Buzz Briefs: Jay-Z, R. Kelly
Jay Z's Being Sued For "Whisper Rapping"
Rapper Jay-Z is being sued for allegedly copying a rapping technique called "whisper rapping" - a term coined by Mitchell Rose, who claims that the technique was stolen, according to TMZ.
The crazy lawsuit was filed by Rose in Brooklyn, N.Y. who seeks $88 million and claims that he invented "whisper rapping."
Jury Deliberates In R. Kelly Trial
It's been six years since the R&B superstar first was charged with appearing on a graphic video having sex with a girl prosecutors say was as young as 13.
But both Kelly and the now 23-year-old alleged victim deny it's them on the tape. Neither took the stand.
Prosecutors replayed for jurors Thursday the graphic recording at the center of the case during their closing arguments. But defense attorneys reiterated their key argument that it's neither Kelly nor the alleged victim on the tape.
Photos: Celebrity Mug Shots
Prosecution witnesses had testified that they recognized Kelly and the girl; defense witnesses said they did not. Both sides included the alleged victim's family members.
Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Hudson To Take The Stage At BET Awards
Rihanna will take the stage June 24, the show announced Thursday. Also added: Ne-Yo, Jennifer Hudson, Terrence Howard and Gabrielle Union.
The lineup had already included Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Nelly and Usher.
Hudson, Howard and Union will help present awards recognizing the year's best musicians, music videos, actors and athletes.
Photos: Celebrity Circuit
Jill Scott will perform a tribute to BET's Lifetime Achievement Award winner Al Green, and Quincy Jones will receive the network's Humanitarian Award.
D.L. Hughley is set to host the show, which is to be broadcast live from the Shrine Auditorium.
Harassment Suit Filed Against Radio Host Wendy Williams & Her Hubby
A sexual harassment lawsuit against radio personality Wendy Williams claims her husband dominated her workplace, physically abused her and repeatedly propositioned an employee.
The lawsuit, brought by talent booker and publicist Nicole Spence, also names Kevin Hunter, who is the disc jockey's husband and manager, and Inner City Broadcast Corp., which is the DJ's boss. Williams and Hunter have denied the allegations.
Williams' radio show, "The Wendy Williams Experience," is featured in a VH1 cable TV show of the same name and is syndicated on radio stations around the country.
Spence's lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan, claims Hunter screamed and cursed at Spence while she worked on "The Wendy Williams Experience" and repeatedly propositioned her, calling her late at night to tell her about his sexual fantasies.
Photos: Stars Behind Bars
When Spence refused his advances, the lawsuit says, the situation worsened and his sexual comments took on a more threatening tone.
Spence, who sometimes appeared on the air with Williams, claims she felt unsafe at the office after seeing Hunter physically and verbally abuse his wife.
In one instance, the lawsuit claims, he stormed into an office meeting, "pinning (his wife) against the wall with his hand around her neck, choking her while repeatedly pounding his fist into the wall directly by her head." The attack, Spence claims, was apparently prompted by Williams' failure to quit smoking.
The lawsuit, which seeks more than $5 million, claims the broadcasting company failed to respond to Spence's repeated complaints and that the defendants have illegally retaliated against her.
"We will vindicate her rights," lawyer Ken Thompson said of Spence, who continues to work on the show.
When Spence's claims first surfaced, Williams said "her allegations are totally false." Her husband said the claims were "so far from the truth. It's insane."
A phone message left with a lawyer for Inner City Broadcast seeking comment was not immediately returned Wednesday. An e-mail sent to Williams and her husband through the show's Web site also went unreturned.
Rapper Lil Wayne's New CD Is A Hot Seller
With such sales, Lil Wayne is on pace to sell about 900,000 copies of the CD in its first week and post the best sales debut of the year. Last year's first-week top-seller was from Kanye West, who sold some 957,000 copies of "Graduation."
Though Lil Wayne has been on the rap scene for years, "Tha Carter III," released Tuesday, was expected to be the album that catapults the critically acclaimed rapper into pop superstardom. Ubiquitous on mixtapes and a frequent collaborator, he has owned the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 pop chart for the past few weeks with his song "Lollipop," and "Tha Carter III" is among this year's most anticipated CDs.
His last two albums, "Tha Carter" and "Tha Carter II," sold 1.1 million and 1.4 million copies, respectively.
The release date for "Tha Carter III" was pushed back several times because the album was frequently leaked and bootlegged.
The year's best first-week seller so far was posted by Mariah Carey. Her "E=MC2" sold about 463,000 in the first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.