*In Queens, New York, activist Gil Scott Heron was sentenced to two to four years in prison for violating a plea deal on a drug charge, reports the New York Post. The 56-year-old musician, poet and singer – best known for his 1970s anthem “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” – violated the deal by leaving the drug treatment center he was placed in, the New York Post reported Thursday. Heron, who is HIV positive, said he left because the in-patient rehab clinic stopped giving him his HIV medication. The prosecution also noted Heron once left treatment for an appearance with singer Alicia Keys.
*Bob Marley’s sons Stephen and Ziggy will reunite next month as co-headliners of the second Bob Marley Roots, Rock, Reggae (RRR) Festival, a 17-city tour that kicks off Aug. 6 at the Reggae on the River Festival in Redway, Calif. The five-hour outdoor event will feature music, food, street vendors and supporting acts Bunny Wailer, Latin rock band Ozomatli and Muzik Mafia member John Nicholson, each of whom will perform a full set as well as collaborating with one another.
*Pharrell Williams will finally release his debut solo album, "In My Mind," on July 25 via Star Trak/Interscope. The disc will include his current single "Number One," a collaboration with fellow producer Kanye West, and his previous single "Can I Have It Like That," featuring Gwen Stefani. The set also sports guest appearances from Robin Thicke and Slim Thug. Also beginning July 25, fans of his production work can purchase the digital album with bonus instrumentals of all tracks exclusively at iTunes.
*The release date for Lupe Fiasco’s debut album, “Food & Liquor,” featuring his current single “Kick Push,” is now Aug. 29 via his own record label First and Fifteenth Entertainment (FNF), which is distributed through Atlantic. The set’s original release date of June 27 was scrapped once tracks leaked onto the Internet. Born Wasalu Muhammed Jaco, the self-described nerd grew up in Chicago’s housing projects listening to Thelonious Monk – because rap’s curse words went against his strict Islamic upbringing. "My dad used to blast N.W.A., and I'd be so embarrassed I would duck down in the car," Fiasco told Billboard. But a chance hearing of Spice 1’s humor in “187 Proof” changed his mind about gangsta rap. “That was dope to me," Fiasco says. "I liked West Coast hip-hop, but I guess that's because I was brought up on that with my dad." “Food & Liquor” is executive produced by Jay-Z, whom he met when the mogul’s Roc-A-Fella records considered giving him a deal.
*Jermaine Dupri likes the badonkadonk, which may be a problem for his newly slimmed-down girlfriend Janet Jackson. "Jermaine loves Janet whether she's fat or skinny," a source tells People magazine. "Ideally, though, he prefers her with a little meat on her bones." The couple is said to be meeting with wedding planners and sampling dishes for their upcoming nuptials, but Jackson reportedly won’t go near the food. "Janet wouldn't even taste a morsel of wedding cake that was given to her to try,” the insider reveals. “She's that committed to her diet, but Jermaine feels she's being too extreme." According to the source, Janet told a friend, "I want to be a sexy bride."