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.

Michael Vick Case and impact to Hip Hop?

Plea deal for Method Man in drug arrest

NEW YORK - Method Man is going back to school.

As part of a plea deal reached following a marijuana arrest earlier this year, the hip-hop star was ordered to visit 15 city high schools to warn students about the dangers of drugs.

The former Wu-Tang Clan member, whose real name is Clifford Smith, "is thrilled to do it," defense attorney Peter Frankel said Friday. "He's never been in trouble before. He's not a stereotypical rapper."

Smith, 36, was arrested on May 17 after toll-booth workers on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel reported smelling marijuana smoke coming from his sport utility vehicle. He was charged with driving under the influence of drugs and drug possession after police said they found marijuana inside the SUV.

Prosecutors knocked the drug charges down to disorderly conduct as part of the plea deal.

Snoop Dogg Sells Mansion

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Rapper Snoop Dogg recently sold his Claremont, California mansion which includes eight bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms, and 6,500 square feet of living space. The home also has a gourmet chef's kitchen, a home theater, recording studio, pool, spa, and a tennis court. The mansion, which has a Los Angeles Lakers-themed basketball court, was featured on MTV's Cribs in 2000.

The rapper, who moved out of the house a couple of years ago, was asking for $2 million but settled for $1.8 million, and his neighbors are happy as he's thrown his share of big parties of the years.

Claremont Police Capt. Gary Jenkins told the Claremont Courier, "There were regular parties, and they were loud. So we would receive a lot of noise complaints. There were a lot of cars in the neighborhood and people loitering around in the streets, but no major problems."

Jay-Z richest rap mogul, says Forbes.com

NEW YORK - Jay-Z wins all around, says Forbes.com. He's got Beyonce on his arm — and more millions than 50 Cent and Diddy.

The rap icon, aka Shawn Carter, is No. 1 on the site's list of "Hip-Hop Cash Kings," based solely on 2006 income. He banked an estimated $34 million, Forbes.com said Thursday.

Jay-Z, president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, released his 11th studio album, "Kingdom Come," which sold around 2 million copies. Jay-Z, 37, is also part owner of the New Jersey Nets and has endorsement deals with Budweiser, Hewlett-Packard and General Motors.

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson ranks second with an estimated $32 million. The 31-year-old rapper-businessman oversees his G-Unit record label, clothing line, ring tones and other enterprises, and has sold more than 11 million albums. His latest record, "Curtis," is due out Sept. 11.

Diddy (real name: Sean Combs) placed third with an estimated $28 million. A fashion plate, he has a clothing line, Sean John, and heads Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment and its record label. Diddy, 37, is also host of MTV's "Making the Band" series.

Rounding out the top five are Timbaland ($21 million) and Dr. Dre ($20 million). They're followed by Eminem ($18 million); Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Scott Storch (all $17 million); Ludacris and T.I. (both $16 million); Outkast and Lil Jon (both $14 million); Ice Cube ($13 million); Jermaine Dupri and Swizz Beatz (both $12 million); Chamillionaire and The Game (both $11 million); and Young Joc ($10 million).

___

Lil Wayne Decides To Drop 'tha Carter Iii' In December

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Lil Wayne had initially planned to wait until next year to release his new album, Tha Carter Vol. III, but according to the rapper's label, Universal Records, the album will now hit stores on December 18th. Wayne has been working on the album for over a year and it will now feature production from Kanye West.

An early version of Tha Carter III was leaked so Wayne decided to package the leaked material, as a mixtape titled The Leak. The rapper recently released another mixtape, The Drought 3.

The new album is the latest in Lil Wayne's Carter series. The rapper explained how he came up with the series title. He said: "First of all, Carter is my last name. And then we all know from New Jack City, the building was called The Carter where Nino Brown had his business organized at. He ran a serious, serious, serious business, and I feel that when I do what I does, it's serious just like that, so I'm the Carter, here's Tha Carter, so I got that crack."

Al Sharpton's Team Responds To David Banner's Comments

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Mississippi based rapper and activist David Banner recently shared his thoughts on Reverend Al Sharpton, whom he referred to as "a permed out pimp." Banner, whose real name is Levell Crump, said, "The next time you see Al Sharpton, tell him I said f*** him and he can suck my d***. I might change the name of my album from The Greatest Story Never Told to F*** Al Sharpton. I hate Al Sharpton. This is the kind of s*** that I'm talking about. They're killing kids in New Jersey and all across the country and all a n**** got to talk about is rap lyrics? F*** that about they're our elders and we gotta respect them. I'm tired of this. They're like the parents, but the parents are crucifying the kids."

Kirsten John-Foy, a member of Sharpton's National Action Network and head its Criminal Justice Initiative, responded to Banner's comments. Foy said, "From time to time we do encounter people that have sexual fantasies about Reverend Al Sharpton, but they are always women and Crump's proposition is a first."

Foy added, "However, in keeping with the National Action Network's Decency Initiative, I am sure Rev. Sharpton would not call Crump the "N" "B" or "H" word. And, despite Crump's personal request, I am sure Reverend Sharpton would not call him an f*****. He would just pray for him. We at NAN are pro civil rights for everyone, even Levell Crump who has not had a banner year since his debut album in 2003."

In related news, Banner will release his new album, The Greatest Story Never Told, in October.

FOXY BROWN LEAVES DEF JAM, SIGNS WITH KOCH: News breaks as rapper makes headlines for Blackberry beatdown.

Foxy Brown’s management has announced that the trouble-prone rapper has left Def Jam after 13 years and inked a fresh deal with Koch Records, which has also agreed to house her label, Black Rose Entertainment.


"Def Jam was really an artist situation with Foxy under Jay-Z," says Chaz Williams, Foxy's manager and CEO of Black Hand Entertainment. "She's moved onto monetarily greener pastures by signing her record label, Black Rose Entertainment to Koch.”


“She is the first artist and she wants to connect with her dancehall reggae roots,” Williams continues. “Foxy's looking to sign up-and-coming Caribbean and U.S. artists. But she's definitely the first and biggest artist on her label."


Under terms of the deal, Black Rose Entertainment is obligated to drop three albums per year – the first being her own CD, “Brooklyn’s Don Diva,” on Dec. 4. Brown’s long-delayed Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam album “Black Roses” will be released through her label next year.


“I have always been a symbol of independence as a female in music," said the rapper in a statement. "My brand is already established, millions of my records have already been sold, and I have a fan base already loyal. After 13 years at Def Jam, I felt it was time as a matured business women to move on and continue my brand under the roof of something I own."


Meanwhile, TMZ.com is reporting that the Ill Na Na has “channeled her inner Naomi” and smacked a neighbor with her Blackberry phone.


According to police, the artist was arguing with her 25-year-old neighbor on July 30 when she struck the woman in the head with her cell phone. Police said the victim had some teeth knocked loose and suffered a swollen lip and eye as a result of Foxy’s alleged assault.


The rapper, whose real name is Inga Marchand, reportedly turned herself in to New York police Tuesday afternoon following a report filed by the victim. Brown was arraigned, released on $5,000 bail and is due back in court on Sept. 26.

Nas Previews Upcoming Greatest Hits Album by Releasing New Music in the Feature Film Rush Hour 3

Multi-Platinum Hip-Hop Legend Nas Contributes Newly Recorded Song, "Less Than An Hour," Featuring Cee-Lo, To The New Line Cinema Film Rush Hour 3 And Gives Fans A Taste Of Upcoming Greatest Hits Album, Available This November

NEW YORK, Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Hip-Hop icon Nas contributes brand new material to the highly anticipated third installment of New Line Cinema's Rush Hour franchise. "Less Than An Hour," featuring Cee-Lo, recently recorded specifically for Rush Hour 3, is the first of brand new material from Nas since his last studio album, the critically-acclaimed release, Hip Hop Is Dead. The song will premiere exclusively on AOLmusic.com on Friday, August 10th.

With the contribution of new material to Rush Hour 3, Nas gives fans a sneak peek into his upcoming Greatest Hits album due out this November on Columbia Records. It will feature 12 songs from eight of his classic albums and two new songs including "Less Than An Hour."

Nas explains, "Nobody brings it like Brett Ratner. He's the street smart director and he knows his audience. I'm just happy Chris Tucker is back. It's not every year that we get to see him on the screen. Chris and Jackie Chan together again is what we've all needed! It's an honor for me to play my part musically in the film."

Earlier this year, Nas released his eighth studio album, Hip Hop Is Dead. Since his debut album Illmatic in 1994, Nas has become one of the most celebrated emcees of all time. Nas' lyrical prowess has been commonly referred to as brilliant, and he is considered one of the top 5 emcees in all of Hip Hop history.

Chris Tucker returns to the big screen after a six-year absence as he reunites with the all-star team of Jackie Chan, director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2, X-Men: The Last Stand, Red Dragon) and screenwriter, Jeff Nathanson (Rush Hour 2, Catch Me If You Can) to deliver the third installment of the blockbuster Rush Hour franchise. Arriving in theatres on August 10, 2007, Rush Hour 3 sees the beloved action comedy duo of Tucker and Chan reprising their roles as LAPD Detective James Carter and Chinese Chief Inspector Lee respectively. This time around, the two must travel to Paris to battle a wing of the Chinese organized crime family, the Triads. Based on characters created by Ross La Manna, Rush Hour 3 is being produced by Arthur Sarkissian, Roger Birnbaum (Memoirs of a Geisha), Jay Stern, Jonathan Glickman (The Pacifier) and Andrew Z. Davis.

Source: Columbia Records

DIPSET/BYRDGANG RECORDING ARTIST NOE READIES THE RELEASE OF HIS DEBUT ALBUM, "NOE MORE ?'s"

Baltimore Native, NOE, is in the final stages of releasing his debut album on the Dipset/ByrdGang imprint. The lead single, "Headlights", features his boss and friend, Jim Jones. Already spinning across the country and internationally on radio and in the clubs, if it's any indication of things to come, NOE will soon be a household name.

A true survivor and warrior, NOE utilizes his music as a vessel to entertain and also inform and discuss the things he has been through in his life. "When I realized that you could actually vent about issues other than love over a drum and snare, it was a wrap". Consequently, a rising star was born. NOE's small breakthrough began when he was featured on the Universal Records' recording artist Thug City's underground smash ".45".

Soon after, NOE would find himself writing for artists such as P Diddy and not long after inking a deal with Harlem's own Jim Jones and his ByrdGang/Dipset Record label. NOE has collaborated with Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, AZ, Max B, JR Writer and a countless list of others who recognize the gift NOE has for story telling and his uncanny, original delivery of his songs.
Look out for the debut release from NOE titled

"NOE More ?'s" coming soon.
(NOE all three letters are always capitalized)

For more information please visit:
www.myspace.com/noemoney

Beanie Sigel Hooks Up With R. Kelly

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Philadelphia-based rapper Beanie Sigel was able to recruit an unlikely guest to appear on his forthcoming album, The Solution. MTV.com reports that Sigel hooked up with R. Kelly for the lead single, "All of the Above." The collaboration was unlikely because Sigel is signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, and Kelly and Roc-A-Fella CEO Jay-Z fell out a few years ago during their Best of Both Worlds tour, which resulted in a series of multi-million dollar lawsuits.

Sigel said, "Yeah, me and Kells....It's crazy. 'All of the Above'(means) everything. Anything that people try to portray (us as), we all of the above......I ain't even know if he was gonna do it. I told him I got this record -- 'cause you know the situation with Jay and him. ... I was like, 'If dude gets on this record, it'll be crazy.'So I sent it out to him, got the response he was gonna do it. (Kelly) knocked it out, he sent it back in like three days."

So far The Solution features collaborations with Lil Wayne, Raheem Devaughn and Scarface but the rapper isn't done recording yet. Sigel said, "I could be done now, but ... what's the setup? They don't have a marketing plan. Until they come up with it, I'm gonna keep recording. We was going to be done, then I kept recording and got the R. Kelly record. I feel whenever I do decide to put the album out, it's gonna do what it's gonna do. I never had no setup, they never gave me no big campaign. I'm not gonna rush this. I have records."

JA RULE DISPUTES CONTRACTOR IN COURT: Rapper accused of failure to pay balance on a leak repair.

Ja Rule was in a courtroom last week, but it had nothing to do with his recent weapons charges.


The rapper, born Jeffrey Atkins, was disputing a criminal complaint brought by a local contractor who claims he is still owed $8,000 after fixing a bad leak at the artist’s $3.5 million Saddle River mansion, reports the New Jersey Herald.

"We put in 150 hours of manpower, which I gave to him for $13,000," said Joel Tobia, who claims he and six other men finished the work in three days. "He paid me $5,000 and wouldn't pay me the rest. I don't know why."

Ja Rule's lawyer Brian Neary argued "some work was done," but claims that the actual amount owed was $4,000 and that "there was a dispute as to whether the work was done properly and whether money is owed."

Thursday’s hearing on the criminal complaint follows a previous civil court judgment of $8,000 awarded to Tobia after Ja Rule failed to show up in court. Tobia filed the criminal complaint last month alleging that the 31-year-old artist’s failure to pay him amounted to theft of services.

A hearing to determine whether there was probable cause for the complaint, which was originally set for Thursday, has been rescheduled for next week at Tobia's request.

Meanwhile, Ja Rule is currently free on $150,000 bail stemming from an arrest in July. The rapper was charged with criminal weapons possession after police pulled over a car he was riding in for speeding and found a semiautomatic handgun in the vehicle.

Master P Urges Minorities to Exercise Their Right To Vote and Announces His Support for Barack Obama

Father & son Hip-Hop artists Master P and Romeo have linked up with the NAACP to help minorities understand their impact on democracy and empower them to exercise their right to vote. The team has set out to educate communities on the importance of their vote and encourage them to elect the right people to office that will truly represent and serve their needs.

"We always think we're outnumbered, and our vote doesn't matter, but truthfully that's not the case," said Master P. "If we get out there and support the people we believe in, we can make a difference NOW!"

Master P stated that he is joining the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry and George Clooney in supporting Obama's bid for presidency.

"Our communities need to support our positive role models and leaders," continued Master P. "I challenge the studios, TV, Internet sites, and radio stations, to promote our positive leaders and stop glorifying the negative.

The well-known entrepreneur/rapper recently cleaned up his act and undertook several initiatives to create and promote positive music. Take A Stand Records, a label he started with his son, Romeo, is set to make history by releasing a street, profanity-free record titled “Hip-Hop History”. It will be available at Wal-Mart stores nationwide and iTunes. In addition, Master P will also release a self-empowerment book titled “Guaranteed Success”, which guides readers along the path to financial and personal success. Both the book and album will also be available on September 4, 2007.

Master P will be speaking at the 2007 Congressional Black Caucus Convention. Making a change for the better and acting responsibly is important to the first father & son of Hip Hop. Their family values education so highly that Romeo has put his entertainment career on hold in order to pursue a full-time undergraduate degree at USC.

50 Cent Erupts After Song, Video With Robin Thicke Leak: Source

50 Cent erupted at the G-Unit offices in New York Thursday night after his collaboration with Robin Thicke leaked in both song and video form, a source told MTV News.

On Thursday morning, G-Unit Records unveiled a new song from 50's September 11 LP, Curtis: a neighborhood knocker named "We on Some Sh--" that features Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. But by nightfall, mayhem apparently ensued when not only another Curtis song leaked online — "Follow My Lead," his collaboration with Robin Thicke — but its accompanying video as well.

According to the source, "Follow My Lead" wasn't supposed to be released until further down the line in Curtis' run, especially since 50 has videos for "I Get Money" and "Ayo Technology" already in rotation (see "50 Cent Suits Up For 'Ayo Technology' Clip With Justin Timberlake, Timbaland").

Needless to say, 50 didn't take the news too kindly, causing quite a stir at the G-Unit offices, according to both the source and the web site of radio personality/journalist MissInfo. 50 reportedly erupted, ripping out a plasma TV, throwing his cell phone through a glass window and saying that he was going on vacation.

50 talked about his frustration over the way Interscope handled his Curtis project with DJ Kay Slay on New York's Hot 97 in an interview that aired late Thursday night.

"The process has been ill for me this go-around," he said. "I usually have to start a project myself, as far as Interscope. I got to lead. On the first album, 'Wanksta' just took off before 'In Da Club' came about. When we got to The Massacre, I leaked 'Disco Inferno' and they caught up with 'Candy Shop.' This album, I threw 'Straight to the Bank' out there and 'Amusement Park' was the joint they were supposed to assist me with going after. But when that came, it grew at the same pace that 'Straight to the Bank' grew. And I was like, 'Yo, it don't feel like it's a difference in the support for the actual record.'

"So I go back in and create something different," he continued. "So when I came back with 'I Get Money,' I was actually upset that 'Ayo Technology' leaked. It kind of cut into 'I Get Money' a little bit. I knew for a fact the record was leaked from Interscope. Because the first two records, 'Straight to the Bank' and 'Amusement Park,' weren't playing at the station that played 'Ayo Technology' first. So that's an indication to me that they delivered it to Top 40 and crossover [radio formats] ahead of ... They sent it to [New York radio station] Z-100 before they sent it to Hot 97. I was like, 'Yo, that's not a regular leak, B.' I was like, '[My promotion strategy] is necessary because this is speaking to my base, my core audience.' "

By late Friday morning, the "Follow My Lead" clip had been removed from YouTube, but high-quality clips could be found elsewhere on the Internet. The video begins with 50 in his car, yelling into his phone in mid-argument with a girlfriend: "Maybe I do need to see a psychiatrist! I'm crazy from talkin' to your a--!"

It fades into a scene showing 50 in the office of a psychiatrist, who is played by legendary actor Dustin Hoffman. He notes that 50's girlfriend referred him, complaining that 50 never calls her by her name. Hoffman then pulls out a pocket watch and begins to swing it before 50's eyes, hypnotizing him, saying repetitively, "I'm not going to say those words any more, I'm not going to call women those names any more ... "

Fif's eyes follow the watch and he falls asleep, dreaming of a scene where he and piano-playing Thicke, both clad in classy black suits, are performing in a small, swank nightclub setting accompanied by a jazz trio.

The song is a laid-back, piano-driven tune that finds 50 expressing himself to the ladies.

"If you listen to the rumors, they say '50 f---in' crazy,' " he raps in the first verse. " '50 don't know how to treat a lady'/ They wrong ... You could be my Beyoncé/ I'll be your Jay."

"Wherever I go ..." Thicke sings on the hook before 50 finishes, "Follow my lead/ Baby, I can be all you need/ I'll hold you down, you can put your trust in me/ I think God made you for me."

After the song fades, Hoffman abruptly snaps his fingers and we're back in the psychiatrist's office. "Curtis, that's our time for today," he says.

Representatives for Interscope Records, which distributes G-Unit Records, had not responded to MTV News' requests for comment at press time. A representative for the New York Police Department said it had not been contacted about the incident.

Common Scores His First Number One Album

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Common's latest album, Finding Forever, entered the Billboard 200 at Number One this week after selling more than 155,000 copies its first week in stores. The album is the rapper's seventh studio release and it appears that seven is his lucky number, as Finding Forever is the first Number One album of his career.

The rapper's last album, Be, sold 184,000 copies its first week in 2005 but that was only enough to land at Number Two.

Finding Forever is the rapper's second album since signing with Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label. The move has apparently paid off as he's enjoying the best sales of his career. Common explained that he just came to realization that he had to take control of his career. The rapper said: "It taught me that you gotta do for self. You gotta take your life and your career and your being into your hands and take control of that. I was so dependent on the label, like, promoting me and going out, like, putting out stickers and stuff like that. And it's like, 'Man, this is my career. I'm just a product on their label.'So it was like, 'Yo, who's gonna take control? Who's gonna do for me better than me?'"

Finding Forever, which is in stores now, features collaborations with D'Angelo, Kanye West, the late J Dilla, Will.I.Am, Bilal, Dwele, and UK pop singer Lily Allen.

In related news, Common is one of the stars of the new movie, American Gangster, which opens nationwide on November 2nd. The film also stars Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, T.I., and RZA.

KANYE WEST TURNS DOWN DEBATE WITH 50 CENT: Rapper-producer calls idea “the stupidest.”

There will be no televised showdown between rappers Kanye West and 50 Cent over whose upcoming album, both due on Sept. 11, is the hottest.


West has reportedly turned down an offer by BET’s “106 & Park” hosts Terrance and Rosci to face off with 50 in a live presidential-style debate to determine whose album is better.

50 announced he would be willing to defend his forthcoming album, “Curtis,” against West’s “Graduation” in the proposed challenge. But Kanye is calling the whole idea ridiculous.

"What am I going to debate about? I'm going to go in the studio and make music,” he said Tuesday at the MTV Video Music Nominations. “When I heard that thing about the debate, I thought that was the stupidest thing. When my albums drops and 50's album drops, you're gonna get a lot of good music at the same time."

Mobb Deep MC/Producer Goes Solo, Prepares to Release Disc on Nature Sounds

Release Date: 09/18/07


One half of infamous rap group Mobb Deep, New York MC and producer Havoc is now taking the solo route for a new release on Nature Sounds Records. The album, entitled The Kush, is scheduled to hit stores on September 18th, and is produced in full by Havoc.

As Mobb Deep, Havoc and partner Prodigy quickly built themselves a reputation as one of rap’s biggest duos, releasing seven albums in the past 14 years and selling over four million records in the U.S. alone. Titles such as The Infamous, Hell on Earth, Murder Musik, Infamy, and Blood Money have become hip hop classics. Havoc also made a name for himself as an in-demand producer for artists including Notorious B.I.G, Nas, Method Man, 50 Cent, LL Cool J, Mariah Carey, Lil’ Kim, and more.

“I was always ready (to drop a solo-album),” Havoc comments. “But the reason why it took me so long is because the timing wasn’t right. I was always working on Mobb Deep material and working with other artists and I used allot of the material I was going to use for a solo-LP for Mobb Deep records.”


Tracklisting and credits for Havoc’s The Kush



1.) NY For Life (produced by Havoc)

2.) I’m The Boss (produced by Havoc)

3.) By My Side f/40 Glocc (produced by Havoc)

4.) One Less Nigga (produced by Havoc)

5.) Ride Out f/Nyce (produced by Havoc)

6.) Balling Out f/Un Pachino (produced by Havoc)

7.) What’s Poppin Tonite (produced by Havoc)

8.) Class By Myself f/Nitti (produced by Havoc)

9.) Set Me Free f/Prodigy & Nyce (produced by Havoc)

10.) Be There (produced by Havoc)

11.) Hit Me Up f/Un Pacihno (produced by Havoc)

12.) Get Off My Dick (produced by Havoc)

Kanye West Replies To Beanie Sigel Calling Him Gay

Ice Cube set to release Ice Cube: In The Movies

HOLLYWOOD, Calif./PRNewswire/ -- During the course of Ice Cube's legendary music and film career, many of his recordings have been featured in major films and soundtracks, including his blockbuster Friday and Barbershop franchises, Boyz N The Hood, Scary Movie 2, Higher Learning, The Player's Club and Bulworth. Ice Cube has compiled and sequenced a new collection of his best music for the silver screen, Ice Cube: In the Movies, to be released September 4 by Capitol/Priority. Among the CD's 16 standout tracks are collaborations with Dr. Dre, Ice-T and Paul Oakenfold, and an out-of-print song that is exclusively available on this release, "Maniac In The Brainiac" (with Mack 10) from Bulworth.

In the late 1980s, Ice Cube began his career as a member of Compton, California's pioneering, critically acclaimed and notorious gangsta rap group, N.W.A. On his first solo album, 1990's platinum-certified AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Ice Cube's razor-sharp sociopolitical and cultural missives from the streets went beyond N.W.A's gangbanging braggadocio, and he dismissed bi-coastal rap rivalries to collaborate with New York's hip-hop heavyweights Public Enemy. Rolling Stone awarded the album its highest 5-star rating, the album's title track topped Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart, and the album peaked at #6 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

Firmly established as a solo artist, Ice Cube became a musical and cultural lightning rod, his music attracting alternating praise and disdainfrom the media and moralists. Despite being singled out in an unprecedented public statement of condemnation from Billboard upon its release, Cube's 1991 album, Death Certificate, debuted at #1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart and at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, and was soon certified platinum.

In 1992, Ice Cube made his film acting debut with his acclaimed role in John Singleton's epic film, Boyz N The Hood. That same year, his third album, The Predator, made chart history by being the first album to ever debut at #1 on both the Billboard Top 200 and R&B/Hip-Hop charts and went double-platinum, cementing Ice Cube's reign as the West Coast's premier multi-platinum hip-hop artist. 1993's platinum-certified Lethal Injection debuted at #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

Lethal Injection would be Ice Cube's last album for five years, as hisfocus shifted to film acting and screenwriting and music producing. In1995, he appeared in Higher Learning; his track "Higher" from the film isincluded on In the Movies.

Ice Cube is one of Hollywood's most bankable and versatile talents. His film career is off the charts with his blockbuster Friday and Barbershop franchises and executive producer work for several other hit movies, including Beauty Shop, All About the Benjamins and The Player's Club. Cube's music career is also back in full swing with his seventh solo album, 2006's gold-certified Laugh Now, Cry Later, from his own Lench Mob Records label.

"Cube commands attention and respect with anything he does; no matter the venue, Ice Cube's presence simply cannot be discounted." (Peter Relic,Rolling Stone Album Guide)

http://www.icecube.com


ICE CUBE: IN THE MOVIES

TRACK FILM


1. You Can Do It (w/ Mack 10 & Ms. Toi) Next Friday (2000)

2. We Be Clubbin' The Player's Club (1998)

3. Natural Born Killaz (w/ Dr. Dre) Murder Was The Case (1995)

4. Anybody Seen The PoPo's?! xXx: State of the Union (2005)

5. Friday Friday (1995)

6. How To Survive In South Central Boyz N The Hood (1991)

7. $100 Dollar Bill Y'all All About The Benjamins (2002)

8. (You Know) I'm A Ho (w/ Master P) The Player's Club (1998)

9. The World Is Mine Dangerous Ground (1997)

10. Ghetto Vet (w/Mack 10 & Mr. Short Khop) I Got The Hook Up (1998)

11. Maniac In the Brainiac (w/ Mack 10)* Bulworth (1998)

12. The Wrong N**** To F**k Wit Scary Movie 2 (2001)

13. Roll All Day Gone In 60 Seconds (2000)

14. Higher Higher Learning (1995)

15. Trespass (w/ Ice-T) Trespass (2005)

16. Right Here, Right Now(w/Paul Oakenfold) Blade II (2002)

(*currently unavailable track, exclusive to this release)

KIM PORTER TELLS ALL IN OK! MAGAZINE: Diddy’s ex talks about his alleged cheating; calls J.Lo stint ‘an embarrassment.’

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend Kim Porter gives up all the dirt on her longtime relationship with the Bad Boy founder in the new issue of OK! magazine, on newsstands today.

Porter, who recently broke things off with the rap artist, dishes about Diddy’s rumored flame Sienna Miller, his ex-girl Jennifer Lopez, and overall allegations of his cheating.

• On Diddy: "I'd been in an on-again, off-again relationship with Mr. Combs for about 10 years, and it came to a point where it was time for me to move on with my life. I had invested a lot of time in that relationship, and it wasn't going where it should have been going. So it was time to [end it]. In a relationship, it's important that the people are on the same page at the same time. And we weren't on the same page."

• On His Alleged Cheating: "I will never sit here and say that Puffy -- or any man -- is 100 percent faithful. I just don't believe it. Some of you are, but I'm not going to sit here and say that I didn't believe that he cheated on me. I would never say that. I'm aware that he's cheated."

• On J.Lo's relationship with Diddy: "It was an embarrassment. I never thought it was real. I knew what was going on with him. Despite what you see in print and when the cameras are flashing, what's going on in someone's heart may be totally different. He was still [in love] with me. I never looked at their relationship [as serious]."

• When asked if Sienna Miller played a part in her break up, Porter said: "They're just friends. That wasn't the cause."

Justin Timberlake and Beyonce Leads VMA nominations

50 Cent Accepts Offer To Debate Kanye On Live TV

Superstar rappers Kanye West and 50 Cent will go head-to-head on September 11, the day both artists' sophomore albums land in stores. While fans of both rappers have relished in the friendly rivalry that seems to be brewing between the pair over the release date, 50 Cent has actually accepted a challenge to debate Kanye West on live TV. 50 Cent appeared on BET's 106 & Park countdown show on Friday to promote his upcoming album Curtis.

During the show, he accepted an offer from hosts Terrance J. and Rocsi to engage Kanye West in a presidential style "debate" to decide who has the best album, weeks before their albums hit stores. The rivalry started when West's release date for his Def Jam/Universal release Graduation was shifted from September 18 to September 11. Conversely, 50 Cent's album Interscope/Universal album Curtis was moved from September 4 to September 11.

"I accept the challenge," 50 Cent told millions of viewers on Friday (August 3). "Kanye, he's not going to want to show up. Just don't be asking me if I am a conscious rapper. I know exactly what I am saying - so I am conscious."
If Kanye were to accept the challenge posed by the hosts, the two colorful, outspoken rappers would appear live on the show to debate who has the better produced album.

50 Cent's sophomore album The Massacre sold over 1 million copies during its first week in stores, while West's second album Graduation moved 860,000 units its first week on the shelves. While 50 Cent claimed that Def Jam President Jay-Z would cave in and switch Kanye's release date, Jay-Z himself shot the notion down and welcomed the competition.

Popular gambling website Bodog.com recently began taking bets on which artist will sell more during the first week, if they hit stores on September 11 as planned. Fans have wagered that 50 Cent's Curtis will outsell West's Graduation (180 to 140), while Curtis is also the favorite to top Billboard's Top 200 album chart.

Usher says he's happily married man

NEW YORK - Usher and Tameka Foster, who are expecting their first child together, have tied the knot.

"I exchanged vows with Tameka Foster in Atlanta on Friday and we are happily married," the 28-year-old singer tells Usmagazine.com in a story posted Monday.

According to the magazine, a small, private ceremony was held in the office of Usher's lawyer and that his mother and former manager, Jonetta Patton, was in attendance.

Publicist Patti Webster referred to the Us Weekly story when asked for comment from The Associated Press.

Usher and Foster called off their July 28 wedding amid reports that Foster had checked into a hospital because of problems with her pregnancy.

He told Us Weekly last week: "Everybody's fine. Tameka and the baby are fine."

The couple announced their engagement earlier this year, and later, that Foster was expecting Usher's first child. She has three other children from a previous marriage.

Wu and You

Posted by Ken

Number 372 on the list of things you should do before you die: share a stage with the Wu-Tang Clan.

Thanks to Loud.com, this might actually be a possibility. The hip-hop-oriented networking website is sponsoring an MC contest, whereby amateur rhymers will have a chance to spit self-penned verses over classic RZA beats. Entries are due by Aug. 20, and after Loud.com’s staff has narrowed the field to 10, RZA himself will choose the winner.

He or she whose flow is deemed illest will then fly to Hawaii and open for the Wu at the Sept. 1 Rock the Bells festival in Oahu.

Before y’all submit your tracks, though, make sure you visit the Wu-Tang name generator, where modern technology will help you pick a pseudonym worthy of Staten Island’s finest.

Swizz Beatz To Hook Up With 'crash' Director

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Swizz Beatz previewed his forthcoming album, One Man Band Man, early this week in New York City and he shared that he's snagged Crash director Paul Haggis for his next video. According to Beatz, the video for his new single, "Part of the Plan" featuring Coldplay, will be based on the movie Crash and will be shot in London.

One Man Band Man, which hits store on August 21st, features guest appearances by Cassidy, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, DMX, Coldplay, Kanye West, Nas, Ciara, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and Swizz Beatz's wife, R&B singer Mashonda.

The latest single from the project is "Money In The Bank"

Dj Envy And Red Cafe Hook Up For New Album

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Mixtape king and radio on-air personality DJ Envy has hooked up with Brooklyn-based rapper Red Cafe, who is signed to Akon's Konvict label, for a joint project titled, The Co-op, which hit stores on September 25th. The album features guest appearances by Jermaine Dupri, Fabolous, Nina Sky, Fat Joe, Styles P, Sheek Louch, Paul Wall, and others.

The first two singles from the project are "Dolla Bill" featuring Fabolous and Jermaine Dupri and "Things You Do" featuring Nina Sky.

DJ Envy released his first album, Blok Party, in 2003 on DJ Clue's Desert Storm label through Epic Records. The deejay explained how Clue gave him his start. He said:"Actually I started DJing about maybe eight years ago -- eight to 10 years ago. This was when I was in high school. I just liked music. I listened to Clue, Ron G., Kid Capri, and it's just something I wanted to do. I didn't know at the time that Clue lived across the street from me. I knew Clue as just, you know, just a regular kid around the way. And then when I found out that was Clue and he was making the mix tapes, he kinda brought me into the game and showed me what equipment I need to buy and basically how to make a mix tape, and I started from there."

Common Finding New Fans After 15 Years

Rappers cleaning up lyrics post-Imus?

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer

NEW YORK - Rap's critics have been complaining for years, only to watch the music become even more profane — and more popular. But now it seems as if Don Imus may be accomplishing what a generation of detractors could not.


Four months after outrage over Imus' sexist and racial comments led to intense scrutiny of rap's negative imagery, and as the genre's sales continue to plummet, some artists are publicly abandoning offensive language.

The platinum-seller Chamillionaire recently announced that his new album, "Ultimate Victory," would be cuss- and N-word free. Numerous lesser-known rappers are promoting themselves as alternatives to misogynistic gangsta rap. The handlers behind 17-year-old sensation Sean Kingston are touting him as PG-rated. And the veteran gangsta Master P also declared that he would make clean music (though the "Dancing With the Stars" contestant's hitmaking days now seem long gone).

Still, others remain defiant amid increasing pressure from the public and corporations. They vow to remain, in the words of rap's raunch king Uncle Luke, as nasty as they wanna be.

"It would have to pay something real strong to make me change the way I do my music," said Twista, whose explicit lyrics got him dropped from a McDonald's-sponsored concert this week. "I'm gonna keep saying it because I know I'm just making good music."

Chamillionaire figured he could still make good music — just without the rough language. The rapper, who won a Grammy this year for his socially charged smash "Ridin,'" says he never cursed all that much in his music anyway. The N-word was a different story: "I've always used the N-word."

But after the success of his last album, he went out on tour and saw mostly white faces lip-synching the epithet along with his lyrics. Now Chamillionaire has had a change of heart for his new album, due in September on Universal Music Group, a unit of General Electric Co.

"I was like, 'You know what? I'm not going to say the N-word on this one because when I go back on the road, and I start performing, I don't want them to be saying it, like me teaching them,'" he told The Associated Press.

Chamillionaire insists his conversion is a moral issue and not due to the Imus backlash: "There are a lot of people who are opportunists ... I'm definitely not that." But more opportunities may arise for rappers with clean lyrics in the wake of Imus' firing for calling the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos" on his radio broadcast.

The Imus outrage was soon redirected toward equally misogynistic references in rap, as many questioned whether there was a double standard. Then came calls from everyone from civil rights leaders to rap pioneer Russell Simmons for corporations and radio stations to more closely censor profanity and racial epithets.

Fifteen to 20 years ago, when the likes of Tipper Gore and C. Dolores Tucker were protesting, rap just fed off the controversy and gained momentum amid booming sales that generated hundreds of millions of dollars for publicly owned corporations. But now rap sales have plunged a dramatic 33 percent from 2006 — double the decline of the overall music industry. And rappers have moved from the fringe to the mainstream, which makes them — and their endorsements, movie roles and clothing lines — more vulnerable to outside pressure.

Talib Kweli, widely known as a socially conscious artist, says there's always been positive rappers, but they haven't received the attention of their gangsta counterparts. He's not convinced that will change post-Imus, but says Chamillionaire's decision is "a wise one, a smart one and a creative one, and I commend him on it.

"He's the type of artist who is talented enough to pull that off, and he's making a point. Industry executives ... are so used to the formula that they don't know what to do, and I think they're scared."

A few may have been scared straight. The new CD from Sean Kingston, featuring the hit "Beautiful Girls" and a mix of reggae, rap and R&B, is being promoted as curse-free. You might not think the baby-faced Sean would put out raunchy lyrics due to his young age, but this is an industry that gave the world a 15-year-old Foxy Brown rapping about the power of sex and one-hit wonder J-Kwon bragging about getting "Tipsy" at 17.

"I just wanted to make every fan base happy," says the Miami-born, Jamaican-reared Kingston. "I don't want nobody to say, 'He's disrespectful, he curses a lot.'"

Not that many rappers have followed his lead. Check any rap song on the radio and you will likely hear plenty of bleeped out language, violent references and sexual content.

Tolerance for such language may be diminishing. Corporations had cozied up to gangsta rappers in recent years, taking their message mainstream — both Snoop Dogg and T.I., for example, were featured in major car ads. In recent months, however, companies seem less likely to align themselves with rougher artists.

Verizon dropped its sponsorship of Gwen Stefani's tour when a videotape surfaced of opening act Akon simulating sex onstage at a separate concert with a fan later revealed to be 14. (Akon says he didn't know the girl was underage.) And while McDonald's Corp. signed Twista on for their free summer concert series, they quickly dropped him after public pressure mounted due to his lyrics.

Twista's replacement? Sean Kingston.

"I know there are a lot of artists being blocked out of sponsorships because of the content of the lyrics," says Chuck Creekmur, who runs the Web site allhiphop.com.

Ted Lucas, CEO of Slip-N-Slide Records, says he's gotten some of the pressure himself. Lucas, whose label is home to thug rapper Trick Daddy, sex bomb Trina, gangsta Rick Ross and new star Plies, says in recent weeks distributors have tried to get him to persuade his stars to tone down their language.

"They have come to me and said ... 'This word right here is going to cause some heat down the line — is it possible you can get him to change it?' I have ran into that with the N-word, 'snitching,' different words," he said. "But I tell everybody that these are things in our environment we see on a day-to-day basis. It's hard for you to go tell that person that they can't go use that word."

50 Cent invoked the classic hip-hop defense: rappers are telling stories based on their own gritty streets.

"They forget that the art form is a mirror and what we're writing is a reflection of where we grew up," he told The AP. "They can be interpreted as glorifying it on some levels but they're trying to capture a particular feel."

His new single, "I Get Money," features plenty of bleep-worthy moments — and he makes no apologies for it.

"I've made it this far without having to compromise myself," he said. "Ain't no changing what I'm doing now."

Control Room and MSN "Music in Concert" Presenting Online: Bone Thugs~N~Harmony in Chicago

WHAT: Control Room, the producer of Live Earth, is thrilled to present Bone Thugs~N~Harmony live from the House of Blues in Chicago on Monday, August 6.

Bone Thugs~N~Harmony will perform songs from what will likely be considered their most significant and important album to date, Strength & Loyalty on Swizz Beatz's Full Surface label through Interscope. Bone has pared down to its artistic core for this highly anticipated new album.

Control Room has produced over 60 live shows including Live Earth where more than 54 million videos streamed on MSN – the largest online audience ever for an online concert.

WHEN: Bone Thugs~N~Harmony debuts on MSN “Music in Concert” at 9:00pm EST/ 6:00pm PST on Monday, August 6, 2007. MSN “Music in Concert” will archive the show for 6 months, allowing fans the unlimited opportunity to relive every moment.

WHERE: Fans of Bone Thugs~N~Harmony can watch the full show exclusively at MSN “Music in Concert” http://music.msn.com/bonethugsnharmony.

Yung Joc Hustlenomics Track Listing (What's Your Hustle?)

Hustlenomics in stores 8.28

1. Hustlenomics-Intro

2. Play Your Cards

3. Coffee Shop feat. Gorilla Zoe

4. Bottle Poppin'feat. Gorilla Zoe

5. Hell Yeah feat. Diddy

6. Cut Throat feat. Game, Jim Jones, and Block

7.Hustlemania (Skit)

8. I'm A G feat. Bun B & Young Dro

9. BYOB

10. Pak Man

11. Getting To Da Money feat. Mike Carlito

12. Brand New feat. Snoop Dogg & Rick Ross

13. Living the Life feat. SouthernGirl

14. Momma feat. Jazze Pha

15. Chevy Smile feat. Trick Daddy & Block & Jazze Pha

16. Hustlenomics

Bonus Track

Block Boy feat. Block

Jay-Z Looking Forward To 50 Cent-Kanye West Face Off

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

50 Cent's Curtis and Kanye West's Graduation are both slated to hit stores on September 11th, and after 50 Cent suggested that West change the date last week, Def Jam president and Roc-A-Fella Records CEO Jay-Z said he would do no such thing.

Jay-Z told MTV.com, "I think it's great, I think it's a fantastic day for hip-hop. I remember having those dates (facing against) Outkast a couple of times. I actually had one with G-Unit (with Beg for Mercy). It's great. It's a fantastic thing for hip-hop, especially retail. I know they're loving it. You're driving people to the store. We love it, we think it's a fantastic thing."

The rapper added, "There's a strategy involved. You wanna put yourself in the best position. But you do that anyway. You do that if nobody (else) was on (your release date). We've been plotting since his first album, when it was like, 'We're just gonna cover you. We're gonna put so many people on your album with the great production.'And then he just stood up to be an artist and that whole idea changed. So ever since that initial conversation of how we're going to release Kanye, we never stopped plotting."

In related news, Jay-Z explained Rocawear's new, I Will Not Lose campaign. "With the 'I Will Not Lose'campaign, it's the voice of what Rocawear stood for. Rocawear is culture -- it's more than a clothing line; that's why we could be here eight years now. We wanted to be inclusive of everybody that got us to where we are today. We're speaking from their point of view as well. Everybody sees Rocawear as a thing -- it's actually hope. It's possibility. This is something you could do because they didn't make me out of nowhere, I come from the same place they come from."

In addition to Rocawear spokespeople Chris Brown and Ciara, the campaign will also feature Rich Boy, Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson, Jamilla Farrakhan, granddaughter of Louis Farrakhan, and Amie Steele, editor in chief of the Virginia Tech student newspaper, Collegiate Times.

Common Enjoying Positive Feedback From New Album

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Chicago-based rapper Common has been an underdog throughout his career because of the content of his music but following the release of his last album, Be, fans now expect a lot more from the rapper and he hasn't let them down.

Common told MTV.com, "It's a new feeling for me, because I feel like more people are appreciating (my music) already. Because of the success of Be and other things I've been doing and working on, more people are paying attention to what I'm doing. That's a good feeling."

The rapper added, "I don't feel a burden. I feel it's adult. That's my sole purpose. I ain't afraid of it, I ain't trying to stray from it, I embrace it. I know with all the conscious music, there's going to be music where I battle MCs like I did on 'The Game,'getting at 'em. I'mma make songs (while) having fun. That's what I'm about. The biggest thing I gotta do is be myself, that's what MCing is about. That's one of the most important things with being a MC: be you."

Common titled his new album, Finding Forever, and he explained how it took a new meaning following the death of his close friend and roommate J Dilla last year. The rapper explained, "When Jay Dee passed, the significance (of the title) became even stronger for me. At the time, he and I were roommates. I would be coming home, he would be making beats. When he passed, I would come home and he wouldn't be there, but I still would feel his spirit. I would hear his music everywhere, and it made me understand (that) we live forever by what you contribute to the world. That's what Finding Forever meant."

Finding Forever, which is in stores now, features collaborations with D'Angelo, Kanye West, the late J Dilla, Will.I.Am, Bilal, Dwele, and UK pop singer Lily Allen.

Game, Young Jeezy, Jim Jones Talk Hottest MCs: 'You Gotta Be Stamped By Legends'

Rappers acknowledge importance of 'recognition from real hard-core hip-hop fans.'
By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway and Liz Hernandez


As you know, the "Hottest MCs" list has been in for a few days and the controversy is swirling heavily. It's all good — we love it! That's our main goal: to get people who love hip-hop to talk about it. We asked some of the people whose names appear on our list what it means to get the recognition.recognition.

Game, the #3 pick, told us his thoughts on what makes an MC hot. "You gotta be stamped by legends," he said passionately. "It's like somebody being a great high school basketball player but never making it to the NBA. Then you ain't done sh-- because you never made it to the league. If you ain't sold millions of records and ain't got recognition from real hard-core hip-hop fans or been blessed or touched by the Snoops, the Jay-Zs, the Nases, KRS-Ones, Big Daddy Kanes, Spice Ones, E-40s — people that been in the game a lot longer than your disrespectful a-- — then you ain't hot. You don't deserve to co-exist with me or any other of the up-and-coming MCs. I'll serve your a-- on any given Sunday."

Young Jeezy, who came in at #6 on the list, said he definitely belongs with hip-hop's elite now. "For real, I'm dead serious about what I do," the Snowman explained. "When it comes to my lane, I'm the best at that. I'm sincere. If there was a lane that had something to do with me, of course I know I'm gonna be there."

As usual, Kanye West, the #5 hottest MC, said enough to fill up an article on his own.

Jim Jones addressed the controversy that his #10 placement — over Nas — has sparked. "I don't want y'all to get me jumped out there!" he laughed. "Y'all probably got a lot of rappers pissed right now. I didn't make that decision. I wasn't a part of the round table. But it feels good. I been living this life, this fast life and music life, since I can remember. I was born into this life. I understand the culture a little more than the average person. When we got the opportunity to do the Diplomats, I was all in. Cam was always the face card; it worked for us. After Juelz Santana broke, I said, 'Let me go in.' The people started taking to me.

"I appreciate everyone for that," he concluded. "I count my blessings. When you tell me I'm in the top MCs of today, that's real hot."

How do you feel about our Hottest MCs in the Game list? Take a look and then let us know what you think in You Tell Us.

Eminem's music publisher sues Apple

DETROIT - The publisher of Eminem's music has filed a federal lawsuit against computer giant Apple Inc. for selling downloads of his songs without permission.


Apple has an agreement with Universal Music Group, the record company that owns the recordings, but doesn't deal directly with publishers, who own the rights to scores and lyrics.

In the lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, the rapper's music publisher, Eight Mile Style, and copyright manager Martin Affiliated seek more than $75,000 for copyright infringement, unfair competition and a violation of the Michigan consumer protection act.

The lawsuit also asks for damages of up to $150,000 per infringement — or each time a song is downloaded

Eight Mile Style administrator Joel Martin says the lawsuit involves 70 to 80 songs, including tracks from the Grammy Award-winning "The Eminem Show."

Apple had no comment Tuesday, spokesman Tom Neumayr said.

Eight Mile Style attorney Norman Ankers contends that record companies need permission from copyright holders before downloads can be authorized.

"This is a significant issue in the music industry," Ankers said. "This occurs with many artists and many record labels."

Apple charges 99 cents for most song downloads. Recording companies get about 70 cents of that, and pass on 9 cents of that fee to publishers.

"Generally, artists want their music sold," Martin said. "We want it downloaded. We request that any provider that's offering downloads license it through the publisher."

"Apple is not accounting to us. They are accounting to Universal (Music)," he said.

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, is from Detroit. "The Eminem Show" sold 7.6 million copies.

Eight Mile Style also sued Apple in 2004 for copyright infringement. That lawsuit alleged that Apple used Eminem's "Lose Yourself" in commercial TV ads for its iTunes music store. The case was settled out of court.

Twista too explicit for McDonald's concert series