Florida Sentinel Bulletin

DETROIT — A longtime songwriting partner of Aretha Franklin has sued her publish company, claiming it did not sign a royalty agreement for a song on her recently released album.

The suit filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit by Norman D. West also accuses Springtime Publishing Inc., of copyright infringement over an earlier song and seeks unspecified damages to ensure future royalties.

West said no royalty agreement was signed for “Put It Back Together Again.” That song and “New Day,” which West said he co-wrote, appear on “Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love.” The CD was released this spring — her first studio album in about eight years.

West, 45, and Franklin have worked together on songs for more than 20 years. His lawsuit asks a judge to order Springtime Publishing to sign the royalty agreement.

BURBANK, CA — Prosecutors say rapper Tone Loc has pleaded not guilty to a felony domestic violence charge stemming from an arrest earlier this year.

The artist, whose real name is Anthony Smith, entered the plea in a Burbank, Calif., courthouse on Thursday. Known for the hits “Wild Thing” and “Funky Cold Medina,” Smith was arrested in the city which is north of Los Angeles on June 18.

He also faces a felony possession of an assault weapon charge because Burbank police discovered the rapper has an unregistered Colt AR-15 rifle. He returns to court on July 28.

Police have released few details about the 45-year-old’s arrest, saying only that he was taken into custody after a woman accused him of assault.

NEW YORK — The controversy surrounding Chris Brown due to alleged gay slurs and rumored issues with Drake has not stopped Breezy’s fans from supporting him.

Over 18,000 of Brown’s followers showed up to see him perform live on the Today Show and actually set a record for attendance.

Many of them camped outside since Thursday holding signs that read “Team Breezy.” Chris performed hits off his F.A.M.E. album and a few other classics for the record breaking audience.

Singer Monica and her husband, L.A. Lakers shooting guard Shannon Brown, were married for the second time on Saturday, and this time around their friends and families were there to help celebrate.

The couple, who have been together since 2010, were secretly married in November, but they decided to profess their love for each other in front of hundreds of guests at L.A.’s 19th century cathedral, Vibiana.

A lavish, purple-and-blue-themed reception followed the ceremony, where Kobe Bryant, Lala Vazquez and Carmelo Anthony were just some of the notable guests.

The happy couple first met last year on the set of the singer’s music video for ‘Love All Over Me,’ and were engaged in October 2010 after just a few months of dating. Brown revealed the couple’s quiet wedding during a post-game interview in January.

Monica has two sons, Romelo, 3, and Rodney Jr., 6, with ex-boyfriend Rodney “Rocko” Hill, and Brown also has a young son from a previous relationship.

Usher closed out the first day of the Essence Music Festival on July 1, with a rousing two hour performance in which he paid homage to the late Michael Jackson.

Shocking the audience with his entrance, the Grammy winner emerged from a platform in the middle of the New Orleans Superdome high above the crowd, before breaking into his set.

Amidst four costume changes, and nearing the end of his show, Usher honored the two year anniversary of Jackson’s death. “Six days ago marks the death of Michael Jackson,” he said. “I’d like to pay tribute to him, is that all right with you guys?”

He asked before breaking into a dance sequence to the King of Pop’s hits ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,’ ‘Rock With You‘ and ‘Billy Jean,’ while trying his hand at mimicking Jackson’s moonwalk.

If you haven’t heard Alicia Keys live in concert, listen up. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of her Grammy-winning debut album, ‘Songs in A Minor,‘ Keys brought down the house in an exclusive acoustic solo concert for AOL Music, called ‘Piano & I.’

On a candlelit stage at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, the Givenchy-clad singer said, “The city really wrote a lot of that first album.” As Keys recounted endless hours spent riding the NYC subway, her show became a heartfelt tribute to her hometown. By concert’s end, the new mom received a standing ovation.

Kanye West is nothing if not consistent. As the sole hip-hop headliner at this year’s Essence Music Festival Saturday (July 2) night, the Chicago MC did not disappoint, offering up a visual feast complete with pyrotechnics, nearly two dozen dancers and elaborate lighting.

Broken up into three acts, the Louis Vuitton Don ran through more than 20 songs, ranging from tracks off his debut album to his most recent, ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.’

Never one to shy away from being candid, West made mention of his now infamous incident at the 2009 MTV Awards, which set his career into what many had written off as a downward spiral. “I had a little bit to drink that night,” he admitted amidst the audience’s cheers and laughter.

West also took fans down his own personal music memory lane playing some his favorite songs, which he credited as inspiring his musical genius. “I don’t do interviews anymore because the press be trying to kill me, I let the music speak for itself.”

After ‘planking’ seemed to have swept over Hollywood faster than you can say ‘Kabbalah,’ there’s one lonely adversary who’s standing up against those that are laying down. Rapper Xzibit took to Twitter to express his extreme disapproval of the trend.

“Planking is THE dumbest sh-t ever,” Xzibit tweeted (via TMZ). “#Planking was a way to transport slaves on ships during the slave trade, its not funny. Educate.”

From Rosario Dawson and Ellen Page to Justin Bieber and Katy Perry, celebrities have been laying down straight and narrow left and right.

Although the position in which slaves were transported during the slave trade was not technically referred to as ‘planking’ the fashion in which they were positioned on wood plank beds was not unlike the stiff, face down, palm to side style.

Comedian Chris Tucker is set for an 18 date national stand-up comedy tour.

The ‘Rush Hour’ and ‘Friday’ star will begin the tour July 19th in Long Beach, CA, and continue until November 26th, ending in Oakland, CA. Tickets go on sale beginning July 15th at 10:00 am at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.

Early in his stand-up career, Tucker gained a reputation as one of the leading comics on the Los Angeles comedy circuit and was invited to participate in hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons‘ Def Comedy Jam on HBO, where he became a frequent performer.

As a high energy actor, Tucker paired up with one of rap’s greatest, Ice Cube, in the 1995 cult classic, ‘Friday’.

He then gave a remarkable performance alongside veteran actor Lorenz Tate in Dead Presidents and landed co-starring roles in such memorable films as ‘Money Talks’, with actor Charlie Sheen; ‘The Fifth Element’ with action hero Bruce Willis; and Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown.

Beyond the popularity and notoriety of the previous years’ films, it was the 1998 blockbuster hit ‘Rush Hour’ that amassed a global following to catapult Tucker to international stardom.

‘Rush Hour 2’ and ‘Rush Hour 3’, both huge hits with audiences, further established Tucker as one of the great comedy actors of his generation.