In Lil' Kim's sentencing yesterday, a judge showed leniency after comparing The Queen Bee to domestic entrepreneur Martha Stewart. The rap star apologized and finally admitted to lying to a grand jury.

"Do you think I could justify a sentence seven times that of another entertainer who happens to be older and whiter and whose following is richer?" Manhattan Federal Judge Gerald Lynch said in court in reference to Stewart's 10-month sentence.

Last year, Stewart was sentenced to five months in jail and five months of home confinement after a judge found her guilty of lying about a stock trade. Kimberly "Lil Kim" Jones lied to protect longtime friends Suif Jackson and Damion Butler, who took part in a 2001 shootout in front of New York radio station Hot 97. Lynch said Kim's deception was graver than what Martha Stewart did.

"Lying to a grand jury about a shooting is more serious than lying about money, no matter how much money," Lynch said.

Moments before sentencing the raunchy rapper Lynch added, "Someone killed him [The Notorious B.I.G.] and it's because people do what you did that we still don't know who killed him."

On the other hand, Lynch said Kim deserved credit for being "heartfelt" rather than living up to her bad reputation. Kim has the chance to get out early if she earns time off for good behavior. If the rapper had received a firm one-year sentence, the full term would have had to be served under federal sentencing laws. Prosecutors were seeking a 33-to-41 month sentence. Kim's lawyer Paul Shechtman stated that a longer sentence could have destroyed the Bella Mafia's career.

"I'm a God-fearing, good person," Kim told the judge at her sentence hearing. "At the time, I thought it was the right thing to do, but I now know that it was wrong."

She also added that she put her best friend and co-defendant, Monique Dopwell, in a tight situation by lying. Dopwell was also found guilty of perjury.

Kim has been ordered to turn herself in September 19, 2005. Queen Bee will have a little over a month to promote her fourth solo album, The Naked Truth set to hit stores August 2.

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After nearly five years of media silence, Lauryn Hill is slated to be featured in Trace Magazine's Black Girls Rule! Issue; hitting newsstands next week.

The issue celebrates Black female icons with an exclusive interview with Hill. In the article written by Editor-in-Chief and Chairman Claude Grunitzky, Hill speaks on the ups-and-downs she's encountered since becoming a superstar. Hill says, "I enjoyed the elation, and seeing the audience happy and fulfilled, and being a star was a natural progression. You go from being a very popular kid to being a very popular person, publicly. I was always extremely popular as a kid, but as a young woman I didn't understand that dynamic. I made music out of love, and then I got a reaction, a big reaction, and it wasn't healthy because I ended up pleasing other people who were dysfunctional."

The New Jersey emcee/singer also spoke about The Fugees; from the group's humble beginnings to the trio's eventual split. The group has since reunited at comedian Dave Chappelle's Block Party last year and for this year's BET Awards.

"I was impressed with Clef's discipline with the instrumentation. There were no Black guys I knew who played the guitar like that. I saw a spark in Wyclef that was extremely attractive… at the time," Hill told Trace Magazine. "I took a lot of abuse that many people would not have taken in these circumstances. I cannot blame others because I can see that a lot of relationships are analogous, but I didn't realize what was going on until it was too late. I had become used to improper dynamics, where people would transfer their hatred on someone else, thereby making a beautiful person ugly. I was young, gifted and Black in a world where you're not supposed to know so much, and that brought out the hatred of others. The Fugees was a conspiracy to control, to manipulate, and to encourage dependence."

Among other topics, Hill also discussed her solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and the state of Hip-Hop, past and present.

Trace Magazine's Black Girls Rule! Issue featuring Lauryn Hill hits newsstands July 14th.

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Diplomat Records CEO Cam’ron was arrested today [July 7th] around 2:45 pm for allegedly driving his blue Lamborghini with a suspended license.

According to an unidentified police official, Cam'ron, real name is Cameron Giles, was stopped at the intersection of 110th and Lennox in the Italian sport car during a routine stop, when police discovered his license was suspended.

No bond was set at press time, but the unidentified police official said the rapper would be released without bond once he sees a judge.

Earlier, Cam appeared on BET’s 106 & Park and spoke highly of the vehicle.

"I bought the Lamborghini especially for New York," Cam'ron told the 106 & Park audience. “Because we figure that we can only see stuff like this in Miami, but I am bringing it to the streets of New York."

In related news the Dipset is gearing up for the release of their mixtape "More Than Music" with Duke Da God, due out on July 12th.

Cam'ron's is also preparing his debut album on Asylum, which is due out later this year.

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