Johnnie on the Rocks - 2:10 p.m.
I'm sure you've heard by now, Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. died of a brain tumor yesterday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 67-years-old. I didn't even know he was sick. That's baby numbers.. but in February 2004 he was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. What the hell is that? I don't know either, lets get our Google on.. "A brain aneurysm is a weak bulging spot on the wall of a brain artery very much like a thin balloon or weak spot on an inner tube. Aneurysms form silently from wear and tear on the arteries, and sometimes can form from injury, infection, or inherited tendency."

Got that? good. Johnnie Cochran will forever be remembered for those infamous words.. If it doesn't fit you must acquit!  Damn! If that isn't a classic line, I don't know what is. The OJ Simpson trial was something huge for the media to chomp on, all kinds of madness went on. It was a three ring circus which only Michael Jackson could rival if his case were being televised.

Lawyers are supposed to represent their clients without any regard for their innocence or guilt, what matters is that there is sufficient evidence to prove the clients belief that they are innocent or have a case to prove. Johnnie Cochran never said whether he believed OJ was guilty, so I'm assuming he stayed true to the game when he accepted the case.

As much as he is identified with that trial he was well respected in legal circles before he even met OJ. He had a collection of the million dollar settlements he secured for lesser known clients. On the high side he saved Snoop from a murder charge, represented Tupac in the sexual assault charge( well that was a L), picked up Reginald Denny after he got his ass kicked in the LA riots, is the reason that Puffy didn't have to design a Rikers Island line of Sean John, defended the first Michael Jackson child molestation accusation, got Jim Brown off a rape charge, got Todd Bridges off an assault charge, delivered Abner Luima an 8.75 million settlement for renting his ass for some broomstick love.. And the case he said he was the most proud of, freeing Black Panther Geronimo Pratt.

After the OJ case he decided not to take on any more criminal cases, strictly civil rights and personal-injury cases. He made an exception for Rosa Parks (who he repd for the Outkast B.S.) and Puffy. His friends and family will miss him.. and music artists and celebrities who thought they might be the next exception better don the golden halo. The next time they screw up Johnnie won't be there to bail you out.

McDonalds Offers $$$ for "Big Mac" Raps
McDonalds has offered to pay rappers for mentioning the Big Mac in one of their songs. To compensate they'll pay the artists $1 - $5 every time the song is played on the radio.
That's a lot of money considering that artists get paid a couple of cents off a normal radio spin. Add a little Big Mac attack in the rhyme and you just bumped it up 100%. McDonalds has to approve of the way the reference is used, but when you hear Big Mac in any new songs.. know that the artist is chewing a dollar. comments  (".$counter.") comment";} if($counter >=2){echo "(".$counter.") comments";} ?>

Janet Jackson Gets Restraining Order for Alleged Stalker - 1:24 p.m.
While Michael Jackson is arriving to his court dates late and then weeping in his seat. Janet Jackson didn't show up to court at all for her March 17th court date. No surprise there. There was no need for her to appear in person, this was a situation she could call in, so as not to make the situation worse. A judgement for a March 1st restraining order request against Robert Gardner was being read. Gardner, 46 has allegedly been trying to contact Miss Jackson since 1996. He's faxed her numerous letters requesting that they meet and included his travel plans so they wouldn't miss the connection. Janet says that some of the letters contained "disturbing sexual references" which I'm sure the Superbowl incident gave the man a whole lot of ammunition for his mastubatory fantasies.

Gardner has allegedly been following her all over the country and attempting contact for nine years. Gardner was in court for the hearing, he explained away any strangeness in his actions, because in addition to a desire to meet her "I'm also one of her fans."

Nine years.. nine damn years and she finally decides to handle this situation. The tipping point seems to have been an incident at a New York recording studio where she was preparing for an April 2004 Saturday Night Live appearance. As if he'd been watching videos of Al Qaeda hijacking methodologies, Gardner attempted to enter the studio with a box cutter and a knife. Janet feared that he was attempting to kill her. �It is only a matter of time before he has the opportunity to harm me,� she wrote. That Saturday Night Live appearance was a year ago, there must have been another incident after that, or maybe JD couldn't get his goons to lay the smacketh down.

Speculations aside, a Superior Court judge ordered Gardner to stay at least 100 yards away from her and not to contact her again. The restraining order will be in place for three years. When the ruling was read Gardner said "I'm not sure why she's saying this, we do have a little personal contact." Janet stated in the court document that his personal contact allegations are another piece of his crazy tale. I don't know if he looked sad or what..but the judge added.. "apparently she doesn't want to have contact with you." Showing that he is at least consitent with his madness, Gardner says he'll hire a lawyer to contest the ruling because "I do not want to be considered a stalker."

It's easier for male celebrities - they just invite the groupies and stalkers in the room - until the rape charges get thrown around. That's just as deadly as a nut trying to knife a chick.

Lil Kim Found Guilty: Facing 20 Years in Jail - 10:49 a.m.
As noted yesterday afternoon, Lil Kim was found guilty of lying to a federal grand jury about the Feb. 25, 2001 shooting outside of NY radio station Hot 97. Throughout the coverage of this case all eyes were on Kim, but her assistant Monique Dopwell was on trial and convicted as well. Let�s take it to the courtroom as reported by Newsday:

Lil' Kim
• Conspiracy to commit perjury and obstruct justice: Guilty
• Perjury before the grand jury on June 19, 2003, in which she told 15 separate lies: Guilty
• Perjury before the grand jury on July 3, 2003, in which she told three lies: Guilty
• Perjury before the grand jury on Aug. 21, 2003, in which she told 11 lies: Guilty
• Obstruction of justice for attempting to ... influence or impede the grand jury: Not Guilty
  
  Monique Dopwell
• Perjury before grand jury Aug. 6, 2003, in which she told six lies: Guilty
• Perjury before the grand jury Dec. 4, 2003, in which to told four lies: Guilty
• Obstruction of justice for attempting to ... influence or impede the grand jury: Not Guilty

Yup. Three counts of perjury and a conspiracy charge were thrown at them. They avoided an obstruction of justice charge. It�s assumed that the jury thought that their lies weren�t an attempt to derail the grand jury�s investigation of the shooting. In other words � they tried to save their own asses. That runs counter to the prosecution�s belief that they lied to protect Suif Jackson and Damian Butler. The prosecution was obviously happy that the jury saw it their way on the majority of the charges.

When the verdict was read Lil Kim and Monique, a single mother with two kids, shook their heads in disbelief. Monique fought back tears and Kim just sat quietly. Lil Kim�s momma on the other hand, Ruby Mae Jones was said to have collapsed in her seat. Other members of their family and friends cried as well. And somewhere in a dirty Brooklyn apartment, Lil Cease and the Junior Mafia boys laughed their asses off and cracked another cigar open on their new DVD � in stores now. : Z

The maximum sentence K & M could receive is 20 years (Monique's max is 15): 5 years for each guilty count. Their sentences will be handed down on June 24th.

In a statement to the press Lil Kim said that she was disappointed with the outcome but she�ll remain strong, "Throughout my life, I have always lived with adversity and will continue to have faith," she said.

Whether she gets 3 years or 20, this will have to be a life changing moment for her. Not just being trapped behind bars, it's in the time she�ll have to reflect on her life. Here you have a lil chick from BK, riding the wave of fame brought on by the association with Biggie and Puff, seeing stages and places worldwide, pocketing money she wouldn�t have made any other way. That got her out of the hood. And now she�s at the bottom, lower than the hood � you can�t get any lower than jail. That�s one step above death. Not to say a person can�t rise after dipping there, but there is nothing worse than being behind bars � not even for 24 hours.

Believe me.. I�m talking from experience. A lil traffic infraction had a brother in central booking for the night. It was cold as the frozen food department at Pathmark, dirty as a public bathroom � bologna sandwiches squished into the corners of the cell and a bunch of losers who you look at and think � Oh shit. I�m just like you. Then you have to adapt to a different way of thinking. And that happens quick. I�m out the next day � free and clear � but I�m acting like I did hard time. Haha. Sad and funny.

Kim has some pocket change and minor business situations at hand, but she�s far from living a Martha Stewart lifestyle. She�ll likely come out of jail with a book detailing the journey that got her to the point that we even know who she is, accompanied by an album of gospel tinged rap. She�ll be on the cover fully clothed, freshly manicured and tightened up by a plastic surgeon � that�s got to happen. Kim is 29-years-old. Do you know what 20 years can do to a person?

Keep your head up Kim� luv you like an old Michael Jackson record.

Star Witness in MJ Trial Causes Problems For His Case - 11:23 a.m.
Brian Nichols wasn't the only person all over the news this past weekend. Michael Jackson the human mannequin had his time in the hot lights of the press as well. There he was on tape loop stumbling out of his black SUV helped into the courthouse by his bodyguards and Poppa Jackson. He looked like he just woke up from sleepy time, fresh drool partially wiped from the corner of his mouth. Through his bangs you could see the ever present smile and the microphones picked up that familiar voice, "Good morning! Hellooo to all my fans.. Hi.. I love you all!" Bumbling and stumbling.. in his pajama bottoms. Him and those crazy pajama bottoms! That's what every news station across the country zoomed in on.

You think he would learn. I think he gets off on being abused by the press. How could anyone think that flash bulbs wouldn't pop as he walked into court in Winnie the Pooh joints? Are Mike's associates afraid to say anything that might make him raise the white glove for the pimp slap? Does he drown them in Jesus juice before every public appearance? I got 21 questions and fashion tips. It's rumored that Mike is in debt to the tune of $300 million, give or take a dollar, but he could've slipped on some K-Mart jeans during the ride to the courthouse. Match it with the blazer and he could George Jefferson it down the aisle�"Judge.." *shimmy shake* "I'm hereee." *slides across the floor into his seat* "And on time!"

Yesterday Michael stepped into court looking a little more normal in one of his tailor made red suits. The red could be a symbolic for the blood his lawyers drew from the prosecution's star witness, or as Fox News has labeled him - the young cancer survivor. Anyone who has seen Outfoxed recognizes the smell of the memo distributed around the office, "We're going for the sympathetic angle here. We want everyone to think that Michael Jackson abused a poor innocent young boy who just wanted the cancer to go away. Maybe enjoy a ride or two on the merry-go- rounds at Neverland. He never expected to be fingered by his hero."

The prosecution is definitely going for that angle, but they may have to think of another strategy after yesterday's testimony. The boy first took the stand this past Friday and gave some questionable answers, but it was until yesterday that he truly handed his attorneys a mess to deal with.

The boy admitted to Jackson's lawyers that after the airing of the Martin Bashir documentary, in which he was seen nuzzling close to Michael Jackson, he was called into a meeting by his school's dean, Jeffery Alpert. Concerned about what he saw Alpert asked him if he had been abused by MJ, and the boy said that he told him no. "I told Dean Alpert he didn't do anything to me. I told him two times," the boy said. This was new information to the boy's attorneys; they had no idea of the meeting.

MJ's lawyers also got him to admit to records of his behavior in school. Nine teachers cited him for being disruptive and the whipped out of list of incidents. The boy said, "I wasn't that good a kid then." This testimony contradicted his sister's testimony that he had no disciplinary problems in school.

While his lawyers slapped their foreheads in exasperation, it was only the beginning. When asked about a video MJ is accused of forcing the family to record for him, the boy said that many of the things said on the tape are true.."He's an honest man ... a nice man. " the boy replied. "The things that he did was kind.. Yes, Michael's a nice man." These contradictory statements add to an impression that some legal analysts say the boy was "forgetful," "inarticulate" and "mumbling."

Surf around the net and you'll find a story written to support whatever view you have of Michael Jackson. One thing's for sure: the boy made a terrible witness for the prosecution, possibly made the case for a reasonable doubt ticket to be written for Jackson. Their best piece of evidence was of course the alleged abuse. When asked about it the boy reportedly showed little emotion, he seemed more upset that he was kicked off the ranch.

It could be that the boy is so young that he didn't no how to handle himself on the stand. Even a 40-year-old would wilt under the kind of pressure he was under. The next big prosecution witness is his mother. Who is said to have her own problems that MJ's defense team can bring to light. We'll see how she fares.

The water cooler talk around the office is if MJ will get off as memories of OJ dance in their heads. I have umm.. reasonable doubt that all these abuse stories and kiddie masturbation games aren't true based on the fact that Michael still wants us to believe that those blond kids are his natural children and that his changed skin color is a result of a skin disease. If he tells you that he's innocent am I to believe that too? However I also think the jury will find him innocent, not so much that he didn't do it, but in that it's hard to prove he did. Reasonable doubt is the two word combination that his defense is gonna hammer into the jury the rest of the way.

Brian Nichols: A Lame Ending to a Wild Story - 2:05 p.m.
"I was so tempted to do an update last Friday night. That afternoon I heard there was a shooting in an Atlanta Courthouse, but didn't think much of it. Guns go pop every single day in these United States, after while you become immune to random murders and rapes of people you've never had breakfast with.

Turning on MSNBC, then CNN, and *gulp* FOX news there was this guy's face smashed all up against the TV screen: Brian "Fuck the Bullshit" Nichols. There have been many cases of prisoners slipping out of handcuffs and scurrying into the bushes. They've even broken out of prison using the ol' bedsheets tied a mile long method. But never have I heard of someone grabbing an officer's gun and popping heads off in the courtroom. Not even in the movies has that happened

Psycho Brotha.. for those high on crack the whole weekend.. was on trial for raping his girlfriend. He was accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend's home, tying her up with duc tape and sexually assaulting her for 3-days. He told her he would do so until her birthday. What a guy? This great gift may have stemmed from the fact that they had broken up and she had a new fuck buddy. Nichols was a former college football player and worked as a UPS computer engineer in September 2004. Sounds great but he also had a history of making threats to kick ass and slap folks. One of his former football teammates recalled, "He was a bad dude, you didn't mess with him." He was also a dumb dude; he allegedly rapes this girl and didn't think that once the duc tape was ripped off she wouldn't dial 911. For that Nichols found himself facing a possible life sentence for rape and an assortment of related charges.

His dumb side is apparently what caused him to believe he could.. snatch the gun from the lil 50-year old court officer/grandmother guarding him, *blam* She's shot in the head.. currently in critical condition. Runs into the courtroom and blasts the judge. He's dead. Shoots the court reporter. Dead. Runs outside and blasts another court officer.. another body. Then car jacks a guy telling him to get in the trunk. The guy refuses and tries to run. Nichols who apparently ran out of bullets pistol whips the guy and speeds off.. unknowingly to the cops.. into a nearby parking garage where he switched cars.

On Saturday morning everyone in the Atlanta area was locking their back doors before Nichols came a rattling. That morning the body of a Customs Agent was found dead, Nichols is suspected as the murder suspect along with other attempted car jackings in the area.

His last encounter came when he approached a woman as she entered he apartment building. He told her, "'If you do what I say, I won't kill you." They went into her aprtment where he tied her up while he took a shower. When he came out fresh and clean, the woman went for the sympathy angle telling him stories about her 5-year-old daughter, she didn't want to die and how he should turn himself in so no one else would get hurt. At one point she says he looked at the TV, seeing the reports about himself and said.. "I cannot believe that's me on there."

He eventually decided to let the woman go, she called 911 and the SWAT team swooped in.. Nichols literally came outside waving a white t-shirt and the officers took him away. With the blood of a judge and officers of the court on his hands you'd think he'd have enough sense to know that he'd be better off going out like Queen Latifah in Set It Off. All the news reports are saying that he allegedly shot the judge.. allegedly shot the court reporter. Forget the formalities. He did it.

What kills me was seeing this SWAT team officer talking about the good job they did. They did nothing. He gave up.. and these crime fighters had no idea where he until the call to 911 came in. Where does the good job fit in? And then there is his sister-in-law. She said that the blood-thirsty killer image the media has painted of him doesn't make any sense.. "He�s a good person. He didn�t come from a broken home. He�s not a person who hung out in the streets and was always in jail. He came up living a good life.� Is she insane? It doesn't matter what the crime is there is always someone saying that he/she was a good person. Duke shot a judge and officers like it was part of a video game. Not to mention allegedly getting his rape on.. where he reportedly brought along snacks in case he got hungry.

Not really wanting anyone else to get hurt.. the ending to this wild tale was wack. I want my money back for this bogus flick.

50-Game Make Peace - Jadakiss and Fat Joe Respond to "Piggybank" - 2:02 p.m.
As 50 said this Sunday the feud between himself and Game has been resolved. Yesterday at Harlem's Schomburg Center the two shook hands and said.. "Yeah, whut up. .alright.. uh. Cool." It wasn't exactly a lovefest. ABC news writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody said it looked "as if they'd been shoved into apologies by a stern mother." Another writer noted that 50 showed zero remorse or affection for Game. On Monday I speculated that their business interests would ultimately be more important than any beef between them. The passion for revenge and a real dislike of the other just wasn't that strong to stop the money train from rolling.

50 clocked a cool 1.1 million CDs in a shortened week, has a movie with Paramount Pictures/MTV in the works, the clothing line, Game's career is just getting started, there was just no reason to destroy a positive business situation. And unlike Ja Rule, 50 and his label have financial interests with what could have happened here. The talk of more violence between their camps brought back memories of Tupac and Biggie. Everyone knows how that ended.

With those things in mind 50 and Game have at least decided not to smack each other around in public. No word if Game is back in G-Unit, they didn't take questions from the audience, but did read prepared statements. 50: "We are here today to show people can rise above even the most difficult of circumstances and together we can put negativity behind us. A lot of people don't want to see it happen, but we are responding to the two most important groups - ourselves and our fans. This is an opportunity for people to see us make peace." Game: "We're showing you can control your destiny. I'm going to control mine and do it in a productive and positive way. I'm almost ashamed to have participated in the things that went on over the last couple of weeks."

They then presented checks representing donations to the Boys Choir of Harlem in the amounts of 150,000.50 (from 50) and 103,500 (from Game). On another note, yesterday was the anniversary of Biggie's death (RIP) which raises the speculation from some that this was just an elaborate scheme to get attention to sell records; think about 50's album release date being pushed back and there is more fuel for that fire. XXL editor Elliot Wilson was asked about the possibility of their feud being as real as White Castle hamburger meat.. Elliot responded, "There really was a beef. I think there was a genuine conflict that 50 felt The Game was unappreciative of all the work he did on his album ... and Game is feeling like, 'I'm my own man now. I think (50) will continue to beef with other artists. But to beef with your own artist and someone who you're in business with, it doesn't help you."

Speaking of beef with other artists, last night Funkmaster Flex played "Piggybank" response songs from Fat Joe and Jadakiss. Before I link you up, I have to say that Flex has truly disgusted me. This week Hot 97 has been criticized for lighting a match under these kinds of situations. The claim is that Hot 97 encourages violent acts between artists by pushing conflicts to a level higher than necessary. The Village Voice did a story on the subject called "Thug Radio."

My problem with Flex he did the interview with 50 that started this whole thing. While 50 spoke about Jadakiss and Fat Joe and Game and whatever the fuck else he wanted to talk about.. Flex did nothing but laugh along with him. Not exactly co-signing what he said, but not trying to check him either.
So last night with these songs in hand, he plays them and he's dropping bombs all over the place - his "this is that shit" sound, he's rewinding Jadakiss's song, calling out BX BX BX, made sure that he played the greasy talk at the end, and when the songs ended he goes� Ok. Lets' go to a commercial. With the pause, you gotta put that pause in there� and think that you just dropped sauce.

Fat Joe and Jadakiss have every right to respond to 50's diss. Although I wish Fat Joe would have stuck to his word of not being a battle rapper and took the high road on this - no one in the street was calling either one of them weak. But whatever, they did what they felt was the proper response. But for Flex to burn it so hard, and he'll do it again tonight at 7, is like smashing 50's face in it. He essentially has taken sides. Which is his right to do as well.. The bullshit is if 50 calls up the station today, Flex will kiss his ass to no end. He's been the biggest 50 supporter, nothing bad to say at all. Yet the moment he leaves the station, he spins these records like this. This is not classic battle rap. It's name calling that leads to 'let me see you in the street.' That's the hip-hop world we live in. There is a responsible way to get both sides, he did so with the Jay-Z and Nas beef. Yet Flex chooses to throw that approach out the window. It comes days after shots were fired in the station's lobby, and when the station is under criticism from the building owners. WTF is he thinking?

He's absolutely joyful at their beef. Let any type of violent incident stem this and he'd be brushing hypocrite crumbs off his goatee.

So whatever.. that's his thing. I was going to break them out into mp3's but it's not necessary. This whole thing should just die after this. That's my thing. We'll see if 50 responds to their response. Here is the linkage - Fat Joe and Jadakiss Shake the Piggybank (Real audio) - Download it (Still Real Audio)

Quentin Tarantino to Direct the Next Friday the 13th? - 1:34 p.m.
What would you get if you mixed Pulp Fiction and the Friday the 13th series? If you answered The Ultimate Jason Voorhees movie than you and New Line Cinema executives are thinking along the same lines. This week they will meet with Quentin Tarantino to talk about making that hypothetical mix a reality.

Tarantino is a known lover of karate flicks and soul music; he also loves blood and gore and has expressed interest in putting his funky twist on the Friday the 13th flicks. He told Cabin Fever director Eli Roth that he already has a story and opening scene sketched out in his head.

New Line heard the rumors but didn't think seriously about approaching him until plans for another Freddy vs. Jason flick fell through. It was supposed to be Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash - the character from the Evil Dead. As if that would have been a hot project. It sounds like the mess that has befallen Friday the 13th since he went to space. Tarantino had one of his dreams stomped out as well, he was hoping to direct the next installment of the James Bond series, but his offer was turned down in favor of Martin Campbell, the director of the GoldenEye installment.

With both of the parties kicking sand, it seemed harmless to give Tarantino a call. If all goes well, this could be just the thing to give Jason a new life. Can you imagine Jason speaking for the first time, giving a long soliloquy on the order of Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction before he jigs somebody.. "Say 'What' again! C'mon, say 'What' again! I dare ya, I double dare ya motherfucker, say 'What' one more goddamn time!" * Then Sam Jacks aka Jules breaks out the King James edition *

"There's a passage I got memorized, seems appropriate for this situation: Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."

Flash to the person's head rolling across the floor. End scene. And applause! The Oscar goes to..

50 Cent Says Situation With Game Will Be Resolved - 1:19 p.m.
There was supposed to be a review of "The Massacre" this morning but there was a huge problem, I couldn't get past track 4 "I'm Supposed to Die Tonight". When the song ended I hit repeat.. it played, hit repeat again.. play, repeat, play, and kept that sequence in motion for a good five times. It's easily one of the best songs on the album. Look for the full review later this week.

Talk about timing though. The song is hot on its own, but it resonates deeper because it is so relevant to the fallout from The Game's dismissal from G-Unit. And let me just say, everyone has their opinion on this, but I don't believe that the shooting at the radio station was set up to hype his record sales. For one, what does his security shooting a faceless member of Game's crew have to do with people buying his CD? And since someone is in the hospital, who stood up and said they would take the bullet? This is a situation that has been brewing for a long time, and simply got out of hand.

I didn't hear the original interview with Flex, but a clip was floating around over weekend. Snatched it up and gave it a listen. He's in the studio with Lloyd Banks, Olivia, and Tony Yayo. There is also a clip of Jadakiss speaking about "Piggybank". Jada is hype as I've ever heard him; he would most definitely "wear 50 out." He said that Interscope's marketing team would love for 50 to get verbally ripped to shreds. The question is if Interscope chief Jimmy Iovine is willing to see his cash cow slaughtered. There is also a clip of Game getting love from some callers - don't know if it's before or after the incident. In it he said that the one person he's cool with in G-Unit is Young Buck. During 50's interview Young Buck called in and basically said Game ain't no friend of his. Here are the clips, courtesy of.. well, you'll hear it all over the clips.

50 speaks on Dropping Game - real - windows || 50 Speaks on Jada, Fat Joe, Nas and Shyne - real - windows || Game gets caller love - real - windows
Young Buck speaks on Game - real - windows || Jadakiss speaks on "Piggybank" - real - windows ||

50 cancelled a lot of promo spots in NY last week, because of potential violence. He's scheduled to be at a Hot 97 listening session tonight, we'll see if that happens. All indications are that it will. Last night he called Hot 97's Street Soldiers show, once a week they talk about community issues. Of course, last night it was about violence in hip-hop, in particular what happened at the station last week.

During the call he said that he was confident that the situation with Game can be resolved. Which might make some people think that if he's so confident.. it proves that it was a set up! I'm not hearing that. What I hear is Interscope and Dre saying WTF happened, and Game and 50's people willing to talk in the interest of keeping the money flowing. The last thing either one of them needs is a body to fall. Right now, they are both being scoped out by the hip-hop cops tighter than Bin Laden ever was by The Bushies.

After 50's interview the host brought in a guest panel; one of the guests said that it was easy for 50 to say that the situation would be resolved, but not that easy to do: feelings have been hurt, one person shot, people are pissed. 50 called back in. He asked if any of them knew Game.. and if any of them knew anything about the "code of the streets" they had also brought up. It was pretty funny, because they really had no reply. The Bronx borough president started talking about kids joining gangs and crime as if it was related to 50's music. They seemed to be more shocked that he had actually called back. You know when you're talking about someone and they walk in the room. Do you say it to their face, or start shuffling papers?

I don't mean to make it sound like it was a serious confrontation, it wasn't. What you had was an unplanned continuation of his interview. The guests never got a chance to talk after he dialed up. The word of the day is the situation will be "resolved." When and what that consists of is anyone's guess. Here is the Street Soldier's interview - Listen to it (Real) or Download it (zipped mp3 8mb)

Lil Kim One Step Towards Getting Fried - 12:00 p.m.
Yesterday Lil Kim was in Manhattan Federal Court facing a handful of charges related to a shootout outside Hot 97 on Feb 25, 2001. The incident happened after a Lil Kim promotional stop at the station. After her appearance a clash between members of her entourage and associates of Capone and Noreaga resulted in a barrage of shots being exchanged. Police caught up with those involved and charges were filed. Lil Kim wasn't exactly busting off like Latifah in Set it Off, but cameras outside the station placed her at the scene of the crime. In 2003 prosecutors called her to testify in front of the grand jury to identify the people involved.

Suif "Gutta" Jackson was being charged with blasting off. When prosecutors asked Kim if she knew him she said no. They whipped out a photo of the two together hanging out at a party, and asked the question again. Kim said she didn't no him. The prosecutor scratched his chin and mentioned that Jackson had stayed at her home in Englewood, NJ. Kim said he had never been to her house.

They then turned to another defendant, Damian "Roc" Butler. They asked if he was with her at the time of the shooting. Kim said he wasn't there. Prosecutors later revealed a security videotape from the building showing Butler standing a few feet from her.

Lies. Lies. Damn Lies. That's what's been printed in papers in New York City. It's obvious to anyone who's thinking outside of their ass that Kim was trying to cover up for her friends. They have her plastered on the front of the NY Post as if she's some dangerous criminal. When she was really just sticking by her people. Right or wrong. That is what it comes down to. The fact that she lied doesn't make her immune to the law. So I have no problem with her facing charges but this sounds like a bit much - 1 count of conspiracy, 3 counts of perjury, 3 counts of making false statements and 1 count of obstruction of justice. Which amounts to a possible 30-year jail term.

Understanding that the state has no sympathy for celebrities, in particular a hip-hop chick who they would love to see fall flat on her cosmetically altered face, I can see them putting a magnifying glass on every law that she could have broken during her testimony.

What is NOT understandable is how the people she was defending have turned around and testified against her. . Mr. Jackson .. . "Please. That bitch is lying. I was there busting off and then I went to her house, scratched my balls and ate cornflakes while watching the Cartoon Network."

Not his exact words.. Pardon my fictional embellishments, it makes the reading and writing easier.

Jackson did testify in court yesterday that he was doing security work for Kim, they were at the station and they left her Englewood home that night to go to the station with him packing a machine gun. Yes, a damn machine gun; Jackson said only pulled the trigger after being fired on first. He also said that he knew Kim and has for years. They were so close that a tax return was once filed from her NJ address.

Jackson who pleaded guilty for the shooting, was granted immunity for his testimony yesterday. Also due to testify against Lil Kim is Damian Butler and amazingly.. if what I've read in the NY Post is correct.. Lil Cease!?!

I find it absolutely incredible that they are ratting out Kim to save their own asses.. or to drag her ass in the fire with them. This after she lied to protect them in the first place. This is the Junior Mafia and their associates.. all the Mafia flicks they've watched and they learned nothing about turning on each other. And I'm sure they have plenty to say about Sammy the Bull. Yet, the mirror reveals no kind of similarity. Take notes and watch who you call your friends.

** Hey Kim doesn't look like that anymore, but like Michael Jackson I like to remember her before the speed dial to the plastic surgeon's office got stuck on redial **

Jessica Wins The Road to Stardom!
Yeah, I know I switched lanes and picked Matthew to win this thing. What the hell was I thinking? Well, I thought he was the least bruised fruit in the bunch. I knew he was a goner yesterday when Missy greeted him as "the hip-hop Elvis". That's no respect. Clearly she didn't see him as winning the thing.

The "OK. That's enough" moment came when Mona Scott asked him what he would like to do with his fame and he said he wanted to spread the word of God. Well gotdammit become a preacher. What is he doing singing about the girls in the club if he's laying out the good word? That's insane.

It reminded me of the first rule of betting: stick to your first decision. There is nothing worse than seeing the prize being revealed under the box that you picked and then choose not to.

Congratulations to Jessica.. Jessica Betts is her full government name. Looking at her next to Missy, would anyone ever think that Missy would be as successful as she has been? Maybe there is some hope for Jessica after all.

50 and Game Potential For a Tragic Ending - 2:55 p.m.
There's no way that you haven't heard about 50 Cent kicking Game out of G-Unit. I wasn't able to tap something out earlier.. so here's a wrap for those who haven't been been paying attention. Saturday night Game was on NY radio station Hot 97 and told Flex that he would do a song with Nas. Which wouldn't make sense for Game to say if he's supposed to be in G-Unit; 50 has no love for Nas. Game said that no one takes his side in his beefs, so why not do the song. One of the beefs he was talking about was probably his disagreement with Jay-Z. Game has a line about not wearing button ups or driving Maybachs. Jay-Z took it as a shot at him. Game later said that it wasn't. Then went overseas last month and decided that it was.. he's been quoted as saying "Fuck Jay-Z" at an Amsterdam concert.

While Game was overseas Jay-Z went to Hot 97 and did a freestyle directed at Game. I'm not sure if that is what prompted Game to switch up his position. In any case, I could see 50 not riding with him on that.. he never has a bad thing to say about Jay. And if Game's line was about Jay, I don't see how Dre would have allowed it on the album in the first place.

That's one case of Game having a problem with 50 not taking his side. But it's been reported that they haven't been that tight behind the scenes for awhile now. In a recent interview 50 admitted that Game was more of a member by association, because they weren't that close. He named some new West Coast kid named Spidah as being closer to G-Unit than Game. Stepping back for a minute, Not only did Game say he'd eat with the enemy, 50 felt that Games' trip overseas blew his head up, like he's really the man now Does 50 feel some jealousy from that? I can't call it. Game is doing big numbers, but he really believes that he has done it on his own.

50 says that he contributed to more songs than has been documented. And let's be real, "How We Do" would not be popping off without 50's mumbling. I think Game's verses are better, but imagine it with Game on the solo. Not so good anymore. Game has yet to stand on is own, all of his singles - which propel record sales - have featured 50.

So after Game's interview, on Monday night whatever other problems that are between them came to a head. 50 visited Flex at Hot 97 and made the announcement of Game being booted from G-Unit. Game and six of his people were said to be trying to get into the radio station. Which resulted in one of them getting shot in the leg by one of 50's security team. Police came and everyone scattered. Later eight shots were fired at the building housing Violator management, who handle 50. It's believed that it was Game's people.

A shot here, a shot there, the next thing you know we have a bullshit East Coast - West Coast feud going on.. once again. That's how I look at this, and is the reason why I think 50 is headed for trouble.

Not that Game is a tough guy, but he has a true Compton Blood allegiance behind him. Now that 50's 'out the hood' he talks about hanging in Cali a lot. That won't be so easy to do now. The minute he touches ground in Los Angeles security will have to be on high alert, because Game's Blood fam will be looking to touch him. Which also won't make 50 a welcome presence to many people. No one wants to deal with ducking bullets and wearing bullet proof vests.. that's only fun on records. :T

It's rumored that Interscope stopped Jadakiss from replying to 50 regarding "Piggybank." They aren't sure what to do about this situation. If Game is out of G-Unit do they cut him? Does Dre bring him directly under the Aftermath umbrella? Does Dre side with Game at all?.. 50 and Eminem have been the best thing to happen to him. And if Interscope decides to drop Game is this the big opportunity Suge has been looking for?

A lot of questions but none of them will solve the problem. Unless 50 and Game shake hands and let reason overcome emotions and bruised egos, this is a situation that can only end up with a body being carried off - if not their own, then someone within their camp.