People in the news

Rhymes wins right to play in UK concert

London – American rapper Busta Rhymes won a court order Friday allowing him to perform at a charity concert in Britain, despite a government attempt to keep him out of the country.

High Court Justice Nicholas Stadlen ruled that Rhymes – whose real name is Trevor George Smith Jr. – could play at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The judge said he did not want to interfere with the concert, which is being given for volunteers who earned their tickets by doing four hours of community service.

Immigration officials stopped Rhymes on Thursday at London City Airport, with his promoters saying they cited previous legal trouble in the United States. In March, a New York judge sentenced Rhymes to three years’ probation for assaulting his former driver and a fan.

West won’t face felony charge in incident

Los Angeles – Los Angeles County prosecutors say they have declined to file felony charges against Kanye West for an incident in which a paparazzo’s camera was broken.

Los Angeles County District Attorney’s spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons says prosecutors referred the case to city attorneys, who will decide whether to charge West with a misdemeanor.

West was arrested Sept. 11 at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of felony vandalism after he was captured on video struggling with a paparazzo and breaking a flash on the floor.

City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan says a decision on a lesser charge isn’t expected until next week.

West’s road manager was also arrested on suspicion he broke the photographer’s camera and one belonging to a TMZ videographer.

Erin Brockovich signs contract with law firm

New York – The legal crusader portrayed by Julia Roberts in the film “Erin Brockovich” is working for a Manhattan personal injury law firm specializing in asbestos cases.

The real Erin Brockovich signed a consulting contract with Weitz & Luxenberg and will be involved in soliciting cases and investigating claims. Brockovich told the New York Post: “I’m hands-on and they’re hands-on so it will be a team effort.”

Already the 48-year-old Brockovich has filmed two TV commercials for the law firm seeking individuals who may have contracted lung cancer from exposure to asbestos, the Daily News reported. Brockovich also consults with a West Coast law firm, Girardi & Keese.

Roberts won an Oscar for her portrayal of the environmental activist in the 2000 movie. The film focused on how Brockovich led a 1996 water pollution case that won residents of a small California desert town a $333 million settlement from a state utility company.

Dylan album to stream on NPR for 1 week

New York – Bob Dylan’s new album shall be released one week early as a free online stream on National Public Radio’s Web site.

NPR Music will stream the entire two-CD, “Tell Tale Signs,” beginning at 11:01 p.m. CDT Monday. It will be available for listening at least until Oct. 7, when the album is officially released by Columbia Records.

“Tell Tale Signs” is the eighth volume of Dylan’s rarities compilations, titled the “Bootleg Series.” This edition includes out-takes and rare cuts from the last two decades. An alternate version of “Mississippi” – a song from 2001’s “Love and Theft” – was earlier made available as a free download at Amazon.com.

The early album stream is a first for NPR Music, which often provides live concerts for free as podcasts.

Navaira out of hospital after traffic accident

San Antonio – Grammy-winning Tejano singer Emilio Navaira, still recovering from injuries suffered in a bus wreck six months ago, has been discharged from a hospital after another traffic accident.

A University Hospital spokeswoman said Navaira and his wife, Maria, were discharged late Thursday, a day after their car collided with a truck.

Navaira has been undergoing rehabilitation since wrecking his tour bus in suburban Houston in March. His agent, Joe Casias, did not return a call Friday from The Associated Press for comment.

Casias told the San Antonio Express-News that Navaira suffered no bone fractures but doctors “are watching him very closely.”

He said the couple were on the way back from rehabilitation at the time of the wreck. The 46-year-old singer had been taking his rehab sessions in Houston until Hurricane Ike caused the couple to return home to San Antonio recently.

Spokeswoman: DJ AM released from hospital

Columbia, S.C. – Celebrity disc jockey DJ AM has been released from a Georgia hospital after suffering severe burns in a fiery plane crash a week ago, a spokeswoman for the musician said Friday.

DJ AM, whose real name is Adam Goldstein, and former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, were rushed to a burn hospital in Augusta, Ga., after their Learjet crashed on takeoff from a Columbia airport.

Doctors have said they expect both men to fully recover.