Work Raise Blog

Previously: Be a Nigger To(1st poster)

(L note: I dont know about ya’ll but I like the 1st version better)

Previously: Kobe Jumps over Aston martin

“Flashing Lights” 2nd Version
Kanye West

Apparently Kanye Shot 3 versions of Flashing Lights. This is Version 2

Previously: 1st version of “Flashing Lights”

A Chicago judge has given the Chicago Sun-Times a week to respond to a motion asking for one of its reporters to testify in R. Kelly’s child pornography trial.

According to the Associated Press, the defense wants to reporter Jim DeRogatis the origin of the alleged R. Kelly sex tape came from when he received it in 2002.

They also wanted to know if he had copied to the videotape as well.

A lawyer for the paper says DeRogatis’ actions should be privileged under the First Amendment.

The judge will make a ruling on the motion May 30th.

On Wednesday (May 21), four witnesses identified the allegedly victim, who is now 23, as the one on the sex tape, although she has denied that notion all together.

The girl’s uncle and aunt, however, identify her as the one in the tape.

Additionally, a former best friend of the girl, Simha Jamison, took the stand yon Wednesday as well, where she told prosecutors she recognizes her friend as the one in the tape. Jamison also identified Kelly as the man on the tape after spotting him in the courtroom.

While the prosecution continues to try to prove that Kelly is, indeed, the man on the videotape, the singer’s defense team maintains that it is not, and further claim the image has been digitally altered.

“Something could have been done to put a different head on that body,” Defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. said, according to the AP.

Under cross-examination Adam confronted the alleged female victim’s uncle and aunt. He asked the aunt, Delores Gibbon, why she didn’t go to authorities when she suspected the tape might be child pornography. Gibson said that she was torn.

Adam told the courtroom that Gibbon hoped to “extort Kelly” in a possible civil lawsuit. She denied the accusation.

Kanye West, Common & Method Man were sued yesterday (May 22) by the daughter of late Jazz musician Joe Farrell.

According to Billboard.com, Kathleen Firrantello filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in New York alleging that the artists and their labels (various labels under Universal named in the suit) used her father’s music without permission.

The lawsuit alleges that all of the artists used portions of a song called “Upon This Rock”. The following songs alleged to have offended are named:

Kanye West “Gone”
Common “Chi-City”
Method Man & Redman “Run 4 Cover”.

Firrantello is seeking damages of no less than $1 million and asked that no further copies of the songs be made, sold or performed, according to the lawsuit.

A Blowback/DASH/SONY/SPLASH production Jim Jones has come a long way in the music industry, growing up in the Harlem streets, Diplomat Records success, to a full blown solo superstar and business mogul.

This film follows Jim through the life that led him to success, from his early Harlem days to the birth of DIPSET to the life he lives today. Now, Jim is on the verge of really breaking out of the box: After having the biggest hip hop song in 2006 “Ballin’” and taking a Corporate position at a Major Label, many doors are being opened for Jimmy to take his Movement to the Next Level. The question is, can Jim Jones break out from his superstar influence of Street Credibility and hood influence and Crossover to worldwide marketability, fame, success and Superstardom. Follow the journey as This Jim Jones documentary tells the Rise of Jim Jones from his early Catholic School days, Growing up in Harlem, all his Success Step by Step and seeing what’s Next for Jim.

We will follow Jim around Harlem, sit in the studio while he completes his new album, go on Music, Fashion and Movie meetings, as well as hear from the people that have lived this experience with Jim. Learn who this businessman truly is and where he is going.

(source)

In the up-coming issue of Entertainment Weekly (on newsstands May 26) Nas talks about his new untitled album and previews some of its vivid lyrical content.

Entertainment Weekly sat down with Nas and previewed three of the album’s songs:

“In “Y’all My N—-s,” Nas defiantly addresses the controversy over his originally proposed album title (”No apologies on the issue/If it offends you, it’s meant to, simple as that”). “There’s so much confusion with the n—– word,” he explains. “But we should allow anybody to talk about who they are and not feel threatened or attacked because of it.”

“In “This Is Not America,” Nas offers his perspective on what’s wrong with our country. “America is beautiful, and it has so much to offer,” Nas says, “but there’s a lot that it has to fix.” He offers some pointed examples here (”The death penalty/In Texas kills young boys and girls, barbarity”) over a simmering sample from David Bowie and the Pat Metheny Group’s 1985 single “This Is Not America.”

“In “Sly Fox,” Nas devotes the song to the Fox News Channel. “Bush tells lies and Fox trots,” raps an outraged Nas. He’s particularly fed up with the way Fox pundit Bill O’Reilly criticized his sometimes violent lyrics last year: “They say I’m all about murder and kill, kill/But what about Grindhouse and Kill Bill?” Cracks Nas, “Man, Bill O’Reilly’s hatred toward hip-hop is hilarious.”

Nas’s new album, originally titled “N*gger” but now untitled is due in stores July 1.

Former R. Kelly protégé Sparkle took the stand yesterday afternoon in a heated testimony, identifying both Kelly and her relative - the alleged victim - as both being in the tape.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Sparkle testified that she introduced the girl to Kelly shortly after she signed to Kelly’s Rockland Records in 1996.

Sparkle says that she brought the girl, who was an aspiring rapper, to both Kelly’s studio and later his home when the girl was 12 or 13 years-old. She said that a lawyer’s assistant brought her the video in question in 2001 for a positive ID where she identified the girl in the video as her relative.

“He liked her spirit,” Sparkle said. “She was a very jolly person at the time, very personable, a little tomboyish. She was my heart.” She also said that the surfacing of the tape split their once close knit family into separate factions.

While being cross examined, Kelly’s defense lawyer, Edward Genson, attempted to paint Sparkle’s testimony as being motivated by money and revenge, partially stemming from her split with Kelly’s label.

The defense also asked if she ever suspected or noticed things going on between the two.

“I would see little hints of something,” she said. “But I would hope that it was nothing, that nothing was going on, that nothing was happening. I saw little things, nothing to get crazy about.”

When Genson tried to suggest that the tape may have been doctored, Sparkle interrupted, “Sir, it’s Robert and [the relative] on the tape. I know my family.”

When it was pointed out that the female in the tape is seen taking money, Edwards replied, “Just like he made her do. She’s a robot on this tape. You can clearly see Robert passing her money like she’s a prostitute.”

Sparkle, whose self-titled debut album went platinum, is best known for her 1998 hit with Kells, “Be Careful.” She said that she first met the singer in 1989, and would later marry and subsequently divorce a member of his former backup band, Public Announcement.