NEWS

Faith Evans has suffered a legal setback in a dispute involving the company created to manage the legacy and intellectual property of her late husband, The Notorious B.I.G.. On August 7, a Delaware Court of Chancery judge ruled in favor of Wayne Barrow, acting as trustee of the Voletta Wallace Revocable Trust, in his case against Evans and Notorious B.I.G., LLC. The court granted Barrow summary judgment, recognizing the trust's membership and rights to distributions from the company. Evans and Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, formed the Delaware LLC in 2007 to oversee Christopher Wallace's intellectual property. Under a 2023 operating agreement, Evans and Voletta each held half of the company's membership units, while portions of their distribution interests were assigned to Biggie's children, Ty'anna Wallace and Christopher Jordan “CJ” Wallace. Before Voletta's death in February 2025, she amended her trust to remove CJ and another successor trustee, leaving Barrow as the sole successor trustee. After Voletta's death, Evans became the LLC's sole manager and stopped making distributions to the trust. The court rejected Evans' argument that the amended trust no longer qualified as a member of the LLC, ruling that the trust remained a permitted transferee under the operating agreement. Barrow's attorney, Jay W. Freiberg, said the decision vindicated his client, while Evans' representatives had not publicly responded at the time of the report. The ruling does not resolve all disputes surrounding Voletta's estate, as CJ has a separate Pennsylvania case challenging the changes that made Barrow sole trustee and executor.

Lionel Richie appeared to take a pointed jab at Chris Brown while performing alongside Earth, Wind & Fire during a recent concert. In a viral video circulating online, Richie addressed Brown and Usher’s current joint tour while comparing their collaboration to R&B tours from earlier generations. Referencing his own history with The Commodores and Earth, Wind & Fire, Richie suggested that the pairing of two major R&B stars is not entirely unprecedented. “Only difference is, between then and now, we didn’t go to jail!” he told the audience before appearing to apologize with a smile and continuing his performance. Richie’s comment appeared to reference Brown’s history of legal troubles, including his 2009 felony assault case involving Rihanna. Brown pleaded guilty in that case and received probation and community service. More recently, the singer pleaded guilty to assaulting music producer Abraham Diaw at a London nightclub, adding another legal matter to his history. While Richie did not directly identify Brown when making the remark, the timing of his comments and his discussion of the current Brown-Usher tour led many viewers to interpret the statement as a reference to the singer’s past. The ongoing tour has generated significant attention, with Brown and Usher bringing together two generations of R&B stardom and delivering performances that have sparked widespread discussion online. Their concerts have also drawn headlines for provocative dance routines and interactions with fans. Despite the controversy surrounding Richie’s remarks, the collaboration highlights the enduring influence of both Brown and Usher in contemporary R&B. Richie, who rose to fame as a member of The Commodores before launching a successful solo career, appeared to use his own touring history as the backdrop for a joke that ultimately shifted the spotlight toward Brown’s complicated legal past.

Singer Truth Hurts (born Shari Watson), says she remains $1.7 million in debt to her former record label, Aftermath Records, more than two decades after her hit single “Addictive” became entangled in a major copyright dispute. Watson, 54, discussed the financial fallout during a recent appearance on J. Valentine’s R&B Money Podcast. The Grammy-nominated artist rose to prominence with “Addictive,” which became a Top 10 hit in 2002 and helped establish her as one of R&B’s rising stars. The song, produced by DJ Quik, featured a sample taken from a recording by legendary Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar from the 1981 film Jyoti. Watson explained that the sample had not been properly cleared before the song was released. After “Addictive” became a commercial success, Saregama India Ltd., which controlled the rights to the sampled material, filed a $500 million copyright lawsuit against Aftermath and its parent company, Universal Music Group. Watson said she became concerned that the legal battle could damage her career and ultimately asked Aftermath executives Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine to release her from her recording contract. The $500 million lawsuit was eventually dismissed after the court determined that the Indian chorus used in “Addictive” did not qualify as a religious or spiritual tradition. However, the copyright holders were granted songwriting credits on the track. Watson said she was left with significant financial obligations to Aftermath despite being released from the label. “Addictive” also incorporated cleared material from B.T. Express’ “Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied)” and the opening line from Rakim’s 1987 classic “Paid in Full.” Although DJ Quik was initially credited as the producer, it was later reported that Dr. Dre was actually responsible for producing the track.

Duane “Keefe D” Davis has rejected a plea deal ahead of his scheduled trial in the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur, continuing to maintain that he is innocent. Davis’ decision comes as jury selection is set to begin August 10, 2026, in one of hip-hop’s most closely watched criminal cases. Prosecutors have alleged that Davis was involved in the drive-by shooting that claimed Shakur’s life, but the longtime suspect has repeatedly denied committing any crime. In a recent interview with 8News Now, Davis said he sees no reason to accept a deal that could potentially send him to prison for decades. The 63-year-old cited his age and health issues, including a past battle with cancer and three heart stents, while explaining why he rejected the reported offer. Davis also maintained that other individuals were responsible for the shooting and insisted that he is an innocent man. Shakur was shot multiple times after attending the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon heavyweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996. The rapper remained hospitalized for six days before dying from his injuries at age 25. The case remained unsolved for more than two decades before Davis was arrested in 2023 in connection with the shooting. His upcoming trial is expected to bring renewed attention to one of music history’s most enduring mysteries.