David Darnell Brown, who performs under the stage name Young Buck, filed for protection under Chapter 13 of the bankruptcy code earlier this month. The filing came soon after IRS personnel carried out an early-morning raid on Brown’s lakeside home in Hendersonville, seizing much of his personal property.

The bankruptcy petition came to light Monday after Nashville’s U.S. District Court lifted the seal it had placed on court filings related to the August 3 seizure. The Chapter 13 process, designed to allow individuals to restructure their debts, automatically halts efforts by any creditor — even the IRS — to collect on debts owed by the person who files. Creditors can ask the bankruptcy court to lift the stay against them on certain grounds, allowing them to move against the debtor.

The tax authority claims Brown owes it about $305,000 for taxes due between 2006 and 2008, including penalties, interest and collection costs.

In a court filing that detailed the materials seized, IRS revenue officer Lauren Thompson valued them at roughly $70,000. Among the property listed were these items:

* A “Breitling Bentley Watch with diamond face and band,” said to be worth $31,000.
* More than $20,000 worth of music-recording gear.
* More than a dozen plaques, photos and other memorabilia related to albums by rapper 50 Cent, with whom Brown has been in a feud for several years.
* A portrait of rappers Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, 50 Cent, Eminem and Young Buck.
* “G-Unit Beg for Mercy Award pictures.”
* “Faux fur men’s light grey coat w/ ‘YB Cashville’ stitched inside.”
* Six televisions, including four with screen dimensions between 43 and 55 inches.
* “Ms. Pac Man video game.”
* “Hand crafted snake skin purse from Nigeria.”
* “Indigenous Art from Australia.”
* “X-Box machine.” (Brown complained after the raid that “they took my kids’ Playstation.”)

“Mr. Brown intends to reorganize his debts and pay off the IRS in a timely manner through Chapter 13. We hope to secure the return of his personal property quickly. He will also be filing a lawsuit in the next 30-60 days against his former manager, G Unit label and Mr. Curtis Jackson. In a filing with Nashville’s U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Brown cited as a $5 million contingent his claim against Bruce Seckendorf, G Unit Inc., Curtis Jackson III and Michael Clervoix.

Haiti hip-hop star Wyclef Jean is not on the list of approved candidates who satisfy legal requirements to run in the country’s November 28 presidential election, an electoral official said on Thursday.

The presidential bid by the 40-year-old singer-songwriter and international celebrity had triggered widespread enthusiasm in his poor, earthquake-ravaged Caribbean homeland. But it had been challenged on the grounds he did not fully meet the requirements, including a key one on Haitian residency.

“He is not on the list as I speak,” the electoral official, a member of the country’s provisional electoral council who asked not to be identified, told Reuters.

He said the electoral disputes bureau entrusted with settling challenges to candidates had ruled that Jean did not meet several legal requirements, but he gave no more details.

The provisional electoral council was due to formally publish on Friday the full list of approved candidates to run in the election to choose a successor to President Rene Preval, who cannot seek re-election after two terms in office.

Jean, who left Haiti with his family to live in New York at the age of 9 and launched his music career in the United States, was among 34 contenders for the Haitian presidency who filed their documents with the council this month.

Contacted by Reuters, Jean declined to make any immediate comment, saying he had not been officially notified of any decision and would try to confirm the information.

Earlier, he met President Preval. A photo of them meeting, both smiling, was posted by Jean on his Twitter account.

On Tuesday, the provisional electoral council said it was postponing until Friday its announcement of the final list.

That sparked feverish expectation that has raised fears of political tensions and possible violence in the volatile Caribbean country.

Jean’s jump into politics galvanized the Haitian political scene, triggering enthusiasm among the country’s restless, widely unemployed youth, who see him as a refreshing symbol of home-grown hope, and alarm among the traditional Haitian political elite who seemed to feel threatened by him.

Slogans scrawled in Creole on city walls reading: “Youth supports Youth” and “Wyclef means change” testified to his support among the young, and youth and Creole musical groups had already declared their backing for his candidacy.

Jay-Z pulled in $63 million over the past 12 months, earning him his second straight hip-hop cash crown. His income level places him in the 35% tax bracket, which means he’ll pay Uncle Sam about $22 million this year–a sum greater than the total earnings of any other rap star besides second-ranked Diddy.

1. Jay-Z – $63 Million (Crazy thing is Beyonce makes even more with 87 million)
2. Diddy – $30 Million (Take that, thake that)
3. Akon – $21 Million (Lady Gaga money must be looking nicccceee)
4. Lil Wayne – $20 Million (Don’t let Carter 3 producers see this)
5. Dr. Dre – $17 Million (Beats By Dre money?)
6. Ludacris – $16 Million (Theater of the Mind and Battles of the Sexes did their thing)
7. Snoop Dogg – $15 Million
8. Timbaland – $14 Million
9. Pharrell – $13 Million
10. Kanye West – $12 Million
11. Drake – $9 Million
11. T.I. – $ 9 Million
12. Swizz Beatz – $9 Million
14. Eminem – $8 Million
14.50 Cent – $8 Million
14. Young Jeezy – $8 Million
17. Common – $7 Million
18. Soulja Boy – $7 Million
18. T-Pain – $7 Million
20. Lil Jon – $5 Million
20. Gucci Mane – $5 Million

Laurence Fishburne has had enough, and has reportedly told his porn star daughter to kick rocks.

According to TMZ, 18 year old Montana contacted her dad for the first time since news of her XXX career broke and he wasn’t having it.

Laurence reportedly told her her, “I’m not going to speak with you ’till you turn your life around, you embarrassed me.”

He shouldn’t wait for Montana to stop her h**ish ways anytime soon. She recently told ENews that she loves being filmed having sex.

Laurence fired one more shot before brushing his daughter off. “You used your last name. No one uses their real name in porn.”

That’s real talk right there from a hurt father, I hope they can eventually work this all out.

Kobe helped me finish my #POWER ®emix verse … Just building on the concept of #POWE… and Mos helped me find the “old me” lyrically

Saturday afternoon looking at Pantone charts … Designing costumes for my album movie Dark Twisted Fantasy… Heading to Eastern Europe

Listening to “Fancy” … This is a big statement but Swizz Beats may be the best rap producer of all time… fuck that… he is

The trouble-prone rapper has been indicted and is facing a possible year behind bars for allegedly violating an order of protection put in place by a neighbor who Brown beaned with a BlackBerry in 2007.

And all for allegedly shakin’ that ass.

Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, was arrested last month after Arlene Raymond accused the wee rapper of antagonizing their already testy situation by screaming obscenities at her and—well, this is a new one—bending over and flashing her undies, imploring, “Kiss my ass.”

According to the indictment brought down Friday, Brown is now facing a charge of criminal contempt in the second degree and she could be jailed for up to a year if convicted.
“I’m happy to have a chance to tell the truth about what happened” Brown told reporters Wednesday on her way out of Brooklyn Supreme Court, when she didn’t yet know that the grand jury would choose to indict. “Today my focus is on telling the truth.”

“It feels so good to tell the truth,” she added. “This thing has been such a nightmare.”

Well, it’s hard to say who’s been having the sleepless nights in this case.

Brown spent seven months in the slammer for violating probation from her 2004 assault on two nail salon employees in Manhattan, getting out in April 2008. The following month, she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor menacing for the BlackBerry incident and was sentenced to time served.

Coincidentally, Brown, 31, finds herself back in trouble with the law on the same day her older brother, rapper Gavin “Pretty Boy” Marchand, was hit with a felony indictment after he and two others were allegedly caught with fake credit cards after going on a shopping spree last week.

New Orleans rapper Juvenile pleaded guilty to marijuana possession after being arrested at a music studio in Arabi in Feb. 2009, according to St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Steve Cannizaro.

Juvenile, whose real name is Terius Gray, 34, received a suspended three-month sentence, six-month probation and $250 fine plus court costs, according to Cannizzaro.

“The rapper (Juvenile) and music producer Leroy Edwards, 42, were both arrested on marijuana possession charges by agents of the sheriff’s Special Investigations Division, commanded by Col. Chad Clark,” said Cannizarro, “after an anonymous complaint called to the Sheriff’s Office about marijuana smoke coming from the house on Livingston Avenue, Sheriff Jack A. Stephens said at the time.”

When deputies arrived at the home, Edwards was found in possession of marijuana by authorities.

“’Juvenile,’ who was eating food at the time, explained the house is owned by someone he knows who was allowing him to use it as a recording studio as he worked on a new CD,” said Cannizzaro.

When deputies obtained a warrant and began searching the home, Gray admitted to police that there was marijuana in the kitchen. According to police, Gray admitted that the marijuana was his.

The former rapper, turned actor compared teen pop star Justin Bieber to Tupac Shakur in a recent interview with Time Out New York

“The world needs Justin Bieber, Justin Bieber is like the white Tupac compared to a lot of people out there.”

Marky Mark, you’re bugging beyond all belief fam. In the words of Tupac “you living fantasies n*gga, I reject your deposit.”

G-Unit Records has entered into an exclusive agreement with EMI Label Services in which EMI will distribute and promote releases on the G-Unit roster in North America. EMI will release the Grammy nominated multi-platinum rapper Lloyd Banks’ third solo album “H.F.M. 2” (Hunger For More 2) on November 23rd, 2010, and Tony Yayo’s as yet untitled sophomore album, which is scheduled for early 2011.

G-Unit, formerly with Interscope Records, is joining a growing number of third party labels and artists to ink deals with EMI Label Services. EMI Label Services’ unique approach gives independent artists and labels creative freedom along with access to the expertise, marketing and promotional muscle of a major label.

According to Lloyd Banks, “It’s refreshing to see the EMI staff excited about my project, they have the passion and energy I haven’t seen in while”.

Per Tony Yayo, “The EMI staff is creative and willing to think outside the box. They are fans of my music and career. I’m looking forward to marketing and promoting my upcoming album with them.”