| Damon Dash Facing Foreclosure On Two Homes Rocafella co-founder Damon Dash and his wife Rachel Ray is reportedly facing foreclosure on two Manhattan apartments for failing to mortgages. According to The Associated Press, Eastern Savings Bank filed court papers on Monday (August 19) claiming that the rap mogul and his wife failed to make monthly payments of $78,500 for the apartments and owe them $7.3 million in total. Representatives for Dash could not be reached for comment.  Update: Yung Joc Shoots Down Dead Beat Dad Reports, ?I Never Missed A Payment? Yung Joc recently addressed allegations made by the mother of his seven-year-old son claiming that the Atlanta rapper was behind on his child support payments. As reported earlier, Fatimah Jester went public last week claiming that Joc owed over $2,000 in court-ordered child support payments and has refused to stay in touch with her. Joc called Atlanta radio station V103 yesterday (August 18) to clarify the issue. The rapper stressed that he pays child support monthly and that Jester made a big deal out of the issue because the process to send the money was delayed. ?I never missed a payment,? Joc said. ?I don?t pay it directly to her; I pay it through [the Georgia Department of Resources Office of Child Support Services]. My banker wires the funds to DHR; they wire the funds right to her account. However long that takes, she needs to discuss that with them, and not put me out there bad like that.? Joc, who also emphasized that he spends quality time with his son, revealed he was dismayed by how the media portrayed him as a dead beat dad and pointed out his past offences. ?They brought up all the charges I been through but they never brought up the fact that since I been on I?ve contributed over half a million to charities and I do charitable work every week,? Joc stressed. ?You got cats out here that don?t even be with their kids. And it hurts even more because I am a black man?you born into this world as a black man, your back?s against the wall. So I?m trying to do everything I can to go against the odds?. Update: Judge Urges The Game To Consider Mediation In Basketball Brawl Lawsuit A Los Angeles judge presiding over an assault and battery lawsuit filed against The Game by a local basketball coach is urging both parties to resolve the suit via mediation. As reported earlier, Shannon Rodrick filed the lawsuit against Game in March claiming that the Compton rapper punched him and threatened with him with a gun during a basketball game at a Los Angeles high school in 2007. The Game would plead no contest to a felony charge of possession of a firearm in a school zone as part of a plea bargain and only served eight days behind bars. According to The Contra Costa Times, Judge Elihu M. Berle told Rodricks's lawyer today (August 19) to notify The Game that an agreement should be reached. If both parties cant come to an agreement, Rodrick could win a default juidgement against Game or the case will go to trial on March 30th, 2009. Rodrick's suit is seeking unspecified damages for the physical injuries and humiliation he suffered from the incident. Joe Budden Takes Fans Inside The Booth To Wrap Up Padded Room Joe Budden will be giving his fans a chance to watch him wrap up his long awaited sophomore album titled Padded Room. Budden and his label, Amalgam Digital, will offer a live webcast of the rapper's final studio session for Padded Room on Thursday (August 21) from 4pm-7pm ET via www.AmalgamDigital.com/TV. Padded Room, which hits stores on October 28th, will be Budden's first official release in 5 years. The first single off Padded Room is ?Touch & Go? . Budden will be releasing a video for the song in September. [Listen to "Touch & Go"] Former Editor Of The Source Dishes The Dirt In Tell-All Book Kim Osorio, the former editor-in-chief of The Source Magazine, will be releasing her tell-all book about her tumultuous tenure at the self proclaimed "Hip Hop Bible" next month. The book, titled Straight From The Source: An Expose from the Former Editor of the Hip-Hop Bible, chronicles Osorio's experiences at the magazine including the sexual harassment she faced. Osorio sued the magazine in 2005 for sexual discrimination and was awarded over $5 million by a judge. The book will hit shelves on September 9th via Pocket/VH1 Books. Jermaine Dupri Closes Doors On Atlanta Restaurant, Workers Claim They Weren?t Paid So So Def honcho Jermaine Dupri reportedly shut down his Atlanta restaurant Cafe Dupri last week and his employees claim that they haven?t been paid for weeks because of faulty checks. According to WSB-TV, the restaurant?s employees claim that prior to the business shutting down they had been receiving bounced checks and no action was taken to get them fully compensated. ?Just about everybody in the restaurant got checks that were no good? said former bartender Amy Fosse. ?Every time I go to the bank, they say ?Maybe come back tomorrow, there is nothing here??. ?It's a mess,? added Lakeisha Ross, a former cook. The workers claim they were not notified of the restaurant?s closure and only found out after coming to work to find a post on the doors saying the eatery was "closed indefinitely". Dupri?s mother, Tina Mauldin, who serves as CEO for the restaurant, claims that all the workers have been paid and the restaurant?s closure was a ?business decision?. Mauldin would take a swipe at her former employees saying that if they had worked harder, the restaurant would still be open. Beyonce, Rihanna, Keyshia Cole, Ciara & Mariah Carey Collaborate On ?Just Stand Up? R&B superstars Beyonce, Rihanna, Keyshia Cole, Ciara and Mariah Carey have teamed up to record a charitable song called ?Just Stand Up? in support of the ?Stand Up to Cancer Fundraising Campaign? Daily Variety reports ?Just Stand Up? also features Ashanti, Fergie, Leona Lewis and Miley Cyrus. The song was produced by Kenneth ?Babyface? Edmonds and Antonio ?L.A.? Reid and will be available on iTunes on September 2nd. Profits gained from the single will be used to support cancer research. In addition, ?Just Stand Up? will be performed live during the ?Stand Up to Cancer? telethon which will air simultaneously on ABC, CBS and NBC on September 5th. R. Kelly Sues L.A. Nightclub Over Fake Advertising Chicago R&B crooner R.Kelly has filed a lawsuit against a Los Angeles club for using his name to promote an event without his permission. TMZ reports that Kelly claims Sugar nightclub used his name and image on fliers claiming that he would be hosting one of their parties. Kelly filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday (August 16). He is seeking damages from the ill gotten gains by the club. In related news, Kelly is currently working on his ninth solo album titled 12 Play: 4th Quarter. Earlier this year, Kelly released a single from the album called ?Hair Braider.? [Watch The ?Hair Braider Video] Scott Storch Produces Lucky Luciano Flick Scott Storch?s well documented financial woes haven?t stopped the beatmaker from working. Daily Variety reports that Storch will be among a group of producers behind a film based on American mobster Charles ?Lucky? Luciano. The film, which is currently untitled, will chronicle Luciano?s rise from a small time thug from New York?s Lower Eastside to one of America?s most infamous crimes bosses. Storch and his associates, which include former independent record promoter Joe Isgro, are currently raising a $35 million budget for the film. The film will be produced via Isgro's Full Force Productions company. Crash co-writer Bobby Moresco is currently working on the film's script. News Wizard |