Ludacris denies infringing Kanye West song

NEW YORK — Kanye West gave a lesson in hip-hop to federal judge Thursday as he testified at a copyright infringement trial that a 2003 tune he worked on was nothing like a not-so-successful New Jersey group’s song.

During West’s testimony, U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel asked him to say the first two lines of “Stand Up.” West created the beat and opening two lines of the song, and Ludacris finished it.

West hesitated but finally blurted out a line laced with a harsh profanity that struck the judge as out of place in the dignified Manhattan courtroom.

“I’m sorry I asked,” the blushing judge said with a chuckle as nearly everyone in the courtroom, including the jurors, laughed out loud. “I think I’m going to withdraw my question.”

West, who has won six Grammy Awards for his two multiplatinum albums, “The College Dropout” and “Late Registration,” told the court that it was not unusual that “Stand Up” and “Straight Like That” by the East Orange, N.J., group I.O.F. would both repeatedly use the words “like that.”

“There’s a lot of rap songs that say, ‘like that,’ ‘yo, what’s up?’ or ‘throw your hands high,’” he said. “Whatever people say in the ‘hood, it ends up on records. That’s what hip-hop does.”

Earlier in the day, Ludacris, whose real name is Chris Bridges, testified that he had never heard the expression “straight like that” or the song by that title until he was sued. He said he had used “like that” in a 1999 song.

“I never heard anyone use the term,” Ludacris told lawyer Mel Sachs.

Sachs said the words “like that” were repeated more than 80 times in each song. Ludacris testified that he believes the words are repeated fewer than 80 times in his song.

Ludacris has been praised for his music and his acting roles as Anthony in the Oscar-winning “Crash” and as Skinny Black in “Hustle and Flow.”

A lawyer for the rappers and EMI April Music Inc., Christine Lepera, has asked the jury to reject the claims of BMS Entertainment/Heat Music LLC. The trial is to determine liability. If liability is found, a second phase of the trial will assess damages.

“Straight Like That” never made it beyond some air time on college radio after copies of it were released in September 2001. “Stand Up” was released in the fall of 2003 on Ludacris’ album “Chicken and Beer,” and became a huge hit.

T.I. Arrested, Released For Probation Violation

Atlanta rapper T.I. was arrested and detained in a Georgia jail on Wednesday (May 10) for allegedly failing to fulfill the terms and conditions of his probation. 

T.I. (real name Clifford Harris) was placed under arrest after Florida probation officials revealed that the self-proclaimed King of the South failed to complete the required number of community service hours in accordance with his probation.

T.I. was involved in an altercation with security officers at a Florida mall in Sept. 2003.

The rapper and a group of friends were told to leave by security after allegedly causing a disturbance. In the melee, the rapper struck an officer.

Court records show that Circuit Judge Daniel Perry sentenced T.I. to perform 225 hours of community service in March 2005 after he plead guilty to battery on an officer and violating the terms of his probation.

Several months later, T.I. was arrested in Georgia for driving on a suspended license.

The charge was considered a violation of his probation and T.I. was sentenced to an additional 150 hours of community service.

He was also ordered to perform at least 5 hours of service per month.

T.I. appeared in a Georgia courtroom Wednesday (May 10) for an unrelated case, in which the rapper was accused of threatening several men outside an Atlanta strip club.

He was informed the warrant and was promptly arrested.

The Florida warrant accuses T.I. of only completing 10 hours of community service since being sentenced in 2005.

Although T.I.’s lawyer, Dwight Thomas, contended that the rapper had fulfilled more than 75 hours of service in Atlanta, T.I. was arrested and eventually released on a $25,000 bail.

T.I. is scheduled to surrender himself to Florida authorities by Monday (May 15).

Falcons re-sign receiver Jerome Pathon

The Falcons re-signed free agent wide receiver Jerome Pathon on Tuesday, a move that adds experience to a unit lacking in depth, coach Jim Mora said.Pathon, an eight-year veteran who played for the Colts and Saints before signing with the Falcons during the 2005 season, is expected to participate in the team’s minicamp, which runs Saturday through Monday. Pathon saw action in eight games with Atlanta last season, mostly on special teams. He had one catch for 18 yards.

Roddy White and Michael Jenkins are the starting wideouts, with Brian Finneran the third receiver. The Falcons drafted Adam Jennings out of Fresno State in the sixth round to compete for the No. 4 position. All the other wide receivers with the Falcons are free agents trying to earn a roster spot.

— Steve Wyche

T.I. Resuming Tour Halted by Shooting

CINCINNATI — T.I. plans to resume his national tour in New Orleans on Tuesday, a week after the fatal shooting of his personal assistant and the wounding of three others in the rapper’s entourage following a show in Cincinnati. 

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, will also reschedule an appearance that had been set for Wednesday in St. Louis, Atlanta-based Grand Hustle records said Thursday.

Police in Cincinnati said they had no new leads in the gun battle that began early Wednesday at an after-hours club during a party for T.I. and fellow rapper Yung Joc.

T.I. and his group left the party but were pursued by two sport utility vehicles, police said. T.I. wasn’t injured in the exchange of shots from the vehicles as they drove toward downtown Cincinnati on Interstate 75, police said.

The vehicles pursuing the rapper’s entourage were gone when police arrived.

Philant Johnson, 26, was pronounced dead at a hospital. A Minnesota woman was hospitalized, and a driver and bodyguard were treated and then released.

 

Member Of T.I.’s Entourage Killed On Ohio Highway

CINCINNATI — Gunfire on a Cincinnati highway killed one man, sent three people to hospitals and closed three miles of Interstate 75 Wednesday morning, Cincinnati TV station WLWT reported.

Cincinnati police said the rap artist T.I. performed at Bogart’s to promote his new album, “King,” then went to Club Ritz in Roselawn. Officers said that’s when members of his entourage got into an argument with another group of people at about 3:30 a.m.

Officers said that after leaving Club Ritz, shots were fired into two vans containing T.I.’s entourage on southbound I-75, beginning near the Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway and ending near Mitchell Avenue.

Four members of T.I.’s entourage, three men and a woman, were wounded. All were transported to University Hospital. The woman was traveling in one van, while the three men were in the other.

Officials said just after 7 a.m. that two of the victims have been treated and released. Another male victim died at the hospital.

T.I., whose given name is Tip Harris, was not injured.

Southbound I-75 was closed as police investigated the incident.