VH1 explores hip-hop and cocaine in new docu (AP)

NEW YORK – VH1 is exploring the connection between hip-hop and cocaine.

The network will air "Planet Rock: The Story of Hip Hop and the Crack Generation" next month. It explores the development of crack cocaine in the urban community and features rappers Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill's B-Real and Wu-Tang Clan members RZA and Raekwon.

The two-hour special will air Sept. 18 at 10 p.m. Eastern. It was executive produced by rapper-actor Ice-T. He also narrates the documentary.

VH1 made the announcement Tuesday.

"Planet Rock" is the latest documentary by VH1 Rock Doc, which recently earned an Emmy nomination for the special, "Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America."

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Funk icon Sly Stone pleads not guilty to cocaine charge (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Sly Stone, the reclusive funk legend whose career was crippled by rampant drug abuse, pleaded not guilty to possession of cocaine rocks on Wednesday.

The 68-year-old frontman for Sly and the Family Stone was arrested April 1 when Los Angeles police pulled over a live-in van for a minor traffic violation.

Cocaine rocks were found in the clothing of both Stone, who was a passenger, and the driver, according to the singer's defense attorneys. Both men were arrested.

"A lot of musicians hang out with people who have drugs. How are they supposed to know?" said Peter Knecht, one of his attorneys. He insisted the cocaine did not belong to Stone.

Stone, whose real name is Sylvester Stewart, is next scheduled to appear in court in the Los Angeles suburb of Van Nuys for a pretrial conference on July 19. His arraignment was originally scheduled for last Friday, but he was hospitalized for heart problems.

Stone, a veteran of the San Francisco power scene, revolutionized soul music with tunes such as "Don't Call me Nigger, Whitey" and "I Want to Take You Higher" that both fed on and fueled the political and social turmoil of the time.

His career, however, was marred by decades of run-ins with the law. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, he was plagued by drug and gun possession charges.

"You can't punish a guy for what he did 40 years ago, 30 years ago," said Knecht.

Stone made his first major public appearance in almost 13 years at the Grammy Awards in 2006 when he was the object of an all-star tribute. Sporting a blond Mohawk and a shiny white jacket, he sauntered out on stage during a performance of "I Want to Take You Higher," but left before the song was over.

Stone just finished recording a new album that will be released on August 16, according to Tim Yasui, general manager for Cleopatra Records. It would mark his first album in almost 30 years.

(Editing by Dean Goodman)

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Funk icon Sly Stone pleads not guilty to cocaine charge (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Sly Stone, the reclusive funk legend whose career was crippled by rampant drug abuse, pleaded not guilty to possession of cocaine rocks on Wednesday.

The 68-year-old frontman for Sly and the Family Stone was arrested April 1 when Los Angeles police pulled over a live-in van for a minor traffic violation.

Cocaine rocks were found in the clothing of both Stone, who was a passenger, and the driver, according to the singer's defense attorneys. Both men were arrested.

"A lot of musicians hang out with people who have drugs. How are they supposed to know?" said Peter Knecht, one of his attorneys. He insisted the cocaine did not belong to Stone.

Stone, whose real name is Sylvester Stewart, is next scheduled to appear in court in the Los Angeles suburb of Van Nuys for a pretrial conference on July 19. His arraignment was originally scheduled for last Friday, but he was hospitalized for heart problems.

Stone, a veteran of the San Francisco power scene, revolutionized soul music with tunes such as "Don't Call me Nigger, Whitey" and "I Want to Take You Higher" that both fed on and fueled the political and social turmoil of the time.

His career, however, was marred by decades of run-ins with the law. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, he was plagued by drug and gun possession charges.

"You can't punish a guy for what he did 40 years ago, 30 years ago," said Knecht.

Stone made his first major public appearance in almost 13 years at the Grammy Awards in 2006 when he was the object of an all-star tribute. Sporting a blond Mohawk and a shiny white jacket, he sauntered out on stage during a performance of "I Want to Take You Higher," but left before the song was over.

Stone just finished recording a new album that will be released on August 16, according to Tim Yasui, general manager for Cleopatra Records. It would mark his first album in almost 30 years.

(Editing by Dean Goodman)

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Doherty jailed for 6 months for cocaine possession (AP)

LONDON – Musician Pete Doherty has been jailed for 6 months after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine.

The troubled British rocker was sentenced by an east London court.

He had been arrested by police investigating the death of heiress Robin Whitehead, who died from a suspected drug overdose last year.

The Babyshambles frontman — who has a history of drug use — had been due to perform a concert in Scotland Friday evening.

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Singer Pete Doherty jailed on cocaine charge (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters Life!) – Musician Pete Doherty was jailed for six months on Friday after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine, the Press Association reported.

The 32-year-old was arrested in January last year by police investigating the suspected overdose death of heiress Robyn Whitehead.

The controversial Babyshambles singer has been jailed twice before and has repeatedly admitted possession of banned substances.

Judge David Radford said he had an "appalling record" of committing offences, having made 13 other court appearances in the past.

Peter Wolfe, 42, who had pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of cocaine and one count of supplying cocaine to Whitehead, was sentenced to a total of 12 months in prison.

Whitehead, 27, the granddaughter of the late Teddy Goldsmith, founder of The Ecologist magazine, spent the last 10 days of her life making a documentary about Doherty.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan said paramedics were called to Wolfe's flat in Hackney, east London, where Whitehead collapsed on January 24 last year.

They tried to resuscitate Whitehead but she was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Toxicology reports found she had a combination of cocaine and heroin in her body and had died of heroin poisoning.

Footage filmed inside the flat two days earlier showed her in the flat with Wolfe and him passing her a crack pipe, which she then smoked.

The prosecutor told Snaresbrook Crown Court that Doherty later joined them and was also filmed smoking on the crack pipe and putting crack cocaine inside it.

She said the drugs offences to which the two men had been charged had been committed between January 22 and 24 but that the crack cocaine that Wolfe had supplied Whitehead with could not have been what killed her.

Judge Radford said she had died from the poisoning of another illegal drug which she had chosen to take.

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