DA deciding whether to investigate James Brown’s death

ATLANTA (AP) — A prosecutor in Atlanta will decide whether to open a formal investigation after meeting with a woman who says she has evidence legendary singer James Brown‘s death was caused by another person, his spokesman said.

Brown, known as the Godfather of Soul, was 73 when he died of heart failure on Christmas day in 2006 in Atlanta, less than two days after being hospitalized for treatment of pneumonia.

A woman named Jacque Hollander contacted Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard’s office to request a meeting, claiming Brown’s death was caused by another person, according to the prosecutor’s spokesman Chris Hopper. Howard met with Hollander on Wednesday and accepted a bin of materials she said related to Brown’s death.

Howard will look at the materials Hollander brought and will decide whether to open an investigation, Hopper said.

The post DA deciding whether to investigate James Brown’s death appeared first on TheGrio.

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Wu-Tang Clan imposters scammed Atlanta businesses out of more than $100,000

Some thieves fronting as members of the Wu-Tang Clan scammed several posh Atlanta hotels, car rentals and studios out of more than $100,000.

A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta claims the men, Walker Washington and Aaron Barnes-Burpo, told hotel workers they were with Roc Nation. At least one of these hotels says the crew referred to themselves as members of the Wu, reported Billboard. Washington and Barnes-Burpo are facing conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.

READ MORE: TalkBack: Sacha Jenkins on ODB and episode 3 of ‘Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men’

The men allegedly pulled up to the hotels in a Rolls Royce Phantom, which was rented from A-National Limousine. That company also reported a loss of nearly $60,000. And prosecutors say both men also skipped out on paying two Atlanta recording studios, a loss of more than $17,000, the criminal complaint states.

Atlanta’s Georgian Terrace Hotel was reportedly left with a $45,000 unpaid bill and the Hyatt Regency Atlanta reportedly was left with a $39,000 unpaid bill, according to Billboard.

The scheme ended at a Fairfield Inn and Suites in Augusta, Georgia. Billboard reported the men booked 10 rooms at the hotel, claiming to be for an artist and his entourage. The reservation was made listing Roc Nation and the Wu-Tang Clan, prosecutors said. However, a staff member grew suspicious and contacted Roc Nation and was told the company had not booked the rooms and was not affiliated with the men.

READ MORE: With namesake district honors, Wu-Tang finally gets its props in Shaolin

When Barnes-Burpo showed up to check-in, Richmond County sheriff’s deputies were waiting for him. He and others were detained, including two men who told police they were homeless and living in Atlanta when they were recruited by the suspects to serve as bodyguards. A few other people in the group traveling with them were not charged.

Billboard checked court records in an attempt to contact attorneys for Barnes-Burpo and Washington, but none were listed.

The post Wu-Tang Clan imposters scammed Atlanta businesses out of more than $100,000 appeared first on TheGrio.

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Trump Forgot He Lied, Now Admits He Sent Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to Dig Up Dirt on Bidens

Trump is out here like a black father who just got his tax returns: You really can’t tell him shit now!

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Jennifer Hudson Will Perform a Special Tribute to Kobe Bryant During the NBA All-Star Game

Jennifer Hudson will perform a special tribute to basketball legend Kobe Bryant during the 2020 NBA All-Star game in Chicago. The National Basketball Association announced that the GRAMMY Award-winning singer, Academy Award-winning actress, and Chicago native will perform a special tribute to the late Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and the seven others that tragically passed away on Jan. 26 in a helicopter accident in Calabasas, California.

Hudson’s performance will open the night ahead of player introductions for the 69th NBA All-Star Game. Also that day, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, and Quavo will join Chance The Rapper for the NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show, while Chaka Khan and Tenille Arts will sing the U.S. and Canadian national anthems, respectively. Queen Latifah will sing with Chicago Youth in a special performance the night before during the State Farm® All-Star Saturday Night, according to an official press release from the NBA.

Kobe and Gigi Bryant
(instagram @kobebryant)

During the annual game, LeBron James‘ All-Star team will wear jerseys with the No. 2 in honor of Gianna, also known as Gigi, and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s team will wear No. 24 in honor of Kobe. Both teams’ jerseys will feature patches displaying nine stars, representing those who lost their lives in the crash, including John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, and Ara Zobayan.

Additional nods to Bryant during TNT’s NBA All-Star Game presentation will include a Los Angeles Lakers-themed tribute within the virtual shot clock, displaying gold and purple accents at 24 seconds and eight seconds remaining on the clock during the fourth quarter, representing Bryant’s jersey numbers. The game will also have a new fourth-quarter format; the game clock will be turned off and the teams will play to reach a “Final Target Score” determined by adding 24—again for Bryant’s jersey—to the leading team’s cumulative score through the first three quarters.

Hudson expressed great grief over the passing of Bryant. “It’s like every time I go to sleep and then wake up somebody else is gone! This news hurts my heart so bad! I was holding out hoping that it wasn’t true! Lord his daughter too,” she stated via Instagram, according to bangshowbiz.com. Meanwhile, Vanessa Bryant recently confessed that her “brain refuses to accept” that her husband and their 13-year-old daughter are gone.

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