Loose Ends: 50 Cent Launches Book Line, While Nas' Ex Is Sued Over Her Book

01/04/07 7:30pm

Rap star 50 Cent announced in the fall of 2005 that he planned on expanding his empire into the publishing world, and on Thursday he launched G-Unit Books with a signing in a New York City bookstore that also included authors Nikki Turner and K. Elliot. The "hip-hop novellas" Death Before Dishonor, Baby Brother, Hood, Soldier 7 and The Ski Mask Way are being published in conjunction with MTV/Pocketbooks.

Carmen Bryan, Nas' former girlfriend and the mother of his daughter, has been sued by a woman who claims to have written Bryan's recently published book, It's No Secret: From Nas To Jay-Z, From Seduction To Scandal — A Hip-Hop Helen Of Troy Tells All. The suit was filed by Tannell Davis, who says she wrote and copyrighted a book with the working title of Sex, Drugs And Hip-Hop — Oh, And Did I Mention Love?, which was plagiarized and sold to Simon & Schuster by Bryan. The 272-page It's No Secret details Bryan's life story, including her role in the feud between Nas and Jay-Z (whom she says she had an affair with) and a number of trysts. Davis is seeking undisclosed damages.

Michael Jackson is suing his former accountants, who he claims annually withdrew $2.5 million U.S. from his bank accounts but didn't properly pay his bills, for negligence and breach of fiduciary duty. The suit is seeking unspecified damages and an accounting of money that the Los Angeles-based firm of Bernstein, Fox, Whitman, Goldman & Sloan received for their services after being hired in 2003. Jackson made a rare public appearance at soul legend James Brown's funeral on Saturday.

Toronto concert announcements:
Jan. 12 Sebastian Grainger, The Paramedics, Ohbijou and The D'Urbervilles @ Tranzac Club
Jan. 19 Beres Hammond and Marcia Griffiths @ The Docks
Jan. 22 Metal Church, Meliah Rage, Penetrator and Scarlet Sins @ Lee's Palace
Jan. 25 Two Minute Miracles, Tacoma Hellfarm Tragedy and Forest City Lovers @ Tranzac Club
Jan. 28 Thunderbirds Are Now! and Oxford Collapse @ Lee's Palace
Feb. 1 Final Fantasy and Steve Kado @ Brigantine Room (Harbourfront Centre)
Feb. 7 Rob Dickinson @ Lee's Palace
Feb. 9 Magic Slim & The Teardrops @ Silver Dollar
Feb. 15 Josh Ritter @ Horseshoe Tavern
Feb. 18 All That Remains, Misery Signals, Celladoor and The Human Abstract @ Opera House
March 3 Willie "Big Eyes" Smith @ Silver Dollar
March 4 TV On The Radio @ Kool Haus
March 12 Clinic @ Lee's Palace
March 17 Coco Montoya @ Silver Dollar
March 20 Isis and Jesu @ Opera House
March 23 Sebadoh @ Lee's Palace
April 12 Sunset Rubdown and Xiu Xiu @ Lee's Palace
April 30 Trans Am and Zombi @ Lee's Palace
May 1 Acid Mothers Temple @ Lee's Palace
June 3 Regurgitate and Fuck The Facts @ Metal Bar

Vancouver concert announcements:
Jan. 27 Dr. Lonnie Smith @ Wheelhouse Theatre
Jan. 28 Veda Hille @ Vancouver East Cultural Centre
Feb. 8 Stephen Fearing @ St. James Hall
Feb. 17 Buffy Sainte-Marie, Final Fantasy, Jim Byrnes and Kinnie Starr @ Centre In Vancouver For Performing Arts
Feb. 25 Ruthie Foster @ Capilano College Performing Arts Theatre
March 9-10 Creedence Clearwater Revisited @ Red Robinson Show Theatre
March 17 Jim Belushi & The Sacred Hearts @ Red Robinson Show Theatre
March 30 The Irish Rovers @ River Rock Show Theatre
March 31 Soweto Gospel Choir @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
April 27-28 Engelbert Humperdinck @ River Rock Show Theatre