Jermaine Dupri Kicks Off So So Def Exhibit at the Grammy Museum

In 1993, producer Jermaine Dupri launched his So So Def record label to showcase southern hip-hop artists. In the quarter-century since then, the imprint has worked with a slew of big-name artists from the ’90s and 2000s, including Jagged Edge, Daz Dillinger, Da Brat, Bow Wow, Kriss Kross, and Anthony Hamilton.

In celebration of the record label’s achievements and cultural influence, the Grammy Museum has launched a four-month exhibit dedicated entirely to So So Def. Billboard reports this is the first time a hip-hop label has received its own show at the Los Angeles facility. The show will feature stage outfits, photos, and other memorabilia from the label’s stars.

“Considering this year marks the 45th anniversary of hip-hop, it is remarkable that So So Def is celebrating 25 years of extraordinary success in the industry,” Grammy Museum curator Nwaka Onwusa said in a statement. “It is impossible to showcase everything that Jermaine Dupri has done to elevate Atlanta hip-hop and the far-reaching influence of So So Def throughout the world. The Grammy Museum is very excited to present this look into the label’s enduring legacy.”

The exhibit kicked off Wednesday night with an appearance by Dupri and a number of his So So Def associates. The producer spoke about the label’s milestones, its role in the Atlanta culture, as well as his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

“My first visit to the Grammy Museum was around the time it opened and they created the ‘Make a Record with Jermaine Dupri’ experience,” Dupri said. “It’s such an honor to return for this meaningful tribute to So So Def, Jermaine Dupri and the city of Atlanta.”

The exhibit, called Jermaine Dupri & So So Def: 25 Years of Elevating Culture, will run through January. You can learn more about the show, including how to cop tickets, at the Grammy website.

The So So Def family will also hit the road next month for the 25th anniversary Cultural Curren$y Tour. The trek will kick off Oct. 14 in Washington, D.C., and include performances by Xscape, Hamilton, Da Brat, and Jagged Edge.

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Omarosa Leaks New Tape of Trump Talking About Hillary and “Russia Story”

Omarosa Manigault-Newman released another tape of Donald Trump on Monday, September 10, and this time around, the president is speaking about Hillary Clinton and the “real Russia story.”

In the tape, Trump can be heard accusing Hillary Clinton of colluding with the Russians ahead of the 2016 election. He states, “I think Hillary is getting killed now with Russia. The real Russia story is Hillary and collusion,” adding, “Somebody told me it was $9 million they spent on the phony report. Yeah, someone just said she’s far worse for the country than we thought, she didn’t know her own campaign was spending 9, did you see?”

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Luann de Lesseps Checks Back Into Rehab

Luann de Lesseps has checked herself back into rehab.

The 53-year-old Real Housewives of New York City star is seeking help for the second time after attending an alcohol treatment program in the winter, PEOPLE exclusively confirms.

The reality star has only authorized costar Bethenny Frankel to speak on her behalf.

“This weekend, Luann was surrounded by her girlfriends and decided — with their support — that in light of recent circumstances, it is the healthiest choice for her not to attend Tuesday’s reunion taping so that she can continue in her healing process,” Frankel tells PEOPLE. “Luann is now surrounded by a core group of people who truly have her best interests at heart and who are working to make sure she gets the help she needs.”

“Bravo has been very supportive of Luann during this time. It’s a brave and honest decision by her, and everyone is rallying around her and wants the best for her,” Frankel explains.

Bravo confirmed that she is not taping the season 10 reunion.

“Bravo supports Luann’s decision to focus on her health,” the network said in a statement to PEOPLE. “She is part of the Bravo family and we continue to stand by her as she copes with this challenging situation. At this time, we hope everyone will respect her privacy.”

Frankel explains that de Lesseps made the decision because she wants to look to the future.

Recently, de Lesseps had enjoyed a string of sold-out cabaret performances — #CountessAndFriends at New York City’s Feinstein’s/54 Below — for which she received glowing reviews.

“Luann loves doing the cabaret,” Frankel says about the reality star, whose goal is to return to the stage as soon as possible. “She’s taking the necessary steps to get better so that the show can go on.”

Her decision to return to rehab comes days after news broke that her first husband, Alexandre de Lesseps, her daughter, Victoria de Lesseps, and son, Noel de Lesseps, filed a lawsuit against her over an $8 million house sale. According to court documents obtained by The Blast, she breached a stipulation of settlement in her divorce by failing to create a trust “for the benefit of her two children.”

“Recent additional family stress was a catalyst to her taking a break,” Frankel says.

De Lesseps’ first trip to rehab occurred after her headline-making arrest in December.

She was arrested in the early morning hours of Dec. 24 and released on her own recognizance that same day after allegedly attacking a police officer in Palm Beach.

She was charged with and pleaded not guilty to disorderly intoxication, battery on an officer/firefighter/EMT, resisting arrest with violence and threatening a public servant, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. (She’s since pleaded not guilty and rejected a plea deal in February.)

The reality star had been discovered trespassing in a hotel room with an unidentified man, according to a police report. The pair had allegedly entered the wrong room at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach and refused to leave. Police say de Lesseps slammed a door and kicked at least one officer. She also allegedly told the police, “I’m going to kill you all.”

After her arrest, de Lesseps — who had gotten married to ex-husband Tom D’Agostino in Palm Beach on last New Year’s Eve before their divorce seven months later — released a statement, saying, “This was my first time in Palm Beach since my wedding, and being here brought up long-buried emotions. I want to offer my sincere apologies to anyone I might have offended with my behavior. I am committed to a transformative and hopeful 2018.”

“After the events … in Palm Beach, I am truly embarrassed,” de Lesseps said in a statement to PEOPLE as she checked herself into treatment. “I have decided to seek professional guidance and will be voluntarily checking into an alcohol treatment center. I intend to turn this unfortunate incident into a positive life-changing event. Once again, I sincerely apologize for my actions. I have the greatest respect for police officers and the job they do. My actions alleged in the police report do not reflect my core values and my law-abiding character.”

“I am so grateful for the love and support that I am receiving from my family, friends and loyal supporters,” she continued.

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Yeezy Model Indicted by Grand Jury for Wire Fraud

Shannade Clermont has been indicted by a grand jury and is facing three felony charges after using a dead man’s credit card to spend thousands. Clermont’s official charges are wire fraud, access device fraud and identity theft. If convicted, she will be required to forfeit any and all of the goods she purchased with the stolen credit card and pay back the rest of the money.

Shannade is due back in court later this month.

Shannade Clermont, 24, who is known for appearing on “Bad Girls Club” and modeling for Kanye’s Yeezy season 6 campaign with her twin sister Shannon, was arrested for allegedly spending $20,000 on a credit card stolen from a dead man.

The feds claim Clermont allegedly used the card “of a man she had visited for a prostitution date and who was found dead in his apartment the next morning from a drug overdose.” They say she used the card to buy plane tickets, thousands of dollars in clothes and other merchandise, along with paying her phone and rent bills.

The man died from an overdose of cocaine and fentanyl, but it’s unclear whether he died before or after Clermont was seen on surveillance leaving his East 53rd Street apartment the night before he was discovered. Text messages were linked to the man and Clermont, including one from her that read, “I want to see you for the amount we agreed on. So you tell me. Let’s do $400.”

Clermont was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. She’s facing decades if convicted.

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One of The Real Housewives of New York City Confirms She Won’t Return

One of the The Real Housewives of New York City ladies is saying goodbye to the series, which is currently in its 10th season, The Daily Dish has confirmed.

Carole Radziwill will not return to RHONY, she confirmed to The Daily Dish in a statement. “After six seasons on Bravo’s RHONYC, I have decided to return to what I do best — journalism and producing. I am sure this does not come as a surprise to any of the viewers, all of whom have been supportive, encouraging, and kind. My original curiosity about reality television has waned over the years and I am focusing on TV and writing projects that better suit my more steady temperament,” she said. “I have worked with amazing producers, made great friends, and I’m thrilled to leave frenemies behind. I will remember this entire experience with delight, humor, and a veracious accuracy. Next.”

Carole joined RHONY in Season 5. Over the years, fans have enjoyed learning about her background, from her professional life as a best-selling author and award-winning journalist to her personal life with her late husband Anthony Radziwill. In addition to seeing Carole navigate her relationships with her fellow New York Housewives, fans have also seen her get back into the dating game when romance bloomed with Adam Kenworthy. This season of RHONY, Carole has made some major accomplishments, such as running the New York City Marathon and penning an essay for Cosmopolitan.

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Shannade Clermont From Bad Girl’s Club Accused Of Stealing Identity Of A Dead Man

Shannade Clermont, the Bad Girl’s Club alum, found herself arrested by the police for identity theft.

According to a statement released by the US Attorney’s Office For The Southern District of New York on the 11th of July, Wednesday, the 24-year-old reality star faces charges of access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud.

Reportedly, Ms. Clermont used the anonymous man’s credit cards after she met up with him for a “prostitution date,” in January 2017. The following morning, the police found his dead body, presumably due to a drug overdose, but they didn’t know who he was with at the time of his death.

While she was in his apartment, she stole his credit cards and made $20,000 worth of fraudulent purchases on two of his cards in the succeeding days.

The US Attorney’s Office states that the woman used the money to pay her telephone bills, her rent, as well as flights, clothing, and other random items online.

The reality star also created a fake email account in his name, then used it to create a Western Union account, and then wire transferred $1,000 to herself. Geoffrey S. Berman said in his statement that Ms. Clermont lived up to her reputation as a “Bad Girl” in Bad Girl’s Club.

The prosecutor said in his official statement before the court that she stole credit card information from a deadman and used it to purchase thousands of dollars worth of merchandise under fraudulent pretenses.

The case is particularly malicious because rather than reporting that he had died to authorities, she capitalized on his death.  The Associated Press claims Ms. Clermont was arrested on Wednesday and then was released on $100,000 bail.

Shannade and her sister, Shannon, appeared in the 14th season of the reality series, which aired three years ago in 2015, and they also modeled for Kanye West’s Yeezy and were featured in several music videos. Unfortunately, it looks like her days as a reality and music video star are over.

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Richard “Old Man” Harrison of ‘Pawn Stars’ Passes Away at 77

Richard Harrison—also known as the “Old Man” on the show ‘Pawn Stars has passed away. He passed away early Monday morning after succumbing to Parkinson’s Disease according to Rick Harrison, his son.

Harrison’s son issued a statement saying “The Old Man’ Harrison passed away this morning surrounded by those he loved. He will be tremendously missed by our family, the team at Gold & Silver Pawn and his many fans the world over. He was my hero, and I was fortunate to get a very cool ‘Old Man’ as my dad.”

A rep for the History Channel said “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend Richard ‘The Old Man’ Harrison, a beloved member of the HISTORY and ‘Pawn Stars’ family. He will be greatly missed for his wisdom and candor.”

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Judge Orders Juelz Santana to Be Accompanied on Tour By His Mother

According to reports, Juelz Santana had his bail conditions modified which will allow the Harlem MC to go on tour with his Dipset brethren for five of the stops on the 15-city tour.

The only catch is that his mother accompanies him on those five stops. Among the other conditions, Juelz is required to wear an ankle monitor and has to drive to the tour stops while. Juelz is also prohibited from traveling with the rest of the Dipset crew.

Juelz is expected to be back in court in the coming weeks to monitor his tour experience and potentially grant the Harlem MC with further touring dates.

Juelz pleaded not guilty to firearm possession charges stemming from an incident a the Newark Liberty International Airport back in March. If convicted, Juelz could face up to 20 years in prison for the felonious crime.

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Stevie J fired from ‘LHHATL’

Many fans of the hit reality show “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” were mildly surprised when Stevie J was not fired the first time he got into a violent altercation with a cast mate, Benzino, and his girlfriend Althea during the reunion taping in New York several years ago.

But it looks like Stevie J may have crossed the line this time when he reportedly shouted vulgarities at, then allegedly got violent with female cast member Erica Mena during the latest season’s reunion show.

Multiple sources confirm that things got over the top between newcomer Erica Mena and longtime star Stevie J. The two mercurial personalities had been beefing back and forth the entire season because Mena believes Stevie is brainwashing her former friend, Estelita. Stevie J thought he and Erica were once “cool” with each other, exacerbating his resentment towards Mena.

According to Bossip and Hollywood Life, Mena got Stevie J’s blood boiling so high with a “low blow” comment that he allegedly resorted to calling her son a homophobic slur and allegedly tried to hit her on set before he could be restrained.

Moreover, according to MediaTakeout.com, “Love & Hip Hop” producers fired Stevie J from the show and have subsequently barred him from engaging in any future activities connected with the VH1 series. Reportedly, the episode went so far to the left that security had to pull Stevie away from Erica, then escort him under force from the building. CelebrityInsider.org, on the other hand, says VH1 producers have begun an investigation to decide whether to keep the famously hotheaded Stevie J or terminate him for breach of contract.

Several local New York blogs were on the scene and also reported on the fracas:

 

Erica used Instagram Live to comment on the incident, which was captured by Bossip and multiple other blogs before Mena deleted the post. But she did say that Stevie J “tried to fight her” because she took a “low jab” at him.

“He likes to fight females,” she reportedly said. “If you blogs wanna blog about anything, blog about the fact the Stevie J is a B—H, and he likes to fight girls.”

 

Joseline Hernandez, a former popular cast member of “LHHATL” and ex-girlfriend of Stevie J, now feels vindicated by Stevie J’s actions as she had spoken about his alleged violent behavior for the past several years to no avail:

 

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Lil Scrappy Hits Light Pole on Vacant Highway in Surveillance of His Crash

Lil Scrappy is lucky to be alive, as is apparent in video which surfaced of the rapper crashing his car head-on into a light pole.

In surveillance footage recently obtained by TMZ, Scrappy’s Mercedes can be seen speeding down a deserted road before suddenly jumping the curb and a second later smashing at full speed into a pole.

Scrappy, who ended up in the hospital after the accident which occurred this past weekend, thanked his blessings in an Instagram post on Tuesday which featured a photo of the 34-year-old Atlanta native laid up in a hospital bed.

“Man God is great I can’t even show u the car o, thank God for given me a fam and people that rides with me @casinoroulette in here hurt too we f**ked up but God saved our lives #Godisgreat#Mercy #Grace im blessed with a wife and daughter to help me back up but God is great and we are alive thanks big God #hospitalflow thank u to my moms too who came and made sure her Baybay aight and my mother in law came thru thank you too.”

Fortunately for Scrappy, police did not file any charges in the crash, which also injured his friend Ca$ino Roulette, because no drugs or alcohol was found in his system.

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