Foxy Brown says she didn’t beat up two nail salon workers over a $20 pedicure — and her toes are worth more than that anyway. “A $20 pedicure? Are you serious?” she joked to reporters Monday outside the courtroom where she pleaded not guilty to assault over the August 2004 incident.

“I mean, look at me!” she said.

Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, pleaded not guilty to using her cell phone and fist to attack the manicurists on Aug. 29.

The 25-year-old rapper said she had asked for a manicure and a pedicure just as the salon in the Chelsea neighborhood was about to close.

“I got the pedicure, but they didn’t give me the manicure,” she said outside court.

Prosecutors charge that Brown kicked and hit a manager, Sun Ji Song, causing “bruising and swelling to the face, as well as substantial pain.” They said the salon’s employees ran out to Brown’s car and stood in front of it to block her. At one point, they said, the rapper slugged one of the workers with a cell phone.

She is charged with misdemeanor assault and attempted assault.

Brown’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, denied his client hit any of the workers directly on the face but said an altercation did take place. He said that the salon workers wanted to take advantage of her wealth.

Hip-hop star Sean “P. Diddy” Combs has been ordered to pay more than $21,000 a month in child support to an ex-girlfriend with whom he has an 11-year-old son.

The order, issued Thursday by the New York Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, came after Combs appealed a Westchester Family Court ruling last year that he should pay $35,000 a month. He currently pays about $5,000.

The ex-girlfriend, Misa Hylton-Brim, had sued for higher monthly payments and about $398,000 in back support for their son, Justin.

The appellate court judge awarded a lower but undisclosed amount in back support and ordered Combs to pay Hylton-Brim’s legal fees. The judge set monthly support payments at $21,782.

Rob Shuter, a spokesman for Combs, said Combs would appeal the decision to the state Court of Appeals.

While separated from girlfriend Kim Porter, Combs, 35, was also sued for child support for their son, Christian. He pays Porter, a model, about $30,000 a month.

Queen Latifah’s movie Beautyshop rakes in more than $16 Million in its first week at the box office. Congrats to her. I was suprised to see Rudy Huxitable in the movie all hoochied up. The movie was decent. If you have the time go check it out.

Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., who became a legal superstar after helping clear O.J. Simpson during a sensational murder trial in which he uttered the famous quote “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit,” died Tuesday. He was 67.

Cochran died of a brain tumor at his home in Los Angeles, his family said.

“Certainly, Johnnie’s career will be noted as one marked by ‘celebrity’ cases and clientele,” his family said in a statement. “But he and his family were most proud of the work he did on behalf of those in the community.”

With his colorful suits and ties, his gift for courtroom oratory and a knack for coining memorable phrases, Cochran was a vivid addition to the pantheon of best-known American barristers.

The “if it doesn’t fit” phrase would be quoted and parodied for years afterward. It derived from a dramatic moment during which Simpson tried on a pair of bloodstained “murder gloves” to show jurors they did not fit. Some legal experts called it the turning point in the trial.

Soon after, jurors found the Hall of Fame football star not guilty of the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

For Cochran, Simpson’s acquittal was the crowning achievement in a career notable for victories, often in cases with racial themes. He was a black man known for championing the causes of black defendants. Some of them, like Simpson, were famous, but more often than not they were unknowns.

Over the years, Cochran represented football great Jim Brown on rape and assault charges, actor Todd Bridges on attempted murder charges, rapper Tupac Shakur on a weapons charge and rapper Snoop Dogg on a murder charge.

He also represented former Black Panther Elmer “Geronimo” Pratt, who spent 27 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. When Cochran helped Pratt win his freedom in 1997 he called the moment “the happiest day of my life practicing law.”

He won a $760,000 award in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Ron Settles, a black college football star who died in police custody in 1981. Cochran challenged police claims that Settles hanged himself in jail after a speeding arrest. The player’s body was exhumed, an autopsy performed and it revealed Settles had been choked.

His clients also included Haitian immigrant Abner Louima, who was tortured by New York police, and Tyisha Miller, a 19-year-old black woman shot to death by Riverside police who said she reached for a gun on her lap when they broke her car window in an effort to disarm her.

If you’re from the streets, one of the most honored codes is that you don’t tell, especially not on your friends. And although he testified against his estranged friend Lil’ Kim in her perjury trial, he maintains he’s not a snitch.

“Being that Kim took the case to trial, they subpoenaed all the witnesses,” Cease said on Friday (see “Lil’ Kim Found Guilty Of Lying To Grand Jury, Investigators”). “Me and Kim wasn’t on good terms for the moment, and she made it clear to the world that she didn’t want to have anything to do with me and my peoples. So she wasn’t trying to call us to her defense. Being that we was witnesses there, the U.S. government subpoenaed us. And there’s nothing you can do about that. When you’re subpoenaed, you either come or they take your ass to jail. It’s just that simple.”

Cease said his appearance in court was the first time he had seen his onetime close friend in several years.

“All the sh– I been through, this is the first time that I’ve touched the stand. … It was just sick. But at the end of the day … that sh– was like business,” he said. “When [the feds] come in there, they’re not playing. With this whole war on rap and these feds and this rap patrol, it’s serious. They’re looking for someone to make an example of.” (For more on the alleged war on rap, check out our investigative report “Is The NYPD At War With Hip-Hop?”)

Biggie’s onetime hype man and best friend said the Queen Bee should have never taken her perjury case to trial and should have accepted a plea bargain. Cease described the case the prosecution presented as practically insurmountable.

“She’s supposed to have caught the picture that they trying to put you away,” Cease vented. “But she felt like she could beat them, and I don’t know what she was trying to do with that. These federal people knew everything. They had phone taps, they had the video cameras from the [shooting at Hot 97]. They had that all on tape. They had pictures, they had two-way messages. Remember, [the shooting] was in 2001. So they worked on it for about two or three years, and they pulled everybody in there. My peoples, Rock and Gutta, they copped out to the case once they knew they couldn’t win it. Shorty thought she could take it further, and she did what she thought she had to do.”

The new leader of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. said that despite Kim’s conviction, he doesn’t expect her to do much time because her record is “as clean as a virgin.” Cease also made it clear that despite their ties being severed, he hates to see the woman he was once close to go to prison (see “Lil’ Kim Won’t Get Maximum Sentence, Expert Predicts”).

“No matter what our situations, I didn’t have no problems with her,” he insisted. “My thing was she didn’t call me to her defense, so I left it at that. She could have called me, she could have subpoenaed me as well, but it was the U.S. government that subpoenaed me. She don’t mess with me and my dudes, so we kept our distance from them.”

— Shaheem Reid

Rapper Lil’ Kim could face years in prison when she is sentenced in June for lying about a shootout outside a New York radio station.

Her convictions Thursday in federal court on three counts of perjury and one of conspiracy carry terms of up to five years in prison each, but as a first-time offender, she is expected to receive far less than 20 years. The Associated Press reports that any term would make her the first major female rapper to do time. That’s the AP for you, always looking on the bright side.

The 29-year-old performer, known for her raunchy raps and raunchier outfits, was acquitted of obstruction of justice.

Young Buck of G-Unit was supposed to perform at a local Nashville club in celebration of his birthday, but the party ended abruptly when revelers unable to get in the venue rushed the doors.

According to reports, about 700 people were outside of The Trap club and on-site security, which was armed, was unable to manage the situation. Roughly 30 officers responded to a request for help.

The result was three arrests on minor offenses and no reported injuries.

According to the Associated Press, police appealed to Buck for assistance in controlling the unruly crowd, but he reported refused. The rapper never did perform.

The inside of The Trap sustained damage from the disorderly crowd according to local reports.

Young Buck, a native of Nashville, still faces assault charges related to an alleged stabbing at the VIBE Awards in November.

A man was hospitalized after a shooting outside the offices of New York radio station Hot 97 on Monday night. Although police have not confirmed many details, a source close to the investigation said the incident occurred at around the time 50 Cent was making an appearance at the radio station to announce that the Game had been booted from the G-Unit.

According to the source, Game, who had been a guest on the station earlier in the evening, apparently returned to Hot 97’s offices accompanied by an undisclosed number of men and tried to get into the building. At around the same time, 50 Cent’s interview was audibly interrupted, some conferring occurred, and the interview ended abruptly. Game and company were not allowed into the building and subsequently began quarreling with a group of individuals who were leaving Hot 97. The altercation led to a man being shot at least once in the left leg. He was rushed to St. Vincent’s Hospital.

Police have confirmed the victim was a 24-year-old man from Compton, California — Game’s hometown — and that he was struck just outside the building. However, contrary to some reports that have surfaced, the police say the man was probably not a member of 50 Cent’s entourage, but they are still investigating. Police say 50 himself was not involved in the dispute.

There were also shots fired outside the office of Violator Management — the company that manages 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Tweet and Missy Elliott — on Monday night, but no one was injured, according to police. There are no suspects as of yet in either shooting.

On the radio Monday night, 50 — accompanied by G-Unit members Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks and Olivia — told Funkmaster Flex that the Game was being excommunicated from the G-Unit because he felt the West Coast MC was disloyal.

50 told Flex he was disappointed with comments Game made on the station Saturday night, when Game revealed he would not be getting involved in the beefs 50 is stirring up with “Piggy Bank” (see “50 Cent’s LP Pushed Up, Harsh ‘Facts’ Sound Like Disses On Leaked ‘Piggy Bank'”).

According to Flex, Game even said he was going to do a song with Nas. “He’s gone,” 50 scoffed. “He might as well make the record.”

50 also said Game should stop saying “G-Unit.” “He thinks he’s doing me a favor when he says that.”

During his conversation with Flex, 50 claimed Interscope was going to drop the Game until 50 stepped in and got involved with The Documentary. 50 also insisted that he’s making more money off The Documentary than Game is, and that he wrote more choruses than he’s credited for.

Game was on Hot 97 earlier in the evening, talking to host Angie Martinez. When listeners called in to ask about his and 50’s problems, Game simply said he was going to continue to make “good music.” Two nights prior, Game had said on-air that he and 50 did not have to be friends as long as they worked toward that same common goal: making good music.

For weeks there’d been rumors of friction within the G-Unit camp, but they’d always downplayed or outright dismissed the talk, and they even held it together long enough to shoot a joint video for “Hate It or Love It,” which debuted Monday on “TRL.”

A rep for Interscope had no comment on the implosion.

In February 2001, Lil’ Kim was at Hot 97 when a shooting occurred outside, and she was later indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to police and failing to cooperate with their investigation (see “Lil’ Kim Indicted For Lying About Hot 97 Shootout With Capone”). That case is currently in the jury-selection phase.

Congrats to Jamie Foxx for bringing in the Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles. He won but a quick shout to Don Cheadle for his role in Hotel Rwanda. Im proud of these two brothers for doing a fantastic job.

Good job!