August Alsina: I Was in a Coma for Three Days

August Alsina’s fainting spell in New York City this week was much more serious than first revealed. Alsina was in a coma, according to his Instagram post Friday (Sept. 19).
“This is a bit graphic but i wanted to share this w/ every follower of mine," he wrote. "iWoke up out of a 3 day coma... &This guy @banggang_moneyteam right here never once left my side. What I'm tryna say is cherish the ones in life who cherish you & take good care of yourself. Your life can be gone in a split second. I'm recovering well and thankyou for all of your prayers & concerns.”
The New Orleans-bred crooner suffered multiple seizures after he passed out on stage Monday. He is being treated in the intensive care unit of a New York hospital. 
It is unclear if Alsina’s coma was medically induced. During medical sedation patients are given a controlled dose of anesthetics, typically used to protect and control “the pressure dynamics of the brain.”

Ashanti: My Stalker Used to Be Lil Wayne's Cellmate

Singer explains obsessed fan’s connection to Weezy in her first-ever Breakfast Club interview.

Some interesting tidbits came out of Ashanti's visit with Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club Tuesday (Mar. 4), including how she found out that Lil Wayne knows her stalker.
The BraveHeart songstress didn't shy away from the hard topics brought up during her first ever sit-down with DJ Envy, Angela Yee and Charlamagne tha God. She opened up about label troubles, her relationship status with Nelly (she admits that much of the album is based on her real experiences) and what it felt like to be stalked.   
"That was nuts," she said about her accused stalker, Devon Hurd, sending her and her mom inappropriate pictures, tweets, text messages and pictures of her car and house. "It was not cool." But, she added, "What's really crazy is he was in the same cell as Lil Wayne," she exclaimed.
Weezy and Hurd, a 35-year-old Brooklyn resident, coincidentally served time together on Riker's Island, back when Wayne was behind bars on weapons possession. She found out after Weezy got out. Hurd is still at Riker's.
"So when me and Wayne was in Miami, he was like 'Yo sis, this dude is crazy, I was there with your stalker,' and he told me the whole story," she explained.
The "Never Should Have" singer also goes into details about why she chose to go the independent route, even though at one point since her last release, 2008's The Declaration, she had seven offers on the table from major labels. She said the final decision came down to the bottom line. "I felt like I did too much to have them dig that deep into my pocket. Now is my time to be brave about the situation."
Ashanti also noted that, from her perspective, the Murder Inc. deal basically "dissolved" after the company got caught up in financial and legal struggles, and she denied accusations that she wasn't loyal to Irv Gotti and the imprint. She may not have spoken with Gotti in years, but she still considers him family, and Ja Rule, "that's my brother," she said.
Hurd is currently facing charges for felony stalking and harassment. He believes that he has a personal relationship with Ashanti, he said, because, she made eye contact with him at a concert.

Lil Wayne Confirms Solo Retirement After Tha Carter V

YMCMB leader says his upcoming 11th LP is "definitely" his last.

Lil Wayne says only $25-35 million would motivate him to record another solo album.
The Cash Money phenom and YMCMB leader sat down with MTV News recently and reiterated a goal he announced for himself back in 2012, when he said that Tha Carter V would be his final solo album.
"Twenty-five to 35 million would get me to do another solo album after this," Wayne said in an interview posted online Wednesday (March 12). "I didn't smile when I said it ... and it's definitely the final Carter album."
However, he promises fans that he's not entirely stepping down from his role as a rapper, and will get in the booth, "Whenever I have to pitch in for a Young Money album, a Like Father, Like Son album, and something like that, and maybe something out the blue."
Wayne recorded his first album, a collaboration with B.G., in the early '90s, at age 11. He's released 10 solo albums and numerous mixtapes since, and has performed countless features, not to mention the touring and press that goes along with recording.
He most recently helmed the release of Young Money's latest compilation, Young Money: Rise of an Empire, which dropped last Tuesday (March 4). This empire (and the album) boasts the likes of Drake, Tyga and Nicki Minaj, and extends to his Trukfit clothing and the One Family Foundation nonprofit.
In 2012 and 2013, Wayne suffered from back-to-back health scares when he had multiple seizures that he later revealed were a result of the epilepsy he's had since he was younger.
Tha Carter V, his 11th solo LP, is tentatively scheduled to drop May 5.
"It seems like it will be impossible for me to work this hard again for anything else," he said.
Retirement has been on Weezy's mind at least since 2011, when he told Angie Martinez and the Hot 97 listeners that by the age of 35, he'd be done as a solo artist. He'll be 32 this year. "I have four kids," he said back then. "I would feel selfish still going to the studio when it's such a vital point in their lives."

Vybz Kartel Found Guilty of Murder

Jamaican jury returns verdict in less than two hours.

The longest-running criminal trial in the history of the Jamaican circuit court came to a close Thursday (March 13), with an 11-member jury finding Vybz Kartel, née Adidja Palmer, guilty of the August 2011 murder of Clive "Lizard" Williams.
Although Williams's body has yet to be recovered, the verdict came in after less than two hours of deliberation with heavy security on site for crowd control surrounding the Supreme Court in Kingston, reports Billboard.
Kartel's associates, Shawn "Shawn Storm" Campbell, Kahira Jones, Andre St. John and Shane Williams, were also found gulty. 
The "Poor People Land" singer and his lawyers have maintained that the police are framing him, citing the lack of evidence brought by the prosecution. "The injustice system of Jamaica is trying to use me as a scapegoat for crime, so they're trying to build a case that doesn't exist," he said last year, in response to trial delays that kept him in custody for two years.
Also in 2013, Kartel was acquitted in the death of 27-year-old promoter Barrington "Bossie" Burtona, and his jail cell was raided in connection with an investigation into the death of his former road manager, Patrick "Roach" Samuels. 
A sentencing hearing for the murder verdict has been set for March 27. Kartel's lawyers have indicated that they will appeal.

Chris Brown Accuser Gets $15K in Nightclub Suit

Deanne Gines settles with Anaheim's Heat Ultra Lounge, singer's lawyer is attempting to block the payout.

The woman who accused Chris Brown of pushing her at a Southern, Calif. nightclub last year reached a $15,000 settlement that the singer's lawyer hopes to block, TMZ reports.

Deanna Gines claims Brown injured her inside Anaheim's Heat Ultra Lounge last June. Gines did an interview on TMZ Live a day later and announced that she wasn't looking for money, but later sued Brown and the venue. The club settled with Gines.

Breezy is now the only one left in the suit, which could mean more money for Gines. His lawyer, Mark Geragos, filed documents asking a judge to stop the payout.

Brown was never arrested or charged for shoving Gines, and denies the incident ever took place. According to the club owner, Gines was kicked out of the location for trying to climb on stage, which may have contributed to her alleged knee injury. She also threw her shoe at a bouncer, the owner said.

The club investigated further and found no evidence of an assault stating, "Based on the information which we have gathered from our security company, mall security, and other party goers which were at HEAT on Saturday night; it is apparent that the alleged incident regarding Chris Brown is false." 

Gines sued for assault, battery, and intentional inlfiction of emotional distress. She originally asked for a minimum of $25,000.

Lupita Nyong'o has won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress this year, for her role in the critically-lauded drama 12 Years a Slave. The newcomer, whose portrayal of a young slave both adored and tortured by her master (Michael Fassbender), made her feature film debut in the Steve McQueen-directed film.

The actress faced tough competition from frontrunner Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle) as well as established star Julia Roberts (August: Osage County), previous Oscar winner Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine) and June Squibb(Nebraska).

Nyong'o, a graduate of Yale School of Drama and a native of Kenya and Mexico, is the most talked-about new actress of the year. Her flawless red carpet style has grabbed as many headlines as her performance in 12 Years a Slave. She has been nominated for nearly 30 awards this season, and scored a win for the Screen Actor's Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress.  An emotional speech, Lupita said, "When I look down at this golden statue may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you're from, your dreams are valid."

Lupita Nyong'o

Actress,

The daughter of Kenyan politician Anyang’ Nyong’o, Lupita Nyong’o left her native Kenya to study film and theater in the United States. After earning her degree from Hampshire College, the multi-talented actress worked on production crews for various American films, including 2005’s The Constant Gardener. She built her name as a reputable screenwriter, director and actress in Kenya for a short stint before returning to the US and enrolling in the Yale School of Drama. Lupita made her feature film debut in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave with a performance that has critics ranking her a front runner for Best Supporting Actress at the 2014 Academy Awards.

CONGRATS LUPITA!!!

12 years a Slave is this year's Best Picture. The moving drama, directed by Steve McQueen and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, won the top honor at the Academy Awards on Sunday evening, capping off an awards season filled with accolades.

"Everyone deserves not just to survive, but to live," McQueen said in his speech after accepting the award from presenter Will Smith. "This is the most important legacy of Solomon Northup. I dedicate this award to all of the people who have endured slavery and the 21 million people who still suffer slavery today."

Lupita Nyong'o, who co-starred as the slave Patsey in the film, also won Best Supporting Actress, while the film's writer John Ridley took home the prize for Best Adapted Screenplay.

McQueen, who was up for an historic win in the Best Director category, ended up losing the award to Gravity's Alfonso Cuaròn.  Nonetheless, 12 Years a Slave made history  — it's the first film with a predominately Black cast to win Best Picture.

Other notable wins included Jared Leto for Best Supporting Actor and Matthew McConaughey for Best Actor in Dallas Buyer's Club, and Cate Blanchett for Best Actress in Blue Jasmine. 20 Feet From Stardom won Best Documentary Feature, with the film's subject Darlene Love on hand to accept the award along with the filmmakers. Love thrilled the star-studded crowd with by singing a few bars a capella during her acceptance speech. Plus, the show featured excellent performances from Bette Midler, P!nk and Pharrell Williams.

Williams, who was up for Best Original Song for his infectious hit "Happy," ultimately lost the award to Frozen's "Let It Go."

For a complete list of winners at this year's Academy Awards, click here.