Former Fugees member Pras Michel Convicted in International Scandal

MiamiFilmFestival, via Wikimedia Commons

Grammy-winning rapper Pras Michel, a former member of the hip-hop supergroup Fugees, has been
convicted of 10 criminal counts related to an international conspiracy that reached the highest levels of the US government.

A jury convicted Grammy Award-winning rapper Pras Michel of The Fugees on criminal charges that he conspired with a Malaysian financier to orchestrate a series of foreign lobbying campaigns aimed at influencing the U.S. government under two presidents.
https://t.co/40svRQ9WKT

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) April 26, 2023

Michel was found guilty of charges that included conspiracy to defraud the US, witness tampering, and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.

Prosecutors accused Michel of participating in a conspiracy to help Malaysian businessman Jho Low and the Chinese government gain access to US officials, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. They alleged that Michel funneled over $800,000 of Low's money to Obama's campaign through straw donors in 2012 in exchange for a photo of himself with Obama.

Here is the Vlad interview that allegedly got Pras Under Investigation pic.twitter.com/XMLowLzR4i

— O.T.G (@365OTG) April 24, 2023

While Michel testified that he never used the money at Low's direction, in 2017, prosecutors claimed that Low again turned to Michel when investigations into Low's alleged role in embezzling billions of dollars from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund began to ramp up. They alleged that Low directed over $100 million to Michel to help push the US government, including Trump, to drop its investigation into Low.

Prosecutors also accused Michel of advocating for the extradition of a Chinese dissident, Guo Wengui, on behalf of the Chinese government. Michel denied the allegations, claiming that he only tried to help Low find an attorney in the US and told authorities about Guo because he thought he was a criminal. He also claimed that the $100 million was for a media business he was starting and wasn't from Low.

Michel could face up to 20 years in prison, although no sentencing date has been set. During the trial, he sat stoically as each count came down on Wednesday and declined to comment to reporters outside the courthouse. His attorney, David Kenner, expressed disappointment about the verdicts but remained confident that their mistrial motions would work out in their favor.

"If we do move to a sentencing hearing, I remain very confident we will certainly appeal this case," Kenner said. "This is not over."

LL Cool J Announces First Arena Tour in 30 Years With All-Star Lineup

Call it a comeback: LL Cool J is headlining his first arena tour in 30 years, and he's bringing some of hip-hop's biggest and brightest stars with him.

The tour backed by Live Nation and dubbed The F.O.R.C.E Live (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) will boast a rotating cast of some of hip-hop's most historic figures and groups.

Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Common, Method Man & Redman, Big Boi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ice T, Juvenile, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, De La Soul, Goodie Mob, Jadakiss and Rick Ross, are just some of the acts expected to take the stage where they will be backed by iconic hip-hop group The Roots and legendary DJs Z-Trip and Jazzy Jeff.

The tour kicks off on June 25 at TD Garden in Boston, MA and will roll through arenas across the continent before closing out on September 3 in Los Angeles, CA at Kia Forum.

This is not a moment, it’s a movement. For my first Arena tour in 30 years, I am bringing you THE F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy.) @theroots, @ztrip & @djjazzyjeff215 will join me in the ultimate Hip-Hop mash-up with a legendary non-stop continuous set! We hit… pic.twitter.com/j6OalpogG3

— LLCOOLJ (@llcoolj) April 25, 2023

Fans can purchase tickets through the Live Nation presale, Ticketmaster presale, or local venue and radio presales on Thursday. General sales begin Friday. Click here for more information or to purchase tickets.

The F.O.R.C.E Live tour dates are as follows:
6/25 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
6/27 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
6/28 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
6/29 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
7/1 - Baltimore, MD - CFG Bank Arena
7/2 - Washington, DC - Capital One Arena
7/4 - Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena
7/6 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live
7/8 - Raleigh, NC - PNC Arena
7/9 - Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center
8/12 - Cleveland, OH - Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
8/13 - Chicago, IL - United Center
8/18 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena
8/19 - St. Louis, MO - Enterprise Center
8/20 - Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse
8/22 - Memphis, TN - FedEx Forum
8/23 - New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center
8/24 - Ft. Worth, TX - Dickies Arena
8/25 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
8/27 - Albuquerque, NM - Sandia Casino Amphitheater
8/29 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
9/1 - San Francisco, CA - Chase Center
9/2 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
9/3 - Los Angeles, CA - Kia Forum

Activist and Music Legend Harry Belafonte Passes Away at Age 96

Manfred Werner-Tsui, via Wikimedia Commons

Harry Belafonte, the iconic performer and civil rights activist, died on Tuesday at his New York home at the age of 96 due to congestive heart failure, according to his publicist Ken Sunshine. Belafonte's wife, Pamela, was reportedly with him at the time of his passing.

Belafonte was one of the first Black performers to achieve mainstream success in the entertainment industry, with chart-toppers such as "Banana Boat Song (Day-O)" that sold millions of records. However, his impact went beyond music. In the 1960s, he emerged as a leading activist and humanitarian, forging a unique bond between Hollywood, Washington and the civil rights movement.

Harry Belafonte passed away. I remember 'Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)' being stuck in my head for the longest time when I was a kid. RIP Legend! pic.twitter.com/p8EQDc34AG

— Sha Hartley (@shahartley) April 25, 2023

Belafonte's commitment to social justice saw him go beyond participating in protests and benefit concerts. He organized and raised funds for them, working closely with his friend and peer, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. His activism continued throughout his life, and he appeared in Spike Lee's 2018 film "BlacKkKlansman," portraying an elder statesman schooling young activists about the country's past.

When I was a child, #HarryBelafonte showed up for my family in very compassionate ways.

In fact, he paid for the babysitter for me and my siblings.

Here he is mourning with my mother at the funeral service for my father at Morehouse College.

I won’t forget…Rest well, sir. pic.twitter.com/31OC1Ajc0V

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) April 25, 2023

Belafonte was also a trailblazer in the entertainment industry, winning a Tony Award in 1954 and becoming the first Black performer to receive an Emmy five years later. He co-starred in the all-Black cast of "Carmen Jones" and starred in the banned-in-the-South film "Island in the Sun." Belafonte's album "Calypso" became the first million-selling album by a solo performer, sparking a national fascination with Caribbean rhythms. Though nicknamed "the King of Calypso," he shunned the title.

Archival Video: Harry Belafonte sits with Senator John F. Kennedy and endorses him for President in 1960.pic.twitter.com/Y3C92FnTq0

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 25, 2023

Belafonte was a force in politics as well. John F. Kennedy sought his support during the 1960 presidential campaign, and Belafonte later became an advocate for Kennedy's civil rights agenda. He challenged segregationists, liberals, and even President Barack Obama, who he famously recollected had asked him and fellow activist Cornel West to "cut him some slack" during the first Black president's first term. Belafonte replied, “What makes you think we haven’t?”

Beyond the entertainment industry and politics, Belafonte set high standards for younger Black celebrities, mentoring Usher, Common, Danny Glover, and many others. He also scolded Jay Z and Beyonce for failing to meet their "social responsibilities."