Rapper Busta Rhymes [ tickets ]--real name Trevor Smith--may face jail time now that a judge has withdrawn a plea deal that would have allowed him to remain free in exchange for pleading guilty to charges stemming from a pair of alleged assaults that took place last year, according to published reports.

New York judge Tanya Kennedy on Monday (3/26) reportedly withdrew the offer because of Smith's Feb. 22 arrest for driving with a suspended license. Prosecutors subsequently offered Smith a new deal that would have allowed him to avoid standing trial for the assault charges in exchange for serving a year in jail. Smith rejected the offer and is expected to stand trial starting May 8.
Smith is headed to trial for two alleged assaults, the first of which occurred last August, and resulted in Smith being charged with assaulting a fan who allegedly spit on Smith's car; the other took place in December, when Smith allegedly assaulted his former driver.

In February of last year, Israel Ramirez, 29, a bodyguard and longtime member of Smith's entourage, was shot and killed outside a Brooklyn warehouse as Smith and various guest stars were filming a music video inside. No one has been charged with the crime, even though about 500 people reportedly were at the warehouse for the video shoot. Smith has reportedly refused to offer police any information about the shooting.

Smith's lawyer claimed last August that police arrested Smith for that month's alleged assault as "payback" for Smith's refusal to cooperate in the Ramirez investigation.

U2 [ tickets ] guitarist The Edge has announced an April 21 auction tin New York City to benefit Music Rising, a campaign he co-founded with producer Bob Ezrin and Gibson Guitari Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz in 2005 to aid Gulf Coast Region musicians affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Among the items going on the block are The Edge's 1975 Cream Gibson Les Paul, according to a press release.

"I wanted that Steve Jones 'Never Mind the Bollox' sound, so I got the same guitar right down to the color," The Edge said in a prepared statement. "I never could get that sound, but I found a bunch of songs in this instrument, and have used it extensively ever since, on tour and in the studio."

Additional details about the auction--which will include online bidding--are available at the Julien's Auctions website.

Michael Buble [ tickets ] will offer up his next album, "Call Me Irresponsible," on May 1. The set includes the leadoff single "Everything," which he'll perform during a release-day appearance on "The Today Show." The singer is also scheduled to promote the disc with an April 25 guest spot on "American Idol," according to Warner Bros. Records.

"It's all about love," Buble, in a prepared statement, said of the forthcoming album. "We're either in love, dreaming about love, recovering from it, wishing for it or reflecting on it. That's what this record is about."

Legendary vocal group The Bee Gees [ tickets ] will be honored with the BMI Icons presentation at this year's 55th annual Pop Awards. The invitation-only event, which takes place May 15 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, will feature a "all-star musical tribute" to the trio.