Busta Rhymes Speaks On Slain Ex-Bodyguard

A former bodyguard of rapper Busta Rhymes was found dead in the back of his pickup truck on Wednesday (May 28).

NYPD police officers found 35 year-old Jermaine Williams dead from multiple gunshot wounds in the backseat of his SUV in Ozone Park, Queens. Police apparently discovered Williams' after they saw blood dripping from the backseat of his truck. The slain man was wrapped in blanket in the backseat of the vehicle.

A Bronx native, Williams was formerly employed as Busta Rhymes' bodyguard nearly eight years ago. In a statement exclusively released to, Busta took time out from his European tour to ask for the family of Williams' be given the proper space to mourn their loss.

"We have all suffered a great loss and Jermaine Williams will be deeply missed," he said. "He has remained a dear friend, even though we have not worked together in 8 years. Our condolences and prayers go out to his family and we ask that we be allowed to mourn the loss of our friend in peace."

It is reported Williams' went to Queens to visit his grandmother and ended up missing for almost 24 hours. He's survived by two children.

Police are still seeking the suspects who committed the murder.

50 CENT'S LONG ISLAND HOUSE BURNS DOWN: House at center of lawsuit between rapper and baby mama.

As we all know Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson's life is filled with drama of one kind or another.

The latest example of his on-going drama happened Friday when the multimillion-dollar home at the center of a bitter dispute between the rapper/actor and the mother of his son was destroyed by a suspicious fire early Friday.

Six people, including 50's ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins and their 10-year-old son, Marquise, were taken to a hospital after suffering smoke inhalation and later released. A firefighter also suffered a minor eye injury, officials said.

50 Cent doesn't live in the home and wasn't there at the time.

"Informed this morning while filming a new motion picture on location in Louisiana, Curtis Jackson expressed deep concern over this fire at his property," a representative for 50 said in a statement. "He is extremely thankful that everyone including his son, Marquise, escaped the burning house safely. He is confident that authorities will be conducting a thorough investigation of the incident and is eager to review their findings."

The home was essentially burned to the ground, with charred embers and wreckage littering the lot where the home once stood in the tree-lined neighborhood in Dix Hills.

Investigators from the Suffolk County arson squad were called to the scene after Dix Hills Fire Chief Larry Feld deemed the blaze suspicious. The fire was reported at 4:59 a.m. and was extinguished about 45 minutes later, Feld said. The arson squad had finished its work at the scene six hours after the blaze.

JUDGE YELLS AT JA RULE FOR SKIPPING COURT: Rapper got a scolding Wednesday by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice

A Manhattan judge gave Ja Rule a stern talkin' to Wednesday after he missed a court date in April because he was on tour.

The rapper, born Jeff Atkins, was due in court on gun possession charges stemming from a traffic stop last summer. But, he failed to appear because he was busy performing at a concert in Germany. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Micki Scherer didn't care.

"There was no excuse in my view for your absence [last month]," she told the entertainer, according to the New York Daily News.

Scherer said Ja Rule must give the court five days' notice of any business trips that will take him out of the metropolitan area. Ja Rule's lawyer Stacey Richman said the German tour dates were booked by mistake.

Ja Rule, his road manager, Dennis Cherry, and his driver, Mohamed Gamal, were charged with gun possession after police stopped their car on the upper West Side and searched it because, they said, they smelled marijuana. No one was charged with possession of drugs.

Lil' Wayne Sued For Copyright Infringement

Lil' Wayne may be headed back to court again. This time it's not for guns or drugs, but stealing.

Singer Karma Ann Swanepoel filed a lawsuit in Louisiana recently, claiming Wayne stole her tune "Once" and turned it into the track "I Feel Like Dying," according to TMZ.

Karma's "Once" is a folky, guitar-layden ballad, whereas Wayne's "Dying" features a sped-up, chipmunk-sounding sample.

Karma said that Wayne's label had been trying to reach an agreement with her for use of the track, but hadn't been able to come to one. Meanwhile, Wayne's made his "Dying" available on his MySpace page and elsewhere.

Weezy's manager didn't return a call for comment.

In other Wayne legal news, the rapper pled not guilty on May 6 to several drug and weapons charges stemming from an earlier arrest in Arizona. Almost two weeks later, he gave up a DNA sample in another case in New York to be tested against a gun found on his tour bus.

In the midst of his cases, the self-proclaimed best rapper alive is still slated to close out "The BET Awards" next month, airing June 24, and he's also got a role in the upcoming Fast And The Furious flick.

Tha Carter III, his highly anticipated follow up album to 2005's Carter II, hits stores on June 10.

50 Cent Makes The Mogul, Diddy Makes The Rock Band W/ New MTV Shows

MTV's adding two more hip-hop headliners to its reality show line-up this summer and fall, but neither of them have much to do with the music.

50 Cent's still untitled reality competition will focus on business skills, and Diddy's show remakes "Making The Band" for the rock arena, according to Billboard.

Fif will challenge 16 contestants to master the business savvy that brought him from a street existence to his present star status. Each week, one of the protégés will be eliminated and the last one standing will receive a full scholarship to an undergraduate or graduate business program.

The contestants have a lot to learn.

The mogul's portfolio includes an investment in Vitamin Water, his own record label, a branded clothing line, sneakers through Reebok, books, video games, Hollywood movies, his own body spray through Right Guard and most recently a memorabilia line through a deal with Steiner Sports.

As previously reported, the rapper will be done with his Interscope contract after the completion of one more solo album. The soon-to-be free agent is already looking for his next big pay day.

Diddy's "Making the Band" spinoff, "Making the Rock Band" will take on the basic structure of the first Band, with the new genre.

"Our main goal is to always pull the rug out," MTV programming head Tony DiSanto says. "If something is working great, we don't want to do it again, we want to do something new. Our viewers expect us to keep evolving, genre-busting and taking chances."

Yesterday reported that Atlanta rapper, T.I., will also be getting his own reality show on MTV. The docu series will follow him as he performs the remainder of his community service hours and prepares for a one-year prison sentence next spring. The show is slated to air shortly after the rapper reports to prison for federal weapons charges in early 2009.

Chamillionaire, Slim Thug & Paul Wall Congratulate Houston HS Grads

Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, Paul Wall and Swisha House CEO, Michael '5000' Watts, joined Houston Mayor Bill White yesterday to celebrate the graduation of 40 members of the Marilyn Gambrell's No Victims, Inc advocacy program.

To commemorate the final year of the M.B. Smiley High School program, a spokesperson from the office of Mayor White and the Texan rappers congratulated the 40 graduates on their accomplishments at the ceremony. The special celebration is one that Gambrell organized for the students who have been a part of the program since its inception.

Gambrell's No More Victims, Inc, is an advocacy program for infants and children of incarcerated parents within the city of Houston. It currently serves over 700 members, past and present. The program has garnered national media attention from CNN, US News, People and World Report. Lifetime released a motion picture in 2005 about Gambrell titled, Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story. The film was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding feature film, that year.

Gambrell and the Houston rappers honored the teens for graduating high school despite the hardships of growing up with one or more parents serving jail time.

Lil' Kim Drops "Ms. G.O.A.T."

Lil' Kim's officially releasing her street disc Ms. G.O.A.T. next month.

Collabos on the album feature stand-outs 50 Cent, Nate Dogg, Britney Spears, and newcomer Maino. The disc also boasts tracks Kim lent a few bars to -- Keyshia Cole's hit "Let it Go," with Missy Elliott, Gucci Mane's club banger "Freaky Gurl," and Alica Keys' "No One" remix.

Kim parted ways with Atlantic Records at the top of the year, saying she was considering going Indie. She's done just that with this latest album. Indy distributor Amalgam Entertainment is putting the project out.

In related news a stroke of bad luck and a few unpaid installments got her silver Bentley repossessed last month -- though according to Kim she wasn't responsible for the bills. The tide turned a couple of weeks ago when Kim won a $500,000 lawsuit against former friend, Junior M.A.F.I.A. rapper Lil Cease for featuring her in a street DVD about the now defunct click.

Ms. G.O.A.T. hits shelves June 3rd.

50 Cent Associate Accused Of Striking Woman

An employee of 50 Cent was arrested yesterday at the rapper's Connecticut home after allegedly attacking a woman.

According to local New York paper Newsday, Farmington, CT police arrested 27 year-old Dwayne McKenzie yesterday after receiving a call from a 22 year-old woman.

McKenzie is accused of choking the New Britain woman and striking her with a belt during an argument at 50's house. McKenzie has been charged with assault, strangulation, breach of peace and unlawful restraint.

McKenzie is currently on conditional discharge stemming from an arrest in Hartford for allegedly pistol-whipping a nightclub promoter.

The G-Unit associate has a history of legal problems, which also includes a 2007 incident where he was accused of firing a .40 caliber Glock in a crowd after being robbed of his $100,000 diamond and platinum chain.

McKenzie was released after posting $10,000 bond and is due back in court July 15.

T.I. Reality Show Coming To MTV

In addition to performing concerts and speaking to youth before reporting to the slammer next year, T.I. now has a crew of cameras watching him do it all. The rapper is using the last of his year on house arrest to film a documentary series for MTV.

According to Variety, the network will go with the self-proclaimed "King of the South" as he performs the remainder of his community service hours and prepares for a one-year prison sentence next spring. The network plans to air the show some time soon after T.I. goes to jail in early 2009.

The series, by Ish Entertainment, has already gotten an eight-episode order from MTV.

"We began the conversations in the middle of deliberations over what would happen to him," said Ish's Michael Hirschorn, whose executive producing with partner Stella Stolper. "The original idea for the show had him staging a series of interventions in each episode with people in danger. But when we visited him under house arrest, it felt much bigger and more powerful than we anticipated."

Tip (born Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr.) has a history of being on the wrong side of the law, convicted for selling crack cocaine in the late 1990s. In March, the rapper pled guilty to federal weapons charges; the offense that got him the year's stint.

"Hopefully the mistakes I've made will be a lesson to today's youth and they won't go down that same path," T.I. said.

Tip didn't need the court's permission to do the show, but MTV will stick to the rules of the artist's home confinement. The show will also cover the release of Tip's upcoming album, Paper Trail, heavily inspired by his latest legal woes and the birth of his newborn son.

XZIBIT MOURNS DEATH OF NEWBORN SON: Baby was born prematurely on May 15.

Xzibit is mourning the death of his newborn son Xavier Kingston Joiner. The baby was born prematurely on May 15th and passed away on Monday, 11 days later.

The rapper, whose real name is Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, recently wrote about the tragedy on his blog. The message was posted at about 4:32 a.m., roughly one hour after the infant's death.

“Well, this week was extremely difficult for him, because his lungs were not strong enough to handle regular oxygen on his own,” he wrote. “Xavier passed away this morning at 3:30 am and I must tell you this, it is unnatural for a parent to bury a child.”

“I am telling you this because of the same reason I tell you when I’m having great times, life is too short to be fake. Hold on to your kids if you have them, protect them and show them you love them everyday you wake up and see them,” he said. “Don’t take a second you get to hug them teach them and care for them for granted.”

“You can have all the material wealth in the universe but it is nothing compared to having your family. I am thankful for all of my blessings and I’m not one to question God's perfect plan,” he continued. “So I leave you with great love and thanks for the love that was sent earlier on my previous blog to my son.”

Usher's love split

DMX's $1.5 Mil Award Put On Hold In "Rape" Suit Judgment

A Maryland judge has vacated a $1.5 million judgment awarded to a woman who filed a defamation suit against DMX after he alleged that she raped him.

Last week, Prince George's County Circuit Judge Thomas Smith ruled that DMX (whose real name is Earl Simmons) was not properly served with court papers in the case filed against him by Monique Wayne.

After an August 2003 encounter with Simmons, Wayne gave birth to a son by the rapper in April 2004.

As previously reported, in a 2006 Sister 2 Sister magazine interview DMX said he was raped while he was sleeping. Wayne, who was not mentioned by name in the story, denied the claim and filed a defamation of character suit, citing "severe emotional distress" as a result of the interview.

During a court hearing earlier this year, Wayne said she awoke to find Simmons on top of her, which led to consensual sex. She said she filed the lawsuit because "he lied to the whole world on me" about what happened. The January hearing resulted in Wayne being awarded $1.5 million after Simmons failed to appear.

Attorneys for DMX challenged that claim, saying Wayne failed to properly serve him with lawsuit papers and that the rapper was unaware of the case against him.

X's lawyer William "Hassan" Murphy III said the Yonkers MC "looks forward to proving Wayne's allegations to be wrong" if the case continues.

In related news, Simmons is also facing criminal charges in Arizona for allegedly mistreating pit bulls found at his Phoenix home and felony drug possession. He pleaded not guilty last week.

IS SEAN COMBS CHEATING ON CIROC VODKA?: Diddy says reports of him getting toasted with 1800 Tequila are false

Looks like the Diddy man is doing some damage control in the wake of rampant reports throughout the blogosphere about him imbibing with spirits other than Ciroc vodka.

According to various bloggers, Diddy was seen swilling 1800 Tequilla at various nighttime hangs

Obviously the folks at Ciroc's parent company, Diageo, aren't too thrilled at the reports because, not too long ago, they cut a $100 million deal with him to pump up the Ciroc brand.

So where does that leave us today? Well it seems that Mr. Combs has seen the light and is declaring to the world that he's given up "champagne and tequila."

"When I reach for a drink, I reach for Ciroc Vodka," Combs says in a press release from his publicist Kwasi Asare.

Combs and camp insist the reports of him having an affair with another brand are false; he professes to love his Ciroc and wouldn't stray from the relationship.

“Cîroc Vodka and Diddy are a match made in party heaven. We are both at the top of our game and bring only the best to whatever we do," Combs said in the release. "Nobody rocks a party like Diddy and there isn’t a better tasting vodka on the market – why drink anything else?”

That's exactly what Ciroc/Diageo is asking, too.

Jim Jones Plots Summer '08 Takeover, Album, Byrd Gang & DVD On The Way

Dipset Capo Jim Jones has several projects in the works this summer; with a Byrd Gang album coming next month, followed by the release of his major label debut and documentary about his life and career.

On June 24th Jim Jones and his fellow Byrd Gang members (Chink Santana, Sandman, Oshy, NOE and Mel Matrix) will follow up the release of their new single "Splash" with a full length album. The album, which is entitled M.O.B. (Members of Byrd Gang), will drop on Jones' Byrd Gang imprint on Asylum Records.

In addition, the Harlem representative is also prepping a solo album for August 19th release through Columbia Records. As previously reported, Jones' childhood friend and business partner, Dame Dash, recently went on the record calling the Byrd Gang front man's major label debut a "classic."

"His new album, I think he might have come up with a classic, and that's me saying that," Dash said in a recent internet video.

Dash and Jones have been working together on The True Jim Jones Documentary, which traces Jimmy's life from his early days as a CatholicSchool kid from the Harlem streets to a "full blown superstar and business mogul." [Watch Below]

The documentary will be released two weeks before his solo album, on August 8th.

Kanye West, Common, Meth & Red Sued Over Copyright Infringement

Kanye West, Common, Method Man and Redman, and their perspective record companies were sued Thursday by the late U.S. jazz musician Joe Farrell's daughter, who accused the emcees of using her father's music without approval.

According to Billboard, Kathleen Firrantello filed an infringement lawsuit against the rappers and their various labels owned by Universal Music Group at U.S. District Court in New York, for the unlawful use of Farrell's 1974 musical composition "Upon This Rock."

The lawsuit stated all four rappers used portions of Farrell's opus in three separate songs- Kanye's "Gone," Common's "Chi-City," and Meth and Red's "Run 4 Cover."

Firrantello is seeking punitive damages of at least $1 million. She also asked that no further copies of the songs be made, sold or performed.

None of the record companies or representatives for the rappers were available for comment.

T.I. Sets Concert Dates Throughout The Country

Until T.I. turns himself in for a prison sentence set for next year, he plans to run a hectic schedule filled with speaking to kids about staying out of trouble and criss-crossing the country for concerts.

Along with a concert in his hometown of Atlanta which includes rival Shawty Lo, T.I. is set to bless the stage in New York City, Chicago and Missouri next month.

Tip will be hitting the United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights on June 12th, the Congress Theater in Chi-Town on June 19th and on the 21st he'll be headlining the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in St. Louis with Keyshia Cole and Bun B, among others.

As previously reported, T.I.. agreed to a plea deal in March, where instead of going to trial on federal gun charges, he was ordered to 1,500 hours of community service, a fine, a year in prison, up to 3 years probation and a year on house arrest.

When caught up with Tip's lawyer, he explained that the rapper is allowed a lot of leeway under his home detention program, which works more like a curfew than traditional house arrest.

"Between the hours that the curfew doesn't apply, he is free to go and do anything, basically," Steve Sadow told. "But he has a full time monitor with him and he has to get permission to go out of town and permission is given for work or community service."

Saigon Departs From Atlantic Records

The on-going feud between Brooklyn MC Saigon and his label, Atlantic Records, has finally come to an end, as the rapper officially announced his departure.

According to Billboard, Saigon and Atlantic Records separated after a tumultuous four-year relationship surrounding the delayed release of his debut album The Greatest Story Never Told. Saigon is currently in talks with several major labels as well as a non-traditional music company for his next deal.

"I'm not that excited about going to a major label," Saigon said. "They would have to make it so I'm set for the rest of my life. [Labels] want too much for the little that they're giving."

As previously reported, Saigon's dispute with Atlantic began after the label failed to put out his debut on several occasions. Last summer, the rapper called out Atlantic on his MySpace page for failing to promote and release his anticipated debut and threatened to release the project without the labels approval.

Referring to Atlantic as "a home of ringtone making artists," the rapper denounced the notion that the album's hold up had anything to do with him.

"Please don't believe that the hold up of my album has anything to do with me or my work ethic or my rate of producing great music," he wrote. "If you go to YouTube and type in JBTV Saigon you will hear snippets of my album that Atlantic doesn't seem to have the desire to release."

A few months later, reconciling their creative difference, Saigon and Atlantic seemed to have come to an understanding and issued a December 4, 2007 release date for the project. But, as the album date drew near, Atlantic in accord with Saigon decided to push back the album.

"It ain't coming out till its ready," Saigon said of the push back. "The album's not even done yet. Just Blaze is such a perfectionist, even more so than me. And we keep finding things that can make it better."

Releasing the sets lone single, "Pain in My Life," the track failed to take off at radio and on the charts. Atlantic continued to push back the project until there was a viable single. However, Saigon claims the label tried to turn him into a ringtone artist.

"It's not like I didn't want to put out music," he told Billboard. "But Atlantic wanted me to do ringtone songs but they didn't sign me as a ringtone artist."

Sai further blamed the lack of support on the departure of the A&R executive who signed him, Kyambo "Hip-Hop" Joshua, who left to join Columbia.

With his release from Atlantic imminent, the Yardfather is busy concentrating on promoting his music. His latest single, "Believe It," was released to yesterday (May 21) via Just Blaze's blog, TheMegatrondon2.com and the MC has seven viral videos in tow.

"I'm happier [now] than I've been in a minute," he confessed to Billboard.

The rapper also has plans to return to return to the set of HBO's hit series Entourage this season. He first appeared on the show in 2006.

50 Cent Plans To Drop Solo Project This Year, Eyeing New Major Label Deal

50 Cent is not yet free from his deal with Interscope, but he's already looking around for the next big score.

According to the New York Post, the G-Unit honcho wants to follow in the steps of fellow mogul Jay-Z, who, previously reported, recently struck a $150 million partnership with Live Nation.

But before 50 is free to ink a more lucrative deal, he has to turn out two more records for Interscope. The first of the two, G-Unit's T.O.S. (Terminate on Sight), is set to hit stores on July 1. Sources close to Fif say he wants that second album, a solo project, out by fourth quarter, so he can wrap up his Interscope ties by the end of the year.

Still, insiders close to the rapper's camp said that unnamed parties are already talking the mogul up. There was speculation about a major deal with MySpace, though several industry executives familiar with the situation called the idea premature.

But Fif would be a great asset for any company looking to make its way into the record business, or for a label that's ready to revamp.

Fif's portfolio includes an investment in Vitamin Water valued at $100 million, his own record label, a branded clothing line, sneakers through Reebok, fitness videos, books, video games, Hollywood movies, and most recently a memorabilia line through a deal with Steiner Sports.

Live Nation hasn't been ruled out as a bidder for 50's services, though already deeply financially committed with a major like Jay already on its payroll.

Before anybody gets their hands on 50 Cent though, Interscope has to be satisfied. Rumor has it the label has a first refusal option that could keep any other interested company off the horizon.

T.I. & Shawty Lo Set To Share A Stage, Amidst Beef

Atlanta rappers T.I. and Shawty Lo have waged a public beef the last few months, exchanging words on the radio and on wax. Now, the feuding emcees will be sharing a stage together in an upcoming Birthday Bash concert for Atlanta's Hot 107.9.

As previously reported, Lo took issue with Tip for failing to acknowledge him as a Bankhead-bred rapper. On his song "Dunn Dunn" Shawty took some shots at T.I., and the self-professed King of the South fired back on Atlanta radio station 92Q. [Listen here]

"Come on dog," T.I. said. "Who are you for real to be acknowledging like that? Get in the game first."

Then Shawty Lo shot back on DJ Kay Slay's radio show, saying T.I wasn't even really from Bankhead, the hood he's claimed throughout his career. [Listen here]

The rappers are both on the bill to perform at Hot 107.9's 13th Annual Birthday Bash at the Phillip's Arena in Atlanta on June 14.

Branded PR is handling the publicity for the event and confirmed the two rappers will be performing, but according to Tahira Wright, they're not anticipating any problems with the line up.

"I'm not one to perpetuate beef but T.I. and Shawty Lo are indeed scheduled to perform," Wright wrote in an email to. "However, I'm not aware of any heightened security measures. The Philips Arena is very secure as is."

Other confirmed performers are Young Jeezy, Plies, Soulja Boy and Webbie, with others to be added.

Polow Da Don Named Pop Songwriter Of The Year

Producer Polow Da Don added a fifth award to his BMI collection as he was given Songwriter of the Year honors at BMI's 56th Annual Pop Awards last night.

The honor is the result of his success writing four of 2007's top 50 songs including the Pussycat Dolls "Buttons" ft. Snoop Dogg; Fergie's "London Bridge," and "Glamorous" ft. Ludacris as well as "Runaway Love," by Luda ft. Mary J. Blige.

While Polow currently holds four other BMI awards, this marked his first time winning BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year.

The event was held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. Other honorees included Publisher of the Year EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc, and Daryl Hall and John Oates, who were honored as BMI Icons. Previous BMI Icons include James Brown, Carlos Santana and Isaac Hayes.

Lil' Wayne To Shut Down BET Awards, Stars In New "Fast & The Furious" Flick

Lil' Wayne, the self-proclaimed best rapper alive, is in talks to close out "The Bet Awards" next month as well as star in the upcoming Fast And The Furious flick.

"I'm really excited that Usher is opening the show," BET's executive vice president Stephen Hill told Billboard. "I'll give you a little tidbit - Lil' Wayne is probably closing the show. So, we have a grand opening and grand closing."

Lil' Wayne has racked up three nods for "The BET Awards," with nominations for "Best Male Hip-Hop Artist;" the "Viewer's Choice" award for his hit "Lollipop;" and "Best Collaboration" for DJ Khaled's "I'm So Hood (Remix)." The award show is set to air on June 24.

Wayne is also in talks to appear in the upcoming movie, The Fast and Furious 4. He let the cat out of the bag during last week's "BET Awards" press conference. The flick, which is scheduled to hit theatres in 2009, stars the original Fast and The Furious cast; Paul Walker, Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez.

While Weezy is still in talks with the Fast and the Furious producers, he has secured a role in the upcoming Forest Whitaker film Patriots, which began filming in Wayne's New Orleans hometown this month. The movie will also star rapper/actor Bow Wow and is set to open in theaters in November.

The Game Eyes B.I.G. Career, Police Tow Bentley

The Game's Bentley was reportedly towed last night after the Compton rapper was pulled over in Glendale, Calif. for driving with expired tags.

According to TMZ, Game was stopped by authorities around 7 p.m. "His car was towed because the tag has been expired for more than 6 months," Glendale police spokesperson John Balian said.


Game, who was also cited for not having proof of insurance, will have to pay fines, late fees and produce an insurance card to recoup his ride from the police impound.

In related news, recently chopped it up with Game to talk about how his third album, L.A.X., may possibly be his last. The controversial emcee compared his short career to The Notorious B.I.G.'s, saying sometimes "three albums is enough in hip-hop."

"Biggie only had two albums and that was enough for people," Game explained. "People say he was the greatest rapper alive, which is one of the things I agree on, but he only had two albums.

L.A.X., which hits stores on July 8, features production by Kanye West, Cool & Dre and Just Blaze along with appearances by Common, Ludacris, Ne-Yo, Raekwon, Busta Rhymes and Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry.

Nas Backs Down From ''N*gger'' Album Title

Within the past few months Nas has stirred up controversy in anticipation of his eighth studio album, N*gger. Now it seems as if the Queensbridge emcee has conceded to his critics and changed the title of his upcoming release.

According to Entertainment Weekly, a representative for Def Jam records has confirmed that Nas (born Nasir Jones) has decided to change the title of his new album N*gger to Untitled.

"The people will always know what the real title of this album is and what to call it," Nas said in a statement. "It's important to me that this album gets to the fans...It's been a long time coming. I want my fans to know that creatively and lyrically, they can expect the same content and the same messages. It's that important."

The Queens-bred rapper sparked a heated debate last fall when he announced the provocative title. Despite the controversy surrounding the title, Nas' label and chairman Antonio "L.A." Reid stood behind God Son's concept.

In an exclusive with, Reid delivered a message of support for Nas and the album concept, but was unsure of its title. "Expect Nas to educate us without preaching to us," Reid said. "Expect him to give a point of view that maybe the world hasn't thought about. Expect him to really enlighten us."

When asked if the album would be released with the n-word title, Ried replied, "We'll have to see."

In a survey conducted by in response to the album's title, out of 1,899 respondents 85.27% said they were not offended by Nas' decision to name the disc N*gger. 14.73% of those polled said they were.

The newly named set was originally scheduled to be release in April, but with recent material from the project leaking on the net, Nas reported the album to be released in July.

Nas is now set to hit stores July 1st via Def Jam Recordings.

DMX ACCUSED OF TRYING TO DODGE HOSPITAL BILL: Plus, rapper pleads not guilty to drug/animal cruelty; MD judge overturns defamation judgment

Doctors in Arizona have accused DMX of trying to use a fake name to get out of paying for a hospital visit in April – the latest in a string of legal activity relating to the rapper just this weekend alone.

According to court documents obtained Friday by The Arizona Republic, DMX went to the Mayo Clinic's emergency room under the name Troy Jones complaining of shortness of breath and chest pains. The rapper, born Earl Simmons, was diagnosed with pneumonia and released eight hours later.

He could be charged with "theft of services" and providing the hospital with "false information including name and address for billing purposes." His lawyer, according to TMZ.com, called the investigation "petty" and suggested that Sheriff Joe Arpaio had no sympathy for the sick.

Meanwhile, the rapper pleaded not guilty Thursday in Arizona to animal cruelty charges and three felony drug charges - including two counts of marijuana possession and one for drug paraphernalia - stemming from a raid of his home last week.

He arrived one hour late for his appearance in front of Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Lisa VandenBerg. The charges are in connection with a May 9 raid of his Cave Creek home following a seven-month investigation into animal cruelty charges.

On Friday, a $1.5 million defamation judgment against DMX was overturned in Maryland by Judge Thomas P. Smith, who found that the rapper was not at fault for missing a scheduled court hearing in January.

Monique Wayne filed the lawsuit against DMX after he accused her of raping him at a hotel in Baltimore in 2003. The artist made the allegations in an interview with Sister 2 Sister magazine.

In the original lawsuit, filed in Prince George's County Circuit Court in Upper Marlboro, Md. in October 2006, Wayne asked for $6 million in damages. The rapper, however, was ordered to pay her $518,400 in compensation and $1 million in punitive penalties when he missed a scheduled hearing.

According to reports, the entertainer was unaware that a hearing was scheduled to take place. DMX hired Baltimore-based The Murphy Firm to contest the ruling.

"Today a very large judgment was vacated by Judge Smith," said Hassan Murphy, a managing partner of The Murphy Firm. "The judge clearly agreed with us that Mr. Simmons was never properly notified and therefore he threw out the judgment.

REMY MA AND SHOOTING VICTIM FACE OFF ON RADIO: Rapper calls Hot 97 from jail during interview with Makeda Barnes-Joseph

Remy Ma didn't let a fresh eight-year prison sentence keep her from squaring off against the woman she was convicted of shooting in the stomach.

According to the local New York newspapers, both the rapper and Makeda Barnes-Joseph, 24, argued about the case Wednesday morning on New York's Hot 97 radio station.

Makeda called in first to address one of the radio jocks who questioned the jury's verdict saying Remy's sentence was excessive.

"This thing makes me cry every time I talk about it," said Barnes-Joseph, who was shot in the stomach by the rapper. "I have these ugly scars. ... My stomach is crazy."

Commenting on Remy's eight-year sentence for two counts of first-degree assault, attempted coercion and criminal possession of a weapon, Barnes-Joseph said she didn't think it was too harsh.

"She's got a kid. She'll come out in eight years and see her kid," she said. "I might not be able to have kids."

Remy Ma, whose real last name is Smith, heard her victim on the radio and was able to phone in herself from Rikers Island.

"I was there. I'm not agreeing with y'all and telling you I'm wrong and I'm sorry for something I didn't do," said the artist.

Offering no apology and no remorse, Remy stated: "I don't care if 12 million say 'guilty.' The same way she was there, I was there," Remy said. "[She's] bending the truth. She's stretching it to make it seem like she did nothing wrong. ... I don't got to shoot no girls."

Remy said she was offered a plea deal that carried a three-year sentence but turned it down because she believed she would be acquitted.

"You think I would jeopardize being away from my child for five to 25 years if I even had an inkling that I was guilty of something?" she asked Miss Jones.

Barnes-Joseph pointed out that Remy fled after the shooting and did not check on her.

"This whole 10 months, my life has been like a roller coaster," Barnes-Joseph told the Daily News. "Everyone blames me like I'm a bad person and I did nothing. I did nothing at all."

Foxy disowns her own album….

“BROOKLYN’S DON DIVA”, MY HIGHLY ANTICIPATED STREET ALBUM WHICH HIT STORES TUESDAY, IS, AS IT WAS ALWAYS INTENDED TO BE, A MIXTAPE STREET ALBUM - THE WARM-UP TO MY LONG-AWAITED, EPIC, 4TH STUDIO ALBUM “BLACK ROSES”.

UNFORTUNATELY, DURING MY INCARCERATION, THIS CD WAS COMPILED WITHOUT MY APPROVAL. I HEARD THIS CD IN ITS ENTIRETY FOR THE FIRST TIME JUST DAYS AGO AND WAS DEVASTATED. RIDDLED WITH GRIEF OVER AN ALBUM THAT WAS SEEMINGLY SO CARELESSLY ORCHESTRATED, I SAT DOWN WITH THE PRESIDENT OF KOCH TO COME TO A DECISION ON HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF THIS SITUATION. IN ANOTHER PHASE OF MY LIFE AND CAREER I WOULD HAVE DEALT WITH THIS SITUATION WITH LITIGATION, BUT FOR THE BENEFIT OF MY FANS AND IN THE WAKE OF THE PROFOUND SPIRITUAL CLEANSING I RECENTLY UNDERWENT IN PRISON, I MADE THE DECISION TO SETTLE OUR CREATIVE DIFFERENCES AMICABLY. MY FANS HAVE WAITED 7 YEARS FOR AN IN-STORE RELEASE AND DESERVE MY VERY BEST.

NEXT MONTH, KOCH RECORDS AND I WILL BE RE-RELEASING “BROOKLYN’S DON DIVA” WITH 5 NEW RECORDS, VIDEOS, PUBLICITY, MASS MARKETING AND PROMOTION. I AM OF A CERTAIN PEDIGREE, AND I HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO MY FANS TO DELIVER THE LEVEL OF PRODUCT MY BRAND IS ACCUSTOMED TO. IN ORDER TO PRESERVE MY ARTISTIC INTEGRITY, THE NEW RELEASE WILL HAVE MY STAMP OF APPROVAL AND FINGERPRINTS ALL OVER IT. GOING INDEPEPENDENT WAS A GREAT BUSINESS DECISION AND I BELIEVE KOCH AND I WILL DELIVER THE BIGGEST STREET ALBUM IN FEMALE RAP HISTORY.”

50 Cent's News Corp Deal Untrue

LIL KIM WINS COURT BATTLE AGAINST LIL' CEASE: Queen B awarded half million for DVD's unauthorized use of her name and image

Lil Kim was awarded $500,000 Wednesday in a lawsuit accusing one of her former Junior M.A.F.I.A. members of using her name and image for an unauthorized DVD.

According to the New York Post, the rapper had originally filed a $6 million lawsuit against James Lloyd, a.k.a. Lil Cease, who had testified against her in the criminal trial that ended with her conviction for lying to a grand jury.

Manhattan federal Judge Jed Rakoff found that Cease and his company, Ground Zero Entertainment, wrongly capitalized on Lil' Kim's fame with the DVD, "The Chronicles of Junior M.A.F.I.A. Part II: Reloaded."

In July of 2005 Lil' Kim won a temporary restraining order against the entire Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Ground Zero Entertainment to stop the DVD from being sold.

Uncle Murda Arrested At Airport

New York rapper Uncle Murda was arrested at LAX airport last night for carrying a fake ID.

Airport security pulled the rapper (born Leonard Grant) out of line because his ID looked suspicious, according to TMZ. Then cops hauled him to the police station where he was cited and released.

The rapper is still on track for a Def Jam release this year and has put out two mixtapes with DJ Green Lantern "Uncle 2 Hard For Hip-Hop" and "Respect The Shooter."

Murda's court date is set for June 4.

As previously reported, earlier this year Murda was shot in the head while sitting in a parked car in Brooklyn. While the bullet didn't cause any major damage, it did lodge itself beneath the skin.

T-Pain Tops Nominations At The BET Awards

Hit-making hook man T-Pain led all artists with five nominations, as the nominees for the upcoming BET awards were announced today.

Kanye West and Keyshia Cole each got three nods, while Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Flo Rida received two nominations.

T-Pain is a singer in his own right, with hits like "Bartender," and "In Love Wit a Stripper," to his credit. But he's also become the go-to guy for catchy hooks and many artists have invited him to guest on their record.

"T-Pain is everywhere," BET Executive Vice President Stephen Hill told the Associated Press. "He's got five nominations, none of them for his own work."

Soul music legend Al Green will be honored with a lifetime achievement award and Quincy Jones will receive an award for his humanitarian work.

The BET Awards will be presented June 24 in Los Angeles.

ICE CUBE'S 'JACKIN' FOR BEATS' TARGET OF LAWSUIT: One of rapper's jacked beats is from two members of The Turtles

Two members of the 60s group The Turtles say their previous arrangement with Ice Cube, who sampled their 1972 song "Buzzsaw" for his early 90s hit "Jackin' for Beats," needs to be updated immediately.

According to TMZ.com, singers Flo & Eddie recently filed suit against Capitol Records in L.A. County Superior Court alleging that the label had signed a deal for the song but went beyond the agreement to make even more money.

Flo & Eddie are seeking $25,000 but not more than $70,000, according to TMZ.

Ludacris Honored By Former High School, Gets Gym Named After Him

Atlanta rapper/actor Ludacris will return to his alma mater, Benjamin Banneker High School in Atlanta, today to be honored.

The multi-platinum star is set to spend a very special day at the Fulton County school, which plans to name one of their gymnasiums the "Christopher Bridges Gym of Dreams," in honor of the MC. Luda will also take part in a tree planting ceremony at the school, which has faced tough times recently.

Spoke exclusively with one of the event organizers, Tory Edwards, who confirmed that Ludacris will be present as students take part in a ceremony to deal with difficult problems many of them have faced, including rape, gang violence, and pressure to sell drugs.

In preparation for the event, Banneker students have penned anonymous letters voicing their concerns; Luda will look on during the pep rally as these letters will be placed in a casket and buried.

The rally is scheduled to be held at 1 p.m. at Benjamin Banneker High School.

Edwards, who is producing a television documentary series following the Disturbin' Tha Peace MC, tentatively titled "Behind The Mic," said he and his production partner Malika James helped put the event together along with the help of Atlanta mentorship program Men of Destiny, not long after Luda's previous request to establish a scholarship at Banneker was denied.

During today's event, school leaders will apologize to Ludacris for their previous reluctance to accept his aid. Fellow Atlanta artists Killer Mike and Monica (who is also Ludacris' cousin) will also be in attendance. Monica is scheduled to address female students at the school, while V103's DJ Infamous is set to deejay the event.

Young Buck Speaks On "Friendship" W/ G-Unit, ''50 Cent Has Never Been To My House''

Young Buck hasn't spoken much about his ousting from G-Unit since 50 Cent revoked Buck's membership last month. But the Cashville emcee aired a few grievances recently, and got candid about his real relationships with Sha Money XL, The Game, Snoop Dogg, and Fif.

"A lot of this sh*t that 50's doing towards my situation, I'm just not used to," Buck said during an interview with the XM radio show "Raw With Mz. Kitti." "I'm a street n*gga, I ain't used to n*ggas just saying sh*t and just doing any of this sh*t. I'm like, 'hold up ...'"

Though Buck was kicked out of G-Unit, he's still signed to the label. The ousting changed friendships more than it may record sales.

"The minute that 50 went public and said, 'yo Buck, you kicked out of G-Unit,' Sha Money pretty much disappeared from me for like two, three weeks," he said of his long-time manager. "No contact at all. After that situation, I went to calling Sha, because he's my manager, and Sha just disappeared."

But Buck still considers Sha to be a friend.

"Sha Money was more than just a manager to me," he continued. "At the end of the day, Sha Money was, still is my friend. Sha's in a situation dealing with both of these things -- he's a friend of 50 Cent, he's my manager. Outside of that, we've growed our friendship. I'm Sha's best man on his wedding."

But he's gained a couple of alliances out of the turmoil, too. One happens to be another ousted member of G-Unit.

"I haven't gotten on no phone conversations and actually spoke to Game, but he's reached out to a few people that's around me just to show his support like, 'yo Buck, f*ck whatever's going on, I just wanna see your well being, as long as you aight,'" Buck said. "That's love and I ain't even got that call from Banks and Yayo, and we ain't got no issues with each other. The issue was from 50."

According to Buck, he and Fif were never all that tight anyway.

"50 Cent has never been to my house," he explained. "50 don't know where I live, on my child's life. I don't even think he'd know my child's first and last name if I asked him."

On the other hand, Snoop gave Buck his support personally.

"[Snoop Dogg] comes to my city, Cashville, Tennessee," he said. "This motherf*cker really showed my city more love than any motherf*cker... and that goes for anybody and everybody. He hung out in the hood and the projects - sh*t like that, you can't buy with money. Money can't buy that sh*t. I appreciate that sh*t more than anything in my life. It was so real."

Buck is currently working on establishing his new label Cashville Records and his new line, David Brown Clothing.

"I'm focused at this point and I'mma stay this way," Buck said. "I'm more happier than I've ever been in my career. I ain't lying."

Prodigy Drops ''H.N.I.C. 2'' DVD

Incarcerated Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy is set to drop the DVD companion to his latest album H.N.I.C. Pt. 2 next month.

H.N.I.C. Pt. 2: The DVD Collection features never-before-seen videos and exclusives for new songs like "The Dough," "Get Trapped," "Represent Me," and "When I See You" featuring Cormega, according to a press release. In addition to videos for songs that weren't on the original album version, the DVD also includes a vid for "Dirty New Yorker," featuring Havoc, from the Grand Theft Auto IV video game soundtrack.

P spent the last two months of his freedom, before going to jail, cutting videos everyday for every song on the album.

Dan the Man filmed and produced the videos for H.N.I.C. Pt. 2's "The Life," "Power Is People," "ABC," and "Sleep When I'm Dead."

"Prodigy has always been ahead of other hip-hop artists when it comes to using technology and he wanted a visual way to connect with his fans directly," Dan said.

He utilized a few different techniques to make each video unique.

"For 'The Life,' we used a really different technology. We shot most of the video on green screen and then superimposed his image on a series of photographs taken around the city. If you look at the video for 'The Life,' you'll see Prodigy over what looks like frozen moments in time," Dan said. "In the 'ABC' video, we utilized cutting edge night vision technology which enables you shoot in complete darkness."

The video for 'Power Is People' was filmed in a Queens Correctional Facility, just days before P would be confined to a cell in real life.

"At times it was surreal looking through the lens and seeing P walking alone through the halls of the facility knowing that he would soon find himself in one," Dan said.

As previously reported, Prodigy (born Albert Johnson) was sentenced to three-and-a-half years behind bars for weapons charges after being arrested back in October of '06.

P's second official solo album H.N.I.C. Part II debuted on the Billboard charts at No. 36, selling 13,300 copies.

H.N.I.C. Pt. 2:The DVD Collection hits stores on June 17.

REMY MA SENTENCED: Rapper gets 8 years and jail wedding is off.

Not that it wasn't expected, but Remy Ma got some bad news today. She has been sentenced to eight years in prison in the shooting a woman outside a Manhattan nightclub.

The 26-year-old rapper, whose real name is Remy Smith, received her sentence for assault, weapon possession and attempted coercion.

Remy Ma, who could have faced up to 25 years in prison, was teary-eyed as she heard the sentence. She claims last summer's shooting was an accident; an appeal is planned.

In other Remy Ma news, or should we say other bad news for Remy, correction officials say they called off her weekend wedding at the Rikers Island jail after the groom - fellow rapper Papoose - showed up with a handcuff key.

According to the AP, Remy Ma's lawyer, Ivan Fisher, denies the key could be used to unlock handcuffs. Fisher says the two still plan to wed.

MAN WHO SLUGGED SUGE KNIGHT SPEAKS: Also, is one-time mogul planning to retaliate? 'Rollin' With Dre' author weighs in

The man who claims to be behind Suge Knight's knockout punch has emerged.

According to TMZ.com, dude is a barbershop owner in Los Angeles who is friends with the man Knight was trying to defend in the now infamous altercation outside of Hollywood's Shag nightclub.

The brawler, who would not give his name, yet is pictured on TMZ, says he was playfully arguing about money with the mutual friend when the former music mogul misunderstood and thought it was serious.

When Suge tried to defend his friend, fisticuffs jumped off and the barber – all of 5'10" and 173 lbs – delivered the punch that knocked 6'3", 315 lb Knight unconscious for a good three minutes, according to the Web site.

DMX ARRESTED FOR DRUGS, ANIMAL CRUELTY: Rapper tried to barricade himself in bedroom until SWAT showed up.

When it rains, it pours for DMX. After months of inactivity in his camp, a sudden pair of arrests has the rapper back in serious legal trouble.

Three days after he was arrested and released on bail for a January speeding ticket, the artist was taken into custody Friday on drug and animal-cruelty charges following an overnight raid at his Cave Creek home north of Phoenix.

The 37-year-old, born Earl Simmons, had tried to barricade himself in his bedroom during the 3 a.m. raid, but came out with his hands up when a SWAT team arrived, sheriff's spokesman Capt. Paul Chagolla told the AP.

The arrest and search warrants stemmed from indictments for felony drug possession and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. During an August raid of his home, detectives seized 12 pit bull dogs, dug up remains of three others and found marijuana on the property. The MC made an initial court appearance Friday where bail was set at $7,500.

As previously reported, DMX was arrested Tuesday by the Arizona Department of Public Safety after speed-enforcement cameras captured him going 114 mph on a suburban Phoenix freeway.

SUGE KNIGHT GETS KNOCKED OUT AT THE CLUB: TMZ claims former Death Row mogul lost a fight Saturday night in Hollywood

TMZ.com says one of its spies witnessed Death Row co-founder Suge Knight getting knocked out Saturday night during a fight at Shag nightclub in Hollywood.

The Web site's account is as follows:

A source witnessed Suge talking to a guy -- and the convo was friendly enough at first. Then it turned. Suge shouted, "I want my money!" Suge then rushed the guy with the help of his posse, and began hitting and kicking him. Get this -- during the fight, Suge put a random guy in a headlock, demanding his cellphone.

People outside the club broke up the fight, and as the beatee got up, he landed a right hook to Suge's face, knocking him out cold. We're told Knight was out for nearly three minutes. His peeps then rushed him into a nearby SUV.

BTW, after Suge woke up, he began yelling for the phone he had just taken from the random guy.

TONI BRAXTON VEGAS SHOW NOW CLOSED TILL JUNE: Singer's rep still won't comment on medical condition

Toni Braxton's return to the Las Vegas stage has been delayed again. She'll remain sidelined from her headlining show for at least another month, reports the Associated Press.

Harrah's Entertainment announced Friday that it now expects to resume "Toni Braxton: Revealed" at the Flamingo Las Vegas hotel on June 6.

The show has been dark since the singer was hospitalized overnight for chest pain on April 7. The Harrah's spokeswoman says she can't comment about Braxton's medical condition.

Braxton, 40, has been treated in the past for pericarditis, a viral inflammation of the heart.

Braxton's two-year run at the Flamingo Las Vegas is scheduled to end in August.

T.I. Tones Down Lyrics ''Ever So Slightly'' On Upcoming CD, Talks Bond W/ Eminem

Taking a break from his community service duties, T.I. recently revealed the details of his upcoming album, Paper Trail and explained how his new music will reflect the lessons he's been force to learn in the last year.

In a call to Atlanta radio station Hot 107.9, Tip spoke upon his newfound understanding which came about as a result of his recent conviction on weapons charges and the community service he's been doing dissuading kids from drugs and violence. As a result, T.I. said Paper Trail may be "ever so slightly" toned down from his last disc, T.I. Vs. T.I.P.

"Not to a great deal or an extra degree of censorship, I'm just making sure this album is much more intelligently and artistically put together," T.I. told 107.9. "I'ma still get loose now. I'ma still do me. But you know when I was living the way I was living, I was rapping the way I was rapping ... A lot of elements that were in my life no longer exist."

As previously reported, T.I. recently leaked the introspective song, "No Matter What," where he got candid about the struggles he endured throughout his federal weapons case.

T.I. said the track was penned right around his lowest point; Christmas time.

"Right after me sensing the affects of not being able to be around my family ... The hating and the rumors were real fresh on the web and on the radio and everybody was really getting their T.I. hate on," T.I. said.

And to his surprise, when he was going through tough times, T.I. said fellow emcees embraced him.

"I wasn't expecting to hear from nobody. I made a point not to reach out to people ... because I didn't want to get none of my trash in nobody else's yard."

But the rapper said Lil' Wayne, Diddy, Jay-Z and Nelly all reached out. Jeezy even came to one of his bond hearings. Yet Tip said he spoke to Busta Rhymes and Eminem the most.

"The only person I spoke to more than Busta was Eminem," he revealed. "Me and Eminem, we stayed in contact, stayed on the phone, making sure each other was doing good."

The rapper has already taken responsibility for the trouble he found himself in, but he blames a certain aspect of himself - his alterego, T.I.P.

"I kinda spoke a lot of things into existence that I should of just let lie," he said about his last album T.I. VS T.I.P. "I kind of opened up some doors and uncovered some emotions that I probably shoulda just left where they were. So now T.I. and T.I.P both got a understanding."

In related news, tomorrow (May 6) T.I. will be doing his first televised interview on BET since pleading guilty to weapons charges. The interview will be aired at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Paper Trail is due in stores in September.

LIL WAYNE PLEADS NOT GUILTY IN ARIZONA CASE: Rapper faces several drug charges stemming from raided tour bus

Lil Wayne pleaded not guilty in Arizona Superior Court Tuesday on various drug and weapons charges stemming from a police search of his tour bus in January.

The rapper is due back in court on May 19 to face charges of possession of dangerous drugs, possession of a narcotic drug for sale, misconduct involving weapons and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

The traffic stop near a border checkpoint outside of Yuma went sour after a Border Patrol dog alerted officials to the presence of drugs on the bus. A subsequent search uncovered 41 grams of ecstasy, four ounces of marijuana, a little over an ounce of cocaine and a .40 caliber pistol, which is registered to Wayne in Florida.

Police also confiscated $22,000 dollars in cash and two other firearms.

COMMON LANDS ROLE IN NEW 'TERMINATOR' FILM: Rapper to play a member of John Connor's crew

Common's Hollywood game continues to expand with his recent casting in "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins," the latest sequel in the lucrative "Terminator" franchise.

The story will follow John Connor (Christian Bale), who is now in his 30s and leads what is left of the human race in a battle against the machines, reports Variety. Common will play a freedom fighter and member of Connor's inner circle.

McG will direct the project for Halcyon Pictures. Warner Bros will distribute the film domestically, while Sony is tapped to handle most foreign territories. The film's U.S. premiere date has been set for May 22, 2009.

Common can next be seen onscreen in "Wanted," starring Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy. Later this summer, he is set to release his eighth album, "Invincible Summer."

RUSSELL SIMMONS WANTS JOINT CUSTODY OF KIDS: Impresario files response to Kimora Lee's request for sole custody of two daughters

Russell Simmons is now asking for joint custody of his two daughters in his divorce from estranged wife Kimora Lee, reports CelebTV.com.

In documents filed Tuesday in Los Angeles court, the hip-hop mogul is seeking joint physical and legal custody of his children Ming, 8, and Aoki, 5.

Kimora Lee asked for sole custody in her March divorce filing, requesting that Russell get only "reasonable child visitation ... to be accompanied at all times by the children's nanny and security personnel." Also, both parties are seeking to deny spousal support for the other.

Russell, 50, and Kimora Lee, 33, were married in 1998 and separated in 2006. She is currently dating actor Djimon Hounsou.

'T.I. SPEAKS' TONIGHT ON BET: Rapper talks to Toure in first televised interview since plea bargain on weapon charges

Rapper T.I. is interviewed by BET personality Toure about his life and future beyond incarceration in the half-hour special "T.I. Speaks," premiering tonight at 7:30 EST.

The artist, born Clifford Harris, Jr., was sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to federal weapons charges. During the special, he discusses his best friend's murder in 2006 and explains how being a celebrity has its drawbacks and "ignites a certain paranoia."

"Every one knew me and I knew no one ... you can't tell if a person is a fan or not until the (car) window winds down," he says during the program.

Claiming a new understanding for life and its meaning, T.I. delivers a strong message about decision-making to a group of at-risk students and reveals his thoughts about going back to jail and his career's future.

"I must be a man and stand up and accept responsibility," he says. "I exercised extremely poor judgment, and for that, I must be willing to pay whatever price that comes before me."

Duke Da God Comments On Car Accident, Preps Dipset Radio

After escaping serious injury from a car accident in Manhattan on Friday (May 2), Diplomat Records A&R Duke Da God is recovering from minor injuries and has turned his attention to focusing on upcoming Dipset projects.

According to hip-hop personality Miss Info, while sitting at a red light in his R500 Mercedes Benz at 135th street and 5th Ave in Harlem, at 3 p.m., Duke witnessed two cars drag racing. One driver lost control of the vehicle and spun out of control, smashing into the front of the Dipset's executive car. Duke walked away with minor injuries but his Benz was wrecked.

"Ni**as have gone out and copped the new 'Grand Theft Auto IV' and they have lost their damn minds," Duke told exclusively.

Although, the Dipset executive escaped serious injury and potential death, he seemed unaffected by the crash, as Duke continues plans to rebuild the Dipset brand.

"More Than Music 3 is coming soon," he said. "[And] tune into the premiere of Dipset Radio on XM's Channel 66 Raw over Memorial Day Weekend."

In related news, in an ironic twist of fate, Duke's Dipset cohort Freaky Zekey escaped death last month, as he was involved in a near fatal three-car collision. The Harlem-bred rapper escaped with minor injuries but his white S550 Benz was totaled.

The Game Follows 50 Cent's Lead W/ New Site, Plans Retirement

The Game is eyeing retirement after he drops his third album, L.A.X. in July. In this exclusive the west coast emcee reveals his post-rap plans and the motivation behind his 50 Cent-inspired website, ThisIzGame.com

Despite his well documented conflict with G-Unit, The Game can admit when 50 does something smart. In fact, the former G-Unit member was so impressed with 50 Cent's website, ThisIs50.com that he decided to launch a similar site called ThisIzGame.com.

"I wanted to create a website and I wanted to use that name because I thought what 50 did was pretty creative," he told. "I think that Garth Brooks should have ThisIsGarthBrooks and maybe Oprah should have ThisIsOprah because we are who we are. If you're looking at me, this is Game so [put] dot com behind it and you got a hit."

In addition to his new foray into the web game, the rapper plans to spend his retirement time developing the artists and producers signed to his label, Black Wall Street. Also, "dive head first into scripts" since he had such a good experience on the set of the movie Street Kings, which starred Forrest Whittaker and Keanu Reeves.

"Everybody was real professional and respected me and I was always punctual, on time, respected everybody and didn't bring my rapping ego over to the film side," said Game. "I did my thing and they appreciated me and I appreciated them. And Street Kings movie was pretty dope"

Even though Game is planning to take the acting world by storm, he doesn't plan on taking any classes. "I'm just a natural," he says. "I don't really need no classes. I want to be like the guy that never took classes and won and Oscar."

The Game's third album, L.A.X. will be released on July 8th. It features production by Kanye West, Cool and Dre, Just Blaze and appearances by Common, Ludacris, Ne-Yo, Raekwon, Busta Rhymes, Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry.

Remy Ma Blames Bias Jury On Guilty Verdict, "There Was No Tan, Dark Brown, Black, Nothing"

Incarcerated Bronx rapper Remy Ma phoned into DJ Kay Slay's Shade 45 radio from Rikers Island to give her first interview from behind bars.

As previously reported, the rapper (born Reminisce Smith) is currently locked up and awaiting sentencing after being convicted of first degree assault, among other charges, for shooting her former friend, Makeda Barnes-Joseph, in the abdomen over the rapper's missing $3,000. Her sentencing hearing, which was originally scheduled for last month, was pushed back to May 13.

During the interview, a jovial Remy blamed the guilty verdict on a bias jury and stuck to her plea of innocence.

"Don't be mistaken by a jury that was not my peers," she said. "There was no tan, dark brown, black, nothing on that jury," she said. "It's a whole conspiracy against rappers right now, so I already knew what it was." [Listen here]

Rem's defense attorney Ivan Fisher feared the same thing.

"I was concerned throughout the case that there is a substantial part of the population who correlate rap with violence," Fisher told. "And I always had a concern that that worked to our disadvantage and would make it difficult to be fair to Remy at the trial."

Although Remy seemed upset by the verdict, she was in good spirits throughout the call, joking around with the self proclaimed Drama King.

"It's nothin'," she said about her current situation. "I'm in here chillin', eatin' mad mackerel."

Spending most of her time alone in a cell, Remy says she has more contact with guards than anyone else.

"It's real crazy over here," she explained. "You got certain officers that are extra nice and then you got certain officers that are extra not nice. It's not my fault that my commissary is more than they salaries."

Rem chatted on the line with Slay for about five and a half minutes and promised she'd call up again.

"I got wild phone time, son!" She boasted. "They ain't built bars yet that can stop my flow."

She said her new mixtape, "Six Minutes Remy Ma You're On" - which she recorded behind bars - is coming soon and asked that her fans come out and support her on May 13th, when the rapper is due back in court to hear her fate. She faces up to 25 years.

Kanye: You'll Never "Michael Jackson" Me

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Kanye made headlines after his big fuss over technical glitches at a recent Houston concert, but on his blog, he tells fans: "Don't believe the hype!"


The man is not a prima donna, he says. He's not even a Madonna. And he's certainly no Michael Jackson:

"Unfortunately for certain media outlets, you will never be able 2 'Michael Jackson' me. That means 2 make it seem like everything I do is so weird or out of place...they always try 2 make it seem like everything is about my ego! That joke is getting old."Thanks for clarifying, Kanye. For a minute there we thought "Michael Jacksoning" someone meant wrapping them in a blanket and dangling them out a hotel window. (How's that for a joke getting old?)

Lil' Kim's Bentley Repossessed?

Brooklyn rapper Lil' Kim recently received an unexpected visit from two repossession men for months of delinquent car payments.

According to New York City's CW11 News, the Brooklyn-bred rapper (born Kimberly Jones) had an unexpected visit at her home from two repo men who had to come to swipe her silver Bentley. Valued at $250-300,000, it was reported that Kim was around four to five months behind in payments.

Apparently, when Kim was asked to turnover the keys to the vehicle, the rapper told the repo men that her accountant would handle the situation. When, CW11 attempted to receive comment from Kim on the falling economy and raising tide or repossession in auto, the disgruntled rapper began to curse at the reporter, telling him to leave her estate.

"Oh please," she responded. "Get the f*ck out of here. You're so f*cking ridiculous."

"Apparently she didn't want to cooperate," said the repo man to CW11. "She basically told us to get off the property. We were hoping she would give us the keys, being that it was the right thing to do. It's not her vehicle!"

Update: "The car was a gift, given 4 years ago," a rep for Kim told. "This matter is currently being resolved and is completely out of Kim's hands."

Damon Dash Facing More Baby Mama Drama

The battle between rap mogul and former Jay-Z business partner Damon Dash and his baby's mother rages on.

According to TMZ, Linda Williams has filed a petition against Dash, claiming that their 16-year-old son Damon Dash II, aka "Boogie," lived with no hot water or electricity for two months in his bedroom. She also says that Dash took their teen to the morgue to identify the body of an uncle who'd committed suicide with a bullet to the head and failed to pay $3,600 for basketball camp. In addition, Williams fears the Roc-A-Fella founder will renege on a promise to put $10 million away in a trust fund for Junior.

It's not the first issue the millionaire mogul has had with money, or the first challenge he's faced with "Boogie's" custody.

Dash hocked his 25 percent stake in Rocawear for a reported $30 million back in '05, but he was still in the hole more than $2 million to the state of New York over a tax debt in 2007. He sued his accountant for $3.5 mil. that same year, claiming the tax man had submitted several years' worth of erroneous tax returns on his behalf.

This newest court development also marks one in a lengthy list of appearances over the last several years. Dash and Williams have a rocky history and have been in and out of court in an ongoing custody war.

Dash won custody of their then 14-year-old son in 2002, but in '06, Williams and her father both petitioned for visitation.

Just three months before that, Dash had been cleared of assault allegations made by Williams, who claimed the Harlem bred entrepreneur smacked her when they met over their son at a public park in uptown NYC.

Now, Williams is claiming that their son is "at imminent risk and living in an unstable home with no structure or supervision," according to the petition.

No word yet from Dash's camp.

The Game Calls Out NYers Over Sean Bell Verdict, ''I Don't Know Why NY Is So Quiet''

The Game's hard-hitting track, "911 Is A Joke," has been widely circulating the net over last few days, recorded in direct response to the recent Sean Bell verdict. The controversial West Coast rapper hit the airwaves yesterday (April 30) to talk about how people in L.A. would have reacted differently to the verdict, how he wanted to get other rappers to join him on the song, and his talks with the Reverend Al Sharpton.

As previously reported, three New York detectives were acquitted last week after fatally shooting at an unarmed Sean Bell 50 times, back in 2006. The 23 year-old man was shot, along with two friends, after leaving his bachelor party at a Queens strip club. He was set to get married to his fiancé, with whom he has a son, the following day.

Though the rapper said his website, ThisIzGame.com - where fans can go to download the track for free - features a disclaimer saying he does not support or encourage cop killing, he's prepared for the negative hype anyway.

"I'm pretty sure that people are gon' do whatever they can to keep this song from circulating and keep it off my album," he said on Sirius Satellite's After Hours Spot radio show. "The government or whoever is probably gon' have people on the Internet taking this song off the Internet. It's gon' be black ninjas swingin thru trees at night at my house." [Listen to the interview here]

But Game said he stands by his recording.

"I don't have no other reason for doing [the song] except that this man was killed and done an injustice to his family," Game said

"911 Is A Joke" features Game spitting alone, but he said at least two artists turned down an opportunity to get on the track out of fear.

"The hip-hop community right now is like we straight up pussies, man," the rapper said. "I reached out to a couple of artists and told them what I was gonna do and n*ggas ain't want no part of it."

He wouldn't name the artists that declined, only calling them, "some non-active n*ggas."

David Banner also complained about the Hip-Hop community's cowardice, blaming everyone who doesn't speak up about injustice, for injustice.

When asked where the big New York artists were, like Jay-Z and Nas, Game concurred that the East Coast has been fairly mum since the verdict.

"Man if that happened in L.A., do you know you could see smoke form the hills?" he asked. "You look into the city, you'd see smoke and everything would be on fire. I don't know why New York is so quiet and I don't know if New York being quiet isn't the right thing to do."

One opinion that he does respect though, is reverend and activist Al Sharpton's. The two have been in talks and Game said Sharpton's camp knows the Bells personally.

"I got a chance to ... get his views," he said. "We haven't tied the knot on what's next. We're not in unison as far as where to go next, but for Game it's just the beginning of my voice."

Game's album Los Angeles Times is slated for release on July 8.

Lil Wayne to star in sports film "Patriots"

By Mariel Concepcion

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Rapper Lil Wayne will star in the New Orleans-set sports drama "Patriots" alongside Forest Whitaker and Bow Wow.

The Weinstein Co. film is based on the true story of a high school basketball team whose players attended five different high schools before Hurricane Katrina, and their quest for the state championships.

Wayne will play a high school student who is skeptical of the school's new team.

"Wayne went from a supporting role to a major role in the movie because he read so well," Universal's vice president of marketing, Katina Bynum, told Billboard.com. "We're all very excited and looking forward to it, especially since they reached out to him for this positive role as opposed to a stereotypical one."

Directed by Tim Story ("Barbershop," "Fantastic Four"), the film is slated for a November release.

Lil Wayne's latest single, "Lollipop," sits in the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

Reuters/Billboard

Alicia Keys recruiting backup singer via MySpace

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Want to be a backup singer for Alicia Keys? The R&B star is inviting female singers who are aged 21 to 30 to "audition" via MySpace.


Hopefuls have until May 5 to submit a video, 30 seconds or longer, of themselves singing a capella to Keys' MySpace site (http://www.myspace.com/aliciakeys); according to a release. Ideal candidates "must be physically fit and able to dance."

There's no word yet on what portion of the "No One" singer's tour the backup singer would take part in; however, current dates run now through June 18, with more on the way.

Reuters/Billboard

COMMON TEASES NEW ALBUM 'INVINCIBLE': Set described as 'an electro-tinged departure' from previous lyric-driven albums

Common unveiled eight songs from his upcoming album "Invincible Summer" Tuesday night for Billboard magazine, which said the project is "shaping up to be an electro-tinged departure from the MC's previous lyric-driven albums."

"I created this music for the summer time, it's about feeling good," Common tells Billboard.com. "This is the type of music I felt was missing from my body of work."

The Chicago-born rapper has spent the last two months working on "Invincible Summer," which is tentatively due in mid-July led by the high-energy track "Universal Mind Control (U.M.C)."

The set was produced by The Neptunes and Outkast producer Mr. DJ. Kanye West, who helmed the production on Common's last LP, 2007's "Finding Forever," did not contribute any tracks this time around.

"Kanye was focusing on his 'Glow in the Dark' show, so he hasn't been able to make it to the studio to weigh in," Common says. "But it worked out well, organically. The Neptunes & Mr. DJ came up with a fresh sound for me."

Cee-Lo and The Neptunes' pop group, Chester French, guest on the album, but Common says singer-MC Santogold is "one of my favorite artists right now" and adds that he's awaiting a verse from her for the track "Runaway," which samples its guitar riff from Pat Benatar's 'Love Is A Battlefield."

"Invincible" also features spongy futuristic chords on "Make My Day" featuring Cee-Lo, and fuzzy kazoos on "Punch Love," reports Billboard.

Ludacris juggles recording and acting

By Hillary Crosley

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Rapper Ludacris is set to release his sixth album, "Theater of the Mind," in September, a project he terms appropriately "theatrical."

He has been working on the Def Jam Records set while shooting "Max Payne," the big screen adaptation of the popular Rockstar video game.

Calling the album a collection of his experiences up to this point, Ludacris told Billboard.com that "Theater" will be film-worthy. Though he hasn't yet chosen a first single, he said a track should come out by June or July.

One track is called "Let's Stay Together," produced by DJ Paul of the Oscar-winning rap combo Three6 Mafia.

His last album, 2006's "Release Therapy," sold 1.2 million units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and won the Grammy for best rap album.

Ludacris is squeezing in studio time between "Max Payne" film shoots in Toronto. He plays NYPD Deputy Police Chief Jim Bravura in the film, which co-stars Mark Wahlberg. He will be in theaters October 31 with Guy Ritchie's "RocknRolla," which stars Thandie Newton and Jeremy Piven.

"It's about how the Russian mob came to Europe and took over," said Ludacris.

SNOOP RECORDS TRACK WITH LINDSAY LOHAN: Tabloid queen's Motown album also has production from Timbaland and Pharrell

Snoop Dogg has lent his street cred to a track from actress/singer Lindsay Lohan that will appear on her upcoming urban-flavored album for Universal Motown.

And according to Fox 411 columnist Roger Friedman, insiders say the song is "amazing."

"UMG is sparing no expense on this recording, bringing in all the usual suspects like Timbaland and Pharrell to make a good record for the rehabbed and revived Lindsay," Friedman wrote Wednesday.

The album will be Lohan's third, and her first since a well-publicized stint in rehab. A release date has yet to be scheduled.