Names and faces

LITTLE ROCK — Lil Wa y n e , who is facing a year in jail, returned to his hometown of New O r - leans for a performance Monday on what he’s calling his farewell tour. “I’m nothing without you,” he told the screaming crowd of thousands of fans at the New Orleans Arena after opening the concert with “A Milli,” which last year earned him a Grammy for best rap solo. The 27-year old rapper, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, pleaded guilty in October to a weapons possession charge and will be sentenced Feb. 9. His plea deal calls for a year in jail. The charge stemmed from a 2007 traffic stop of his tour bus in New York when authorities said they smelled marijuana and, as they approached, he tossed aside a bag with a loaded .40-caliber handgun. In a separate case, he also faces trial in March on felony drug possession and weapons charges in Yuma County, Ariz. More recently, he had to postpone a show one day after authorities stopped two of his buses in Texas and found marijuana. The case has been referred to the sheriff’s office. His Tha Carter III topped all album sales in 2008 with 2.8 million copies sold. The record had the No. 1 smash “Lollipop.” Lil Wayne’s next album, Rebirth, is due for release Feb. 1.

Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle has taken her act to Japan. The 48-year-old church volunteer who rocketed tofame with her surprising performance on Britain’s Got Talent arrived at Tokyo’s international airport on Tuesday to prepare for a guest appearance on Japan’s premier vocal variety show, which will be aired live on New Year’s Eve by Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK. Boyle smiled broadly as she greeted a mob of photographers at the airport, but declined a request for an impromptu song, saying her fans would have to wait for the NHK show. She is scheduled to sing her trademark “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables.