As expected, rapper Jay-Z (real name: Shawn Carter) has been sentenced to three years probation for stabbing a record producer at a New York nightclub, prosecutors said. The Grammy-winning artist pleaded guilty in October to misdemeanor assault, admitting he stabbed Lance “Un” Rivera at a club party on Dec. 1, 1999.
Carter accused Rivera of making and selling counterfeit copies of one of his recordings, then stabbed him with a five-inch knife at least twice, according to a police account.
As part of a plea agreement, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Micki Scherer sentenced Carter, 31, to three years probation. The rapper refused to talk to reporters, but his lawyer, Ben Brafman, said his client was pleased the case was resolved.
Rivera, 35, did not file a lawsuit against the rapper, and the two settled out of court for between $500,000 and $1 million. Rivera later told prosecutors he was not interested in pursuing the case.
As previously reported, Jay-Z’s episode of MTV2’s “Unplugged” series is scheduled to air Dec. 15 on the network. The performance, which finds him backed by an acoustic band and a string quartet, features a cameo appearance by Mary J. Blige. 
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