Diddy Planning Lavish Super Bowl Weekend

Sean "Diddy" Combs is planning a lavish Super Bowl Weekend in Detroit, Michigan.

Combs will renovate Detroit's Captain's Bar & Grille, which holds 700 people and transform the venue into "Diddy's House" starting Feb. 3.

As part of the re-design, Combs will extend Captain's Bar & Grille's floor to host 2,500 VIP Super Bowl fans.

Young Jeezy will kick the weekend off by hosting "A Black Affair" on Friday, Feb. 3, which will feature a performance by UGK's Bun B.

On Saturday, Feb. 4, Combs' 5th Annual Players Ball will commence and on Sunday, Feb. 5, Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick will host Diddy's Diamonds & Furs, where one male and female patron will win a mink coat.

A portion of the proceeds from the 3-day event benefit Detroit's St. John's Hospital and the Coalition of Temporary Shelter (COTS).

Tickets for Diddy's weekend range from $150.00 to $28,000 for the weekend.

All Elite VIP packages include 10 VIP tickets, a $2,500 bar tab, a personal menu selection, a personal chef and waitress.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com

DMX is back and is Wilin'

By: R.Motions

wow....DMX...remember him...well it seems that the god of the dogs has thrown his name to throw rocks at the throne. He also talks about Remy Ma..the producer crown and much much more...i mean wow...wait till you peep all this....as usual HHH has the audio and you can download it right here!


This is a 6 part interview....Dont act crazy...you know where you got this...respect the exclusive.


DOWNLOAD IT BY CLICKING THIS LINK



so what do you all think about this? Do you all think that Funk Flex loves throwing gas in every fire?

Nas to Launch Jones Experience Label through Def Jam Records

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that Nas had signed a new multi-million-dollar deal with Def Jam Records. The rapper recently made his first public comments about the new deal to Billboard magazine. Nas said, "I've been in this business a long time and know what a great deal is. I signed a significant and excellent situation."

Under the new deal, Nas's next two album will be released jointly by Sony and Def Jam Records. Def Jam will oversee promotion and distribution and the labels will both share in the marketing costs while splitting the profit or losses. Def Jam Records will also have the option for two more releases from the rapper. Sony will retain the rights to the rapper's masters and will release a greatest-hits set, which will include two new songs.

In addition to his own releases, Nas has also been given his own imprint deal for his Jones Experience label. The rapper said his focus with the label will be "first and foremost on hip-hop" but he's open to other genres.

The signing was significant as it was further proof that Nas and his nemesis, Def Jam president Jay-Z, had put their differences aside. Nas explained, "This is so much bigger than me and Jay-Z. We're both excited by what this could potentially mean for hip-hop as a whole."

Swizz Beatz Says Cassidy Can't wait to hit the studio

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Super-producer Swizz Beatz can't wait for his protege Cassidy to complete his 11-to-23-month jail sentence for involuntary manslaughter. The producer told MTV.com, "He's ready. He said he wants to spend a week or two with his family (when he gets out, then (record). He said he wants 200 beats. When he's in the shower, he wants to hear a beat. When he's playing with his son, he wants to hear a beat. He wrote so much stuff when he was in (jail). He has a lot of explaining to do to his fans. He has a lot of stuff to get off his chest."

Cassidy was found not guilty of first degree murder last week. The rapper was initially accused of shooting and killing Desmond Hawkins as the latter sat in a van parked behind Cassidy's row home in the Cedarbrook section of Philadelphia last April 15th.

A judge found the rapper guilty of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of aggravated assault, and possession of an instrument of crime, but not guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Beatz shared that Cassidy was disappointed that he wasn't totally exonerated. The producer said, "He's feeling he should have been (innocent) of everything. I had to let him know he was facing major charges and there's a person not on this earth anymore. But these things are worked out in the court. It worked in our favor, he can't wait to get out and put out his music. We might repackage (2005's I'm A Hustla) with a couple of new cuts."

Cassidy has been behind bars since last June, and he'll be eligible for parole within the next couple of months.

Benzino Vows to Take Back the Source

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Earlier this month, Source magazine founder Dave Mays and brand president Ray (Benzino) Scott were ousted from their positions with the magazine, when New Jersey Superior Court Judge Gerald Escala lifted a temporary restraining order that barred the magazine's Board Of Directors from firing the two men. After a four-to-two vote, Mays and Benzino were forced out, although the pair still own 82 percent of the company's shares.

Benzino has vowed that he will regain control of the magazine. He told allhiphop.com, "I'm coming back on a f---ing horse, man. There is no "what if...", or "If me and Dave ain't...." Hey, if you want the exclusive, I'm telling you what the f--k it is, man. I'm coming back up there and heads are rolling. You know what I'm saying, Jeremy or anybody else they got up there. I'm telling you what it is. There's no "if me and Dave don't." When me and Dave are back in power, I'm coming back on a f---ing horse."

Benzino was referring to Jeremy Miller, who was named Chief Executive Officer of the magazine by the board. Miller worked for the magazine for 14 years before leaving last year to launch his own Down magazine.

Benzino also accused the board of directors of not really caring about hip-hop. He said, "You got Jeff Scott and, you know, Butch Graves, and Earl Graves. They don't represent hip-hop. They don't give a f--k about the 'hood."

L.A.'s Biggie Bill

By Josh GrossbergMon Jan 23, 4:08 PM ET (Originally posted on Yahoo News by EOnline)

Los Angeles has been ordered to make good on a B.I.G. payout.

A federal judge has ordered the city to reimburse the family of the late Notorious B.I.G. at least $1.1 million in legal fees as a penalty for concealing evidence in a civil suit stemming from the rapper's slaying.

The bill could eventually swell by another $300,000, according to the ruling, which was dated last Thursday and made public late Friday.

U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper announced she would consider sanctions last July, following her declaration of a mistrial after it was discovered a Los Angeles police detective hid info linking two disgraced ex-officers, David Mack and Rafael Perez, to Biggie's murder.

Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace, was shot and killed on Mar. 9, 1997 following a record industry party at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

The crime remains unsolved. Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, and his widow, R&B star Faith Evans, filed a wrongful death suit accusing the LAPD of botching the investigation and violating the rap star's civil rights by failing to protect him despite knowing there were threats against him stemming from the violent East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry.

During the trial, Wallace family attorneys contended that Mack, who's in prison for an unrelated bank robbery conviction, conspired to kill Biggie with a college friend on orders from Death Row Records founder Marion "Suge" Knight. They claimed Knight wanted revenge for the 1996 drive-by shooting death of Death Row's biggest star and outspoken Biggie rival, Tupac Shakur, in Las Vegas.

The proceedings took an unexpected turn when plaintiffs' lawyers revealed they had received an anonymous tip from a former officer alleging that a jailhouse informant had once implicated Mack and Perez in the hit but the department either failed to follow up on that lead, or may may have intentionally ignored it.

The city's attorney countered that police had concluded the snitch was probably making up the allegations to obtain special treatment. Then Steven Katz, a homicide detective, admitted to having "overlooked" the comments in a transcript tucked away in his desk drawer.

In declaring a mistrial, an angry Cooper called Katz's explanation "utterly unbelievable," and blasted the city and police department for failing to hand over reams of evidence related to the informant. She also ordered the city to pay the Wallace estate "all fees and costs incurred as the result of defendant's misconduct."

The newly unearthed evidence will enable the Wallaces to expand the scope of their revised suit beyond the city if they so choose. A retrial is expected later this year.

"We were disappointed with the order," Jonathan Diamond, a spokesman for Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, told the Los Angeles Times. "We believe the officer's conduct was inadvertent, and we will prevail at trial on the merits of the case."

It could have been worse. The Wallace family initially asked for $2 million in compensation. While the judge opted for a lower figure, Cooper did include costs for hiring security to safeguard attorneys and witnesses. She won't rule on the additional $300,000 until after the new trial.

"It's pretty clear from the ruling that the judge understands this is a significant and difficult case," family attorney Perry Sanders told the Times. "It seemed like everything she did was measured, and we think what she did was appropriate."

Despite his murder, B.I.G. remains a force in hip-hop. Source recently voted him greatest emcee in rap history and his posthumous release, Duets: The Final Chapter, has ranked in the top five in album sales since its release last month.

Diddy Vows to Take Bad Boy Back To The Top

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Sean "Diddy" Combs sold half of his Bad Boy Records to the Warner Music Group last year for $30 million, and now the mogul has to live up to his end of the deal by delivering some hits. Combs explained to MTV.com how he expects to bring Bad Boy Records back. He said, "The future of the label is, we're gonna take it spin by spin, single by single, album by album, and make sure we rebuild the empire in the right way. We're honest with ourselves that we have not performed at the level that we're supposed to perform at, for champions. We're like the New York Yankees and we should get judged on that. If we don't win the World Series, that's a failure to us. And so that's the way we're doing it -- but we're not doing a lot of talking, we're doing a lot of action."

One of the keys to Bad Boy's success might be how well Diddy's forthcoming album does. Combs has assembled an all-star lineup to help him with the project. He said, "I'm in the studio with Pharrell, with Kanye, with Timbaland, Pharoahe Monch, Jay-Z, Nas. It's coming along real ill. I'm loving it. (Producer) Mario Winans, my whole Hit Men crew, we're on it. I'm about to go out to L.A. and rock with Will.I.Am for a minute. I've been really taking my time with this album and trying to do something different than I've done musically before."

No release date has been set for the project.

The current Bad Boy Records roster includes: B5, 8Ball & MJG, the girls from Making The Band 3, RnB singer Cherri Dennis, pop-rocker Jordan McCoy, Ness, Young City, Aasim, and Los.

XXL Magazine's Top 10 Most Anticipated Albums for 2006!

10.
The Roots
Album Title: Game Theory
Label: Def Jam
Beats: Artist, J Dilla
Features: Mos Def, Saigon, Peedi Peedi, MF Doom, Danger Mouse, Jill Scott, Lunna E of Cirius, MFSB Orchestra, Truk North
First Single: Don't Feel Right
Sales Pitch: "We still put 100 percent of our effort into making what we feel is wuality hip-hop. I think if people really believe in wuality and have patience, then we're worth the purchase."

9
Ludacris
Album Ttile: Release Therapy
Label: DTP/Def Jam
Beats: Timbaland, Shondrae, LT Moe, Organized Noize, Ice Drake
Features: DTP Family
First Single: TBD
Sales Pitch: "You 're gonna get your money's worth and then some. Real music is all about emotion. Whether it make you laugh, reminisce, cry, get motivated to get a damn job, or tell people you love them; you're going to feel this muthafuckin' album."

8
Busta Rhymes
Album Ttile: The Big Bang
Label: Aftermath/Interscope
Beats: Timbaland, Dr.Dre, Neptunes, Scott Stroch, Nottz, J Dilla, Swizz Beat, Sha Money XL, Jelly Roll, Denaun Porter, Just Blaze, Rashad Smith, Hill
Features: Stevie Wonder, Rick James, Raekwon, Nas, Dr.Dre, Eminem, Q-Tip, Notorious BIG, Flipmond Squad
First Single: Touch It
Sales Pitch: "Busta Rhymes has never not been the most consistent mutherfucka around. Busta Rhymes has always carried the torch for what's hot in the street. And even though the South has been making those records that make you wild out in the club, I'm here to give you that raw New York club banger."

7
Ghostface
Album Ttile: Fishscale
Label: Def Jam
Beats: Pete Rock, Mf Doom, J Dilla, Madlib, Moss, Lewis Parker, Studio Beatz
Features: Wu-Tang Clan, Theodore Unit, Ne-yo
First Single: Back Like That
Sales Pitch: "Fishscale is like dopest shit that's on the block right now. It's like I got the hypest dope. When niggas taste that shit, they gon' fiend for it"

6
T.I.
Album Ttile: The King
Label: Grand Huslte/Atlantic
Beats: Rich rubin, Neptunes, Just Blaze, Hi-Tek, Kwame, Fury, DJ Toomp. Don Cannon, Chad West, Khano, Keith Mack, Lil' C, Black Mob, Big Resse
Features: Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, P$C, Lil' Wayne, B.G., Alicia Keys, Young Dro, Governor
First Single: Ride Wit Me
Sales Pitch: " Trap Muzik laid the foundation, but missed a couple mainstream recors. Urban Legend was great, but it missed the creativity people wanted from me. King is my most well-rounded project since I'm Serious."

5
Outkast
Album Ttile: Idlewild
Label: Jive
Beats: Artist, Organized Noize
Features: Sleepy Brown, Janelle Monae, Scar
First Single: Big Boi's " The Train and the duo's Idlewild Blues will be released simultaneously
Sales Pitch: "With us you have to expect the unexpected," said Big. "This is the next thing you could do after doing a double CD where two group members were doing solo CDs. The fans expect nothing less than what we've been giving them for the past decade, and that's some funky-ass shit"

4
Mobb Deep
Album Ttile: Blood Money
Label: G UNOT/Interscope
Beats: Havoc, Dr.Dre, Alchemist, Sha Money XL, J.R., Red Spyder
Features: G UNOT Family
First Single: Put 'Em In Their Place
Sales Pitch: "If there's one thing you can say about Mobb Deep it's that we're consistent," says Havoc. "We're gonna come with that music that you're gonna be able to play in your car for years. We wanna be a part of this because it's a part of history."

3
Cam'Ron
Album Ttile: Killa Season
Label: Asylum
Beats: Ebonikz, Pro V, Black Key, Stay Gettin, Blackout, Versatile Productions, Wattz
Features: Juelz Santana, J.R. Writter, Hell Rell, Jaheim, Webbie
First Single: Do Your Thing
Sales Pitch: "I got the passion back back because Hell Rell and J.R. are starting to get buzz they're getting. It's like process that Jim, Juelz and I went through starting over, getting on mixtapes. I'm hyped again."

2
Nas
Album Ttile: TBD
Label: TBD
Beats: DJ Premier
Features: All Mr. Jones offers is, "I'm almost done [working] on a Queens anthem with another big Queens dude."
First Single: TBD
Sales Pitch: "Cop it to see where dude's head is at and where I'm taking it this timearound. This will be the next step for me. I bridged the gap between generation on my last joint, this one is going fuurther ahead creatively than what I did last time."

1
The Game
Album Ttile: The Doctor's Advocate
Label: Black Wall Street/Aftermath/Interscope
Beats: Dr.Dre, Hi-Tk, Kayne West, Just Blaze, Nu Jerzey Devil
Features: Nas, Damiain Marley, Snoop Dogg, Mary J.Blige, Lauryn Hill, Mariah Carey
First Single: TBD
Sales Pitch: "I'm still there with Dre making the greatest album of all the time. My first album was a classic. Thisone is about upping the ante and making something better than a classic - on my own."

Cam'ron Reveals Jay-Z/Charli Baltimore Romance at Press Conference

Cam'ron held a press conference today (January 25) to address the Jay-Z beef and announce plans for his Diplomats crew.

During the event, held at New York's Tribeca Cinemas, the Dipset capo said that he may be fined because his release from Def Jam stipulated that he couldn't dis Def Jam or any of its figures. Under the agreement, Cam could be fined $100,000 every time he negatively mentions the label.

However, that didn't seem to stop the Harlem native of making light of Hov's recent signing of Nas.

"I think that's a good move for Jay-Z," Cam'ron said. "If anybody can bone somebody's baby mother and bring them on stage to give them five, [then] you look good. It makes Jay-Z look hardcore."

Cam kept the sarcasm coming, denying that he was intimate with Beyonce before and stressing that Hov was in love with Charli Baltimore.

"A lot of people thought it [Lance "Un" Rivera stabbing] was about a bootleg CD," Cam explained. "It was about Charli Baltimore. He love her."

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WHOO KID’S G-UNIT RADIO SHOW STILL KILLING THEM WITH EXCLUSIVES

PIMP C, MURDA MASE AND THE G-UNIT GANG KEEP EVEN THE STARS CALLING IN

New York – 2006 couldn’t have started off better for Whoo Kid; the radio show is burning up the ears of everyone from the streets to the stars, the Shadyville DJ Squad is kicking a** and taking names and he has already released a certified classic mixtape with Murda Mase’s “Crucified 4 the Hood – 10 Years of Hate.” In just the first 3 weeks of 06 Whoo Kid hosted Pimp C on the air for the first time since his release from prison, along with Bun B, Busta Rhymes in-studio to cause his usual mayhem with MTV’s Steve-O and Nicole Richie calling in to add their 10 cents, followed by an exclusive ‘tell-all’ interview with G-Unit’s newest member, Murda Mase who wanted to give the folks a little background to the mixtape he and Whoo Kid recently dropped.

On any given Saturday, G-Unit Radio can play host to any number of celebrities and athletes who like to drop by and kick it with 50, Banks, Yayo and the gang, who are there more often than not. The next couple of weeks will find OJ Simpson and Duane Wade among them so be sure to tune in on Sirius’ Shade 45 Channel. Whoo Kid’s New year’s resolution is to take over the radio game the way he took over the mixtape game so stand back and enjoy the show.

Jay-Z Calls Cam Diss Track Trash

Jay-Z Calls Cam's Dis Track 'Trash' And A Cry For Attention

The two biggest questions rap fans want answered right now are: What does Jay-Z think about Cam'ron coming at him on wax? And now that Nas is on Def Jam, how do God's Son and Hova plan to smash the rap game?


"I feel like I would be stupid to even pay that any attention, because it's such a ploy. ... That's not even a good dis record." — Jay-Z

First things first — Cam is holding a press conference Wednesday (January 25) in New York to discuss what the streets are calling his "beef" with Hova. As for Killa Cam's "You Got It" dis record (see "Cam'ron Attacks Jay-Z With Dis Track 'You Got It' "), Jay said he's not sure he'll respond with his own dis record. Jigga said he's never had any problems with Cam, though he admits the two never bonded while Cam was on Roc-A-Fella.

"My thing is, it's such an obvious ploy for attention and to get people to talk about it and for [Cam to] sell albums," Jay said Tuesday, speaking to MTV News from a company retreat.

Even though Jay says he knows Cam's master plan, he's conflicted. On one hand he feels he's too big to stoop to Cam's level, but on the other hand, the MC in him is itching to retort with battle raps.

"I'm torn," he admitted. "I feel like I would be stupid to even pay that any attention, because it's such a ploy. ... N---as is holding press conferences behind [the dis record]. The MC in me is like, 'That's too easy [to come back at him.]' That's not even a good dis record. That
sh-- is trash. I'm torn. We'll see what happens. Maybe on my time we'll deal with it, but I'm not really pressed. I'm inspired by good artistic sh--. Cam's sh-- is not artistic. There's nothing good about it. Everything about it is an obvious ploy to get attention. Nobody wants to get used. You're just using me. Of course he had to go that far."

One of the brow-raisers in Cam's song comes at the beginning, when he says part of his disdain for Hov came about because Jay had wronged former partner Dame Dash in their business dealings. Speaking to New York radio station WQHT-FM, Cam also said Dame had tipped him off that Jay would be coming at him during last year's "I Declare War" concert (the show turned out to be all about peace; see "Jay-Z And Nas Put Beef To Sleep In Onstage Show Of Unity").

Jay called Dame's involvement in the equation "shocking" and said he hasn't spoken with his once close friend about Cam and has no plans to. "To be honest with you, that's the most surprising thing," Jay said calmly. "I'm still in shock, to be honest with you."

No one was really surprised this week when it was announced that Nas had signed to Def Jam (see "Nas Signs With Jay-Z, According To Report"). The two had been in talks for a while and performed two nights of shows in October. Hov said there probably will not be a Jay and Nas album, but he does expect to do at least a song with Nas.

"I'm guessing like September, fall, so we can do it right," Jay said of when he expects Nas' LP to drop. Nas has been recording material for months, but Hov thinks he'll start fresh with his new deal in place. "I didn't hear the stuff he did before, but I'm guessing it'll be a new slate."

Jay added that he hopes Nas will connect with some of the best producers in the game, such as Kanye West, DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Dr. Dre, Timbaland and Pharrell Williams, though he hasn't ruled out Nas teaming with some up-and-coming beatmakers. He said his former rival is in such a great headspace, he wouldn't be surprised if Nas made the best album of career.

"[I'm proud to have him on Def Jam] for so many different levels," he said. "One, he's been at the forefront of hip-hop since he's been out. [Illmatic] is arguably one of the best albums ever made. To have that down with the team, it's just a beautiful thing. Two, it says so much about the culture. It shows another way. [The media] always portrays us like we're ignorant. It shows another ending. I think it's bigger for the culture."

While the Nas album isn't due for several months, Jay is so excited about the albums coming out on Def Jam this year — including Ghostface Killah and LL Cool J — he contemplated dropping an album himself, but he's since rethought it and will continue to play the executive role.

And it's a part he's been playing to the fullest. Jay's team is on the brink of adding one or two more major players, but it's too early to name names, he said.

— Shaheem Reid
Source: www.mtv.com/news/articles/1521548/20060124/index.jhtml?headlines=true

Philly Judge finds Cassidy "Guilty" of involuntary manslaughter

Baby-faced rapper Cassidy was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault Tuesday in what prosecutors called the planned ambush of a man who had argued with the musician.

The 23-year-old Cassidy (real name: Barry Reese) was grossly negligent for supplying the guns that killed Desmond Hawkins and wounded two of his companions, Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan said at the end of a two-day non-jury trial. Greenspan sentenced Cassidy to 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison.

He has been in custody since his arrest in June, meaning he could be out of jail within a few months. "You could be a leader in the community," Greenspan said. "All those guns - that's why Desmond is gone now, because of all those guns." Police said that four different guns, including an assault rifle, were involved in the April 15 ambush in an alley behind Cassidy's house.

Cassidy and his associates had stashed the guns around the alley in expectation of a shootout, prosecutors said. Witnesses testified that Hawkins, 22, had gone to Cassidy's home to act as a peacemaker after Hawkins and his friends got in an argument with Cassidy and his friends.

"It's a tragic situation for me too," Cassidy told the judge. "I didn't set up for this to happen. Desmond Hawkins was my friend ... one of my closest friends." Cassidy's debut CD, "Split Personality," peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart and featured the top 10 single "Hotel" featuring R. Kelly. Full Surface/J Records released the follow-up album "I'm a Hustla" on June 28. Cassidy was convicted of one count of involuntary manslaughter, a misdemeanor; two counts of aggravated assault, both felonies; and possession of an instrument of crime. Hawkins' companions, Bobby Hoyle and Daniel Irvin, were wounded in the shootout.

Mase is still signed to Bad Boy Records

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Mase has been appearing on mixtapes and in videos pledging his allegiance to the G-Unit, but several months have passed since the rapper announced his plans to switch labels and very little has actually transpired. Sean "Diddy" Combs told MTV.com, "Mase is still signed to Bad Boy. Me and 50 haven't worked out our business. It's looking like it could go that way (and Mase will leave the label) -- I wish him the best of luck."

As for all of the success he shared with Mase prior to Mase's retirement, the mogul said, "Our time was beautiful time. Our time went down in history. I've moved in my direction, he's moved into his direction."

Before his retirement, Mase released two albums: 1997's quadruple-platinum Harlem World, and 1999's certified-gold Double Up. The rapper released his gold-certified comeback album, Welcome Back, in 2004.

Kanye Poses As Jesus On Cover Of Rolling Stone

"This ni99a's crazy!" - Riley Freeman, The Boondocks (11pm Sunday nights on The Cartoon Network)



Does this really surprise you?

The Louis Vuitton Don himself, the self-proclaimed "International a$$hole" Kanye West will appear as Jesus Christ on the upcoming cover of Rolling Stone magazine. The Chi-town legend, never one to hold his tongue, appears as Jesus wearing a crown of thorns. He also appears as Muhammad Ali inside of the magazine. And lest you think the cover is simply for shock value, the interview shows Kanye in classic form - claiming "Gold Digger" ws the best song of last year and should've been nominated for a Grammy for best Rap song; describing his infamous words about George W. Bush as "a gift and a curse"; and, perhaps most shocking, revealing that he has somewhat of an addiction to porn. He says he found his father's Playboy magazine at the age of 5, and it's been on ever since.

And, in typical non-apologetic fashion Kanye pontificates upon his own greatness: "In America, they want you to accomplish these great feats, to pull off these David Copperfield-type stunts. You want me to be great, but you don't ever want me to say I'm great?"

He even gives an explanation of why he's so outspoken and controversial at times: "If I was more complacent and I let things slide, my life would be easier, but you all wouldn't be as entertained. My misery is your pleasure."

By the way - did I ever mention that I love Kanye West? Hell - at least I get to see an image of Jesus that actually looks somewhat like him on a national magazine for a change!




- the god Dirty Backpacks
Originally posted on Late Nite Noise

JACKI-O FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Miami-based rapper Jacki-O, whose real name is Angela Kohn, quietly filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy late last year. The Miami Herald reports that the rapper has debts totaling $144,225 and assets of only $1,340. In addition to getting out from under debts with Verizon, Bally's Total Fitness, and the IRS, the rapper hopes the bankruptcy will allow her to break her recording contract with Poe Boy Entertainment, who she still owes four more albums.

The rapper's lawyer, Richard Wolfe, said, "'Baby artist'contracts are inherently one-sided. This was particularly one-sided. She was given a small advance and since then she hasn't been given one penny in royalties." According to the rapper's court filings, she earns approximately $800 a month for appearances.

Ultimately a bankruptcy court will decide if Jacki-O will be able to break her contract with Poe Boy, but according to the label's distributor, TVT Records, she plans to keep recording for the parent company.

When Poe Boy first signed with TVT Records in 2004, Jacki-O shared that she was excited, but that there was still work to do. The rapper said: "I'm content with, you know, being at a new label, you know, with TVT Records. I'm content with, you know, just starting off, you know, just getting a start, but as far saying, 'Okay, I'm on my way. Okay, I made it,' no."

The rapper is currently working on her sophomore album, Jack The Ripper. The first single from the project will be "Monkey." The rapper released her debut album, Poe Little Rich Girl, in 2004.

THE GAME FINDS NEW DISTRIBUTOR FOR NEW CD/DVD

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

The Game's anti G-Unit CD/DVD, Stop Snitchin', Stop Lyin', is finally out. SOHH.com reports that after the set's initial distributor Bungalo Records pulled the plug on the project, it was picked up by an independent distributor immediately. Bungalo Records might have pulled out because they are distributed by the Universal Music Group, which also distributes Jimmy Iovine's Interscope Records, which is the recording home of 50 Cent.

The DVD portion of the project, which has been subtitled The Blair Snitch Project, follows the Game as he tried to catch up with 50 Cent in a cross-country trek from Los Angeles to New York City and eventually to 50 Cent's mansion in Farmington, Connecticut. The rapper actually steals a basketball hoop from 50 Cent's property.

The mixtape features guest spots from the late Notorious B.I.G., Paul Wall, Charli Baltimore, Lil'Kim, Eastwood, and others.

The Game is working on his sophomore album, The Doctor's Advocate, which he plans to release in May.

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and just in case you dont have the swagger jacker...here you go....
Download Swagger Jacker now



On another NOTE! the comments on the news other sections have now been restricted. The Reason: Its ridiculous to think that people are dissrespectful when we are trying to bring our loyal HipHopHavoc fans the best possible experience we can. We apologize for punnishing the masses for the asanine comments of a few, but it needs to be done. We are not pointing the finger at anyone, cause truthfully everyone is going to hate when they cant do what WE do...and that goes for anything in life....

there is a motto that holds true and it goes like this:

"Your Friends want you to do good as long as you dont do better than they do!"



So what do you all think? Should this comment restriction be lifted or be kept intact to preserve the intergrity of the HipHopHavoc website? Sorry you have to register to comment, but it has to be done for now!

and for those who are the ones posting them BS comments, just remember that success is the sweetest revenge....so in the words of my boys Oddz-N-Endz: "Catch up Nukkas!"

JAMIE FOXX, JOHN LEGEND ADDED TO SUPER BOWL MOTOWN MUSIC FEST

By: Gary Graff

There have been changes made for the Motown Music Fest that's part of the upcoming Super Bowl XL festivities in Detroit. The event will still take place February 4th at Detroit's Masonic Temple Theatre, but without Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony, who have opted out due to other, unspecified commitments. Rapper Nelly remains on the bill and will be joined at the early show by Jamie Foxx and John Legend. Motown heritage artists will fill out the lineup, including the Four Tops, the Miracles, the Contours, Martha Reeves amp; the Vandellas, Freda Payne, the Velvelettes, the Dramatics, and the Former Ladies of the Supremes.

The evening's late show will feature only the Motown artists.

Legend will also be part of the Super Bowl XL pre-game show, performing with Stevie Wonder and Joss Stone on February 5th at Detroit's Ford Field. In addition he's hosting a Jamm Session party with the Fugees on February 3rd in Pontiac, Michigan.

CAMRON SAYS BEEF WITH JAY-Z WILL NOT TURN VIOLENT

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Rapper Cam'ron has unleashed a lyrical attack on Jay-Z, but during a recent interview with New York City radio station WQHT-FM, the rapper explained that he doesn't want the feud to turn violent. Cam'ron said, "At the end of the day, I don't want any violence. I'm trying to avoid it. It don't even make sense to do violence, we just trying to do music."

Cam'ron has released two diss records aimed at Jay-Z -- "Swagger Jacker" and "You Got It." On the latter, he insinuates that he slept with Jay-Z's girlfriend Beyonce Knowles, but during the interview, Cam'ron denied sleeping with her. He said, "This ain't nothing personal toward her, but I know what hurts his heart."

Jay-Z has yet to respond to the songs.

What Do You Think? A HHH convo!

By: R.Motions

OK...so the news is out...Nas is officially on Def Jam...what we want to know is:

1. Do you think that Nas made a good move going over to Def Jam?

2. Do you think that Nas/JayZ will make an album together?

3. Do you think Nas will get into this Cam'Ron/Jay Z beef?


oh ..and as always, here is a nice snippet of some new nas sh*t.

Nas - Across the Tracks


Shout out to DJ Kholes up in Buffalo for hooking us up with this...

"What up dirty, T, Redmann...the whole HHH staff that work under the hood to make us the number 1 source for hiphop music online....we the real....no tricks and no games!

Ice Cube takes the Indie Route with new Album

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Rapper and actor Ice Cube has been in the game for some time, so it should come as no surprise that he's decided against releasing his next album through a major label. The rapper told MTV.com, "What is a record company going to do for me that I can't do for myself? Nothing. It's nothing they can offer me to have a major percent of my record. It's really all about ownership at this time. This is not a new page in the game. This an old page. People are caught up in double, triple platinum. That's lovely, but what's double platinum if you not getting double-platinum money? It's all about what you take home to your family at the end of the day, if you gonna make this game a profession."

The rapper added, "At some point, an artist needs to put his money where his mouth is. Stop looking for the next advance. A record company's schedule sometimes don't coincide with what you need to do as an artist. By me not being on no schedules or deadlines, I made a better record because of that."

The rapper has already recorded over 30 songs for his new album, Laugh Now Cry Later, which is scheduled to come out June 6th.

The album will feature the production of Scott Storch, Lil'Jon, and Swizz Beatz, with guest appearances by Juvenile, Snoop Dogg, and Juelz Santana.

Ice Cube has released six full-length solo albums since parting ways with N.W.A. in 1989. The rapper's releases include: 1990's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and 1991's Death Certificate, which were both certified platinum; 1992's The Predator, which was certified double platinum; 1993's Lethal Injection and 1998's War amp; Peace, Vol. 1, which were also certified platinum; and 2000's War amp; Peace, Vol. 2, which was certified gold.

Ice Cube's last release was 2003's platinum-certified Terrorist Threats, which was released by his group, the Westside Connection, which also includes WC and Mack 10.

Nas Signs to DEF JAM

The rap superstars Jay-Z and Nas, who hurled bitter insults at each other in rhyme for years in one of rap's most prominent feuds, have reached a deal that would formalize their much-publicized recent truce and transform the two onetime foes into business partners, according to music industry executives involved in the arrangement.

The long-rumored deal sets the stage for Nas to join the artist roster of Def Jam Recordings, the rap label where Jay-Z became president last year in an unusual executive shuffle. But the two stars' personal cease-fire also evolved into an unconventional treaty of sorts between their competing record labels.

As part of the deal, Nas's longtime record company, Sony Music, and Def Jam will split the profits - or any loss - from his next two albums, the sources said. Def Jam is expected to lay out the cost of producing and marketing the recordings, and to divide the profits after recovering its expenses. The two music companies will jointly plan and oversee the albums' marketing campaigns.

The agreement pays Nas about $3 million, including a recording budget, for each of the first two albums, and provides for two additional albums with Def Jam, the sources said. Sony also retains the right to release a Nas greatest hits album, they added.

Representatives from Def Jam and Sony declined to comment.

As a result of the deal, Nas's next album instantly becomes one of hip-hop's most anticipated recordings of the year. It is expected to include the first significant collaboration between two wordsmiths who long battled each other for the title of New York's best rapper.

The two stars stunned fans in October, when Jay-Z was to headline a radio-sponsored concert at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. He had titled the performance "I Declare War" and billed it as a chance to settle scores. Instead, near the end of the show, Jay-Z, announced, "It's bigger than 'I Declare War.' " Nas, dressed in an Army jacket, appeared onstage, and the crowd roared. The two performed and then embraced, ending their long-standing dispute.

The rapprochement was an unusual moment in modern hip-hop, where the list of "beefs," or quarrels between rivals, is so extensive that the commercial rap field occasionally draws comparisons to professional wrestling. But there is a basic difference: the taunts and insults batted back and forth between rappers have occasionally turned into real-world violence, as when a shootout erupted between the entourage of Lil' Kim and supporters of her rival Foxy Brown in 2001 outside the offices of the hip-hop station Hot 97, WQHT-FM.

Indeed, critics have complained that the industry's top rappers, record labels and radio stations intentionally stoke such tensions and imperil lives for financial gain.

Some observers suggest that the rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z - regarded as veterans in a field where music trends shift overnight - had simply worn itself out.

The drama of a feud "sells when you're young and you're believably in a situation where it can be dangerous," said Sacha Jenkins, editorial director of Mass Appeal, an urban lifestyle magazine based in Brooklyn. "It's just not believable from two grown men. I think they're making a unique and potentially wise business decision."

Music executives at the two companies are betting it will be a lucrative one. Nas had one more album due on his contract with Sony; now the company will have, in essence, half of two Nas albums, while remaining in a position to keep working with the rapper on a variety of other projects, including a possible film. For its part, Def Jam and its corporate parent, Universal Music Group, add a respected artist to their ranks at a time when the label is trying to refresh its roster. (Def Jam also recently negotiated the exit of one of its veteran acts, DMX, who signed a reported three-album deal with Sony.)

Shifts in relationships among artists have driven the two companies to make power- and profit-sharing deals before, as in the case of the rock band Audioslave (created from the ashes of the Sony rap-rock act Rage Against the Machine and the Universal grunge-rock band Soundgarden). The two companies take turns distributing the band's albums.

In this case, though, Def Jam and its president will be promoting a rap star whose commercial clout has been called into questioned by Jay-Z himself. Nas, whose real name is Nasir Jones, has sold more than 11 million albums, according to Nielsen SoundScan data, starting with his classic 1994 debut, "Illmatic." (Jay-Z has sold roughly twice that amount.) Nas's most recent release, "Street's Disciple" in 2004, sold an estimated 687,000 copies, though it was a more expensive two-CD set.

Before their recent reconciliation, the two had skewered each other for years in a battle in which they appeared to represent two versions of hip-hop, with Jay-Z cast as the savvy hustler and Nas as the brooding street poet. The rappers emerged as adversaries during the jockeying over who would reign as New York's top rapper after the 1997 shooting death of Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls.

It boiled over in 2001, when the two released new albums that included songs directly attacking each other. Jay-Z, in the song "Takeover," teased his rival for selling fewer albums, rapping that Nas "fell from top 10 to not mentioned at all." Nas fired back with the incendiary track "Ether," in which he accused Jay-Z of plagiarism, asking "How much of Biggie's rhymes is gon' come out your fat lips?"

Jay-Z then responded with a hastily recorded track, "Super Ugly," that described his affair with the mother of Nas's child. In an interview later on Hot 97, Jay-Z apologized to the woman's family and said his mother had called on his cellphone to chastise him for going too far.

More recently, the two had retreated from their harshest criticisms, but their public peacemaking still caught many fans by surprise.

Mr. Jenkins suggested that the two stars might have realized they had beaten the odds and had the chance to enjoy career longevity in the corporate music world. "In order to be productive in that world," he added, "certain things have to change and you leave certain things behind."

Credit: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/23/arts/music/23rap.html

50 Cent and Interscope gets sued by former 2 Live Crew member Luther Campbell

50 Cent stole the opening line for his 2003 hit, “In Da Club,” from a song by former 2 Live Crew frontman Luther Campbell, an attorney claims in a lawsuit. Richard C. Wolfe filed the copyright infringement lawsuit against Curtis James Jackson, aka 50 Cent, in Miami federal court last week on behalf of Lil’ Joe Wein Music.

The 29-year-old rapper only changed one word from the opening line of Campbell’s song from “It’s Your Birthday,” Wolfe said — after repeating the word “go” several times, “Sheila” becomes “shorty” in the line, “Go shorty, it’s your birthday.” Campbell’s song appeared on his 1994 solo album, “Still a Freak for Life.”

“It’s the melody, it’s the pace, the style — everything about that one line is the same,” Wolfe said. “We’re entitled to a portion of the profits.” 50 Cent’s publicist, Dennis Dennehy, said he had no comment on the lawsuit. A message left Friday for Campbell was not immediately returned. Lil’ Joe Wein Music holds the copyright to “It’s Your Birthday” and other songs Campbell produced with his rap group, 2 Live Crew, and as a solo artist.

Lil’ Joe Wein Music is owned by Joseph Weinberger, a lawyer who formerly represented Campbell. Campbell’s song “I Like It, I Love It” can also be heard on the 2003 DVD “50 Cent — The New Breed,” the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages in addition to lawyers’ fees and other legal costs. Wolfe won a $2.3 million judgment against Campbell in 1994 for another rapper who claimed Campbell withheld royalties.

Ghostface video trailer for Fish Scale & Busta Rhymes prepares 4 da Big Bang!

Click on the links below to view a live trailer of Ghostface’s upcoming album Fish Scale now scheduled to hit stores on March 14th.

Ghostface Live

In Dec, you saw the behind the scenes clips of Busta Rhymes cutting his Dreads after more than 15 years. The hip hop community was buzzing, with the #1 question being “WHY?” – The Answer to that question is finally here:

Busta Video Clip

Cam'Ron on the Drama Hour (Hot 97) - Audio

R.Motions

Yea people...you know this is HipHopHavoc.com the only hiphop site that dont play no games...

Here is the Cam'Ron talk with Kay Slay on Hot 97. So what yall think about this? is this getting crazy or what?




>>>>>>> Click Here to Listen <<<<<<<

Benzino & Dave Mays Kicked Out Of The Source!

Originally posted on Late Nite Noise

Enough is enough. That's what the Hip Hop world has been saying for years in regards to the ridiculous politics that have surrounded The Source magazine. Now it appears the magazine's new board of directors agrees - founder Dave Mays and pseudo-thug/wackest MC alive/hater of the year Ray Benzino have been booted from the magazine. I now take amount to give my opinion on this development:

BAW-HAHAHAHAHA! OO-HOO HOO; AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Stop it - you're killing me! (tears roll down the face)...

(Ahem) Excuse me for not hiding my glee.

Last week, Amos & Andy - I'm sorry - I mean Dave Mays and Benzino went to court and obtained a temporary restraining order from allowing this to happen. But this week, the order was lifted and a majority of the board members voted to treat the duo like Jazz on "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air". To add insult to injury, former Source chief operating officer Jeremy Miller, who left the magazine in 2004 to start his own Down-South magazine called Down, has been named the new chief executive. 4 our of 6 board members approved Miller taking over.

The Source has been plagued with almost too many problems to name in recent years - eroding fanbase, dissolution of journalistic credibility, loss of advertising revenue and advertisers themselves (due mostly to the shady proceedings and agendas of Benzino), being kicked out of their NYC offices (they moved to a smaller area), defaulting on an 18 million dollar loan, intense finance problems (they are millions of dollars in debt), criminal charges against employees, and a huge sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former employees Michelle Joyce and Kim Osorio. Not to mention Benzino's recent wild rant against Ozone magazine's editor Julia Beverly, where he used racial epithets and called her a "slut-monkey".

Nice.

Miller's first act was to call a meeting of the entire staff to announce that "all previous beefs are dead", referring to all of the people Benzino beefed with and alienated - including Eminem, 50 Cent, Russell Simmons, and Interscope Records as a whole. He also told the staff to spread the word to clients that there was a new philosophy and focus, and that he would be making decisions with the goal of cutting costs.

While this is long overdue, it remains to be seen if The Source will ever be able to gain it's top position amongst Hip Hop periodicals that it held at it's peak in the mid-90s. And the fight may not be over - word is Benzino and Mays are in New Jersey planning a legal strategy to try and re-take the magazine.

A timeline of how this board that overthrew the Benzino/Mays dictatorship came to be:

The Black Enterprise/Greenwich Street Fund invested $12 million in The Source in return for a minority stake and seats on the company's board of directors. Representatives for The Black Enterprise/Greenwich Street Fund also helped secure an $18 million loan from Textron Financial Corp. for the magazine.

In Oct. 2005, Textron asked The Source to be placed into receivership after the company defaulted on the loan, but the bid was rejected. Meanwhile, because of Black Enterprise's involvement and the default on the loan, the shift of power within the confines of The Source's offices was slowly taking place.

Let's hope this is the last we hear of Ray Ray and Dave Mays - but somehow, I don't think so.



- the god Dirty Backpacks

LUDACRIS, BUSTA RHYMES & SNOOP FEATURED IN NEW 'FIGHT FOR NY' VIDEOGAME

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, and Snoop Dogg are some of the characters featured in the new video game Def Jam Fight For NY: Takeover, which will come out in March. The game, which will also feature the likenesses of Carmen Electra, Lil'Kim, and Xzibit, will be available for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). SOHH.com reports that Def Jam Fight For NY: Takeover is the prequel to the highly popular Def Jam Vendetta.

The new game will also include over 30 songs recorded by Def Jam artists in 2003 and 2004, and the songs will be available for download.

In related news, Busta Rhymes will release his new album, The Big Bang, in March. The rapper recently did a remix for the set's lead single, 'Touch It," which features new vocals from DMX.

Kanye West to Perform at the Grammy Awards

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Kanye West will perform at the upcoming Grammy Awards, which are scheduled for February 8th in Los Angeles. MTV.com reports that the rapper is a confirmed performer but could not specify what he'll do on the show.

West, who's up for eight Grammys, explained that he's been aiming for one particular Grammy since he began recording his latest album, Late Registration. He said, "It's like (Michael) Jordan. That first year when he comes out and they win a championship it's like, 'OK, yeah, that's good.'But that second year, he has to set new goals, he says, 'No, I want this, I'm going for this.'So when I worked on (Late Registration), I kept on saying to (producer) Jon (Brion), 'Are you ready to win Album Of The Year?'"

West is competing against Mariah Carey, Paul McCartney, Gwen Stefani, and U2 in the Album Of The Year category.

Cam'Ron talks about the Jay Z situation

By: R. Motions





The Streets is buzzing by this dis record that leaked from Killa Cam dissing Jay Z. I mean wow. I had plenty of conversations about this situation and how people would think Jay Z would react to this record. Some like Dirty said that Jay Z was beyond this and he making too much money to address someone like Cam. While others like my boy BoTalley was insisting that Jay Z would answer and do cam (pause) like 50 did Ja Rule.

as far as I am concerned, I agree with both which makes it a very hard call. On one hand I agree with Dirty that Jay Z is too big to mess with this, but like I told him, the 'streets are watching' so something has to happen.

but we will see.

In any case, here are the audio files for your listening pleasure brought to you the Only hiphop website that plays no games: HipHopHavoc.com



Download: Cam'ron - You Gotta Love it (Jay-Z Diss...Clean)

NELLY, J.LO, MARC ANTHONY TO JOIN MOTOWN SUPER BOWL CONCERT

By: Gary Graff

Nelly, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are being touted as special guests for the Motown Music Fest, a pair of concerts that will be part of the Super Bowl XL festivities on February 4th in Detroit. The rest of the shows'lineups feature a who's-who of Motown stars, including the Four Tops, the Miracles, the Contours, the Dramatics, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, the Velvelettes, Freda Payne, Brenda Holloway, Paul Hill and the Former Ladies of the Supremes. Members of the Motown's Funk Brothers studio ensemble will be part of the evening's backing band.

There will be two Motown Music Fest shows, at 8:00 P.M. and 11:00 P.M. ET at Detroit's Masonic Temple Theatre.

Another Motown legend, Smokey Robinson, plans to perform a Super Bowl weekend concert on the same night, February 4th, at Detroit's Music Hall Center.

Stevie Wonder will perform a set prior to Super Bowl XL on February 5th at Ford Field.

MYSTIKAL GETS HIT WITH MORE JAIL TIME

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Incarcerated rapper Mystikal was sentenced to a year behind bars and ordered to pay $271,000 in back taxes plus penalties by a federal judge on Thursday (January 12th). The rapper pled guilty in August to two misdemeanor counts of failing to file tax returns for 1998 and 1999, when his gross income was $824,915 and $930,953, respectively. The Miami Herald reports that U.S. District Judge James Brady will allow the rapper to serve his sentence concurrently with his current state sentence for sexually assaulting his former hairstylist.

Mystikal, who has been incarcerated since January 2004, and his two bodyguards pled guilty in June 2003 to extortion and sexual battery charges, stemming from an incident in 2002 where he forced his hairstylist to perform sex acts on him and his bodyguards after learning that she had allegedly cashed several unauthorized checks totaling $80,000 from his bank account. Mystikal, who videotaped the sex acts, was originally facing aggravated rape charges, but agreed to a plea deal for the lesser two offenses.

The rapper might be eligible for parole as early as this month. He will have to register as a sex offender upon his release and will be on probation for the next five years.

Cuban Link's Tale from the Bronx DVD

Order Now!


Cuban Link's Tale from the Bronx DVD
Item: MOB-AV05001

Price
Pre-Order Now for U.S. $17.99!
WILL SHIP BY JANUARY 6!

All orders before Sept. 21 will get a FREE Chain Reaction CD

Description
STAGGERING AND PROVOCATIVE!
Spring of 1980... the port at Mariel Harbor was opened. Thousands set sail for the land of opportunity in search of the American Dream. One of them found it on the streets of the Bronx. "Cuban Link's Tale from the Bronx" is the extraordinary story of New York rapper Cuban Link. From his brief childhood in Cuba to his life on the streets of New York, "Tale from the Bronx" gives you an in depth look at the man behind the rapper. Sit back as you’re taken deep into the South Bronx and experience first hand Cuban's truth about the Rap Game, trials and tribulations. Find out how it all went down, that infamous night at Jimmy’s Bronx Cafe. From rags to riches, through the scars and the streets, "Tale from the Bronx" is the story of Cuban Link and his struggle toward the American Dream.

DVD Bonus Features:

* Sugar Daddy music video
* Making of the music video
* Scandalous music video
* Letter to Pun street video
* Street Freestyles
* Web links


View The Trailer

DipSet VS. D-Block (who would win?)

By: R.Motions

OK people...its 2006 and we are back to work. I am sure that by now you have all seen the ton of enhancements and new sites that we got going. So whatever region of music you are into, we got yall.


But on to business....We got an email from CAECZAR asking what's up with them "top ten's" and all that, so this one is for you fam.


we at HipHopHavoc, would like to know who you all think if these cats went head to head in an all out battle....













(***You all know we aint haters, so show some love to the sites, I took these pics from***)



so this is the way it works:

You can either post your comments saying what crew you think would win, or post a comment breaking it down artist by artist....


So as usual, I will go first:

Overall: Dipset!

Individual: (my picks are in bold)

Cam'Ron vs. Jadakiss
Juelz vs. Styles P
Jim Jones vs. Sheek
J hood vs. JR Writer

Yea yea yea i know by this count they tied, but I think that with the rest of the crew, DipSet would win!

SOULS OF MISCHIEF DEPART FOR 16 DATE EUROPEAN TOUR

(January 11, 2006) Brooklyn, NY — Indie hip-hop powerhouse Hieroglyphics Imperium announce Souls of Mischief's European tour that includes 16 dates in 6 different countries. Also performing with them throughout the tour is Zion-I. Some select dates include appearances from Lyrics Born, Sadat X, Greg Nice, & Geology.



Souls of Mischief have been honing their skills for nearly two decades. Members A-plus, Opio, Phesto, and Tajai have cultivated a sound all their own and gained a reputation as one of the best and most original hip-hop groups around. Their track record proves it; their first LP '93 Til Infinity (Jive, 1993) debuted at #14 on Billboard's R&B charts while their second album No Man's Land (Jive, 1995) entered at #27. After having been disappointed with major label politics, Souls, along with childhood friends Del the Funky Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, and Domino, formed their own independent company, Hiero Imperium in 1997, quickly becoming one of the West Coast's best known and respected labels. Souls hasn't achieved the type of success enjoyed by more mainstream acts but being the kingpins of hip-hop is not Souls' style. "We just want to make good music," says Tajai. "Sales are important but we aren't going to compromise our musical quality to sell." Such is the attitude that epitomizes Souls' unique style and appeal.



This excursion marks Souls of Mischief's fifth tour in Europe. Souls and fellow Bay Area trailblazers Zion-I are known for their incredible high-energy shows. "We feed off the energy our fans give us and give it back it live and direct," says Tajai. "Our fans overseas show a real respect for the whole hip-hop culture, not just the rap part. It's been a few years since we performed there so we're definitely looking forward to seeing them and giving them some crazy shows." As they gear up for their ten-year anniversary in 2007, Hiero Imperium is looking to increase their international presence. "Our overseas markets continue to grow and we're taking the necessary steps to beef up our touring schedule both here in the states and abroad," adds Hiero member and CEO Domino. Armed with a renewed sense of enthusiasm, Souls of Mischief look forward to performing in Europe for some of their favorite fans.



Show dates and venues are as follows (subject to change):



January 12 Leipzig, Germany Conna Island

January 13 Linz, Germany Kapu

January 14 Wil, Germany Remise

January 15 London, England Jazz CafŽ

January 16 Munich, Germany Atomic Cafe

*January 17 Karlsruhe, Germany Radio Oriente

January 18 Erlangen, Germany E-Werk

January 19 Weinheim, Germany CafŽ Central

**January 20 Aarau, Germany Kiff

January 23 Paris, France Nouveau Casino

January 25 Copenhagen, Denmark RUST

**January 26 Helsinki, Finland Nosturi

January 27 Berlin, Germany Kapital

January 28 Utrecht, Germany Tivoli

January 29 Braunschweig B58



*also performing: Lyrics Born

** also performing: Sadat X, Greg Nice, & Geology

BET acquires Lil Kim reality series

BET announced the acquisition of three new reality series, including one starring imprisoned rapper Lil’ Kim.

Famed director Reginald Hudlin of the directing team The Hudlin Brothers, was named President of Entertainment of BET in July of 2005.

Yesterday, Hudlin appeared before TV critics for the first time since being appointed to the position.

He announced the acquisition of “Lil’ Kim: Countdown to Lockdown” as well as two other reality series, “Season of the Tiger” and “Meet the Faith for BET’s 2006 season.

Hudlin said he aimed to re-brand BET as a “leader of the new school” that will become a “repository of all black culture.”

“Lil’ Kim: Countdown to Lockdown” follows the rapper before she was sentenced to 366 days in prison for perjury, after being found guilty of lying to a federal grand jury about her knowledge of a broad daylight shootout in 2001 in New York.

“Mouth shut, head held high, as she refuses to snitch” was the description Lil’ Kim’s show, when it was presented to critics.

The series features Lil’ Kim at recording sessions, listening parties and spending time with family and friends before she entered The Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

[Lil’ Kim: Countdown to Lockdown] takes a very serious look at her life and her choices, and the consequences of those choices,” Hudlin told critics. “It's absurd, and it's tragic.”

“Season of the Tiger” focuses on the lives of three students from Grambling State University, while “Meet the Faith” is a Sunday talk show that will feature various religious leaders discussing the issues of the day.

Hudlin has experience in television production as well as movie making.

He has directed episodes of The Bernice Mac Show, Everybody Hates Chris as well as the classic movies “House Party” “Boomerang” “The Ladies Man” and others.

“Lil’ Kim: Countdown to Lockdown” will debut on Mar. 9.

Ras Kass Seeks "Revenge" Via Mixtape

Rass Kass and West Coast DJ Dow Jones have joined forces to drop the second installment of the Institutionalized mixtape series. Due February 2, the collaboration is entitled Revenge of the Spit.

While Ras Kass has showcased his skills for well over a decade, Dow Jones is one of the west side's up and coming talents. Last year, he dropped over 25 mixtapes and was named to Justo's Mixtape All-Stars.

Revenge of the Spit includes new songs from Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Kool G Rap, Royce Da 5'9", Strong Arm Steady, Talib Kweli, The Alchemist, and O.D.B. The album also features production by Dr. Dre, Just Blaze, 9th Wonder, J Gamble, and others.

A little over a year ago, Ras was released from prison. He served nearly a year and a half for a DUI conviction.

Strong sales of The Game's new sneaker helps Skechers U.S.A Inc. shares rise 8%

According to research reports from Wedbush Morgan Securities, Game's Hurricane shoe designed by 310 Motoring has recorded strong sales since its release into stores late last year.

"The product arrived in stores on December 26 and we found that many locations have already sold out and reordered the sneaker," Wedbush analyst Vera Van Ert told the Dow Jones Newswire. "Interestingly, the sneaker was designed in collaboration with rap artist The Game and we noted that sales-thrus were especially strong in his hometown of Los Angeles."

Skechers' stock recently rose to $17.37 a share, showing a $1.24 hike. Van Ert also pointed out that Skechers' popularity is also growing among the young adult demographic and is poised for a bigger growth in the future.

"This is Game's report card to corporate America that he has the power to reach more than just the urban community," Jimmy Henchmen, Game's manager, told SOHH.com. "And he was able to accomplish this without diluting his craft. This is an example that Hip-Hop has open the door that was previously closed."

Beanie Sigel Pleads Guilty to Assault

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Philadelphia-based rapper Beanie Sigel pled guilty to misdemeanor simple assault on Tuesday (January 10th), and he was sentenced to two years'probation and ordered to pay $180 in court costs. Allhiphop.com reports that the case stems from an incident which occurred in January of 2003, when Sigel got involved in a physical altercation with a then 53-year-old man outside of a Chinese restaurant. Sigel allegedly punched the man in both eyes, and the man suffered a broken left eye socket.

The rapper entered the guilty plea after agreeing with the prosecution's version of what transpired.

The rapper's lawyer said that Sigel plans to "make music, make movies, and work on his clothing line."

Sigel was acquitted of murder charges last September. He was accused of shooting two men outside of a go-go bar in Philadelphia. Last year, the rapper served several months behind bars after pleading guilty to weapons and drug possession charges.

more hip-hop news»

BUSTA RHYMES TO HEADLINE THIS YEAR'S FULL FRONTAL

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Busta Rhymes has been tapped to headline the third annual Full Frontal Hip Hop Fashion Show, which is scheduled for February 3rd at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Ramp;B singers Ne-Yo and Keyshia Cole will open for the rapper at the event, which will be hosted by New York City radio station WQHT-FM.

In related news, Rhymes is slated to release his new album, The Big Bang, in March. The album will be the rapper's first since joining the roster of Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment.

The latest single from The Big Bang is "Touch It" which was produced by Swizz Beatz.

GHOSTFACE KILLAH RELEASES NEW SINGLE

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Ghostface Killah is set to release his second album, Fishscale, under his current deal with Def Jam Records in March. The rapper recently leaked the first single from the project, "Like That" featuring Ne-Yo, who is also signed to Island Def Jam Records. The singer shared his thoughts on being a featured artist on a Ghostface Killah song. Ne-Yo told MTV.com, "Ghostface is one of the most original hip-hop artists around. He's a legend. Just to be considered for the song was an honor. He's true hip-hop."

Ghostface's last studio release was 2004's The Pretty Toney Album.

The rapper recently released an independent project, Put It On The Line, with his frequent collaborator and protege Trife Da God. The set includes some original material from a joint album the two rappers are working on titled, From Stapleton To Somalia, as well as some previously unreleased material from Ghostface Killah including "The Watch" featuring Raekwon and "The Sun" featuring Raekwon and Slick Rick. Both songs were pulled off the rapper's classic 2001 album, Bulletproof Wallets, due to sample clearance issues.

YOUNG JEEZY ALREADY WORKING ON SOPHOMORE ALBUM

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Young Jeezy released Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 just last summer, but the rapper is almost done with the follow-up of his platinum debut. He told MTV.com, "I'm already ready with the second album. I know this album was classic, my second album is going to be more of a classic. Thug Motivation was a good Friday out of my life, the new album is going to be a Saturday out of my life. Everybody knows Saturdays are going to better than Friday."

Jeezy is still promoting his debut and he recently released a new joint video for "Trap Star" and "Go Crazy." The rapper is also planning to expand his Georgia Power tour so that he can hit more cities in the West and North. The tour's current line-up also includes Lil' Wayne and T.I.

Words from Hiphophavoc (T-Boogie)

Shout out Goes to all the True HipHopHavoc Fans. 2005 was
the eye opening year as we made key acquistions for HHH(R Motions,
DBP, Redman)...Much respect goes out to the HHH
Staff. 2006 is the year to take things
to another level. HipHopHavoc has now expanded to the West
Coast and Dirty South in additon to bringing you Old School
Hip Hop and R&B. We don't just pocket money from the site,
we believe in giving back and thats what its all about. Stay tuned for "Monthly Mixtapes" from HHH...and yes it will be free promotional download
courtesy of the HHH Staff.

Once again..thanks for the support!

DMX GETS AN EARLY RELEASE

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Rapper DMX was released from New York City's Rikers Island prison on December 30th after serving a month of a 70-day sentence for violating the terms of his probation. The rapper was placed on probation in December of 2004 after he pled guilty to reckless endangerment and acknowledged he was on Valium when he crashed his SUV into a gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City during a road rage incident. Allhiphop.com reports that the rapper was released early for good behavior and because he had accrued credit for time he previously spent incarcerated.

As a term of his probation, DMX's driver's license was suspended, but he was caught behind the wheel twice, once for driving 104 miles an hour near his home and once for an accident with an unmarked police car and another vehicle.

In related news, DMX recently signed a new deal with the Sony Music Group and he's retooling his latest album, Here We Go Again, which was shelved indefinitely by his former label, Def Jam Records.

The rapper will be releasing a new single in the coming months.

HipHopHavoc.com & Late Nite Noise Presents - The Unofficial Best of Fat Joe

The 2 fastest growing Hip Hop sites on the 'Net - Hiphophavoc.com and Lnn4life.com - have collaborated to bring you the first in a series of mixtapes to show our appreciation to our fans. YOU make Hiphophavoc the #1 site for streaming Hip Hop audio and exclusives. YOU make Late Nite Noise Western New York & Southern Ontario's #1 Source for Hip Hop. So please enjoy this token of our respect and gratitude.

So why Fat Joe as our first choice? Because we feel Joey Crack is the perfect representative to exemplify New York Hip Hop. He's been around since Biggie, since Jay-Z, since Nas - through the Golden Age of the 90s and up to the present oment, he's remained relevant and significant in the Hip Hop landscape. His legendary status in the game is somewhat overlooked, but as this Best Of collection shows, his contributions to Hip Hop since '93 and his impact cannot be denied. Remember - this is the guy responsible for bringing you the first Latino Hip Hop artist to go platinum (the late great Big Pun). This is the guy who was on the two hottest Hip Hop singles of 2004 "New York" and "Lean Back".


But we'll let the music speak for itself. Enjoy, and remember where you got this exclusive heat - Hiphophavoc.com and Lnn4life.com. When it comes to you, the fans, we take things seriously - we don't play no hip hop games...ENJOY!




TRACK LIST




TRACK LIST


01. Intro
02. Flow Joe
03. Find Out ft. Armageddon
04. Lean Back ft. Remy Ma
05. Don Cartegena ft. P Diddy
06. Safe 2 Say (The Incredible)
07. It's Nothing ft. Tony Sunshine
08. John Blaze ft. Nas, Big Pun, Raekwon, Jadakiss
09. Watch Da Sound Remix ft. Diamond D, Grand Puba
10 Crush Tonight ft. Ginuwine
11. Go Crazy Remix - Young Jeezy ft. Jay Z, Fat Joe
12. Bet Your Man Can't ft. Cuban Link, Triple Seis, Big Pun
13. So Much More
14. We Thuggin' ft. R.Kelly
15. My Lifestyle
16. Dat Gangsta Shit
17. Beat Novacane
18 The Shit is Real [DJ Premier Remix]
19. Terror Squadians




For promotional use only - not for resale. This mixtape is only to be used as an audio sampler to encourage interest in the artist(s) projects featured on this mixtape.






Click Here to Download

LIL'JON FLEXES ACTING CHOPS IN 'DATE MOVIE'

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

The "King Of Crunk," Lil'Jon, is currently on the outs with his label, TVT Records, so a new Lil'Jon amp; the Eastside Boyz album isn't on his to-do list, but he's keeping busy by producing other acts and focusing on his acting career. SOHH.com reports that Lil'Jon is one of the stars of the new comedy, Date Movie, which hits theaters on February 17th.

Date Movie is a parody of the romantic comedy genre of films and includes jabs at Meet The Parents, Wedding Planner, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The films cast also includes Eddie Griffin, Carmen Electra, Alyson Hannigan, and Adam Campbell.

Lil'Jon's previous screen credits include Soul Plane and the Snoop Dogg-produced straight-to-DVD release, Boss'n Up.

YOUNG JEEZY AND KEYSHIA COLE?

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

2005 was a breakout year for Young Jeezy, as his debut album, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, was a platinum seller. It was also a good year for Keyshia Cole, as she toured with Kanye West, served as a guest host on BET's 106 amp; Park, and saw sales of her debut, The Way It Is, surpass the gold mark.

The two newcomers are allegedly an item, according to New York City radio station WQHT-FM, which reports that they have been sneaking around since last November's Vibe Awards, in an attempt to keep the relationship quiet.

Neither has ever been romantically linked to any celebrities, and Jeezy has a nine-year-old son from a previous relationship. The rapper is based in Atlanta, while Cole calls Oakland, California, home.

JAMIE FOXX TRYING TO PICK NEXT SINGLE

By: Janine Coveney

Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx is thrilled with the Number One chart status of his new J Records album Unpredictable. And while he's represented on the radio via the smash Kanye West single "Gold Digger," he and label execs are trying to decide on what will be Foxx's next solo single.

The rise of Unpredictable on the Billboard Top 200 is impressive considering the competition, which includes Mary J. Blige and the Notorious B.I.G. "Mary's record is amazing, and of course, there's B.I.G., too," Foxx told MTV.com. "I'm in a comfortable position because everything I go out and do, a TV show or a movie, I can promote my album. So I'm out there humpin'it every day. We want people to know about it because we think it's one of those hits. We want to win."

There's no word on what the next single from the album will be, but Foxx says he's enjoying the debate. "We've been arguing about it," he laughed. "It's a great feeling to have that type of argument. We were in the hotel arguing about which song was the hottest. And that's a good feeling, knowing they're all hot."

He added, "Usually when actors or actresses try to come into the music business, usually it's corny. I'm not like that."

CHAMILLIONAIRE DISSED BY SOCCER MOM

Chamillionaire has enough to worry about, as he has an ongoing beef with former partner Paul Wall and Mike Jones, but now the rapper also has to watch his back for Soccer Mom, a British record executive who takes a swipe at the rapper on the upcoming compilation, Road Trip Vol. 5: Revenge Of The Jew, which comes out January 24th. SOHH.com reports that Soccer Mom, whose real name is Shila Mitra, is one of the owners of Texas-based indie distributors, BCD Music Group, which released material by Chamillionaire until September of 2005, when the rapper ended his relationship with the company.

Chamillionaire allegedly made slanderous remarks about the company, which prompted Mitra to record the song, "Jamrags." The song, which utilizes the beat for Jay-Z's "A Million And One," includes references to Chamillionaire's private parts, and Mitra calls the rapper a jamrag, which is British slang for a used maxi-pad.

Mitra doesn't plan on recording any more music, but the Road Trip Vol. 5 compilation includes contributions from fulltime rappers such as Memphis Bleek, Domino, Willie D, and Lil'Flip.

Mitra and the BCD Music Group aren't the only people from Chamillionaire's past that he's severed ties with. The rapper began his career as part of the Swishahouse camp, but these days it's all about his own Universal Records-distributed imprint, Chamilitary.

When us asked the rapper about his relationship with his former label, he was very diplomatic. He said: "I always tell everybody, you know, I'm thankful that Swishahouse was the first place where I started, where I got on at, you know what I'm sayin'? I can never erase that from my history, but you know, I'm not a part of that situation no more. I got my own thing, Chamilitary, you know?"

The rapper added: "I have a lot of history at Swishahouse. I did a lot of stuff with them, a lot of songs, a lot of mixtapes, freestyles, but then it's been a long time since I've been with them. I haven't been with them in a long time. I've been doing my own thing for awhile. The rest of the world is just starting to get a chance to hear a little bit about it right now."

LIL' KIM EYEING EARLY RELEASE

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Rapper Lil'Kim is scheduled to be released from prison on August 2nd, but according to her lawyer, she might get out as early as June. The rapper's attorney, James Leonard, Jr., told allhiphop.com, "I think this entire experience has unearthed new depths for Kim, both as a person and an artist. I think you will see that in the direction she takes upon her release from prison."

Leonard added, "The warden and the staff at the (prison) have been great with Kim. She has neither sought (nor) received any special treatment. They have respected her privacy and have treated her extremely fair."

If Lil'Kim is released early, she will be under house arrest until August and will have three years'supervised probation. The rapper was initially sentenced to a year and a day for lying to a grand jury investigating a shooting outside of New York City radio station WQHT-FM.

In related news, Lil'Kim's annual toy giveaway was a huge success. The rapper's Lil'Kim Cares Foundation hosted the event in Philadelphia on December 22nd with the help of boxer Zab Judah. Leonard explained, "The charity event was a huge success and something that was very near and dear to Kim's heart."

LL COOL J TO SHARE 'TODD SMITH' IN MARCH

By: Janine Coveney

Rapper and actor LL Cool J is preparing for the March 21st release of his next album, Todd Smith, on Def Jam. The rapper has already leaked the songs "It's LL And Santana," featuring Juelz Santana and "Whatcha Want," featuring Freeway. The album -- which the rapper originally wanted to call The Definition -- will also feature guest appearances by Mary J. Blige, Teairra Mari, 112, Ginuwine, and Mary Mary.

LL has been recording since 1985 and broke into film the same year, playing himself in Krush Groove. The Queens, New York native says the secret to his success thus far is just enjoying what he does: "Well, you know the thing for me is that I love what I do, you know. I don't chase money. The industry that I'm involved in has become very materialistic, and a lot of people really focus on the money that the artists are making and who has money and who doesn't. But you know for me it's been about being passionate about what I do and loving what I do. And doing it so that I can uplift people."

Fans of LL can catch him on the big screen this month opposite Queen Latifah in The Last Holiday, which opens in theaters January 13th.

JAY-Z SUPER BOWL PARTY PLANS HIT A SPEED BUMP

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z has his own chain of 40/40 sports bars, but unfortunately for the rapper, he doesn't have one in Detroit, where he was hoping to throw an event during Super Bowl weekend, which is February 3rd through the 5th. SOHH.com reports that the mogul was denied when he requested use of the Detroit Public Library for an upscale shindig.

Conrad Wilson, head of marketing for the Detroit Public Library, attempted to offer an explanation as to why the rapper's request was turned down. He said, "Many people are asking for venues in Detroit and they are required to go through our formal channels and provide all the information about which buildings they'd like to use, as well as file for all the necessary permits and insurance. If that wasn't done properly, that would be a reason to deny the request."

Jay-Z enlisted MMG concert promoter Demetrius Carrington to organize the event, and Carrington had a different take on what transpired. He said, "They cancelled. We thought it would have been a really unique special thing. They totally screwed us and we ended up losing the whole function. It is ridiculous for a city in such financial shape to deal in such an unprofessional manner."

Carrington, who maintained that he followed the appropriate procedure, added, "For us to be in financial ruins in this city and for somebody to arbitrarily change their minds is ridiculous. We were going to employ 100 security detail. They issued me a preliminary contract; we could've done something legally. I was very disappointed. They have one of the biggest venues in the city that is probably going to sit dark (on) one of the biggest weekends that Detroit will have for a long time."

Jay-Z might still be able to pull off his shindig. He's been in talks with Detroit's C Pop Art Gallery about possibly hosting the event.

Producer Jim Jonsin joins Southbeat Records

MIAMI LABEL SOUTHBEAT RECORDS SIGNS SUPER-PRODUCER JIM JONSIN AS EQUITY PARTNER AND EXECUTIVE VP OF A&R
www.SouthBeat.com



Miami, FL ~ With successes like Pretty Ricky’s “Grind With Me” and “Your Body”, Twista’s “Girl Tonite”, Trina’s “Here We Go” and Jamie Foxx’s “Unpredictable” burning up the airwaves, Miami label SouthBeat Records is banking on producer Jim Jonsin’s ear, both on the boards and in the boardroom, to take their current roster (J-Shin, Wrekonize, Rayito and Mayday!) and future signings to that next level by utilizing his production services and bringing him in-house as an equity partner and executive. Jim’s first projects out of the gate will be former Slip & Slide R&B crooner J-Shin, whose sophomore album can be expected in Spring of ‘06. His new single “If I Fall In Love,” produced by Jim, will be going for radio adds January ‘06.

J-Shin has already begun his re-emergence with the internet release of an “uncut” music video for his single “Baby Mama Drama” which reached 1.5 million downloads in a matter of weeks. J-Shin, whose debut album My Soul, My Life sold 200,000 units with its nearly gold single One Night Stand cannot say enough about working with Jim. “Jim has an incredible ear and I feel like he really understands my style and the message I want to get across with my music.” He enthuses, “I think my fans will be just as excited as I am once they’ve heard our collaborations. They ain’t ready for this.”

Jim, whose successes also include tracks with Miami natives Trick Daddy and Pitbull had this to say about this most recent career move, “In a long tough career, it’s very refreshing to come across people who share my vision, passion and ethics. These are some real people here at SouthBeat and I am in it for the long haul.” SouthBeat CEO, Gregory Frankel continues, “With veteran production from Jim and the talent SouthBeat has under its belt, the upcoming year looks promising.”


www.SouthBeat.com

EMINEM AND KIM MATHERS SET A WEDDING DATE

Eminem and Kim Mathers have announced that they will get remarried on January 14th in a small ceremony in Michigan. The two high school sweethearts were initially married in 1999, but by 2001 they were divorced. Following their separation, Kim Mathers was in and out of rehab as she battled a cocaine addiction. Earlier this year, Eminem checked into a drug treatment program to deal with his own addiction to sleeping pills.

Eminem and Kim have a 10-year-old daughter named Hallie Jade, and Kim has a two-year old daughter named Whitney, from another relationship.

In related news, Eminem's latest release, Curtain Call, is currently Number Four on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The greatest hits set has sold 1.2 million copies since it was released earlier this month.

MARY J. BLIGE'S STYLISH 'BREAKTHROUGH' RACKS UP SALES

By: Janine Coveney

Vocalist Mary J. Blige is having a very happy New Year indeed, as her brand-new studio album The Breakthrough has proven to be a holiday sales winner. Released on December 20th, the album sold 727,000 copies in its first week, to debut in the Number One position on the Billboard 200 albums chart. That sales showing gives Blige the best opening week for a solo Ramp;B female artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era, according the Billboard.com.

The Breakthrough also bests the first-week showing of the singer's previous album, 2003's Life amp; Love. Blige says the new album represents the stronger, more positive place she finds herself spiritually. "My goal was to make my fans happy, and I knew that Love amp; Life was something that disappointed them," she told Billboard.com. "None of us were in a good place. Too many cooks spoiled the soup. You had (co-producer P. Diddy) saying, 'Do this, do that,'and I wanted something else. I have to give the glory to God (for) giving me the strength and guidance to do this."

Sales may well have been helped by Blige's high-profile media blitz, including television appearances, magazine covers, and her designation by Vibe Magazine as a V Legend for both her talent and her personal style. Blige, who debuted in 1991 with the multi-platinum What's The 411?, began her career wearing mostly baggy hip-hop clothes and has evolved into a fashion icon. She recently explained: "I can't change what's in my heart, and what was in my heart is what made me dress like a dude-- and that's comfort and just, you know, I guess a more masculine side than a more feminine side. I'm not as feminine as most women because I'm just not into that. But I'm definitely into being comfortable and making people feel comfortable."

Blige's single from the set, "Be Without You," stands at Number One on Billboard's Hot Ramp;B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

MARY J. BLIGE'S STYLISH 'BREAKTHROUGH' RACKS UP SALES

By: Janine Coveney

Vocalist Mary J. Blige is having a very happy New Year indeed, as her brand-new studio album The Breakthrough has proven to be a holiday sales winner. Released on December 20th, the album sold 727,000 copies in its first week, to debut in the Number One position on the Billboard 200 albums chart. That sales showing gives Blige the best opening week for a solo Ramp;B female artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era, according the Billboard.com.

The Breakthrough also bests the first-week showing of the singer's previous album, 2003's Life amp; Love. Blige says the new album represents the stronger, more positive place she finds herself spiritually. "My goal was to make my fans happy, and I knew that Love amp; Life was something that disappointed them," she told Billboard.com. "None of us were in a good place. Too many cooks spoiled the soup. You had (co-producer P. Diddy) saying, 'Do this, do that,'and I wanted something else. I have to give the glory to God (for) giving me the strength and guidance to do this."

Sales may well have been helped by Blige's high-profile media blitz, including television appearances, magazine covers, and her designation by Vibe Magazine as a V Legend for both her talent and her personal style. Blige, who debuted in 1991 with the multi-platinum What's The 411?, began her career wearing mostly baggy hip-hop clothes and has evolved into a fashion icon. She recently explained: "I can't change what's in my heart, and what was in my heart is what made me dress like a dude-- and that's comfort and just, you know, I guess a more masculine side than a more feminine side. I'm not as feminine as most women because I'm just not into that. But I'm definitely into being comfortable and making people feel comfortable."

Blige's single from the set, "Be Without You," stands at Number One on Billboard's Hot Ramp;B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Eminem protege wounded in shooting

Someone in another car shot through the back window of 28-year-old Trice's vehicle as he drove along the Lodge Freeway around 1:10 a.m., said Michigan State Police Sgt. Mario Gonzales.

The Detroit native managed to continue driving and got off the freeway in the suburb of Southfield, where his girlfriend, also in the vehicle, flagged down police, Gonzales said. The girlfriend wasn't wounded.

Police didn't release where the bullet struck Trice. He was taken to Providence Hospital, where he was treated and released, said hospital spokesman Brian Taylor.

There were no suspects in the shooting, which was under investigation by state police detectives, Gonzales said.

Trice contributed to the song "Drips" on Eminem's 2002 album "The Eminem Show" and got more exposure by delivering the opening lines "Obie Trice-real name, no gimmicks" on the lead single "Without Me."

In addition to Eminem, Trice also has rapped with 50 Cent. Trice's 2003 debut album "Cheers" was produced by Eminem, and he also had a small part in the feature film "8 Mile," which starred Eminem.

Trice was signed to Eminem's label, Shady Records, a joint venture with Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Messages seeking comment were left Saturday for UMG and Shady Records.