Names and faces

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Correction: Singer Robin Thicke covered Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” at ESPN’s pre-Super Bowl party. An Associated Press item that appeared in editions on Feb. 2 erroneously reported the singer who originated “Let’s Stay Together.”

Rapper Kanye West will not face criminal charges over allegations that he punched a man in a Beverly Hills chiropractor’s office,prosecutors determined Friday. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office rejected a battery case against West because he had reached a civil settlement with the man and there were no significant injuries documented after the altercation. The altercation occurred after the 18-year-old man used a racial slur in an argument with West’s fiancee, Kim Kardashian, on Jan. 13, according to a document prepared by a prosecutor. The man had held the door for Kardashian when she entered the building but they then exchanged words. The reality-TV star then called West and told him about the man’s use of the slur, and the rapper went to the building and attacked the man in a chiropractor’s office, the document states.Prosecution documents show there were conflicting witness accounts about how many times West punched the man, but noted the man wasn’t seriously injured. West faces a misdemeanor battery charge filed after the singer was involved in a videotaped altercation with a paparazzo at Los Angeles International Airport last year. West has pleaded innocent and the case is scheduled for a hearing Feb. 25.

Robin Thicke and Kendrick Lamar gave energetic performances Friday night at ESPN’s pre-Super Bowl bash at Pier 36 in New York City. Thicke’s show included the upbeat jams “Give It 2 U,” “Magic” and “Blurred Lines,” with which he closed and got the audience of a few thousand grooving. He also slowed it down, playing the piano during“Dreamworld” and standing on top of it. Thicke also sang covers, including Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” and Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Stay Together.” Thicke is in the midst of a lawsuit with Gaye’s children, who say some of his songs, including the hit “Blurred Lines,” sound too similar to Gaye’s music. Lamar also was a crowd-pleaser, working the stage from left to right and performing hits like “Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “Poetic Justice.” The audience included a number of celebrities - Spike Lee, Tim Tebow, Ice-T and Lindsey Vonn.

Front Section, Pages 2 on 02/02/2014