According to reports, Stack Bundles “Rayquon Elliott,” 24, a former affiliate of DJ Clue’s Desert Storm and a recent member of Jim Jones’ Byrd Gang from Queens, New York, was murdered in front of his home at the Far Rockaway building. The rapper was reportedly shot once in the head and once in the neck after he returned from being out with friend at around 5 am Monday morning. One of his friends who was with him at the time walked away leaving him alone in the lobby. After the friend heard gunshots they ran back, but by the time the friend returned to Stack Bundles the gunman was already gone.
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According to news reports, Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie confessed to having a series of lesbian relationships when she was the tender age of 18. At that time she reportedly stated that she was experimenting with drugs and sex which was due to her rebelling against her strict Catholic parents.

Evidentially her lesbian voyage helped her in her role “Grindhouse” in which she played a lesbian.

According to a report a former college professor and previous St. Petersburg Times journalist quit his job as a College Professor due to his students having no interest in learning. Professor Maxwell compares his first day at the 800 bodied Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama to “Chris Rock’s joke, or Dave Chappelle’s.. the one about every U.S. city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, ironically being the place where shootings and robberies are taking place as we speak.”

In the article Professor Maxwell was seeking out to infuse fresh, young minds with the wealth of his knowledge, but it seems like that goal was not accomplished.
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According to the Washington Post, photographer Joel Brodsky, famous for album cover shots of Jim Morrison, Isaac Hayes, Aretha Franklin, and numerous other musicians during the 60s and 70s, died of a heart attack on March 1st at his home in Stamford, Conn. He was 67.

Gallery owner, Chris Murray, who gave Brodsky his first exhibition at Washingston’s Govinda Gallery in 2001, stated, “What Annie Leibovitz and David LaChapelle ended up doing, Joel was doing 30 years ago. Joel’s work was a precursor to the illustrated concept album, and he’s definitely a precursor to hip-hop.”

Brodsky was also official house photographer for Stax Records, a Memphis soul and rhythm and blues label. There, he photographed Booker T & the MG’s and Albert King’s 1971 album Lovejoy, which featured King’s aging tour bus.

Joel Brodsky was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 7, 1939, and did not discover his talent for photography until he took a course in it at Syracuse University, where he graduated in 1960. He got a job in a camera store and took pictures on the side, opening his own studio in 1964.

According to reports, Brodsky did not have a photographic specialty until a friend who managed a folk group asked him to take pictures for an album. Brodsky loved music and had an enormous record collection, but was not necessarily inspired by the artists he photographed. Sid Holt, his son-in-law and a former managing editor of Rolling Stone claimed, “I never actually heard him listen to the music he shot. He didn’t particularly like the Doors.”

After nearly a decade of working, Brodsky left the rock-and-roll industry for more commercial work. He retired in 2001.

Brodsky is survived by his wife of 43 years, Valerie, and three daughters, Jill Holt, Brooke Brodsky, and Alexandra Alland, his sister, and three grandchildren.

Kim Mathers, 32, had an exclusive interview with “20/20′s” JuJu Chang to set the record straight about her perceived image and her near 20-year relationship with rap star Eminem “Marshall Mathers”.

“Money is great, but it doesn’t make your husband stay at home with you,” said Mathers. “Or sleep in the same bed with you … Him being on the road and on tour … that was like the big one. I mean … constant infidelities, all the time,” she said.

After starting off in a relationship (on again and off again) since the age of 13, (Eminem, 15) Kim Mathers stated that Eminem and herself vowed to always protect each other no matter what. When he didn’t have a place to stay she would walk the street with him until she knew he had somewhere to live and he would be there for her.
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According to ABC News more than 8,500 of James Brown’s fans filled an arena bearing his name Saturday to farewell the Godfather of Soul off to his resting place. James Brown, 73 passed on December 25, 2006 of heart failure in Atlanta while being hospitalized for the treatment of pneumonia.

The service for James Brown’s funeral lasted approximately 90-minutes with prayers, gospel music, a dedication dance from MC Hammer, songs from his band and James Brown’s favourite hymn, “His eye is on the sparrow” by Cynthia Moore.

James Brown’s body laid lifeless in front of the bandstand in a gold casket dressed in a black jacket with white studs on the lapels, white gloves, a red shirt and sequined shoes. Fans lines up early to beat the rain so they could witness the furneral.

After the James Brown Arena was full, the remaining mourners and onlookers gathered on the streets to listen to the service over the PSA.

Those who paid tribute to the Godfather of Soul included Rev. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, the tearful Michael Jackson and others who took turns at the podium which overlooked the casket.

Fans didn’t expect Michael Jackson who bowed to James Brown’s casket who then shared a hug with Rev. Al Sharpton as James Brown’s most recent backup band the “Soul Generals” began to play.

At the podium, pop star Michael Jackson told the mourners, “James Brown is my greatest inspiration,” adding that when he was a child, his mother would wake him, regardless of the hour, whenever Brown was on TV.

“When I saw him move, I was mesmerized,” Jackson said. “I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life because of James Brown.”

In related news, James Brown’s lawyer has said the late singer and his 36-year-old partner weren’t legally married and so she was locked out of his South Carolina home for legal reasons involving his estate. The partner, one of Brown’s backup singers, told media that the couple was married and she can prove it. The funeral program reportedly listed Tomi Rae Hynie as a “companion” who has a 5 year-old child with Brown. The program also listed James Brown was survived by seven children, though his publicist referred to only four.

James Brown was born in Barnwell, S.C., but mostly stayed in Augusta, GA as a child. He considered Augusta, who named a street in his honor a decade ago and last year erected a statue of him in a downtown park, his home. Earlier this year, the community’s main auditorium was also named after James Brown.

According to sources 25 year-old R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles can’t wait for Christmas to come because she’s going to get down and dirty with all the festive food.

Beyoncé insisted Christmas food is to delicious to miss out on because of a diet when she blasted Hollywood’s trend for frail actresses.

Britain’s Daily Star states that Beyoncé said, “People are obsessed with skinny girls at the moment. I’m going to be eating for America over Christmas to get some more junk in my trunk. So raise a glass and toast for me, people.”

For her role in “Dreamgirls” the singer/actress lost 13 lbs in less than 10 days on a liquid-only diet consisting of organic maple syrup mixed with water, lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

“OK, I lost a lot of weight for ‘Dreamgirls’. But I sure am enjoying putting it all back on.”

During filming Beyoncé warned other women not to copy the extreme eating plan after being criticized by health experts.

“In ‘Dreamgirls’, my character starts at 16 and then 20 years pass. Normally they’d change your make-up or your clothes but I wanted to go the extra mile. My nutritionist suggested the only way to do that was the fast. As soon as it was over I gained the weight back. I would never recommend it to anyone unless you are doing a movie.”

Turkish-American music mentor and founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun, dies at age 83. Ahmet Ertegun died due to falling backstage in October during a Rolling Stones performance at the Beacon Theatre in New York where he injured his head causing a major brain injury. After being taken to the hospital he slipped into a coma on October 29th.

Ahmet Ertegun, who was born July 31, 1923 in Istanbul will be laid to rest in Turkey. A memorial service will be held after New Year’s in New York, said Bob Kaus, a spokesman for Ertegun’s family and Atlantic Records.

“He was in a coma and expired today with his family at his bedside,” his doctor, Dr Howard A Riina, said from New York.

Ahmet Ertegun, came to the United States at the age of 11, when his father was named Turkish ambassador, and founded Atlantic Records with Herb Abramson in 1947.

Ertegun turned Atlantic Records (Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Bee Gees …) into a powerhouse with the help of a $10,000 loan from his dentist. Later Warner Seven-Art bought the label in ’67. Even though Warner Seven-Art bought into the label Ertegun managed to stay on to help create the albums we all love, which changed two years later.

The label is under Warner Music Group, and includes a roster of artists such as Kid Rock, Lil Kim and Missy Elliott.

“All of us at Atlantic Records are profoundly saddened by the loss of our founder and mentor,” said Atlantic Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman.

Sources have stated that the 45-year-old comedian/actor/singer Edward Regan “Eddie” Murphy has dumped 31 year-old pregnant Spice Girl “Scarey Spice” Melanie Brown aka Mel B. and has moved on to a new love after only six months. A Dutch TV show (RTL Boulevard) happened to interview Eddie Murphy which started this frenzy asking him if they were still dating and he told the interviewer “You’re being presumptuous, because we’re not together anymore. And I don’t know whose child that is, until it comes out and has a blood test. You shouldn’t jump to conclusions, sir.” His rep later came back denying such a thing. “Mr Murphy does not discuss his personal life publicly, so whatever is being reported is a fabrication and did not occur,” stated his rep. One day later after his rep denied him saying such a comment, AOL media sources dug up the actual footage.

Currently the word is that Eddie Murphy is dating model/film-producer Tracey “McQuarn” Edmonds (Soul Food, College Hill, Lil Kim: Countdown to Lockdown, Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is) ex-wife of producer/singer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds according to People magazine.

Recently the couple was spotted at the movie premier of “Dreamgirls” which Eddie Murphy is starring in along with American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Danny Glover and others.

When asked if Tracey Edmonds was happy she smiled and said, “Yes, very happy. We’re having fun.”

Eddie Murphy was married to model Nicole Mitchell and has five children with her. In August 2005 Nicole Mitchell filed for divorce which was finalized April 17, 2006.

Watch the Dutch TV show video interview with Eddie Murphy about Scarey Spice

Backup dancer/rapper Kevin Federline had it coming even though he probably didn’t think about it until now. After leaving Shar Jackson a month before giving birth to their second child for Britney Spears and then trying to launch a music career where he got slammed by media and press, and now recently getting slammed by Britney with a divorce, Kevin Federline is running back to the family he left in the cold.

According to 30 year-old Shar Jackson she blames Britney Spears for keeping 28 year-old Kevin Federline away from his kids, but everyone know that Kevin had a little to do with it also. Shar Jackson claims that Britney Spears thought more about her son Sean Preston, and wouldn’t like the thought of Kevin spending time with his two kids he had with her.

Sources say that Shar Jackson stated, “He was in a relationship where he had to respect boundaries. And the other person probably felt that their family should be the focus of what goes on in their household. He couldn’t come over as much as he would like to. If he wasn’t working he would come over to see the kids two or three times a month.”

When Kevin Federline first left Shar Jackson she said, “it wasn’t like just breaking up a relationship. It was like breaking up a family.”

Since Britney Spears filed for divorce from Kevin Federline, November 7, 2006, Kevin is stated to be trying to make up for lost time with his children by Shar Jackson. Sources also report that he spent Thanksgiving Day with his ex-girlfriend “Shar Jackson” and their kids named Kori and Kaleb.

Shar Jackson is known for her role as Niecy Jackson in the TV show Moesha which starred singer/actress Brandy Norwood. Shar Jackson played Moesha’s bestfriend in the TV Show. She has also co-starred in the Nickelodeon movie, Good Burger, with Kel Mitchell and Kenan Thompson and appeared in other films, such as Love & Basketball. Currently Shar Jackson is working on an album under the label Long Live Crime Record in Los Angeles which is TBA.