Rihanna dating Shia LeBeouf

Chamillionaire Says New Album Is Like A Movie

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Houston-based rapper Chamillionaire will release his sophomore album, Ultimate Victory, on September 18th. The latest single from the project is "Hip Hop Police" featuring Slick Rick. The album will also feature guest appearances by Lil Wayne, Krayzie Bone, Pimp C, Lloyd, Famous and Devin the Dude.

The rapper explained that the album was put together like a movie with every song being based on a concept. Chamillionaire said: "Every song across the whole album, even if it's a club song, it's got a concept to it, you know what I mean? So it's like I think to me that kept me interested in it, you know what I mean, because nowadays just doing rap over and over again, you gotta find ways to keep yourself excited."

The rapper added: "Putting together that concept and trying to piece the whole motion picture together was interesting to me like, 'How can I pull this off?'On my last album, you'll have a song that's a deep song and people will never remember that song. You know what I mean? So I was like this time I make the whole album be a moral so that way if you listen to it, you get the whole moral of the story."

Lil' Wayne Sued For $1 Mil, Teen Claims She Was Trampled At Concert

Lil' Wayne has reportedly been hit with a $1 million lawsuit by a teenager for injuries she suffered after he threw money into the crowd during a concert.

According to The Maryland Daily Record, Fort Washington teen, Tyrique Layne, filed the suit in Baltimore City Circuit Court on Monday afternoon (August 27).

Layne claims she lost consciousness and sustained serious and extensive injuries at the Morgan State University concert last year after Weezy and his entourage threw a large sum of money into the audience, causing the crowd to surge toward the stage.

Layne also alleges she suffered a "serious closed head injury" and now experiences memory loss and difficulty concentrating as well as frequent and severe headaches.

Layne's suit also mentions Universal Records Inc., Cash Money Records Inc., and Young Money Touring, who she claims should have anticipated the crowd's reaction due to their extensive experience with concerts.

Calls made to Wayne's camp were not returned.

As previously reported, two other women were injured during the crowd's rush for the money which consisted of $1, $5, $10 and $20 bills.

In related news, Weezy (born Dwayne Michael Carter) is currently facing felony gun charges in New York after police found a .40 caliber handgun in his tour bus last month. If convicted, he could face up to three and a half years behind bars.

Submissions for the role of NOTORIOUS B.I.G continue to pile up

Submissions for the role of Notorious B.I.G in Fox Searchlight's NOTORIOUS continue to pile up!!! Watch some of the leading candidates give their best impression of Brooklyn's finest!!


B.I.G CASTING CALL: THATIUS FROM NYC
LINK:

click here to vote





B.I.G CASTING CALL: ERRON FROM CHICAGO
LINK: click here

B.I.G CASTING CALL: BRYAN FROM GARDENA
LINK: click here

Former G-Unit President Says 50 Cent Now Has To Deal With The Headaches

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Former G-Unit Records president Sha Money XL is keeping busy these days with manager Young Buck and Lloyd Banks and the rest of the artists on his Money Management Group roster. He recently shared his thoughts on his friend 50 Cent and his current beefs with Interscope Records. 50 Cent went ballistic a few weeks ago because he thinks Interscope Records is leaking music form his upcoming album, Curtis.

Sha Money XL explained that 50 Cent still hasn't replaced him at G-Unit Records. He told MTV.com, "There is no replacement. There's 50 Cent. 50 Cent is the president and CEO of G-Unit. He's not gonna replace anyone. He has to fix things himself now, outside of (his manager) Chris Lighty, and Chris Lighty has a lot of responsibilities with Diddy and his other clients. There's a lot of pressure. 50's under a lot of pressure."

The producer added, "But he's really killing it. He's doing what he got to do. It's frustrating and I tried to tell him that's the frustration I used to have. I'm one man, Interscope has 500 people. Some things you just can't fix. People in L.A. are real Zen. (New Yorkers are) more aggressive. And Fif is really aggressive. He wants to see results now. The same things I tried to conquer before I brought (them) to him, I was knocking down walls myself. 'Cause you don't want it to be like always going to Daddy. But it was the same thing that happened with Banks, so he's experiencing it a year later. Last year, I was mad. But eights months later, I'm good."

Sha Money XL shared that everything is good with the G-Unit camp after a late night meeting between Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, and 50 Cent. He explained, "The whole squad (was there). G-Unit is back. Every beef is squashed." A G-Unit group album featuring 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and Young Buck is now in the works.

In related news, Young Buck is in the process of launching his own clothing and watch line, the David Brown Collection.

Ja Rule Pushes Album Back To November

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Rapper Ja Rule has decided to push back the release of his new album, The Mirror, to November. The album will feature a collaboration with The Game on the song "Sunset." The rapper told Rolling Stone, "I don't think people were expecting that. But we got a hot record on the album."

The new album will also feature a remake of the Beatles'"Eleanor Rigby," titled "Father Forgive Me." Ja Rule said, "Hopefully, I make the Beatles proud. Big shout out to Paul McCartney and the whole gang, Ringo and everybody!"

Ja Rule also shares that he's past his beef with 50 Cent and he's done with beefin'all together. The rapper said, "The whole industry is so focused on beefin'with each other -- it's like the WWF of rap right now. I'm stepping out of the arena. I don't want to be a wrestlin'rapper. Somebody's got to come in and make it positive. You have to make records that make people feel like having a good time."

Missy Elliott Starring In Doritos Ad

By: Janine Coveney

Rapper, singer, and producer Missy Elliott will star in a new ad campaign for Doritos Collisions. The Virginia-bred artist will appear in a new TV spot debuting September 17th, according to Billboard.com. In the commercial, Elliott is seen working on a new track and then pausing to snack on Doritos Collisions chips. Inspired by the two different-tasting chips in the same bag, Elliott realizes that her song needs two different musical styles. She then adds some country twang to the hip-hop track she's working on.

"The whole idea of the mash-up is so prevalent and popular in music today," said Elliott's manager, Mona Scott. "It's so Missy. And the fact that the campaign takes place in a studio means that Missy remains in her element, which makes the whole thing authentic."

The campaign also has tie-ins to Elliott's forthcoming album, tentatively titled The Countdown and due in December. Fans who log onto snackstrongproductions.com can create their own mash-ups, or "collisions," using Elliott's track, upload them, and compete for prizes. A link to Elliott's own website will keep fans up to date on the new CD as well as technical advice from Missy on music-making via the Help button.

Elliott's previous album was 2005's Cookbook

50 Cent Cosigns Maino, Helps Rapper Land Deal With Atlantic

Brooklyn rapper Maino has just signed a new deal with Atlantic Records, after 50 Cent placed a call on the rapper's behalf.

In a statement released yesterday (August 27) that revealed support from two of the hottest MCs in hip-hop, it was announced that Maino has been signed to a major label deal with Atlantic.

"With the help of 50 Cent's personal phone call to Craig Kallman (CEO of Atlantic Records), Maino has found a new home at Atlantic Records," read the statement. "This new venture has cultivated a strong alliance with label mate T.I. and his Grand Hustle team, which allows Maino to explore the opportunity of expanding his Hustle Hard brand."

The long-time Lil Kim affiliate, and winner of last year's Most Consistent Artist on a DVD Award from DVD Magazine, has made the move from an underground staple to a major label artist. Maino is currently in the studio at work on his debut album Death Before Dishonor, which is scheduled for an early 2008 release.

Maino is also expanding his business horizons, having recently established Hustle Hard Publishing, that will publish books aimed at the street audience. The book publisher's first title Gangstas Don't Die is expected to be on shelves later this fall.

Sheriff raids DMX' home, seizes dogs

PHOENIX - Sheriff's deputies raided the home of rapper DMX on Friday, seizing several pit bulls and finding the remains of three other dogs but making no arrests.


The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office received a tip more than a week ago about dogs being kept in inhumane conditions at the Phoenix-area home, said Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Detectives visited the home and then called one of the rapper's lawyers and told him that the conditions for the animals at the property needed to be improved or deputies would take action, Arpaio said. The dogs were not being fed or given water.

Authorities returned to the home Friday.

The 36-year-old musician and actor, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was not at home during the raid.

Simmons' lawyer, Murray Richman, said Simmons hasn't been in Arizona for at least two months and was "extremely disturbed" to hear the animals weren't being cared for properly.

"We had a caretaker that wasn't taking care, that's what happened," Richman said. "He loves dogs — he loves these animals. Those dogs are practically his family."

Richman said he hadn't been notified of problems at the property until he learned of the raid Friday. Sheriff's officials said they had contacted another lawyer who works for DMX.

Arpaio said the deputies who served a search warrant at the home Friday seized 12 pit bulls tied up on the property and took them to an old jail that has been converted into an animal shelter.

Deputies found the buried dogs when they dug up the back yard. One had apparently been burned and the cause of death on the others was unknown because the bodies were decomposing.

Deputies also found a variety of firearms, Arpaio said. Authorities sought additional warrants so they could check the guns to determine if they were legal.

DMX's albums include "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot" and "Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood" and "Year of the Dog ... Again."

Bizzy Bone Working On Third Solo Album

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Former Bone Thugs-N-Harmony member Bizzy Bone, who was kicked out of the group in 2002 because of drug and alcohol abuse, is on the comeback trail. The rapper will release a new album, A Song For You, later this year. Bone told Allhiphop.com, "I can't wait for my fans to hear my new music. For the first time in my life, I've truly been able to put aside all my demons and just focus on making the best music possible."

Bizzy Bone also addressed his former group mates who are enjoying the success of their gold comeback album, Strength and Loyalty. The rapper said, "It's all love with Bone Thug. I love and support what they're doing. If they ever need anything I'm right here to deliver. I wish them much success, peace and prosperity, as they are much deserving and I'm certain they reciprocate the same feelings for me."

The rapper also shared his thoughts on the rumors circulating that he's still battling his old demons. He said, "Don't believe what you've heard. I'm back, I'm bringing it and I'm here to stay."

A Song For You will feature collaborations with DMX, Jim Jones, Trina, Good Charlotte, and Twista.

50 CENT, KANYE TOGETHER ON SCREAMFEST STAGE

Fans had no idea when they bought a ticket to the Screamfest tour stop at New York’s Madison Square Garden that rap history would be made.


Besides the surprise guest appearances of 50 Cent and Kanye West – who rocked the same stage despite a rivalry over their Sept. 11th album releases – fans lost their minds when Screamfest headliners T.I. and Ciara were also joined by rap heavyweights Jay-Z, Diddy and Swizz Beatz.


At one point, all seven of the artists were on stage at the same time, reports MTV, which recounted the moment in its review of Wednesday night’s show at Madison Square Garden:

The show started like just another Screamfest '07 tour stop. Headliners Ciara and T.I. intermingled their sets much like Jay-Z and R. Kelly did on the Best of Both Worlds tour a few years back. Ciara came out first, did half her show and left. Then it was T.I.'s turn to do half his show, which led into both ATL natives performing their respective part twos. Those second halves would bring the crowd into the stratosphere and give MSG one of its memorable spectacles ever.

During the second half of Ciara's set, 50 Cent slowly rose up and onto the stage, where he and his rumored girlfriend performed "Can't Leave Him Alone." Although Fif isn't on the Scream bill, he might as well be: He's popped up with "surprise" appearances on the tour several times, including earlier this week in Hampton, Virginia. 50 was immediately greeted, well, like the man who runs New York. The crowd got stupid. After their duet, Ciara asked 50 if he would perform one of his songs, and if you think there was any way he wasn't going to rock in his hometown, you're just plain foolish.

"I Get Money" was ... well, remember the first episode of "Lost," when the plane was ripped apart and just about everyone and everything went flying? It was that. 50 brought out some of his wolves: Lloyd Banks, Mobb Deep, Tony Yayo, you get the picture. But it was big, it was loud, the energy level was as high as a satellite. It was that big MSG moment that a superstar who claims he runs the city — in that very song no less — was supposed to bring. It was almost a show-stealer.

But T.I.'s round two was utterly remarkable — and is one for the history books. The crowd had already showered him with love as he shot from the throne hits like "Top Back," "24's," "Why You Wanna," "Rubber Band Man" and "Bring Em Out" — a great show in its own right. But what he did to end his set was one of the few things missing from his career: a coronation at one the most famous venues in the world. He'd done shows at Madison Square Garden before, but never his show.

Wyclef Jean broke T.I..'s halftime silence by playing the national anthem on guitar. 'Clef later ran into the crowd during "My Swag." Then Tip started another cut from his album, "Watch What You Say." After the first verse, a banner of Jay-Z's hands throwing up the dynasty sign rolled down the back of the stage.

Jay-Z then began to stroll down a long runway, to the main stage, in the middle of the Garden. The crowd must not have believed its eyes, because there was no reaction at first. Once Jay started to rap his lines — "Rap music is something ain't it? The way these pictures is painted/ You swear these n----s is dangerous, the gangsta sh-- they be saying" — the audience went wild.

After "Watch What You Say," Jay let everyone know the Roc was in the building — and the music brought the point home big time. As Kanye West's "Can't Tell Me Nothing" started to play, 'Ye himself walked slowly from the runway to the main stage. During all this, 50 ran to the stage from another part of the venue — seemingly unplanned, because Jay and T.I. both looked a little surprised.

But there were no incidents and no signs of rivalries — as Kanye rapped, 50 ran around the stage like he was doing a victory lap, stopping along the way to bump shoulders and say what's up to Tip, 'Ye and Jay. Then, out of nowhere, Diddy ran up and got onstage with them. Although the audience was rocking to West, the spectacle of seeing everybody together onstage — especially the two guys who have been hyping their September 11 in-store showdown — on one stage at the same time took precedence They were all smiling and dancing and genuinely enjoying the camaraderie.

Jay-Z then did one of his classics, "Encore," and the show ended with everyone in the Garden unanimously cheering and making the Roc sign. Some fans were saying that the cheers in the Garden sounded louder than when close to 60,000 at Giants Stadium did the same thing a few years ago during Summer Jam.

With everyone still hanging out onstage, Swizz Beatz and Ciara eventually made it to the stage as well, with Swizz doing one of the biggest records in rap right now, "Money in the Bank."

T.I. and Ciara ended their triumphant New York visit with renditions of his "What You Know?" and "Big Things Poppin'." CiCi proclaimed herself "Queen of the South," and rightly so.

R Kelly Plans a New Tour......After Trial

Foxy Brown Sent To Jail For Violating Probation

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Rapper Foxy Brown is behind bars after a judge found her guilty of violating the terms of her probation. The rapper was placed on three years probation for assaulting two manicurists in 2004, but after two recent run-ins with the law, Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson decided enough was enough.

Brown will be held at the all-women Rose M. Singer Center at Rikers Island prison until her next court date on September 7th.

MTV.com reports that Jackson ruled that the rapper violated the terms of her probation because of her recent arrest for allegedly assaulting her neighbor with a BlackBerry cell phone last month and for leaving the jurisdiction of New York without court permission.

No explanation was given for the latter violation, but it may stem from Brown's run-in with authorities in New Jersey last week. The rapper is accused of lying to a police officer during a traffic stop in New Jersey on Wednesday, August 15th. The rapper was stopped for talking on a cell phone and failing to stop at a stop sign. When questioned by police, she gave officers a variation of her real name and a date of birth that was a year off. After getting the correct information from the rapper, officers learned that her license was suspended. She was taken to police headquarters and issued seven traffic tickets.

In addition to the BlackBerry incident and the traffic stop, Brown is still facing charges in Florida for allegedly spitting and throwing glue on the owner of a beauty supply store. The case is slated to go to trial next month.

The rapper's lawyer, New York State Senator Jack Sampson, believes incarceration isn't the answer since Brown will be acquitted in her Brooklyn and Florida cases. He told the New York Post, "You have to let the criminal prosecution in Brooklyn and Florida run their course. These are just allegations."

Diddy Gets Denied Fireworks At His Hamptons White Party

By: Lauren Moraski

Diddy's annual White Party on Long Island will go on this year -- just without fireworks. According to E! Online, the East Hampton Town Council has rejected his permit request to launch an all-white fireworks display at the September 2nd bash. Council members are citing safety concerns, saying the display would attract boats of onlookers to dangerously rocky waters nearby.

Diddy had already teamed up with Long Island's Fireworks by Grucci to host a show estimated to cost at about $100,000.

The White Party always attracts a number of celebrities. Past guests have included Snoop Dogg, Hugh Hefner, Bruce Willis, Paris Hilton, Ivanka Trump and Aretha Franklin

Nore Has Three Albums In The Works

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Rapper NORE, who now calls Miami home, is working on three new albums which he plans to release over the next year. The first release from the rapper will be an album titled, Noreality, which will be released on August 28th through a partnership between the rapper's Thugged Out Militainment label and Babygrande Records.

Noreality will feature collaborations with Capone, Kanye West, Jadakiss, Kurupt, Swizz Beatz and Three 6 Mafia. The rapper described the set as attempt to "really just getting back to hip-hop and just getting back to the streets, where people know me from."

NORE will follow Noreality with Global Warming, an album he actually completed before Noreality. He told Billboard.com, "I recorded so much material. Usually you do material for an album and throw the rest of it away, but I didn't really want to do that. I wanted to separate the album into two."

Global Warming, which is described as a radio friendly album, features collaborations with T-Pain and Pharrell Williams. The set is staled to hit stores early next year.

In addition to the two solo projects, NORE will also reunite with Capone for a new Capone-N-Noreaga album. The rapper said, "We've collected all the beats. He collected all his beats in New York, I collected all my beats in Miami, so now it's just about us getting in and laying hooks and laying the choruses and getting it going, man. We're on it."

In addition to the musical projects, NORE is also working on an unscripted reality show. The rapper plans to release a pilot of the show as a limited edition DVD.

TRIBE CALLED QUEST ADDED TO VH1’S ‘HIP HOP HONORS’

A Tribe Called Quest will get its props during VH1's Fourth Annual Hip Hop Honors alongside previously-announced honorees Whodini, Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliott, Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell.

As previously reported, the show will be hosted by “30 Rock” star Tracy Morgan and taped at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom on October 4.

Performers on tap to pay tribute to their rap elders include Eve, Pharrell Williams, The Game, Common, Busta Rhymes, Timbaland, Bow Wow, Nick Cannon, T.I., T-Pain, Keyshia Cole and Chris Rock.

Country Star Warns 50 Cent And Kanye West

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Hip hop mogul 50 Cent and super producer Kanye West have been going at it in the press leading up to the release of both of their new albums on September 11th. 50 Cent had vowed that his new album, Curtis, will outsell West's Graduation but both men were recently reminded that another super star is also putting an album out on September 11th.

Kenny Chesney told EW, ''It's funny how with every record that comes out, we're aware of the urban competition, and none of those acts acknowledge that I exist, until I have that No. 1 debut on the Top 200."

Chesney will release his 11th album, Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates, on September 11th. If Chesney beats 50 Cent it won't be the first time. In November 2005, Chesney's The Road and The Radio beat out the soundtrack to 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' to take the top spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

50 Cent hasn't publicly addressed Chesney but he's had a lot to say about West. He said, "To have people come out and say it's a bout, it ain't no bout or competition. The guy Kanye West will say to you right away, 'I don't mind being number two.'He'll make the statement, 'cause it's clear that there ain't no competition like that."

West took more of a diplomatic approach about the situation. He said, "It's something really great for Hip-Hop. 50 Cent he's a pretty intimidating guy. I don't want to go to war with him, I just want to put out my album. I really like 50, I don't want him to retire once my album sells the most."

50 Cent initially said he would retire if West outsold him, but he's since backtracked.

Foxy Brown accused of lying to NJ police

MAHWAH, N.J. - Foxy Brown is accused of lying to police during a traffic stop, the latest addition to the rapper's legal woes, according to a published report.



Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, was driving a sport utility vehicle on Wednesday when she was stopped for talking on a handheld cell phone and failing to stop at a stop sign, police told The Record of Bergen County.

After a check showed the SUV's registration had been suspended, the 27-year-old rapper gave officers a variation of her real name and a date of birth that was a year off, authorities said.

When a search for the name she gave turned up no records, the officers asked her again for the information, and she gave her correct name and date of birth, authorities said.

The officers then learned that Brown's license was suspended, and she was taken to police headquarters, where she was issued seven traffic tickets and released on her own recognizance.

She was told to appear in municipal court in Mahwah on Sept. 4.

Brown's lawyer, John L. Sampson, did not immediately respond to requests for comment by The Associated Press on Monday night.

The traffic stop came a day after Brown was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a neighbor in New York City's Brooklyn borough.

Police said that the two women got into a fight over the rapper blasting her car stereo and that, when they passed each other on the street a few days later, Brown hurled her BlackBerry device at the woman, cutting her lip and knocking a tooth loose.

Brown is already on probation after pleading guilty to assault in a 2004 dispute over paying for a manicure.

T.I. Set To Star In New Movie With Danny Glover

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Rapper T.I. is still enjoying the success of his latest album, T.I. v T.I.P., and tearing up stages across the country as the co-headline of the Screamfest but shortly the rapper will be turning his energy to acting. MTV.com reports that T.I. is set to star opposite Danny Glover in Once Was Lost.

T.I. said, "It's about the relationship, the bond that was created from two very unlike characters. I play a young, money-hungry drug dealer, and Danny Glover is in it with me. He plays a senile jazz musician. He kind of tricked me into driving him to Mississippi from Harlem New York against my will. We learn so much about each other along the way. ... It's kinda like an older generation/younger generation, unlikely bond. It's an extreme pleasure to be able to work alongside a legend like Danny Glover."

T.I.'s Grand Hustle Films company is also finalizing a script for a new movie project titled For Sale, about an Atlanta-area car salesman. While no director has been attached to the project yet, plans are in the works to begin production early next year.

The rapper's fans will get to see him on the big screen this October in American Gangster which hits theaters on November 2nd. The film stars Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Common, RZA, and others.

T.I. said, "It's one of the most prolific black gangster pictures ever to hit the screen. Tremendous amount of acting. Everybody's going hard. It's like when a hip-hop fan hears a song like Khaled's 'We Takin'Over'and you hear all your favorites and you hear them at their best. That's what American Gangster is like for film. Cuba Gooding Jr., Common, RZA, Russell Crowe, Idris Elba. Everybody is doing their thing, everybody is going hard."

The rapper, who plays Common's son in the film, added, "We had a lot of monologue. They got him fixed up with a beard and gray hair. We were just happy to be able to portray our characters in this story. It wasn't about him playing my dad or me playing his son, it was about being a part of this movie and going the extra mile."

HIP HOP EMBRACES BARACK OBAMA: Common, Kweli name-drop senator in rhymes; CNN reports of Democrat’s swagger

Vibe magazine has dubbed him "B-Rock." He's getting shout-outs in some of the most popular hip-hop singles of the summer. He's even had a high-profile meeting with Ludacris.


Barack Obama might not be leading the Democratic presidential field in national polls, but the freshman senator has managed to capture the imagination of the hip-hop community, comprised mostly of rap artists, music industry professionals, activists and young fans of all races.


Despite Obama's sometimes critical opinion of rap music, the candidate's name is being dropped on iPods, car stereos and music Web sites across the country.

Take one of the summer's biggest songs: In his new single "The People," Common uses the lyric: "My raps ignite the people like Obama," while the song's music video flashes on an "Obama '08" bumper sticker.


"He's fresh, you know, he's got good style," Common told CNN. "As far as people in my age group and people that love hip-hop, there's a love for Obama. He represents progress. He represents what hip-hop is about. Hip-hop is about progress, the struggle."


Then there's "Say Something," a new track from the popular Brooklyn-based lyricist Talib Kweli, who raps: "Speak to the people like Barack Obama."


Those references follow a song from Asian-American rapper Jin, who recently penned an up-tempo song called "Open Letter 2 Obama" that's garnered more than 320,000 hits on Jin's MySpace page.


Jin's song is so popular online that the Obama campaign is offering it as a free cell phone ring-tone on its Web site, and Obama was introduced with the song before his speech to the College Democrats National Convention in South Carolina in July.


Part of Obama's hip-hop appeal is simply cosmetic -- he is young and African-American. It also doesn't hurt that his name just works better in a rhyming verse than, say, "Kucinich."


"More than anything his name is a nugget of lyrical gold," said Kweli. "It sounds like a gunshot going off ... Obama rhymes with a lot of things."


Kweli told CNN that Obama, 46, is a "refreshing face like [Muhammad] Ali in '63" and that among Kweli's friends, Obama would win a presidential poll overwhelmingly. Kweli, who said he hasn't voted in years and may not vote in 2008 because he believes the political system is broken, explained why Obama has piqued his interest.


"His youth, his being black, the way that he speaks, the way that he lays out his point of view," Kweli said. "It's someone who looks more like you. I don't mean black, but I mean the young thing. And his name is Barack Obama. This country is become more and more multicultural."


He has criticized the industry on several occasions for failing to recognize the power it holds over young people. His criticism has also frustrated some artists, bloggers, and even music executives, proving that despite all the attention he is getting in song lyrics, Obama can't assume the hip-hop world has his back.


In April, in the midst of the controversy surrounding radio host Don Imus, Obama was quoted by The Associated Press as saying rappers also bear some responsibility for degrading language.


Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam records, responded in the New York Times magazine, calling Obama a "mouse, too, like everybody else," and saying that instead of reforming rap lyrics, "What we need to reform is the conditions that create these lyrics. Obama needs to reform the conditions of poverty."


In the September issue of Vibe, one of the hip-hop industry's leading publications, Obama agreed with some of Simmons' criticism but stressed that rap music's influence is undeniable.


"So yes, my job is to focus on poverty, education, health care, but I think we have to acknowledge the power of culture in affecting how our kids see themselves and the decisions they make," Obama told the magazine, which put the presidential candidate on its cover above the headline: "It's Obama Time."


Common, who hails from Obama's hometown of Chicago, Illinois, and also attends Obama's church, Trinity United Church of Christ, said he is willing to accept some criticism of hip-hop as long as Obama wins.


"If you're really supporting somebody, you're not looking for something back all the time," said Common. "He'd do best just getting elected and going in there and doing well, that's the best way he can give back to us. We don't need him to be at the concerts."


Both Common and Kweli bristled at one question that Obama's faced at recent presidential forums and debates: whether the candidate is "black enough."


“It's a horrible question," Kweli said. "It's very divisive. It divides us. Obviously that man is black. I think it's utterly ridiculous."


Common laughed and said, "He looks black to me."

DR. DRE SUES DEATH ROW OVER RIGHTS TO ‘CHRONIC’ Producer says he owns copyright to his groundbreaking 1992 album

Dr. Dre has sued his former label Death Row Records in bankruptcy court to determine who owns the rights to his 1992 album “The Chronic,” which launched rapper Snoop Dogg and helped to define the gangsta rap era.


In his filing Wednesday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles, Dre said he believes Death Row, now defunct and mired in bankruptcy, is trying to sell off the copyright to his album and in the past month has solicited bids from potential buyers.


The artist, who created, produced and was the principal performer on all master recordings for "The Chronic," says he granted Death Row a license to distribute the album in 1992 in exchange for payment of royalties. The album was released on the label in November of that year.


Sometime in March 1996, Dre agreed to relinquish his 50 percent ownership interest in Death Row Records, as specified in a written agreement. Also under that 1996 agreement, Dr. Dre agreed to hand over copyrights to the album on the condition he continue receiving royalties.


According to the lawsuit, Dr. Dre held up his end of the bargain, but Death Row has yet to pay the royalties. As a result, Dr. Dre gave Death Row Records notice in 2000 that he was rescinding the agreements and demanding return of the copyrights.


Based on that move, Dr. Dre asserts in the lawsuit that he is again the rightful owner of the copyrights and that the defendants - Death Row and the Chapter 11 trustee administering the bankruptcy case - have infringed on his rights by continuing to distribute the album without the rapper's authorization.


Dr. Dre, born Andre Young, is asking the L.A. bankruptcy court to declare that the 1992 and 1996 agreements have been rescinded and force Death Row and the trustee to restore the copyrights to him. He's also asking that the label and trustee be made to pay him restitution for all revenue Death Row received from its use of the copyrights.


Dr. Dre also wants the court to issue a permanent injunction that would bar the defendants from offering the copyrights for sale without his written consent.