UNCUT Magazine.net

There Is No Competition
Fabolous, Dj Drama

Mixtape Tracks
1. Intro
2. Niggas know
3. Suicide
4. Fuck wit street fam (feat. neo da matrix)
5. We do this shit
6. Back to do the damn thing
7. Heres another hit
8. Paperman (feat. neo da matrix)
9. Takin pictures (feat. red cafe paul cain and freck billionaire)
10. Mo cars mo hoes (feat. freck billionaire)
11. Hustlas poster child (feat. cassidy)
12. Hand on my glock (la the darkman and willie the kid)
13. Im gettin money (feat. freck billionaire)
14. U aint sayin shit
15. Brooklyns finest
16. Fuck em all (feat. red cafe)
17. Paper touchin (red cafe)
18. Fall back
19. I came for the money
20. I dont see nobody
21. Im da main (remix) (feat. red cafe freck billionaire and paul cain)
22. Pimp by blood
23. Say hello
24. Outro
25. Dope boys (bonus)

Husband To R. Kelly's Former Publicist Says Singer 'Crossed The Line' With His Daughter

With child pornography charges looming over his head, another unfavorable accusation has attached itself to R&B crooner R.Kelly.

Last year, Kelly’s publicist, Regina Daniels, abruptly quit working for the crooner and released a statemement vaguely saying ‘he crossed the line’.

Rumors would begin floating that Kelly had been having an affair with Daniels' daughter, Maxine.

According to Eurweb, Regina's husband, George Daniels, a Chicago based music retailer and industry veteran, confirmed the rumors to Los Angeles radio station KJLH recently.

“He crossed the line with my daughter,” said Daniels. “It didn't get to the extreme of that [sex tape] video or else I wouldn't be here, if you know what I'm talking about.”

Daniels revealed that his daughter was 21 when the relationship with Kelly occurred.

“When you're 21, and if you've been there already like I've been many years ago, you're still 15 to 16 mentally. You're vulnerable,” Daniels explained. “The reason that I'm talking abut this, it's not just for me, it's not for my wife, it's not for my daughter, but it's for the public.”

“It's for other fathers and mothers because it doesn't have to be a supersta r, it could be the dude on the corner,” Daniels continued. “There are guys who sit around and give your child a couple of bucks to go to school and then wait until they get a little older, then they set that trap. See, so I'm doing this really for everyone”

Daniels said his daughter admitted to the affair when he confronted her but Kelly denied it

“[Kelly] denied it. He lied to me to my face,” said Daniels.

Kelly is currently awaiting trial on child-pornography charges for allegedly making a sex tape with a teenage girl. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

His trial is slated to start on May 9th.

Riot Breaks Out at dead prez Concert

What started out as a brawl quickly escalated into an all out riot at a performance by dead prez at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wa. on Thursday night (February 14).

According to local station KIRO 7, the fight started in the crowd at around 1:30 a.m. and a campus police officer tried to arrest on of the participants. As the female officer tried to remove the person from the venue, she was surrounded concertgoers. As the officer was removing the suspect from the building, dead prez started performing their song “Fuck The Police,” and the crowd became more aggressive.

Eventually a large group surrounded the officer’s car and demanded that the person be released. The campus officer then radioed the local Thurston County Police for backup. When they arrived, they helped the female officer out of the car and released the man. But when one of the deputy’s cars would not start, things became violent. The crowd overturned the police car, broke the windows and started throwing rocks at the officers.

Additional troopers and a SWAT team eventually dispersed the crowd, but a deputy’s laptop and a radar gun were stolen in the confusion.

No further arrests were made.

Judge Throws Out $55 Mil Suit Against "American Gangster"

The $55 million lawsuit filed against NBC Universal by former federal agents who claim the film American Gangster inaccurately portrayed them as criminals has been dismissed.

As previously reported, last month three former Drug Enforcement Administration agents sued the studio that made American Gangster, maintaining they were slandered by a quote at the end of the film that claimed heroin dealer Frank Lucas' cooperation "led to the convictions of three-quarters of New York City's Drug Enforcement Agency."

According to New York's Daily News reports, Thursday (Feb. 14) Manhattan Federal Judge Colleen McMahon threw out the case, noting that the New York City Drug Enforcement Agency doesn't even exist.

"It would behoove a major corporation like Universal (which is owned by a major news organization, NBC) not to put inaccurate statements at the end of popular films," McMahon wrote. "However, nothing in this particular untrue statement is actionable."

The lawsuit sought part of the film's $130 million box-office gross as damages, along with a statement from NBC telling the truth about the DEA's role in the Lucas case.

Despite being told they don't have a case, the three agents may continue to pursue the matter.

"We will appeal," the agents' attorney, Dominic Amorosa told the Daily News. "The judge was mistaken."

Amorosa also represents retired DEA agent Gregory Korniloff, who sent a cease and desist letter to NBC Universal in November and also demanded a retraction of statements made in the film.



Bay Area Rapper Kafani Arrested After High Speed Chase

Bay Area rapper Kafani was arrested early Wednesday morning (February 13) on several charges including evading arrest, and weapons and marijuana possession.

Sources say that the rapper was taken into custody by Richmond Police Department after a high speed chase through Richmond, California.

After police finally caught up to the rapper's 2007 Mercedes CLS 500, a search of the car turned up 9mm handgun and a half-pound of marijuana.

While it is unclear as to why authorities attempted to pull over Kafani's vehicle, we've learned that the rapper had an old warrant issued in Utah, which was also brought up in his booking.

Kafani is currently being held at the Contra Costa County Jail, but is expected to post bail soon.

His lawyer said his bail will be roughly $400,000.

Kafani is a recording artist of Koch Records. He released his debut album, Money's My Motivation, last year, which spawned the club banger "Fast (Like A Nascar)."

Prodigy Gets Another Week Before He Goes To Prison

Mobb Deep's Prodigy has been given yet another extension before he will have to serve a 3 1/2 prison term for his third weapons possession conviction.

The rapper (real name: Albert Johnson) was slated to begin serving his bid on Wednesday (February 3), but has gotten that date extended a week to February 20.

It's the second time the date has been delayed; the first followed after P was hospitalized for his sickle cell anemia disease.

His lawyer, Irving Cohen, had sent Prodigy's medical records to the judge to prove that he suffers from sickle-cell, a fatal blood disease. New York Supreme Court Judge Edward J. McLaughlin agreed to place Prodigy in a facility with adequate medical personnel and postponed his sentence until the location is settled, which both the rapper and his lawyer were happy about.

Now, he has one more week. But as he said after his first extension, he's not afraid of prison, much less mortality.

"I'm not scared to die, I've dealt with enough," P said, according to his official site, HNIC2.com. "I feel like my life is gonna be short anyway because of my sickle cell."

The 33-year-old rapper pleaded guilty in October 2007 to weapons possession, which stems from an arrest in late 2006 when he was pulled over in New York and police found a .22-caliber pistol.

In the days leading up to his turn in date, P has been filming a video for every single track on his upcoming solo project, H.N.I.C. 2.

While he's away, Prodigy says everything is set up so his wife can handle the promo and everything else for the album's release, which has now been set for April 8th.

"I gotta leave things well prepared for my wife," said P. "I'd be mad as hell if I didn't. So while I'm in, everything's set up -- all she's gotta do is call the shots. Kiki's gonna be Prodigy while I'm gone. We've been together for over 15 years. It's nothing. We can get through this."

"We're going to act like he's on tour," Kiki added.

"They'll visit me," Prodigy adds. "We'll talk on the phone. I'll write them letters. It's like a long tour, basically. My kids is smart; they don't believe in all that fairyland sh--. They deal with reality."

Young Buck Debuts Clothing Line At MAGIC, Says He & 50 'Good'

G-Unit member, Young Buck, debuted his David Brown Clothing label at the MAGIC fashion tradeshow in Las Vegas beginning Tuesday (February 12) through Friday (February 15).

In town with his manager, Sha Money XL, the rapper hustled his David Brown line -- named after his government name -- picking up several retailer accounts and showcasing brand new designs to other potentials.

"I've made a lot of money," an excited Buck told reporters of the reaction from fashion industry folk. "I got the hottest, the newest, the flyest, and it's the most affordable. David Brown Clothing is in stores. Make sure you get up on my gear, you gonna see it everywhere."

The jump into fashion was a natural step for the rapper, using his music success as a stepping stone into other ventures and this is only the beginning, he says.

"[Starting a line has] always been something that I wanted to put my mind to." Buck said. "I'm real hands-on with everything. I've always been one of them dudes that's real stylish and everything. I like to be one-of-a-kind and I like to stand out. So when I got into the position, I used rap as a stepping stone to get off into these other things like the movies, the clothing lines..."

In addition to his shirt line, Buck has also launched a jewelry company called David Brown Jewelers with its first products being his Tenakey Timepieces.

According to Buck, there is a variety of choices in his timepiece collection, ranging from $500 t0 $500,000, meeting most anyone's budget.

While he has yet to launch a store online, one is forthcoming. For more information, visit DavidBrownClothing.com and DavidBrownJewelers.com.

In related news, Buck decided to address all the rumored tension between himself and G-Unit founder 50 Cent, confirming 50's recent comments that Buck is still very much down with the Unit.

"I'm doing me, I'm getting to the money. I put the 'G' in G-Unit and I ain't going no where regardless of whatever you may hear. Me and 50 good. I'm not with Cash Money," Buck said.

Jim Jones & Ciara Honored W/ Hip-Hop Summit Action Awards


Russell Simmons, Dr. Benjamin Chavis and their Hip Hop Summit Action Network will honor Snoop Dogg, Ciara, Doug E. Fresh, Chris Lighty, Jim Jones and Capital Management president Mellody Hobson at this year's 5th annual Action Awards celebration.

The awards -- recognizing the outstanding corporate and artistic contributions of hip-hop icons, as well as their dedication and commitment to community service and empowerment -- will be presented at an exclusive fundraising dinner on February 25 in New York City.

Russell Simmons and Dr. Benjamin Chavis, chairman and president/CEO, respectively, of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) made the announcement via a statement today (Feb. 13).

"HSAN holds the Action Awards to celebrate the importance of people taking action to give back to our communities," Simmons said. "Snoop, Ciara, Doug E., Chris, Jim, and Mellody represent the best of hip-hop and all have uniquely and effectively given back their time, money and energy to help improve the quality of life of all people. HSAN, therefore, is proud to honor each of them with the 2008 Action Award."

BET ExecutiveVice President of Entertainment and Music Programming, Stephen Hill, and Disturbing Tha Peace Records' CEO, Chaka Zulu will serve as the events co-chairs.Lighty, CEO of Violator Management, sponsors annual community events and serves as a board member for the G-Unity Foundation, a 50 Cent project that provides grants to non-profit organizations that help out low-income neighborhoods.

Dipset rep Jim Jones supports community programs in NYC schools; Doug E. Fresh has participated as the co-moderator with Chavis in many Hip-Hop Summit financial literacy Summits around the country; Snoop coaches the Snoop Youth Football League working with young inner city boys; and Ciara works with The VH1 Save The Music Foundation, a non-profit organization designed to restore music education programs in schools.

Hobson, president of one of the largest African-American owned investment firms in the world gives her time to the Ariel Education Initiative and ArielCommunityAcademy in the south side of Chicago where they teach financial literacy to students from pre-K to 8th grade.

This year's six Action Award recipients will join the ranks of previous honorees, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Ludacris and The Ludacris Foundation, Kanye West, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Nelly, Destiny's Child, Jermaine Dupri, Chrysler Financial, Debra L. Lee and BET, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Pepsi-Cola North America President Dawn Hudson, Tommy Hilfiger and MTV's "Choose or Lose" Campaign and Steve Stoute.







Alicia Keys No Longer No. 1, Mary J. Blige Steady In Top 10, Amy Winehouse Soars After Grammys


In this week's Hip-Hop and R&B charts, Alicia Keys gives up her No. 1 spot, Mary J. Blige keeps Keys company in the Top 10 and Amy Winehouse rockets up 30 spots following her Grammy wins and performance Sunday night.

Alicia Keys continues to move units but fell to No. 3 this week with the release of new albums from surf rocker Jack Johnson and Sheryl Crow. Keys sold 80,200 copies of As I Am this week, hovering near the triple platinum threshold with a 13-week sales total of 2,987,600.

Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul Mary J. Blige helps Keys hold down the Top 10, but falls one spot to No. 7 this week after selling 44,600 copies of her eighth album, Growing Pains. Eight weeks in, Mary J. has scanned 1,177,100 discs.

Next up is Keyshia Cole, who falls three spots to No. 11 this week with her sophomore effort, Just Like You. The Grammy-nominated songstress failed to bring home an award Sunday night, but moved 35,400 units this week for a 20-week total of 1,131,100 albums sold.

Chris Brown slips one spot to No. 12 this week, selling 32,300 copies of his second album, Exclusive. After 14 weeks, the teen phenom has scanned 1,248,200 discs.

Beehived-crooner Amy Winehouse races up 30 spots to No. 24 this week following her performance via satellite on the Grammys Sunday night. Winehouse, who took home five Grammys, sold 24,600 copies of Back to Black this week - an 84 percent increase in sales over last week - for a 48-week total of 1,533,900.

Black Eyed Pea singer turned solo artist Fergie slides down two spots to No. 27 this week with her solo debut album, The Dutchess. After 73 weeks on the charts, the album is still outselling the majority of its competition, moving 23,500 units this week for a total of 3,420,500 albums sold.

R&B sensation J. Holiday maintains his spot at No. 34 this week, scanning 19,200 copies of his debut disc, Back of My 'Lac. After 19 weeks, Holiday has gone gold, amassing a total of 504,600 copies sold.

Right behind J. Holiday yet again is The-Dream, who penned Holiday's hit "Bed" and stays fixed at No. 35 this week. The Def Jam hitmaker sold 18,600 copies in the last go-round for a nine-week total of 205,200.

Teen sensation Soulja Boy falls five spots to No. 36 this week, cranking out 18,600 copies of his debut disc Souljaboytellem.com. After 19 weeks, the rap novice has moved 764,600 units.

R&B crooner Jaheim falls five spots to No. 37 this week, selling 18,400 copies of his his latest disc, The Makings of A Man. After eight weeks, Jaheim's sales totals stand at 349,200.

Rounding out the Top 50 is Rihanna, who climbs five spots this week to No. 46 with her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad. The Def Jam princess scanned 16,800 discs this week, for a 36-week total of 1,033,400.

Next week look out for Michael Jackson's Thriller 25 to make an impact on the charts.

Allhiphop is reporting that all criminal charges against the G-Unit member were dismissed, although the rapper pled guilty to a violation, regarding an incident last March involving the 14-year-old son of a Jimmy Henchmond.

According to Yayo's Attorney Scott Leemon, Yayo agreed to the plea to avoid a trial and labeled the violation a "glorified traffic ticket" that will not effect the rapper’s criminal record at all.

Leemon also accused the Hip-Hop police of "burying" information that would have ended the court proceedings months ago.

Back in January, it was discovered that two members of the Hip-Hop Police Squad interviewed an associate of Yayo’s named Lowell Fletcher on two separate occasions.

Fletcher, who is a longtime associate of Yayo’s, admitted to assaulting the child the on the night of his arrest in March of 2007.

He admitted to the assault again, while being interviewed on unrelated criminal charges in August of 2007.

Fletcher claimed that it was he who had assaulted the child and that Yayo restrained him.

"Tony Yayo did not hit anyone and would never do anything to harm a child," Yayo’s attorney Scott Leemon said. "This fact was confirmed by Mr. Fletcher when he told members of the Notorious Hip-Hop police in August that he did this on his own. The Hip-Hop police buried this helpful information and the charges against Tony Yayo proceeded until today. Without a doubt, today’s proceedings have validated Mr. Bernard’s claims that he was falsely accused."

Yayo, who faced 9 months in prison, plead not guilty to the criminal charges.

According to Leemon, Yayo pleaded guilty to a violation for being simply becoming involved in the fracas and restraining Fletcher.

"All that Tony Yayo admitted to doing was getting out of the car and glaring at the victim," Leemon said. "Once he realized what Fletcher was doing, he went and grabbed Fletcher to pull him away from the victim. This was not criminal and the DA’s office agreed by only pursuing the violation.
Read more here

Don't Try This At Home 7
DJ Whiteowl

Mixtape Tracks
1. Lil wayne ft nas - rich boy & john legend - ghetto (official remix)
2. 50 cent - 4 in the mornin' (world premiere)
3. 50 cent ft nate dogg - girl come over (not on g-unit mixtape)
4. 50 cent - paper chaser pt2
5. 50 cent - your done !!!
6. Jim jones ft game - don’t love me no more (remix)
7. Jim jones - holla at a g’
8. Young buck - freestyle (dissin interscope /g-unit)
9. Tony yayo - u ready
10. Lloyd baknks - success
11. Tony yayo - snitches
12. Juelz santana - grindin’
13. Lil wayne ft d-boyz - it's just dope money
14. Lil wayne - like this
15. Two five - arlis michaels & stroka g - we were raised by crooks
16. Two five - arlis michaels & stroka g - freestyle
17. Prodigy - voung vet
18. D-12 - we deep
19. Hell rell - the rumors
20. Clipse - freestyle
21. Clipse - rainy dayz
22. Jadakiss - freestyle
23. Jadakiss - freestyle 2
24. Styles p - wild as hell
25. Large amounts - like this
26. Large amounts - im back
27. Grafh - freestyle
28. Pokerface - ace is back
29. Reks - how can it be
30. Papoose - i like it 2008
31. Stack bundles - i’ll holla
32. Two five - exclusive

T.I., who is currently on house arrest, seemed to be in good spirits as he spoke to MTV News about his upcoming album, Paper Trail.

While he is unsure when the album will drop, T.I. promised, via phone from Atlanta, that he was going to make an impact. "It's a lot of bullshit out right now. I'm not gonna front. I feel it's definitely about time for somebody to come back out and kick this thing back in gear. The rotation is suffering right now. I intend to do something about it. It's just a matter of when."

Since December, when he sent a video message to his fans saying he was 30% done with the album, it seems everything is going according to plan. "Everything's perfect, everything's perfect," said childhood fan and Grand Hustle Records artist Young Dro at the Grammy Awards' red carpet. "His mind's state is Paper Trail. Since he's been home, he's recorded like 50 songs. Plus, he's writing [rhymes on paper] now, so y'all in trouble."

T.I. made special note of the record "Let My Beat Pound." "That's gonna be a big record," said the rapper. "It's a different record. It's a record I approached differently, and it don't sound like a typical T.I. record. It's basically about when you got your first car, one of the first things was to make sure your [sound] system was right. The love for the boomin' system. It has the sentiments of LL Cool J's 'Boomin' System,' but it kind of sounds like a Sir Mix-A-Lot [song]. It's kinda got the mood and tempo of 'Posse on Broadway,' but it's outta here." T.I. further mentioned that "Let My Beat Pound" would more than likely "serve the same purpose as 'Top Back' did on King."

T.I. promised to give his fans their moneys with Paper Trail. "Yeah, I'm definitely gonna make sure you have enough, man," he said. "Nowadays, with the age of the computers, you gotta make sure people have more than one song, so they won't download your single then look away to somewhere else."

The rapper also briefly spoke on the film American Gangster, in which he was featured. He was surprised that the film, which is being released on DVD February 19, didn't receive any Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Actor for Denzel Washington, but he is happy with the excellent reception the movie has received from fans.

"It's one of those movies that develop a cult following," he said. "Especially being a true story and having such phenomenal talent involved like Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe, Denzel, Cuba Gooding Jr., Idris Elba. It's got so many talented actors that ... [we] in the hip-hop culture saw ourselves represented. Even though it was in a different era, we were represented. It was flattering to me to see such a high-profile movie be dedicated to the Harlem era."

Read more here

(L note: I can agree with some of the things he's saying, but not all. But either way it was real talk.)

When Jay-Z stepped down as President of Def Jam Records, many assumed there was beef between Jay and L.A. Reid. At the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, Hov put all the rumors to rest.

"It wasn't a hostile thing," Jay told MTV on the red carpet. He also added that he would continue to work with Reid on future projects, “just not with me as the President of Def Jam.”

"You wanna end on a high note," he added.

And end on a high note he did. Kanye West’s latest album snagged several awards, Ne-Yo picked up one for his Because of You album. Rihanna’s "Umbrella" —which he also rapped on—was nominated as well.

The question on the Hip Hop world’s mind is simply: what’s next?
Last week, we reported that Jay and Steve Stoute would own and operate and advertising business. Prior to that, there was a rumor that he would run a digital record label with Apple.

The latter never came to fruition.

With all the speculation, Jay assured the world that whatever he was doing will involve music.

"I wanna continue to push the envelope, represent the culture well. Make the people proud. The next thing is gonna involve a little bit of everything. It has to involve music, 'cause I love music.”

In what may be the sign of a true hustler, Hov has found an upside to the downturn in album sales, insisting that the “consumption of music is at an all time high.”

“People still love music as much as ever. I'm trying to help other artists figure that out so you can make beautiful music and you don't have to pay your bills with your CDs. You're making money in so many other places. I'm just trying to figure that out."

On Wednesday (February 13), Island Def Jam chairman LA Reid officially announced a new partnership between the label and DJ Khaled for the Miami native’s new imprint We The Best Music.

Khaled exploded on the scene in 2006 with his debut LP, Listennn…the Album, which spawned the single “Holla at Me” with Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Paul Wall Fat Joe and Pitbull. On his sophomore project, 2007’s We The Best, the New Orleans born DJ and producer continued to unite some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop for epic album cuts, and solidified his reputation as one of the most respected DJ’s in the game.

The debut album from rapper ACE will be the first release on We The Best Records with a street date to be announced in the coming weeks. “I’m proud to be a member of the Def Jam family,” DJ Khaled said in a statement announcing the deal. “Def Jam has been and still is one of the most important institutions in hip hop AND music as a whole. I am extremely honored and excited to be a partner with them in We The Best Music. I look forward to creating great music and continuing the success. LA, Shakir and Lenny S. are you ready? I am!”

Despite the Def Jam deal, Khaled will remain a member of Fat Joe’s Terror Squad organization.

(xxl) Read more here

"Flashing Lights"
Kanye West
Read more here

Lil Wayne Slapped With Felony Drug & Weapons Indictment

A Yuma County grand jury indicted Lil Wayne with felony drug and weapons charges today (February 12).

As reported earlier, Wayne was arrested in Yuma, Arizona last month after authorities found four ounces of marijuana, over an ounce of cocaine, 41 grams of ecstasy and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia in a bus he was traveling in.

A .40-caliber pistol registered to the New Orleans rapper was also found on the bus.

Wayne would be charged with possession of a narcotic drug for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, misconduct involving weapons and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to The Associated Press, Wayne was not present at the hearing Tuesday. His lawyer, James Tilson, told the judge that his client was currently touring.

Wayne, who has denied all the charges, is due back in court on March 7th for a status hearing.




Jim Jones On Cam' Ron: "He Can't Tell Me What To Do"

Just when everyone was wondering what Dipset is up to these days, Jim Jones sat down with Complex magazine to us a brief update on the situation with Cam'ron and his "ill-willed" feelings towards Jay Z.

Though Jimmy admits Cam is still in a leadership position amongst Dipset, he says he can't tell him what to do--even if it is doing business with Cam's rival rapper 50 Cent.

"He can’t tell me what I can do." Jim tells Complex.

"I’m a grown man, I’m a boss of this shit, what I do for my own career and what I do for publicity is what I do. I always have my own edge, and there’s a method to my madness. It works for me and it works for us at the end of the day. I got a song with Game right now, so nobody can tell me what the fuck to do, and when to do it. I do what the fuck I want to do if it makes sense for me, and where I’m goin’. As long as it’s not going to taint the brand, you can’t tell me shit." He continued.

In what can only be described as ironic, when asked about the Roc-A-Fella/ Def Jam situation, Jone's went on to blast Jay Z for his alleged disloyalty.

"You know why I’m pissed off at him [Jay-Z]? He was my favorite rapper and then he just went out like a dud. He had a chance to do the unthinkable and then he did the unthinkable. Where I’m from, loyalty is everything, above and beyond everything. When you violate that, it fucks everything up. Especially when you were the hustler’s poster child and you chose to become a corporate stepchild. That don’t make sense when you’re all black-owned. I took an executive position because I didn’t know the game, I took it to learn both sides of the game; there’s a difference."

You can check out the interview in its entirety including soundbites of the feature here.

Juvenile Arrested For Posession

At the heels of a rumored Hot Boyz reunion this coming weekend, New Orleans rapper Juvenile was arrested for possession of about an ounce of Marijuana in Meridian, Miss. today.

Though details of the arrest are still scarce, The Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department tells TMZ.com he was in a car pulled over for expired tags, though it was unclear whether or not he was the one driving.

Juvenile was booked and released around 2 Pm Eastern.

Juvenile is rumored to be reuniting with the Hot Boyz this coming Friday at New Orleans club Dream.

Prodigy's Time's Up, Reveals What He'll Miss Most While Behind Bars

Today (Feb. 12) is the last day of freedom for Queens bred rapper, Prodigy. The G-Unit camp member and one half of infamous East Coast mainstay Mobb Deep is due to report to jail tomorrow on illegal weapons charges.

Getting his mind ready for a 3 ½ year bid, he talked about the things he'll miss most while he's away.

"The number one thing I'm gonna miss the most is being able to go into the studio and record new music," Prodigy told reporters. "For the last 16, 17 years, we don't let two weeks go by without recording something new."

"I ain't gonna have my freedom to do anything," he said. "I gotta take a shower when they tell me I can take a shower. I gotta eat when they tell me I can eat."

Prodigy was arrested in Manhattan back in October of '06 when cops pulled his SUV over in the wee hours of the morning and found a .22 caliber handgun.

After first telling prosecutors he had no idea the unlicensed, fully-loaded gun was in a console compartment between the driver's seat, where he sat, and the front passenger seat, where record producer The Alchemist was sitting, Prodigy changed his story in court. The rapper pleaded guilty, admitting that the unlicensed .22-caliber pistol police found in his Chevy Suburban last October, was in fact his. He struck a deal that will put him in prison for 3 ½ years while he was originally looking at 15, if convicted.

Facing jail time right before his second solo album, H.N.I.C. 2, was due to come out, P got on his grind to prep the project, recording videos for every track, including one shot in a jail cell.

The rapper got an additional 30 days of freedom when Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Edward McLaughlin granted him the month long grace period while doctors put together his complete medical record. Prodigy suffers from sickle cell disease. The rapper denies though that his illness is the reason he received the extension.

Now, his time is almost up. P said he'll miss doing live shows and being with his family and friends. And he'll miss the way of life he's about to give up. He knows he'll become a different person in jail and will come out of that cell a new man.

"I'ma just miss the old lifestyle, the way I used to live because I'm gonna be a totally different person when I get home," P said. "I aint even gonna be on it how I used to be on it. I'ma be on some real clean body, clean mind sh*t. Like I ain't even playin' no games when I come home."

H.N.I.C. 2 drops April 8. While Prodigy will be unable to promote the disc when he's locked up, he said in a recent interview with Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg that The Alchemist and Big Noyd will be touring to support the album for him.

Judge Shoots Down C-Murder's Request To Toss Murder Case

The Louisiana judge presiding over C- Murder's murder case yesterday (February 11) shot down the rapper's request to have the case thrown out of court.

C- Murder, whose real name is Corey Miller, is awaiting retrial on a second-degree murder charge in the 2002 killing of sixteen year old Steve Thomas, who was shot in the chest during a brawl in the defunct Platinum Club in Louisiana.

The rapper has been under house arrest since he was released on $50,000 bond in March 2006, after the Louisiana Supreme Court overturned his murder conviction and accepted his request for a new trial.

According to The Associated Press, C-Murder initially made the request more than 13 months ago arguing that the prosecutors poisoned the grand jury that indicted him in February 2002 by presenting witnesses whose testimony had nothing to do with Thomas' murder.

At a brief hearing held Monday, Judge Martha Sassone refused to toss out C- Murder’s murder charge and also denied the defense’s motions to quash the indictment, to suppress evidence and to suppress witness identifications of the New Orleans rapper.

C- Murder's trial was slated to kick off this month but was pushed back to June 9th after issues concerning witness es arose.

Ron Isley Remains Behind Bars, Judge Denies Plea For Early Prison Release

Ronald Isley won't get out of jail early because of old age and poor health as he had hoped. An appellate court has upheld his 37-month federal prison sentence for tax evasion.

The 66 year-old lead singer of The Isley Brothers, who also goes by the name Mr. Biggs, felt that his sentence was unreasonable, arguing that a federal prison system cannot provide for his health needs, especially given his age, according to the Associated Press.

But the three-judge panel ruled that Isley's not paying taxes for three years and stiffing the government on monies due was a bigger deal than his health condition.

The appellate court said in its ruling that the sentence "best balanced the need to sanction Mr. Isley's 'pathological' tax evasion against the need to accommodate Mr. Isley's poor health."

Isley did suffer a stroke in 2004 but was active enough to continue performing live shows during that time.

Back in September of 2006, the R&B legend was convicted on five counts of tax evasion and one count of failing to file a tax return.

Prosecutors say Isley declared bankruptcy after the IRS seized his yacht, cars and other property in 1997. But when he was discharged from bankruptcy four years later, he didn't file tax returns for five years. When he did file taxes in 2002, he didn't sign his return or pay all taxes due.

Isley tried his hardest to get a presidential pardon before being locked up and Def Jam rallied behind its artist, seeking fans' support in the form of letters to the White House. Isley even offered to perform for U.S. troops in a bid for his freedom.

But this latest effort with the appeals court was his last opportunity to escape serving his jail sentence.

Isley is currently incarcerated at the Terre Haute Federal Corrections Institution in Indiana and his projected release date is in April 2010.

Benzino Denies Making Comments About Fat Joe, Trina

Rumors circulated around the web Monday morning (February 11) claiming that Benzino had made some disparaging comments about Fat Joe and Trina in the latest issue of his Hip Hop Weekly magazine.

According to the rumors, Zino said that he engaged in sexual relations with Fat Joe's wife and had gotten rapper Trina pregnant, which she aborted.

The rumors are false though. In fact, the whole report was a hoax. There's no story in which Zino said any of the alleged comments.

"The Fat Joe and Benzino cover under the name Hip Hop Weekly and the corresponding headline that is circulating on the internet is not only a libelous falsehood misleadingly written in the voice of Benzino, but also a blatant copyright infringement against the publication," said a rep for the magazine.

The magazine rep also apologized to readers about the misunderstanding. "We apologize to any readers who have been misled in believing that this false cover is a product of Hip Hop Weekly."

The hoax article and cover which featured both Fat Joe and Benzino on the cover is not the actual cover. The magazine's latest cover features Young Buck, in which he discusses his next moves outside of G-Unit.

Jay-Z and Lebron James Host 2nd Annual Two Kings Dinner in New Orleans

Jay-Z and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lebron James are teaming up to host their second annual Two Kings Dinner this Saturday (February 16) in New Orleans.

The event will coincide with the NBA’s All-Star Weekend which will is also taking place in the Big Easy this week. Sponsored by Doublemint Gum, Sprite and MSN; the invitation only event will bring together entertainers, athletes and representatives from a number of Fortune 500 companies at New Orleans’ Generation Hall.

Following the dinner, some 500 celebrities and athletes are expected to join dinner guests for the Two Kings After Party, with music by DJ Clark Kent and Mick Boogie.

Nelly Hosting, Diddy Executive Producing BET’s Rip The Runway

Nelly and actress Lauren London have been tapped to host the BET network’s upcoming fashion showcase, Rip the Runway, on Thursday, February 21 at New York’s Manhattan Center.

Starring Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Common, The Game
in Theaters April 11, 2008 Read more here

Nas & Kelis Bring "N-gger" Talk To The Red Carpet

While his two Grammy nominations didn't net any awards this year, Nas' red carpet commentary and controversial attire grabbed plenty of attention for the Queens MC.

Garbed in a black t-shirt with the title of his upcoming album, n*gger, emblazoned in gray across the front, Nas seemed to stump one CNN reporter who asked about the reaction he had been receiving to his red carpet attire.

"I haven't really been paying attention," Nas told the reporter, "but so far with all you guys it's been open-mindedness and I appreciate that."

Subdued as that may sound, the rapper didn't mince words when questioned about the content of his next project.

"It's all the experiences we go through every day -- all ethnicities, black white, indifferent," Nas told the CNN reporter. "We've all been discriminated at some point whether it's in the Dominican Republic, whether it's China, whether it's Iraq where soldiers get their heads blown off for reasons we don't know why. The meaning of the word is supposed to be ignorant, so there is money being made off us poor so-called ignorant people, no longer are black people n*ggers, today it's also me and you." [Watch Here]

Appearing dumbfounded by Nas' response, the reporter attempted to recoup by asking him about Hip-Hop Is Dead, which received a nomination for Best Rap Album, however Nas quickly made it clear that he's tired of talking about the subject.

"That was last year, that's been done, I appreciate all the response I got from that," Nas said. "This is a whole other channel. That train has left the station, now I want people to think about what I'm thinking about today. There is a more current issue, with the presidential election -- there is this thing that doesn't allow black people to vote in another twenty-three years."

Despite his emphasis on the election, Nas was careful not to make any public endorsements last night.

When asked which candidate he supports, Nas told the reporter, "Whoever can abolish this thing that doesn't allow black people to vote after twenty three years."

The Queens rapper isn't the only outspoken artist in the family either, after the interview concluded, his wife, the R&B star Kelis had a few more words for the reporter.

"By the way, John Lennon had a song called 'Woman Is The n*gger of the World'" Kelis added. "That was many years ago [and] it still hasn't changed."

As of press time no release date has been set for Nas' new Def Jam album.

Dr. Dre Files Request To Obtain Death Row Documents

Music mogul and super producer Dr. Dre filed papers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Tuesday (February 5) in Los Angeles asking for documents from Death Row Records to help him determine the amount of unpaid royalties that the company owes him.

According to the Associated Press, the producer (real name: Andre Young) is asking for permission to obtain this information under Rule 2004 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, which allows bankruptcy judges to order companies to turn over documents related to their assets, liabilities and financial affairs.

Dre has filed several lawsuits against the label over royalties from his 1992 solo debut, The Chronic. His last was in August 2007, claiming he was the rightful owner to the rights of the album, after the label's control was turned over to the courts.

In January 2007, the AP reports that a California district court agreed to hear his appeal of the bankruptcy court's dismissal of one of those suits.

Dre, who helped Marion "Suge" Knight start Death Row in 1991 initially holding a 50 percent ownership stake in the label, granted Death Row a license to distribute this album in exchange for royalties. In 1996, however, he agreed to surrender his ownership interest in the label, but retained his right to continue to receive royalties for all recordings released prior to the agreement.

He claims Death Row hasn't held up its end of the agreement and further broke the contract by granting another company distribution rights to his recordings.

The court-appointed administrator running the record label's bankruptcy estate recently asked to sell Death Row's music-related assets to Warner Music Group Corp. for $25 million, subject to higher bids at auction. The sale includes "The Chronic" as well as several compilation albums featuring Dr. Dre's recordings, and Young also wants access to documents related to the marketing and sale efforts.

Dre, in the papers filed on Tuesday, asked the bankruptcy court to order Death Row to hand over the documents by February 29, and its representatives to be available for deposition on March 7.

Knight filed bankruptcy to maintain control of the label in April 2006, but eventually lost the battle when a federal judge ordered a bankruptcy trustee to take over control of the label in July 2006.

The label was once one of the industry's most successful, boasting a roster that once included Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg.

Barack Obama Wins Grammy Award

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama won a Grammy Award last night (Feb. 10) for Best Spoken Word album.

Obama beat out former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter as the audio version of his book "The Audacity Of Hope: Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream" took home the honor.

Also nominated in the Best Spoken Word album category were Maya Angelou and Alan Alda.

Hillary Clinton won the same Grammy Award in 1996 for the audio version of her book "It Takes A Village."

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are currently battling it out for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Wayne, The Hot Boys & Mannie Fresh Reunite On Stage

Lil Wayne and his former group The Hot Boys, and producer Mannie Fresh will be reuniting on stage for the first time in almost seven years during the All Star Weekend in New Orleans.

The Hot Boys, comprised of Lil Wayne, Juvenile, B. G. and Young Turk, helped rocketd Cash Money Records to fame in the late 90's behind the production of Mannie Fresh.

The group would disband after B.G., Juvenile and Turk left Cash Money accusing the label's CEO, Bryan 'Birdman' Williams, of cheating them out of royalties. Mannie Fresh would also exit the label soon after with the same allegations.

Wayne, Juvenile, B.G. and Mannie Fresh will take the stage at Club Dream on Sunday (February 17). Turk is currently serving a 10 year sentence on an attempted second-degree murder charge.

MTV's President Steps Down

March can’t come any slower for MTV as they will be losing their president at the end of this month. Christina Norman, who gained the position of president for MTV in the Spring of 2005, will be leaving her post to pursue other interests in her career.

Norman flourished in her 17 years with the company where she started as a freelance production manager and worked her way up to the top. In her tenure as president, Norman succeeded in boosting ratings that featured a rejuvenation of the MTV reality-era with shows like The Hills and A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila.

This was not her first experience with reality shows though. In 2004 she was appointed president of MTV’s sister network VH1, where she managed to help its network jump out of a ratings slump with celeb-related TV shows. Both of these positions made her one of highest-ranking African American’s in the television industry.

Only 47 years old, Norman still has a lot to look forward to in her career, but it comes with hesitant acceptance from her boss. Van Toffler, president of MTV Music/Logo Group announced the decision yesterday to his MTV staff with no resolution for the future as to who will take over.

For the time being, Toffler will relieve Norman at the beginning of March where he will hold the president position until he and the company can find a replacement

Grand Hustle Steps Into Comedy

Even amidst a massive legal battle, rapper T.I.'s hustle never seems to stop.

According to reports, T.I.'s imprint, Grand Hustle Entertainment, will be trying their hand in the world of comedy with a new management and booking firm for upcoming comedians aptly titled "Grand Hustle Comedy."

"As the Grand Hustle brand continues to grow, Grand Hustle Comedy will have an opportunity to tap into resources most comics don’t have or even think to seek out," Grand Hustle Vice President Clay Evans tells reporters.

"We want to help underground comedians not only bring their careers above ground, but also attain the type of longevity you can only get by diversifying your exposure."

The comedy firm's first project will be a a comedy tour scheduled to launch February 15 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Comedians Kool Aid, Martina Harris, Dirty South and Grand Hustle comic Jay Ski will all be featured.



Timbaland Trashes Pre-Grammy Party

The producer vented his displeasure at yesterday's Pre-Grammy event in Los Angeles, which was hosted by People's magazine. The super-producer and rapper delivered a foul-mouthed tirade against the magazine because some of his friends were apparently left outside the venue.

"Next time I have one of my homeboys in line, let that (expletive) in!" Timbaland shouted as the event winded down after 2 a.m. Saturday, adding that he was a "peoples person."

"I don't like to see my people turned around for some (expletive) magazine ... (expletive) y'all!".

After that ended, he walked off-stage with music blasting. The party was effectively over. The magazine co-sponsored the party with Verizon Wireless to celebrate Timbaland's deal with the carrier to create a mobile album and content for the network. A source close to the magazine stated they couldn't understand as to why Timbaland was so upset and that they had considered the event a success.

No official comment from Timbaland or People's Magazine as of yet.

Snoop Dogg's Album Pushed Up to March

Snoop Dogg's upcoming album Ego Trippin', which was originally due in May, has been pushed up to a release date of March 11.

Interscope announced that they would be pushing the album up, which is reportedly to capitalize on the success of Snoop's current single for the album, "Sensual Seduction." The song, which is making its rounds on radio and television, is currently No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Ego Trippin' also features "Never Hafta Worry," a recently leaked track that has Snoop giving an account of his storied career has an emcee. The song touches on, among other things, his time at Death Row Records and his murder trial.

Ego Trippin' will also feature the songs "Hollywood Nights" and "Press Play," the latter of which uses a sample from the Isely Brothers' "Atlantis."

Bubba Sparxxx Signs With Koch, Preps Fourth Album

Koch Records today (February 11) announced that it has signed Georgia rapper Bubba Sparxxx and his New South Entertainment label.

Sparxx will release his fourth solo album, which is currently untitled, this year. He will also release a mixtape that will introduce the artists signed to his label.

Sparxxx gained national attention in 2001 via his hit single,” Ugly”. He released his first two albums via Beat Club/ Interscope and his third via Purple Ribbon/ Virgin Records.

Collectively the albums have sold over 1.5 million copies.

“Bubba Sparxxx is the rapper's rapper. He continually surprises his fans with his diversity and comes out with hit after hit,” said Koch's General Manager, Alan Grunblatt, via a statement. “We are thrilled to be working with him.”

Common & Just Blaze Mix It Up W/ Smirnoff For New Remix Campaign

Common, Q-Tip and KRS-One will be revisiting some of their classics with a little help from super producers Just Blaze and Cool & Dre.

Smirnoff vodka tapped the hip-hop artists to recreate a few songs to help promote their new line of pre-mixed drinks, according to hip-hop insider Miss Info.

Common and Just Blaze will remake "The Light," Q-Tip and Cool & Dre will put a new twist on "Vivrant Thing" and KRS-One and DJ Premier will recreate "I'm Sill #1."

The new mixes of old hits are a nod to Smirnoff's new take on a classic flavor, featuring a line of new pre-mixed cocktails.

All of the artists will take the stage to debut their remade music at the Smirnoff launch party Feb. 26 in New York City. The songs will be available for download on Smirnoff.com.

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