Suspect in rapper’s shooting arraigned on weapons charges

Detroit – The suspect in the shooting death of rapper Proof, a hip-hop artist and Eminem confidante, was arraigned Saturday on a pair of weapons charges.

Mario Etheridge, 28, of Detroit, is charged in the shooting with carrying a concealed weapon and discharge of a firearm in a building. His attorney entered not guilty pleas on his behalf at Saturday’s hearing.

Etheridge was arraigned via video by Magistrate Steve Lockhart in 36th District Court in Detroit. Bond was set at $70,000 and a preliminary hearing in the case was scheduled for April 26.

The Wayne County prosecutor’s office said that without the weapons charges, which were issued Friday, authorities would have had to release Etheridge. The shooting remains under investigation.

Etheridge has been in custody since he surrendered Wednesday; his attorney has said the shooting was in self-defense.

“If it wasn’t for Proof trying to harm someone, we wouldn’t be here today,” said Etheridge’s attorney, Randall Upshaw.

Detroit police said they were told by witnesses that Etheridge shot Proof early Tuesday after Proof shot Army veteran Keith Bender inside a nightclub in a strip of businesses along Eight Mile Road.

Bender remained in critical condition Saturday at St. John Hospital and Medical Center, said hospital spokeswoman Wende Berry.

Wyclef Jean performs concert for Donald Trump

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Donald Trump is a fan of Wyclef Jean.

Trump invited the hip-hop artist to perform at a concert Friday night for about 200 business associates.

“I’m very into music, and Clef is a great guy,” Trump told The Associated Press.

Jean took the stage neatly dressed in a suit and sang more than a dozen songs. By the time his hour-long performance was over, the Grammy-award winning artist was stripped to his bare feet, pants and undershirt.

Jean also appeared on Trump’s show “The Apprentice” and said he looks to the real estate mogul for business advice.

“He rules. He’s real tough when it comes to business,” Jean said. “I’m like a sponge right now. I know I can pick up things from him.”

The concert celebrated one of Trump’s latest investments, the Trump International Hotel & Tower Fort Lauderdale.

The luxury residence should be completed in 20 months, he said.

Ousted ‘Idol’: Judge Cowell’s comments aren’t helpful

Charlotte, N.C. – Bucky Covington, the latest contestant voted off “American Idol,” says the comments of judge Simon Cowell are no longer helpful.

“It seems like he used to give advice, but now he doesn’t give advice as he does try to put you down,” said Covington, 28, a country singer from Rockingham.

On Tuesday, Covington sang a version of rock band Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls.” Cowell called his performance “mediocre.” The following night, Covington was booted off the Fox network show.

Covington said Cowell will never like singers like himself or contestant Taylor Hicks.

“For him to like someone like me or Taylor is out of the question. No matter what we do, he’s not going to like us. We’re just not his thing,” he said.

His departure slimmed the “Idol” hopefuls to seven. The winner is set to be named May 24.

Babyface files breach of contract against singer

Los Angeles – Grammy-winning singer-producer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against singer Anita Baker, claiming she owes him more than $250,000.

According to the lawsuit, filed Thursday in Superior Court, Baker broke two oral agreements with Edmonds, who co-wrote, produced and performed on the song “Like You Used to Do” on Baker’s 2004 album “My Everything.”

The lawsuit claims Baker refused to pay Edmonds producer’s royalties equaling at least $100,000 from an estimated more than 500,000 albums sold.

Edmonds, 47, also alleges that he and Baker had an agreement to play four concerts together, but that Baker canceled two shows and refused to pay $150,000 for those dates.

Spokesman Cem Kurosman from Baker’s label, Blue Note, declined to comment Friday, saying the label had no knowledge of the lawsuit.

Edmonds has written hits for a number of R&B stars, including Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Bobby Brown.

Actor turns to grandfather for role in ‘Big Love’

Salt Lake City – Bruce Dern turned to his grandfather for inspiration when preparing for his role on HBO’s “Big Love,” a polygamy drama set in Utah.

Dern’s grandfather, George Henry Dern, was Utah’s 21st governor. He served two terms from 1925 to 1933 as the second non-Mormon and Democrat to lead the state.

“I drove to my sister’s house in Phoenix where she has all the family scrapbooks, and I pored over all of them, just looking at the Salt Lake City years,” Dern said.

Dern is aware of the controversy over how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perceives the show. After reading all the scripts for this season, he said Utah “was never unduly maligned in any shape or form. Utah is a sensational state from the bottom to the top.”

“In this series, I learned quite a bit about the industriousness … that these Mormon folks have and the inner pride they have,” he said.

Dern, 69, has appeared in films such as “Drive, He Said,” “The Great Gatsby” and “Coming Home,” for which he earned an Oscar nomination. He is the father of actress Laura Dern.