Shaq Sex Tapes at Center of Kidnapping, Robbery, Assault Case
TMZ is reporting that Shaquille O’Neal is caught in the middle of a criminal case in which seven gang members allegedly kidnapped, assaulted and robbed a man who claimed to have a tape showing Shaq having sex with other women while he was married to Shaunie.
Law enforcement sources tell the website that Ladell Rowles, a member of the Main Street Mafia Crip Gang in L.A. who is friends with Shaq, joined six other gang members on a search and destroy mission in L.A. on February 11, 2008. They believed a man named Robert Ross had the sex tape and they tried getting it back by force.
According to the police report, the seven gang members met up with Ross at the Sunset Strip convenience store Pink Dot. The men allegedly surrounded Ross’ Rolls Royce Phantom with guns drawn, jumped into Ross’ car and ordered him to drive to Rowles’ house in South Central L.A.
Once there, Rowles allegedly pistol-whipped Ross and demanded that he turn over the sex tape. Ross said he would get the tape and bring it back to them. The seven men then allegedly took Ross’ Rolex, diamond chain and earrings, along with $15,000 in cash — then let Ross go.
The seven men have been arrested and charged with robbery, kidnapping and other crimes. They are currently in the middle of a preliminary hearing and being held in jail.
According to TMZ, LAPD detectives interviewed Shaq to determine what, if any, involvement he had in the alleged crimes. When the case file went to the D.A. Shaq was not listed as a suspect.
TMZ is also reporting that Ross has a history with Shaq.
Shaq and his business manager, Mark Stevens, have a record label and allegedly told Ross they would give him a 50% cut in any artists he brought to them. Ross claims he delivered Ray J to Shaq but got cut out of the deal, according to the website.
Ross told cops after his falling out, he threatened Shaq by telling him about the sex tape, threatening to release it unless Shaq paid up.
As for the tape, Ross claims Shaq brought women to Ross’ home and had sex with them while he was married to Shaunie. Ross told Shaq a “security camera” captured the action and it was all on tape. But Ross told cops the security camera recycles periodically and the video no longer exists.
And there’s another twist. Around the time Shaq and Ross had their falling out, Shaunie separated from Shaq and Ross claims he began having an affair with her. Ross claims Shaq hired a private investigator to tail Shaunie and the P.I. caught the two together.
Ryno & Corey Todd Makes Peace, But Gets Threatened By Gaza Thugs
On Sunday afternoon resurgent dancehall artiste Ryno was threatened by men allegedly aligned to the Gaza camp. The artiste while at a recording session said his phone rang and men claiming to be Gaza affiliates said.”hey bwoy a yuh cause all a dis… ah yuh mek the whole a di man dem a lef Gaza and a diss teacha… memba yaw guh dead.”
Focused on his career and his newly formed Garrison Records, Ryno says he wants to make it clear that he will not be in the least intimated by Vybz Kartel or any of his associates.
“If any a dem feel seh dem a God tell dem try something” – A seemingly unfazed Ryno responded.
“I am not supporting or condoning any violence but I left that camp and have since refused many shows from promoters just to avoid any unnecessary confrontation with them----- them fight down me music and me low dem and seet deh, dem still a go out of them way fi look trouble.”
Meanwhile, Ryno and Corey Todd Makes PeaceMeanwhile, Ryno and Kartel’s former business partner Corey Todd has decided to make peace and put their differences behind them. The two met last week at an undisclosed location to quell the tension, following last year’s public brawl. The peace initiative was orchestrated by a mutual friend who was also instrumental in the truce that now exist between the Aidonia led J.O.P camp and Ryno.
Later this month Ryno will depart the island for the three-day St. Kitts Music Festival from June 23-25 where he is expected to share the stage with a number of local and international acts including: The Commodores, Fantasia Barrino, Bunny Wailer, Yellow Man, Maxi Priest, Cocoa Tea, Gyptian, Jah Cure, Konshens among others
Chris Brown on Doing it His Way
He released his latest album, “F.A.M.E.” at No. 1 on the Billboard’s 200 album chart and he’s not looking back. Chris Brown said he feels that this album is really a victory over the controversies that shattered his youthful image back in 2009.
“I don’t really think it’s a comeback album. I feel like it’s an album of triumph, like an underdog type of album,” Brown tells The Source Magazine for their Summer Heat issue. “It’s more of me showing and proving everybody wrong. I don’t think I ever went anywhere…”
He continued, “I recognize my music touches people and everything I do negative or positive affects people all over the world. So that’s definitely a blessing and a curse…,” says Brown. “The thing I dislike most about my life is living up to everybody’s expectations, never being able to be like, ‘F**( it,’ and do what I want to do, not care about someone’s opinion. As artists we’re opinionated, but we definitely do care about.”
Samuel L. Jackson to Narrate Audio Book for ‘Go the (Bleep) to Sleep’
Samuel L. Jackson will narrate the audio book for the profanity-laced hit nursery rhyme, “Go the (Bleep) to Sleep.”
The actor is already famous for the special manner in which he utters curse words – particularly “mother f*****” – in such film as “Pulp Fiction” and “Snakes on a Plane.”
“Go the (Bleep) to Sleep” is this summer’s surprise hit by tired dad Adam Mansbach. The hardcover book and audio version went on sale Tuesday, and pre-orders have kept the book high on the Amazon.com best-seller list for weeks.
Film rights have already been sold.
The 62-year-old Jackson was a presenter at Sunday’s Tony Awards. He’s set to make his Broadway debut this fall as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in “The Mountaintop.”
Rihanna Picks Twitter Fights with Fans
Rihanna is steady telling the world of haters how she really feels, and it is through the new celebrity social club, Twitter that she makes it known.
She recently bumped into a fan on the social media site while satisfying a late night hunger crave at McDonalds.
A fan tweeted, “Rhianna in the housee at McDonalds LOL, she’s actually a rude stank girl. Such a shame for pretty girl! *Bitcch Dowwn*”
She also added: “Why you stormin out and bumpin in to ppl at McDonalds @rihanna ?? Not very nice of you, come to our city and act up!”
After being alerted of the tweets, Rihanna quickly tweeted at the fan: “I was in McD’z for 3 seconds! If I bumped into u, obviously it was an accident! Didn’t notice… #sensitive”
But the fan needed to press the issue saying Rihanna must have noticed.
The singer retorted with, “@iStan4Rihanna_ to peep at the menu b4 I “bumped into” these cunts, lol.”
Oh and the beef didn’t stop there. She actually took her rage out on a Beyonce fan too: “@BeyFierceIV F(*&^ u C*NT!!!! #unclassyNavy“.
As a result of her tirade, some of her fans stopped following.
Perhaps the superstar’s responses are getting a bit out of hand. There’s a time to fight and a time to simply ignore the ignorance. In fact, who knew RiRi had that much time on her hands?
Stevie Wonder Inducted into Apollo Legends Hall of Fame
Stevie Wonder took his place in Apollo history Monday night as he was honored during the famed theater’s spring gala with induction into the Legends Hall of Fame, which includes Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald and James Brown.
Though Wonder was the main attraction, the audience was also wowed as he collaborated with a cast of friends and admirers including Tony Bennett, Chick Corea, Paul Shaffer and Doug E. Fresh, reports the AP.
“It’s a moment to cherish and remember, relishing in the memories of the times that I’ve been at the Apollo, as well as this night, the great people that came out to support me being here,” Wonder said in an interview. “It’s a great thing to be one of those people in the Hall of Fame for the Apollo.”
Bennett presented the honor to Wonder, who in turn lauded the legendary crooner for his commitment to the Apollo and to civil-rights causes.
“As much as I may never see the color of his skin, I’m able to feel the color of his spirit,” Wonder told the audience. “When it was not fashionable to hang out with the brothers and sisters, you did.”
He then recalled Bennett singing one of Wonder’s signature songs “For Once in My Life.” As Wonder began to sing the tune, Bennett joined in for an impromptu performance that ended with a standing ovation.
It was one of several during a concert that featured Raphael Saadiq, gospel singers Yolanda Adams and Kim Burrell, Melanie Fiona (see photo above), ?uestlove, Corea and others.
Beatboxer Fresh joined Wonder on an unusual and riveting performance of Wonder’s classic “All I Do,” while Wonder played the harmonica as Corea led on piano during a rendition of Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise.” Wonder also sang some of his other classics as well as a Barbra Streisand cover, “People.”
Wonder didn’t forget his political side during his acceptance speech, calling for better health care and criticizing those who fail to help others.
When asked about his comments, he later joked: “I just did it, I wasn’t even thinking about it. It was on my mind. I kind of did the Kanye (West) and expressed myself.”
The Apollo spring gala raised over $1.2 million. The funds will be used for its educational programs and to preserve the historic theater’s legacy, organizers said.
Mavado charged, Bounty released - Manager complains of false reports following shooting incident
Mavado was yesterday charged with assault and given bail following an incident at a nightclub in New Kingston.
According to reports, the deejay was charged with assault and given $30,000 station bail while fellow deejay Bounty Killer was questioned and released. This was after both of them were named as persons of interest and asked to report to the Half-Way Tree Police Station.
During initial checks with the police, it was said that a member of Mavado's entourage was involved in an altercation with a police officer on the steps of the Quad nightclub in New Kingston. It is alleged that the officer was slapped in the face after which the man was shot.
However, Mavado and Killer's manager, Julian Jones-Griffiths, disputed the reports that were being circulated yesterday.
"Obviously, we can't say too much at this point in time as it's the subject of an ongoing investigation but we need to clarify one thing; false reports have been circulated by the media that this incident stemmed from Mavado refusing a search upon entry to Quad nightclub," he said.
He further said; "That is completely untrue, Mavado and his party were already inside the club, past the search area where there was no issue with anyone. We are asking for fair and balanced reporting of this incident, there is always a lot of false information propagated when these stories break but that doesn't mean to say we must blame Mavado automatically."
The manager said that Mavado was not travelling with 20 or 30 people, as is being reported. "He was with his girlfriend, a couple of family members and a handful of friends," he said.
He added that the man who was shot, underwent surgery yesterday morning in order to stabilise his condition. However, "he lost a lot of blood and the bullet is lodged in him. His condition is very serious and doctors hope to try and remove the bullet once he is well enough."
disappointment
He also expressed disappointment with Bounty Killer being named as a person of interest and being asked to report to the police.
"As it relates to Bounty Killer it's incomprehensible as to why he has been made a person of interest by the police. He was nowhere near the vicinity where the incident happened and it's very regrettable that he has been caught up in this situation, especially on his birthday," he added.
The Quad nighclub also issued a statement. However, they said the incident occurred outside the establishment.
"According to preliminary police reports, a member of the entourage of a popular entertainer was shot outside the nightclub. We regret the incident, however, the shooting happened as a direct result of an altercation between a member of the security forces and the entertainer's entourage. The management of the club continues to go to great lengths to ensure the safety of patrons inside the nightclub, and ask members of the public to respect our policy that all patrons must be searched before entering the club," the release stated.
JA STAR
Traffic horrors as gas tanker flips in Trinidad
An accident involving a gas tanker caused a traffic pile-up, stretching from the Churchill-Roosevelt and the Solomon Hochoy Highways junction to the Oropouche Junction, as the north and south-bound lanes of the Solomon Hochoy Highway were shutdown. The accident, which occurred shortly after noon near Gasparillo on the Solomon Hochoy Highway, left hundreds of motorists and commuters stranded in traffic that stretched for several miles and lasted for several hours. The situation got the attention of Works and Transport Minister, Jack Warner, who assessed the scene from a helicopter. Warner later ordered an additional 6.30 pm sailing by the water taxi to ease the situation. Tickets for the 4.30 pm sailing of the taxi from Port-of-Spain to San Fernando were sold out yesterday evening and only a few were left for the 5.45 pm sailing.
The additional sailing at 6.30 pm was an effort to alleviate the traffic congestion on the highway.
Warner urged motorists to use access roads at Carlsen Field, Couva and Freeport to get away from the congestion. Police said the tanker, owned by Ramdial Transport Services and contracted by National Petroleum (NP), was driven by Glenn Ramkhelawan, of Santa Cruz. The tanker, loaded with 36,000 litres of super unleaded gas, was on its way to make deliveries to several stations in San Fernando and Princes Town when it capsised on the south-bound lane of the highway. According to reports, a vehicle which also was proceeding south suddenly drove in front of the tanker. In an effort to avoid a collision, Ramkhelawan pulled to the right and lost control of the tanker which skidded off the wet road and onto the median.
The tanker turned on its side with gas leaking out. Another tanker from Ramdial Transport responded and attempted to transfer the fuel out of the leaking truck but with no success. Shortly after, a vacuum tanker arrived on the scene and began to transfer the fuel. Personnel at the scene said all health, safety and environment procedures were followed and the spill was eventually contained. Emergency personnel from the Fire and Police Services, as well NP health and safety officers, were on hand to deal with fuel containment issues. There were no reported injuries or loss of life. Fire officers from Divisional Headquarters in Mon Repos, as well as Savonetta and Chaguanas, responded with a Hazmat appliance and sprayed foam onto the road and median to stop gas fumes from spreading.
In addition, a backhoe from the Ministry of Works and Transport was brought in and a trench was dug to stem the flow of fuel. A contractor from Petrotrin siphoned approximately 40 barrels of gas out of the trench. Acting District Fire Officer Tajudeen told the T&T Guardian it was necessary to close the highway as the gas spillage posed a high risk to motorists. He added: “What we did was to blanket the entire area with a foam cover to ensure the mopping up operations were done safely. “The capacity of the tanker is 8,000 gallons and there are two vacuum trucks. “There is an attachment area where there is a residue of gas running out and also there were some contents in the tank.
Bearing the circumstances there was no alternative,” he said. Although the incident occurred on the highway, there was also a traffic pile-up on the Southern Main Road, stretching from San Fernando to Chaguanas. To add to the chaos, there were several minor accidents, including a five-vehicle smash-up on the highway near Couva. St Margaret’s Police confirmed there were only minor injuries. By 3.30 pm police had re-opened the shoulder of the south-bound lane of the highway but motorists on the north-bound lane remained in traffic gridlock for another hour.
Jamaican PM calls for special regime for indebted middle income countries
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding has emphasised the need for multilateral financial institutions to create a special regime for indebted middle income countries.
Addressing a high powered team of United States senators at a special meeting called in his honour on Capitol Hill, on June 9, the prime minister said it is a long-standing concern of the government that Jamaica be accorded more “space” by the multilateral institutions, given its inherent vulnerabilities as a small, heavily indebted country.
“Although being one of the most highly indebted countries in the world, Jamaica is classified as a middle income country, which meant that it is not eligible to receive many of the concessions or considerations available to countries which are classified as poor, even though the combined effect of the high indebtedness and the vulnerabilities, create many of the same effects as those experienced by ‘poor’ countries,” Golding told the senators.
He said that Jamaica is not asking to be included in the Least Developed Country (LDC) category; rather, “We have been making the case at the international level, for middle-income countries like Jamaica not to be penalised for their successes."
The prime minister also raised with members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as the Vice Chair of Homeland Security, Senator Frank Lautenberg, a proposal he made to both President Barack Obama during the G8 Summit last year and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, which urged the US to come up with creative ways to effectively stem the flow of weapons into Jamaica.
Golding told the meeting that the illegal gun trade has contributed to the major challenges of security in Jamaica and the region.
Democratic Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey noted the concerns highlighted by the prime minister and enquired how the US could assist with the other challenges related to security.
The prime minister welcomed the request and noted that due to resource limitations, the government is in need of assistance in a number of areas, for example, satellite tracking technology, which could improve the country’s anti-narcotics efforts.
He said this assistance would facilitate more information being shared on the movement of drug traffickers, particularly in Jamaican waters.
While agreeing that this concern needed further consideration, Democratic Senator, Tom Udall of New Mexico asked whether the tourism sector had been negatively affected by the security concerns being discussed.
In response, the prime minister pointed out that the sector had performed well, in spite of the recession and security concerns. The prime minister also noted that approximately 70 percent of stop-over tourists to Jamaica came from the US, followed by Canada and Europe.
The prime minister explained that tourism had significant scope for investment and singled out heritage tourism for particular mention. He also noted that the government has embarked on an investment drive in this area, and expressed a desire for more US investors to take advantage of the opportunities in the sector.
Menendez, who is current Chairman of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Global Narcotics Affairs of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired the meeting.
Among the senators of the Foreign Relations Committee in attendance were Senator Christopher Coons (D, Delaware); Senator Marco Rubio (R, Florida); Senator Benjamin Cardin (D, Maryland); Senator Robert Casey (D, Philadelphia) and Senator Udall. Senate majority leader, Harry Reid (D, Nevada) also attended the meeting.
Golding, who was in Washington on a five-day visit, held talks with president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Luis Moreno; president of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick and the deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Naoyuki Shinohara. He also held bilateral talks with Clinton.
The prime minister presented a lecture at the Brookings Institute, held talks with several high-level US-based investors, and attended a reception in his honour, hosted by Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks. Golding also launched the IDB’s art exhibition, which featured works of nine Jamaican artists.
U.S.-Based Nonprofit Charity Donates Books and Educational Supplies to Public Library in Saint Lucia
The International Alliance for Child Literacy donated 3,300 children’s books and 1,350 pounds of education materials to three schools and one library in Saint Lucia, including Soufriere Public Library.
Somerset, N.J. — On May 30, 2011, representatives from the International Alliance for Child Literacy (IACL), a U.S.-based non-profit charity, visited Soufriere Public Library in Saint Lucia to conduct a site visit. The IACL donated 3,300 children’s books and 1,350 pounds of education materials to three schools and one library in Saint Lucia, including Soufriere Public Library.
IACL President, Andrea de Vries, and Director of Marketing, Stephanie Godfrey, received a warm welcome from Peace Corps Volunteer Lisa Kuk and librarian Catherine Prospere. Children from Soufriere Infant School visited the library to see the books and materials donated by the IACL for the establishment of a children’s section at the library.
In celebration of the new collection of books, the children and their teacher donned costumes representing their favorite storybook characters, including Rapunzel, Cinderella, Dora the Explorer and Spiderman. The children also sang songs in honor of reading to show their appreciation. “We are truly honored to be in Soufriere and able to witness the children’s excitement upon seeing the new books,” said de Vries. “They were eager to start reading right away!”
Soufriere FM, a local radio station covered the event and helped spread the word about the IACL’s literacy outreach efforts in Soufriere and other parts of Saint Lucia. “We look forward to visiting all of the schools that have received donations,” said de Vries. “Everyone in Saint Lucia has been gracious and welcoming and we definitely want to continue our outreach efforts here after we return to the United States.”
The IACL partners with other American organizations and local communities in the developing world to establish libraries and literacy centers for children and their families. Through its outreach efforts, the organization promotes life-long learning and the improvement of reading and writing skills. The IACL hopes to donate 100,000 books to children and families in the Caribbean in 2011. Read more about the IACL’s Caribbean literacy outreach at http://www.theiacl.org/