DMX Joins the Cast of Celebrity Rehab

Rapper/actor DMX is taking a new path to overcoming his vices with a stint on the VH1 reality show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. The hit series, which will enter its third season, follows a group of celebrities as they struggle to move forward from drug and alcohol addictions by entering a treatment program run by renowned addiction medicine specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky.Past participants include former police brutality victim Rodney King and porn star Mary Carey as well as former professional wrestler Chyna , Family Matters star Jaimee Foxworth and actors Daniel Baldwin, Brigitte Nielsen and Jeff Conaway.News of DMX’ Celebrity Rehab appearance was revealed by the show’s resident drug counselor Bob Forrest.Prior to taking part in the new season, the 38-year-old entertainer, (born Earl Simmons) became embroiled in a series of drug-related incidents and encounters with the law.Over the past 10 years, Simmons amassed a lengthy rap sheet filled with various charges ranging from marijuana and cocaine possession to multiple driving infractions and identity theft.On December 31, 2008, the rapper was sentenced to serve 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to charges of theft, drug possession and animal cruelty.In January, Simmons’ downward spiral continued after he refused to attend scheduled work assignments and missed his medication treatment while serving his sentence. A month later, the rap star was re-booked on suspicion of aggravated following allegations he threw a dinner tray at a corrections officer.The incident has resulted in a possible extension of Simmons’ sentence as well as his probation being revoked.

Irv Gotti Returns To VH1; Bets On New Artist 'Newz'

Fans of VH1’s Gotti’s Way have less than a week left until the popular reality show returns with its second season, the Viacom-owned network announced today. Gotti’s Way 2, which debuts Monday night (May 4) at 10:30pm ET/PT, continues to follow music mogul Irv Gotti as he navigates the challenges in his personal and professional life.At the forefront of the show’s storyline is, of course, Gotti’s fight to bring his label The Inc. back to its glory days.In addition to the company’s established roster, including crooners Ashanti and Lloyd, as well as rapper Ja Rule, Gotti’s Way 2 will introduce the label’s latest addition, Brooklyn-born rapper Newz. Believing that Newz will not only revive The Inc., but the industry as a whole, Gotti is determined to do whatever it takes to make his latest protégé a success.While Irv builds his empire, his estranged wife Deb continues to fight for a life that is dependent on Irv.Last season, the couple struggled to come to a better arrangement than their mostly one-sided open relationship.This season, Deb seeks the assistance of a therapist who will help her develop more independence by understanding the factors that have contributed to her complex relationship with her husband.In the process, Deb may just come to find that the existing arrangement is the best one for her family.Despite their differences as a couple, Deb and Irv Gotti remain committed to raising their three children with the most stable environment possible.And now is when that environment is most needed, as their two oldest, Angie and Sonny, enter exciting new phases of their lives.A graduating high school senior, Angie has started the process of selecting colleges and deciding on her future career. She’s also entering the world of dating.Thirteen-year-old Sonny’s basketball career is picking up, while both he and baby brother JJ, 10, continue to go through the traditional growing pains that can only be accentuated by their father’s lifestyle. Gotti’s Way originally debuted on VH1 in October 2007.The show is created and produced by Cris Abrego for 51 Pictures, and is executive produced by Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes and Kristen Kelly.

Scott Storch Arrested For Grand Theft Auto In Miami

Producer Scott Storch has been arrested for grand theft auto in Miami for violating the lease terms of a 2004 Bentley.The troubled entertainer posted bail shortly after he was apprehended.Storch was arrested on Friday after authorities maintained he failed to return the Bentley when it was supposed to go back to the owner in 2008. He started leasing the pricey vehicle in February of 2006, according to MTV News.Atlas Leasing Company charges that the producer has caused them to lose about $65,000 in monies, because Storch had not turned over the car. He hadn’t been paying on it either, they assert.This is the latest in a series of financial woes for the producer who has been besieged with matters ranging from $500,000 in back taxes to delinquent child support to foreclosure on a $10 million mansion.Storch was unavailable for comment and no court date has been announced at press time.

Eminems Reveals Relapse Album Cover

Never one to employ subtlety when a sledgehammer will do, Eminem released the cover art to his upcoming Relapse album through his Twitter account on Tuesday (April 21).The image that will grace the MC's first disc of new material in more than four years features a headshot of Slim Shady staring out with eyes narrowed composed entirely of thousands of pills. The not-at-all-veiled nod to the rapper's struggle with addiction to prescription medication is in keeping with Em's career-long habit of putting his personal struggles on display in his art, from his problems with twice-ex-wife Kimberley Mathers to his disputes with his mother and beating at the hands of a bully in high school.The iconic backward E that has been a part of Em's graphic persona makes another appearance in the lower right-hand corner at the end of the album's title in a sticker made up to look like the label on a pill bottle. It lists the patient's name as Mathers, Marshall, with an address in his old stomping grounds, Detroit's 8 Mile Road, and counsels him to take one tablet once a day at 3 a.m.The refill date on the prescription reads 5-19-09, the album's release date, and the prescribing doctor is, of course, Em's mentor and beatmaster, Dr. Dre. In a recent cover-story interview with XXL magazine, Em explained that the death of best friend and D12 member Proof in 2006 was part of what put him on a downward spiral of prescription drugs after he'd already visited rehab to work on an addiction to sleeping medication that scuttled his 2005 European tour."I think it kind of hit me so hard," Em told the magazine about Proof's shooting death in a Detroit bar. "It just blindsided me. I just went into such a dark place that, with everything, the drugs, my thoughts, everything. And the more drugs I consumed — and it was all depressants I was taking — the more depressed I became, the more self-loathing I became."The cover has a decidedly more serious look than the first video for the album, the celeb-slamming "We Made You," which has drawn fire from right-wing talking head Bill O'Reilly for its digs at former Republican vice-presidential candidate Governor Sarah Palin. Relapse will be followed by a sequel album tentatively slotted for later this year titled Relapse 2.

Taste of New Orleans April 17 - 19th

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The Game to Launch Clothing Line in Europe

West Coast platinum artist The Game has finalized plans for a European debut of his Black Wall Street brand.Since his 2005 debut under G Unit, The Game has showcased various clothing items from Black Wall Street, but never previously offered a full line of products for sale.Through the newly launched website http://www.bwseurope.com/, The Game’s fledgling line will be available at competitive prices and designs for today’s urban market."We at BWS have been creating clothing items since Game and BWS began the climb to worldwide notoriety and popularity,” explained Black Wall Street President Tasiri Hixon. “Now we are taking steps forward to really take the clothing and make it a complete apparel line that will carve out a niche place in the marketplace. Obviously we are still gearing up to launch domestically soon and will be in retail stores and online stores soon.”Along with promoting the new line, bwseurope.com aims to bolster Game’s international presence through social networking, and unite the diverse urban music cultures across the region.The website will also feature direct participation from Black Wall Street members, and representation of artists from 2 step, bassline, dubstep, funky house, and grime music genres.At press time, Game is working on new Black Wall Street mixtapes with DJ Skee and XO, and completing the relaunch of http://www.thisizgame.com/.