50 Cent vows to investigate Yayo incident

With Rev. Al Sharpton leading a demonstration today and protesters touting "Ban 50 Cent" signs outside of the New York City offices of his record label Universal Music/Interscope, 50 Cent has vowed to personally investigate the alleged assault that has him embroiled in controversy. The assault allegedly occurred last week, with G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo purported to have slapped and pushed the 14-year-old son of Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond, the manager of Fiddy rival the Game. The boy's mother has hired an attorney and has said that 50 gave Yayo a signal to rough up the boy, who was wearing a shirt with the logo of Rosemond's management company, Czar Entertainment.

50 Cent has claimed he wasn't even in New York State when the incident occurred and has vowed to take legal action against anyone claiming he was involved. Today, 50's attorney Benjamin Brafman released a statement saying, "We are conducting our own investigation to determine exactly what happened in Manhattan on Tuesday, March 20. One thing I can say with absolute certainty, however, is that at the time of the alleged incident, 50 Cent was not in New York State."

At a press conference today in Manhattan, surrounded by people wearing "Ban 50" T-shirts, Sharpton said it was time to put an end to the violence in hip-hop. "I'm not here to take sides," he said. "I'm here to say that all sides are letting us down and need to come down to the table again and create a level of decency and respect for the communities that have been the basis for your [the rappers'] wealth. We put the -ing in your bling-bling and have no choice but to try to take the -ing out of your bling-bling by withdrawing our support commercially of your records and the use of airwaves...Without the -ing, you're just blah. And no record label wants blah."

Flea, Frusciante slam MySpace imposters

Two members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers have taken to the Interweb to express their displeasure with certain parties, one of whom is allegedly impersonating Flea on MySpace and others who booed RHCP opening act Mickey Avalon in Oklahoma last month. In a letter on the band's page, Flea wrote, "Yesterday I received very disturbing news that someone has been impersonating me on a MySpace Web site. I do not want to give the name of this idiot's Web site and grant him an iota of dignity that he/she does not deserve, but I understand that this person has been sending out notes that are racist and insulting and disgusting. I feel terrible that someone would send out racist messages period. And even worse that it is done in my name so if anyone has had contact with this a**hole, please know that I am doing what it takes to get him to stop carrying on in this way."

In a separate post, guitarist John Frusciante blasted fans for booing rapper Mickey Avalon at the band's show in Oklahoma. Saying the booing fans were also "booing my band and yourselves," Frusciante said the boo-birds showed "no regard for humanity. And you show that you have no concept of the amount of courage it takes to open up in front of anybody, much less 10,000 people." Frusciante goes on to compare a major label artist opening for the Chili Peppers to a little girl putting on her own amateur play.

"Anybody who has the guts to get on stage and bear themselves deserves to be respected for having courage. Anyone watching is free to leave or go to the lobby. But by staying, though you don't like it, and preferring to boo rather than leave, you are showing that you derive pleasure from attempting to hurt others, and that is always the result of dissatisfaction with yourself. Anyone who tries to make others feel bad, in an attempt to feel good themselves, will never feel true happiness as long as they do so." The post continued on for another 1,000 words.

Crazed fan storms McCartney's estate

A crazed Paul McCartney fan drove a speeding car through security at Paul McCartney's home over the weekend, reminding fans of previous Beatles attacks. The fan allegedly drove through the home's gates, and by the time guards reached the man, after activating a security gate, he was screaming, "I must get to him." The incident brought back fears of attacks similar to those on other former members of the Fab Four.

John Lennon was murdered in 1980 when crazed fan Mark Chapman shot him outside his flat near New York's Central Park. In 2000, George Harrison was forced to fight off an intruder who managed to stab him in the chest after he had broken into his home. McCartney beefed up his security after both attacks.

After being halted by the trees and fence, the man turned his car around and sped away from the McCartney farm as police arrived. They chased him through country lanes and eventually arrested him after he gave himself up in a neighboring village. "He was initially arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and failing to stop when challenged by police," a Sussex police spokesman said. "He was later detained under the Mental Health Act and is not facing charges."

Robert Smith, Ashlee Simpson to team up

In the money leads to strange bedfellows department, The Cure frontman Robert Smith has apparently teamed up with singer Ashlee Simpson for a collaboration on her new album. According to Entertainment Weekly, the forthcoming album, which is also expected to feature appearances by Keane's Tim Rice-Oxley, John Legend, and Chad Huge from the Neptunes, will also feature at least one track with Smith.

The magazine speculated that Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz connected the pair, as he is friends with each, but Wentz denied it. "I doubt I had anything to do with it, 'cause they were friends since she was performing in Chicago'. But I definitely only have good things to say about Ash--I think the collaboration could be great."

Usher gets engaged

Usher has gotten engaged to his longtime girlfriend, wardrobe stylist Tameka Foster, the R&B singer's reps said late last week. No further details were disclosed. Usher--full name Usher Raymond--has taken a step back from the day-to-day music business in recent years following the release of the Grammy-winning album Confessions in 2004. The 28-year-old singer starred in a feature film called In the Mix, playing a young man who becomes romantically involved with the daughter of a mob boss, and in 2006, he starred in the musical Chicago on Broadway.