Universal has been hit with
a $100 million dollar lawsuit by two promoters, who claim that the label defrauded
artists, including Nelly, out of money by forcing them to submit phony invoices.
Promoters National Music Marketing and Majestic Promotions claim that top name
artists like Nelly unintentionally paid for other artists promotion. The promoters
also claimed that Universal warned radio stations not to do business with the
companies, unless they agreed to submit the fake invoices. Universal is accused
of fraud, trade libel, breach of contract and racketeering.
Representatives for Fat Joe deny that his Terror Squad was involved in a melee
that left four people with injuries in the Bronx, New York. A spokesperson for
the rapper said that Joe and company were performing at George Mason University
in Fairfax, Virginia when the altercation occurred. Three men we cut with a
box cutter and one was hit over the head with a bottle of liquor, when they
allegedly booed a group of men performing as Terror Squad. The men "I have
a deep love for my people in The Bronx," Fat Joe told The New York Post
in a statement. “And I feel really bad because I would never want anyone’s
parents to think that Fat Joe would be involved in a situation like this, where
people were hurt." In related news, Joe will headline the King of Kings
Tenth Anniversary Splash in New Kingston, Jamaica on June 4.
Reebok has announced that 50 Cent will continue to be a part of the “I
Am What I Am” ad campaign, despite the rapper’s commercials being
banned in the UK. The campaign, Reebok’s biggest in ten years, helped
the company post an 11 percent gain in sales, the company announced yesterday.
The boost came courtesy of Jay-Z’s S. Carter Collection and 50 Cent’s
G-Unit line. 50’s line saw a spike in sales due to the success of his
album The Massacre.
The Black Eyed Peas will hit the road in support of their upcoming album Monkey
Business. The tour kicks off in June and will stop in 40 cities, before winding
down with a pair of shows with The Dave Matthews Band in San Francisco in August.
The first single from the album is titled “Don’t Phunk With My Heart.”
6/11 – Atlanta, GA
6/12 – Tampa, FL
6/13 – Orlando, FL
6/14 – Boca Raton, FL
6/17 – Philadelphia, PA
6/18 – Washington, DC
6/21 – Pittsburgh, PA
6/22 – Cleveland, OH
6/24 – Sacramento, CA
6/25 – Seattle, WA
6/26 – Chicago, IL
6/29 – Columbus, OH
6/30 – Indianapolis, IN
7/1- Detroit, MI
7/2 – St. Louis, MO
7/3 – New Orleans, LA
7/4 – Atlantic City, NJ
7/7 – Quebec City, QC
7/8 – Montreal, QC
7/9 – Ottawa, ON
7/10 – Toronto, ON
7/11 – London, ON
7/13 – Minneapolis, MN
7/15 – Winnipeg, MB
7/16 – Saskatoon, SK
7/17 – Edmonton, AB
7/18 – Grand Prairie, AB
7/19 – Calgary, AB
7/21 – Victoria, BC
7/22 – Vancouver, BC
7/23 – Kelowna, BC
7/26 – Denver, CO
7/28 – Los Angeles, CA
7/29 – San Diego, CA
7/31 – New York, NY (with Dave Matthews Band)
8/2 – Uncasville, CT
8/3 – Boston, MA
8/12 – San Francisco, CA (with Dave Matthews Band)
8/13 – San Francisco, CA (with Dave Matthews Band)