Oh, Gucci….there’s so much hilarity going on in this mixtape cover…let us count the ways. The bottle of rose, the flatscreen tv, the roast beef sammiches, the surf and the turf, with the snow peas, and the top half of the lobster on a side plate, the strawberries, and of course, the footwear. It looks like maybe a standard issue generic all-star….but in my mind’s eye, I’m imagining black tube socks and Fila rubber slides.

But what about the actual mixtape? Gucci and DJ Holiday have put together a sequel to Gucci and DJ Drama’s Burrprint mixtape from last fall….and seeing as how Gucci has been imprisoned in Fulton County lockup since around that time, I’m interested to hear what he contributed from behind bars….

more Gucci Mane Burrrprint 2HD details and when we might hear something on missinfo.tv *wink, wink*…

(and in semi-related news…Waka Flocka locka?)

….all after the jump

(more…)

Waka Flocka Flame (who is part of Gucci Mane’s Brick Squad crew, and Mizay Mgmt as well) was shot today in an alleged robbery attempt. There are reports that it happened at a gas station or at the barbershop….either way, from what I’m hearing, Waka was not shot in the chest (as is widely rumored), and is not in critical condition. Insiders are citing arm/shoulder wounds and say that the young “O, Let’s Do It” rapper will be ok. Which is good news.

UPDATE: The bullet apparently passed through Waka’s arm, and into his ribcage, damaging his lung.

UPDATE 1-27-10: Waka Flocka called into Atlanta’s Hot 107.9 to discuss the shooting.

Related: Apocalypse-Watch: 4th Period Study Hall x Waka Flocka Flame

According to reports that are just now surfacing, about a week and a half before Christmas, Usher went into the ATT store in Buckhead, ATL, and his car was broken into and robbed of: $1 million in jewelry, $50,000 in furs and clothing, and almost $16,000 in electronics.

The idea of carrying all that in your car is just insane to me. The fact that someone can snatch that from your car in the middle of the day in an open parking lot, equally insane….but actually more diabolical. Usher was clearly being targeted by someone who knew that jewelry etc was in there. Sidenote: Usher was a helluva secret santa.

This happened over the weekend, but according to multiple reports, Chris Hines, the man in the above photo/video says he was held against his will and assaulted by Lloyd Banks and 3 men over a payment dispute after a club gig in Ontario, Canada. This allegedly happened this past Friday, and Banks and the 3 men have been in custody ever since. Banks has always been the most mild-mannered and quiet of the crew, but if he didn’t stop his boys, then that’s an equal issue. Here’s a quote from MTV’s report:
“The promoter alleged that early Saturday morning the lyricist and three associates — Nicklas Sloane, Shawn McGee, and Tyrell Cooper — held him in his hotel room against his will, assaulted and robbed him. All four men were charged with forceful confinement, aggravated assault and robbery. The four made a video court appearance on Sunday afternoon (January 10) and are due to appear in court again early this week. They remained in police custody at press time.” The action is detailed, and if the photo in the above video is credible then he was clearly injured, but the motive is murky, and the victim dances around that topic in the interview.

Mikey: Producer Shawty Redd who has worked closely with Young Jeezy and produced tracks for  Snoop Dogg and Gucci Mane has been arrested and charged with first degree murder. Details are still sketchy but news outlets are reporting that Shawty Red aka “Demetrius Lee Stewart shot and killed Damon A. Martin, 35, of Detroit, Friday morning after an altercation at Stewart’s home in Hampton.” Shawty Redd was nominated for a Grammy award in ‘08 for producing Snoop Dogg’s “Sensual Seduction” in the “Rap Song of the Year” category.

(sisters Taja and Deja Riley at an event, and dad Teddy Riley on the right)

TMZ reports:

Teddy’s 18-year-old daughter Taja Riley was granted a temporary restraining order against her dad — claiming 43-year-old Teddy abused her and her older sister by “stomping, punching and bashing them” in his L.A. home on December 23.

In the documents, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, Taja claims at one point Teddy, “lifted a Rock Band guitar and threatened to kill person(s) w/ it.”

The holidays light fire to pent-up family tension like a tattered extension cord to dry Christmas tree needles. And the house that “New Jack City” built got crazy between Teddy Riley,  his daughters Taja and Deja, and his girlfriend, Bita. Not only did the physical altercation allegedly happen, but it was world war iii on twitter too. Daughter Deja tweeted that the girlfriend was “a golddigger” who met Teddy “2 months ago” and is the “same age” as her (Deja is 21 years old). (For more, check Necole Bitchie)

Bita tried to defend herself (and cancel her twitter at Teddy’s request). Taja joined in to tell her followers that her dad had beaten her and her sister…

UPDATE: Teddy Riley released a statement denying that he beat his daughters…

“I love my Daughters, but I will not allow my children to disrespect me in my home. Contrary to what I have been accused of, I would never beat my children.

Perhaps, I should have been a stronger disciplinarian as they were growing up. I worked very hard so that my children would want for nothing.

In hindsight, I see that it was a mistake to give them everything they wanted so that they could have the childhood I never had. Unfortunately, they have taken me, and the privileged life I have given them, completely for granted. Instead of being appreciative and realizing how fortunate they are, my children have an inflated sense of entitlement and expectation without having to work or earn their way….”

(More after the jump…)
(more…)

(an old photo of T.I. leaving a court date before his prison term)

T.I. should be safely checked into the Dismas Charities Atlanta West halfway house by now, after leaving Arkansas’ Forest City federal lock up Tuesday morning. But what can he do and not do once he gets there? Halfway houses are transitional housing for prisoners easing themselves back into “productive society”…but there’s hardly a learning curve for a short-timer like Tip. The man accepted a BET Hip Hop Award via his wifey Tiny while locked up, and threw an extravagant birthday bash for the same wifey complete with Vuitton bags and diamond rings and ice sculpture….all while he was in prison. So…its not like he needs to learn how to use one of those crazy new “cellular telephones” now that he’s out.

But how will Tip be able to spend his days now that he’s at Dismas? Sandra Rose talked to Bart Borders, an Atlanta music manager who has been living at Dismas for the past month.

“Bart, who is out on work pass until 10:30 p.m. on weeknights and 11:30 p.m. on weekends, said the facility holds about 120 male inmates and 20 females — yes, females! “But they have to stay on their side,” said Bart. “The only time we get to interact with (the females) is around meal time.”

He said the halfway house has two TV rooms and two living rooms, and the food there isn’t worth writing home about. “The food ain’t worth nothing. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” he said. “But T.I. has his own money, he can order out.”

Bart, who manages rapper T. Waters, a So So Def artist, said T.I. probably won’t be able to leave on work release until after the New Year. But even then, he’s not allowed to work for himself or for his family. So he can’t work for Grand Hustle or any company he owns.**

“If I see him when I get there I’ll tell him wherever he work at to make as least money as possible, because they getting 25% of his gross.”

**I wondered if this caveat would affect Tip’s ability to qualify for work release…but I think since T.I. is contracted to Atlantic, he should be able to work just fine, right?**

The AJC also reports that once T.I. is released from Dismas, he will still have to finish out around 500 hours of community service and 23 days of house arrest.

How to Make It in America follows two enterprising Brooklyn twentysomethings as they hustle their way through New York City, determined to achieve the American Dream… (yada yada soft sell)

Legend: Kid Cudi’s acting debut kicks off on February 14th with a new comedy show on HBO titled “How To Make It In America” which boasts itself to be the “East Coast Entourage.” The show’s premise is based on a group of people trying to live out the American dream and their journey through their hustle in the Big Apple. KiD CuDi’s role as Domingo Dean stars as the “well-connected” one out the bunch and is one of the 3 lead characters.

MissInfo: Thanks to Legend for the help! That title sounds like the show is a combo of a classic Michael J. Fox movie and a classic Robin Williams/Yakov Smirnoff movie but, sadly, it is not.

UPDATE: Cudi appeared on Conan O’Brien tonite and performed “Pursuit of Happiness” below…(via Yardie)

In other Cudder news, he had an absurdly overdramatic run-in with the cops in LA because they said his truck was similar to that mentioned in a robbery. Hmm. *Cam screwface* You can see the TMZ footage after the jump…

(more…)

Well this is nice news. Last week XXLMag talked with T.I.’s lawyer Steve Sadow, who confirmed that they were working on getting T.I. transferred out of federal prison and over to a halfway house for the rest of his sentence (which ends in March 2010). And today, low and behold, Atlantic Records told BET Newsperson Sharon Carpenter that T.I. has been released and is on his way to a halfway house in Atlanta right now.

UPDATE: XXLMag spoke to Sadow again…

“He was released this morning from his place of incarceration in Arkansas,” Sadow said. “As I understand it, he’s on his way back to the Atlanta area. He has to report to a halfway house in Atlanta sometime this evening. And he will then spend somewhere between the next two or three months in a halfway house, ending his Bureau of Prison sentence.“

According to Sadow, T.I. will have a lot more freedom under his new living conditions. “A halfway house is more along the lines of a residential dormitory,” he explained of the rap star’s new stipulations. “You live within this house that is broken into areas for living, and you are permitted to leave during the day for certain reasons of which would be employment, medical reasons, things of that nature, and you return to the halfway house in the evening. So it’s a restriction on your liberty but it’s a way for you to reenter into society and not be confined within a jail type institution 24-hours a day.”

(more after the jump…)

(more…)

These are the little lines (via People) that make reporting the news ever-interesting…lines like:

“The British singer allegedly attacked a theater staffer at a holiday pantomime show in Buckinghamshire, England…”

and

“Winehouse, 26, became boisterous and shouted obscenities at the cast of a production of Cinderella, which included Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke.”

and, less so…

“Staff tried to usher her into a private box, but the singer allegedly kicked and punched front-of-house manager Richard Pound before being dragged out by her own security staff.”

Pantomime. Cinderella. Mickey Rourke. wrap your brain around that.

That is all….

no, wait. That’s not all. I just can’t let this go….so, you’re telling me that they have shows in the UK where the entire cast just pantomimes the story of Cinderella? And The Wrestler was doing it too? He was miming?

I gotta lie down.

UPDATE!!: The Rosenthals pointed out that the gory details are even more insane than I could have ever dreamed:

(see after the jump)

(more…)