• Kanye's grandmother says that "Hey Mama" was the last song her daughter Donda West heard before she died. [Bossip]

• Sarah Palin tries to flip the pay equity script on Barack Obama but uses some really faulty math. [Jezebel]

• Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your dreads. [OS]

• Busta and Common: from hip hop to "dance." [SB]

Despite having four open cases in court at the same time, Busta Rhymes, the 35-year-old rap veteran with an anger management problem, is steering clear of jail. Instead, the judge gave him three years probation.

The 35-year-old Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Smith, was also ordered to perform 10 days of community service; pay a $1,250 fine, plus court costs; and enroll in a drunken driving program. According to Busta's lawyer, Scott Leemon, "He's done" with all legal action stemming from the last couple years in NYC.

After the sentencing, Busta told reporters he was looking forward to, among other things, "running around and showing love." That sounds like a probation violation waiting to happen. [TMZ]

• A judge in Maryland is in trouble for calling three black public defenders "The Supremes" and telling a defendant that he needed to find an "experienced male attorney." [HM]*

• LL, Missy, and Busta know that the Super Bowl is all about the commercials. [XXL]

• There are more black homicide victims in Missouri than in any other state. [KCS]

• Gross, Kelly! [PH]

• Montel Williams is going off the air. Can't even pretend to care. [TVW]

*Thanks Khia!

It's quite a rarity to have so many hip hop luminaries in one room, or one (Hammerstein) ballroom, as it was. But VH1 managed to cram as much talent as possible into their Hip Hop Honors show, which taped last night but airs Monday at 10 pm. Yes, there was a lot of talent there, but I don't count Tracy Morgan, who hosted the awards and couldn't quite get that teleprompter thing down. Could his SCRAM have been going off right about that time? No worries, I'm sure they'll have that all cleaned up by Monday.

I had the pleasure of spending the evening in the press room, where the honorees and presenters came back to chat. In fact, so many VIPs were in attendance, I decided to write up my experiences in a handy superlative format. Check out the Best and Worst, plus lots and lots of pictures, after the jump.

CONTINUED »

I'm not really feeling T.I.'s song "Hurt," featuring Busta Rhymes and Alfamega. The video is eh. And long-time readers of Stereohyped will know that I'm totally over Busta. So why post it? Because T.I. is sort of adorable, that's why. Even when he looks like he has a chemical imbalance.

[PE]

As most of you guessed, the above drawing is of Busta Rhymes, who showed up in court yesterday to begin hearings for two assault cases. Lucky for him, the Assistant DA in charge of the case had jury duty and the case got pushed back to November, which would be promising if he didn't still have to deal with a handful of others. I wish I could tell whether that's a smile or a grimace in the drawing.

[NYP]

• South African blacks are slowly but surely entering the country's thriving wine industry. [LAT]

• Lil Romeo: college basketball player and owner of the "official snack of hip hop." [EUR]

• Busta Rhymes basically just lives in court these days. [WNBC]

• The College Board might be bringing AP African American History to high school kids. [IHE]

• A Jackson family member is cheap and creepy? No! I mean, we are talking about a guy who named his kid Jermajesty. [TMZ]

Busta Rhymes might have had a victory in court today when the judge ruled, against the prosecutor's wishes, that he would have separate trials for his two assault charges instead of one, but having four criminal trials ahead of you is really nothing to smile about, is it? Maybe his lawyer just told a funny joke.

I looked through all of the pictures from the Transformers movie premiere in Hollywood yesterday, and I noticed that star Tyrese did not invite Ginuwine and Tank (the rest of TGT) to celebrate with him. I understand. He probably wants to keep his moderately successful movie career separate from his less-than-stellar music career. More pics from the premiere after the jump.

I can picture the impending class action lawsuit already.

According to the NY Daily News, the company that licenses Donald Trump's vodka inked a deal with Interscope Geffen Records to slap the label's most famous artists on liquor bottles.

"The deal will provide Drinks Americas with the potential to partner with select iconic celebrities … including artists such as Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, G-Unit, Daddy Yankee, Sheryl Crow, Enrique Iglesias, Chris Cornell, Gwen Stefani, Marilyn Manson and many others."

Actually, I was being harsh with that class action lawsuit comment. They are obviously trying to be responsible by only choosing artists that appeal strictly to a 21 and older crowd. I mean, what 14-year-old would want Daddy Yankee or 50 Cent-brand vodka? How uncool!

[NYDN]

I know it will probably come as a big shock to Busta Rhymes fans out there, but your favorite rapper was rather unhappy that a camerawoman caught him waving around an obscene wad of cash last night and tried to intimidate her into shutting the camera off. It sounds like it worked, kind of. He's a big guy given to violent temper tantrums, I probably would have backed away too.

[TMZ]

Change is the earth's only constant. I look at Busta Rhymes' energetic and happy performance in this 1996 video and then I think of his sorry attitude at his recent 35th birthday party, where he spent the night in the corner sullenly mouthing the words to his songs. Never has that saying been more true. Back then — dreads. Now — Caesar. Back then — lots of shiny, baggy clothes. Now — his clothes are completely matte, and he's taken a liking to wifebeaters. I mean, the list goes on. One thing remains the same, though, and that's his ability to craft hit songs that are simultaneously catchy and totally annoying.

Didn't I call this weeks ago? Busta Rhymes' recent run-ins with the law don't mean he has suddenly become a criminal after all of these years. He's just having a pre-midlife crisis! We should cut the guy a break. Getting old ain't easy.

The rapper celebrated his 35th birthday last weekend at Suite in Miami where, spies told The Post's Marianne Garvey, "he acted miserable and no one in his entourage spoke to him all night. Busta just stood in a corner alone with his bodyguard. When one of the waitresses brought him a bottle of Cristal with a lit sparkler sticking out of the cork, he claimed he never wanted it and ordered her to send it back." Rhymes then complained that he wasn't paying for the liquor and spent the rest of the night mouthing the words to his own songs that the deejay played for him.

Police are so heartless. Busta doesn't need to be cuffed and taken to jail when he commits criminal acts. If his behavior at his birthday party taught us anything, it's that he just needs a hug.

[NYP]