R&B crooner R. Kelly has found himself the target of a new lawsuit filed by a former employee. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Henry Love Vaughn is suing the singer for “breach of verbal contract,” alleging that Kelly reneged on a promise to pay for his collaboration in the creation of Kelly’s#### “Step in the […]

The fallout from the Back2School Jam concert continues, as promoters have issued an apology to fans and placed the blame for the evening’s violent climate on Nassau Coliseum management. The Sept. 30 concert, presented by Hot 97 and Big League Entertainment, was to feature rappers Yung Joc, T.I., Foxy Brown, Lloyd Banks, DMX, and Jim […]

Nas is in full support of a continued, formal boycott of Cristal–but only if Hip-Hop steps up to replace the champagne, which typically sells for $450-$600 per bottle."I support a boycott if we could come up–like if we put up something, our own champagne. There’s tons of vineyards we could get into and buy," Nas […]

In an effort to support local urban youth programs, Carnegie Corporation of New York has donated $100,000 to Russell Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. The one-time sizable donation will assist the foundation in its mission to provide disadvantaged urban youth with significant exposure and access to the arts. “This gift couldn’t have come at a […]

Philadelphia rapper Cassidy is in critical condition, after an accident last night (Oct. 4) in New Jersey. The rapper was leaving New Jersey enroute for a Yonkers, New York recording studio, when a U-Haul truck swerved into oncoming traffic and crashed into Cassidy’s side of the SUV he was riding in. "He was the only […]

A new Dr. Dre opus is coming sooner than you think, but it’s not the long-awaited Detox album–and it’s not by Dr. Dre.The acclaimed producer has lived a largely reclusive life outside of the media, but author Ronin Ro’s upcoming book Dr. Dre: The Biography aims to reveal the artist’s celebrated life through extensive reporting, […]

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg teamed with rapper Ice-T yesterday (Oct. 4) in New York to shoot a promotional spot for VH1’s upcoming Hip Hop Honors award show, which pays tribute to pioneers in the genre of Hip-Hop. Mayor Bloomberg will appear in the opening of the show, which is set to air […]

While G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks is revving up to release his sophomore album Rotten Apple on October 10, the rapper will also make an appearance on TLC’s#### show Miami Ink., where he’ll receive a full-back tattoo.The tattoo, intricately placed on Banks by renowned tattoo artist Chris Garver, depicts a New York City landscape, showcasing the […]

Kanye West has been announced as the newest addition to the William Morris Agency, the firm that also represents Sean “Diddy Combs.” William Morris will oversee and negotiate all aspects of the Chicago rapper’s recordings, production, publishing, touring, and endorsements. “We’ve always believed that Kanye West is one of the most talented, driven, important artists […]

The reunion of rap duo EPMD during VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors Week won’t be the only stop for the group, according to their DJ, Scratch. The pair is also in the early stages of planning a world tour. But in the meantime, EPMD will perform their first concert in eight years on Oct. 14 when they […]

Disturbing Tha Peace chief Ludacris has two reasons to celebrate this week with a new album and single atop the charts. Release Therapy, the rapper’s latest disc, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, selling 309,000 copies while the album’s lead single “Money Maker” featuring Pharrell also scored high, […]

A Washington Supreme Court declined to reinstate a libel lawsuit that was initially filed by C. Delores Tucker, the deceased Civil Rights Activist and foe of the late Tupac Shakur.The lawsuit was directed to a pair of Philadelphia papers–The Philadelphia Daily News and The Legal Intelligencer–for reporting that Tucker’s sex life had suffered due to […]

KRS-One and The Temple of Hiphop will embark on a tour of Florida during the I Am HipHop Preservation Tour, which will feature KRS-One offering what he dubs "edutainment," where he will educate and entertain crowds. The pioneering South Bronx rapper will teach crowds the art of emceeing and will focus on the strength and […]

Despite a successful launch, Spike TV has canceled the Blade television series which starred rapper Sticky Fingaz. Blade was Spike TV’s first original scripted action-adventure series, which featured Sticky Fingaz as Blade, an immortal half-man made famous by actor Wesley Snipes in the movie of the same name. The series drew record ratings for the […]

One lucky person could walk away with the full rights to their own Public Enemy album, as a live disc by the legendary group is scheduled to be auctioned off Oct. 26 by Ocean Tomo, an intellectual property asset management firm. The 24-track set was recorded in Helsinki, Finland, during Public Enemy’s 1999 European tour, […]

Anti-Bush statements still don’t fly these days. The latest target is Jackson, Miss., rapper Kamikaze, who was recently banned by student representatives at Mississippi’s Millsaps College after he criticized the war in Iraq during a performance.Kamikaze, one-half of rap group Crooked Lettaz with David Banner, was invited to speak and perform at Millsaps as part […]

All Access DVD has partnered with Starz In Black to produce 12 original episodes of All Access TV, a monthly television show that premiered two weeks ago.The joint venture calls for Starz to air 12 episodes once a month as a part of the network’s In Black Original series production.The first episode, which has been […]

A copyright infringment lawsuit involving the #1 single "Baby Boy" by Beyonce Knowles was dismissed in a US District Court. In July 2004, Jennifer Armour filed a lawsuit against Beyonce and other writers and producers of the song, which include Scott Storch, rapper Jay-Z, Jamaican artist Sean Paul and Sony Music, claiming "Baby Boy" was […]

While some MCs would be content celebrating a new $1.5 million label deal with Jive, Brooklyn-bred rapper Papoose is already planning his future with the rap group the Nation of Thugacation. According to Papoose, group members Tydro, Snipe, Odogg, Flip, Cbrown, Ike enfa diamonds, and R&B singer Maleeke will have cameos on the rapper’s upcoming […]

The market for religious-themed Hip-Hop continues to grow with the Gospel Music Channel’s addition of the new program Hype & Glory.The gospel/Hip-Hop video show, developed with Open Rivers Pictures, will be hosted by bilingual Christian rapper T-Bone, a pioneer of the genre who released his groundbreaking album Redeemed Hoodlum in 1993."We’re seeking out top graffiti […]