Music Notes: Rival Rappers Kicked Off Tour
Aug. 6 -- It used to be the East and West Coast rappers who couldn't get along. Now it seems the Detroit musicians are the ones throwing the punches.
Eminem's chart-topping group D12 is being accused of attacking rival Detroit rappers Esham and T.N.T. Friday night.
The incident occurred during a Warped Tour stop in Camden, N.J. Eminem himself was not present.
According to Billboard.com, D12 and 40 of their friends allegedly started the rumble with the other two rappers, who are part of the group Natas. T.N.T. suffered bruises and Esham ended up wtih a ruptured eyeball, a broken nose and concussion.
In the end, both D12 and Natas were booted from the Warped Tour.
D12 issued a statement insisting the incident was spurred by the group's "concern for the safety of their guests."
Esham accused Eminem of orchestrating the attack. "He didn't even show up for the tour. That's how premeditated this was," Esham told Billboard.com.
There was no immediate comment from Eminem.
Esham documents their rivalry on the diary section his Web site, and had previously said he expected to be kicked off the tour if they were in a fight.
Whitney Hits a Higher Note
Arista Records is forking out $100 million to keep Whitney Houston on its roster.
The balladeer will get $25 million up front in the deal, signed last week.
"I'm looking forward to going into the studio soon to start work on my new album," said Houston.
The deal makes Houston among the best paid recording artists in history. And Arista is not concerned about the return on its investment, despite frequent rumors the singer has a drug problem. She has publicly denied any such habit.
"We all have good times and bad," said Arista President L.A. Reid. "I looked at Whitney and saw a woman dedicated to her career."
Björk's All-Star Brigade
Björk is more known for electronica than classical music, but that might change after her upcoming tour.The Icelandic singer will bring along a 14-person choir and a full orchestra when she performs in Europe and North America.
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