After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Grammy Award-winning singer Wyclef Jean's charity Yele Haiti received millions of dollars of donations before coming under fire for years of shaky accounting and reports that the nonprofit had given $410,000 to businesses tied to Jean. Now, according to Yele sources and tax documents, it appears that the former Fugee paid his personal assistant and mistress $105,000 in 2008—more than three times the salary of the program's director, according to Gawker. more ›

Grammy-winner Wyclef Jean is “disgusted” by allegations he’s personally profited from his Haiti foundation, Yele. In a YouTube address the singer said he’s contributed $1 million of his own money to Yele and asked the public to wait for proof of the organization’s activities—forthcoming in future videos—and then judge if "Wyclef is the truth or not." However, he couldn’t explain away the inconsistencies for which he’s come under fire. more ›

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday, former Fugees star Wyclef Jean has emerged as one of the most prominent advocates for charitable giving in his home country. His nonprofit, Yele Haiti Foundation, has already netted more than $2 million in contributions via text messages. But that charity has a "lackluster history of accounting for its finances," and it has paid at least $410,000 to businesses tied to Jean in past years, The Smoking Gun reports. more ›

Jacob the Jeweler's company, which has adorned everyone from Madonna to Kanye, is suing Wyclef Jean because the recording artist never paid for his jewels. Newsday reports that Jacob & Co. Inc. filed papers in a Manhattan court yesterday claiming "the hip hop musician bought several items between March 2002 and January 2006 for $765,100" and "still owes $319,680 despite repeated demands for payment." Meanwhile, Jacob Arabov, the man behind the bling, was sentenced to over two years in federal prison last month for lying to investigators about his business transactions with a multistate crime ring. Last year Harry Winston learned that if a celeb "borrows" some jewelry it's as good as gone. more ›

Uh oh - there's definitely a little drama for five well-known performers as the Albany DA's office continues its probe into steroid trafficking. The Times Union reported yesterday that Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Timbaland, Wyclef Jean and Tyler Perry were "among the thousands of customers of the pharmacies" DA David Soares' office has investigated. more ›

It's been five years since Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell) was murdered in his Queens studio, and though some people have recently started piping up about who may have pulled the trigger - no suspect has been named. Moving forward -- his friends, family and fellow musicians have begun to get closure in other ways. Mizell's widow, Terri, started the Jam Master Jay Foundation for Music -- a non-profit that provides funding and resources to... more ›

Following a Craigslist post from last week, a Bob Dylan video was shot yesterday in Williamsburg. Dylan wasn't there, but a look-a-like was on hand along with a ton of faux-hippies. The posting called for:

- Men and women in their 20s-40s who are fans of Bob Dylan. Prefer people who embody the style of the 1960s, 70s or 80s (i.e. hippies, disco dancers, punks), but we are open to anyone who is a fan of Dylan and wants to be in his music video. more ›

Yesterday, the special election held for a City Council seat in Brooklyn's 40th District brought some history: Dr. Mathieu Eugene (pictured on the left) became the first Haitian-born member of the City Council - and he has been called the "Haitian Sensation" in the media. more ›

The Undisputed Heavyweights have got themselves quite a name to live up to, and check out that URL: Better Than Elvis?! This we've got to see. more ›

One woman was run over by a float car after falling off a float; she is in serious condition, but onlookers say it didn't seem to be the driver's fault. Still, this being the one of the few serious injuries yesterday, it's nice to know the parade was peaceful and enjoyable. more ›

More New Yorker Festival hilarity from Choire for The Morning News (thanks for the visual of David Remnick wearing his "off-label jeans too high"). A recipe from Grand Marnier utilizing cranberry juice and Grand Marnier.
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