(AllHipHop News) The woman who has accused Russsell Simmons of raping her in 2016 is flying to New York next week to file criminal charges against the hip-hop magnate. Jennifer Jarosik filed a $5 million lawsuit against Simmons, claiming he raped her at his Los Angeles mansion during a meeting back in 2016. Now, Jarosik alleges Russell Simmons raped twice, once in 2011, and again during the 2016 meeting at his house in LA. Although criminal charges could be looming, Russell Simmons has denied claims he raped the filmmaker at his home in Los Angeles after she launched a civil lawsuit against the rap mogul. “I am confident that when all is said and all is done, it will be as clear to others as it is to me that I did not do what this lawsuit accuses me of doing,” the 60-year-old said in a statement, while welcoming a civil trial which said would clear his name. Nine women have accused the Def Jam co-founder of sexual misconduct dating back to 1983, sparking a New York police investigation. Jennifer Jarosik’s lawyer blasted Simmons’ latest statement and welcomed the hip-hop mogul’s willingness to testify in court. “If Russell really wants to go to trial on his case, he will face all of his accusers as prior acts of sexual assault and victims are relevant evidence in this case,” Jarosik’s lawyer Perry Wander said in a statement. “This will be similar to the Dr. Nassar case where victims will get their day in court to describe the interactions with him.” Russell Simmons maintains his innocence and has publicly stated that he is being extorted.

(AllHipHop News) A listening party for Nipsey Hussle new album Victory Lap, turned into violent pandemonium last night in Los Angeles. Nip was celebrating the release of his new album at his Marathon Store when two men became entangled in some sort of conflict. It quickly turned physical, and even though Nipsey did his best to avert the fight, the two men continued to brawl with each other. A portion of the quarrel was caught on camera. Take a look above.

(AllHipHop News) Nelly’s longtime girlfriend Shantel Jackson has finally broken her silence over a series of rape allegations leveled at the rapper. Three women maintain Nelly has developed a systemized way of sexually assaulting female fans. In October of 2017, a woman named Monique Greene went to police with claims the rapper had raped her on his tour bus, after a concert in Washington. Although Nelly was never charged with a crime, Monique Greene filed a civil suit against the rapper earlier this week. In Greene’s most complaint, two other unnamed women came forward to make shocking claims against the Saint Louis rap star, who is accused of masturbating in front of the women and attempting to force one to have oral sex against her will. Shantel, aka “Miss Jackson,” has been quiet since the news broke in October. But, she recently took to her Instagram account to offer up her support for Nelly, while downplaying the accusations against the rapper. https://www.instagram.com/p/BeZXiCWh1_A/?taken-by=missjackson “Look… I know he f##ked up and we’re dealing with that in our relationship to rebuild it and find trust. Having to go through all of this publicly is the worst feeling ever. But this should not open the door for false claims,” Shantel Jackson said. According to Shantel, she was present at the U.K. shows in question, which she claims is proof that the women are lying. “Those dates these Jane Doe’s are claiming, I was at those venues, in the dressing rooms, and on that tour bus,” Shantel wrote in a statement. “There are women dealing with real issues of sexual assault and for the first time people are listening and there is a chance for real change,” she continued. “But all of this work is discredited and makes things harder for the survivors when people lie.” Shantel may have some legal problems of her own brewing too, over claims she stole cash and ran up the credit cards of her ex-boyfriend, Floyd Mayweather. Shantel just filed documents in court answering Floyd’s lawsuit against, claiming the boxer approved of her spending sprees until they broke up. https://www.instagram.com/p/BddG6C9Hx9l/?taken-by=missjackson

(AllHipHop News) Rapper Method Man has been cast to star alongside Jennifer Garner in action film “Peppermint.” The Wu-Tang Clan member will play a detective in the film, about a woman out to seek revenge for the drive-by shooting deaths of her husband and daughter after waking from a coma. Pierre Morel will direct the movie, which is currently in production. It is slated to hit theaters later this year. In addition to “Peppermint,” Method Man, real name Clifford Smith, will also appear in the Shaft reboot and his bandmate RZA’s Hurricane Katrina crime drama “Cut Throat City.”

(AllHipHop News) Drake reportedly didn’t deliberately copy the cover art for his new single from a DJ’s tour poster. The Canadian hip-hop star released two songs on Friday under the title “Scary Hours.” On Instagram, electronica musician Rabit pointed out similarities between the single cover and the poster for his 2015 Communion tour, designed by artist Collin Fletcher. Both designs feature vertical Gothic text superimposed on bold text in a less elaborate font. A music source said the cover art wasn’t deliberately copied from the poster, as staff at Drake’s OVO Sound record label picked the design from a selection they were presented with. “OVO didn’t source this artwork, they were presented it – it’s common to be presented with a whole pile of work to choose from that is referenced off older art,” the insider explained, adding that the practice had not caused problems before. Pointing out the similarities between the design and his tour poster, Rabit wrote on Instagram: “Today I wake up to see OVO (Sound, Drake’s own label) has redone one of my 2015 tour posters designed by @collindfletcher for Drake’s new single. Poor Collin is always having his style stolen.” In a statement to Pitchfork Media, Collin said he hoped the controversy over the similarities between the designs sparked a “larger conversation about popular culture’s relationship to underground artists.” Representatives of Rabit’s label, Tri Angle Records wrote on Twitter that they hoped the dispute had a positive outcome by bringing Collin’s work to the attention of more fans. “Not gonna get bogged down in ‘certain negativity’,” they wrote. “Would rather shine a light on how good of a designer Collin Fletcher is.” “Scary Hours” features two tracks, titled “God’s Plan” and “Diplomatic Immunity.” ​https://www.instagram.com/p/BeLG9vYgNu8/?taken-by=rabitmusique ​ https://www.instagram.com/p/BeLG9vYgNu8/?taken-by=rabitmusique

(AllHipHop News) Anti-Defamation League chief Johnathan Greenblatt has called on Erykah Badu to issue an immediate apology for comments she made about Adolf Hitler in an interview. The “On & On” singer said she sees the “good” in Hitler, the mastermind behind World War Two and the Holocaust, and other controversial figures, such as accused rapist Bill Cosby and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, in a new interview with Vulture, released on Wednesday. “I saw something good in Hitler…,” she told the publication. “I’m a humanist. I see good in everybody… I know I don’t have the most popular opinion sometimes.” Anti-Defamation League leader Greenblatt insists the star’s statements are clearly more than a casual opinion and he has slammed Erykah for using her platform to sympathize with one of the greatest villains in history, who orchestrated the largest genocide of all time by exterminating six million Jews. “Erykah Badu, I read your interview in @Vulture, and I have a few thoughts,” the CEO of the charity, which is the largest Jewish civil rights organization in the world, wrote on his Twitter account. “I also like to think that there is good in all people,” he added, “but Hitler is pure evil. I don’t care if he painted or was a vegetarian; Hitler is responsible for the deaths of 6 million Jews & a war that claimed the lives of tens of millions. Shame on you for downplaying that.” He also took issue with her support of Farrakhan, who was widely criticized as a homophobe and anti-Semite, and demanded she take responsibility for her dangerous words. “You are a role model to many, and as such, you should immediately apologize for these irresponsible and misguided comments,” Greenblatt insisted on Twitter. In response to the controversy surrounding her interview, Erykah took to her own Twitter account and suggested her words had been taken out of context. “The media is banking on our ignorance. Know we won’t read the whole thing,” she tweeted. “They’ll use controversial quotes w/trigger words as Click Bait. We (love) controversy. So Blogs choose easiest thing to ‘spin’. Get you mad. Help you get a little rage out. They get more adds.”

(AllHipHop News) The father of slain rapper Slim Dunkin is suing his attorneys, for failing to collect an $11.5 million judgment on his behalf. Slim Dunkin’s dad Mark Hamilton filed a lawsuit against the law firm of Hagen, Rosskopf and Earle, claiming they failed to collect on a 2016 judgment against Gucci Mane’s label, 1017 Brick Squad Records and rapper Young Vito. Slim Dunkin was shot and killed in December of 2011, inside of the Zone 6 Studio during a fight over candy with rapper Young Vito, as they were shooting a video for Gucci Mane’s song “Push Ups”. Young Vito, born Vinson Hardimon was charged with the murder but was eventually acquitted of the crime. Although Slim Dunkin’s dad won a huge judgment against Gucci’s label and Young Vito, he hasn’t seen any of the money since a ruling in his favor in 2016. But Slim’s dad could never collect the money since the Brick Squad Music Group LLC he sued has been dissolved. Young Vito remains in prison, as he serves out the remainder of a 25-year sentence for aggravated assault.

(AllHipHop News) Two more women have come forward to accuse St. Louis rap star Nelly of sexual assault. Two women claim they were victimized by the rapper on two different occasions, in an amended complaint filed by a lawyer for Monique Greene. Monique Greene filed a lawsuit against Nelly on Monday, seeking an injunction against the rapper to stop his abuse of his female fans. Greene claims she was raped by the rapper on his tour bus last October in Washington. But the police declined to file charges because Greene said she would not testify against the rap star after her identity was leaked to the press and she was victimized online. Greene also claimed Nelly was intimidating her through his statements to the press, which led her to her decision not to file charges. Two new women identified only as Jane Doe and Jane Doe 2, detailed some of Nelly’s alleged bad behavior in the lawsuit. Jane Doe 1 is a mother who is “happily married” and a member of the U.S. Military who was stationed in the United Kingdom for three years. Jane Doe 1 said she bought VIP tickets to a Nelly show in the United Kingdom. She met with the rapper backstage, where he invited her to an after-party. Nelly ushered the woman into a secluded area, where he allegedly accosted the woman, by putting his hand up her skirt, over her objections. “Jane Doe 1 had no intention of becoming a victim. She was a well trained member of the military. She firmly took Defendant Nelly’s hand, removed it from under her skirt and pushed it back down to the side of his leg,” the lawsuit says. The other woman in the lawsuit identified as Jane Doe 2 is a mother of three children, who is not married but is in a long-term committed relationship. The woman, who is also based in the U.K., claims she was assaulted by Nelly after a show at Cliffs Pavilion in Essex England country in December of 2017. That would be just two months after the news of Monique Greene’s original charges hit the press. Jane Doe 2 said Nelly offered her to come backstage, and she accepted, believing her friends had arranged something special for her birthday. But things went awry, when Nelly brought the woman into another room, isolated from her friends. “This time Defendant Nelly closed the door, stood in front of it, and dropped his trousers. Jane Doe 2 told him to pull his trousers up. Defendant Nelly started masturbating and said, ‘you want this d##k don’t you,” according to the complaint. Jane Doe 2 said she made light of the situation and told Nelly that he picked the wrong woman, but the woman said Nelly became aggressive, put his hands down her shirt and ripped her top off. Jane Doe 2 told him to pull his trousers up and they “could forget this ever happened.” The woman claims Nelly pulled his pants back up, but a short time later drop them and whipped out his penis again and started masturbating in front of her. He said he wanted “to come in” her mouth and “all over” her, but Jane Doe 2 continued to evade and refused his advances. When Nelly put the woman’s hand on his e#### penis, Jane Doe 2 to claims she snapped. “Who the f##k do you think you are,” Jane Doe 2 told the rapper. That only excited Nelly more according to Jane Doe 2, who says Nelly forced his e#### penis into her mouth. “Jane Doe 2 jumped back, twisted and fell backwards into the shower curtain. She was able to scramble out of the room. As she exited Defendant Nelly yelled, ‘c###!’” and allegedly warned her he would find her if she went to authorities.

(AllHipHop News) Bronx, New York rapper Fat Joe is no fan of President Donald Trump. Joey, who was born Joe Cartagena, has parents who hail from Puerto Rico and Cuba. Fat Joe blasted President Trump during an appearance on BuzzFeed News’ AM to DM. “We gotta speak for the voiceless. He [Trump] left my people in Puerto Rico…He disrespected Haiti just last week,” said Fat Joe, referencing President Trump’s infamous statement labeling Caribbean and African nations as “s##tholes.” “I’m just voicing the opinion of the people, the people speak through me,” Fat Joe continued. “That’s what hip-hop is all about…I’m not a fan of Trump. The country is divided.” Fat Joe also discussed some details surrounding his new podcast, “Cocoa Vision” “I just love people and love hip-hop…I’m very charismatic and I like to ask people questions that I know a normal person couldn’t ask them,” Fat Joe said. “I always felt I could bring out the best in people, and the most honesty…I’ve been an open book my whole life.” In related news, Fat Joe announced he is working on a new studio album titled Family Ties, which will feature producer Dre, from Cool & Dre. According to Joe, Family Ties could also feature a song with Jay-Z as well. ​

(AllHipHop News) “The Wire” star Michael K. Williams has accused a former friend of attempting to extort $450,000 from him. The actor, who played Baltimore tough guy Omar Little in the acclaimed TV crime drama, was sued by his former associate Michael Kimbrew last year. Kimbrew claims that in 2010 the 51-year-old star signed a deal allowing him to become a partner in his production company, entitling him to 20% of Williams’ earnings. Williams has now filed court documents demanding the lawsuit against him be dismissed, according to The Blast. In the legal papers, Williams accuses his ex-pal of filing the suit in a bid “to exploit his one-time friendship.” The filing reads: “Kimbrew is a one-time driver and ‘hanger-on’ of Williams, who, having had his demands for money repeatedly rejected by Williams, now seeks to extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from Williams (by filing the complaint).” The actor has accused his former associate of threatening his accountant and menacing him with the prospect of a “long drawn out ugly legal battle in the media and in the court system” if he failed to pay up. In his original complaint, Kimbrew alleged that Williams’ money woes left him destitute after “The Wire” ended in 2008. He claimed the actor would frequently stay on his couch and then signed the deal that made him a partner in the star’s production company. He alleges he is owed $450,000, as his percentage of his former friend’s $2.5 million earnings from subsequent projects. The case is still ongoing.

(AllHipHop News) The Roots frontman and co-founder Questlove is caught up in a $2 million lawsuit claiming he is racist. Two former employees of NBC filed a lawsuit against Quest and the network, maintaining they were fired from “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” simply because they are white. According to TheBlast, two cameramen, Kurt Decker and Michael Cimino, claimed they received an unsolicited, racist, misogynistic text sent from a stagehand on the set. The two men claim they were fired after they complained to one of The Roots’ managers and another producer for “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.” Decker and Cimino claim Questlove flexed his power and had NBC “fire all of the Caucasian employees involved in the incident.” Kurt Decker and Michael Cimino are each seeking $1 million in damages from Questlove and NBC.

(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop superstar Drake has congratulated himself for setting a new U.S. single-day streaming record on Spotify. The “One Dance” hitmaker surprised fans on Friday by dropping a new two-song EP, titled Scary Hours, and the track God’s Plan proved to be a popular pick on the music site on Monday when it racked up more than 4.3 million hits. The figures were recorded by analysts at Chart Data, earning Drake yet another Spotify title. He previously became the first artist to hit the 10 billion streams mark on the platform last March, while at the end of 2016, he was declared the firm’s most-streamed artist for the second consecutive year. The new Spotify landmark hit headlines on Tuesday, the same day Drake’s pal, basketball icon LeBron James, became the youngest player in NBA history to score 30,000 points in his professional career. In a video message recorded for LeBron via Uninterrupted.com, Drake revealed the sporting feat has inspired him to hit the recording studio. “LeBron, I’m honored to be part of yet another historic night. 30,000 career points, it’s incredible,” the Canadian MC declared. “It seems like every time we look up you’re setting another milestone or breaking another record. “I always tell you you’re one of the most inspirational people in my life. I’m honored to call you a brother. Every time you do something like this, I always try to get in the studio and make the song that will go with the moment, so I’m excited to go to work tonight.” Jay-Z, Jamie Foxx, Nas Kevin Hart and others also gave LeBron some props.

(AllHipHop News) Rap legend Flavor Flav is recovering from a brutal assault inside of a Las Vegas casino. Flav was on the losing end of a fight with a man named Ugandi Howard, who claimed Flavor Flav disrespected his mother in some fashion. The two men began to tussle inside of the South Point Casino and Flav was punched in the face. According to the legendary Public Enemy co-founder, he pulled a muscle in his groin, which landed him on the floor. Howard continued his assault on the “Flavor Of Love” reality TV star, by kicking him while he was down. Police arrived and broke up the fracas, and arrested Ugandi Howard for battery. Flavor Flav wound up at a local hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries.

(AllHipHop News) Singer-turned-actress Mary J. Blige has been fighting off tears of joy after learning of her two Oscar nominations for “Mudbound” The “No More Drama” hitmaker has been winning critical acclaim for her supporting role as family matriarch Florence Jackson in the Netflix film, about two men who experience racism in rural Mississippi upon their return from World War II, and on Tuesday, she was named among the contenders for the 2018 Academy Awards. Mary will compete for the Best Supporting Actress prize, as well as Best Original Song for “Mighty River,” the theme tune she wrote with fellow star Raphael Saadiq and his longtime collaborator Taura Stinson. The superstar spent the morning “yelling and screaming and about to cry” after the Oscars shortlist was announced, and she is still in awe at the double nomination. “This is a new one, the actress nominee, and this is beautiful. This is really special,” she adds to The Associated Press. “So is the song because it’s something that I love to do. I love to sing. And that’s something I’ve been doing for a very long time that’s special to me, and the Oscars have recognized it. So it’s all special.” Saadiq is equally stunned by his first Academy Award nod: “I couldn’t be more surprised or thrilled that Mighty River got a nomination,” he said. “Working with Mary J. Blige and Taura Stinson is always a breeze, they are very talented. I am truly blessed.” “Mudbound” is also up for Best Adapted Screenplay for director Dee Rees and co-writer Virgil Williams, and Best Achievement in Cinematography for Rachel Morrison. Both mentions make Oscars history – Rees is the first African-American woman to be nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, while Morrison is the first female to ever be mentioned in her category, and Blige insists it was a real pleasure working with the pair. “(Dee) gave me new life with Florence and she gave me courage to play this character,” Mary shares. “And Rachel was just amazing. Seeing these women every day on set, it was so refreshing and such a treat and just beautiful.” The 90th Annual Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on March 4.

(AllHipHop News) Embattled hip-hop star Kodak Black wants police detectives to do a fingerprint test on a stolen firearm allegedly found in his possession during a raid in Florida. The rapper was slapped with seven felony counts on Thursday (January 18) after a SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team descended on the house he was sharing with a number of other guests following a report of a domestic disturbance. Authorities claim they raced to the property after Kodak reportedly waved a weapon and smoked marijuana in front of a kid while live-streaming on Instagram. During a search of the property, they uncovered two guns and a stash of weed, and Kodak, real name Dieuson Octave, was taken into custody for grand theft of a firearm, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, marijuana possession, child neglect, and probation violation charges. Kodak recently appeared in court to answer to the probation violation claims, but Kodak insisted the gun and drugs had nothing to do with him, and his attorney, Bradford Cohen, requested investigating officers dust the items in question for fingerprints. The judge overseeing the case has yet to rule on the motion. Kodak, who has a long history of arrests and run-ins with the law, is next due in court on February 23. He will remain locked up until the hearing. Kodak is also facing prosecution for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, after allegedly assaulting a teenage girl at a South Carolina hotel following a concert in 2016. He was indicted by a grand jury in October and freed on $100,000 bond on December 1, 2017, but faces up to 30 years behind bars if convicted. https://www.google.com/sorry/index?continue=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsQPnpf_Sjs&q=EgQi3HnaGLaLg_kFIhkA8aeDS1bvX9Da6JDl4GKcBlZ_YVF50cidMgFy

(AllHipHop News) Migos rapper Offset and Cardi B have put a hold on their wedding plans because they don’t have time to make plans. The hip-hop super couple became engaged in October, of 2017, when he proposed onstage at the Power 99’s Powerhouse concert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The rapper, real name Kiari Kendrell Cephus, popped the question and placed a huge eight-carat pear-shaped diamond ring on his new fiancee’s finger. Cardi B shared a photo of herself holding up the ring in a snap on Instagram, and thanked the rapper for asking her to marry him: “I’m so emotional, @offsetyrn I loveee (sic) you so much,” she wrote. “Thank you for seeing the potential in me since you met me. For giving me advice molding (sic) me and loving me. Your such a amazing man to me your family, friends, kids and you are extremely talented. I can’t wait to spend FOREVAAAA with you.” https://www.instagram.com/p/BaxsGFdgmwQ/ But the romantic moment quickly passed after Offset was caught up in a cheating scandal that the couple has since brushed off, and now he admits the wedding plans are on ice. In a new Rolling Stone interview, the “Bad and Boujee” hitmaker says, “We ain’t planning it right now. We chilling. We don’t got time for that right now.” The couple dated for eight months before the rapper asked Cardi to be his wife, and he reveals the ring he bought her cost him “half a million”. “She is real solid, came from where I came from, did what I did,” he adds. “She’s herself, man. I seen her develop from the trenches all the way up, and I like how she did it. “I respect her grind as a woman. She came to the game with some gangsta s##t. I like that. I f##k with her. That’s my baby.” His new interview comes days before the release of Migos’ much-anticipated album Culture II, which features tracks produced by Murda Beatz, Mike Dean, and Pharrell Williams, among other big names. Offset also reveals Kanye West joined the trio in the studio and produced a few tracks he and his bandmates are sitting on for an upcoming release.

(AllHipHop News) 50 Cent is reportedly sitting on a Bitcoin fortune worth more than $7 million after accepting payments for his last album in the cryptocurrency. When the “In Da Club” rapper released his 2014 record Animal Ambition he allowed fans to pay in Bitcoin. According to reports, 50, real name Curtis James Jackson III, raked in around 700 Bitcoin with the release, which at the time was worth around $400,000. However, due to fluctuations in the cryptocurrency’s value, his holdings would now be worth between $7 million and $8.5 million. However, his fortune may not last, as Bitcoin prices have tumbled by 25% with the value of one Bitcoin falling from around $16,000 in the first week of January to around $10,000 today (January 24). The 42-year-old rapper’s apparent Bitcoin wealth represents a turnaround in his fortunes from 2015, when he filed for bankruptcy, listing his debts as $36 million against assets worth less than $20 million. His filing came after a jury ruled he had to pay $5 million to a woman who sued him over a sex tape released without her permission. Earlier this year, Jackson reached an agreement to pay back $23.4 million of his debts from future earnings over five years. He is also suing his former business managers for allegedly mishandling his bankruptcy proceedings, claiming they “disregarded the procedures of the bankruptcy court, and improperly helped themselves” to his money. The musician is also suing the law firm who represented him in the original sex tape case and is seeking $7 million in actual damages and $25 million in punitive damages for alleged malpractice.