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ITTY BITTY BITS: Arrests in T.I. assistant murder; D'Angelo's album; Lawrence joins CAA; Gospel Music Month; noose bill in Louisiana; Celtics ratings; Brenda Jefferson guilty; Babyface star; Hancock's Jazz Award
*According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, two brothers, Hosea and Padron Thomas, have been charged with the 2006 killing of Atlanta rapper T.I.'s assistant and best friend, Philant Johnson. Cincinnati police homicide detective Tim Gormly claims the incident began with the brothers not being allowed to meet T.I. in the VIP section of an after-party.
*D'Angelo's J Records debut is due early next year and so far features a collaboration with Raphael Saadiq. The crooner also plans to work with John Mayer, a source tells Billboard.com. A single may be out before the end of the year. The Virginia native has been off the scene since his 2000 album "Voodoo," which spawned the hit single "Untitled (How Does It Feel)." On Tuesday (June 24), his former label Virgin will release a CD/DVD retrospective, "The Best So Far...," featuring hits, rarities and previously unreleased videos.
*Martin Lawrence has left his longtime agency UTA and signed with CAA for representation, reports Variety. The actor/comedian, most recently seen in "College Road Trip," gives CAA another player in its growing comedy division, the trade reports.
*Lawmakers are attempting to pass a bill that would designate September as Gospel Music Heritage Month. Senators Blanche L. Lincoln, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Patrick Leahy, Congresswomen Sheila Jackson Lee and Mary Bono Mack have teamed with the Gospel Music Channel and The Recording Academy to push legislation in the House (H.Con. Res. 370) and the Senate (S. Res. 595). The month would honor gospel music for its valuable long-standing contributions to American culture.
*A bill passed unanimously by Louisiana's House and Senate would make it a crime for a person to place a hangman's noose, or a picture of one, on another person's property or on public property with "the intent to intimidate." A 37-0 vote in the Senate late Monday, following a 97-0 House vote earlier in the legislative session, sent the measure to Gov. Bobby Jindal for his signature. Conviction could bring fines up to $5,000 and up to a year in prison. House Bill 726 by Rep. Rickey Hardy comes on the heels of a 2006 incident at Jena High School in central Louisiana, where three students were suspended after nooses were found hanging from a tree on campus. That incident led to a civil rights march that drew some 20,000 demonstrators to Jena last September.
*Ratings for the NBA Finals featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and their longtime rivals the Boston Celtics were the highest the league has seen in eight years. Tuesday's Game Six, in which the Celtics annihilated the Lakers to win the championship, drew 9.3% of U.S. households, according to Nielsen, a 51% increase from the San Antonio Spurs' sweep of the Cavaliers last season, which ended up being the lowest rated NBA Finals in history.
*The sister of Louisiana congressman William Jefferson pleaded guilty Wednesday to misprision of a felony for helping to conceal a crime, reports the AP. Prosecutors say Brenda Jefferson received about $90,000 for clerical work for three family members accused of defrauding a federal government program by stealing more than $600,000 in state and federal grant money intended for charitable and educational projects. The 52-year-old woman faces up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Rep. William Jefferson was indicted last year on unrelated bribery charges. He has denied wrongdoing and is awaiting a trial.
*The Miracles and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds are among the celebrities who will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's Walk of Fame Committee chose the recipients, who were ratified by the board of directors Thursday. Other celebs getting stars are Hugh Jackman, Ben Kingsley, The Village People, fictional Tinker Bell, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Cameron Diaz, Robert Downey Jr., Tim Burton, Leslie Caron, Charles Durning, Ralph Fiennes, William Petersen, Kyra Sedgwick, John Stamos, Mark Burnett, Chuck Lorre, Dave Koz, Doug Morris, Rush, Shakira, KFI radio personality Bill Handel and KCRW host Harry Shearer, who also provides voices for characters on "The Simpsons."
*Pianist Herbie Hancock took home the top prize at this year's Jazz Awards, held Wednesday at the Jazz Standard club in New York City. The artist was named musician of the year for his Grammy-winning album, "River: The Joni Letters." The night's big winner, however, was Maria Schneider with four trophies collected for her big band CD "Sky Blue," including album of the year. Drummer Roy Haynes and sax player Ornette Coleman were both double winners. Pianist Marian McPartland, 90, was recognized with the award for Lifetime Achievement in Jazz.
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