Florida Sentinel Bulletin

LOS ANGELES — The new incarnation of Death Row Records does not have the rights to sell Dr. Dre’s iconic rap album “The Chronic” digitally, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder ruling states that the rapper and producer has received far less money than he is due from online sales of the 1992 album, which also helped launch the career of Snoop Dogg.

The ruling does not call for a halt of digital sales of Dre’s music, but entitles him to receive 100 percent of the proceeds of online sales, his attorney, Howard King, told The Associated Press.

The rapper, whose real name is Andre Young, sued WIDEawke Death Row Records last year, claiming it was improperly selling “The Chronic” digitally and using some of his music on compilation albums without his permission.

Snyder’s ruling states the label, which bought the original Death Row Records’ holdings out of bankruptcy, does not have the right to put Dr. Dre’s music on compilation or any other albums.

“For years, Death Row Records forgot about Dre when they continued to distribute his music digitally and combined his hits with weaker Death Row tracks in an attempt to elevate the stature of their other artists,” King wrote in a statement. “We are gratified that the federal court has unambiguously declared that Death Row has no right to engage in such tactics, and must hold all proceeds from these illicit distributions in trust for our client.”

Phone and email messages for WIDEawake’s attorney, Michael Holtz, was not immediately returned Tuesday evening.

The rapper has a long history of battling Death Row Records, a label he confounded but later left.

The most recent case he filed centered on his 1996 exit agreement with the label, which called for him to receive 18 percent royalties on his music created while at Death Row and gave him substantial authority over how the songs were used.

The agreement states that WIDEawake can only sell Dre’s music in the format it appeared in before the deal. Another of Dre’s attorneys, Stephen Rothschild, told Snyder during arguments in court on Monday that meant it could only appear in four formats: CD, cassette, vinyl and 8-Track.

Snoop Dogg and soccer star David Beckham could be teaming up to venture into fashion design.

According to the UK’s Mirror newspaper, Snoop is looking to design a fashion line for babies with Beckhem. “I’d love to do a Babygro range and baby house shoes with Beckham,” Snoop said to Mirror.

Snoop did not explain how far along his plans for the clothing line are. Though, his previous attempt to launch a clothing line failed.

In 2008 the California rapper started Rich & Infamous clothing, which quickly bombed out due to a struggling U.S. economy. “The recession is affecting everybody,” Snoop added.

“We’re trying to keep it one hundred percent and do what we’re doing and try to keep the prices a little lower. [We’re] trying to keep it cost sufficient for what [we’re] doing.”

In another fashion venture, Snoop launched OG Bandana glasses with Serious Pimp fashion. He was also named president of the company.

LOS ANGELES — “Heal the world. Make it a better place for you and for me.” So sang Michael Jackson in his mega-selling 1992 anthem for change.

Now the singer’s estate and Jackson’s mother could use a little healing themselves as they fight each other over the non-profit Heal the World Foundation, which claims it’s the successor to the pop star’s defunct charity inspired by the song. At stake in the skirmish are trademarks worth millions of dollars and a piece of Jackson’s legacy.

The dispute, which is playing out in a federal court in Los Angeles, is the latest example of the sometimes strained relationship between Jackson’s family and his estate, which has already earned hundreds of millions of dollars.

But the fight against the new incarnation of the Heal the World Foundation has also raised questions about which causes the singer would want to focus on if he hadn’t abandoned his charity to fight off allegations of child sexual abuse.

His mother, Katherine Jackson, left little doubt about her sentiments in a recent court filing: “It is not my desire, nor would it be the desire of my son Michael, to continue this lawsuit against Heal the World Foundation.”

Rapper Gucci Mane is reportedly still behind bars today after being arrested for pushing a woman out of a moving vehicle.

As previously reported Mane was taken into police custody Friday and charged with battery and violating his probation.

According to authorities Gucci was arrested on a warrant that he intentionally caused visible bodily harm to an unnamed female by pushing her out of a moving vehicle.

Now RumorFix.com reports that Mane is still in custody at a Dekalb County, Georgia jail and still waiting for someone to post his $5,700 bail.

If and when he makes bail however, the rapper will reportedly be taken to a Fulton County prison where he’ll serve time for the probation violation charge.

He faces up to 2 years in prison.

LOS ANGELES — Talk about a TKO.

Legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard was knocked out of the “Dancing With the Stars” ballroom Tuesday — one night after earning his highest scores on the hit ABC show.

Leonard and his professional partner, Anna Trebunskaya, collected 21 points out of 30 for their Viennese waltz on Monday’s episode, but viewers failed to keep them as contenders in the competition.

Judges’ scores are combined with viewer votes to determine which celebrity is ousted each week.

“That’s life, and I put up a good fight,” Leonard said. “I will cherish this moment: great friends, great people, great show.”

Host Tom Bergeron called the 54-year-old Olympian “the heart of the show this season.”

Trebunskaya said she and Leonard had fun together.

“The boxer became a ballet dancer!” she said.

Tuesday’s episode also included a performance by Jennifer Hudson, who sang “Don’t Look Down” and “Feeling Good” from her latest album, “I Remember Me.”

Returning to dance on next week’s Patriots’ Day-themed show with songs about loving America will be actors Kirstie Alley, Ralph Macchio and Chelsea Kane; athletes Hines Ward and Chris Jericho; model Petra Nemcova; singer Romeo; and reality star Kendra Wilkinson.

MILWAUKEE — A judge dismissed a drug paraphernalia possession charge against former talk show host Montel Williams, who was briefly detained at a Milwaukee airport in January after a search of his luggage turned up the type of pipe commonly used for smoking marijuana.

Williams, who says he legally uses marijuana to treat chronic pain caused by multiple sclerosis, was scheduled to stand trial in May on the charge. But a Milwaukee County judge dismissed the case Tuesday at the district attorney’s request after the pipe tested negative for the drug, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

“We concluded that this case was not provable,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern said.

Williams lives in New York but is participating in experimental treatment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He said he forgot the pipe was in his bag, and apologized for inconveniencing the airport security agents, deputies and court system. Williams said he is thankful that he can put the episode behind him.

“This isn’t about somebody trying to do something illicit. I’m really just trying to take my medication. Hopefully this issue and this incident will spark some conversations that will help more rational minds find a way to solve the problem and take the patients off the battlefield.”

After 20 years, Krayzie Bone has announced that he is leaving the Cleveland, Ohio group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to pursue a solo career and other projects.

The 36-year-old veteran rapper made the announcement through a Youtube video that was released online Thursday morning, April 14th.

“I will no longer be a part of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony,”said the rapper. Due to uncontrollable circumstances, it’s basically time for me to move on and just start embarking on different endeavors I’ve already had planned in my life. Just trying to go to a whole other level in the music game, I am trying to grow and become greater at what I do.”

Krayzie Bone, who previously released four solo albums between 1999 and 2005, plans to focus on his own artists and label The Life Entertainment.

As a group Bone Thugs-N-Hamony released eight studio albums the best-selling album being the 1995 released E. 1999 Eternal, with four million copies sold in the United States and ten million worldwide.

Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell is officially set to begin his campaign trail in a run for Mayor of Miami-Dade County.

The former 2 Live Crew rapper is one of twelve people that filed proper paperwork this week to run in a special election for Mayor on May 24th. Former Mayor, Carlos Alvarez, was removed from office in a recall election on March 15.

Campbell said a big hurdle is getting people to take his mayoral aspirations seriously. His campaign will focus on economic development, public safety, affordable housing and revitalizing the community.

County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez, Gabrielle Redfern, former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina, Jose ‘Pepe’ Cancio, activist Jeffery Lampert, among others are Campbell’s opponents in the race for Mayor.

Hip-hop artists like Wyclef Jean, who attempted to run for President of Haiti, and Rhymefest, who failed in a run for Chicago City Council, have not faired too well in politics.

Still, if an actor born in Austria, best known for playing The Terminator in movies can be elected Governor of California, there is a good chance that a former rapper from Miami, best known for the song “Me So Horny,” can be elected Mayor of his home city.

Police have charged two men with murder for the death of Corey “DJ Megatron” McGriff.

As previously reported, the popular New York DJ died from a single gunshot wound to the stomach last month in Staten Island, New York.

Police now have 21-year-old William Williams and 20-year-old Richard Cromwell behind bars for murder.

According to police Williams and Cromwell approached McGriff around 2 a.m. on March 27 and of them fired the fatal shot into his body.

As he lay dying, the men reportedly took a wad of cash and a watch off his wrist.

The watch is said to be one given to Megatron by his 11-year-old daughter and was later recovered near the crime scene.

Both Williams and Cromwell have been charged with murder, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon.