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Hip-Hop clothing mogul Marc Ecko has announced the fate of Barry Bonds' home run ball, but not without criticism from the San Francisco Giants' slugger.

Last week, Ecko announced that he was the anonymous bidder who won the bill during a September 15 auction, at a price tag of $752,000.

Ecko announced that he set up a website which allowed the public to vote on the fate of the historic ball.

Fans who visited www.vote756.com had three choices: (a) Bestow it intact to Cooperstown, (b) Permanently brand the ball with an asterisk before sending it to Cooperstown, or (c) launch it into space.

Over 10 million fans voted for option (b), to permanently brand the ball with an asterisk before sending it to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

"The fans have spoken and the asterisk will forever be part of the history of this ball," Ecko said. "It is a reflection of fans' sentiments and will be preserved by the Hall of Fame in this manner. We are gratified to have the Hall of Fame's support in this effort."

Bonds, however, its not so thrilled.

"He's stupid [Marc Ecko]. He's an idiot," Bonds told The San Francisco Chronicle. "He spent $750,000 on the ball and that's what he's doing with it? What he's doing is stupid."

Dale Petroskey, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, thanked Ecko for donating the ball, which is one of 35,000 relics voluntarily given to the museum.

"The asterisk represents the voice of the fans at this moment in time," Petroskey said. "The level of interest reflects the strong bond between baseball and American culture. Our responsibility as a history museum is to present every story in proper context, and this ball allows us to do that."

Jay-Z's popular clothing line Rocawear is in negotiations to become the naming-right pat to the Meadowlands arena.Jay-Z, who owns a portion of the New Jersey Nets, hopes to snag the rights to the arena's name, which is currently held by Continental Airlines.

The rapper faces competition from clothing brands Izod and Southpole, who also seek to have the 26-year-old arena named after their flagship brands.

According to the Bergen County Record, The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA), which is handling bids for the naming rights, said a new name for the famed arena could emerge as early as October 4th.

"We're looking forward to presentations by bidders next week, and then we'll get into the process of evaluation," he said. "I'm optimistic that we'll be able to overachieve the current financial deal that we [had] with Continental."

Continental had been paying over $600,000 a year for the naming rights to the arena. NJSEA officials expect to double that figure with the new naming-rights holder.

The new owner will hold the rights to the arena's name for two years, when the Nets move move to Brooklyn in 2009.

Representatives for Jay-Z were not available for comment as of press time.

September 25, 2007 -- A former Knick intern took the stand in the sensational sexual-harassment trial that's rocking Madison Square Garden and copped to having sex in a truck with hoops star Stephon Marbury - but denied she told a female executive she felt pressured.

"Stephon Marbury is parked outside the strip club. He asked me, 'Are you going to get in the truck?' and I got in the truck," Kathleen Decker said in the explosive testimony, her voice quavering.

Asked if the sex was consensual, Decker told the packed courtroom, "Completely . . . I was in control."

Decker contradicted claims by plaintiff Anucha Brown Sanders that the former intern was distraught over her encounter with Marbury - and told her boss she was drunk when she left the strip club and felt she "had to'' have sex with the point guard because of "who he was."

Decker didn't waver in denying that she felt pressured, even when she was hit with a shocking Hallmark card containing a syrupy message to Sanders apologizing for the "mistake."

The former intern said she had gone to the Mt. Vernon strip club with three fellow Knicks interns to celebrate her 22nd birthday in April 2005, never expecting to see anyone they knew.

"It was just something to do," said Decker, who dressed for court in a tight black suit over a low-cut white shirt. "It was a spur of the moment thing."

The foursome was surprised to encounter Marbury and his cousin Hassan Gonsalves inside, according to Decker.

Decker said she'd had a sexual relationship with Gonsalves and that he offered to give her a lift home, but when the rubber hit the road she went with star athlete Marbury.

"It was consensual. I agreed to get in the car. I wasn't forced to do anything," Decker testified.

Asked if she'd told anyone that Marbury raped her, the former intern said, "Never."

Run-DMC group member Darryl "DMC" McDaniels has achieved another milestone in his career by winning an Emmy Award for his critically acclaimed VH1 "Rock Doc" documentary DMC: My Adoption Journey.

The legendary rapper topped a number of critically acclaimed documentaries at the 28th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards black-tie dinner held last night (September 25) at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers.

DMC edged out CBS' News 60 Minutes I'm Mike Wallace: A 60 Minutes Tribute, PBS' Cinemax's Favela Rising and PBS's Lomax the Song Hunter, a documentary based on legendary record man Alan Lomax.

"For me it's a whole nother level," DMC told AllHipHop.com. "I got the foundation of Hip-Hop I'm representing. Now the mission has begun for sure. This is the beginning of something new for all the foster kids out there. It shows me that I touched people's lives. This next project is going to change lives, make history and change the world.

DMC: My Adoption Journey documented the rapper's discovery that he was adopted and the subsequent search for his biological mother, who game him up for adoption in 1964.

Legendary anchorman Ted Koppel, longtime ABC anchor and now Managing Editor of the Discovery Channel, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award during the ceremony.

"I was not even focused on the award," DMC told AllHipHop.com. "It was crazy, Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw was there. Ted Koppel walked over to me, I stood up, he said nice job, nice job, it's a great thing you are doing. I was speechless."

DMC is currently working on a new, follow up documentary titled DMC: Deliver My Children, which aims to shed light on the foster care system in the United States.

The mission has just begun for sure," DMC promised. "It shows me that I touched some peoples lives. The next one is going to change history, my career and the world. I was fortunate. I fulfilled my purpose and destiny of why I am here. I could have been aborted, but instead I met Run and Jay. This is my mission."

The aftermath of a Morgan State University homecoming concert featuring rapper Lil’ Wayne continues to result in legal problems for the rapper, who has been named in a new lawsuit filed by a second Morgan State student.

In the suit, Carlisa Dixon claims that she was "impaled" by a metal pole in the chaos that broke out, after Lil’ Wayne threw a large amount of cash from the stage into the audience during the show, which took place last year.

The rapper (born Dwayne Michael Carter) was "setting up to sing a third song entitled 'Money on My Mind'" when the incident occurred, the suit further stated.

Dixon, who was a 20-year-old junior at the time of the incident, was knocked into the "bicycle type metal barricade" that separated the fans from the performers as concertgoers moved forward to get the money, according to the suit, which revealed that Dixon was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital after her left thigh was punctured by a fence support.

The injury, which required surgery, resulted in "the embarrassment of scarring and disfigurement," Dixon stated in the suit.

Although Morgan State spokesman Clinton R. Coleman declined to comment on the suit because of school policy, he told the Maryland Daily Record that he heard from the university police that Lil’ Wayne threw mostly $1 bills into the crowd.

"When he threw the money, the students were likely not able to determine what denominations they were," Coleman said. "They just saw bills."

Dixon’s lawsuit comes on the heels of a similar suit filed last month by Tyrique Layne, another Morgan State student who claims that she was trampled in the same incident and now suffers from cognitive deficits.

Dixon and Layne are suing Lil’ Wayne and his record and touring companies for $1 million each.

Dixon also seeks $1 million from Morgan State, claiming the university was negligent in managing the sold out October 2006 concert and reacting to the incident.

Rappers Twista and Hurricane Chris are among the entertainers slated to perform at the Jena 6 Empowerment Concert.

The event, which will take place at 6 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center in Birmingham, Ala. is designed to provide a platform for the hip-hop community to take a stand against what organizers feel are growing incidents that mirror the recent turmoil experienced by six Black students in Jena, Louisiana.

The students, known as the Jena 6, were initially charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit attempted murder in connection with the December 4 beating of a white student.

The incident was the culmination of months of racial tension following a black Jena High School student’s request for him and some of his friends to sit under an oak tree that became a frequent hang out for white students.

A day after the group sat under the tree, three nooses were found hanging from the branches.

Although the school’s principal recommended that those responsible for the nooses be expelled, the Town Talk newspaper reported that three white students were suspended for three days for the action, which was labeled as a "prank."

Soon after, the school became the site of an arson on the main academic building.

Four days after the Nov. 30 torching, Justin Barker, a white student, was jumped by a group of students who knocked him unconscious while stomping and kicking him.

Barker, who had injuries on both of eyes in addition to cuts, was later taken to a hospital where he was treated and released. Criminal charges were later directed towards the Jena 6.

Bail for the group was set between $70,000 and $138,000.

Although the parents of the Jena 6 said they heard Barker was hurling racial epithets, Barker's parents argued that their son did nothing toencourage the beating.

On Sept. 14, the 3rd District Court of Appeals in Lake Charles threw out the conviction for second degree battery against one of the Jena 6 members, Mychal Bell.

According to reports, the court stated that the charges against Bell should have been presented in juvenile court.

Despite bail being posted for the other five students, Bell remains in jail as a judge cited his criminal record as the reason why his $90,000 bail was not lowered.

While charges were reduced from attempted second-degree murder to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy for Carwin Jones and Theo Shaw, Robert Bailey Jr. and Bryant Purvis, still face attempted murder charges.

The final Jena6 member is still waiting to go to trial for his role in the incident.

After hearing about the case, Jena 6 Empowerment concert organizer Abdul Chestnut felt compelled to contribute and coordinate resources to bring media attention to the issue.

Other performerson tapped for the Jena 6 Empowerment Concert include Nick Cannon, Sean P, Rasheeda, Baby Boy, B5, The LAX Boyz, Lloyd, former Xscape member Kandi Burruss, Tank, The Chestnut Brothers and Jagged Edge.

The weekend will include a press conference at 1 p.m. Sept. 28 in front of the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum.Apeace rally hosted by Cannon and Danity Kane member Aubrey O'Day will follow at 4 p.m. at Parker High School.

Tickets for the concert are available at the convention center box office and online via Ticketmaster.

Starting today, fans can go www.vote756.com and choose to "give the ball to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, permanently brand the ball with an asterisk before sending it to Cooperstown or put the ball on a rocket ship and launch it into space."

"We all have opinions about this ball," Ecko said of the unusual proposition. "Some feel it is a piece of history that belongs in the Hall of Fame. Others believe it is the embodiment of a cheating culture - not just in baseball, but in professional sports generally."

Bonds broke Hank Aaron's home record of 755 on August 7 in San Francisco.

The ball was caught by 21-year-old student Matt Murphy of New York, who paid $100 for a $12 ticket during a layover on a trip to Australia.

"I had hoped to keep the ball, but when I determined that was not the best strategy at this stage of my life, this definitely was the right decision," Murphy said in a statement after the sale. "It is an honor to be a part of baseball history and I wish the new owner well with whatever they elect to do with the ball."

Marc Ecko enterprises produces a number of popular fashionable lines, including the *ecko unltd and red brands, as well as, G-Unit Clothing, Zoo York and Avirex.

"I bought this baseball to democratize the debate over what to do with it and allow the public to decide," Ecko explained.

Ecko also owns and publishes Complex magazine as well as a graffiti video game titled Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.

Online voting started today and concludes next week at 11:59 pm EST on Tuesday, September 25th.

Miami rapper Trina has teamed up with her Diamond Dolls Foundation and Checkers Drive In restaurants to offer a shopping spree to local disadvantaged youth.

The effort is part of the restaurant chain's "guest days," which takes place from Oct. 1 - 6.

Trina will appear from 1 to 2 p.m. on Oct. 6 at the Checkers on 7th Ave in Liberty City Florida.

During the event, the rapper will sign autographs, take pictures and conduct a drawing for two kids to go shopping with her at a local mall on the same day.

In addition to the drawing, numerous activities will be held at the guest day such as bounce houses, face painting, live music, a burger eating contest, ticket giveaways to the Homestead Motor Speedway and a Miami Heat six game pack giveaway.

Created to help young girls in the inner city, the Diamond Dolls Foundation is a nonprofit organization that is committed towards inspiring, educating and uplifting young girls who are not exposed to the proper way of living.

The shopping spree drawing is one of two new endeavors for Trina, who is preparing to launch a series of lifestyle brands.

The brands, which will consist of designer jeans and fragrances, will be unveiled in 2008.