Houston, TX rapper
Paul Wall will tour the Persian Gulf region on a United Service Organization (USO)
tour performing for United States armed service members. Paul Wall will be joined
by rapper/comedian Jamie Kennedy and Stu Stone, comedian Bill Dawes, DJ Joey Nicks
and breakdancer Casper. Paul Wall, who releases his sophomore album Get Money
— Stay True on April 3, is also on the 2007 Honda Civic Tour featuring Fall
Out Boy. The USO is a nonprofit organization that provides recreational entertainment
to U.S. armed service members abroad. The
Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation has announced their 1st Semiannual Tupac Amaru Shakur
Film Screening, which is slated to take place Mar. 10 at the Tupac Amaru Shakur
Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, GA. Organizers are seeking innovative filmmakers
to submit their best work for the screening, which will show a variety of independent
films, including The Hip Hop Project, which was executive produced by Queen Latifah
and Bruce Willis. Films must be 90 minutes or less and each film must have a PG-13
rating or lower. Additionally, there is a $35.00 nonrefundable processing fee.
A board of established professionals will review and judge each entry, with the
winning film being highlighted during the screening. The winning filmmaker will
also speak to the audience about their film at the end of the screening. All submissions
must be postmarked by Feb. 23. For more information visit www.TASF.org to download
an application form. Rapper
Fabolous will release his fourth studio album From Nothin’ To Something’
on March 27 via DJ Clue’s Desert Storm Entertainment. The album features production
by Jazzy Pha, Timbaland and Steve Morales, while guest appearances by Ne-Yo, Young
Jeezy and others. The album is the first release from Fabolous since 2004, when
the rapper released his album Real Talk. Rapper
Busta Rhymes spoke candidly to MTV UK about the fatal shooting of his bodyguard
Israel Ramirez on the set on the "Touch It" video shoot in Feb. 2006.
Ramirez’ family was quoted in the New York Post saying: "We really don’t
want anything to do with that man (Rhymes). He could stop breathing tomorrow,
and I wouldn’t care. Whatever happens to Busta Rhymes is not going to bring back
my brother." In what appears to be a response, Rhymes told MTV: "I don’t
live with guilt. I didn’t do nothing. I didn’t contribute to that negative (in
any) shape or form. What I did, I offered my man an opportunity to make money
to provide food on the table for his family. We were in a work environment which
was supposed to be a controlled environment, a place where we were supposed to
be productive. We had children on the set. The environment was a completely positive
environment." Police and Ramirez’ family accuse Rhymes of failing to cooperate
with police. Authorities say an argument between G-Unit’s Tony Yayo and producer
Swizz Beatz sparked the shooting, which took place on a videoset in Brooklyn.
"As far as certain family members feeling a certain way about me, I can never
hold that against them because everybody gotta deal with tragedy in their own
way. Especially when it’s direct personal tragedy. All I can do is try to
be the greatest support system I could be despite how they want to use me as a
punching bag. I’m cool with that."
