Kanye West charged with battery
19th March 2009 19:57
KANYE WEST has been charged with battery after scuffle with a photographer.
The rapper was also charged with theft and vandalism after the incident involving paparazzi at Los Angeles' LAX airport last September.
West was arrested along with his manager Don Crawley after they "confronted "confronted, and engaged in an altercation with, two photographers," the LA attorney's office said in a statement.
The scuffle was caught on video tape and shows West and Crawley wrestling camera equipment from photographers and smashing it on the ground. Reports at the time found the camera equipment was valued at over 10,000 dollars. Police arrested West as he tried to board a flight to Honolulu.
The 31-year-old Grammy-award-winning musician could face up to 30 months in prison.
Crawley, 33, was also charged on two counts of battery, two counts of theft and two counts of vandalism, and faces a possible five years in prison.
Michael Jackson Comeback Tickets Fetching Thousands On eBay
11th March 2009 20:50
Tickets for Michael Jackson's summer comeback gigs in London are already exchanging hands for thousands of pounds online.
Prices on auction site eBay currently range from £150 for two tickets to £8,500 for two hospitality packages. The pre-sale for Jackson's O2 Arena concerts, which will be his last ever performances in London, opened this morning at 7am.
Primary tickets range from £50 to £75 for floor seating. These are now being sold by fans on secondary market ticket websites for inflated prices.
In order to match demand, organsiers have added an additional 15 dates, extending Jackson's residency to 25 shows. Over a million people have registered for the chance to buy tickets to the concerts, which get under way on July 8th.
Jackson, now 50, has not performed a full concert since he was cleared of child molestation charges in 2005. His last full tour, entitled HIStory, took place in 1996 and '97. In total, the singer is expected to earn upwards of $400m for his comeback, which also includes a 3D film deal. The remaining tickets for Jackson's gigs will go on general sale on March 13th at 7am.
Akon: 'I Want To Work With Chris Brown'
11th March 2009 20:49
US R&B star Akon has said he wants to record with Chris Brown, despite the singer's current legal troubles.
Brown will find out next month whether he faces jail time for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, singer Rihanna during an argument in Los Angeles earlier this year. Speaking to the Associated Press news agency, Akon said he wouldn't taken Brown's reported actions into account if the pair worked together.
"Oh, absolutely!" Akon replied, when asked if he wanted to record with Brown. "I wouldn't take anybody's personal issues or problems- I won't hold them accountable for that when it comes to work. I think it's two separate things."
Akon has faced his own legal troubles. In December, he was fined and ordered to carry out community service for throwing a fan off stage at a gig. But the singer said he believed music could help Brown overcome his current troubles. “If you are going through personal issues to me, those are the best times to make records,” he said.