Ol' Dirty Bastard

Message To The Other Side (Osirus Part 1)
Money Maker Entertainment
www.moneymakerent.com

'Message To The Other Side' Tracklisting:

1. Intro
2. Reunited
3. Live On The Air Part 1
4. Dirty
5. Child Seek Em Ft: Pleaz
6. Skrilla Ft: Rza
7. Wanna Bees Ft: Pleaz
8. Black Mamba Ft: Rza & Masta Killa
9. One Shot, Two Shot Ft: Thirstin Howl The 3rd
10. Got Love For You Ft: J-Love & Meyhem Lauren
11. Interlude
12. Say NO
13. Live On The Air Part 2 Ft: Method Man
14. All Coast
15. Stomp Ft: Rza
16. Live On The Air Part 3 Ft: Rza
17. Bam Bam
18. Osirus
19. Hot Sauce FT: Timbo King
20. Fort Green Projects Ft: FreeMurder, The Rza & Shacrone
21. Destiny Ft: Lesk One

The Wonder Girls have had quite a year in America.  Blastro.com caught up with them at their fan meet and greet in New Jersey.  The girls talk about their tour with the Jonas Brothers, their experiences in America, including their opinions about American boys, and what's up next for them.
 
Blastro.com is supportive of K-pop's ambition to build its audience in America.  Coverage of a fan meet and greet is a great way to introduce our music video audience to its big stars such as the Wonder Girls.  The audience can see their authenticity and the passion they've built with their fans.
 
The meet and greet was held at a Justice store in a shopping mall where the girls were promoting the new Jason Nevins remix of "Nobody," which will be sold exclusively at Justice stores in the U.S.

Click Here to Watch

Rob Campanell
Director of Content Programming
Blastro.com

Jay Sean may be considered an overnight success in America, but he has been working hard in the United Kingdom for the past five years just to get where he is now career-wise.  Building his fanbase in the British Asian/Desi music scene, his popularity grew into the mainstream R&B genre, and his songs were charting with the likes of Ne-Yo and Rihanna in the UK.  He had the good fortune to be "discovered" by Cash Money Records, which gave him instant creditability with the urban music elite in America.

The Jay Sean story is a great example of the grassroots development that has been going on for over a decade.  UK urban artists stopped looking toward America for direction, and started forging their own identity.  Along with this came trendy new names for their different styles.  Garage, grime, drum & bass, dubstep, bassline and niche were thrown alongside hip hop and R&B.   Media also rose up to nurture the UK urban scene as BBC Radio began producing numerous shows dedicated to the urban subgenres, and Channel AKA was programming the music videos on satellite television.

Click Here to Watch the International Spotlight - UK Urban Artists.

Rob Campanell
Director of Content Programming
Blastro.com

Here are the 2009 mtvU Award Nominees.

UK's [art]Mz Bratt[/art] new mixtape mixed by [art]Terror Danjah[/art], 'Give It To Em' Vol.2 features all of the latest tracks including Mz Bratts new single 'I Like You' with [art]Sadie Ama[/art], as well as 'Trust You' and 'Who Do You Think You Are'. This exclusive download also features Bratt on hot Remixes including [art]Gracious K[/art]'s 'Migraine Skank', [art]Jazmine Sullivan[/art] 'Bust Your Windows' and 'Take Me Back' by [art]Taio Cruz[/art] as well a live interview with BBC Radio 1Xtra's Ace & Invisible, a live performance from the Maida Vale studios and guest appearances from the likes of [art]Bruza[/art], [art]Chipmunk[/art] and [art]Griminal[/art].

01) Who Do You Think You Are (prod Terror Danjah)
02 I Like You ft Sadie Ama (prod Terror Danjah)
03 Not Alone freestyle (prod Calvin Harris)
04) Diamond Ring freestyle ft Chipmunk (Terror Danjah rmx)
05) Everything freestyle (prod P Money)
06) Move Your Body (prod Dj Q)
07) Migraine Skank remix ft Gracious K
08) Warning ft Bruza & Tinie Tempah (prod D.O.K)
09) This Year ft Griminal (prod Terror Danjah & D.O.K)
10) Best Crawler freestyle (prod Terror Danjah & Rude Kid)
11) Drop Bombs ft Griminal (prod D.O.K)
12) Run This Town freestyle
13) Bust Your Windows remix
14) Take You Back freestyle
15) Trust You (prod Sticky)
16) Lights Down feat Elrae (prod Terror Danjah)
17) Futures Bright feat Jo Ci & Elrae (prod D.O.K)
18) Addictive ft Bruza (Live session from Maida Vale Studios, Ras Kwame's Radio One show)
19) Ace n Vis live radio 1xtra inteview

Check out some new tracks from Cormega's upcoming solo album, Born
And Raised, coming October 20th .

Listen to "Journey" from Cormega upcoming solo album

Hip-Hop's latest success story, [art]Asher Roth[/art], sits down at Lollapalooza with Roxwel to discuss his musical roots, the daily grind of touring, his friendship with [art]Kid Cudi[/art], and being nominated for MTV's VMA Awards.  Catch clips from his "I Love College" music video interwoven throughout the interview, too. 

This month's feature is South Korea.  The producers and artists from this country have infused pop music with hip-hop freestyle dances and created a worldwide craze known as K-pop.  Although it has some obstacles to overcome to make it big in America, K-pop shows promise to become the new face in pop music.

Some people may think it's far-fetched that pop music originating from a small Asian country can become the next big thing, but there are a number of opportunities that have opened for them.

1) Renewed interest in Michael Jackson.  If there is one major influence around K-pop, it's Michael Jackson.  The K-pop artists are skilled in hip-hop style dance and singing, and they have followed Michael's dedication to rigorous dance training.

2) The global Idols TV show franchise has waned interest in pop music.  The show continues to be popular for large television audiences, but it's resulting music by-product has not fared so well.  Pop music is singing and dancing, but the Idols encompass only the singing part.  Pop music was king ten years ago with Britney Spears, Nsync and Destiny's Child, and their music videos featured both singing and dancing.  One can look at Idols such as America's Jordan Sparks, South Africa's Jody Williams, or Australia's Jessica Mauboy and note the lack of differentiation in their sound and style.

3) It's American too.  Several of the K-pop groups have American members, and the songs are sung in both Korean and English.

4) Competitive producers.  There are three major producers in the K-pop scene.  Each are trying to innovate and outdo one another.  One noticeable difference between the pop groups from a decade ago to today's K-pop groups is their size.  Older pop groups were three to five members, but the number is seven to nine for K-pop.  This allows for bigger dance numbers and more publicity opportunities.

K-pop has a very enthusiastic and dedicated fan base.  I hope they will enjoy this month's International Spotlight of BoA, Wonder Girls, Big Bang, 2PM, 2NE1, and Se7en.

Click here to watch the K-pop videos.

Rob Campanell
Director of Content Programming
Blastro.com

 

 

 

 

 

[art]Brother Ali[/art]'s new record Us is out September 22nd on Rhymesayers Entertainment.

 

A profound personal glimpse into a vulnerability seldom seen or heard in music, Us touches on the strengths and flaws of the human condition, exploring drug abuse, divorce, homophobia and many more topics that most people are scared to touch in their own lives, much less on an album for the world to see. As with previous endeavors, the beats here are courtesy of Ant, whose production work seems to be getting more soulful and lush by the minute. The guest appearances only accentuate Brother Ali’s strengths, with Chuck D, Freeway, Joell Ortiz and Stokley Williams of Mint Condition making strong appearances. 

  Listen to Brother Ali- Us

Today marks K-pop Day on Blastro featuring videos from BoA, Big Bang, and Wonder Girls.  K-pop has major commercial success in Japan and now its producers and stars have their eyes set on the biggest prize of all: superstar success in America.  BoA has relocated to the USA and has an English album with four music videos.  Wonder Girls are scheduled to open on the Jonas Brothers tour.  Big Bang is a hip pop boy band whose songs combine both Korean and English.  

Can these music acts have the same success in America as Korean brands such as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai?

I believe it is possible for Korean acts to have success in America, but there are several obstacles they need to overcome.  Unlike Japan or Korea, America is a geographically vast, heterogeneous society with many cultural and media fragments.  Whatever tactics used in Asia will probably not work here.  Secondly, music acts need close to ten years to develop an American audience for long-term commercial success, but pop music does not lend itself to this timeframe.  Finally, success in the pop genre has two gatekeepers: the major music labels and Disney corporation.  The Wonder Girls have one of the gatekeepers letting them in on a few stops of the Jonas Brothers 53-city tour.

If the Korean producers want commercial success as independents, I have a few recommendations. 

1) Succeed in Los Angeles first.  LA is home to more Koreans than any city other than Seoul.  It is also the most diverse city in America, which will expose artists to new and different cultural influences.

2) Be Korean.  Even though much of the K-pop music is influenced by urban culture, don't try to get acceptance among the urban cultural elite because it is not going to happen.  America likes to accept people who are true to themselves. 

3) Think long term.  The vast geography of the United States makes it hard to for performance tours.  Have a long term plan to build success in different regions across the country.  Trying to tour the entire country year after year is too hard physically for most people.

BoA may have the opportunity for commercial success in America, but she needs to make some adjustments.  She's only 22, but that is approaching the sunset years in pop music that craves teen stars.  She needs to know where she wants to be creatively ten years from now and start making the transition today.  Her core audience is also making life transitions as well, so she can draw support from her fan base in Korea and Japan.  She should let her base know about every little success and setback that happens in America.  Whether that's finally getting a radio show interview that she's worked on for months, or losing out on an audition for a TV show.

These K-pop artists have the talent to make it here.  Their singing and dancing skills are top notch.  However, the American market is big and highly competitive.  K-Pop stars need both the patience and tenacity to make it here.  I'm cheering for them.

Rob Campanell
Director of Content Programming
Blastro.com  
 

Blastro introduces a new monthly feature.  International Spotlight features editor's picks from a country's artist roster of music videos. 

Canada is the inaugural country for this new feature.  There are three key reasons for this choice.

1) Strong roster of talented artists in the Urban music scene who are creating very original music and producing high quality music videos.
2) The most talked about music video of the year "Best I've Ever Had" is from Toronto native, Drake.
3) Blastro's biggest share of international viewers are Canadian.

The spotlight features Drake, the glamorous and sophisticated R&B singer, Tamia, The bi-lingual hip hop act Puzzles Crew,  hip hop traditionalist DL Incognito, hip hop-soul-reggae fusionist crew Tru-Paz, longstanding producer/rapper Classified, the sweet soulful vocals of Wade O. Brown, and dancehall sounds of Carl Henry.

Click Here to watch the Canada Spotlight.

 Listen to The Rub's DJ Ayres - Michael Jackson Tribute Mix (1958-2009)...

 Listen to Lord Sear, R.I.P Michael Jackson Special Drunk Mix

 Listen to DJ Premier MJ RIP Mix feat Paul Mooney

As the world mourns the loss of pop music’s biggest icon, Blastro has created an exclusive playlist of [art]Michael Jackson[/art]’s hit music videos. Paying tribute to the King of Pop by watching the likes of “Thriller,” “Rock With You,” “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and several others, fans now have a one-stop destination to reminisce about a music legend.

"Michael Jackson may go down in history as the biggest music performer the world has ever seen,” said Rob Campanell, Blastro Networks’ Director of Content Programming. “His music video performances single handily moved music video from an obscure niche into the mainstream. His innovative dancing helped revive dance in popular entertainment and made it cool and exciting again."

Check out the playlist, and, by simply registering on Blastro, you can create a tribute playlist of your own from the thousands of music videos on Blastro.com.

Young Jeezy - "Default"

Check out the video below!

Come listen to the new Korleon ft. Oj Tha Juiceman and Bohagon
song- Got Them Like AAY!

 Korleon - Got Em Like AAY

Los BK-Clan has released their newest single "Sexo Seguro"

 The track is a mesage to every body out there. Always be sure to protect your self .Los BK-Clan bring you the track 'Sexo Seguro' to cultivate awareness in the fight against HIV.

 Listen to Los BK-Clan- "Sexo Seguro"

Pussycat Dolls remake Slumdog Millionaire's big hit track "Jai Ho" The orginal was composed by A.R Rahman, written by Gulzar, and performed by Sukhwinder Singh and Rahman.

This is what lead singer, Nicole Scherzinger, of the [art]Pussycat Dolls[/art], said to Billboard recently "I was really happy to...be part of 'Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)' because that kind of was a foreshadowing of what's coming from me in the future," Scherzinger explains. "I'm embarking on a lot of new territory and trying different directions."

"Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" will appear on "Doll Domination 2.0," which comes out April 14.

 Listen to Pussycat Dolls- "Jai Ho"

[art]Ray J[/art] recently gave Blastro an exclusive look at his favorite videos - check out what's on his playlist here.  Here are some other tunes he gets down to:

Crack A Bottle - Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent

Live Your Life - T.I. feat Rihanna

Prom Queen - Clean - Lil Wayne

Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf feat Lil Wayne

Swagger Like Us - T.I Feat Jay-Z Lil Wayne & Kanye West

Whatever You Like - T.I.

Listen to Slim Thug- I Run

 As [art]Slim Thug[/art]'s single, the Jim Jonsin produced I Run, approaches 2,000 spins and counting and his video enjoys national rotation on MTV2 (debuted at #15 on Sucka Free) and BET (#8 on 106 & Park countdown), the "boss of all bosses" is getting ready to hit the road on a 24 city promo tour, dropping another bangin' mixtape along the way. I Represent This Pt. 2; 10 Years Later,a play on the title of Slim's very first mixtape, I Represent This, is packed with 28 reasons why Slim Thug has been able to stay in the game for the last 10 years and includes features from H-town favorites Trae Tha Truth and [art]Chamillionaire[/art]. This will be followed by the March 24th release of his album, Boss of All Bosses on E1 Music (formerly Koch Records.)

Slim Thug is a reluctant celebrity if ever there was one. The Houston-bred rapper who pushed his towering frame through hip-hop’s heavy doors in the late ‘90s never envisioned himself as a rap star. “I didn’t come in the game wanting to be a rapper,” he explains. “I wasn’t like a kid saying I wanna be a famous rapper, I wanna be like Tupac. I was from the ‘hood. We didn’t believe in none of that shit. I’m 6’6 tall and I never played basketball because I never believed in going to the NBA. That was just too far fetched for me and being a rap star was too far fetched for me.”

But it wasn’t long before an eye-opening encounter with Swisha House’s Michael “5000” had Slim singing a different song. “I was at a party freestyling and he invited me to his house to do a mixtape,” he recalls, adding that Watts “showed me the hustle of it, how it all worked. As soon I saw that, I started making money.” WattsAlthough he has only one
major label release to his credit – 2005’s Already Platinum, Slim Thug has the swagger and the fanbase of a more seasoned rapper. His new CD, Boss of All Bosses (Boss Hawg Outlawz/E1 Music), is a testament to his independent spirit both as an artist and an entrepreneur. It is a testament, he says, to the ‘reality music’ that has made his native
Houston a hotbed for hip-hop over the years.  “This album is me doing what I wanted to do. I put it together the way I wanted without being influenced by any other people – no A&Rs, none of that. What people are gonna get from this album is Houston. I have all the artists out of Houston on it: UGK, Scarface, Lil Keke, Z-Ro.”

As he cites appearances on his CD, Slim Thug gushes with pride. “These are the people I listen to all the time all day,” he proclaims, “and I just wanna give the world that, let the world know the type of stuff that we’re on because I don’t see too many people outside the southern region catching on to how we do our stuff out here. There’s still a
whole other side of Houston that hasn’t been displayed so I’m still trying to bring it out to a broader audience.”

After one CD, several mixtapes – including Serve and Collect: Volumes 1 and 2 – and a number of appearances on other people’s projects (Mike Jones’ ‘Still Tippin’[art]Gwen Stefani[/art]’s “Luxurious" and [art]Beyonce[/art]’s “Check On It”), the original boss man from Houston is back in the mix, still calling the shots, still doing things his way. “It’s always been like
that,” he says confidently. “I was always in control of whatever I did. That’s why when I got with the majors I wasn’t comfortable because I wasn’t calling the shots. I’ve always been a boss in this music game. Now, in my mind, I’m starting over from scratch. I’m just hitting the reset button and start from there.”

PROMO TOUR ROUTING:

February 25th - Montgomery, AL
Feb 25 – Tallahasee, FL
Feb 26 – Gainesville, FL
Feb 27 – Jacksonville, FL
Feb 28 – Tampa, FL
March 1 – Orlando, FL
March 3 – Birmingham, AL
March 3 – Memphis, TN (night)
March 4 – Nashville, TN
March 5- Lexington, KY/Louisville,KY
March 6th- Louisville, KY
March 7th- Cincinnati, OH
March 8th – Chicago, IL (off)
March 9th – Chicago, IL
March 10th- St. Louis, MO
March 11th- Wichita, KS
March 12th- Oklahoma City/Tulsa, OK
March 13th – Dallas, TX
March 14th – Houston, TX
March 15th – Corpus Christi, TX
March 16th – Baton Rouge, LA
March 17th – Lafayette, LA
March 18th- New Orleans, LA
March 19th- Beaumont, TX/Home

I Represent This Pt. 2; 10 Years Later Tracklisting:

1. Intro
2. AJS
3. Still Got Money
4. Self Made
5. I Run The Streets
6. Halle Berry
7. Never Forget
8. "G"
9. The Bizzness
10. Ain't I
11. Show Me Love
12. Turn Me On
13. Swang
14. Boss Iz Back
15. Interlude
16. Please Don't
17. Make me
18. Cake
19. Pop Champagne
20. Boss Life
21. F U Pay Me
22. Just Another Day
23. Still On Da Grind
24. H-Town ft Trae & Chamillionaire
25. Lost
26. Time
27. Kicking
28. Outlawz In Da Building

In MTV's interview with Flo Rida, he exclaimed, “Dude’s, like, singing the lyrics to my song! A lot of time people can’t catch the flow — they catch the vibe but they can’t catch the flow. Just to see someone do the song, the beat, and, I mean, give it that rock vibe just lets me know … I mean, if I ain’t never felt like I was famous, I’m definitely famous!”

Hailing from North Memphis' Ridgecrest Housing Projects, Yo Gotti made a name for himself across the South with his gritty street tales detailing his experiences growing up in a household of hustlers and the inevitable life that led him to; first as an independent young upstart whose mixtape sales brought the labels to his door, and later, with the sales of his two TVT albums, Life and Back to Da Basics.

 Although Gotti's 'reality rap' style has won him the hearts of the streets, his background as a hustler-turned -label CEO (Inevitable Entertainment), combined with his experiences during his years in the music game and the talent God blessed him with, give Gotti's music the ability to reach everyone. Those experiences have also blessed him with an indomitable spirit and it has been this dogged resoluteness to succeed, that has kept Yo Gotti at the top of his game.

TVT's recent bankruptcy brought Yo Gotti to The Orchard, if only temporarily. His upcoming compilation, CM2, drops March 26th (Inevitable Entertainment/The Orchard) and is Gotti's third pairing with the infamous DJ Drama; their first and second go-rounds, I Told You So and Definition of a G (with Gucci Mane) were both tremendously successful.  CM2 features the hit single, Sold Out, which is currently on smash at Rhythmic and Urban stations across the South and Midwest. The accompanying video is set to debut in the coming weeks.

  Listen to Yo Gotti's- Sold

 Listen to Ray Rizzy- Jackin(Clean)

Listen to Ray Rizzy- Jackin(Industry)

Listen to Ray Rizzy Jackin (Dirty)

New Smash single written by Diane Warren and produced by Rodney Jerkins featured in the upcoming Disney film "Confessions of a Shopaholic" staring Isla Fisher produced by Jerry Buckheimer in Theater Feburary 13th 2009.

Listen to Shontelle featuring Akon- Stuck With Each Other

Here is the first single from [art]Lil Wayne[/art] titled Prom Queen off The Rebirth album which drops April 7th!!

Listen to Lil Wayne- Prom Queen

DJ Ruben X has leaked his own version of [art]Britney Spears[/art]' latest jam "Circus". Titled the "Trashmix", the mash-up remix samples our friends from Manchester The Whip who will be releasing their US debut March 3rd

Listen to Britney Spears vs. The Whip (Ruben X - "Circus TRASHMIX")

1st street single from Twista new album 'Category F5 dropping in Spring 2009

Listen to Twista- Wetter(Main)

In an unprecedented power move for the multi-talented comedian/actor, Salient Media recently inked a deal with Warner Bros. Records to distribute the audio version to [art]Katt Williams[/art]’ critically acclaimed fourth stand-up DVD It’s Pimpin’, Pimpin,’ which is scheduled to be released January 27, 2009.

The DVD version was released in November and features a collection of the comedian’s brash, no-holds-barred routines from his 100-city tour, which grossed more than $25 million in ticket sales. As proof positive to Williams’ ranking of being the number-one urban comedian in the market, It’s Pimpin’, Pimpin’ DVD has sold 200K since its Nov. 11 release and is projected to sell a half a million by the time the special airs.

Previous DVD releases from Williams include laugh riots Pimp Chronicles and Katt Live, both released in 2006 and selling more than 700,000 units each and last year’s American Hustle, which has sold more than 650,000 units and counting.

Making his first mark on the American public as pint-sized pimp “Money Mike” in side-splitting comedy Friday After Next, the Cincinnati-born, Dayton, Ohio-raised go-getter quickly became a household name for his brutal, off-the-cuff brand of comedy and parlayed his position into roles as “Rickey” in the $40-million-grossing box-office smash First Sunday and ex-pimp “Lord Have Mercy” in last year’s Norbit, which took in more than $70 million.

He also served as a cast member on MTV’s Wild 'n Out for several seasons and has even contributed to numerous skits and video appearances for artists such as [art]The Game[/art], [art]Ludacris[/art], [art]T.I.[/art], [art]E-40[/art], [art]Outkast[/art], Lil’ Kim, Lyfe Jennings, [art]Nick Cannon[/art], DJ Drama, Lil' Scrappy and [art]Lil Jon[/art]. In addition, Williams voices "A Pimp Named Slickback" on the Adult Swim's “The Boondocks.”

Listen to Katt Williams- Be In Tune WIth Your Star Playa

Listen to Katt Williams-Poor Little Tink Tink

The bangin' new single from Atlanta's 3 Bad Brothaz is another High-Energy track that is guaranteed to keep the party rockin'!
 

Listen to 3 Bad Brothaz-Miss My Baby

On this brand-new remix of Jamie Foxx‘s Blame It, guest artist [art]Yung Joc[/art] reveals what it is that he’s been drinking: “Patroose,” a cocktail consisting of equal parts Patron and Grey Goose.  While this pricey, possibly treacherous concoction is unlikely to catch on with the Red Bull and vodka crowd, the Georgia emcee’s verse mixes perfectly with the liquor-soaked tale spun by Foxx and original collaborator [art]T-Pain[/art] to make an already intoxicating record go down even more smoothly than before.  Retained from the original, Christopher “Deep” Henderson‘s production adds to the sloppy-drunk ambience, pairing an erratic rhythm with dizzily-layered synths that burst into full bloom on T-Pain’s sweepingly garbled hook.

 Listen to Jamie Foxx Ft T-Pain and Yung Joc- Blame It

Giant Magazine interviews the cast of Notorious during an on-set photo shoot.  Check out what Jamal Woolard ([art]Notorious B.I.G.[/art]), Anthony Mackie ([art]Tupac Shakur[/art]) and Derek Luke ([art]Diddy[/art]) have to say in this behind-the-scenes clip about their characters and the influences that shaped who they were and the culture in which they lived. 

Notorious director George Tillman, Jr. keeps it real and brings in original [art]Junior M.A.F.I.A.[/art] members for the filming of the movie.  [art]Lil Cease[/art], [art]Nino Brown[/art], [art]Larceny[/art] and [art]Money L[/art] bring 100% of the real story of growing up with [art]Notorious B.I.G.[/art]  Check out what they have to say in this behind-the-scenes clip. 

For those that never saw [art]Notorious B.I.G.[/art] in concert, this behind-the-scenes clip from Notorious highlights the Hammerstein Ballroom scene, bringing what it was really like seeing the rap icon to life.  For those who did get the chance to see him perform, this clip will bring you back like it did for the people in Biggie's life.  Check out commentary from director George Tillman, Jr., actors Jamal Woolard and Naturi Naughton, and people associated with B.I.G., including [art]DJ ENUF[/art], [art]D.Dot[/art], [art]Wayne Barrow[/art], [art]Sway[/art] and [art]Diddy[/art].  

Check out this EXCLUSIVE clip from Notorious of the somber conversation between Voletta Wallace (Angela Bassett) and Biggie (Jamal Woolard) regarding the news of Tupac's death.

George Tillman, Jr., the director of Notorious, and Tanisha Scott, the choreographer, discuss how they worked with the two lead actors, Jamal Woolard ([art]Notorious B.I.G.[/art]) and Derek Luke ([art]Diddy[/art]) to get them to have all the right moves of their characters.  Check out what they have to say and catch this behind-the-scenes clip featuring Woolard and Luke developing their on-stage behavior.

To say that SoulStice spits knowledge would be an understatement; after all, he does have a Masters Degree in Electrical Computer Engineering and holds down a position with the Department of Defensive. Yet, SoulStice reiterates that his day job affords him the opportunity to pursue his true passion in life - Hiphop! Ten years of grind, development and immersion culminated in the fall of 2003 for SoulStice with the release of, The Melody, a piano-laden banger that introduced SoulStice to the world. The Melody quickly climbed up the club and college radio charts, hitting number 1 and proving that SoulStice was an artist to watch. The most recent double-single, Always / The Quickening hit the streets in early 2005 and culminated in another number one chart position, spending 14 weeks on the club and college radio charts, earning modest BDS-recorded commercial radio spins and critical acclaim in the US and overseas. Sharing the stage with artists as diverse as John Legend and Wu-Tang Clan has set the proper foundation for SoulStice to shine and lead by the soulful production of Oddisee (who has worked with J-Live, Jazzy Jeff, Talib Kweli), SoulStice documents his long and winding journey from the windy city of Chicago to the nations capitol of Washington, DC, fusing the signature Chicago funk and groove based sound with the thump of classic East Coast boom bap over the course of his 14-track debut North By Northwest.

 Listen to SoulStice Ft Chaundon- Crash The Party

[art]La Coka Nostra[/art] have officially signed with Suburban Noize Records for the release of their upcoming debut "A Brand You Can Trust", which will be released through the label in early 2009. The group will embark on the Bring Tha Noize Tour alongside [art]Kottonmouth Kings[/art], Blaze Ya' Dead Homie, Big B, Potluck and Short Dawg beginning in late February through early April.

"It's official! La Coka Nostra has joined forces with Suburban Noize to bring you our debut album, 'A Brand You Can Trust'. We are very excited to be working with Kevin Zinger and the entire Sub Noize family and look forward to finally unleashing the LCN war machine upon the current candy-coated, watered-down and auto tuned-out musical landscape that popular rap music has become," says La Coka Nostra's ILL BILL aka the Cult Leader. "This record is a no holds barred burst of hardcore hip hop to the fullest, representing everything we love about this art form but feel is missing from the game right now. To show you we're not alone in our thinking we're bringing [art]Snoop Dogg[/art], [art]Cypress Hill[/art], [art]Bun B[/art], Psycho Realm, Immortal Technique & the Alchemist along for the ride. We know a lot of ya'll feel the same way we do, so we're using our voice to speak for those that may not have this opportunity. That's why La Coka Nostra is 'A Brand You Can Trust'. Album in stores first quarter 2009!"

Maybe once in a musical era's lifetime does a revolutionary collision occur at the four-way intersection of underground, old school, new, and mainstream. Such an anomaly has finally materialized within a hip-hop world that has – for all intent and purpose – otherwise been tapped out. Founded on a new breed of rappers, but further injecting the mix with iconic veterans of the game the result is LA COKA NOSTRA.

Composed of members Ill Bill, Slaine, Everlast, DannyBoy, Dj Lethal and Big Left, La Coka Nostra is a breath of fresh air in these days of contrived airbrushed rap music.

BRING THA NOIZE TOUR 2009:

Feb 25 Petaluma, CA @ Phoenix Theater
Feb 26 Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre
Feb 27 Portland, OR @ Roseland
Feb 28 Seattle, WA @ Showbox
Mar 01 Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
Mar 03 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
Mar 04 Billings, MT @ Shrine Auditorium
Mar 05 Rapid City, SD @ Rushmore Hall
Mar 06 Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium
Mar 07 St. Paul, MN @ Myth
Mar 08 Fargo, ND @ Playmakers
Mar 09 Sioux Falls, SD @ Ramkota Exhibit Hall
Mar 11 Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
Mar 12 Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Club
Mar 13 Detroit, MI @ Clutch Cargos
Mar 14 Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
Mar 15 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
Mar 17 Mokena, IL @ Pearl Room
Mar 18 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
Mar 19 Cheswick, PA @ Gravity Nightclub
Mar 20 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
Mar 21 Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head
Mar 22 Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of Living Arts
Mar 23 New York, NY @ BB Kings
Mar 26 Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
Mar 27 Saint Petersburg, FL @ Jann Landing
Mar 28 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerad
Mar 29 Sauget, IL @ Pops
Mar 31 Tulsa, OK @ Cains Ballroom
Apr 01 Kansas City, MO @ Beaumont Club
Apr 02 Wichita, KS @ Cotillion Ballroom
Apr 03 Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
Apr 04 Magna, UT @ The Great Salt Air

Nominated 11 times in 2008 for awards such as BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST & BEST NEW POP ARTIST, this North-African beauty defies all preconceived ideas of your typical Urban artist. [art]Empire ISIS[/art] aka Empress Gangstress brings a new meaning to word "World Music" by breaking down the musical barriers and fusing Hiphop, Reggae into a pop format on her second LP "Brand New Style". ISIS has stayed true to her roots and movement while gaining international recognition on her DIY approach.

"Brand New Style", was recorded between Montreal, New York, Tel Aviv and Kingston. The album was recorded by industry super producers Prayon, (Beyonce, G-Unit, Sean Paul) and Overstand (Damien Marley, Sizzla) at studio such as Tuff Gong, Penthouse, & King Of Kings. ISIS has painstakingly developed her sound and image while writing and maintaining ownership of all her songs under her brothers record label Monumental Records distributed by DEP/Universal Music Group. Empire ISIS songs have been featured on 8 different shows this year. Hits such as "Dont' Go Home" or "Participate" can be heard on ABC, CBS, CTV, and on MTV's number 1 show "The Hills".  Also winning major contests such as "Mytune Artist of the Year", "International Artist of the Year" at the A&R Summit (NYC) Underground Urban Music Awards" and high energy type of Urban music which can be appreciated by all. From her unique look to her blazing lyrics, ISIS is a true provocateur challenging peoples perceptions, stereotypes and common modes of thinking.

 Listen to Empire Isis- Get Up On It

 Listen to Empire Isis- Particiapte

Houston's [art]Rob G[/art] has had his fair share of success with his singles "Texas Boys" and "Houston Got A Problem" both featuring [art]Chamillionaire[/art], but it wasn't until the monstrous single "Reppin My Block" featuring [art]Slim Thug[/art] & [art]Lil KeKe[/art] hit the airwaves that everyone began to take notice of "The Next Latin Legend". Currently signed to Latium/Universal Republic Records, his accolades include Nominations for Ozone's 2007 'Mixtape Of the Year' Award. He was also voted 2007 'Artist of the Year' at the Latin Rap Awards.

[art]Rob G[/art] has proven that hard work and patience pay off and he continues to blaze a path as one of the best of the new era of REAL MC'S. Rob is one of the hardest lyricists coming out of Houston and he continously spits fire on his new mixtape, "Power Of The 16's", which you can download for free and hear for yourself!

1. When
2. It
3. Comes
4. To
5. This
6. Rap
7. Shit
8. Don't
9. Y'all
10. Ever
11. Get
12. It
13. Twisted
14. And
15. Forget
16. That
17. My
18. Purpose
19. In
20. This
21. Game
22. Is
23. To
24. Be
25. One
26. Of
27. The
28. Dopest
29. Rappers
30. Ever!
31. Sit
32. Back
33. Enjoy
34. And
35. Listen
36. To
37. Why
38. I'm
39. The
40. NEXT
41. LATIN
42. LEGEND!

Rob G's Myspace

With the [art]Notorious B.I.G.[/art] biopic movie hitting theatres on January 16, Blastro has created a special playlist as a tribute to the late hip-hop star.  Featuring videos from the rapper himself as well as other influencers in his life, we hope fans will enjoy this little dose of nostalgia for the man who became a legend and redefined the so-called American Dream.  From Brooklyn street hustler to world-renowned rapper, Biggie Smalls is an icon of our time, so stay tuned in the coming weeks for more Notorious posts as we lead up to his debut on the silver screen. 

In the meantime, create your own playlist for Biggie and post it in the comments below.  Also, check out our playlist and catch the Notorious trailer here.

Few groups achieve the unique chemistry that is shared by E. St. Louis natives Screwz and Scripts. The pairing of their distinctly different styles makes them a force to be reckoned in today’s repetitive rap world. While many M.C.’s recycle the same cliché subject matter, these two prefer to explore a rage different musical possibilities. The group’s resident in-house producer, Loose Screwz has spent years perfecting his trademark eccentric sound. His lyrics have an almost cinematic-story-telling quality, and his versatile production makes it hard to predict his next musical move. Meanwhile, die-hard wordsmith Scripts adds an edgier element to the equation. His vivid wordplay and crushing punch lines keep your attention, while his wide ranging of subject matter can appeal to almost any Hip Hop fan. These two have been rapping together for close to a decade, and with their unique blend of experimental innovation mixed with a mastery of Hip Hop fundamentals, Scripts and Screwz are poised to take the music world by storm. I hope you packed an umbrella..

 Listen to Scripts 'N Screwz- Big City Lights

 Listen to Scripts 'N Screwz-Brick(remix)

Check out three tracks from Isaac Y Dani.

 Listen to Isaac Y Dani-Feel What you Feel

Listen to Isaac Y Dani-Superstar

Listen to Isaac Y Dani-El Ultimo Nivel

MO MONEY CLIQUE: THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA

A rising young rap group, coming straight out of Broward County in south Florida with new rap music, is the Mo Money Clique. The Mo Money Clique was formed by four cousins tightly bonded together. The group consists of Snypa, Blakk Chaos, Max and Khrys. They have been making music for over five years, working on their skills from song writing, music engineering and production. Snypa, oldest of the cousins, is always on point with the lyrics, catchy hooks and is destine to take production to the next level. Blakk Chaos is funny with a cute smile and impressive personality always has the females going wild. Max otherwise know as “The Beast” is a man possess with a mission. A genius at beat making and blessed with the talent of creating some of the most controversial lyrics known to mankind is not to be overlooked. Khrys, youngest of them all, has a flow that cannot be imitated. His word play and creativeness let him stand out even in today’s competitive industry. Mo Money Clique has been with Hustlin Entertainment for over three years and is currently working on their new upcoming debut album “New Era Rap”.

Well what is there to say; Mo Money Clique “New Era Rap” is finally on the way. The first official single “Da Roc” just being release is getting a lot of attention and gaining the group more exposure within the music industry. After releasing their hit single “Watch Me Do My Dance” last year, the group gained a lot of nationwide as well as worldwide attention. The single saw the group meeting with different record labels, understanding the music industry and gaining love and respect from fans all over the world. The group states we don’t want to keep our music in a box but want people across the world to feel the experience. With the music coming from the music industry, we strongly believe that we have competitive music that will stand out in today’s even more competitive market. The bottom line is that Mo Money Clique is here to stay and we will not go anywhere. In other words, music is what we do, live, sleep and breathe. We cannot say music will never die but it pumps through the veins in our body. It is not all about money and success, but the experience to influence others, to be an inspiration, to be a role model, and to be somebody.

 Listen to MO MONEY CLIQUE- "New Era Rap"

R&B and pop star [art]Chris Brown[/art] has recorded a track with renowned country musician [art]Tim McGraw[/art] entitled "Human."  Brown told Billboard, "It's incredible.  I wanted to do something more along the country line. That's a bigger and different audience for me."  

This isn't the first genre cross-over of the sort this year.  [art]Snoop Dogg[/art] recorded and released a video for "My Medicine" with [art]Willie Nelson[/art] earlir this year.

[art]Beyonce[/art], [art]Miley Cyrus[/art], Clint Eastwood, Peter Gabriel and [art]Bruce Springsteen[/art] will all compete for next year's Best Original Song at the Golden Globes: 

Beyonce: "Once in a Lifetime" from Cadillac Records
Cyrus: "I Thought I Lost You" from Bolt
Eastwood (performed with Jamie Cullum): "Gran Torino" from Gran Torino
Gabriel: "Down to Earth" from Wall-e
Springsteen: "The Wrestler" from The Wrestler
 

The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards will take place on January 11, 2009 on NBC at 8pm EST.

The first mixtape from Miami underground label Valholla Entertainment.  Vince the Prince and [art]DJ Sylent[/art] are your mixtape hosts.  This in the "FUTURE" series is a disc boasting mostly original music with production ranging from Jackpot Music (Ace Hood, Michelle Williams), Kane Beatz (Dj Khaled, Lil Wayne, Birdman) and King Siah.

Valholla artists featured include: [art]Phatz[/art], [art]Cee Tension[/art], [art]Kirby Maurier[/art], [art]Ramzez[/art], and [art]Wood Boi[/art].

VALHOLLA IS THE FUTURE:THE MIXTAPE VOL.1
VALHOLLA (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

01.INTRO "FUTURE" PRODUCED BY ISSAC HAYES  - ARRANGED BY VINCE "THE PRINCE" EYMA
02.GO HARDER - PHATZ FEAT. KIRBY MAURIER & VEGAS - PRODUCED BY THE RUNNERS 
03.OFF PAUSE - CEE TENSION - PRODUCED BY DJ SYLENT FOR 626 MUSIC/GMF
04.TONIGHT - KIRBY MAURIER FEAT. PHATZ - PRODUCED BY TRACY BROWN & VINCE "THE PRINCE" EYMA FOR VALHOLLA ENTERTAINMENT>
05.MOST HATED - RAMZEZ - PRODUCED BY KANE BEATZ
06.MAKE IT WORK - CEE TENSION - PRODUCED BY JACKPOT FOR JACKPOT MUSIC COMPANY
07.TASTE THIS - PHATZ FEAT. KIRBY - PRODUCED BY SHAWTY RED
08.RUBBERBAND MONEY - WOOD BOI
09.LET'S JET - PHATZ - CHRIS STYLES FOR DANGEROUS LLC. AND MARCUS D'TRAY
10.ADDICTION - WOOD BOI - PRODUCED BY RYAN LISLIE 
11.HIGH LIFE - KIRBY MAURIER - PRODUCED BY KING SIAH
12.IMMA MESS - PHATZ - PRODUCED BY TRACY BROWN & VINCE "THE PRINCE" EYMA
13.DOPE BOYZ - PHATZ & RAMZEZ - PRODUCED BY TRAVIS BARKER
14.IN MY ZONE - WOOD BOI FEAT. PHATZ AND CEE TENSION - PRODUCED BY TWAN DA BEATMAKER
15.K-CUTTA - CEE TENSION - PRODUCED BY JACKPOT FOR JACKPOT MUSIC COMPANY
16.SKY - WOOD BOI FEAT. CEE TENSION - SHA BROS. PRODUCTIONS
17.STRIPPER - KIRBY MAURIER - PRODUCED BY KING SIAH
18.CELEBRATION - PHATZ - PRODUCED BY THE SYTHESIS
19.THIS IS THE LIFE - RAMZEZ FEAT. KIRBY MAURIER - PRODUCED BY KING SIAH
20.WE MADE IT - WOOD BOI FEAT. C-RIDE & DIRTERED - PRODUCED BY COOL N DRE
21.OUTRO "AUTO RESTART"

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: VINCE "THE PRINCE" EYMA FOR VALHOLLA ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: DJ SYLENT FOR 626MUSIC/GMF
MIXED AND MASTERED BY: "DB" AKA ENGINEER MESSIAH FOR REC CENTER STUDIOS AND DJ SYLENT
ARRANGED BY: VINCE "THE PRINCE" EYMA FOR VALHOLLA ENTERTAINMENT
PROMOTIONS: DAVE C AND EMMO FOR VALHOLLA ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
ART/DIRECTION/DESIGN : BRYAN "BLINGYB" BECKFORD FOR VALHOLLA ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
ALL SONGS RECORDED AT REC CENTER STUDIOS

Britney Spears - Circus
Watch Music Videos at www.blastro.com

The Obama camp has yet to announce who will play at the official innaugural ball on January 20, though there has been speculation surrounding several artists, including [art]Shakira[/art], [art]Beyonce[/art] and Chicago-native [art]Jennifer Hudson[/art].  Nonetheless, there are several unofficial balls with lineups announced.  [art]Ludacris[/art] and OutKast's [art]Big Boi[/art] will co-host the Urban Ball - one of the American Music Inaugural Balls taking place in D.C. - which will include appearances from [art]T-Pain[/art], [art]David Banner[/art], [art]Cedric the Entertainer[/art], [art]Lil Jon[/art], [art]Fantasia[/art], [art]Monica[/art], [art]Bobby Valentino[/art] and the [art]Cheetah Girls[/art].  Tickets for the Urban Ball will run you $350. 

Along with the Urban Ball, the Legends Ball, another American Music event, will also be held at D.C.'s Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.  The Legends Ball features co-hosts [art]Dionne Warwick[/art] and [art]Yolanda Adams[/art] and slated performances from [art]Chaka Khan[/art], [art]George Clinton[/art], [art]Kirk Franklin[/art], [art]Harold Melvin & Blue Notes[/art] and the [art]Temptations[/art] with Dennis Edwards.  Tickets for this event are even more pricey at $450. 

Los Magnificos Custom Car Show and Concert - Part 2
Download Music Video Code at www.blastro.com

HOT NEW single from Slip N Slide's newest female artist, [art]Shonie[/art]. This is a radio smash & the ladies will love this one!  Fabolous guest stars with her.  305 Rules.

Download: Can't Let Go featuring Fabolous

"Bangladesh is showing his range with this intro single "Girls Love Me". He brings along Busta Rhymes and Rick Ross for added reinforcement."

Listen to Bangladash-Girls Love Me

Listen to 

Yung La ft Lil Boosie - 36 O'S (Dirty Mix)

Yung La ft Lil Boosie-36 O'S (Clean Mix)

Listen to Young Dro Ft. Yung La - Take Off

Young Dro Ft. Yung La - Take Off (Dirty)

Young Dro Ft. Yung La - Take Off (Clean)

Listen to T-PAIN FT. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE - CAN'T BELIEVE IT (REMIX)

 Swagger Like Us Freestyle - Chamillionaire - Swagger Like Us

PLATINUM RAPPER CHAMILLIONAIRE READIES FOR THE RELEASE OF HIS THIRD MAJOR LABEL ALBUM TITLED “VENOM”WITH ANOTHER NEW MIXTAPE

THE GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING HIP HOP STAR’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED “MIXTAPE MESSIAH 5” WILL BE AVAILABLE ON NOVEMBER 23RD

(New York, NY—November 10, 2008) – After taking a brief hiatus following the release of his critically acclaimed sophomore effort, “Ultimate Victory” - platinum, Grammy award-winning rapper [art]Chamillionaire[/art] is officially back!

 With new music and more digital content than ever to satisfy the thirst of loyal fans across the globe, the Houston hip hop star is celebrating the upcoming debut of his third major label album titled “Venom” with another new mixtape. In only less than 3 months after the fourth installment to the very popular Mixtape Messiah series was released, Chamillionaire will push the creative envelope once again with “Mixtape Messiah 5,” which will be available on November 23rd.

Chamillionaire.com has also re-launched with a new design where exclusive content and official merchandise can only be found for Chamillionaire and artists signed to Chamillitary Records. The site will be fully loaded with frequent news updates, performance footage, video blogs, music, show info, merchandise, giveaways and much more.

The influx of ongoing new content should keep fans content until the release date for “Venom” by the rapper’s new major label home, Chamillitary/Universal Republic is officially announced.

For more information on Chamillionaire and to preview new tracks from Mixtape Messiah 5, visit www.chamillionaire.com.

Houston, TX, November 3, 2009 - Houston's top urban outlet KBXX-FM 97.9 The Box has taken a stance towards unity by paying homage to the culture of hip-hop with a "Best of Texas" theme at this year's annual Los Magnificos Custom Car Show & Concert, Sunday, November 23rd at Reliant Center in Houston.

The 2008 line-up will make history as "The Best of Texas" themed show will bring every major Texas hip-hop recording artist to the same stage on the same day; celebrating something that's never been accomplished before - a day of unity and peace in Houston's hip-hop community.

This historic day will feature performances by artists who have made profound contributions on the national hip-hop scene including Grammy award winner [art]Chamillionaire[/art], along with Grammy nominated [art]Bun-B[/art] (UGK) and platinum selling artists such as [art]Paul Wall[/art] & [art]Mike Jones[/art], as well as [art]Slim Thug[/art], [art]Lil KeKe[/art], [art]Trae[/art], [art]Z-Ro[/art], [art]ESG[/art] [art]Lil O[/art], [art]Damm D[/art], [art]Big Pokey[/art], [art]Fat Pimp[/art], [art]The Botany Boyz[/art], [art]Lil Wil[/art] with more to be announced.

This show will go "deep in the heart of Texas" with the Geto Boys being presented wtih the coveted Pioneer Award. The event will recognize the contributions of the Screwed Up Click, Swisha House, WreckShop and Rap-A-Lot families, both past and present.

"Houston area artist are putting their differences aside to pay homage to the many musical contributions that have shaped the sound of southern hip-hop" says KBXX Program Director Terri Thomas.

For additional information concerning this event go to: http://www.kbxx.com

Few people can accurately say they've changed the course of music; count T-Pain among that short list. His bright, polished arrangements have become the in-demand sound across genres, and his scene-stealing vocal performances are among the most coveted in music. Since bursting on the scene in 2005, T-Pain has been awarded a Grammy, produced and written a plethora of chart-topping and platinum-selling singles, garnered "Songwriter of the Year" and "Producer of the Year" honors at the BMI Urban Awards and earned a BET Award. So it should come as little surprise that the musical maestro's tremendous, self-produced third album, THR33 RINGZ, stands as a sonic odyssey brimming with innovation.

The distinctive spelling used for the album title may not hold any significance, but the meaning behind the name carries weight. "It came from people telling me that I'm running the game, that I'm the ringleader of the game," T-Pain says humbly. "That's where the whole circus imagery came from. I started putting it together with the idea that the circus is just like the music industry. You've got your different acts, all of the different animals, etc."

THR33 RINGZ is quite the musical journey, complete with highs and lows, smash singles and unexpected twists. Lead single "Can't Believe It" is already enjoying heavy radio and video exposure. Aided by sprinkly keys and T-Pain's trademark vocoder, he and guest Lil Wayne talk about spoiling their respective ladies in the song. There's good reason T-Pain's music often connects with and speaks to women. He had plenty of training dealing with the fairer sex.

"When I was in school, I would sit and talk to a lot of girls," T-Pain recalls. "I would listen to what they would talk about, what they want. I would try to understand the passions of a woman. That's where my concepts come from. That's how you know if people can relate to your songs. If you've heard the same elements of a story over and over again, you know there are millions of people going through this."

Since his schoolroom listening sessions, T-Pain has kept his ears open. In fact, listening to several sob stories inspired "Therapy," a tune where T-Pain and Kanye West talk about women who need to get themselves together. T-Pain then details relationships with negative energy on "Chopped & Screwed" a track that features Ludacris. But T-Pain's music isn't all about drama. He also listens to his friends when they gush about a special someone. The party track "Freeze," for instance, grew out of conversation T-Pain had with Chris Brown. Brown, who also appears on the high-energy song, was telling T-Pain how he finds women that can dance particularly attractive.

Of course T-Pain's long-time fans know that he especially appreciates women who dance in strip clubs. But he knows from first-hand experience how men often fall victim to DJs who switch songs up too quickly when they've just paid for a lap dance. Hence, the five-minute plus "Long Lap Dance." "In Florida, strippers charge for lap dances by the song," T-Pain explains. "If you just so happen to ask a girl for a lap dance in the middle of a song and the DJ cuts it off, you still have to pay the full price. So I just made a long song, so whenever you ask for it, you should be good. And the DJs know that they can't cut it off, "cause then it wouldn't be the "Long Lap Dance' song."

With his music being largely based on real-world encounters, it makes sense that T-Pain recorded "Reality Show," a tune that details some of his wild experiences. "At certain times, everybody's like, "I need my own reality show because the stuff I'm going through is crazy,'" T-Pain says with a laugh. "I don't know why you'd want the world to see everything you're going through, but nobody's done a reality show song yet."

Reality shows are filled with drama, and T-Pain's existence is no different. When he gets angry, T-Pain is likely to end up rapping, as is the case on "Ring Leader Man," "Karaoke" with DJ Khaled, and the title track. "If I'm upset, then it's going to be a rap day," T-Pain says with a chuckle. "I make music depending on what mood I'm in. If I'm pissed off, I can't get on there and talk about love."

Even though T-Pain sometimes finds himself in an angry mood, he remains grounded because of his wife and children. His family is also the inspiration for THR33 RINGZ song "Keep Going." This acoustic tune stands as a testament to T-Pain's dedication to his family. "I want to make sure that my kids live a good life," he says. "I don't want them to have to figure out the hard way what a food stamp is. I've slept in cars. I went through a lot in my life and I'm going to make sure that if somebody's life is in my hands that they're not going to have to go through that."

Indeed, T-Pain can speak from that perspective because he knows what it is like to struggle. His Tallahassee, Florida hometown was lacking music industry opportunities and connections, so the man born Faheem Najm chose the T-Pain moniker to signify his plight. He taught himself how to make music, write songs and record music.

In 2003, T-Pain's sly remake of Akon's "Locked Up" caught the attention of music industry insiders, and the independent release of his "I'm Sprung" single led to a contract with Jive/Zomba.

T-Pain's use of the vocoder made his music stand out, and his prolific, high-quality output turned him into one of music's most oft-imitated and in-demand producers, singers and collaborators. His first two albums, 2006's Rappa Ternt Sanga and 2007's Epiphany, have been certified gold, thanks to hit singles such as "I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper)" and "Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')." He has also collaborated with Kanye West ("Good Life"), Chris Brown ("Kiss, Kiss"), Flo Rida ("Low"), Plies ("Shawty"), and Bow Wow ("Outta My System") for platinum singles.

Now, as T-Pain gains more control over his artistry, expect him to continue expanding his sonic and creative reach as a singer-songwriter-rapper-producer. After all, he knows the key to long-term success in the music industry is evolution. "You've got to be different and keep it consistent at the same time, which is super-hard to do," T-Pain says. "I come different every time and that's what people look for, what they expect."

And with THR33 RINGZ, the world expects nothing less than another magical musical adventure from T-Pain. Expectation achieved.

"Go Girl" feat. T-Pain

ILL BILL and URB Magazine are bringing fans the chance to win tickets to his headlining tour! By visiting www.urb.com/contests, fans can enter to win a pair of tickets to the following shows:

9/29 - San Diego, CA - Brick by Brick
10/01 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
10/06 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
10/12 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
10/23 - New York, NY - BB Kings
10/24 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
10/28 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
10/31 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean
11/01 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick

There will be two pairs of tickets awarded for each show, so make sure to get your entry in NOW!

ILL BILL is also a featured artist on MySpace this week! www.myspace.com/music

The Hour of Reprisal is out NOW on Uncle Howie Records. The album features appearances by Everlast, Raekwon the Chef, B-Real, Tech N9ne, Bad Brains, Max Cavalera, Howard Jones of Killswitch Engage, Slaine, Immortal Technique, Vinnie Paz and Hero. The Hour of Reprisal features production by DJ Muggs, DJ Premier, DJ Lethal, Necro, T-Ray, C-12, Sicknature, Cynic, Darp, and ILL BILL.

ILL BILL is currently headlining a tour which also features Sean Price, a member of Heltah Skeltah/Boot Camp Clik. The full list of dates is below.

ILL BILL HEADLINING tour w/ Sean Price (more dates to be added!)

9/19 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Underground
9/20 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre
9/21 - Ft. Collins, CO - Aggie Theatre
9/22 - Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep
9/24 - Murray, UT - Murray Theatre
9/26 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
9/28 - Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse Music Venue
9/29 - San Diego, CA - Brick by Brick
10/01 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
10/02 - Arcata, CA - Mazzotti's
10/03 - Eureka, CA - Red Fox Tavern
10/04 - Willow Creek, CA - Community Commons Park
10/05 - Eugene, OR - WOW Hall
10/06 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
10/07 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory Concert House
10/09 - Pocatello, ID - Icon
10/10 - Missoula, MT - The Other Side
10/11 - Spokane, WA - The Blvd
10/12 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
10/19 - Fargo, ND - The Aquarium
10/20 - Minneapolis, MN - The Cabooze
10/22 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody's Down Under
10/23 - New York, NY - BB Kings
10/24 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
10/26 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
10/27 - Wilmington, NC - The Soapbox Laundrolounge
10/28 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
10/31 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean
11/01 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
11/02 - Buffalo, NY - Broadway Joe's

ILL BILL on We the People Festival:

9/27 - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles State Historic Park

It is a new day for premier soul man JOE Thomas. After ten years signed to Jive Records, where he recorded the platinum discs All That I Am (1997) and My Name is Joe (2000), he has decided that now is the time to start taking chances. "Nothing against being signed to a major label, but most of the time it's about what they want you to do as opposed to what the artist wants to do. I have nothing against Jive, but I really just wanted to be me. Seriously, I got tired of being held back."

Teaming-up with his manager of 15 years, Kedar Massenburg, who also serves as executive producer on the much anticipated project, Joe has come back stronger than ever. Indeed, from the first listen to his soulful emancipation JOE Thomas,New Man (on 563 Music & Kedar Entertainment, distributed by Fontana Distribution), it is obvious from the looseness of his voice and the texture of his timbre that he was feeling a little different.

"Of course there is a happiness that comes with independence, but I also felt more confident in the studio," JOE explains. "I was able to work at my own pace, choose my collaborators and sing the truth. Kedar and I have been working together forever, and we know how to make a great soul record."

Yet, just because JOE Thomas, New Man is an indie R&B record, does not mean that this is a bargain basement affair. "I've developed many close relationships with some of the best in the business," Joe says. "When it came time for me to go into the studio I was able to call on my friends like Puffy, Bryan Michael Cox and (video director) Billie Woodruff to come through."

In addition, Joe was also blessed with contributions from Nas, Game, Busta Rhymes, Mario and Trey Songz, Snoop Dogg and P. Diddy. "I only like working with people who can take their art to the next level. But, believe me, getting all the right folks for this project was a blessing."

Releasing dual singles "ER" and "Why Just Be Friends," the talented balladeer is more than ready to compete with his rivals on the radio. "The track "ER" was produced by a newcomer named D'Mile, a young and eager dude out of Brooklyn (Janet Jackson, "Feedback")," Joe says. Serving as the opening for New Man, the theme of unrequited love is one that runs through the majority of the disc.

"All of us know what it's like to be feeling somebody who might not be feeling you," laughs Joe. "For a lot of guys it's not about what they have, but what they want."

With a voice that is sweet as chocolate and strong as coffee, "Why Just Be Friends" is the perfect summer record detailing the carnal blight of dudes, as Joe explains, "gets caught in the friend zone too many times." Produced by the Stereotypes, a crew hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Joe says, "They passed along some tracks, and I was really digging what these guys were doing. I mixed the song myself in a home studio I have owned for about eight years. I call it simply, Joe's Crib Studio."

Fact is, once the various tracks were perfect, most of Joe's vocals were recorded from his home studio. "I like doing things quickly, and in the home studio I can get in the zone and work at my own pace." On the club ballad "We Need to Roll," the singer got a chance to make another musical dream of his come true.

"I recorded that song with Trey Songz and Mario, because you almost never hear R&B guys singing together," Joe explains. "I remember how hyped I was when Quincy Jones put out "The Secret Garden,' and I wanted that kind of vibe on the record."

A southern boy who was raised by two preachers in his hometown of Columbus, Georgia and Opaleika, Alabama Joe mastered an array of instruments when he was still a kid. "I have nothing but respect for musicians," Joe explains. "Though I don't play on this project, I'm working on something special right now where I'm playing everything in the studio."

Admiring the genius and swagger of artists like Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway, Joe's songs also share the sacred/profane dilemma in his music that elevates beyond the arena of his peers. From the sweet as cherry Kool-Aide lyrics on "Man In Your Life" to lonely teardrops of "Sorry" to the freaky deke of "Triple Black Room," Joe continues to dig deep into his own psyche for the best material. "The artists who are my heroes, be it Marvin, Prince or Donny, were never too proud to reveal there true selves. It is impossible to be a true artists if your art isn't honest. Although it might hurt sometimes, I have no problem baring the realness of my life in the songs."

Coming across as a protector on the lush song "I Won't Let Him Hurt You," the track has slight Asian touches in the music that is beautiful. "I spend a lot of time overseas, and those sounds are as much a part of my influence as soul or gospel. I want to experiment, and mix a little of that flavor with what I do best."

Smooth as butter and perfect as the pyramids the track "By Any Means" is one of those songs that lingers in the mind hours after you've heard it. Utilizing a cool groove laid-down by his homie Bryan Michael Cox (who has produced hits for Usher and Mariah Carey), this song is an obvious hit. "Bryan and I have worked together a few times in the past, and obviously his track record speaks for itself."

Once nicknamed "the Casanova crooner" by Hip-Hop Soul magazine, New Man proves that Joe has lost none of his spunk or flavor. If anything, dude has simply gotten better. Let's hear it for soul brother number one!

JOE Thomas, New Man is comes out on September 23, 2008 on Kedar Entertainment Group and is distributed by Universal Fontana Distribution.

Listen Here: Why Just Be Friends

Listen Here: Emergency Room

The sequel to 1999's "Belly" starring West Coast rapper The Game hit retail stores yesterday.

Titled "Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club", the film stars the Black Wall Street leader alongside actress Shari Headley. Unlike the original, which featured rappers DMX and Nas as drug dealers on the East Coast, the follow up is based in Compton, California.

The Game plays "G," a recently released convict who gets back into the drug game. G meets Headley's character, Alexis, who is secretly an undercover DEA agent. Both characters withhold the truth about their actual occupations, and their love relationship takes a dramatic turn as a twist is found at the end of the movie.

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Missy Elliott is still in the studio wrapping up her seventh studio album, "Block Party". The album previously scheduled for a September release, has been pushed back.

The first official single "Best Best" was released last month. It's a hot up tempo track produced by Danja. A video for the track is expected to be released soon.

Rolling Stone reported the album will feature "fun-for-the-club" beats, though Elliott tells that she and Timbaland are "trying different stuff, just going in blind and hoping that people will be with it."

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As previously reported by Yo! Raps, a warrant was issued for DMX's arrest after her failed to show up for a scheduled court date. It seems that his failure to appear may not have been his fault, however, as his lawyer recently revealed he is actually in a Miami hospital.

X's lawyer, Charles Kozelka, told MTV News yesterday (August 13) that the warrant is still active despite the judge's acknowledgement of the rapper's hospitalization.

Kozelka said the judge reject the idea of canceling the warrant because this is the second time X failed to show up in court and the court wasn't advised of his hospital stay sooner.

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Lil Jon's life seems to be all about change right now. First, he hooked up with digital entertainment company The Orchard and sold his assets of bankrupt TVT Records to them. Now "everybody's favorite hypeman" has decided to change the title of his album "Crunk Rock" as a reflection of his new musical direction.

"It's totally given me a new energy, a new everything," Jon said f the upcoming release. "When you have a lot of stress and negativity around you, when you cut that away, you cleanse...I'm starting over, basically."

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It hasn't been confirmed if this is the handy work of his rehired momanger or not but Usher is getting back in the limelight. According to reports, the R&B crooner has been tapped to perform at the "NFL Opening Kickoff 2008" this year.

Presented by gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA) Sports, the event kick off in New York City's Columbus Circle on Thursday, September 4.

Usher will team up with country music singer Keith Urban to perform the NFL theme song "Believe In Now."

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Diddy wasn't playing when he told the world he doesn't stop. The hip-hop mogul recently announced he would be releasing a new line of cologne called "I Am King".

Set to join his popular fragrance, Unforgivable, the new scent is already said to be expecting to gross a $100 million.

I Am King will hit Macy's department stores in December and is set to go worldwide in February. Diddy is also planning for the ladies' version of the fragrance called I Am Queen in 2009.

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Gym Class Heroes have announced details of their upcoming co-headline tour with The Roots. The North American schedule, which features support from Homeschool/Atlantic Records R&B sensation Estelle, known for her hit single "American Boy" featuring Kanye West, will begin on October 3rd at Baltimore and then traverse the continent through a November 1st finale at Albany, New York's Washington Avenue Armory.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Aug. 12) for Gym Class Heroes' fan club members, and this weekend for the general public.

The tour celebrates the release of Gym Class Heroes's hugely anticipated fourth album, "The Quilt." The collection, which follows 2006's RIAA gold-certified breakthrough, "As Cruel As School Children", arrives in stores and at online retailers on September 9th.

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Hook specialist T-Pain and Lil Wayne are teaming up to work on a collaboration project titled "T-Wayne."

Although the duo haven't been able to lock in the studio together due to conflicting schedules, they have been able to send records back and forth through e-mail.

T-Pain says that they have so much material coming together they might drop a mixtape, too.

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The Queen Mary J. Blige adds her magic to Robin Thicke's "Magic." Be first to check it out!

"Magic" REMIX featuring Mary J. Blige (streaming link)

"Magic" REMIX featuring Mary J. Blige (MP3)

Check out the video here!

The second annual Rick Ross Be Out Day was halted by gunfire yesterday (August 6), Yo! Raps has learned.

Fully sponsored by Rick Ross, the outdoor festival offered the local community a day of food and fun in Carol City Park.

All was well until Rick Ross stepped on stage.

According to reports of the incident, that is when the gunshots went off.

"He was giving back to the community when this happened," an alleged witness told AllHipHop.com, "Rick and the whole Poe Boy team got on stage and that's when someone in the crowd started shooting."

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Kanye West seems to have a soft spot for Soulja Boy. For the second time in the past few months, Ye has put his self out there to stand up for the "Crank That" rapper against recent harsh criticisms of his music.

"How is Soulja Boy killing hip-hop?" Kanye shouted to the crowd at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday (August 5). "He had one of the biggest songs of the summer. If anything, he's helping keep it alive. You don't have to be Lil Wayne in order for people to say your sh*t is fresh."

"Open y'all's f***in' minds. Be accepting of different people. Let people be who they are."

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As previously reported by Yo! Raps back in early July, word on the street was that there were whispers among industry insiders that Usher would be splitting from his manager Benny Medina. It seems that some rumors do pan out as both Usher and Medina have come out and confirmed the split.

In a brief statement issued by LaFace/Zomba, it was announced that Usher "has dissolved his management arrangement with Benny Medina and has re-engaged Jonnetta Patton [his mother] as his manager."

Usher, who "retired" his mother just days before mother's day last year, was reportedly "livid" about "Here I Stand" not reaching the chart status of his previous album, "Confessions."

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R. Kelly is in the spotlight of the media again but this time not for his child pornography trial.

His former Jive Records labelmate Joe recently revealed why he left the label after 11 years, seven Grammy nominations and a lot of successful albums.

Joe sat down with Eurweb and says that R. Kelly put pressure on label executives and radio stations not to push Joe's records when his own singles started to get attention.

"R. Kelly was very instrumental in making a lot of decisions when it came to my records being played on the radio," said Joe. "He would make a call to the radio station or to the label and say, 'Hey, this Joe record is too hot right now. Ya'll need to pull that back.' And they would oblige."

But the R&B singer is happy that he left Jive Records six months ago to go the independent route. "It's incredible that now I get the opportunity to, I don't know, maybe pay [R. Kelly] back in some sort of side bar kind of thing."

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New York police say a 24-year-old Queens woman was beaten to death at Lil Kim's birthday celebration held at a Times Square nightclub on Sunday. The body of Ingrid "China" Rivera, who had been missing since the celebrity-filled party, was found stuffed in a rooftop electrical room above Spotlight Live by a maintenance worker on Wednesday. Authorities say the club's bouncers, who have a reputation for being "really heavy-handed", are possible suspects.

"It wouldn't surprise me if it was the bouncers," Josh Johnson, the VIP host at Spotlight, told the New York Daily News. "A lot of the bouncers, if you give them a hard time, they get really tough and rowdy. They're tough guys. You don't want to mess with them. That's actually a problem at the club."

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In a recent interview with Norfolk, Virginia's 103 Jamz radio station, T.I. hit back at Shawty Lo in the latest edition of their pseudo beef.

"I've been out for nine years, [Paper Trail] is my sixth album," TIP said during the interview. "If any of these claims had any validity to them, wouldn't it have been said by now? I mean, if he felt like this, why didn't he say this to me when he was promoting "Laffy Taffy?'"

"In life we all have positions to play, and I've accepted my position in life as a winner, as a leader, as the example," T.I. said. "The one who sets the standard of how to do things, and how to do things correctly."

TIP then hit his fellow ATL native below the belt with comments regarding the rapper's marginal mainstream success.

"I've accepted his position as being a hater. And If I don't win he can't hate," TIP said. "So I'ma do my job so he can continue to do his."

He ended his discussion of Shawty Lo by calmly dismissing the beef.

"I've addressed it, I've acknowledged it, I've demolished it, and now I must dismiss it."

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By now most hip-hop fans have heard about Rick Ross' employment past as a corrections officer for the Florida Department of Corrections. The MIA native is now stepping forward to address the documented claims in an exclusive interview with Don Diva.

"When I'm making my music and talking about blow, it's because I did it," Ross said. "When I say I'm rich off cocaine it's because I did it. I never tried to hide my past! I put my name inside of all my CDs. My company has my SS #. I could've put a company name."

Although documents obtained by TheSmokingGun.com revealed that he was still working as a CO at 19, Ross offered a different version of the events of his past.

"I was one of the only niggas in the city with a show truck at 19 (years-old) on Dayton's with TVs doing my own independent thing," Ross said. "I done put a lot of losses in tis game. I done took losses in the street, losses with the music. I've been up and I've been down; that's what makes me who I am."

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Last week, rumor had it that Kanye West had been tapped to produce the next Britney Spears album. Kanye recently took it upon himself to personally squash the rumors in a recent post to his official blog.

"I have not signed up 2 do Britney Spears music. Clarity post will be my new thing 2 de-spell all false rumors.short and sweet!"

The rumors began when producer Taio Cruz attempted to tell the media about Brit's upcoming comeback album. "The songs will be good- she has Kanye, Pharrell, Timbaland, and me doing track for her," said Cruz.

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Once again the Diplomats are in the spotlight of the media with their neverending struggles.

Yo! Raps has learned, that Cam´ron is selling Juelz Santana´s contract to powerhouse Def Jam.

Miss Info recently caught up with Cam during Funk Flex's Car Show in Edison, NJ and Cam revealed, "I sold Juelz' contract to Def Jam for 2 million dollars."

Hence, Miss Info asked Juelz about his separation from his former mentor, and Juelz had this to say, "What's good! Yeah, I'm free! And ready to do me! But it´s still Dip Set 4 life! It´s just going to be a new chapter! I have no hard feeling for Cam, after all, he did give me a chance! But I will say this, I was loyal to him and he took advantage."

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Pusha T of the Clipse and Ab-Liva of the Re-Up Gang recently spoke with Yo! Raps to discuss their critically-acclaimed "We Got It 4 Cheap" mixtape series and the official "Clipse Presents: Re-Up Gang" album dropping on August 5th.

"I'm excited about the music," says Pusha. "I'm excited about what it is that the Clipse and Re-Up Gang do. I think I've seen both ends of the spectrum. I've sold a platinum record and I've sold a record that went wood. I know what it means to be hated and I know what it means to be critically acclaimed. For now, I feel I sorta got a sense of direction to where I think the Re-Up Gang, the Clipse and [our] movement is going."

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Nelly, who is currently in heavy promotion of his upcoming album "Brass Knuckles", may be working with Hip-Hop heavyweight and King of the South T.I. on a collaborative project.

Nelly was recently interviewed by Rap-Up magazine and revealed that two rappers are in the talks but the project is still in the early stages and nothing can be confirmed.

"We [T.I.] talked about doing a joint together, a whole album," the rapper says. "It's not about just selling records for me anymore because I've done that. It's about making something that people will remember."

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As previously reported by Yo! Raps, Ciara recently snagged a modeling contract with famed modeling agency Wilhelmina.

Now rumor has it that the princess of "Crunk&B" has been tapped as the new face (and body) of lingerie juggernaut Victoria's Secret.

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Just when fans thought 50 Cent had engaged in enough beef to be hated by the entire hip hop community, tiny bopper rapper Soulja Boy has said the bullet riddled MC is what inspired him to get in the game.

"It was 50 Cent's "In Da Club," Soulja Boy said to MTV. "When I seen that, I was like, "That's what I wanna do.'"

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A few weeks ago super producer Timbaland revealed that he will work on a project with Jay-Z. Timbo mentioned that he and Hov are planning an album solely between themselves, the memories of "Big Pimpin'" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulders".

Jay-Z recently caught up with Rolling Stone and explained that such a project is not in the works.

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After the beef between Young Buck and the G-Unit crew calmed down, the Cashville rapper now speaking out about the fallout with his former family at G-Unit.

The Tennessee rapper recently was interviewed by Buckie Naked Radio where he addressed the beef between him and 50 Cent again.

"At this point, I'm just trying to do what I got to do as a man," Buck said. "My departure away from the group ... I'm still signed to this label [and] I'm trying to get away from that situation because we just can't work out. At this point, it's just about me moving forward."

Buck added, "I think what I'm going through, as far as my situation with G-Unit, is something that's just making me stronger. It made me more weary of my surroundings. It taught me a whole lot."

Although he is no longer with 50 Cent, Buck said that he always looked up to 50 as a big brother.

"I've always looked at 50 as a big brother, so I've always respected him as a big brother," Buck admits. "The conversation that people was able to get - that he taped - was me speaking to 50 from a big brother perspective. I dealt with 50 from the heart, and I looked at him like a big brother."

When asked about the leaked phone conversation, the former G-Unit member said, "At the end of the day, it was a heartfelt conversation from me. I meant everything I said. I was actually going through a situation at the time. He chose to put it out there to kinda discredit me. I think it backfired if you ask me."

Buck is currently trying to start his own label Cashville Records. The label´s roster include 2Pac´s group The Outlawz and West Coast veteran C-Bo.

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After much talk and speculation, Young Jeezy has announced an official release date for his next solo album "The Recession."

Jeezy's camp said, via press release, that the rapper's third studio album will hit store shelves on September 2nd.

The album's first single, "Put On," featuring Kanye West is already seeing success, wetting fan's appetites for the final product.

Jeezy will be hopping on a tour bus and setting off on an 11-city tour in support of the album.

Kicking off on August 10 in Houston, the tour will make stops every Tuesday until the album drops.

See below for a list of the scheduled dates:

Aug. 10: Houston (Arena Theatre)
Aug. 12: Dallas (House of Blues)
Aug. 13: New Orleans (House of Blues)
Aug. 15: Detroit (Plan)
Aug. 18: Chicago (House of Blues)
Aug. 22: Norfolk, Va. (NorVa)
Aug. 23: Cleveland (House of Blues)
Aug. 26: New York, NY (Blender Theatre)
Aug. 29: Jacksonville, Fla. (Plush)
Aug. 30: Tampa, Fla. (Jannus Landing)
Sept. 2: Atlanta (Tabernacle)

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Ludacris has just been honored with an induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

The ATL native is making history as the first rapper to ever be bestowed with the honor, says The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

R&B crooner Keith Sweat and rockers Widespread Panic will join Luda on the list of artists to be inducted.

The Georgia World Congress Center will host this year's annual induction ceremony on September 20th. It will be broadcast live on GPB-TV Channel 8 at 8:30 pm.

In other Luda news, the rapper is said to be finishing up his 6th studio album "Theater of Mind."

He is also set to star in the upcoming Guy Ritchie flick "RocknRolla."

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Nelly has his business hand in everything, from his successful line of women's jeans wear to his recent gig as an underwear model for Sean John. Now the St. Louis rapper can add another "owner" title to his resume as he has just announced the closing of a deal that names him the owner of energy drink company ZizZazz.

As one of the fastest growing energy drink companies in the U.S., ZizZazz made its debut last spring and immediately made an impact on the industry because of its portable single serving packaging.

"I'm excited to partner with ZizZazz, the drink mix helps my energy stay high during rehearsals and performances as I gear up for the release of 'Brass Knuckles,'" Nelly explained to AllHipHop.com. "I didn't want to just endorse it; I wanted to be part of the growth of the company. ZizZazz is a product that definitely fits my lifestyle. I can throw a few in my bag, grab a bottle of water and I'm set."

"Brass Knuckles," Nelly's fifth studio album, is set to hit stores on September 16. It features appearances from Chuck D, Fergie, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Ciara, and Usher.

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In an exclusive interview with Yo! Raps, Shawty Lo, whose new video ("Dey Know") is in heavy rotation on BET, blames multi-platinum rap star T.I. for starting their war of words currently playing out on YouTube.

"When T.I. got off his little case or his little year or whatever, he came out attacking," says the D4L chief executive behind 2006's smash single "Laffy Taffy". "[T.I.] came on the air in Atlanta talking about me on the radio. That's what started it."

The rapper, born Carlos Walker, is riding high on the success of his rapidly approaching gold solo debut "Units In The City", and gives his thoughts on fellow chart-topping recording artist Lil' Wayne's alleged drug abuse saying, "Focus on the music, man. The man do what he do -- as long as he ain't bothering nobody. Don't nobody know what he do. They just talk. The man is successful."

Shawty Lo goes on to say he's not in the game to start beef or compete with other artists.

"I don't feel like I have competition. I do what I do. I ain't trying to be like nobody else. I can just be me. One thing about it is, I ain't worried about competition and I hope competition ain't worried about me. That's what makes me different from competition. I can congratulate all the great rappers. This ain't no competition. we ain't in no race. I'm in a race."

CLICK HEREto read the whole interview.

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Nelly is set to join a star-studded line up including Lil Wayne, Nas, and Snoop Dogg in an ad campaign for the Sean John clothing line.

"I have been a big fan of Diddy and the Sean John clothing line for years," Nelly said in a statement. "So, when they asked me to work with them, it was a real honor. I hope my fans will enjoy this campaign as much as I did shooting it."

Nelly will make his mark with the successful clothing line by serving as an underwear model for the brand's newly launched underwear and loungewear line which is said to include briefs, boxer-briefs, boxers, undershirts, pajamas, robes and much more.

"I have known Nelly for many years and I really admire his work. To me, Nelly is the quintessential definition of the Sean John man," Diddy explained in a statement. "He has the attitude, the swagger, and most of all the physique that our customers can both aspire and relate to. And let's be honest, all of the ladies out there are going to be thanking us for this campaign."

In addition to his new modeling gig, Nelly is also prepping for the release of his newest effort, "Brass Knuckles," which is expected to his stores September 15.

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It seems the rumors of marriage problems between Kelis and Nas were false as the rapper has now announced that he and his quirky songstress wife are planning to record an album together.

"Me and my wife was thinking about doing this record together," said the "Untitled" MC to MTV. "I'm doing my dream. If you could, wouldn't you do it? What else would you do?"

Nas also said that he originally didn't plan to release any singles from his latest effort, "Untitled."

"I was almost gonna not do a single, but I wanted a song I could hear in the clubs, 'cause I knew the album didn't have that, I was like, 'No single, no video. Let's just make this a record that we talk about.'"

"QB's Finest" then explained his motivation behind his final decision to release "Hero" as the album's first single.

"I wanted a song that I could hear when I'm poppin' bottles. That's what 'Hero' was for me."

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As previously reported, Lil Wayne was sued last week in a Manhattan federal court for allegedly illegally sampling a song for his track "Playing With Fire" that is featured on his latest album "Tha Carter III" and produced by Streetrunner.

Abkco Music Inc, the owners of The Rolling Stones track "Play With Fire" claim Wayne released an alternative version of their song without their permission.

Now Wayne´s engineer, Fabian Marasciullo, explained how the song's original sample was scrapped last minute. The joint was re-recorded and added to "Tha Carter II".

"There wasn't no way [the sample] was gonna get cleared and everyone was tripping about it," Marasciullo told XXLmag.com. "Streetrunner went back in, unbeknownst to Wayne, got Betty Wright, replayed the guitars on the record. Up until the day before mastering it wasn't on the album. We were in New York playing the album and I was like, What about Playing With Fire? It was one of the records I really enjoyed listening to the whole thing."

"Wayne was like, "We can't get it cleared, We can't use it,' " he continued. "I told him he re-did it and Wayne was so excited. It cost Universal so much money because the artwork was done already; they printed almost 2 million copies of the album to ship out. And Wayne was like, "No, make it happen.' I was watching people from the label scrambling to put the shit on there."

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Last week, TheSmokingGun.com exposed the self proclaimed cocaine dealer Rick Ross and confirmed that the rapper was a correctional officer for 18 months in Florida.

Now the Hip-Hop star strikes back and addressed the situation and his previous employment with the Florida Department of Corrections.

During the interview, Ross said that the latest developments are simply rumors and added that he is a victim of a massive smear campaign.

While speaking with Phoenix radio station Power 98.3, the Miami rapper simply said, "Don't believe the hype."

"In the game we in, it's real competitive," Ross told Power 98.3 FM. "Competitors have to do what they have to do to eat. We making the best music. Y'all seen the BET Awards, y'all saw the magazine. We the biggest in the game, we the best in the game. Just keeping it real. And anytime somebody can attack my character, like I said, you get nothing from the Boss. I don't give haters the pleasure."

"When you get to my level, you're a great conversation piece," Rick Ross explained. "I'm big on the blogs, I'm big on the magazines, and I appreciate that as an artist. That's why I'm in the game. I got in this game to introduce people and to make great music. And that's what it's about.

Furthermore Ross said that this situation will not affect his music career.

"We gonna keep the records coming, we gonna keep the music coming. Like I said, I'm one of the realest sources of this real street music in this game. Straight out of Miami, straight out of M-I-Yayo. One of my closest homies was on America's Most Wanted."

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The Hip Hop Caucus and multi-platinum, Grammy Award winning superstar T.I. have joined forces to launch a powerful new voter registration and Get Out the Vote campaign that combines the power of celebrity and media with 21st century grassroots organizing tactics to mobilize and educate young people between the ages of 18 and 29, who are not in college. The campaign slogan is "Respect My Vote!"

The campaign, led by T.I. will employ other celebrities, athletes and high profile influential figures to get out the vote in a variety of ways including PSAs for radio, television and online use; in person appearances; press events; mobile and email alerts from celebrities themselves; and an aggressive online campaign.

Hip Hop Caucus President, Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., who helped create "Vote Or Die!" with Sean "Diddy" Combs in 2004, explains "No matter who wins in November, if large numbers of young people do not vote, then we all lose. It does not bode well for the future of our country, and our Democracy, if young people, particularly those who are not in college, are not engaged or involved in the electoral process. This campaign is critical in strengthening our Democracy and thus protecting our freedom."

T.I., who is gearing up for the release of his highly anticipated new album, "Paper Trail" on September 30th and has grown to truly be one of his generation's most captivating speakers explains, "It's an honor and a pleasure to be involved with the Hip Hop Caucus and be a part of such a worthy cause and important campaign. I look forward to urging the masses to take advantage of the right that I no longer have."

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With the release of their banging Def Jam/So So Def debut single "Booty Music," the multiracial R&B quartet Git Fresh has transformed the hotness of their hometown Fort Lauderdale into scorching grooves.

"Our song 'Booty Music' was one of the tracks we recorded when we were between labels," says primary producer Rudy. Along with Sly, Brent (Penny) and Mike (Mike Easy), the group has been together for ten years. "Though I do most of the production, all group members contribute to the lyrics and vocal arrangements. We are own worst critics, so we have no problems trashing a song if it isn't up to par."

Originally formed when all the boys were still teenagers singing at local talent shows and performing at parties around the state, Git Fresh is far from another prefab boy band. "With the exception of Sly, we all went to the Dillard Performing Arts High School, and have been working together for years," explains Mike. "As a unit, we love working together."

Formerly signed to Jive Records, the group once called DeepSide changed their name soon after splitting with the label. "This is our new beginning, and Git Fresh is as energetic as we've always been," Mike finishes.

Indeed, that energy can be heard in the electro bounce of "Booty Music," a hypnotic dance track that is bound to be the song of the summer. "We recorded that song down in Atlanta, and somehow it leaked to a few stations," says Rudy. "At the time we were parting with Jive, and being courted by other labels, and 'Booty Music' became our official calling card."

Def Jam President LA Reid was one of Git Fresh's many fans. After the fellows auditioned in LA's plush New York office (which was also the day after Rudy buried his grandfather), R&B's premier music man knew he had made the right choice.

"Though there were other labels were interested in us, we signed to Def Jam because we thought they were more artist driven," recalls Sly. "Git Fresh felt at home from the moment we walked through the door."

Having formed their own production company called The Studio Monkeys, the group immediately retreated back home to begin recording their upcoming disc. "We have been honing our skills for a long time," explains Penny. "It was as if we put ourselves in boot camp. In our early days it was rough, but we stuck together through negative energy and hard times."

Citing various artists from El DeBarge to Jodeci, Elton John to The Temptations as aural influences, Git Fresh works from a harmonic paint palate of many colors to create their impressionistic soul. So, while the group can wild out on party jams "Booty Music" and "Naked," the can also slow down the pace on joints like "Cheaters" and "Blow Me A Kiss."

Smiling, Penny says, "As a group, we're just so excited about where our music is going. Though we make slamming club records, we also like making ballads that give us the opportunity to show heartfelt emotions." One soulful standout includes "This Right Here." "Our sound represents all that is culturally diverse in music."

With so many, "just alright" singers, songwriters and producers littering the R&B landscape, the time is right for Git Fresh to get ahead.

The Game recently leaked a track featuring Lil Wayne titled "My Life" [click to listen] on which the Compton MC seemingly took a sweep at Eminem and deceased D-12 rapper Proof.

Game is spitting the following lines:

"You see them 24's spinning, I earned "em/ and all the pictures of me and Em, I burned "em/ so there ain't no proof that I ever walked through 8 Mile/ and since there's no Proof, I'll never walk through 8 Mile."

Just shortly after this version leaked, Interscope released the original version of "My Life" that is featured on Game´s upcoming album "L.A.X." - but this time without the controversial lines!

Game tried to clear up the lyrics. "When I originally wrote the song 'My Life' I was trying to think back on events that affected my life and how they changed me," Game says. "When I first got signed to Aftermath and G-Unit I was exposed to so many different people from Dre to Em to 50 to Proof. I always identified with Proof. We were always cool and he would reach out to me when ever I was going through something."

The West Coast MC added that the song was not meant to be offensive by any means.

"I remember when Proof died vividly and now everytime I think about going to Detroit I get depressed. That is what I was trying to say in that verse and the more I looked at I realized that people would take it the wrong way. the way they are taking it now that it leaked. So I decided to change it so that this bullshit wouldn't happen and now it's happened anyway," he said.

In the end, Game delivered an apology.

"For the record, this is not the version on my album, this is not the version that radio will get and this is not the version that I just shot the video to. Furthermore, I apologize to anyone who took this the wrong way as that was never my intention."

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The old adage, "when it rains, it pours" has never been truer for former hit maker Scott Storch. In addition to pending paternity and child support suits against him, as well as a host of other financial woes, the producer is also facing foreclosure on his $10 million Miami mega mansion.

Storch signed two mortgages with SunTrust Bank for a total of $7.75 million to buy the home but has failed to make the monthly payments for almost a year now, says The Palm Beach Post.

In addition to the anticipated foreclosure, Storch is also on the hook for a $11,215 electrical lien for the 10 bedroom, 16 bath home. He also owes $17,151 for his personalized camera network.

As previously reported by Yo!Raps, Storch's money troubles extend far beyond mortgages and child support as the producer also owes $511,839 in property taxes. He also needs to pony up the cash for a $500,000 loan from a record label.

Storch's lawyer, Guy Spiegelman, said that his client's financial issues are due to "cash flow problems."

At press time, Storch had not publicly commented about his money woes.

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ATL rapper Guicci Mane was arrested early Wednesday (July 23) morning, just south of his hometown.

Officers from the Henry County Police Department arrested the Atlantic Records rapper after a routine traffic stop.

According to reports, a search of Gucci's vehicle revealed a small amount of marijuana and a gun.

The rapper was also thought to be under the influence of drugs.

He was taken to the Henry County Jail in McDonough, GA at 6:00am, where he was booked for DUI charges, possession of less than one ounce of marijuana, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

He was release approximately three hours later, after posting a $3,300 bond.

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As previously reported by Yo!Raps, DMX was arrested (for the 6th time in the past three months) for theft and identity theft charges on July 19. Well, DMX showed up in court yesterday (July 24) to plead not guilty. In a bizarre twist of events, however, the rapper exited the courtroom and began rapping for reporters and plugging his new LP.

After X left the courtroom yesterday, he rapped for reporters saying, "If you ever fall back down, get back up."

The Associated Press even said that the rapper then plugged his next album.

The charges stem from an April incident where the rapper allegedly gave the alias "Troy Jones" to medical facility to duck out on a $7,500 bill.

According to reports, he was reportedly heard saying "someone in the projects is going to get the bill."

X is due back in court on August 12.

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Legal troubles seem to be a part of life for the self professed best rapper alive. First, Lil Wayne was sued back in May for allegedly swiping a song from Karma-Ann Swanepoel. Now, the rapper is facing another suit for allegedly illegally sampling another song for his track "Playing With Fire."

Abkco Music Inc, the owners of The Rolling Stones track "Play With Fire" claim Wayne released an alternative version of their song without their permission, says TMZ.

The suit, filed yesterday (July 24) in the federal court in Manhattan, further claims Wayne changed the song a bit but it is still recognizable.

Abkco said that they were concerned because Wayne's version of the song is "explicit, sexist, and offensive."

They said that they fear that people will think that they approved Wayne's version.

At press time, Wayne's camp was refusing to comment on the lawsuit.

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G-Unit is known for causing some noise in the Hip-Hop game. Now Tony Yayo fires some shots again at former G-Unit member Young Buck, The Game and longtime rival Fat Joe.

Yayo called into Jenny Boom Boom's show on Hot 93.7 in Connecticut and had some words for the rappers mentioned above. The G-Unit rapper stated that West Coast MC The Game is only a "Television Blood". "When I met Game, he had on a brown flag. He wasn't even blood, get out of here man," Yayo said.

Tony Yayo has never been the one to keep quiet so he continues to address Young Buck.

According to Yayo, the Cashville MC is a "Television Crip". "I guarantee, when Buck comes out with that mixtape, it's gonna be a lot of exposing. I could expose Buck in so many ways. From females, to money, to what you had in your bank account, to your IRS, everything." Yayo added, "You cried in front of the biggest mess hall ever chump. You ain't nothing," he said in reference to the phone call between Buck and 50 Cent.

In the end, Yayo made a statement about the Terror Squad leader Fat Joe. "You just a fat waste. Just go somewhere and die."

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Dr. Dre´s highly anticipated and often delayed album "Detox" is nearing completion.

"I'm just now - over the last couple of months - starting to feel that it's going to be right and it's something I can be proud of, and everybody is going to love it," says Dr. Dre to USA Today.

"In a perfect world, I'm shooting for a November or December release," he continued.

According to Dre, his goal is to not necessarily to make a classic or to raise the bar for Hip-Hop.

"I've never set out to do that," says Dre. "I just make the music feel the way I want it to feel and I don't put it out until I'm totally happy with it. Then it does what it does."

"We have an entirely new thing going with the drums that's incredible, and we're still developing that." says Dre. Fans can expect guest appearances from Nas, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne on "Detox".

For the future, Dre wants to help new artists to launch their career. "All I want to do is sit in the studio with that person for a year and try to create another masterpiece."

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D-Town natives Kid Rock and Eminem could be throwing lyrical jabs soon if they accept a one million dollar offer to perform at a rap battle.

According to reports, the offer comes from the producers of the upcoming film, "Rap Therapy."

The winner of the battle will get the cool mil to donate to a charity of their choice.

"It will be a televised rap battle and the winner will pick up GBP 500,000 for the charity of his choice," said Black Le Vine, the rap therapist.

The documentary, "Rap Therapy," is said to feature appearances by 50 Cent, Diddy, Tom Cruise and many others. It will focus on using hip-hop as a forum to fight abuse and gang violence.

At press time, there was no word on if either artist had accepted the challenge.

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Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III" had an impressive opening, holding the #1 spot on Billboard's "Top Rap Albums Chart" for weeks. But Nas has bought the Lil one's reign to an end. Now the Queensbridge MC's ninth solo album, "Untitled," has pushed itself into the coveted position this week.

Featuring collaborations with Chris Brown, The Game, and Busta Rhymes, the much anticipated CD scanned 187,000 discs in it's opening week.

Although no longer in the #1 spot, "Tha Carter III" sold 105,000, leaving it clinging to the #2 spot.

David Banner's "The Greatest Story Ever Told" came in at #3. Meanwhile, G-Unit's "Terminate On Site" hit #4 with 21,200 discs scanned.

Rounding out the top 5 is Plies' "Definition Of Real" with 20,500.

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The film "Knocked Up" may have made stars of actors Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogan, but it also introduced moviegoers to the music of SAVAGE, an artist already established on his home turf of New Zealand. A song called "Swing," in a pivotal bar scene in the blockbuster movie, let the rest of the world know what Kiwis have been saying for some time now - Savage is a big man with a big voice and an even bigger talent.

A recap for the un-initiated: Savage is a founding member of one New Zealand's most respected Hip Hop crews, the Deceptikonz. The act stormed to #2 on the New Zealand Top 10 with their debut album "Elimination." Fame and acclaim followed; with this strong foundation in place it wasn't long before Savage's powerful voice found itself at the front of a solo project entitled "Moonshine."

"Moonshine," produced by Platinum Atlanta based producer Sol Messiah (Young Jeezy, Chamillionaire, Nappy Rootz, Dead Prez), multi Platinum producer AKON and ATP from Beat Kamp Muzik, was released to critical and commercial acclaim in 2005. An instant success in New Zealand and Australia (it was on this album that the single "Swing" debuted), "Moonshine" racked up a #1 chart position and Platinum certification. The second single, "Moonshine feat AKON," did the same.

Impressed with his charisma and booming vocals, a number of high profile US artists began soliciting remix requests from Savage for their releases, including AKON's hit "Locked Up" and the David Banner feat Lil Boosie remix for "Ain't Got Nothin."

The complete package (re-mixer/artist/songwriter), Savage took any and all opportunities and relentlessly toured across NZ & Australia to solidify his brand of "Samoan Down South Hip Hop" (just try and find another!). International tour dates with Xzibit, Snoop Dogg, Bone Thugs N' Harmony and Ice Cube followed.

"Live performance is where I'm at my best, I can really show my personality and smash the audience and my fans with my big sound" laughs Savage. "I have a big voice and an even bigger presence when I get on the MIC.so if you weren't listening before I get on, you'll definitely be listening - and probably waving your hands - by the time the MIC goes off."

Savage realized he had to find a special opportunity to bring his eclectic brand of hip hop to the States and he found his answer with last summer's box office smash film, "Knocked Up." The placement of "Swing" in "Knocked Up" was a pivotal point in the breakthrough comedy and the director loved it so much he requested the song be used in the opening menu of the DVD.

Spending time in LA and moving forward with what is sure to be the beginning of a long music career, Savage is spending the summer recording new material with top US producers as well as working on a new US remix to "Swing."

With over 350,000 units sold internationally in combined records and singles, two # 1 hit records in the Asia Pacific region representing over 13 weeks in the top position and 3 X Platinum & 2 X Gold plaques, Savage is poised to get the whole world to "Swing"!

Audio-Savage ft. Soulja Boy Tell'em - "Swing"

Platinum selling R&B recording artist, Bobby Valentino, signs a major label deal with EMI for his own imprint, Blu Kolla Dreams, just 3 short months after being dropped from Def Jam Recordings and leaving Disturbing Tha Peace Records (DTP).

Blu Kolla Dreams is "the start of a new business venture for anyone who has taken the Blu Kolla approach and worked extremely hard over time to make an impact in their communities, achieve greatness and make their dreams come true," as stated by Courtney "Colt Luv" Stewart of Right Hand management (Bobby V's Manager)/Co-CEO of Blu Kolla Dreams.

Bobby V fans can expect a powerful new album titled "The Rebirth", to be released in the coming months. Valentino reveals his thoughts on the new venture by stating, "I have been blessed to be in the music industry for over 10 years, and my past endeavours have been great learning experiences. Now I have the opportunity to step out on faith and use the knowledge and experience that I have gained to take my career to the next level."

Bobby V maintained a presence in music over the last few months by releasing an iTunes EP titled "Come With Me," a collaborative effort with producer Bill Jabar. According to Bobby, "Come With Me" is an exclusive online release with innovative material created specifically for my true fans."

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Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist T.I. has unveiled further details of his much-anticipated new album, "Paper Trial." The multiple Grammy Award-winning superstar will release the follow-up to 2007's RIAA platinum-certified "T.I. vs T.I.P." on September 9th.

"I just want everyone to know that it's coming out and that I'm going to answer a lot of questions in the music," the ATL-based rapper says of "Paper Trial." "It's intense and insightful; it's gonna shake up the game and it's me at my best."

"Paper Trial" has been heralded by the street track, "No Matter What," on which T.I. directly addresses his current life situation. The track - produced by Danjahandz - has been building momentum organically, scoring major airplay at Urban and Rhythmic radio outlets nationwide.

The album's first official single, "Whatever You Like," has just hit radio outlets nationwide. The song was produced by Jim Jonsin, whose many credits include Lil Wayne's current #1 smash, "Lollipop." In addition, "Swing Your Rag," a brand-new Swizz Beatz-produced track from "Paper Trial," has just been added to the player on T.I.'s MySpace page, located at www.trapmuzik.com.

"Paper Trial" is T.I. at his best - melding emotive moments like the harrowing "My Life, Your Entertainment" with celebratory anthems such as the cocky "Turn My Beat Down." In addition to the aforementioned Danja and Swizz Beatz, the production roster includes such studio stars as DJ Toomp and Drumma Boy. The result is T.I.'s most potent and important LP to date.

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The streets were buzzing with the news of Lil Scrappy being involved in a stabbing incident this weekend. According to reports, the rapper was stabbed in Dekalb County on Friday (July 18) night, arrested and then taken to the hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening wounds.

Atlanta's WSBTV reported that Scrappy's sister called the rapper claiming that she was just involved in a fight with her boyfriend. Scrappy headed over to his sister's house and became involved in an altercation with the boyfriend.

According to authorities, Scrap was stabbed during the scuffle. The rapper was subsequently arrested and taken to the hospital where he was listed in stable condition.

He was charged with marijuana possession, weapons possession, and obstruction of officers.

According to reports, the sister's boyfriend was not arrested or charged.

Scrap was released yesterday (June 20) morning on $1,500 bond.

At press time, there had been no comment from the ATL rapper regarding the incident.

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N.E.R.D front man, Pharrell Williams is said to be an expectant father. According to the New York Post's Page Six, the uber producer is expecting a child with a "model type" young woman he reportedly met in Miami this year.

A source the gossip giant called a friend of Pharrell's said that the unnamed woman "is very pregnant and travels with him." The friend went on to say that "she hangs out with the backstage crew when he performs."

"Pharrell is extremely private and won't release any details."

According to reports, the couple's baby is due very soon.

Meanwhile, a representative has declined to comment.

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Shawty Lo recently addressed rumors of an incident stemming from his beef with fellow ATL native T.I.

According to reports of the rumored incident, Lo (born Carlos Walker) was attacked and robbed of his chain at Club Crucial, a nightspot in Bankhead co-owned by his rival on wax T.I. The incident allegedly occurred when T.I.'s "What Up," which is said to be a diss track aimed at Lo, was played.

Well, Shawty Lo is now denying the incident even took place.

"A couple of dudes from my Bowen Homes hood got into it with some other dudes from Bowen Homes," Shawty Lo said to AllHipHop.com. "It really wasn't nothing, just some Bowen Homes sh*t. It wasn't an altercation with me at all. I didn't get touched, period. And this had nothing to do with TI."

The rapper, who said he is currently vacationing with his family in Florida, said that he would also be posting a video on YouTube to further address the situation.

At press time, T.I. still had not offered any public comments about the alleged incident.

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Diddy. He only needs one name, but he needs a virtual army of help to keep his legendary empire of music, acting, fashion, sports, fragrance and television running. The ultimate secret weapon in that army? Diddy's personal assistant.VH1's new competitive reality series "I Want To Work For Diddy" tracks 13 hungry applicants as they compete to land the job of a lifetime. This isn't some boring job interview. They'll be challenged emotionally, physically and mentally to earn the privilege of doing Diddy's bidding, and just one lucky person will get the chance to call him "My Boss." "I Want To Work For Diddy" premieres Monday, August 4 at 9pm ET/PT.

After a nationwide search, VH1 found 13 determined young men and women with the raw potential to assist and exist with of one of the world's most high profile CEOs. Each one-hour episode showcases a range of challenges, many based on the real life experiences of Diddy's previous assistants. In addition to completing these tasks, the applicants must also do their best to impress an intimidating panel of judges: self-made business prodigy and Executive Vice President of Warner Music Group Kevin Liles, Sean John Marketing Director and former Diddy assistant Capricorn Clark and Diddy's ultimate henchman, Island Def Jam Chief of staff, Phil Robinson. Throughout the series Diddy will share his business acumen with viewers by setting up a series of challenges that run the gamut from "The Art of Multitasking" to "No Bitchassness Allowed."

Will determination, motivation and drive pay off, or will the pressure be too much to bear? Tune in for all the tears and meltdowns as we find out who will ultimately work for Diddy.

For more information on "I Want To Work For Diddy", please log onto VH1.com.

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As previously reported by Yo!Raps, Eminem is being sued by a Michigan man who claims the rapper assaulted him in the bathroom of a local strip club. Now TMZ has released new details about the alleged scuffle.

According to reports, the alleged victim, Miad Jarbou, claims he was in the bathroom when Em and his body guard came in. Another man came in shortly after and reportedly spoke to Em saying, "Hey Eminem, What's up?"

According to Jarbou, Em's body guard answered for the rap star saying, "Shut the f*ck up, man! Don't say another word."

Jarbou claims that he stepped up in defense of the other man, who was a friend of his, and that is when Em attacked him.

Em allegedly "stepped back from the urinal and without warning or provocation, as Jarbou continued to urinate, drove his first in a violent punching manner into the side of Jarbou's face, knocking him to the ground."

Jarbou has since filed suit seeking unspecified damages.

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The Game has mentioned several time during his promotion for his anticipated new album "L.A.X." that he plans to retire from the music game. The Compton MC addressed that he is not happy with the current state of Hip-Hop.

The Game wants to spend more time with his family.

"I've missed a lot more of my family than I have rap in recent years and it's time to address the balance," he recently told WENN. "I'm focused on the upbringing of my children. That's important to me."

Game made it clear that he won't return once he made the decision to retire.

"Jay-Z came out of retirement. I can't see that happening for me," Game said.

Just recently, an insider from Ice Cube´s camp revealed that The Game will maybe replace Mack 10 to become a member of Westside Connection.

The Game´s upcoming album "L.A.X." will be in stores August 26.

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The upcoming Democratic National Convention is turning out to be more of a star studded event than originally anticipated. Chi-town MC Kanye West marks the latest addition to the A-list celebrities confirmed to attend the event.

Scheduled to be held on August 25 in Denver, Colorado, the DNC is said to include performances by some of music's biggest acts including N.E.R.D and Wyclef Jean. Usher reportedly will also be singing at the event, but he is still in negotiations with the event's organizers.

In addition to those performers, other Hollywood celebs, including Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Forest Whitaker and Edward Norton, are also coming out to show their support for Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

In other Kanye news, the rapper is also set to premier the video for his sixth single "Champion." Directed by Neon, the clip is said to speak to Ye's personal life including some issues with his father.

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Yo! Raps has exclusively learned that the famed Westside Connection will return after several years of hiatus. Ice Cube revealed to his camp that the trio is planning to reunite, according to an insider.

Furthermore it is rumoured that member Mack 10 will be replaced by Compton MC The Game.

Westside Connection is a group consisting of Ice Cube, WC, and Mack 10, that was formed in 1995. The group's debut album "Bow Down", reached the #2 position on the Billboard 200 in 1996. The group was formed during the East Coast vs. West Coast Hip-Hop rivalry, coming out after the death of 2Pac. After a long hiatus the group released their second album "Terrorist Threats" in 2004 hallmarked by the lead single "Gangsta Nation" featuring Nate Dogg.

In 2005, Mack 10 left the group due to a conflict between him and some group members. While Ice Cube has stated that another Westside Connection album could be released, he has said Mack 10 will not be a part of the group.

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Just when you though the G-Unit saga was over, Young Buck has reignited the low grade beef's flame. Reports are now flying that the exiled G-Unit member went on an XM radio show and challenged Tony Yayo to a boxing match.

"I swear on my [child's] life . if they line it up . me and [Tony Yayo] can fight on TV," said Buck according to Mediatakeout.com.

According to reports, Yayo has accepted Buck's invitation to combat and is even in talks with boxing promoters to see how the event can be arranged.

Rumor has it that people are already placing their bets on the as of yet coordinated event.

At press time, there had been no official comment from either rapper regarding the potential boxing match.

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ATL rapper Yung Joc is headed to court today to answer to claims that he stiffed an Atlanta company out of $25,000 for some high-end stereo equipment.

According to reports, Joc is expected in a Fulton County courtroom today (July 14) to hash things out with the owners of "Stereotypes," a high-end stereo business. Court documents obtained by WSBTV channel 2 claim Joc failed to pay up after the company installed stereo equipment in his car last year.

Joc, who has also recently signed a deal with Jive Records, is also preparing for the debut album of his own group, Hot Stylz. Hailing from the windy city of Chicago, the group has a current single already jumping on radio airwaves called "Lookin' Boy."

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Superstar R&B crooner Chris Brown is in final negotiations to appear alongside Matt Dillon, Idris Elba and T.I. in the thriller "Bone Deep." Brown also is in talks to executive produce.

The movie, directed by John Lussenhop, revolves around a group of criminals who plan to clean out a money depot. Chris Brown will play one of the members of the heist crew.

While he's been nominated for a Grammy and won the 2008 Teen Choice Awards for male artist and new artist of the year, Brown made his feature film debut in Stomp the Yard. The hit made more than $60 million domestically. Furthermore he co-starred in "This Christmas," which brought in $49 million.

The film does not have a set start date at this time.

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Faith Evans, R&B singer and estrange wife of Notorious B.I.G. prior to his death, is set to release a "tell all" book in August. From her alleged "relationship" with Tupac to her tumultuous relationship with B.I.G., the red headed R&B songstress' memoir will shed light some of the most intimate details of her life.

"My journey has been complicated on many levels," Faith said about the upcoming novel. "And since I am always linked to B.I.G., there are a lot of misconceptions about who I really am."

B.I.G.'s sexual relationship with Lil Kim, Faith's alleged drug use, and many other rumors have wound up on Faith's doorstep throughout the years. She plans to put the chitchat to rest with her book, "Keeping The Faith," and let her readers know what really went down behind closed doors.

"B.I.G. never got a chance to tell his story," Faith said. "It's been left to others to tell it for him. In making the decision to tell my own story, it means that I've become one of those who can give insight to who B.I.G. really was. But I can only speak of what he meant to me."

The 368 page memoir will be his book stores on August 29th.

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Atlanta rapper T.I. was whisked out of a downtown nightspot around midnight Wednesday (July 9) to keep him away from an altercation and out of trouble with court monitors, his attorney said.

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., was making a court-approved, paid appearance from 10:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. for an event at the Luckie Food Lounge on Luckie Street when some sort of incident occurred. Not many details have been mentioned about what exactly happen that night.

The rapper's court-ordered monitor and a security person got him out of the club before what has perceived as drama headed anywhere near T.I. We don't need T.I. having any more legal problems at this point in his career.

Good move Mr. Security.

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It has been long rumored that Diddy is more than just a boss to R&B singer/actress/model Cassie. Now, word around town is that the "Me & U" singer be pregnant with Diddy's 7th child.

According to MediaTakeOut.com, a "very reliable Bad Boy insider" told them that Cassie is telling her friends that her "monthly friend" hasn't been seen for about six weeks. Cassie, who reportedly lives in Diddy's New York apartment, has also not "had a sip of alcohol since then."

Cassie's alleged delicate state could possibly spell problems for her career as she is also said to be preparing for the release of her second album. Featuring a song with Lil Wayne, Cassie's not yet titled LP is expected to hit stores sometime in September.

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As previously reported by Yo!Raps, Russell Simmons has called in quits with model girlfriend Porshla Coleman.

According to Rush & Molly of The New York Daily News, sources claimed the break up was caused by Russ' controlling ways.

"[Russell] is very controlling," a source said to Rush & Molly. "He has her running on his schedule. He always wants her there with him. He doesn't let her see her girlfriends. He can do what he wants. She can't."

"Also, she and his children aren't getting along. And getting along with the children is very important to Russell."

Coleman has fired back at the allegations recently telling Rush & Molly that the "sources" are wrong.

READ FULL NEWS

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New York rap duo Mobb Deep have filed suit in a New Jersey court against their former manager claiming he owes them over a million dollars.

According to TMZ.com, Prodigy and Havoc (born Albert Johnson and Kejuan Muchita) claim their ex manager, Norman Bell, used some of their tracks for some "best of" albums with out their consent. In addition to using their songs, they say Bell (who goes by the name Purfek Storm) also neglected to pay them.

Court documents released by TMZ say that the plaintiffs (Havoc and Prodigy) "have never given anyone permission or license to take the Unreleased Masters from [their] recording studios or to exploit the Unreleased Masters."

Some of the songs mentioned in the lawsuit include "Thou Shall Not Kill," "We Don't Love Them Hoes," "QB Meets Soutside," and "Shed So Many Tears."

At press time, there had been no comment from either Bell nor the Mobb Deep MCs.

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West Coast rapper The Game recently caught up with Music Choice and talked about why he is a misfit in today´s Hip-Hop game. Furthermore the Compton MC explains his frustrations with other rappers who refused to jump on his Sean Bell tribute song "Cop Killer."

Game said that it was hard to get other well known rappers for a feature on his Sean Bell song.

"I reached out to a lot of artists and I told 'em what I was gonna do for Sean Bell and a lot of them just.I got a gang of excuses," he explained. "Nobody wanna stand up and be a man. We don't have a problem putting out a mixtape dissing each other but the people that you say or claim to hate so much, which is, or the situation that render us helpless like police brutality, excessive force, people using the shield to really deal the wrong way with human beings, you know, like nobody wanna stand-up for that except me."

Suddenly Game got emotional as he continues to talk about the current state of the Hip-Hop game.

"Sh*t is f*cked up, man it's just, people just don't understand man," he said. "And that's why I don't wanna be a part of hip-hop anymore. It just ain't right, man. And hip-hop just didn't used to be like this, you know. Like, it's not why I do it. It's not why I'm here."

Game made it clear that he doesn´t belong in the new era of Hip-Hop.

"I don't belong in this hip-hop," he stated. "I belong in like, the old hip-hop. People that really didn't care about being vocal you know. N.W.A. [and] Public Enemy, people that really stood. Queen Latifah, MC Lyte."

Game's anticipated album "L.A.X." is scheduled to hit stores August 26th.

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50 Cent's financial situation has been taking a hit lately. First, his much hyped G-Unit album failed to meet expectations by selling less than 100,000 copies. Now, his ex girlfriend and mother of his 11-year-old son is suing him for $50 million in damages caused by the fire that gutted the home she was living in.

As previously reported by Yo!Raps, the fire, labeled by officials as "suspicious," claimed the Long Island home back in May. By that time, the dispute between 50 and his ex, Shaniqua Tompkins, had already begun with the rapper even beginning eviction proceedings against her.

Tompkins took her opinions to the media, telling TMZ that 50 Cent set the blaze to avoid having to honor an agreement made between them.

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According to reports, the "Sexy Can I" rapper dished on his color biased opinions during an interview on radio show "Lip Service." During the interview, Berg said that he doesn't like dark skinned women and even refers to them as "dark butts."

Mediatakeout.com released a transcript of his conversation in which Berg said, "I'm kinda racist.I don't like dark butts.You know how some women prefer light skin men or dark skin men. It's rare that I do dark butts - that's what I call dark skinned women.I [don't date women] darker than me."

Berg reportedly went on to say, "I love the pool test. If you can jump in the pool exactly like you are and you don't come out looking better than you looked before going in the pool - then that's not a good look. Any woman that uses brown gell to set down her baby hair is not poppin."

His color preference is exhibited through his current relationship with "America's Next Top Model" winner Jaslene.

At press time, Berg had offered no other comment on the issue.

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As we previously reported, the Compton MC got into an altercation with some family members after the funeral of his cousin´s sister. Game´s cousin Robert "Kirky" Kirkwood told TMZ that Game promised to help finance the cost to bury his sister but he hasn't seen any money yet.

During a radio interview on 98.3 in Arizona, Game finally talked about the situation and explained that his family is only looking for his money. The rapper promised to finance part of his cousin's funeral but his offer was rejected by the family because they expected him to pay for all the costs.

But Kirkwood still claims that The Game accepted the agreement and wanted to talk to him about the cash situation but an argument started, ending with Game punching his first cousin in the face. Kirkwood filed a police report against the rapper.

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Word on the street is that Kanye West began a verbal assault on Jim Jones after Jones was asked to close a show over Ye. According to MediaTakeOut.com, Jim is striking back at Kanye, slamming his tendency to "throw tantrums" and his clingy style of dress.

According to the gossip blog site, Jones said, "Kanye is the one in the industry who throws tantrums.people [have] become use to it and we don't take things he says personal - because he is like the "Revenge Of The Nerds" to me. He is the one who wears full bottoms up Danny Terio style! I don't like tight jeans! I only like tight jeans on females and that comment is not just for Ye! It seems like jeans are getting tighter and sneakers are getting bigger!"

At press time, there had been no further comment from either MC.

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Wu-Tang member U-God is reportedly looking to New Jersey police for protection because of concerns that people affiliated with the rap group are out to get him.

According to The Jersey Journal, U-God (born Lamont Hawkins) contacted Jersey City police on June 8 saying that mysterious men in vehicles with various out of state license plates have been following him from his Manhattan studio to his New Jersey home. U-God went on to say that he thinks he is being followed because of an $18,000 lawsuit he filed against the Wu back in January of this year.

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The rumor mill is stirring once again! This time, it has caught G-Unit up in it's swirl as reports are flying that the clique is about to disband.

According to MediaTakeOut.com, the group's alleged split is due to the "poor" sales performance of their latest CD "Terminate On Sight." The album, which was released on July 1, debuted on the charts selling about 100,000 units in it's first week.

"Some people are disappointed, some people are mad [at Interscope], some people are frustrated.," an alleged insider said to MediaTakeOut. "We're going to have to evaluate whether it even makes sense to have G-Unit anymore."

At press time, there had been no official comment from 50 or the rest of the crew confirming or denying the rumor.

"Terminate On Sight" or "T.O.S." is the second studio album from the group. It features tracks by Swizz Beatz, Ron Browz, and Timbaland.

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As previously reported by Yo!Raps, 50 Cent celebrated his 33rd birthday this past weekend. Rumors are now flying that the G-Unit front man received a sultry gift from his reported girlfriend, R&B singer Ciara, to commemorate the day he was born.

MediaTakeOut.com is reporting that the "Crunk n B" songstress got two exotic dancers to entertain her buff boyfriend. The fun allegedly didn't stop there as a source told the gossip blog that the quartet then retreated to have their own "private party."

The source reportedly said, "Want to know what Ciara got Fif for his b-day.A man who has everything.She held a private party with some "exotic girls' and they all (50, Ciara, and 2 girls) had an even more private sitting in a private room."

At press time, there had been no reports of either Ciara or Fif confirming or denying the allegations.

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Hop mogul Russell Simmons has just split with model girlfriend Porschla Coleman after about seven months of dating, says the New York Post.

Simmons began dating the 25-year-old "Star Search" model last December. The May/December couple got gossipers going when they appeared in public together on the same day Simmons' then estranged wife, Kimora Lee Simmons, filed for divorce.

Sources told the New York Post that Coleman has already packed her things and "moved out of Russell's apartment."

Not to be outdone by the young beauty, Russell is also reportedly "back to playing the field" himself.

At press time neither party had issued any statements regarding the alleged split.

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Ludacris has just made history by being the first hip-hopper to sign a mutil-million dollar deal with massive phone company AT&T.

According to SOHH, Luda will appear in television and internet ads and has just wrapped up the filming of the first commercial.

"I had a lot of fun shooting this commercial," said Luda. "If you like the AT&T commercials you've seen then you'll love this one."

In the commercial, Luda reportedly plays a guy and a phone. Hilarity ensues when the guy misses an important phone call and the phone tells the audience just what he missed by not having one.

The ads are set to start running sometime next month.

In other Ludacris news, the rapper is also in the studio finishing up his sixth studio album "Theatre Of Mind." He is also set to star in a new Guy Ritchie (Madonna's husband) flick with "The Wire" actor Idris Elba. The movie, "RocknRolla," is said to be out this fall.

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Apparently, the grass is not always as green as it seems. Fresh off his 33rd birthday, a new album and a fat bank account, New York rapper 50 Cent is saying that times are anything but good as he and his ex, Shaniqua Tompkins, duke it out over their 11-year-old son Marquis.

In an interview with MTV, Fif said that not being able to see his son is the "toughest" situation he has ever had to face.

"I'm not going through a custody battle; just a transition," 50 said. "I'd like to be able to just see my baby."

Fif said that it is especially hard because this is the time of year where Marquis is off from school and he would normally take his son on the road with him.

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Multi-Platinum and award winning Hip-Hop superstar Ice Cube makes his highly anticipated return to the mic with the debut of his eighth solo LP, titled "Raw Footage". Following the 2006 release of the critically acclaimed, "Laugh Now, Cry Later", which debuted at #2 on the R&B/Hip Hop sales chart and #4 on the Top 200 sales chart, making it the years highest selling independent release in hip hop, the West Coast's Greatest Rap Lyrist is back again. "Raw Footage" which will be released by Ice Cube's independently owned label, Lench Mob Records, will hit shelves and online on August 19th.

Boasting production from producers such as Maestro, Emile, DJ Crazy Toones, Teak "Da Beatsmith" Underdue and Dee Underdue and featuring guests Musiq Soulchild, Young Jeezy, The Game and WC, Cube looks to continue his reign as rap's heavy weight champion, showcasing his creative and lyrical genius throughout 17 solid tracks. With the streets already talking about the earlier released buzz single & video "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It," which MTV boasted as the first great song and video of 2008, Cube follows up with the album's first official single and video, "Do Ya Thang."

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Yo! Raps has learned that rapper Trina seems to have another taped conversation with former G-Unit rapper Young Buck who was recently kicked out of the crew in April 2008.

On ThisIs50.com, the G-Unit boss himself 50 Cent claimed that Trina has the taped convo in her possession.

According to 50 Cent, the tape features Young Buck crying and apologizing to Trina for his mixtape freestyles where the Cashville MC claims that he had sex with the female MC.

"That's not true. I don't know where that came from," Trina clarified to AllHipHop.com. "When I heard it I was like "Wow this is crazy.' But rumors are always rumors and that is not true."

Furthermore Trina said that she never talked to Buck about his problems with 50 Cent.

"We don't talk like that," she explains. "So I would have no idea why I'm even incorporated in that whole situation."

Yo! Raps will keep you posted about the story.

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Lil Wayne successfully proved that he is the "best rapper alive" with selling over 1 million copies of "Tha Carter III" in its first week.

Now Weezy teamed up with QD3 Entertainment to prepare a documentary on the life and career of Mr. Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. titled "The Carter" for 2009.

"We at Young Money are thrilled to be working with QD3 on the production of The Carter," says Lil Wayne's manager Cortez Bryant. "As Weezy's manager and lifelong friend, I am excited to see Wayne's story documented with truth and sincerity. Not only is Wayne the hottest musician in the business, but his life story reads something like a Hollywood script enabling this film to break boundaries. And there is no doubt in Wayne's mind that this film will exceed any and all expectation. He's a f*cking rockstar!"

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Eminem was hit with an assault and battery lawsuit on Thursday (June 3) by a Detroit man who claims the rapper hit him two years ago while at a local strip club.

According to reports, the incident occurred in 2006 when the alleged victim, Miad Jarbou, approached Em in the bathroom of Cheetah's On The Strip Gentleman's Club. Jarbou told Detroit police that he approached the urinal bound Em to meet the star and was turned away by his body guard. It is at that time that Jarbou alleges that Em stepped back from the urinal and "sucker punched" him.

Jarbou subsequently dropped the charges but according to The Detroit News, he is now filing a lawsuit claiming that the incident has made him "undergo physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, ongoing serious injuries requiring medical treatment" and "embarrassment, humiliation, medical expenses, wage loss and other economic and non-economic."

The alleged victim is looking for more that $25,000 in damages.

At press time, Em's spokesman, Dennis Dennehy, declined to comment on the lawsuit.

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In a recent interview with MTV, 50 Cent said that he thinks he will meet Lil Wayne at the top and sell a million copies of his next album, "Before I Self-Destruct," in the first week.

"Fourth quarter," Fif said about releasing his new album in the next few months. "I got some music. But I'mma make music until I reach a closing date. I'mma stay creative and continue to try and progress."

"I want to focus on the positive, and I feel I'm one of the more vocal people in hip-hop," Fif added. "Even when it's not about music, people pay attention to me because I have something to offer. I'll continue to create quality music at a pace they haven't seen."

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According to a newly released report from the State Department's Inspectors General, nine "high profile" passport files were accessed over a hundred times, says CBS News. One of the "high profile" files accessed was that of R&B singer Beyonce Knowles.

The report also says that of a sample of 150 celebs, 127 were looked into a total of 4,148 times over a six year period. One celeb's file was accessed 356 times by 77 different people. The report did not say, however, if the people were authorized to view the files.

The report said the agency's oversight was due to "many control weaknesses including a general lack of policies, procedures, guidance, and training."

Earlier this year, news outlets were buzzing with the news that the passport files of presidential candidates, Senator Barack Obama, Senator John McCain, and Senator Hillary Clinton, had all been looked at by some of the State Department's contractors. That incident is what prompted officials to look into celebrities' files.

At press time, there had been no comment from Bey or her camp.

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Since announcing the release of his third album, "L.A.X.," West Coast MC The Game has been hinting at retirement. According to reports, the rapper has now confirmed his retirement saying that he plans to pursue being a hip-hop mogul like Russell Simmons and Dr. Dre.

"I've been spending 100 per cent of my time being Game, so I haven't been able to focus on my producers and my artists, so this year I'm gonna get it crackin'... the same way Dre, Quincy Jones and Diddy do it (sic) - by being a rap mogul," said Game in a statement to the press. "There are a lot of ways to keep hip-hop alive without being an artist. I don't have to be vocal to make it happen."

In other Game news, the rapper has recently been under fire for comments he made about rappers wearing blood diamonds in his new song "Big Dreams." Game has struck back at his critics saying that what he said was indeed a fact. "I know the negatives of what I said, but the truth is, we're all wearing blood diamonds, so it ain't just me," said Game. "Do I feel the struggle in Africa? Yeah. Do I think people should be dying over diamonds? No. But it ain't like I'm the only cat around with a chain on."

After many delays "L.A.X." is scheduled to hit store shelves on August 26.

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Soulja Boy and Ice T's pseudo beef is officially over. According to reports, Soulja Boy recently declared peace saying, "It's officially over with for me."

SB went on to say that he never intended to have a full-fledged beef with the veteran rapper but felt obligated to defend himself against Ice T's verbal attacks. "Basically comments were made (by Ice-T) and I had to defend myself," said the young rapper.

SB attributed Ice's diss to the success of his first album "SouljaBoytellem.com." "Look how many people came out with records last year: 'Party Like a Rockstar,' 'A Bay Bay,' 'Wipe Me Down," said Soulja. "He (Ice-T) chose me because out of all those records mine was the biggest one. And not just the record but me individually."

Jay-Z also weighed in on their lean beef during a recent interview with MTV. "Well, I think there's a balance, right?" Jay said to MTV while in the U.K. performing at the well-publicized Glastonbury Music Fest. "I think the newer guys have got to respect the foundation and what's been laid down for them. The older guys have got to respect what's coming up next. So, I know that sounds like a non-answer but that's just the truth. In hip-hop, it's all about balance. You've always had [Jazzy Jeff] and Fresh Prince when you had Rakim. There's always been a balance in hip-hop, and I think it's always needed. So, as long as we respect each other, 'Old school, new school, no school rules.' Doug E. Fresh, I guess."

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The New York Daily News' Rush & Molly are reporting that R&B crooner Usher may be seeking the services of his mother as his manager again after allegedly firing her last year.

According to reports, Usher dropped the shocking bomb of him replacing his mother just a few days before Mother's Day. A short time later, sources confirmed that he was hiring Benny Medina, the man behind Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez's careers, to take the wheel.

Usher reportedly began feeling the sting of his decision after his new album "Here I Stand" failed to meet the sales and chart status of his previous release "Confessions." Sources are now saying that he blames Medina for his album's "poor" performance.

According to reports, Medina tried to soothe the sulking singer by convincing him that the album's sales were commendable given the current climate of the record industry. All was well until N.O. native Lil Wayne smashed that theory by selling over one million copies of "Tha Carter III" in it's first week.

"Usher was livid!," a source told Rush & Molly. "He threatened to fire everyone."

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After all the back and forth between former G-Unit member Young Buck and 50 Cent, the G-Unit boss still seems to have a soft spot in his heart for Buck.

"Buck is a disappointment for me," 50 told MTV News. "I treated him like a younger brother. ... He's not a enemy now. He's like a relative that decides to do something to you that you're uncomfortable with, so you don't bring him around you."

Despite all the beef, 50 Cent doesn't think of his former comrade an enemy.

"I don't view Buck as my enemy. If he feels that way about me, those are his personal feelings. I wouldn't be surprised if he felt that [I was his enemy]. He's like my younger brother - even if he sees me in this interview saying it to him - he won't understand. He'll just go on how it feels," Fif continued.

We all have heard the recorded conversation between 50 and Buck where the Cashville MC broke down about financial difficulties and begged to rejoin G-Unit.

"I couldn't tell you the things he told me in that conversation," 50 said, justifying his action. "You'd think I'm just being angry. [But] I play you the tape and you get it for yourself so much more vividly."

A lot of people criticized Fif for recording and publishing the conversation - some were harsh enough to call it a "b*tch ass move."

"I didn't know we could say ' b*tch ass' on MTV," Fif replied. "For them to say that, they don't understand the dynamics of what's going on. Ask me, do I care about a blogger? A person who has time to say that was a b*tch ass move is a b*tch ass n*gga. I thought that was an official move. Right now I don't wanna be disrespectful to Young Buck. But how do you respond to the disrespect he's displaying?"

50 goes on and said that Buck is signed to G-Unit Records for three more albums.

"He'll still get his fair shot at releasing his album," 50 insisted.

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Nas is more than ready to drop his controversial and highly anticipated album "Untitled" via Def Jam.

The new set recently leaked online and some tracks found its way to several websites and blogs. "Untitled" has experienced a slow release of individual tracks like "Breathe", "Testify", "Black President", "Fried Chicken" and some more.

In a video clip this morning, the Queensbridge MC reacted to the leaked tracks.

"Eh yo, what's up y'all, this is Nas," the rapper says. "And you know we get leaked. You know I been getting leaks forever. And it's so f*cking exciting."

Before Nas´ "Untitled", Lil Wayne´s blockbuster album "Tha Carter III" was intentionally leaked after Weezy made some harsh comment about mixtape DJs.

"Untitled" will be in stores on July 15. With 15 tracks, the new album includes songs with Chris Brown, The Game, Keri Hilson and Busta Rhymes. The first official single and accompanying video "Be A Nigger Too," was launched on June 9. The single's follow up is reported to be "Hero" featuring Keri Hilson.

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According to the New York Post, Jay-Z's 40/40 Nightclub is caught up in a lawsuit filed by current and former employees claiming that they were forced to pick up the tab for customers who walked out among other things.

Manhattan Federal Judge Loretta Preska gave the OK for the workers' lawyers to move forward with the suit after they met a "minimal" standard and showed that the owners violated federal wage and labor laws.

"It's a good day for restaurant workers throughout the city," said Maimon Kirschenbaum, the workers' attorney to the Post.

According to reports, the workers allege that the club's managers made them work for tips only, refused to pay them overtime, made them pay for accidental breaks and spills and for people who walked out on their checks.

At last count, the number of workers named in the case hit 20.

At press time, there had been no comment issued from Jay.

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Tattooed bodies have been synonymous with the game for a while now. The heavily tattooed Pharrell Williams has decided to change the game up a bit by having some of his tats removed.

In a recent interview with British Vogue, the N.E.R.D. front man says he will undergo a revolutionary procedure to remove some tattoos he feels no longer reflect his current lifestyle. The new procedure involves putting "replicated" skin over one's undesired tats.

"It's basically like getting a skin graft, but you're not taking skin from your ass or your legs. These guys actually grow the skin for you," he said. "First you have to give them a sample of your skin, which they then replicate. Once that's been done, they sew it on - and it's seamless."

According to reports, the procedure is very expensive. Pharrell didn't reveal exactly how much but said, "It's going to be pricey, but worth it. I got fire on my arms! I'm a grown man!"

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T.I.'s well-documented bout with gun possession charges landed the rapper in hot water. In addition to being sentenced to one year in jail, he was ordered to speak with "at risk" youth. No one could have foreseen the recent turning of the proverbial tables as Civil Rights leader and former mayor of Atlanta Andrew Young has begun speaking out on behalf of his fellow ATLien.

"He's bright enough, sensitive enough, vulnerable enough and intellectual enough that he might be able to help society deal with the problem of violence," Young said in an interview with Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "If you put [T.I.] jail for 20 years, that won't do any good toward gun violence. The judge had the wisdom and courage to give him a chance and force him to think about the process."

T.I. reportedly credits Young for his minimal involvement in disputes with Shawty Lo and 50 Cent saying, "He's a mentor of some sort to me."

Tip also says that Young urges him to be a community leader in the same fashion as the highly influential Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Once [King] saw that no one else wanted that responsibility, he was forced into it," T.I. said about his conversation with Young about the late civil rights leader. "People depended on him and pushed it on him. It wasn't until [Young] said in Montgomery that King accepted the responsibility of being the leader of the civil rights movement. He compared that to my situation."

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Crack addicted English singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse shot verbal barbs at Kanye West during a performance on Saturday at the UK Gastonbury Festival.

During her performance of "Some Unholy War" Winehouse decided it would be a good idea to improvise the lyrics and sing, "At least I'm not opening for a c*nt like Kanye." West and Winhehouse have no reports of bad history so most onlookers assumed that her harsh comments stemmed from Kanye's much publicized late arrival to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival a few weeks back.

In a fashion that is totally the opposite of what West normally displays, the Chi-city MC narrowed his response down to two sentences. "This just in... Amy Winehouse hates me!!!" said West. "Now I've really made it!!! LOL!!!!"

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Retiring or at least rumors of retiring seems to be en vogue lately. The next in line to get on the rumored retiree bus is Alicia Keys.

According to reports, the R&B songstress wants to waive the proverbial flag and gracefully bow out of the game by the time she turns 30 to travel the world.

"I am working hard now so I have the choice to retire when I want," said Keys in a statement to the press. "I would like to travel the world and stay in places instead of having to move on like I do now. I want to experience different cultures."

Keys already took a break in 2006 during a trip to Egpyt. Rumors swirled about her departure then claiming it was due to the pressures of fame.

Keys is currently on a world tour to support her latest effort "As I Am." The tour, which also features Ne-Yo and Jordin Sparks, started February 28 and will end on October 31.

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LL Cool J is gearing up for the release of his 13th and final album on his record deal with Def Jam. The new album was originally titled "Todd Smith Pt. 2: Back To Cool" but was later on renamed to "Exit 13".

LL hopes that his highly anticipated set will be his first platinum album in nearly ten years.

"With all my television and film projects, the quality level of my recent albums has suffered," LL said, while speaking with Rolling Stone.

"This is a record that I actually, honestly believe from the deepest part of my soul, I would buy - every record you make is not like that."

LL, born James Todd Smith, explained that the Hollywood writer's strike, gave him the time again to fully focus on his music. "Exit 13" has said to be executively produced is by fellow Queens rapper 50 Cent. The new album showcases "a whole other level of dedication, commitment, creativity."

Music heavyweights like Wyclef Jean, KRS-One, Jim Jones, Lil Kim, Method Man and Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora will have features.

When asked if "Exit 13" will be his last album on Def Jam, the MC revealed, "It's my last record on the contract, but that doesn't mean that our relationship is over."

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Decaydance recording group Gym Class Heroes has announced the upcoming release of their eagerly anticipated third album, "The Quilt." The collection - which follows 2006's RIAA gold-certified breakthrough, "As Cruel As School Children" - arrives in stores and at online retailers on September 9th.

"The Quilt" will be preceded by the album's first single, "Cookie Jar." Produced by The-Dream, the track will be available for digital purchase on July 8th. Gym Class Heroes recently wrapped production on a companion video for "Cookie Jar" with director Dale "Rage" Resteghini. The clip will premiere later this summer.

For their new album, Gym Class Heroes teamed up with a number of extraordinary collaborators. In addition to The-Dream, producers include Cool & Dre and the Geneva, NY-based band's longtime friend and collaborator, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy. What's more, "The Quilt" features special guest contributions from the one-and-only Busta Rhymes, UK soul sensation Estelle, and the legendary Daryl Hall.

Gym Class Heroes will spend their summer busting out the new material as headliners on the just-underway Vans Warped Tour. In addition, the band will also join fellow Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen recording groups The Academy Is., Cobra Starship, and Four Year Strong for summer shows in New Orleans, Montana, and Oregon.

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The Carnegie Group is pleased to announce that Ravenel Records and Sirius Radio's Hip Hop Nation have teamed up for a joint venture to release Nina B: "The Real Rap Supreme" mix-tape. "The Real Rap Supreme" which drops Friday the 13th boasts 13 tracks and is formatted like a live interview. The mix-tape touches on a variety of topics that allows the music world, fans, supporters, and yes even haters to get up close and personal with the bostress, Nina B. "The Real Rap Supreme" gives listeners an in dept look at who Nina B really is. It touches on the controversial subject of the reality show Miss Rap Supreme and why Nina opted out of being a contestant on the show. The mix-tape also includes an interview that Nina did with Sgt. Reggie Hawkins from Hip Hop Nation's after hours show.

"The Real Rap Supreme" will be available Friday, June 13 for FREE download at www.illroots.com reintroduces us to a female lyricist who hands down is a Real Rap Supreme (congrats to Reese Steele) With undeniable talent, dedication, a serious grind, and Ravenel Records behind her, there's no stopping Nina B; hip-hop's new leading lady!!

About Nina B
Nina B is a native New Yorker who was born in the Bronx and raised in Brooklyn, two of hip-hop's breeding grounds. Hip-hop is her genre, and every rhyme she writes brings her one step closer to carving what will soon become her legacy in the history of the music game. At the tender age of six, Nina recorded her first rhyme on her playschool recorder. By age 9, she had written enough to have a catalog of poetry and music, which would soon pave the path to her becoming one of hip-hop's most promising female artist. As a young girl, Nina experienced the harsh reality of the streets and the trials and tribulations life had to offer. This attributes to the realness in the rhymes that she writes and her strength to overcome adversity.

Nina spent her teenage years writing and educating herself on the ins and outs of the music industry. By age 16, Nina was offered a major record deal, which she professionally declined. By nineteen, NINA B was an active participant in Russell Simmons/Bruce Willis Art Start and Hip-Hop Project, where she met Amber Ravenel, CEO of Ravenel Records. In 2003, Nina B signed with Ravenel Records, becoming the first female artist on their roster. Since then, Nina has released six mix-tapes, did a barrage of live performances at venues throughout the New York/Tri-State area, has been featured on some of hip-hop's most notable sites, and publications.

As a female artist signed to an independent label run by a woman, Nina B and Amber Ravenel have broken down barriers in what has always been considered a male dominated industry. Nina's song "Can't Stop" has been pick of the week on Hot 97's morning show with Miss Jones and DJ Envy. She has made four appearances on Rap City, a record for an independent female artist. She has also been highlighted on The Drhama Hour with DJ Kayslay and his Sirius Satellite Radio Show, Cipher Sounds "Don't Quit Your Day Job" Show, and "On The Spot" with DJ Green Lantern. These are all huge accomplishments for an artist not signed to a major record deal, being represented by an independent label. Combine Nina B's consistency, diligent work ethics, and lyrical flow, with the misfortunes of her past serving as her strength for her future, and you have a female artist whose future and success has no limits.

After 2 weeks on the Billboard charts, independent Texas rap trio, TMI Boyz, have jumped from #11 to #6 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop album chart with their debut, Grindin' for a Purpose, which hit stores nationwide on May 20th, making them a 'pacesetter.' They have also jumped from #88 to #79 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart.

Although the group is not supported by a major label, or have a current breakout radio single, TMI Boyz have made their presence felt to fans the old fashioned way - by grindin'. With Rap Coalition's Wendy Day at the helm, and the support of TMI Muzic CEO's Lil C and Mario Henchmen, TMI Boyz jumped in a van and hit the road, attending every rap-related event possible for over 6 months; ending with an FYE in-store promo tour that had the guys in over 50 cities in as many days.

Hailing from Galveston, TX and Houston's notorious South West, TMI Boyz are doing their small part to let the industry know that Texas is always going to play a major role in this rap game. The group has been featured in XXL, The Source, Ozone, Hip Hop Weekly and�Down, amongst many others, graced the front page of MySpace Music and had a video debut on BET's 106 & Park as a New Joint of the Day. Not bad for an independent group. TMI Boyz are consistently hailed as 'next to blow' by industry vets like Michael '5000' Watts, Bigga Rankin, Crisco Kidd�and DJ Smallz and as they continue to make their presence felt, that list keeps growing.

Those attending the Texas Urban Music Summit in Dallas this weekend can see TMI Boyz perform at the AllHipHop.com Breeding Ground event on Friday, June 27th and talks are being had for other major performance opportunities.

Snoop Dogg's first animated DVD, The Adventures of Tha Blue Collar Treatment DVD in Stores and On-Demand at CodeblackTV.com Today!

The Adventures of Tha Blue Carpet Treatment is a psychedelic stream-of-consciousness trip through the magical mind of Snoop Dogg.This feature-length animated film showcases music from Snoop's smash hit album "The Blue Carpet Treatment," along with cameos and guest voices from many of hip hop's biggest stars such as E-40, The Game, Nate Dogg, Kurupt and B-Real from Cypress Hill. Comedians Mike Epps and Katt Williams also lend their talents to the film as well.

"The Adventures of Tha Blue Carpet Treatment is a funky-fresh-fricassee of animated hood psychedelic mixed with the West Coast bounce and lean of creator Snoop Dogg's smash hit album, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. The straight-to-DVD brings to life the Doggfather's magical mind state, full of colorful Roy G. Biv'S: blue rags, Pittsburgh Steeler low-low's and the stickiest of the green." - Kevin L. Clark of TheUrbanDaily.com

To purchase On-Demand, go to CodeBlackTV: Codeblacktv.com/ DVD Purchase Link

Official Trailer

West Coast rap legend Snoop Dogg recently revealed that he recorded tracks for Dr. Dre´s highly anticipated album "Detox".

"That record is real it's coming," Snoop Dogg said during an interview on June 25 on Big Boy's Neighbourhood. "You know me, I was starting to doubt it myself and then I went up in there and he played so much music for me it knocked my head off."

Furthermore the Doggfather said that Dre´s album is finished and the Doctor is selecting tracks for the set now.

"I see what he got them waiting for, it's on and poppin," Snoop Dogg said. "He got records, he got heat."

The legendary producer will also produce Snoop Dogg´s upcoming album. "Yea he's doing my next album. I got the title and everything," Snoop confirmed without revealing the album's title.

Snoop´s last album "Ego Trippin'" sold 137,000 copies in its first week, debuting #3 on the Billboard 200.

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One of New York's most dynamic street cliques, D-Block preps their latest opus, August 19th's "Prepare For Glory."

Anchored by core LOX members and platinum artists Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch and also consisting of Poobs, Trav, Straws, A.P., T.Y., Bucky, Bully, Don D. & Large Amount, D-Block artists are collectively responsible for the sale of millions of units worldwide.

Having previously collaborated with such A-listers as Jay-Z, Diddy, Swizz Beatz, Eve, DMX and many more, D-Block and its crew of affiliated emcees once again assemble to bring that voracious, gritty, hardcore hip-hop to street corners around the world.

"Prepare For Glory" is D-Block´s third group album after 1998´s "Money Power Respect" and 2000´s "We Are The Streets".

The new album hits shelves on August 19th via Babygrande Records.

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As Yo! Raps previously reported, a judge ordered Suge Knight to auction off all of Death Row's assets.

The highest qualified bidder was Global Music Group at $24 million, which was also the starting bid. Susan Berg, President of Global Music Group and formerly an aesthetician, has purchased the rights to Death Row Records as the only bidder!

The deal includes the whole catalogue of Death Row´s classic albums including Dr. Dre´s "The Chronic" and Snoop Dogg´s "Doggystyle". Additionally, Global Music Group receives the rights to 20 unreleased 2Pac songs in the deal.

Suge Knight´s Death Row label has been left financially crippled by his time in jail and a lawsuit by a couple claiming to have helped him set up the company. Knight said that two prison sentences - five years in 1996 for violating probation, and another year in 2003 for assaulting a parking attendant - had cost the company millions of dollars. The label and Knight filed for protection under Chapter 11 of federal bankruptcy law. Knight has claimed debts of more than $100 million.

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R&B superstar Ciara recently signed a deal with the modelling agency Wilhelmina.

The agency will focus on casting Ciara in the clothing and fragrance businesses. The singer is currently ending her modeling run for Jay-Z's Rocawear clothing line.

"Modeling has always been one of my aspirations," says Ciara. "But I was insecure about my height. I thought I was 5'7" but I just found out that I'm 5'8" so I'm really excited about that."

Furthermore the platinum singer is gearing up to start a new clothing line. She is currently talking to the department store Steve & Barry's. Ciara wants to combine her own style with affordable prices.

Ciara will follow fashion icons like Sarah Jessica Parker ("Bitten" collection) and New York Knicks' star Stephon Marbury's clothing line "Starbury".

"I have a couple of cool things that I'm working on," says Ciara. "The coolest thing about Steve & Barry's is they cater to everyday people. I won't say that my line will be like theirs, I want to stay true to who I am, but most importantly it has to be affordable."

In related news, Ciara is working hard on her third album "Fantasy Ride" which will be available in stores this Fall.

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Yo! Raps has been informed that The Game´s upcoming album "L.A.X." has been pushed back for a release on August 26.

The set was previously scheduled to hit stores on July 22 until Interscope changed the date but without further explanation at press time. The Game announced the push back at his album listening party in Los Angeles on June 23.

The rescheduling is already The Game´s fourth push back since his original release date on June 24th.

The Compton rapper guaranteed that "L.A.X." is complete and gave a shout-out to G-Unit boss 50 Cent. "It brings me joy to say that I completed my third album," he told listeners at his party. "I ain't got no beef with 50. All that [stuff] was on wax. I never shot at him, he never shot at me. Both of us done said a lot. But we're not Biggie and Pac. I appreciate the homie for helping me on my way up."

The highly anticipated album will feature a wide variety of artists including Blink 182's drummer Travis Barker, Lil Wayne, Ne-Yo, Busta Rhymes, and others.

CLICK HERE to listen to The Game´s new single "Dope Boyz"

"L.A.X." will hit stores on August 26.

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The 2008 BET Awards aired live from Los Angeles last night. Attendees included everyone from Nelly and Ashanti, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, Ciara, Diddy, UGK, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Big Boi and almost everyone else in the industry.

Usher kicked off the evening with an arguably lack luster performance as he sluggishly twirled around on a moving platform singing "Love In This Club." More performances followed including a sexy, pelvic thrusting number by Chris Brown and Ciara and a ladies only performance by Alicia Keys during which she bought out En Vouge, SWV, and TLC.

The night's stars were Kanye West and UGK as both walked away with two awards each. UGK was presented with the award for best group as well as for video of the year for "International Player's Anthem (I Choose You)" featuring Outkast. This marked the evening most somber moment as Bun B was left with the task of accepting the award on behalf of his late partner in crime, Pimp C.

"It's hard to do this with my brother not being here," Bun said. "We want to thank y'all for supporting UGK all these years. It's still UGK for life... Long live Pimp C."

Meanwhile Kanye took home the honors for best male hip-hop artist and best collaboration for "Good Life" featuring T-Pain. Kanye was full of compliments during the night's festivities, calling T-Pain "a genius" and giving kudos to Lil Wayne for selling a million albums. "You scared me man," Ye said to Wayne after bringing him on stage with him to accept his award. "Congratulations on selling over a million records. And they say hip hop is dead."

Al Green was also honored with the lifetime achievement award. He then performed two of his classics "Love And Happiness" and "Let's Stay Together" as the audience sang and danced along.

Queen Latifah then presented Quincy Jones with the humanitarian award saying, "He showed us black entertainment is more than just a hustle. It's more than just selling albums. It's about inspiration."

Other award winners included Marvin Sapp for gospel artist, The Dream for best new artist, and Missy for best female hip-hop artist.

The recurring theme of the evening was a political one as honoree after honoree took the stage encouraging people to vote.

"If we all register and vote, we will have the first black president in the history of America," said Diddy.

When presented with the award for best R&B artist Alicia Keys suggested that the word "can't" be removed from the audience's vocabularies. "Together we can do anything," said the R&B songstress. "Obama, ya'll."

As the last artist to perform, Lil Wayne shut the show down with a performance of the soon to be chart topping single, "A Milli."

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In a crowded ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in L.A., ASCAP named Timbaland songwriter of the year on Monday (June 23).

According to reports, Tim received the honor due to his work on Omarion's "Ice Box," Fabulous and Ne-Yo's "Make Me Better," and Justin Timberlake's "My Love" and "Until The End Of Time."

The event, hosted by Grammy-winning songwriter Johnta Austin, also named Robin Thicke's "Lost Without You" as the R&B song of the year and MIMS' "This Is Why I'm Hot" as the ring tone of the year.

Shawty Lo, The Dream, J. Holiday, Raheem DeVaughn, and Flo Rida also blessed the attendees with performances.

As previously reported in other Timbaland news, the super producer/songwriter recently tied the knot with his long time girlfriend. The two were originally wed by their pastor before taking a trip to Aruba for an official ceremony.

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As Yo! Raps previously reported, Nate Dogg was arrested around 8:30 on June 23 after his estranged wife called 911 saying that he was threatening her and "dangerously" following her as they drove down 405 in L.A. Furthermore the caller indicated that her husband had threatened to kill her and was chasing her!

The California crooner has been released from the win Towers jail in Los Angeles early Tuesday morning (Jun 24), after posting a $50,000 bond.

The 38-year-old singer was charged with one count of making terrorist threats and one charge of driving with a suspended license following an exchange with his wife.

Just some month ago, Nate Dogg was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to sell but the charges were later dropped.

At press time no statement from Nate Dogg´s camp has been released yet.

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As previously reported, the former G-Unit members The Game and Young Buck are joining forces for an upcoming mixtape that will be hosted by Nu Jerzey Devil.

The Black Wall Street producer recently revealed some details about the project.

"[The mixtape is] not gonna be totally Game and Buck, but Buck will have some features on there, couple of songs," Nu Jerzey Devil told SOHH. "Not even on some disses or none of that, we just gonna go ahead and make good music, 'You Know What It Is Volume 5.'"

According to Nu Jerzey Devil, DJ Skee will not be a part of the anticipated project despite previous rumors.

As of yet, there is not official release date. "We ain't got an exact date, 'cause you never know what's gonna happen," the producer said. "Everyday is a new day and the music gets better. We're shooting for the second week in July."

Furthermore Nu Jerzey Devil told SOHH how Game and Buck got together.

"I was reading online [about] Buck having shouted out 'F*ck G-Unit' at a show, and then the idea came to me," he explained. "[I] hit up Game about Buck, saying we should get him on the mixtape. Then I hollered at Buck and he was more than happy to hear about that and I put 'em on a song. Real recognize real. They were the realest ones outta G-Unit anyway. So we went ahead and made it happen."

In related news, The Game´s album "L.A.X." will be available in stores on July 22.

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Hip-Hop veteran Ice-T has released a special edition of his eighth studio album "Gangsta Rap".

The "Gangsta Rap Special Edition" is available on digital download now, and features two previously-unreleased tracks, as well as an alternative silhouette version of the album's original controversial cover. Last Tuesday (June 17), "Gangsta Rap Special Edition" was made available exclusively to Sprint PCS customers, through the wireless company's "New Track Tuesdays."

Released through PayUp Records, the digital label owned and operated by Ice-T's long-time manager Mickey Bentson, and Final Level Records, the new album will be distributed through INGrooves.

"Like [Ice-T] says, 'Hip-Hop is really on the ER table, and it needs resuscitation, it needs help'," Bentson told AllHipHop.com. "We gave Melee [Records] a little over a year to work it, and we felt the time was right to give the album a second push. "Since a lot of people are claiming to do hardcore, 'gangsta rap,' it's time to see what an O.G. does and how it's done," Bentson said. "Really envision the records, listen to the records, and you can actually feel the records when he's finished. He's always been able to get you to visually see what he's doing, maybe that's why he's on TV today."

Originally released on Melee Records in October 2006, "Gangsta Rap" made a few headlines due to it's cover: a nude rendering of Ice-T and his wife CoCo. The distribution arrangement for the special edition means the new album is available through all online retailers, including iTunes, Rhapsody, and Amazon.com. INGrooves also handles distribution for the likes of Too $hort, The Cool Kids, Ky-Mani Marley, and even Dolly Parton.

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The MTV Awards are going, going, back, back, to Cali, Cali. After switching up it's format and moving to Las Vegas last year, the awards show is now scheduled to air live from the Paramount Pictures Studios in Los Angeles on September 7.

According to reports, the network is going to invade the lot and present awards and performances on rooftops and city streets.

"With Paramount Pictures as the ideal setting, the glamour and musical heritage of L.A. are sure to be catalysts for creating explosive pop culture moments that the VMAs are know for," said Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music Group, in a statement.

This year's VMAs mark the 25th anniversary of the popular awards program.

Although ratings have not been as high as they once were, last year's VMAs was chock full of memorable moments including Brittany Spears' infamous slurring, "overweight" performance and the staple Kanye West meltdown.

Performers, presenters and nominees for this year's ceremony have yet to be announced.

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"A Better Day," the rumored second single from T.I.'s "Paper Trail," has been leaked, according to aceshowbiz. The unconfirmed single began streaming the Internet a few days ago and started speculation about whether the track would even be included on the album.

Conflicting reports are citing either "A Better Day" or "On Top Of The World" featuring Kanye West as the actual second single from the highly anticipated album.

The first single, "No Matter What," was first released on April 29 via T.I.'s website. It wasn't until May 9 that the single hit iTunes. The accompanying video is scheduled to premiere on June 27 on FNMTV.

Originally scheduled to hit stores on August 12, the release of "Paper Trail" has reportedly been pushed back to September 12. At press time, there had been no comments on the leak or the delay of Tip's album.

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Mediatakeout.com is reporting that R&B powerhouses, Chris Brown and Ne-Yo are beefing. The alleged dispute stems from rumored chit chat from Chris Brown about Ne-Yo's crooning skills and record sales.

According to reports, Brown has been heard saying that he can outsell Ne-Yo. According to Soundscan, the youngster isn't that far off with his arguably cocky assertions as his latest release "Exclusive" did outsell Ne-Yo's "Because Of You" by nearly 1 million units.

Ne-Yo has decided to answer Brown's comments by making a diss track. According to mediatakeout.com, Ne-Yo spits the following lines over Lil Wayne's "A Milli":

"You may sell a million more than me, but you don't have a million more than me.You're girlfriends favorite song is mine.My middle name is "More Bread' and my last name is "Than Your Bread."

At press time, there had been no word confirming or denying the alleged beef.

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Just a day after Young Buck released a G-Unit diss track titled "The Taped Conversation", in response to Fiddy´s posting of an emotional phone conversation between the two on the net, The Game released his own track "Taped Conco".

The track featured prank caller Ralphige aims directly at 50 Cent. He starts off the record referring to 50 and his G-Unit members Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks as wangsters.

"It´s a 'G' in Young Buck/ It's a 'G' in the Game/ Banks, Yayo and 50, ain't no 'G' in they name/ I'm a certified gangsta/ f*ck them wangstas."

"You don't care about your son, if you did he would get yanked up/ taping n*ggas phone calls what kind of sh*t is that... I told Buck buck in '05 I could never stay loyal/ to a homo snitch n*gga that's weaker than tin foil/ Oh why, oh why this n*gga wanna play games/ with that Cashville n*gga and that Ceder Block ganga/ Get the f*ck outta Tyson's mansion and turn the drama up/ This n*gga a b*tch tried to burn his own baby momma up..." Game continues.

Listen to the track in our "Media" section, CLICK HERE.

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As one-third of the former Grammy award-winning R&B group TLC, singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas is widely known as music icon. Together with Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes (R.I.P.), the trio has sold 22 million albums to date and still receives worldwide recognition from a gigantic conglomerate of young female fans.

Today, the group is no longer together following the tragic passing of Lopes in 2002, but luckily that hasn't stopped Chill from continuing to record. This September, the Columbus, Georgia native will release "Bi-Polar," her independently-released solo debut, which will feature production work from Missy Elliot, T-Pain and Akon. The album's first single is a playas-be-warned ode, entitled "Dumb Dumb Dumb."

In an exclusive interview with DJBooth.net, Chilli steps inside the booth to talk about the angle behind her forthcoming solo debut, why she didn't sign a record deal with Konvict Muzik, and how many albums TLC might have released if Lopes hadn't suddenly passed away.

"I'm so excited about this album. Oh, my goodness, I just can't tell you how excited I am about it. It's finally done," Chilli said about her new project.

When asked about the meaning of the album title, the singer explained, "It's the direction and the songs that are bi-polar. You got a little bit of R&B, you have a little bit of hop. It's consistent, but it's kinda all over the place. But it all makes sense."

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Rapper 50 Cent has been battling with other rappers over various issues lately. Never one to back down from a fight, the NY native now has his sights set on his former girlfriend and mother of his child Shaniqua Tompkins. According to Rush & Molloy of the New York Daily News, he and his attorneys are planning to file a complaint against Tompkins for defamation and for violating their custody agreement.

As previously reported, 50's Long Island mansion burned down last month. Tompkins and the former couple's 11-year-old son, Marquise, managed to escape the blaze with out any major injuries. After the fire, Tompkins went on to publicly accuse 50 of setting the suspicious inferno. "He tried to kill me and his own child," said Tompkins. "I know this came from 50 Cent."

Those comments are about to land Tompkins in hot water as 50's team of lawyers are preparing a defamation complaint against her. "There comes a point where you can no longer sit on your hands and listen to her spread these falsehoods," said 50's lawyer, Brett Kimmel. "Besides hurting his reputation, they have a damaging impact on their son."

According to a petition filed in Suffolk County Family Court, 50 is also claiming that since the fire, Tompkins is keeping their son from him, even refusing to tell him where he is living. Fif also says that she has "made it practically impossible" for him to see or speak to his son.

50 said Tompkins also refuses to give him the cell phone 50 sent to him after his was destroyed in the fire. According to reports, Tompkins "has failed to give the cell phone to Marquise. The only way [50] can communicate with his son is to call [Tompkins'] cell phone. On June 11.[she] did permit [50] to speak with his son. However.she was hovering over Marquise, monitoring the conversation and, after a short while, she interrupted the conversation by taking the phone from Marquise and began yelling at [50]." 50 ended the call by hanging up on her.

50 is seeking a court order to reconnect with his son and says that Tompkins' behavior is a "willful violation" of their existing custody order.

At press time, 50's lawyer did not return calls for further comment.

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Reports have been circulating that Young Jeezy was arrested in Atlanta yesterday morning. MTV is reporting that the rapper was charged with several misdemeanors including DUI, speeding, reckless driving, no tags, driving with an open container and no proof of insurance.

Authorities said that Jeezy was originally stopped for speeding after an officer saw him cruising down Atlanta's Bufford Highway. It wasn't until the car was stopped that the officer noticed that the vehicle was missing license plates. "Everything just went from there," said Officer James Polite, a police spokesman.

After posting bail, the "snowman" was released just a few hours after he was arrested.

Jeezy issued a statement via his attorney, Scott Leemon, saying that he was on his way home from the studio when the officer pulled him over. "After being charged with various automobile-related offenses, Jeezy was quickly processed and released," Leemon said in the statement. "A court date has been scheduled and Jeezy looks forward to getting the matter resolved."

As previously reported, more legal troubles may be brewing for the ATL rapper as Ralph "Ralphie" Simms told a Los Angeles court that Jeezy was the recipient of several kilos of cocaine from the Black Mafia Family. At press time, officials still would not comment on if an investigation on Jeezy would be launched. Jeezy has not been charged with a crime or questioned about anything Simms told the court.

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As predicted Cash Money/Universal Motown Records multi-platinum recording artist Lil Wayne expands his dynasty with "Tha Carter III". The new CD is the biggest release by far for 2008, selling over 1 Million copies it's first week, reigning #1 on Nielsen SoundScan, besting Mariah Carey's record-breaking release earlier this year. Not since 50 Cent's "The Massacre" in 2005 has an artist sold over 1 Million albums their first week.

"This is truly a proud moment for the Cash Money family, says Cash Money co-founder Ronald "Slim' Williams. "Lil Wayne is truly changing the game of hip-hop." Cash Money co-founder Bryan "Birdman' Williams adds "I knew my son had it in him, and this just proves what I've been saying all along. Lil Wayne is the most talented rapper out there right now, and these numbers prove it."

GQ Magazine called Weezy the "Greatest Rapper In The World," proclaiming him Man of the Year, and Blender Magazine declared him the "Best Rock Star Alive." Lil Wayne lives up to widespread critical acclaim garnering over 216 million in radio audience at Crossover and Urban radio. The talented rappers stronghold at radio extends to holding the #1 position at Crossover for nine straight weeks.

Two singles from "Tha Carter III" simultaneously blitz the Top Ten mainstream radio charts including the smash hit "Lollipop" at #2 and "A Milli" at #9, tagged as a Greatest Gainer. With these impressive figures, he eclipses Kanye West by nearly 10,000 units in first week performance. A dozen major retailers including Amazon, Circuit City, Kmart, Target and Walmart show Lil Wayne outselling West since the album dropped on June 10.

Lil Wayne heralds "Tha Carter III", as "The album he was born to make."

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It didn't take long for 50 Cent to release the tape of what has been determined to be an "edited and doctored" conversation between himself and Young Buck. Proving to be equally quick witted, Young Buck has fired back with the release of the diss track "The Taped Conversation."

Buck goes hard at 50 on the 5 minute track, referring to 50 as a "hoe" and "punk." "Bitch niggas do bitch things, Look at 50 what he does just to get fame," Buck growls over the southern bass/LA low-rideresque beat. He follows up that lyrical jab with "Only people record conversations is Five-O and they die slow."

Buck says that the recording is from a conversation he had with 50 over a year ago. He said the he got emotional because he had considered 50 a big brother and was dealing with him "from the heart."

"Every man got an emotional side to him, yeah, whether he choose to show it or whether he choose to hide it," Buck says of his emotional side exhibited on the tape. "Don't make you lesser than no motherf*cker man, nigga, I'm a G, 50."

"If a real man cry then it's real pain," Buck continued.

Buck then shifted his attention to 50's budding feud with ATL rapper T.I. "Ay, Tip, lay low, you ain't gotta respond," Buck says to the "King Of The South."

Buck also attacked his other former G-Unit comrades, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks. "Yayo is stuck in ya a-hole," Buck stings before calling out Banks with, "Banks look uneasy, if he told you how he feel this is where he'd be."

Ultimately, Buck says that 50 is mistaken if he thinks that releasing the tape shows him a a good light. ".it makes you look bad, look at what you had," he concludes. He did make sure to let 50 know that the battle is far from over as he plans to respond to any counter attack 50 makes.

"When ya punk ass respond, Imma give you verse three," Buck says in a cocky tone.

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Once again the rumor mill began churning with reports that T-Pain and Lil Wayne were linking up to form a super group. In recent interview with MTV, Wayne confirmed the rumors with a simple "Yeah."

"We both have the same energy," Wayne said. "I don't sleep. If you ask anybody, I don't sleep. I think it's the cousin of death. As much as you sleep, you're impersonating death to me. He don't sleep. I play all day. He plays all day and all night. The connection is crazy. He loves to be creative, he loves to work.; I love to create, I love to work. He really wants people to respect his rapping; I really want people to respect my harmonizing."

With a million copies of "Tha Carter III" sold in a week, Wayne is also planning to hit the road again with a tour of the same name. "I just want people to leave the show and feel like they saw something that they gonna remember forever," said Wayne of his "Tha Carter III" tour. "You know how our parents always tell us about some concert they went to [back in the day], but they remember it like yesterday? I want that to be every night, every city for me."

"Imma stay in my lane and what makes it great for me. I can't do no more, or no less."

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Veteran rapper turned "Law & Order" actor, Ice T spoke some harsh words about newcomers Soulja Boy and Hurricane Chris on DJ Cisco's Urban Legend mixtape.

According to hiphopdx, T was quoted as saying, "Fuck Soulja Boy! Eat a dick! This nigga single handedly killed Hip Hop." He continued by saying, "That sh*t is such garbage man, we came all the way from Rakim, we came all the way from Das EFX, we came all the way from motherfuckers flowing like Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube, and you come with that Superman shit? That sh*t is garbage."

Ice T then moved his frustrations to Hurricane Chris. "Hurricane (Chris) take them f*cking beads out your hair nigga," Ice said. "Man up. You niggas is making me feel real f*cking mad about this sh*t."

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We've all heard the recording that 50 Cent made of a heartfelt conversation with Young Buck from over a year ago, but was released publicly by 50 Cent today (June 18).

Yo! Raps has exclusively learned that Young Buck and his manager, Blue Williams, both said that this phone call is from back in the days.

Blue had this to say, "Just so that it is clear, this obviously edited and doctored recording was made from a phone conversation between Young Buck and 50 Cent - recorded and leaked by 50 Cent. It was made over a year ago, the first time Buck was kicked out of G-Unit for being a man and communicating with people that 50 deemed his "enemines." You only hear one side of the conversation."

"At this time, I have convinced Buck to take the higher road and not respond to the petty back and forth with an obviously scorned and angry man. I am sure if need be there are plenty of explosive G-Unit secrets that he could put out there from the inner workings of the crew, but he's going to take the high road. He's not interested in a pissing match with G-Unit because he has moved on with his life since April when he was kicked out for the final time," Blu continued.

"Everybody out here already knows what a real cat Buck is. I don't think anyone in the streets thinks Young Buck is soft - if anything, they know he's real and he's emotional. That's what makes him such a great rapper! He's a real man, thinking he was having a real conversation with 50 Cent, not someone who'd record it, doctor it up, and put it out a year later to try and build hype to sell a G-Unit compilation CD," Blue informed the press.

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A very emotional phone call between former G-Unit rapper Young Buck and G-Unit boss 50 Cent found its way to the internet.

The Cashville rapper exposes his fear of being kicked out of the group and tries to become a part of the family again.

Radio personality Miss Info provided the first 2 parts of the conversation and give listeners an insight look at Buck´s current situation. Buck's pleads and promises of loyalty and even cries in the end of the conversation, while convincing 50 Cent that he is a loyal soldier.

"I don't want you to dismember me from the crew," Buck said. "I've not said nothing out here in the media-other than me putting in the statements of 'I'm my own man creating my own thing,' but I have never dismembered myself from the family."

Buck went on to talk about his label Cashville Records and credited 50 for the idea.

"You gave me the idea. You gave me the whole-and that's what I explained in my interviews," he admitted. "All of this is under your whole thing-it's just that I don't really have no lead on what's going on for me. I ain't getting no whole lotta money, only money that really came out of that deal for us from Sony was $75,000 for production-going in to marketing and promoting. They gave me 79 percent [and Sony] took 21 percent from the record."

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Grammy Award winning group, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is plotting a reunion album with all of the group's original members. In recent years, many rumors have flown around about the group coming back together but Krayzie Bone has confirmed that the rapping/singing group will be back in the studio after Flesh-n-bone is released from prison in July.

"It's definitely going down," said Krayzie. "I ain't gonna say it's 100 percent just because of the label situation and the technical stuff, like if the label wants to pay what we deserve. As far as bone as a group and us, we together. It ain't just a rumor.We are trying to put it all back together for real."

The quintet has tapped the producing talents of Swizz Beatz for their as of yet titled album. "We ain't started yet, because we are trying to get paperwork together. We done talked to Swizz, Swizz is on deck and we are ready to roll and make it do what it do baby."

Bone Thugs' previous release, "Strength & Loyalty," featured only three of the group's five original members. It was their first studio release after taking a five year break from the music biz. It debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 200 and eventually worked it's way to gold sales status.

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Platinum-selling rapper and West Coast champion The Game is set to release his third major-label album "L.A.X." on July 22nd on Geffen Records. The first single "Game's Pain" featuring Keyshia Cole has already stormed the charts; the video directed by Rage reached #1 on BET's 106 & Park countdown. "Game's Pain" is the artist at his observant, insightful best: surveying hip-hop's landscape from his lyrical peak. Keyshia Cole's uplifting vocals soar over production fire from Knobody and Dahoud.

The Game returns to the cracked pavement, the album's street single, "Dope Boys," with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker showing off his own trap work on the track. The song is produced by rising L.A. stars 1500 or Nothin'. An accompanying video is in the works.

Elsewhere, "L.A.X." shows off The Game's best talents. Lil' Wayne checks in on "My Life," produced by Cool & Dre. Chicago stands up on "Angel" with Kanye West at the helm and Common on the mic. Meanwhile, Ne-Yo blesses a pair of songs: "Camera Phone" also from Cool & Dre, as well as J.R. Rotem's "A Thug And A Gentleman." Scott Storch cooks up two summer sizzlers: "Let Us Live" featuring Chrissette Michelle and "Put Ya Hands Up" with Busta Rhymes.

Hip-hop greats Ice Cube -- "State of Emergency" by J.R.Rotem -- and Raekwon -- Jellyroll's "Bulletproof Diaries" -- likewise weigh in. R&B is equally well represented: Bilal on "Cali Sunshine," produced by Nottz, and Raheem DeVaughn on "Touchdown." Nottz also lays the licks for loudmouth Ludacris on the appropriately titled "Ya Heard." Other songs of note include "Nice" by Irv Gotti, "House Of Pain" by anthemic Atlantan DJ Toomp, and "Letter To The King" produced by Hi-Tek.

Quite a mouthful. But that's the Game's specialty: giving the audience more than it can possibly handle. Come July 22, "L.A.X. is set to raise the bar.

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HOT 107.9's Birthday Bash was full of surprises this past Saturday (June 14). As previously reported, T.I. announced that 8Ball and MJG would be joining his record label Grand Hustle Records. But things got sticky when both T.I. and long time adversary Shawty Lo fanned the flames of their yearlong beef.

Lo began his performance with a video of him escaping from and FBI agent who looked eerily similar to fellow Georgia native T.I. He then bought up a group of people from "Bankhead" to confirm he is the "king" of the area. Lo then held up a picture of himself that said "A New King Is Born."

In an effort to maintain his royal status, T.I. took the stage and continually referred to "haters" who did not have to be named for everyone to know who he was talking about. In the middle of his song "Get Get," TIP stopped and did an impromptu imitation of the Shawty Lo dance. The crowd ate it up as T.I. shouted "Bankhead!" and maintained that he owns the ATL. "This is my Birthday Bash! I own this sh*t," as the crowd cheered him on.

Beef between the two Ga. MCs began when Shawty Lo called T.I. out for not being from Bankhead (the west side of Atlanta) as he claims. Lo has made several diss tracks about TIP saying, "Nigga say he from the Westside, well Goddamn it must be two sides." T.I. has also fired back with numerous diss tracks himself. In his new song "No Matter What" from his upcoming release "Paper Trail," T.I. says, "So you up and coming rappers wanna diss, just kill it. I'm officially the realest, point blank, period."

Most recently Lo extended a cash offer to anyone who can produce T.I.'s high school yearbook picture to prove he isn't from Bankhead.

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Super producer, Swizz Beats got a little aggitated when addressing rumors about Alicia Keys breaking up his marriage during an interview with MTV. "Everybody can have their fun right now talking that dumb sh*t about my divorce and all that," he said. "I'mma give them something to talk about. People get divorced every f*ckin' day. They need to worry about more serious things."

The rumors began when variouis media outlets began reporting that Swizz's love affair with R&B powerhouse Alicia Keys was the reason behind his divorce from estranged wife, R&B singer Mashonda. According to Swizz, the rumors were completely false and even the news of his divorce was late. "My divorce, it ain't nothing bad. It's just us moving on," Swizz said. "Me and Shonda are super good. It is what it is. [The press] are nine months late on the situation. It's a headache to me. We been seperated nine or 10 months already."

Pointing the finger at popular urban websites MediaTakeout.com and Hip Hop Weekly, Swizz said that the reports are just "drama." "They got another big name involved. No, I'm not doing [any] f*cking interviews. Only thing I'm commenting on is music-related. I don't comment on my personal life. Why start now? You start commenting on that sh*t, then they start twisting it out. I'm not gonna speak about nothing. They [gave Mashonda] two pages in Hip Hop Weekly. She didn't even say nothing about Alicia. They blew it up on MediaTakeout.com. They flipped that into some other sh*t."

Although he adimently denied any personal relationship with Keys, Swizz did say that the two hooked up for the remix of "Teenage Love Affair." "The Alicia Keys remix is with LL Cool J," he clarified. "I used the Slick Rick "Teenage Love' on it. Then I had your man LL do the old-school "When I'm alone in my room, sometimes I stare at the wall.'.He used that flow."

Swizz then switch gears to talk about his upcoming project with Michael Jackson. "I'm working on some new Michael Jackson sh*t," Swizz said. "I'm probably gonna be producing his tour and everything."

Swizz also has tracks on T.I.'s upcoming album and is working on Cassidy's new LP.

His new album "Life After The Party" is scheduled to hit stores on an undetermined date in October.

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ATL rapper T.I. has signed Memphis rap veterans to Eightball and MJG to his Grand Hustle Records.

In an announcement during HOT 107.9's Birthday Bash on Saturday (June 14), T.I. said that the hip-hop duo, formerly signed to Bad Boy South, would be joining the roster with the likes of DJ Drama and Young Dro.

Eightball and MJG confirmed the announcement by rushing the stage and performing "Don't Make" in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Eightball and MJG met in middle school back in 1984. They quickly formed a bond and by 1993 had released their first record "Comin' Out Hard." Their success remained mainly at the underground level until their 1994 release, "On Top Of The World," which achieved gold status.

Both MCs have also had successful solo projects including Eightball's "Lost" which went double platinum and MJG's "No More Glory" which was certified gold.

Some other Grand Hustle artists are Rashad Morgan, an R&B singer from Detroit, and Xtaci, a pair of femcees whose album is rumored to be coming soon.

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Yo! Raps has learned that Eminem´s plan to release a new LP are true. The rapper himself has confirmed the breaking news on his own radio Shade 45 on June 10 when he was doing a prank to LL Cool J, who was being interviewed there.

After the call, Slim Shady revealed that he is currently working for his first set in four years. "Everything is good. I'm just in the studio right now working on songs and stuff like that," he said.

Previously G-Unit leader 50 Cent hinted to the press that Em is preparing a new disc. "He's got a new album coming. He's not gonna tell people that, but he's making new music. I've heard a few songs, and it's hot. He won't tell nobody he's working on a new album, but I'll tell you: he's working on new music. And once he locks into it, like, 'This is my favorite sh*t,' it's gonna come out," 50 told Blender magazine.

In May it was said, that Eminem will release the follow up to "Encore" just before the Holiday season.

Yo! Raps will keep you posted about new details.

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Big Boi, one half of the Hip-Hop group Outkast, is gearing up for his upcoming and first solo album with the interest