Busta Rhymes with Trouble

Thu., Jan. 4, 2007 12:19 PM PST by Josh Grossberg

Busta Rhymes is ringing in the new year by getting rung up on a new assault charge.

The legally challenged "Gimme Some More" emcee was charged Thursday in connection with an alleged post-Christmas beatdown over money.

Jennifer Kushner, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney, told E! Online the 34-year-old Rhymes surrendered at a Manhattan police station Wednesday night and was booked on misdemeanor assault charges.

On Thursday morning, Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Smith, was paraded to Manhattan Criminal Court and arraigned on two misdemeanor counts of assault in the third degree, attempted assault in the third degree and harassment in the second degree.

According to Kushner, the rapper remained mum during the hearing except to confirm the charges against him.

"An order of protection was issued, and the judge said some things to him about not contacting [the victim] and he acknowledged them," she said.

Judge Neil Ross set bail at $3,500, which Rhymes paid before escaping from the courthouse without talking to reporters.

Rhymes' attorney, Scott Leemon, told E! Online that "Busta adamantly denies the allegations contained in the complaint and he looks forward to his day in court."

Per the police report, the hip-hopster repeatedly punched and kicked the 39-year-old victim, identified as Edward Hatchett, around 3 p.m. Dec. 26 outside a building in lower Manhattan.

"The defendant struck the informant with a closed fist about the face and neck," the complaint states. "While the informant was on the ground, defendant repeatedly kicked him in the ribs and torso."

Hatchett was treated at a nearby hospital for minor injuries and released. Although there's no official word what triggered the beef, the hip-hop Website sohh.com reports Hatchett worked as a driver for Rhymes and the fight started after Hatchett claimed the rap star owed him money.

When the assault complaint was lodged with police, Rhymes was in the African country of Angola with fellow artists Akon and Heavy Seven for a series of concerts. Rhymes also visited a children's shelter and donated $15,000 and used clothing. He turned himself in shortly after returning to the States.

Ross ordered Rhymes back in court Feb. 20—the same day Rhymes is due to appear on separate charges stemming from an incident last summer in which he allegedly beat up a 19-year-old fan for supposedly spitting on the rapper's SUV.

The Brooklyn-born performer faces felony and harassment charges for that incident, along with a misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of a weapon after officers found a 10-inch machete in the rear seat pocket of the vehicle.

Rhymes was also pulled over in November for allegedly talking on his cell phone—which is illegal in New York—and issued a summons for a moving violation. That episode prompted Leemon to accuse police of targeting the rap star because he refused to cooperate in a separate probe into the unsolved murder of his 29-year-old bodyguard, Israel Ramirez, outside a Brooklyn warehouse during a video shoot last February.