Posted January 11, 2008 -- Tony Yayo is apparently in the clear. His lawyers have asked that charges be dropped against the G-Unit rapper after another man confessed he is the one who slapped the 14-year-old son of Game's manager Jimmy Henchman on a New York street last year. Yayo was accussed of the assault and was facing charges of misdeameanor assault, harrassment and endangering the welfare of a child. A Yayo associate, Lowell Fletcher, who is now in jail on drug possession charges, apparently confessed during an unrelated interview. Yayo, born Marvin Bernard, in fact, pulled Fletcher away according to his statement. Fletcher's lawyer, Robert Macedonio, said "Although the statement is harmful to my client, it seems that Tony Yayo really didn't do anything but pull him (Fletcher) off this kid." While a tentative trial date of March 31 was set, the judge asked both sides to file motions before then.
Teenage rapper Soulja Boy set a record when his ringtone “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” was digitally downloaded for the three-millionth time. His career debut single has been nominated for a Grammy (Best Rap Song) and the video has more than 28 million hits on YouTube. “Soulja Boy has set the bar for what’s possible in terms of breaking an artist online,” said Steve Berman, President of Sales and Marketing for Interscope Geffen A&M Records (Soulja is signed to Collipark Music under the Interscope umbrella). “He’s been doing it since day one, before he was signed here, so I’m not surprised he’s setting a record today.”
The 17-year-old even named his album after his website, SouljaBoyTellEm.com. Though the album hasn’t done well with the critics, the site has over one million unique visits per month, according to the label’s statement. The video for his latest single, “Yahhh!” (featuring Arab) premiered this week on BET’s “Access Granted.” Click here if you want to ask Soulja Boy a question that might get answered on 106 & Park.
Rapper/actor Mos Def is really building up the Hollywood side of his resume but his next film will take him full circle back to the music industry. Mos stars in “Next Day Air,” the first feature film directed by veteran music video director Benny Boom. According to Woohah.com, the movie is about a UPS driver who inadvertently gets involved in a drug delivery operation. Also in the flick are actors Donald Faison, Mike Epps and Lauren London. “Next Day Air,” currently in post-production, is one of four titles Mos has been announced to appear in this year. And two are already planned for 2009 including “The Brazilian Job,” a follow up to 2003’s “The Italian Job.”