Lights, Camera, Murray!
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Michael Jackson
A virtual "media city" has sprung up outside L.A. County Superior Court -- where Dr. Conrad Murray is expected to surrender to authorities in just a few hours. The courthouse is filled with reporters, producers and sheriff's deputies waiting for the ...
The Kendra Wilkinson Upset
Filed under: Paparazzi Photo, TMZ Sports
After her husband Hank Baskett dropped the ball on a game-changing onside kick -- arguably blowing the Colts' shot at the Super Bowl -- new mom Kendra Wilkinson left the Super Bowl looking visibly upset.We can't all be Kim Kardashian.
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What Can Lil Wayne Expect During His Time In Jail? Experts Weigh In
'He's definitely going to be treated differently,' retired NYPD detective Derrick Parker says of Wayne's prison stint.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Lil Wayne
Photo: Newscom
Lil Wayne's life revolves around a daily regime of "SportsCenter," studio time and sweets. But on Tuesday (February 9), the Cash Money lyricist will be formally sentenced to prison after he struck a plea deal with Manhattan prosecutors stemming from a 2007 arrest in New York on gun charges. After he officially enters his plea, the rapper is expected to then turn himself in immediately to begin a one-year jail sentence.
Not since 2Pac has an MC been as accomplished and relevant yet faced an impending prison term at the height of his career. But will the lithe New Orleans rapper survive the daunting conditions at the notorious Rikers Island facility?
"Lil Wayne is gonna be OK," retired NYPD detective and noted "hip-hop cop" Derrick Parker told MTV News. "While he's in jail, it's a matter of fact they may not put him with the general population because of who he is and his popularity. They might lock him down and let him come out with a supervisor and stuff like that [when he's] in the main area — but he's definitely going to be treated differently."
According to Parker, the way Wayne will be handled is due to safety concerns for him, of course, but also to ensure as much normalcy as the facility possibly can — it won't resemble pampered treatment by any means. Parker said despite Wayne's small physical stature and his propensity to signal a particular gang affiliation in his rhymes, the rapper won't have much to fear in terms of extortion, bullying or worse.
Parker compared Wayne to former New York Giants football player Plaxico Burress, another celebrity who was convicted on gun charges in New York. However, Wayne could be better prepared for life behind bars — Burress hired a jail coach to assist him with acclimating to prison, something Wayne wouldn't even consider.
"Wayne is from the streets, from the Magnolia Houses in New Orleans, so I'm sure those guys have been in jail or locked up at some point," Parker said. "So being in prison is no big deal to them. Plaxico isn't built for that — he's the type of guy that's never been locked up like that before. He's gonna need a coach or someone to tell him what to expect, since he's not used to that."
But what exactly can Wayne expect? Fortunately, he won't to cut his trademark tresses.
"The days of doing that are over," retired corrections officer Charles Reid told MTV News. "They can't make inmates do that anymore — it's within their rights to maintain any kind of hairstyle."
Wayne will have a few comforts of home while he's away. He will be able to watch network television — not cable, however. And he'll be able to watch DVD movies. He told Rolling Stone recently he plans to take an iPod in with him assist with writing music, but a source close to the prison facility told MTV News that would not be allowed.
Reid, who worked at Rikers Island for 21 years as an officer and an investigator, said Wayne's days would continue to be regimented, but in a much different way. He suggested the rapper may have to succumb to some work conditions, whether in sanitation or the mess hall, for example. Reid also noted that different wings of the prison carry different types of criminals, but guessed that Wayne would be housed in a dormitory area and not even be confined to a cell.
"Like a hospital, where there's maybe 20 to 25 beds in an open ward, or it maybe bunk beds," Reid said of Wayne's possible lodgings. "Where he has a nightstand to keep his personal belongings."
Due to the short nature of Wayne's sentence — one year, which could mean 10 months, including the possibly of early release after serving 80 percent of good time, possibly putting him back onstage in a little as eight months — the rapper could very well spend his entire term at Rikers Island.
It won't be known for sure if Wayne will be transferred upstate until he enters the New York corrections system and is processed. (A representative for the Corrections Department did not return several inquiries made by MTV as of press time.)
"I think he's gonna go in there and do his time and do it quietly," Parker said. "If he does it with good behavior, that will be a plus for him — then he'll be out and putting out a new album."
How do you think Lil Wayne will fare with his upcoming jail time? Let us know in the comments below, or upload a video to Your.MTV.com!
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Howard Stern Considering Replacing Simon Cowell On ‘American Idol’
'There's not a better job on the planet than judging a karaoke contest,' Stern says on his Sirius radio show.
By James Montgomery, with additional reporting by Gil Kaufman
Howard Stern
Photo: Jim Spellman/ WireImage
On Monday (February 8), Howard Stern not only confirmed reports that Fox is interested in hiring him to replace departing "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell, but that the interest is mutual.
"There's not a better job on the planet than judging a f-----g karaoke contest," Stern told his satellite radio listeners. "It might be possible, we'll see."
Stern, who frequently dissects "Idol" on his radio program, joked that the deciding factor in the negotiations might be the size of the paycheck show producers are willing to shell out for his services.
"They'd have to pay me a ton of dough, because I already make a ton of dough," he said.
Stern's five-year, $500 million contract with Sirius XM is set to expire in January of next year. And according to some reports, "Idol" producers are prepared to match that deal.
"A $100 million to judge a karaoke contest? Yeah, I think I would do that show for $100 million," Stern said. "It would be the best thing that happened to me. What a cush job: $100 million for four months. Who wouldn't take that?"
Stern added that he wouldn't do a radio show if he landed the "Idol" job, and said that, while the show is "nothing" without Cowell, he had read reports that it was the acerbic Brit himself who suggested the longtime shock jock take his place at the end of this season.
"I'm not going to comment about any discussions I might or might not have had," he said. "I watch 'American Idol.' ... people seem to think that if I was on it, because I'm such a foul-mouthed, miserable f---, that I would get them thrown off the air. I know how to judge."
And to that end, he said that, really, he's the best man for the job, since he'd be able to replace the acerbic wit the show would be missing without Cowell.
"If I do say so myself, I can't imagine anyone else but me replacing [Cowell]," Stern said. "I mean, how else are they going to make that show work? Who knows how to broadcast and who knows how to be interesting? And who's not afraid to speak their mind?"
And what else would Stern bring to the table? Well, judging by the jokes he made about current "Idol" judges Randy Jackson and Ellen DeGeneres, he wouldn't be opposed to sparring with his fellow judges. And when asked about the kinds of critiques he'd offer up to auditioners, he replied with this hypothetical nugget.
" 'Hey Fantasia, you're not getting little boys hard. You look like you stepped out of a cartoon. ... They want a Britney Spears or a Rihanna," Stern said. "Little boys are scared that you are going to sit on them. You're out. ... You've got to go clean up your act. Get a haircut like Rihanna if you want little boys [to get excited about] you."
Should make for an interesting show! A spokesperson for 19 Entertainment, which produces "American Idol," had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time.
Would Howard Stern make a good replacement for Simon Cowell on "American Idol"? What do you think? Sound off in the comments below!
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