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Chris Brown Reportedly Pursuing Plea Deal March 9, 2009 at 10:57 am Singer wants to avoid jail time after allegedly assaulting Rihanna, TMZ reports. By Gil Kaufman Chris Brown Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images Facing the possibility of more than four years in federal prison if convicted on the felony charges of assault and making criminal threats against girlfriend Rihanna, Chris Brown is reportedly ready to cop a plea in the case. According to TMZ, Brown, 19, would make a deal from prosecutors, but only if the two felony charges are bumped down to misdemeanors and he does not have to serve any jail time. The site reported that Brown's lawyers have consulted with a number of other unnamed legal experts who have said that Rihanna's own alleged "aggressiveness" takes the case out of the felony category. Other unnamed sources told TMZ that Rihanna, 21, was the first one to strike, allegedly slapping and striking Brown "numerous times" while he was driving, after she saw what has been reported as a three-page text message from a woman with whom Brown had previously had a sexual relationship. Attorneys for Brown and Rihanna could not be reached for comment at press time. On Friday, Rihanna's lawyer told MTV News that the singer would testify in the case if subpoenaed. On Thursday, Brown was charged in the case — which stems from an incident that occurred on February 8. Court documents, including a police report, emerged earlier on Thursday, revealing graphic deals about the alleged assault. According to the report, Rihanna suffered bruises and contusions on her face, arms and legs, as well as bite marks on several fingers and an ear. She may have been fighting back, but the most graphic photos of Rihanna's injuries that have not yet been made public "demonstrate Brown's superior strength," according to the TMZ, weakening his case for making it a misdemeanor. Also, because Brown reportedly had no significant injuries, it could be hard for his side to argue that Rihanna was also striking him. The site also quoted unnamed sources as saying that Rihanna also told police that Brown had beaten her before and that the violence had been escalating. The site alleges that, according to notes filed by the detective in the case in the search warrant papers, Brown sent a text message to Rihanna's assistant, apologizing for what he had done to Rihanna and said he was getting help. That evidence would be admissible in court, TMZ reported, and could be "extremely damaging" to Brown's case, as it could amount to a legal admission of guilt. Brown appeared in court on Thursday, but did not enter a plea in the case, which was continued until April 6. Go here for domestic violence resources, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse. Related Videos MTV Spoilers: 'Watchmen' Edition Chris Brown And Rihanna: The Aftermath Chris Brown & Rihanna: Love In Trouble Related Photos Rihanna And Chris Brown: A Photo Timeline Related Artists Chris Brown Rihanna Amy Winehouse Cancels Coachella Gig Due To 'Legal Issues' March 9, 2009 at 9:45 am Singer reportedly denied U.S. visa after being charged with assault last week. By Jocelyn Vena Amy Winehouse Photo: Getty Images/ Dave Hogan After Amy Winehouse was charged last week with assault in London, in connection with an incident that occurred in September, she will reportedly not be able to get a U.S. visa in time for her April 19 headlining gig at the Coachella festival. Because of her legal problems, The Associated Press reported that it will be hard for Winehouse to obtain a visa. And although her rep, Chris Goodman, hasn't commented specifically on the visa, in a statement to People, he said, "She cannot go because of current legal issues." People further reports that the singer had been in the process of getting a work visa to play at the festival, but hadn't yet finished it. Her rep added that her "legal case would not be sorted out in time for her to make the music fest." Winehouse is still expected to be a part of the festivities surrounding the 50th birthday celebration of her British record label, Island, on May 31. Before that, though, Winehouse is due back in court on March 17 to deal with the charges that stem from claims made by Sherene Flash in a tabloid who said she was hit in the eye by Winehouse after asking to take a picture with the Grammy-winning "Rehab" singer at the September 26 concert. Winehouse, who has struggled with drug problems and health issues, has reportedly written some songs for a follow-up to her Grammy-winning breakthrough 2006 Back to Black album, but no release date for her third album has been announced. Due to her personal struggles, Winehouse was forced to pull out of a scheduled 2007 U.S. tour. Last year, Winehouse faced a similar problem when she was prevented from attending the Grammy Awards. Related Artists Amy Winehouse U2 Reinvent Stadium Rock Shows With 360 Tour March 9, 2009 at 9:03 am North American leg of tour for No Line on the Horizon kicks off September 12 in Chicago. By Jocelyn Vena and Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Sway Calloway U2's Bono performs at Fordham University on Friday Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage U2 will kick off their U2 360 Tour to support No Line on the Horizon on June 30 at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, and they say fans can expect a stadium-size rock show unlike any they've seen before. "I don't know if we're supposed to say this, but we have ... a way of playing outdoors like no one's ever played," Bono told MTV News about the tour, which arrives Stateside when the band hits Chicago on September 12. "Every tour you've ever been to outdoors, you just see a big stack of speakers on the left, a big stack of speakers on the right and then this little stage. ... Anyone you've ever seen outdoors [always sets up that same way], and why is that?" he continued. "The engineering is the way it is, 'cause unlike being at Madison Square Garden or an indoor venue, you can't hang things. We've sorted this out. We have some magic, and we've got some beautiful objects we're going to take around the world, and we're inside that object. We're hanging from that object, and it frees up those seats behind the stage. They may be the best seats." The ambitious production will utilize a 360-degree audience configuration (which is illustrated on 360.U2.com) and employ a cylindrical video screen. "It's going to be a very different way to set up a show," the Edge said. "We always ask the same question: What's never been done? And that's what I think we have going for this tour." The BlackBerry-sponsored tour, the band's first since the 2005-2006 Vertigo Tour, will offer 85 percent of tickets at less than $95, with general-admission floor tickets going for $55, and at least 10,000 tickets at every venue priced around $30, according to a release announcing the tour. Tickets for North American dates will start going on sale later this month or in early April. Among the opening acts invited on the tour are Glasvegas, Black Eyed Peas, Snow Patrol, Elbow and Kaiser Chiefs. Bono promised fans will find the cheap seats are among the best in the house, though big spenders need not worry: "There's going to be some very expensive tickets, because rich people have feelings too — so we hear," he joked. According to Billboard.com, the band will play North America until October 28 and plans to work the new album until the fall of 2010. Only four North American dates were announced on Monday. (Several U2 fan sites have released other dates without official confirmation.) Official North American U2 tour dates: » September 12 - Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field » September 16 - Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre » September 20 -Boston, MA @ Gillette Stadium » September 24 - New York, NY @ Giants Stadium MTV News will have lots more from our exclusive interview with U2 in the coming days! Related Artists U2 Pussycat Dolls Call Danity Kane Split 'A Sad Thing' March 9, 2009 at 7:52 am 'We wish them each their own success,' PCD's Ashley Roberts tells MTV News. By James Montgomery The Pussycat Dolls Photo: MTV News Like the rest of us, the Pussycat Dolls watched in amazement last year as Danity Kane disintegrated on "Making the Band." Unlike the rest of us, though, they had a different perspective on things: They knew DK personally. So when MTV News spoke to the Dolls backstage at the kickoff of Britney Spears' Circus tour, we decided to ask them about the breakup of Danity Kane, the fallout after that split and the pressures of keeping a girl group together. "We are sisters," PCD's Ashley Roberts said. "And there's moments where no matter who you are, you're going through personal things, as well as things in your career, and so sometimes your head's not in the right place or you're emotional about something, and we have times where we're going through stuff, as every human being does, but we try to not take it personally and to communicate. And about Danity Kane, it's a sad thing that they did fall apart. We had been on tour with them, with Christina [Aguilera in 2007, on her Back to Basics tour], and we got to know each one of them, and we wish them each their own success. I know Dawn [Richard] and Aundrea [Fimbres] are getting together, and so power to them." So while PCD are saddened by Danity Kane's split, they can also understand why it happened. After all, being an all-girl group is tough, especially one that operates almost exclusively under the spotlight. After all, they've been doing it for nearly four years now. But they've learned how to make it work, thanks to some advice from some fairly high-profile friends. "You know, a couple of years ago, we were hanging out with U2, and I made friends with the Edge, and I talked to him like, 'Wow, you guys get along so well, and you're so successful,' and one of the things he sad was that envy is evil, and to make sure you understand your place in the group and understand that everyone has their own spot in the group. It fits like a puzzle," Doll Jessica Sutta said. "We've managed to have a lot of respect for each other, because we've built a sisterhood, and we love each other, and we know that when we're onstage, each one is as important as the next. You know? Nicole is our lead singer, we support her as she supports us ... we make it work." "Touring is not easy," PCD's Kimberly Wyatt added. "Being in a girl group is not easy. But it's all about being passionate, and we all grew up believing in dreams that were bigger than us, and we served a bigger purpose in life. And I believe that we are together for a reason: to tell a story. We're not only girls in little clothes that get onstage and sing amazing songs and dance our butts off, we have a purpose in life. We have a lot of younger fans that look up to us, and we take our roles very seriously, and we do our best to spread our positivity and love to everyone." Related Videos Pussycat Dolls Join Britney Spears' Circus Related Artists Pussycat Dolls Danity Kane Jadakiss, Green Lantern Bury Their Beef: Mixtape Monday March 9, 2009 at 7:52 am Plus: Red Cafe heats up the streets and has his way with Anita Baker. By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes, Brennan Williams and Jayson Rodriguez Jadakiss Photo: Def Jam Artist: Jadakiss Representing: Y.O. Mixtape: Kiss My A--: The Champ Is Here Pt. 2 411: Before we do anything, let's send a massive, unified R.I.P. to the Notorious B.I.G. The rap legend was assassinated 12 years ago today. We'll always love you, Big. This week was supposed to see the release of Jadakiss' The Last Kiss album, and since that project has been pushed back until April 7, your boy couldn't leave you without any stimulants. He has a mixtape out, so pucker up — Jadakiss is going to tell you to kiss his ass and there's just no escaping that. Although he had to change his official album's title to The Last Kiss, the Yonkers monster mouth used his original title idea for his latest mixtape, the sequel to his classic 2004 mixtape with Big Mike and Green Lantern, The Champ Is Here. "Green is impeccable with blending and mixing, taking a cappella of a record that had a previous track to the next level," Kiss said of reteaming for Kiss My A--: The Champ Is Here Pt. 2. "A lot of DJs just want a couple of freestyles [when you make mixtapes]. Green wants some freestyles, a cappellas. He wants to do his thing and he wants some drops or whatever," Jada continued. "And he presents you with records. When you're working with him, you know what you're getting, and he's bringing some things to the table. He's really in there working. He's making it like a real album. He's gonna master it. It was definitely a good thing getting back with him." To the dismay of fans — not to mention the two gentlemen involved themselves — Kiss and Green had a serious falling out on the heels of making the first Champ, one of the all--time great street CDs (no gas here, it was that damn good. A phone conversation between the two popped up on a street DVD. They were discussing Jada's then brewing battle with 50 Cent. In the aftermath of the footage going public, Green stepped down as Eminem's DJ. Lantern has since gone on to spin at shows for the likes of Nas and Jay-Z. In fact, it was during an American Gangster tour stop in NYC that Kiss appeared onstage as Jay's special guest, but the Yonkers ripper and the Evil Genius had no synergy onstage. Kiss wanted to rock one of his hits, but Green only had "It's All About the Benjamins." "I reached out to Green," Jada said of how the two came to put this current mixtape together. "He kept 100. He came to Y.O. by himself. We sat at a restaurant and just kicked it. Ventilated. He said what he wanted to say, got off his chest how the whole thing went down." As for the concert, Jada explained, "A lot of people thought it might have been some funny money, but one of the things we talked about at the table, he was like, 'Don't think I was doing you greasy.' He didn't have none of my music in his replay. I can't get mad at that. It's a Hov show. Hov made him put 'The Benjamins' in there. I just didn't want to perform 'The Benjamins.' " Now on the same page, the two are already plotting to drop another Kiss My A-- CD. And if you're wondering why this current Kiss My A-- CD is a little shorter than expected, Jada said he's just looking out for his official release in April. The potency of the first Champ Is Here mixtape hurt sales of his official The Kiss of Death album. "That's why I had to make this one tight, but not too much a full-length album, because [fans] will just sit with that and not want to get your album. ... Interscope spent a lot of money on that Champ Is Here [and it ended up hurting The Kiss of Death]. They made a lot of copies and put it in every region in the world. It was good and bad. That's why I went light. But we got volume two of the Kiss My Ass. I got more music I'm gonna let go in a couple days for you." Jada said after his album drops in April, fans can expect a D-Block compilation followed by a LOX album at the end of the year. Joints To Check For » "Child Abuse." "That's a beat that Swizz used before," Jada explained. "I heard a lot of people that rocked over it. [Lloyd] Banks rocked to it. Ransom, Stack Bundles — rest in peace — before he passed, he ripped something on there. I said, 'This is a beat for MCs. I wanna get on that, let them know I got my ear to the streets.' 'Child Abuse'! Just some lyrical fun, smackin' the track around." » "Hard Times" featuring Barrington Levy. "That should be on the LP," Jada said. "I don't know. It's in the batch. It rings off in the club and I get a good look from all the yardies. They love the boy Kiss, respect. Barrington is raw. They call him 'The Mayor' over there [in Jamaica]. He's a real dude. ... He's making real music. He's trying hard to get me [to do the video] over there in Jamaica. I might pay for a video — shoot half over there, shoot half in Jamaica. It was a good look. I never did a reggae joint, and I did it with Barrington. I'm supposed to be hooking up with Beenie Man too this week while he's in town." » "The People" featuring Styles P. "We were just spazzin' on the Common beat," Jada explained. "I'm a big fan of Common. You probably wouldn't know, since we're [such] different artists, but Common's a spitter since back in the day. He gets it in with anybody, any type of song. I was big fan of that single when he dropped it, 'The People.' The cadence is crazy. Green had thrown SP on there in the middle of the track. I said, 'That ain't gonna work, Green. You can't just chop them verses up like that. You gotta let the whole thing rock, then let P come after that.' It came out tremendous." Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week » DJ Scream and DJ Smallz - The Peace Treaty 'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar » Ghostface Killah - "A Message From Ghostface" » Nas featuring Marsha Ambrosia - "If I Ruled the World '09" » Slaughterhouse - "Fight Club" » Keri Hilson featuring T-Pain and Lil Wayne - "Turnin Me On" (remix) » Raekwon - "Staten (We Go Hard)" The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground From the 'hood to Hollywood, it's moooooo-vin! Red Cafe has volumes of songs dropping this year. First and foremost is a favorite of the Mixtape Monday fam, "Hottest in the Hood." "The streets is talking about this record everywhere," said Red, who boasts in the song that he's the person most on fire in the street. "It's a cocky statement on the record — you gotta own up to it. It's important that my 'hood and my city is embracing the record. I'm on every countdown [on New York radio]. The record has only been out for [a few] weeks. It's spreading dramatically. I'm ready to go." Red also leaked a song called "Very Special" that samples Anita Baker. "That record is such a classic record, you don't really wanna touch it unless you gonna do justice to it. 'Rapture'! I approached it to do it justice, to make the people love it again. They already loved it." Red's debut, Shakedown, should be dropping within the next few months. Young Jeezy, Fabolous, T-Pain, Jadakiss and Fat Joe all have guest appearances. "There's going to be at least 10 records of just me on there as well," the Brooklyn native promised, dispelling any notion that his album will have a compilation feel. Red is also going to be featured heavily on Akon's next album, Koncrete scheduled to drop at the end of the year, and Fabolous' Street Fam, due this fall. Not to be outdone, Red and DJ Envy will have their second co-op LP out this summer. "The Shakedown album is honesty," Cafe promised. "You gonna get honesty on that album." For other artists featured in Mixtape Monday, check out Mixtape Mondays Headlines. Related Videos Mixtape Monday Video: Jadakiss Related Artists Jadakiss DJ Green Lantern