damn shame.
Buju Banton (real name: Mark Myrie) was sentenced to 10 years in a Federal prison today in Tampa, Florida, on charges of “conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and using a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.”

The judge dismissed a gun charge that would have added another 5 years to the sentence, but still ignored pleas for leniency from some of some of his 15 children, Stephen Marley, NBA player Etan Thomas, and even Danny Glover, who vouched for Banton as a “role model, philanthropist and spiritual leader in the community.”

If you remember, he was found guilty of those charges just one week after winning a Grammy earlier this year….but the whole thing started back in 2009, when Buju sat next to a man named Alexander Johnson on a flight. Johnson, a career criminal turned paid informant, who hounded Buju for months to connect him with cocaine suppliers. During the trail, Buju insisted that he was just “fronting” to seem street-affiliated:
“You gave (the informant) every reason to believe you were a player in the cocaine game,” [prosecutors] said.
Banton shot back: “We were both trying to impress each other. I was just making things up. I was just talking crap. I talk too much.”

Related:
Buju Banton wins Grammy last week, is found guilty of 2009 cocaine conspiracy this week…Meanwhile, his informant is paid $50,000
Fugitive Mobster James “Whitey” Bulger Captured by FBI After 16 Year Manhunt
Jimmy Henchmen Arrested By Drug Enforcement Agents in Manhattan
The Tupac Quad Studio Confession: Are You Sure You Know Who Shot Pac?

Every part of this long and complicated saga defies comprehension. Since the news broke last week of prison-lifer Dexter Isaac and his Tupac robbery “confession”, I’ve been hearing from OG insiders (both on the media side and the street side) about the infamous social circles that Tupac ran in back in the mid-90’s here in New York City.

Today, one of the most controversial figures in that web, Jimmy Henchman was caught by Feds….but in the oddest way.

Henchmen has been on the run since Drug Enforcement Agents issued a warrant for his arrest in May…in court papers, they accused him of “being the leader of [a drug ring] that distributed hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and generated millions of dollars in sales.” At first it seemed that he was going to turn himself in, but then he disappeared…

Only to be found at the W Hotel right by Union Square in Manhattan? *scratches head*
What kind of low-key hiding place is that?

More details
after the jump…
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While this past weekend was filled with Mom appreciation, NBA playoffs, Tina Fey in maternity pants, and the adoration of Shane Mosley’s girlfriend, Bella…..on Sunday night there was also headier things going on with President Obama’s interview with Steve Kroft on 60 Minutes. Basically an extended, public debriefing of what happened in Pakistan one week ago, when Navy Seals killed Osama Bin Laden, while the Pres and his cabinet monitored from their Situation Room.

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(left to right: Miss Info, Angie Martinez and 50 Cent at the Things Fall Apart screening on Monday, photo by IMAGES/SHAREIF ZIYADAT)

The trade-offs that people make for fame have changed over the years. The ways in which “celebrities” are rewarded (and the things they are rewarded for) has expanded. And so has the scrutiny and the pitfalls. I picture all our heroes and villains skating on a frozen lake. The lake keeps getting bigger, the range of performers and the audience keeps growing too; but the more flood lights we add from the sidelines, the thinner the ice gets.

There has been much discussion (and derision) since rumors surfaced that legendary DJ Mister Cee was arrested with a man named Lawrence Campbell for “misdemeanor public lewdness and indecent exposure charges.” The uproar is predictable but some of the off-color commentary has come from people that surprised me. Police reports and news outlets reasonably confirm that the arrest happened and details are readily available.

What has been less public, but taking place privately between many many people who know and respect Cee as a friend, co-worker, and most importantly, as a legendary DJ….is the discussion of:
How he moves past this, whether it changes our opinion of him, and how this fits into the larger issues of lifestyle, fame, prejudice and compassion.

On Monday, 50 Cent and I had this conversation on the record. A surprising and moving convo in many ways. We’re preparing a video of the interview right now. But here’s a preview that I included on Celebrity Drama last night.

Miss Info Celebrity Drama featuring 50 Cent: Part 1 (download)


Miss Info Celebrity Drama featuring 50 Cent: Part 2 (download)

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Jsmooth/IllDoctrine on The Unbearable Gripe-ness of C.Breezy….

It was 2 years ago, I’m sure in your mind it seems like 8000 years ago….if the biggest price you pay for that horrible thing you did is that you have to answer some tough interview questions once in a while…you’re getting really easy. Have you ever heard of Muhammad Ali, did you know that the government took away 3 years of his life, in the prime of his career, just because he stood up for his rights and refused to go to Vietnam?….the price you paid is what? You didn’t do any jail time, you didn’t lose your record deal….you get to be all over American media promoting your album. You’re going on “106 n Park,” “Dancing With The Stars,” right after you trashed ABC’s office. You’re like the Golden Child of the media, what are you crying about?!”

“Whenever you feel the urge to scream and cry like youre the Bradley Manning of R&B…and nobody knows the trouble you’ve seen? Just take a deep breath, google Paul Robeson and get a grip on yourself.”

Related:
Chris Brown Apologizes for his “Good Morning America” Incident
New Music: Chris Brown “All About You” & NYC Album Release Party
Chris Brown, Enraged by Rihanna Questions, Goes Hulk On Good Morning America Staff
Ill Doctrine on the two sides of Nate Dogg’s Legacy

Clef and Pras talk to CNN about Saturday’s incident in Haiti, which left Clef with an injured hand. Pras tweeted that his cousin had been shot. Apparently that was an overstatement. Now they don’t want to add any alarm to the already contentious political climate in Haiti because they want the presidential elections to go “smoothly.” And when asked if he thinks he was shot at? Wyclef says he won’t speculate.
Speaking of speculation, Haitian police reportedly said that Clef’s hand was injured by a shard of glass. If the glass resulted from gunshots then it’s basically the same atmosphere of danger, but there are some questions. Clef isn’t running in the election, so publicity wouldn’t serve a purpose, which is why I don’t necessarily think this is a stunt. However, Pras’ claim that “we don’t really wanna focus on that, because we don’t want to distract from the elections….” seems hollow.

Gotta love this statement from his rep: “Fortunately, Wyclef is fine, undeterred by the incident and looking forward to his return home to finish his forthcoming album.”

Previously:
Wyclef Recovering After Being Shot In The Hand In Haiti
Wyclef talks to NME about the shooting in Haiti

(Drake, far left, and Mavado, far right, backstage at BritJam in MoBay, Jamaica)

Drake was warned, watch your mouth when you hit the stage at Brit Jam! But he didn’t heed his friend Mavado’s warning and narrowly avoided a criminal charge with least street-cred upside, lol.

During a recent performance at Fantasy Island for the weeklong BritJam festival, Mavado brought on his friend Drake for a special guest appearance. Drake is currently an artist-in-residence at Jamaica’s luxury resort, GeeJam, where everyone from Gwen Stefani to Amy Winehouse have combined retreat and recording. But even though he was told to keep the language clean, Drake must have gotten caught up in the moment, when he said something like “Everywhere me go, me seh Jamaica to the blood clot world.”
“Blood clot” being the definition of “indecent language” in Montego Bay’s local rule book.

Now in the past, MoBay authorities have charged high profile cuss-offenders like Snoop, Ja Rule, and even Jamaican acts like Beenie Man and Sean Paul. But according to Brit Jam insiders, Drake’s own guards grabbed him off the stage and pulled him away, so even though police were there, he avoided getting arrested.

Watch video of Drake’s interrupted performance with Mavado at Brit Jam…
After the jump
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(Buju goes to court in Tampa, FL)

The irony is so thick you could cut it with a knife here….

Last week, Buju Banton won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album for Behind the Dawn. Today, a federal court in Tampa found the dancehall legend guilty of…conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and using the telephone to facilitate a drug crime. (He was acquitted of attempted possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute.)

Buju now faces possible life in prison. But he has always insisted that he was set up by the Fed’s informant, Alexander Johnson, a man he met on a plane. Buju testified that he dodged Johnson’s calls for months, and was even home asleep when his co-defendants ended up paying $135k to undercover agents for 5+ kilos of cocaine. But Buju was taped tasting the coke in a warehouse, and he admitted that he pretended to be a celebrity with drug connections…which, in the end, was his downfall.

“Banton, a father of 15, said in earlier taped recordings with the informant that he was “stressed out,” and noted that he needed money to pay for his kids’ school tuition.
Prosecutor Preston hammered Banton during cross examination, saying that the 37-year-old singer went out of his way to portray himself as a drug financier.
“You gave (the informant) every reason to believe you were a player in the cocaine game,” Preston said.
Banton shot back: “We were both trying to impress each other. I was just making things up. I was just talking crap. I talk too much.”
Two other Jamaican musicians, Stephen Marley and Gramps Morgan, testified on Banton’s behalf Wednesday and said their friend definitely spoke with swagger — but is a hardworking musician and beloved musician in his native Jamaica who never had contact with cocaine.
“He’s a big talker,” said Marley, who is the son of reggae legend Bob Marley. (source)“

Just think about this: what if all the “big talkers” in hip hop were held accountable for their roleplaying?

Another crazy part to this story….This informant, Alexander Johnson, made $50k from the US government for luring in Buju. And has made $3.3 million total off of his work as an informant in the past 14 years. That’s a lucrative career.

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“You don’t know nann…”

If you put all the tourbus antics of the Def Jam “Survival of the Fittest” tour, all the champagne room antics at King of Diamonds, and everything that’s ever happened at Kid Cudi’s apartment….and combined it all together, it still wouldn’t come even close to the realness of one week in the life of Charlie Sheen.

This guy’s living the lives of 5 different people, and 4 of them are insane drug-crazed porn-addicts. The other one is a dad who somehow manages to hold down a weirdly successful tv career. In fact, according to Hollywood Reporter, the studio-execs want to force rehab on Charlie before he ends up dead, but they need an excuse. “Charlie has been partying pretty hard but he’s showed up and done his job…Everyone likes him. he’s professional.”

Professional enough to remember lines, then go home for a 36 hour binge party with hookers, and a visit from a guy who drops off “fist-sized” hunks of coke in a Gucci duffle. (take that, Playaz Circle!) The best/worst part of this latest Sheen scandal is this TMZ interview that one of his houseguests, “pornsta” Kacey Chrysler did.

“When I first saw [Charlie], he was f–kin’ wasted. I was trying to get to that point too…He gave me a kiss and blows [crack smoke] into my mouth…we watched porn for like 2 hours. He has so much porn…He wasn’t doing anything except holding his green pipe and hitting it….If I didn’t leave I woulda ended up in the hospital, I couldn’t keep up…I hope he gets better.”

When the bopper who’s down to try crack on a whim is worried for your health…you know you’re a trenta-sized trainwreck.

UPDATE: Charlie “Wildman” Sheen enters rehab, “Two and a Half Men” on hiatus.
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Former Bad Boy rapper G-Dep, famously known for his 2001 hits “Let’s Get It” and “Special Delivery” walked into the 25th Precinct in New York City on Wednesday (December 15th) and confessed to a 17 year old murder that he committed back in 1993.

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