LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the "King of Pop" and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday. He was 50.

The circumstances of Jackson's death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.
Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.
His 1982 album "Thriller" — which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" — remains the biggest-selling album of all time, with more than 100 million copies worldwide.
The public first knew him in the late 1960s, when as a boy he was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5, the music group he formed with his four older brothers. Among their No. 1 hits were "I Want You Back," "ABC," and "I'll Be There."
He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.
"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced "Thriller." "He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

Rapper/producer Wyclef Jean will be in good company on Monday (June 8) as World Hunger Year (WHY) honors his commitment to fighting poverty at this year’s 2009 WHY-Chapin awards dinner.

The award-winning hitmaker will receive the ASCAP-Harry Chapin Humanitarian award at the event, which will take place at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York City.
Jamaican musician/actor/activist Harry Belafonte will be on hand to present Jean the award.
Known as a leading advocate for innovative, community-based solutions to hunger and poverty, WHY is dedicated towards combating these issues by promoting methods for creating self-reliance, economic justice, and equal access to nutritious and affordable food.
Monday’s presentation is the latest accomplishment for Jean, who established his Yéle Haiti foundation in 2005.
The organization, which works towards long-term progress for Haiti via small-scale, manageable and replicable projects – is credited with changing the lives of children and adults through education, health, environment and community development programs.

Lil Wayne Drops 'Kobe Bryant' Song

Hours before the LA Lakers would go on to claim victory over the Orlando Magic in game one of the 2009 NBA Finals, Lil’ Wayne made it very clear who he was rooting for.
The Multi-platinum rapper and ESPN.com blogger released a new song on Wednesday night (June 3) simply titled “Kobe Bryant.”
The new track opens with sound bites attesting to Kobe’s domination of the game, starting with Bryant expressing how he is driven by his desire to be the best. Throughout the song,
Wayne praises the Lakers superstar, calling him “King Bryant” and drawing comparisons between themselves.
Obviously having picked up some verbiage from the guys at ESPN, Weezy addresses everything from Bryant’s crossover and jumper.
In one line, Lil’ Wayne even foreshadowed the results of last night’s match up, rapping “I drop 40 on your double team.”

50 Cent Settles Mansion Lawsuit

Queens mogul 50 Cent has reached a settlement today (June 5) in his multi-million dollar lawsuit against an engineering company over incorrect mansion repair estimates.
50, real Curtis Jackson, enlisted BVH Integrated Services to conduct a thorough home inspection in 2003, prior to his purchase of former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson’s 48,000 square foot, 52 room mansion.
According to the suit, the company estimated 50’s total repairs to be $500,000.
But after purchasing the Connecticut property for $4 million, 50 claimed his total repairs to upgrade the Farmington mansion cost him a total of $6 million.
Along with the accused, inaccurate estimate, 50 testified that he paid the firm $14,000 for their services.
Throughout the dispute, officials for BVH have denied any wrongdoing.
In their testimony, the firm argued that despite the property’s size, it was not “mansion-quality.”
BVH also stated 50’s $6 million dollar "repairs" were not regular home issues, but lavish upgrades that would be not be accounted for in a routine home inspection.
However, the company’s vice president did admit that their figure could have been inaccurate due to the low time period they had to conduct a preliminary estimate.