Florida Sentinel Bulletin

After losing a court battle last year to rapper Rick Ross, the real Rick Ross is lashing out at the emcee again with a brand new lawsuit.

As previously reported, Freeway Rick Ross, noted for being a drug trafficker that spent over a decade behind bars, lost a trademark infringement case after a judge ruled that he could not properly trademark his name due to the wide use of it in magazines, television, and media.

In an exclusive interview with BET.com, Freeway Ross revealed that he has attained new legal representation from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP and he’s gearing up to present his case in California state court on May 2.

The Los Angeles street legend believes he has a better shot at winning in state court now that the California-based law firm picked up the case on a “contingency bases.”

Speaking on the case he tells BET, “We always knew our case was stronger in the state than it was in the feds. California state law really protects people with their names and their likenesses. So we knew that was stronger inside California than it was in the feds, but we wanted to go the big route first then work our way down.”

In the previous suit, filed in June 2010, the real Ross was seeking compensation from the rapper Ross, Jay-Z, Def Jam Records, Universal Music Group and others, for trademark violations, unfair competition and misappropriation of his publicity rights.

The judge dismissed the case on the grounds that the real Ross did not show enough evidence of secondary usage by the rapper.

Now with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, on his side, Freeway still plans to name the same defendants, but threatened to include Warner Music Group if they use his name as part of their recent partnership with the rapper Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group.

“I’ll slap a lawsuit on them as well,” Ross promises. “They better not put my name on his product or I’ma be after them, too. I ain’t scared of none of them.”

The real Ross is confident that in this second round of legal proceedings he’ll regain ownership of his name in order for it to be used in a better light.

“We’re both teaching two different messages,” says Freeway Ross. “He’s teaching my old life: sell drugs, disrespect women, all the things that really have our country in shambles. I’m teaching uplifting values, education, literacy. He’s teaching illiteracy.”

For more details on the lawsuit go to www.freewayrick.com.

After years of misinformation and rumors, Toni Braxton says why she was forced to file for bankruptcy twice.

“I had health issues that led to my financial issues,” she said. “And my issues weren’t necessarily me personally, financially. It was me, business.”

The singer went through a tough stretch physically in 2007 and 2008. She had a benign lump removed from her breast, though never admitted having a cancer scare. Later, she was hospitalized and diagnosed with microvascular angina.

Toni filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in California last year. Official documents indicated she owed as much as $50 million to a range of creditors, including Wells Fargo Bank and The Four Seasons Hotels. She also owes large amounts to DMVs around California and Nevada.

It’s official! Nicki Minaj will join Britney Spears on her North American tour this summer.

Spears’ tour kicks off June 17 in Sacramento, California.

There’s already been a fair share of drama surrounding who would join the singer on the road this summer.

Spears made an announcement on ‘Good Morning America’ that Enrique Iglesias would headline the tour with her. However, Iglesias dropped out of the deal just hours after the announcement.

When rumors began that Minaj would hit the road with Spears on tour, the fan reaction was overwhelmingly supportive. Minaj is currently on tour with Lil Wayne until the end of April.

Usher has fallen under the spell of another lady.

The R&B singer is currently dating his co-manager and stylist Grace Miguel, a 43-year-old former Def Jam executive who was spotted with Usher mere months after he split from his ex-wife Tameka Foster.

Miguel is calling all the shots. The seasoned pro, who helped Usher secure a release date for his latest studio release ‘Raymond v. Raymond,’ is trying to convince him to fire his entire staff including tour managers, stylists and choreographers, with plans to replace them with a whole new team.

Sources close to the action claim that “Usher will do whatever she wants him [to] do right now.”

Usher and Miguel have been a hot item as far back as 2009. After filing for divorce from his 40-year-old ex-wife Foster, the 30-year-old went public with his relationship with Miguel, who signed on as his co-manager after he gave his mother the boot from the position.

Public Enemy hype man and reality show guru Flavor Flav is now in the works for creating a brand new show, surrounding his latest venture, a Fried Chicken restaurant.

Flav says the show will be somewhat reminiscent of the 50’s classic “Happy Days,” and show viewers the ins and outs of running a franchise.

A few days ago Flav’s new spot was making headlines due to an investigation of his Clinton, IA location for bounced checks distributed to its employees.

Co-owner Nick Cimino spoke on the matter, explaining there have been ups and downs like in any business, but everything is under control.

Monica Joseph-Taylor respectfully released a statement announcing her and her husband of 18 years, Aston Taylor, known to the music world as Funkmaster Flex are taking a relationship break.

“We have tremendous love and respect for each other, and will continue to work on our professional projects together,” said Monica.

“Our top priority has and will always be our children! I personally ask that the press keep in mind Flex is the celebrity, not myself or my children, please respect our privacy!”

The split comes a month after Flex’s arrest for criminal charges on an unknown woman and a week after receiving threats from rival radio station.

People say a lot of things about President Barack Obama, but there’s one thing you have to give the guy: He can take a joke at his expense. On ‘The Tonight Show,’ Jay Leno showed footage of Jamie Foxx entertaining for the president.

He stopped the music, though, to call the president out on the dancing skills he displayed on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show.’

Foxx started mimicking the presidential moves, saying, “That definitely was not the Black side in you right there.”

The only person laughing harder than Obama at that point was his wife, Michelle.

“He’s gotta work on his dance moves,” Foxx reiterated to Leno. “He’s got to be able to represent America in any dance-related diplomatic situations that may arise.”

Just weeks after Nate Dogg’s death, reports have surfaced that the icon’s home is in foreclosure.

The 213 member passed away from complications from multiple strokes leaving behind a wife and children who promise to follow in their father’s footsteps.

Now the rapper’s home went into foreclosure just two days after he passed.

Nate Dogg, real name Nathaniel Hale, is said to have fallen behind on mortgage payments on his Pomona, CA home … to the tune of $5,924.12.

The home was taken into foreclosure on March 17; the West Coast rhymer passed on March 15.

The rapper had reportedly not made a payment on the home since December 2010.

Nate Dogg was laid to rest March 26.

When Elizabeth Taylor’s entire collection of jewelry goes up for auction at Christie’s in the next few months expect to see a sea of celebrities turning up to bid on a not-so-little piece of history; however, beware! Kimora Lee Simmons says she’s going to be bidding to win!

And although Kimora is the first to admit that she is not Elizabeth, she surely would love to have a lot of Elizabeth’s jewels. “I built my entire jewelry collection with her in mind. I will definitely go and bid. The last time I went to an auction I came home with all Versace stuff. I got a lot of it. I was probably the biggest buyer. I got his bed, DNA are in those sheets!”