Muslim-majority Malaysia on Tuesday banned a planned concert by Erykah Badu after a photograph appeared showing the Grammy-winning singer with the Arabic word for Allah written on her body.
The American R&B singer was scheduled to perform Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, but some Muslim groups said Badu was an unsuitable role model for young Malaysians after seeing a publicity photo of her with what appeared to be temporary tattoos of the word Allah on her bare shoulders.
A government committee that includes police and Islamic policy officials decided to forbid Badu’s show because the body art was “an insult to Islam and a very serious offense,” Information Minister Rais Yatim said in a statement.
The photo of Badu had “triggered public criticism that could jeopardize national security and cause a negative impact to the government’s image,” the statement added.
The 41-year-old, Dallas-born singer had already arrived in Malaysia. She can stay as a tourist but will not be allowed to perform, an Information Ministry official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make public statements.
Razman Razali, managing director of the show’s Malaysian organizer, Pineapple Concerts, said his company hopes the ban will be reversed.
Badu is “worried and dismayed,” Razman told The Associated Press. She was slated to perform in an auditorium that can hold about 3,000 spectators.
It was the first concert by a Western performer to be banned in Malaysia in recent years. Several other stars, including Gwen Stefani and Avril Lavigne, were told to dress modestly while performing.
The photograph of Badu, which also appears on her official fan website, attracted attention after Malaysia’s most widely read English-language daily, The Star, published it Monday.
On Tuesday, the newspaper apologized to Muslims for what it called an “oversight,” saying it deeply regretted any offense sparked by the photo, which was “inadvertently published.” The Home Ministry summoned The Star’s editors to explain the photograph, which caused some Muslim activists to demand the newspaper’s suspension.
Rapper Bizarre has ended his professional relationship with Eminem's former hip-hop group D12.
Bizarre, real name Rufus Arthur Johnson has quit the Detroit, Michigan music collective after 17 years due to "creative differences".
The 35 year old tells HipHopDX.com, "I'm not in D12 no more. We just had creative differences and decided to go our separate ways - well I decided to go my separate way. Its a personal decision on my part. I think Ive just grown as an artist and its time for me to branch off on my brand."
But that doesn't mean the star has hung up his mic as a recording artist. He adds, "I got my own crew called The Weirdo Movement."
ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. -- Police say a mother is facing charges after her sick baby was taken to an emergency room where nurses found maggots in the baby's diaper and the 10-month-old tested positive for drug exposure.
According to a Honea Path Police Department report, Michelle Butler, 20, had taken her baby to someone else's apartment, and that person told her to get medical attention for the baby, who appeared to have a fever and was pulling at his ears.
The other person, whose name and relationship has not been released, gave the baby Tylenol, and told Butler to call a doctor several times, the report said.
The report said that the other person eventually called 911, and the baby was taken to AnMed Health. An officer accompanied the baby to the emergency room and said when nurses removed the baby's diaper, several maggots fell out of it.
The baby's blood and urine were tested, and came back positive for exposure to marijuana, the report said.
Officers said they checked Butler's home at Shamrock Apartments on East Hampton Avenue, and they located baby food, formula and diapers for the baby, but they said the apartment was very messy and dirty.
Butler is charged with unlawful neglect of a child. Butler has been released on bond.
She spoke to News 4 on Tuesday and said she plans to do whatever she needs to in order to get her son back.
Honea Path Police Chief David King said that it is the second time in a week that a mother living at Shamrock Apartments has been charged with unlawful conduct toward a child.
Hip-hop superstar Kanye West’s charity spent more than a half-million dollars in 2010 — but none of that money went to actual charitable causes, The Daily has learned.
An analysis of federal tax filings reveals that in 2010, the Kanye West Foundation had expenditures totaling $572,383, with the majority going to salaries and other overhead expenses.
Meanwhile, the charity gave nothing to charity that year. According to its tax return, West’s foundation made precisely $0 in contributions, gifts and grants.
And this isn’t the first time the Kanye West Foundation has given celebrity charities a bad rap.
In 2009, it was slightly more frugal, spending $553,826 — but of that amount, just $583 went toward charitable endeavors. That’s less than one might spend on a pair of the fashionista’s “Kanye West for Louis Vuitton” sneakers, which start at $870.
“A donor would look at some of those numbers, and it should give them some pause,” said David Suarez, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy who specializes in nonprofit policy and management.
“I wouldn’t have a problem with high overhead if it improves the overall efficiency of the organization,” he said, but “there comes a point where it’s too much.”
Nonprofit watchdog group Charity Navigator suggests no more than 15 percent of a charity’s cash flow should go toward administration or overhead. The Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance recommends charities spend at least 65 percent of their total expenses on program activities.
The Kanye West Foundation failed to satisfy either of those standards. The majority of the organization’s expenses — $339,829 of it — was spent on salaries, wages and benefits.
Another $111,250 went toward “professional fees,” $56,920 on similarly ambiguous “other expenses,” and $48,385 on “travel, conferences and meetings.”
Rapper Petey Pablo kicked off his 2012 by reporting to prison.
Good News: At least he's going to get an education out of it.
The former platinum selling rapper -- who was arrested for trying to smuggle a gun through an airport ... on SEPTEMBER 11 of all days -- finally began his three-year prison term on January 4 by turning himself in to a medium security federal correction institution in West Virginia.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, the court recommended Pablo receive "intensive substance abuse treatment, vocational training and educational opportunities" while locked up.
He is scheduled be released on July 17, 2014.
Rapper BG will face at least eight years in federal prison for possession of a firearm and witness tampering.
BG, born Christopher Dorsey, was arrested in November of 2009 in a stolen rental vehicle that contained three stolen loaded guns and two extended clips.
BG is facing the lengthy sentence, after he declined an agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to the charges against him in December of 2011.
To make the situation worse for the rapper, prosecutors are pushing for a stiffer sentence.
According to the New Orleans Times Picayune, BG was supposed to be sentenced earlier this month, but prosecutors delayed the hearing, because they believe he should receive a longer sentence.
The hearing was also delayed due to new information about the rapper being shared by federal prosecutors in Illinois.
The details about the information on BG in Illinois have yet to be revealed.
BG was once a member of hip-hop group The Hot Boys, which featured Lil Wayne, Young Turk, and Juvenile, faces at least 8 to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 25. #GAWN
Much to the horror of Chris Brown nay sayers, the reports of a duet between he and ex girlfriend Rihanna were confirmed last night, with the release of two numbers featuring the pair.
Lending their talents to the other’s respective ‘Turn The Music Up‘ and ‘Birthday Cake’, the stars have come under fire from those against their reunion, following their explosive split back in 2009.
Now, before the negative press they are set to receive, Rihanna’s label Def Jam have reportedly taken a stand against the star.
By refusing to put ‘Cake’ on Itunes.
According to HM, Fenty released ‘Cake’ against her label’s wishes to, as the source claims, ‘prove a point’.
This, thwarting her chances of going to #1 with the controversial release and an indicator of the damage control the company may have to enforce if her latest LP, ‘Talk That Talk’ suffers as a result of her decision.
Fact of the matter is, this isn’t a good look.
Because, while her fans may try to deny it, her actions wreak of desperation.So blinded by her ‘I don’t give a f*ck’ attitude, she can’t see that she has everything to lose by going ahead with Brown’s feature.
For, while Brown’s label will revel in the attention this is raking in, Rihanna cannot afford to bite the hand that funds her.
Either way, we’d hate to be there when she’s forced to explain her actions to her superiors, and learn what the repercussions might be.
Ray J was furious when he received the news that WGCI Morning Riot show, had an impersonator call in pretending to be Ray J. The impersonator was discussing the events that occurred with Whitney Houston.
It’s a bit too early to be making fun of Houston and obviously Ray J took that to heart. Ray is now seeking legal action against the station for the spoof.
Ray J’s people had this to say about the situation,“he’s having a very difficult time dealing with Whitney’s death,” He’s not even doing interviews right now because he’s not in the right place for that. He has a book (“Death Of A Cheating Man”) that just came out on Valentine’s Day and he’s not even promoting that right now. It was an incredibly insensitive thing to do.”
Destiny Jones, Nas’ teenage daughter with Carmen Bryan, is no stranger to being a little “extra” on Twitter and here are some photograghs she tweeted about her first car and a big azz box of Trojans she leaves next to her bed.
Hip-Hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs plans to tackle the business world of cable TV with a new channel called Revolt.
Diddy will announce Revolt during a press conference that supposed to take place later today (February 21).
Revolt is being billed as a music and news television channel, that will incorporate elements of various social networking sites.
According to a report in the New York Times, Comcast has already picked up Revolt, which will be carried on various local cable systems.
Representatives for Revolt are also in talks with Time Warner Cable, which may also carry the new music channel.
According to the Times, Revolt could launch as early as this year.
Don't be late bringing Kanye West his lunch, or you'll be looking for a new job! That was the fate of one trusty London driver when he was sent out with Kanye's private chef to pick up lunch from Selfridges Food Hall.
The rapper has been practically living in London as of late, where he's working on new music and staying at a luxe five-star hotel.
A source told the UK's Mirror: "He employs 10 or so people. Three bodyguards, a number of drivers and his own personal chef Jennifer goes everywhere with him to cook whatever he wants on-site."
Kanye decided he wanted a Selfridges lunch and sent the driver out. Obviously, he's never heard of the Tube... and London suffers from horrendous traffic.
"The driver left at 1pm and didn't make it back until 3pm when the head of security told him: 'I'm sorry but I'm going to have to let you go. You took too long and Kanye got pi**ed off. He was really hungry.'"
Now the driver in question is considering taking Kanye to court over the termination.
Two AM radio DJs in Los Angeles took chatter about Whitney Houston too far, calling her a "crack ho."
And now John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou, known as John and Ken on KFI in Los Angeles, have been suspended for 10 days. They have also apologized for the comments.
According to the Daily News, during an on-air discussion in the wake of Houston's death last Saturday, Kobylt said, "At some point you're just sick of it all, and so is everybody else in the industry. All her friends and hangers-on; everybody who knew had to deal with her. It's like, 'Ah Jesus . . . here comes the crack ho again, what's she gonna do? ... ' After a while, everybody's exhausted. And then you find out she's dead. It's like, 'Really? Took this long?' "
The station said the statements were "insensitive and inappropriate. . . . KFI management does not condone, support or tolerate statements of this kind," reports AP.
Kobylt, in a statement, said, "We made a mistake. We used language that was inappropriate and we sincerely apologize to our listeners and to the family of Ms. Houston."
The reptile sunk its fangs into Jackson Scott's testicle as he squatted in the dark.
But when he begged best mate Roddy Andrews to suck the venom out, his pal REFUSED.
Instead he drove Jackson on a 40-minute life-or-death dash to Hobart, Tasmania, where doctors gave him an antidote to the deadly tiger snake poison.
Lethal ... Aussie tiger snake
"Just as I finished and was about to tuck everything safely away, it bit me. I had my pants around my knees when I hobbled into Roddy's bedroom. My heart was racing and I was hallucinating.
"Needless to say, Rod was not of a mind to suck out the poison."
Jackson, starting a year's working holiday at the remote farm, added: "The doctors and nurses were very professional. They didn't take the mickey out of me being bitten on my wedding tackle."
In Donohue's opinion, Minaj's controversial performance was wrong on multiple levels.
"Nicki Minaj, fresh off looking like a fool with Madonna at the Super Bowl, showed up last night (February 12) on the red carpet at the Grammys with a guy dressed like the pope. This was just a prelude of what was to come. Minaj's performance began on stage with a mock confessional skit. This was followed by a taped video depicting a mock exorcism. With stained glass in the background, she appeared on stage again with choir boys and monks dancing. Perhaps the most vulgar part was the sexual statement that showed a scantily clad female dancer stretching backwards while an altar boy knelt between her legs in prayer. Finally, "Come All Ye Faithful" was sung while a man posing as a bishop walked on stage; Minaj was shown levitating." (Catholic League)
While ultimately upset with Nicki, the president also felt others were to be blamed.
"None of this was by accident, and all of it was approved by The Recording Academy, which puts on the Grammys. Whether Minaj is possessed is surely an open question, but what is not in doubt is the irresponsibility of The Recording Academy. Never would they allow an artist to insult Judaism or Islam. It's bad enough that Catholics have to fight for their rights vis-Ã -vis a hostile administration in Washington without also having to fend off attacks in the entertainment industry. The net effect, however, will only embolden Catholics, as well as their friends in other faith communities." (Catholic League)
The rap star has since come forward and questioned what all of the commotion is about.
"I don't know what is the big issue?" she asked. The 29-year-old said her five-minute live rendition of her songs "Roman's Revenge" and "Roman Holiday," which included dancing priests, an exorcism and levitation, was just a part of a movie she's writing. "You know how people write plays and movies? That's what I did. I wrote that and I gave the world a tiny little preview of what was to come. And so I have to perform it on the set in which it would be in the movie, right?" she said. Minaj, who is known for her outrageous style, walked the Grammy red carpet in an oversized red robe with a man dressed as a pope at her side. She said her performance, which featured a film clip, was partly inspired by the 1973 movie "The Exorcist.
Hip-hop producer Scott Storch -- a recovering drug addict -- was arrested in Vegas earlier this month for possession of cocaine ... TMZ has learned.
According to law enforcement, Storch was arrested at a Vegas hotel around 8:30 AM on Feb. 4.
Sources tell us ... the arrest went down after an employee called police to complain that Storch wouldn't pay for his room.
When cops arrived to the scene, we're told officers discovered Storch was in possession of cocaine. Storch was hauled to a nearby police station ... where he was released on $5k bond.
Scott was out in L.A. this weekend acting like nothing ever happened (below) -- casually joking about one of his former artists, Brooke Hogan, while smoking a cigar.
Nas is great at a lot of things ... rapping, feuding ... but paying taxes isn't one of them ... and now he's on the hook for another $339,000 he allegedly kept from Uncle Sam.
According to official documents obtained by TMZ, Nas never forked over $339,005.49 in federal income tax he owed for 2010 ... and now the U.S. government has obtained a lien on his property.
Being a tax scofflaw is nothing new for Nas ... according to public records, dude is also on the hook for more than $6 MILLION DOLLARS in back taxes from previous years.
Just announced on Sky News from a statement by her publicist, Kristen Foster
Doctors visited Whitney late last night in Paris and confirmed that she was suffering from an upper respiratory infection.
Best known for her 1992 hit 'I Will Always Love You,' the singer had been working to get her career back on track in the wake of drug problems, but has been dogged by ill-health.
Former Death Row CEO Marion “Suge” Knight was arrested in Las Vegas yesterday (February 8).
The rap mogul was riding in his black Bentley when he made an unsafe lane change, TMZ.com reports.
The police searched the luxury vehicle around 5:30PM and found out he was carrying a small amount of marijuana.
He was released from a local jail where he was processed.
The arrest could lead to more problems for Suge, who is currently on three years unsupervised probation, after he was caught driving with a suspended license in December of 2010.
An eighth grader at a Queens intermediate school was suspended after selling brownies laced with marijuana at his Bellerose school.
The student was selling the brownies out her book bag for $3 each. Another student reported her to school officials on Monday.
20 students purchased the brownies from the girl at Intermediate School 208. Its estimated that she made $250 from the brownies.
“They slipped my son a mickey,” said one mother to the Daily News. “How come nobody noticed these kids were high?”
Her son allegedly didn’t know the brownies were laced and panicked when he started to feel the effects.
“This was a troubling incident, and as soon as the school learned about it they reported it to us and reached out to the parents of the student involved,” said Margie Feinberg, spokeswoman for the Department of Education.
School officials plan on bringing a counselor to speak to the children about substance abuse.
A California man is behind bars after trying to rob a pile of dough from a Sacramento bank using two apple pies wrapped in a McDonald's bag, cops said.
Daniel Hegwood, 33, entered a downtown Wells Fargo over the weekend, told a teller he had a dangerous bomb inside the fast food bag and demanded money, police said.
He then fled on foot with a “substantial” amount of cash, leaving the bag behind, police said.
"When he left, bank security followed him and gave us updates, so we were able to find him as he entered a nearby parking garage, take him into custody and ultimately determine that his paper bag contained apple pies and not a bomb," Officer Laura Peck of the Sacramento Police Department told the Daily News.
Police said Hegwood tried to resist his arrest, saying he had another bomb in his backpack.
Bomb technicians were called and determined neither the backpack nor the bag contained explosives, police said.
"Certainly in this day and age you have to take every threat seriously, but with hindsight, knowing the bag contained apple pies, it gives us insight into the lack of sophistication in his methods. Clearly he's not that good at bank robbery," Peck said.
Hegwood was arrested for robbery, resisting arrest and other charges and is being held without bail because he also violated his parole for a previous unspecified crime.
Lil Kim's tax problems are well-documented and go back nearly 10 years. According to documents filed with the L.A. Recorder's Office, Kim owes money every year from 2002-2009.
The 2009 amount, $86347.85, was just recently tacked on -- bringing her total $1,026,862.42.
Diddy is always thinking of new flavors of to add to the Ciroc collection, seeing how well the coconut, peach and red berry have done, but he warns that a watermelon flavor floating around is fake.
The success of the peach flavor has spawned new scams on the black market, with underhanded people passing the flavored liquor off as an official Ciroc flavor. However, the fake vodka can be harmful to consumer's health, as improperly filtered vodka can be fatal.
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