Rihanna To Face Tattoo Penalties

Seems Rihanna thought that it would be just nifty to give someone, or two, or three a tattoo of her infamous umbrellas in NYC last night. Unfortunately... the fun was also illegal.

Rihanna herself, picked up a tattoo needle last night at a parlor in NYC. We're told RiRi tattooed three of East Side Ink's artists with umbrellas and the letter R. None of her pet projects cared that she didn't have a license, but you better believe that the New York City Law Department did. They say Rihanna could be slapped with three misdemeanors for the offense, each with its own hefty penalty, which could be as much as $300 for the first offense, $500 for the second and $1,000 for the third.

Sources say the tattoo shop could also face considerable fines of its own if the NYC Law Dept. decides to open an investigation.

UPDATE: The NYC Health Department just told TMZ: "Only licensed tattoo artists can administer tattoos in the city according to the City's Health Code and they also plan to investigate the incident. All I wanna know is... who the hell snitched? I mean really... I know the NYC Health Dept wasn't there... so somebody went and ran their mouth!

Evander Holyfields Home In Foreclosure... Again?

Is former heavyweight champ, Evander Holyfield, going through some hard times right now?

According to a recent report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Holyfield's Fayette County, Georgia home is in danger of going into foreclosure for the second time this year. A lien holder is demanding full repayment of the original $10 million loan, with an auction scheduled for July 7 on the Fayette County Courthouse steps.

The boxer's estate is a 109-room mansion, complete with a Olympic sized swimming pool, a bowling alley and movie theater -- all sitting on a whopping 235 acres. The estate is said to cost more than $1 million a year just to maintain. Holyfield doesn't want to let it go through.

Last June, a foreclosure notice was issued, but Holyfield was able to strike a deal to keep the home, and later addressed financial trouble rumors, claiming he wasn't "broke. I'm just not liquid."

"To attack that house in any way, or suggest he get rid of it ... that's just not going to fly with him," Holyfield’s former accountant Sam Gainer told the paper. "That's his trophy, his symbol of success."

The 46-year-old boxer also has a second Fayette property under foreclosure, with an original loan amount of $216,000.

During his boxing career, Holyfield grossed more than $248 million. But, after two divorces, several failed business ventures and child support payments (believed to total $500,000 annually), his fortune has taken a beating. He hasn't fought since December, when he lost to WBA champion Nikolai Valuev in Switzerland. However, his last big boxing payday was back in 2003, when he received $5 million to fight James Toney.

Curtis Conway's Ex Wants Mo Money Mo Money Mo Money!!!

Curtis Conway, the husband of boxer Laila Ali, has found himself being dragged into the courtroom. Seems Curtis' ex-wife Leoria wants more child support. Curtis and Leoria have three children together: Cameron and Kelton (12 y/o twins), and Leilani, 8 (pictured above). The dreaded ex is wanting more child support because she believes that because of who he's married to, Curtis is now rollin in the dough.

It's being reported that Laila ain't havin that... and I don't blame her. Ol girl is trying to capitalize off of the Ali family name which ain't right, but... we all know that if this was an ordinary family it would probably go in the favor of the ex- so we shall see. I say they fight this joint on out in the ring... What do you guys think?

Perez Hilton Sues P.E.Ps Manager

Perez Hilton's lawyer wasn't kidding about those threats. The blogger has just sued Black Eyed Peas road manager Polo Molina for battery and infliction of emotional distress over an alleged incident at Sunday's MuchMusic Video Awards that left Hilton roughed up and distressed enough to post an expletive-laden video on his website.

Here's the Hilton complaint, and a statement from lawyer Bryan Freedman:

"Perez Hilton was assaulted by the Band’s road manager because he would not agree to stop writing about the Black Eyed Peas on his website Perezhiton.com. Perez Hilton files this lawsuit to protect his freedom of speech and seeks legal redress against those who have physically assaulted him because they do not like his review of their album. Whether you love Perez or hate him, he is entitled to his freedom of speech without fear of physical violence. This lawsuit will make the statement that violence is never the answer. His First Amendment rights will be vigorously protected.”

I don't care... that's what he gets!!! I hope his punk ass has learned his lesson!

Lil Wayne's Attorney's Say Dope Dogs Were Dirty... say that 10x fast!

Lil Wayne and his team of lawyers were in court again today for the January 2008 bust made on Wayne's tour bus in Arizona.

For those of you who don't know exactly what went down, here's the skinny; Weezy was busted in January 2008 at a border checkpoint in Arizona, where authorities found cocaine, ecstasy and a handgun on his tour bus.

Wayne's lawyer told the judge he thinks the drug-sniffing dogs used in the bust may not have been reliable because they weren't adequately trained. Point being, that if the dogs weren't reliable, the resulting search was illegal and the drugs shouldn't be used as evidence.

Hmmm... well I think it's pretty baseless seeing that the "unreliable" dogs sniffed out the coke and ecstacy don't ya think Mr. Attorney? The judge has yet to rule on whether Wayne's lawyer can probe into how the dogs were trained.

Papoose Linked to Rikers Island Slashings

More silliness in the world of rap. A New York Post article has linked New York rapper and Remy Ma's fiance', Papoose to a 2006 inmate slashing on Riker’s Island.

Per a source in the story, the rapper was pressured by members of the Bloods organization to give inmates the message to go ahead with the attack. The rapper put on a show at the prison for low-risk inmates, and two of those inmates were subsequently slashed in the face after he flashed gang signs on stage, according to the Post.

The Brooklyn rapper demanded at the last minute that two of his friends, each incarcerated in different jails, be brought to see his concert in the George Motchan Detention Center’s gym. Officials initially denied his request but gave in when Papoose threatened to cancel... cancel then dumbass... not like you're a well known rapper anyway!!!

According to the article, high-ranking supervisors stepped in and permitted the transfer, During the set, Papoose flashed Bloods signs, according to an official. Inmates associated with the Bloods erupted in cheers, according to another source. Suspected Bloods members slashed two prisoners in the face with razors when the set ended.

Papoose's spokespeople have yet to comment on the incident or the article. But why is this mess just now coming out three years later... and who the hell says that Papoose is the MAIN cause of all of this??? I'm just playing devils advocate here.

Beyonce Sues John & Jane Doe

I always thought that you had to have actual names in order to sue someone? Well... I guess I was wrong because Beyonce is suing a few unknown folks herself.

Beyonce is going after a bunch of John and Jane Does for selling fake items at her concerts. Beyonce has filed a federal lawsuit today in New York, alleging that a pile of shady people have sold knock-off CDs and merchandise in "the vicinity" of past concerts she's performed at around the world. Beyonce believes the piracy is bound to happen again -- specifically at her upcoming concerts at Madison Square Garden on June 21 and 22 -- so she's asking the court to deem it illegal before the bootlegged items hits the streets again.

Usher Wants EVERYTHING!

More and more details about the Usher/Tameka Foster divorce are coming to light. According to divorce documents filed by Usher this past Friday, the couple have actually been separated since July 2008. While they were going around like they were still together, they actually were not—meaning that the couple only lived as man and wife for 11 months. I guess long enough to make the two babies Usher V, and Naviyd.

The court documents read: "The marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken," which means there is no going back "There is no reasonable hope of reconciliation.". DAMN!

It also has come out that Tameka hired a detective to follow Usher around to check up on his infidelity. Usher wants the right to be able to look at all the documentation Tameka has kept during the course of their marriage, which began Aug. 3, 2007. This includes tax files, paycheck stubs, bank account information and other financial records, insurance policies, real-estate rental agreements, medical records and automobile registrations.

On the more personal—and potentially acrimonious—side of things, he's also seeking copies of "notes, cards, letters, photographs, film, documents, tapes, voice recordings, gift, jewelry, clothes" or other evidence that reflects on Usher's conduct during their marriage, as well as detective reports, photos or recordings that have resulted from either "surveillance or investigation" of her onetime better half. That whole thing ties into the rumors that Tameka hiring a private investigator as stated before.

Making sure no stone is left unturned—or potentially leaked to the media, no doubt—he's also requesting copies of "any and all diaries or personal notes kept…during the course of the marriage." Finally, Usher is asking for joint legal and physical custody of their two sons together, 18-month-old Usher V and 6 month-old Naviyd Ely, saying the tots "are substantially dependent upon each party for support."

Damn... between Usher and Nas... I wonder who's going to come out on top! This is gettin good!

Rihanna Sued For By Neighbor

Rihanna's L.A. neighbor is taking her to court.

UCLA professor Christian Moeller is suing the "Umbrella" singer for letting her friends park on his lawn. Sounds silly right? Yeah I thought so too. Here's how the story goes:

Rihanna rents a home owned by Stephen Yacobian, whose house is next door to Moeller's. Moeller gave Yacobian an easement -- the right to drive cars on a portion of Moeller's property. But two years ago, Yacobian renovated the property and the easement wasn't really being used. To make matters a lot worse, since Rihanna moved in she's been allowing cars to drive on Moeller's lawn to get to her driveway... and the suit claims sometimes the cars just sit there on the lawn.So Moeller wants the easement eliminated. As for Rihanna, Moeller is suing her for allowing people and cars to trespass on his property.

Why sue though? Why go through all of this and not just go to Rihanna and ask her if she knew about the easement and how to properly use it?

Lil Wayne Fails To Halt Documentary

New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne and his attorneys have had their efforts to stop the inclusion and release of “private and sensitive” material for a documentary thwarted by a California Superior Court.

On Friday (June 12), California Superior Court Judge Michael Mink denied the Cash Money Records rapper’s motion to prevent Digerati (QD3 Entertainment) from releasing a documentary titled The Carter in its entirety. Court records show that the judges decision was reached based on the facts that the evidence Wayne’s attorney’s used as the basis for the suit were not strong enough to justify the rapper’s allegations.

At the center of the suit are claims that, “Lil Wayne’s reputation and the value of his identity can be diminished by an unauthorized use of his image and persona, or by association with a movie or purported ‘authorized’ documentary that, in reality, does not meet with his approval and depicts him in a negative light and/or engaged in criminal conduct.”

Friday’s ruling marks the latest development in the case, as well as another setback for Lil Wayne regarding The Carter film. In April, Digerati’s search for a distributor for the documentary was cleared after a preliminary injunction to halt The Carter’s release was also rejected. The Carter was later screened at the Sundance Film Festival to an enthusiastic reception, despite a request from Lil Wayne’s management to cut certain scenes that showed what the suit deemed as a "scandalous portrayal" of the rapper without his approval.

Lil Wayne sued Digerati for breach of contract, fraud and invasion of privacy in light of accusations that The Carter's producer, Quincy Jones III, failed to make good on a promise to give Lil Wayne approval of the final cut of the feature. Besides the denial of the motion, Mink awarded sanctions against the New Orleans-based rap star and his attorneys in the amount of $5,000 to which should be paid within 30 days. Also, the rapper has been ordered to appear for deposition at the offices of Digerati’s attorneys in Los Angeles by no later than July 31.

At that time, the rapper will be asked to disclose details pertaining to scenes in The Carter documentary that he feels are harmful to his ongoing criminal cases.

Two Producers Sue Block ENT. Over Joc/Zoe Tracks

Two Block Entertainment producers have filed a joint lawsuit against the Atlanta-based label, citing the breach of several contracts and a failure to pay royalties on the label’s part.

The suit was filed in Atlanta by Dee Jay Dana, born Dana Ramey, and Flawda Water, born Lester Purnell, on Tuesday. The pair claim that Block Entertainment, LLC fraudulently entered both producers into an agreement with EMI April Music by forging their signatures in a 2006 agreement between the companies. The plaintiffs claim to have each entered into an “In House Producer Agreement” with Block Ent, with Ramey signing his agreement in April 2006, and Purnell following suit in July of the same year.

Under the agreement, both producers were to obtain rights on the music they received as well as royalties on the sale of those recordings. Both claim they never received what was promised under the contracts, despite having fulfilled their specified duties. The lawsuit further claims that the “In House Producer agreements” signed by both Ramey and Purnell were instrumental in Block Entertainment securing a deal with EMI April Music, Inc. in July 2006.

The deal also transferred both beatmakers’ rights to EMI, a transfer they claim was made possible because they claim their signatures were forged on the documents. Furthermore, the two claim that the deal bound them to EMI “for a period that has hindered their ability to continue working as music producers.” The court documents also bring into question agreements signed by each producer for specific songs produced in 2006 and 2007 for Block Entertainment artists, stating that not only have the producers failed to receive the royalties due for their work, they also failed to receive full advance payment for the recordings.

Ramey produced “New Joc City” and “Flip Flop” for Yung Joc’s 2006 debut. Between 2006 and 2007, he also produced two songs on Gorilla Zoe’s debut Welcome to the Zoo, including the album’s lead single “Hood Figga,” and the bulk of Boyz N Da Hood’s sophomore effort Back Up n Da Chevy, including the lead single “Everybody Know Me.” Pursuant to the agreements signed for each song, Ramey was to have received a total of $82,500 in advances, plus the applicable royalties yielded from the sale of those projects. To date, however, Ramey claims to have only received $41,250, or half of the advances due on each song. Purnell, who produced the song “I Know” from Welcome to the Zoo, stated he has only received $2500 of the $5000 advance stipulated in his contract, with no royalty payments received. The two producers have requested a trial by jury and a judgment that would cover their back owed monies and legal fees. They are also seeking punitive damages against Block Entertainment in connection to the alleged fraud perpetrated in the negations with EMI. Both Block Entertainment founder and CEO Russell “Block” Spencer and label president Rico Brooks declined AllHipHop.com’s request for comment.

Geto Boys' Willie D Indicted On Wire Fraud

Remember the Geto Boyz from Houston? They did the joint "My Mind is Playin Tricks on Me"... well one of the members of the old school rap group, Willie D, was indicted on charges of wire fraud on Tuesday (June 9), stemming from accusations that he had sold iPhones and other electronics online without delivering the items.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the 42-year-old rapper (real name: William James Dennis) was charged with collecting money from online customers, via eBay, but failed to deliver their merchandise.

He was arrested in May when authorities caught him posing as an electronic salesman from a company known as Texas One Wireless, attracting international customers on eBay. Once someone showed interested, Willie D conducted business via e-mail, instructing buyers into transferring payments to his bank account.

He then emailed over tracking numbers to his buyers for items not even shipped, while Dennis claimed he filed complaints with the U.S. Postal Service and other carriers. The FBI opened an investigation into his operation after several victims reported they had not received their items and had been refunded. If convicted, Willie D could face up to 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years supervised probation upon release. He may also be ordered to make restitution to his victims. Willie D is well known as of the founding members of the pioneering southern rap trio, the Geto Boys, who enjoyed success with their hit song "My Mind Is Playing Tricks On Me" in the 90s. He recently released a Geto Boys reunion album, titled Resurrection.

Drake Readies Lawsuit For Leaked Music

For all of you who have recently downloaded the unauthorized leaked Drake album from the i-net, well be prepared to have your -ish mysteriously disappear. The recently released unauthorized album featuring the Canadian singer/rapper/actor Drake will be the focus of a new lawsuit the entertainer plans to file.

Drake is planning a lawsuit against Canadian Money Entertainment over the release, titled The Girls Love Drake. The unauthorized album, which was released May 28 by Canadian Money, includes songs from Drake's mixtape, 'So Far Gone', as well as other tracks. It was distributed by the Independent Online Distribution Alliance (IODA) on iTunes, Rhapsody and Amazon.

According to Drake’s manager, Al Branch, Drake or his affiliated label Young Money is associated with the album. Currently, the rapper is at the center of a major bidding war between three major record labels. At the heart of the suit are uncleared samples for So Far Gone and two other mixtapes. Drake’s camp has gone on record saying it did not authorize The Girls Love Drake. A chief concern for Branch involves Young Money or October's Own, Drake's label, potentially being sued because the mixtape samples have not been legally cleared for use.

Artists sampled for the mixtapes include rapper David Banner as well as singers Goapele and Colin Munroe.

Louis Vuitton Has Beef With Rick Ross

Ya know... you would think that with all of the influence that rap music has on the fashion world, that most of the top designers that are getting free pub by many of the artist wearing their brands would be appreciative right? WRONG!!!

Out of all of the genre's of music, the urban music artists whether it be rap, hip hop, r&b, pop, whatever, has had the most influence in what brands people go out and cop on their next shopping ventures. Wear is the loooooooove ya'll?

LVMH, which is the parent company that owns Louis Vuitton has set it's sights on it's next target- Rick Ross. Apparently the folks over at Louis V could give a good hot damn about more pub because they sicked their attorneys on the Miami rapper by sending an email to the editors of hip-hop mag XXL which featured Rick on cover of it's May issue, and the fashion press explaining their vehemenant disapproval of Rick wearing their shades on the cover. A LV in-house attorney explained the frames are not authentic and they did not grant permission for Ross or the mag to use them, so it is considered an illegal activity.

Whoa whoa whoa! Are these people serious? So is it illegal for me to be carrying my Gucci bag while taking pictures and posting them on my Myspace? Geeeet the fugg outta here Louis V. Ross is refuting the idea that the glasses are fakes and says they are authentic and he had them 'tricked out' by Jacob "Jack" Bernstein a.k.a. the Sunglasses Pimp of Jack's Eyewear in L.A.

Here is what Rick Ross had to say in response to all this mess in an interview he did recently with allhiphop.com

>"It's the same thing as buying a Rolls Royce and having it tricked out; just because the product has been customized by me doesn't take away from the fact that the frames are authentic. Louis Vuitton Millionaires."

Not quite sure what dude was trying to say but I know what he meant and I'm with him on this one. This is ridiculous. Remember a few months back when T.I. was shooting his Swing Ya Rag video and he was using a Gucci rag and the lame as folks over at Gucci put a halt to that whole little idea? Well yeah... same thing people! Bullshit if you ask me!

Dwayne Wade Sues Former Business Partner

I guess Dwayne Wade is taking a cue from his girlfriend Gabriel Union in terms of legal woes. Seems Dwayne has been having some issues with a former business partner. According to TMZ, Wade recently filed a $100 million lawsuit against Baron Richard von Houtman for slandering his name and libel (false statement of fact that injures someone's reputation)

Wade says the Baron alledgedly informed the Miami Heat head coach that Wade had been using performance enhancement drugs and cocaine. In the court papers, Wade says it should be obvious Houtman is a lair, simply because of his bogus use of the Baron title. Here's what he says in the suit:

"Despite the abolition of the monarchies at the beginning of the 20th century, and notwithstanding that the defendant did not begin using the alias "von Houtman" until sometime around 1995, the makeover of the defendants identity was not complete until 1998. "Given the lack of any historical record ... it is the defendants own grandiose vision of himself that motivated the use of the title or, perhaps, an intention to falsely communicate to others a sense of prestige."

Ooooook.... I'm lost. Where do the lies come in to play about Wade? Anyways, Wade and Houtman were business partners that attempted to establish a chain of restaurants called D. Wades Place. But before anything could be put together completely, the Baron tried to sue Wade for not coming through on his end of marketing obligations. When it was all said and done, only two restaurants were opened via the partnership and later closed. Houtman sued Wade in 2008 over the business deal gone wrong. Now, Wade is returning the favor.

Gabrielle Union Don't Like The Bloggers So Much!

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to take on one of us bloggers in the legal realm. Gabrielle Union has stepped up to the plate ladies and germs. The 36 year old Nebraska native says that she is sick and tired of bloggers calling her a homewrecker and making up lies about her love life.

Gabby has went out and hired an attorney to take legal action against one blog in particular- Bossip.com. Why Bossip? Because they posted a disreputable anonymous letter from an alleged "nameless pro-athlete's wife." Now ya'll know that she is supposed to be dating Miami Heat Guard Dewayne Wade and it all came out around the time he and his ex-wife Shiovaughn divorced.

Gabby has been linked to many athletes, actors, and big-wigs alike since her divorce from her ex-husband NFL baller Chris Howard in 2006. All Gabby is asking of the blog site is for them to remove the letter from its site, print a retraction and send a written apology to her.

In January of 2008, Union spoke with BV (see 'Blasting the Blogs: Gabrielle Union Speaks Out') about her issues with blog sites.

Brandy Settles On Wrongful Death Suit

R&B singer Brandy has finally settled in the wrongful death case that she caused back in 2006.

The R&B songbird has reached a settlement in the wrongful-death lawsuit brought on behalf of the children of the woman killed in a December 2006 multicar collision involving the former Moesha star.

According to settlement documents obtained by E! News, the kids—Mrwan and Kareem Mohamed—will each receive $300,000. The boys, who were then 15 and 11, were in the family's Toyota Corolla when it was struck by Brandy's Land Rover, killing their mother, Awatef Aboudihaj.

There was no immediate comment on the settlement from Brandy's lawyer or publicist

Baby Sued For Unpaid Shoe Royalties

Well well well... what have we here? Cash Money Prez and CEO, Bryan "Baby" Williams is being sued for $200k in royalties. All over the Birdman shoes he's put out with Lugz.

Jari Kuosma who is owner of a Nebraska skydiving apparel store called "Birdman" gave the o-k to Lugs back in 2004 . In exchange, Kuosma was to receive 35% of the royalties from the sales that were paid to Cash Money. Three years later, Kuosma decided to end the agreement but he had still not been paid. I'm just trying to figure out how is "Birdman" YOUR own trademarked name???

In 2008, Cash Money and Lugz acknowledged over $500k in paid royalties, meaning Kuosma was owed $217,992.39. Despite a settlement arrangement where the lump sum was to be broken up into payments, Kuosma says he still hasn't been paid. He is now suing for what he is owed "plus interest, costs and fees as allowed by law."

Real Housewives Kim Zolciak Not Happy With Publicist

Kim Zolciak is having an image crisis—with the guy who used to be responsible for her image. The Real Housewives of Atlanta hausfrau has been sued for breach-of-contract by her publicist, whom she is simultaneously trying to restrain via a court order.

Per TMZ.com, Zolciak has filed a request for a protective order against her former rep, Jonathan Jaxson, in which she accuses him of using the website KimZolciakOnline.com to sabotage her. The brash blonde claims Jaxson changed the password and security settings so she couldn't access the site and then posted a littany of lies about her.

But according to Jaxson's camp, it's Zolciak who needs a lesson on how to play nice with others. "Jaxson is in fear for his safety and has filed a police report with the Atlanta Police Department after threats were made concerning his well-being by Ms. Zolciak," a rep for Jaxson tells E! News.

Jaxson filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the aspiring country songstress Feb. 23 for $15,000 in back fees, claiming she had stopped paying his monthly retainer fee, thereby immediately voiding their contract. And furthermore, Jaxson's rep says, he owns the website Zolciak has accused him of hijacking.

Fabolous Tour Bus Raided

Good Grief Charlie Brown!!! Another rapper in trouble with more drugs.

Arkansas Police seized nearly 500 lbs of marijuana on a tour bus returning from NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, this week. According to the driver, the bus was allegedly escorting Fabolous to Boston to pick up "a rapper whose name he couldn't recall."Though Fab was not on the bus at the time of the seizure, the two men who were arrested, Edward Thimas, 52, and Robert Morris, 44, claimed that Fabolous had loaded the marijuana into the locked compartment, as well as close to $6,500 in cash, which the police also confiscated. Though both men agreed that the marijuana belonged to Fabolous, according to the police reports, their stories conflicted regarding the pickup of the drug shipment.

Thimas claimed that Fab had told them to drive the marijuana to Boston and contact himself and "the other rapper" when they arrived, to pick up the shipment. Morris, on the other hand, alleged that they had driven "three rappers from Atlanta to Phoenix," and were transporting the drugs to Boston, where they were meeting the rappers, who had flown ahead. Due to their conflicting stories, the men were arrested for possession. There is no word at this time as to whether Fabolous has been questioned regarding the case.

Fab's fifth album, 'Loso's Way' is scheduled for release this April.