I Know It" at No. 2.

Taylor Swift, who received the coveted entertainer of the year honor at last week's Country Music Awards, achieved two top ten debut singles this week, with "If This Was A Movie" at No. 3 and "Ours" at No. 5. A third single, "Superman," entered the chart at No. 13, after all three songs were released digitally for the first time last week.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Rapper Petey Pablo sentenced to 3 years for gun (AP)

NEW BERN, N.C. – Hip-hop artist Petey Pablo has been sentenced in North Carolina to almost three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a stolen firearm.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says the 38-year-old rapper was sentenced Monday to 35 months behind bars in U.S. District Court in New Bern. Pablo's real name is Moses Barrett, and he's from Wake Forest, N.C.

Petey Pablo was arrested last year while attempting to clear security at Raleigh-Durham International Airport for a flight to Los Angeles. Authorities found a loaded gun in a bag that had passed through an X-ray machine.

Authorities say the investigation showed the gun had been stolen during a home burglary in Gardena, Calif., in 2005.

The rapper is best known for the songs "Raise Up" and "Freek-a-Leek."

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Rapper arrested in Ohio after organizing flash mob (AP)

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio – Authorities say rapper Machine Gun Kelly organized a flash mob at a suburban Cleveland mall and was charged with disorderly conduct.

Strongsville police say the group gathered Saturday, and mall management asked three people standing on a table near a second-floor railing to step down. Kelly was among the three. When they refused, police were called.

Police say they're no longer in custody. Kelly tweeted later that "today was a statement."

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs told MTV this month that he signed Kelly, an Ohio native, to his Bad Boy Records label.

"Machine Gun" was the nickname of George Kelly, a Prohibition-era gangster.

The Plain Dealer reports that Cleveland's mayor recently vetoed an ordinance that would have criminalized some uses of social media and was aimed at curbing flash mobs.

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Rapper Pitbull powers to No. 1 on singles chart (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Pitbull unleashed his first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Wednesday as "Give Me Everything" rose one place to the top, ending a record 19-week reign by lead female artists.

The Miami rapper claimed the crown more than seven years after he first appeared on the Hot 100 with "Culo" in April 2004. His journey to the top is the longest for a male soloist since Lil Wayne waited almost nine years between his first chart visit in 1999 and the 2008 five-week champ "Lollipop."

Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" fell to No. 2 after seven weeks on top (the longest stay at No. 1 this year). Before her reign, Katy Perry, Rihanna and Lady Gaga took turns at the top.

LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem," featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock, remained at No. 3. Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" spent a second week at No. 4.

Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" rose three to No. 5, passing Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory" (steady at No. 6) and Perry's former five-week No. 1 "E.T" (down two at No. 7).

Following the song's unveiling in a live performance on the June 21 episode of NBC's "The Voice," Maroon 5 -- led by series coach Adam Levine -- and featured artist and fellow "Voice" coach Christina Aguilera debuted at No. 8 with "Moves Like Jagger." Bruno Mars' "The Lazy Song" held at No. 9, and Lil Wayne's "How to Love" rose three to No. 10.

(To read more about our entertainment news, visit our blog "Fan Fare" online at http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)

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Rapper Pitbull powers to No. 1 on singles chart

Cuban-American rapper Pitbull performs during the International Song Festival in Vina del Mar city, about 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Santiago, February 24, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Eliseo Fernandez

By Gary Trust

Wed Jun 29, 2011 5:08pm EDT

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Pitbull unleashed his first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Wednesday as "Give Me Everything" rose one place to the top, ending a record 19-week reign by lead female artists.

The Miami rapper claimed the crown more than seven years after he first appeared on the Hot 100 with "Culo" in April 2004. His journey to the top is the longest for a male soloist since Lil Wayne waited almost nine years between his first chart visit in 1999 and the 2008 five-week champ "Lollipop."

Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" fell to No. 2 after seven weeks on top (the longest stay at No. 1 this year). Before her reign, Katy Perry, Rihanna and Lady Gaga took turns at the top.

LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem," featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock, remained at No. 3. Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" spent a second week at No. 4.

Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" rose three to No. 5, passing Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory" (steady at No. 6) and Perry's former five-week No. 1 "E.T" (down two at No. 7).

Following the song's unveiling in a live performance on the June 21 episode of NBC's "The Voice," Maroon 5 -- led by series coach Adam Levine -- and featured artist and fellow "Voice" coach Christina Aguilera debuted at No. 8 with "Moves Like Jagger." Bruno Mars' "The Lazy Song" held at No. 9, and Lil Wayne's "How to Love" rose three to No. 10.

(To read more about our entertainment news, visit our blog "Fan Fare" online at blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)

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Rapper Tone Loc jailed in domestic violence case (AP)

BURBANK, Calif. – The rapper Tone Loc has been arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence in Southern California.

Burbank police Sgt. Tracy Sanchez says 45-year-old Anthony Smith was arrested Saturday. That's Tone Loc's real name.

Sanchez could not confirm that the man arrested is Tone Loc, but Smith's birthdate and description in Los Angeles County jail records match those of the rapper. Sanchez also could not provide any details about the alleged victim or the circumstances.

Smith was being held in a Burbank jail on $50,000 bail.

A message left for Smith's agent Sunday was not immediately returned, and police could not say if he had hired an attorney.

Tone Loc is best known for the 1989 hip-hop hits "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina."

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Rapper 50 Cent working on anti-bullying novel (AP)

NEW YORK – Rapper 50 Cent's newest work of fiction will have an anti-bullying message.

The Penguin Young Reader Group has signed up 50 Cent's novel "Playground." The publisher announced Monday that the book is a semi-autobiographical young adult novel about bullying that will come out in January 2012. The 34-year-old rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, has acknowledged a violent childhood and dealing drugs at an early age.

He's also released a memoir, "From Pieces to Weight," and a self-help guide co-authored by Robert Greene called "The 50th Law."

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