TMZ has learned rapper DMX is planning to surrender to authorities in a Los Angeles courtroom and begin serving jail time in connection to a crime he committed “5 or 6 years ago” … this according to X’s manager.

X’s manager tells us she’s not sure about the nature of the crime — but insists that DMX is “focused” on taking care of all of his past legal issues so he can move on with his life.

Earlier this month, DMX completed a 4-month jail stint in Arizona … where he served time for a probation violation.

UPDATE: TMZ has learned X’s jail stint all stems from a 2002 reckless driving conviction. Turns out, DMX was placed on probation after he plead no contest to the crime … but has since violated his probation … and has been ordered to serve 90 days in a city jail facility.

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The sister of Lorenzen Wright says the former NBA player has been missing for nearly a week.

Savia Archie tells WREG.com in Memphis that Wright was last seen Sunday when he was expected to fly out of the city. The family has filed a missing persons report with police, who tell the website they don’t suspect foul play.

Wright played in college at Memphis and later for the Grizzlies as a pro. He last played in the league for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2008-09 season.

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Declining by a slim 31%, Inception topped the charts once again with an estimated $43.5M rocketing its ten-day tally to a stellar $143.7M.

Sony’s “Salt,” which stars Angelina Jolie as a butt-kicking CIA operative accused of being a Russian agent, opened solidly to $36.5 million, according to studio estimates.

Scoring a B-plus from movie customer-satisfaction grader CinemaScore, that gross hit the high side of the pre-release tracking target for the PG-13-rated film, which cost about $100 million to produce.

However, the performance was not good enough to overtake Warner’s Christopher Nolan-directed “Inception,” which dropped only 32 percent in its second weekend to $43.5 million.

Universal’s “Despicable Me” dropped only 26 percent in weekend No. 3 to $24.1 million, giving it a cumulative total of $161.7 million; and Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story 3″ dropped only 24 percent in weekend six to $9 million, giving it a domestic cume of $379.5 million.

Here’s how the weekend’s top 10 shaped up:
1. “Inception,” $43.5 million
2. “Salt,” $36.5 million
3. “Despicable Me,” $24.1 million
4. “Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” $9.7 million
5. “Toy Story 3,” $9 million
6. “Ramona and Beezus,” $8 million
7. “Grown Ups,” $7.6 million
8. “Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” $7.2 million
9. “The Last Airbender,” $4.2 million
10. “Predators,” $2.9 million

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A few years ago when Britney Spears was spiraling out of control, Mel Gibson reached out to her and wanted to help. Now it looks like the 28 years is trying to reach back and help Mel this time.

“For advice on how to get re-hinged, lunatic ranter Mel Gibson has apparently been turning to … Britney Spears. The disgraced star, 54, has been pouring his heart out to the poptart, sharing his fears that his recorded rants to his babymama Oksana Grigorieva are destroying his career, Britney has told her pals. “Mel has been talking to her a lot,” Britney’s friend tells In Touch. “They speak on the phone all the time, usually late at night.”

Gibson “was one of the only people who reached out to help Britney when she was at her lowest point, and she believes that demonstrates what a loving man he is,” adds the chum. (For an interesting Mel text message expressing his concerns that he wasn’t “safe” around Oksana”

Read more:

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The Miami Heat aren’t the only team getting good players at bargain prices.

Free-agent forward Matt Barnes has agreed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Yahoo Sports.

Barnes reportedly will be paid $3.6 million, about half what the Cleveland Cavaliers offered for the same two-year period. He chose to join the two-time defending champions and return to California, where he was born, raised and played at UCLA.

Barnes, a feisty defender, is likely to back up Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest. He started 58 games for the Orlando Magic last season, averaging 8.8 points and 5.5. rebounds.

The Lakers will be Barnes’ eighth team in eight NBA seasons.

The Lakers also signed veteran center Theo Ratliff on Thursday.

http://msn.foxsports.com

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Chris Paul’s rumored efforts to leave New Orleans may be gaining steam.

The Hornets’ three-time All-Star point guard has accelerated his efforts to leave the team, according to a CBSSports.com report Thursday, citing a person with “direct knowledge” of the situation.

“He wants out,” the source said, according to CBSSports.com. “He wants to play with another superstar. He wants to follow LeBron’s model of teaming up with other great players.”

Paul’s list of preferred destinations includes the Knicks, Magic and Lakers, the report said.

If the Lakers get Paul it will make things a lot more interesting between the power house Lakers and possible power house Miami.

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