AHH Stray News: Reebok & Rappers, Bobby Brown, Russell Simmons, Ghostface

Rappers Nelly, Mike Jones, Lupe Fiasco, Daddy Yankee and others will launch their signature clothing lines at the “Rbk: Now Playing” invitation-only event in New York tonight (Mar. 8). Nelly will showcase his new Rbk sneaker collection, Derrty One, while Daddy Yankee will launch the Daddy Yankee collection. Mike Jones, Lupe Fiasco and Lil’ Wayne will promote Reebok’s new Rbk OG collection. The rappers have joined Reebok’s “I Am What I Am” global advertising campaign, which also includes 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams and others. “Being part of Rbk gives me another outlet outside of music to express myself creatively,” said Nelly. “Artists today are the style leaders that youth look to emulate, and having my own signature sneaker collection lets me express myself in ways I can’t do through my music alone.”

R&B singer Bobby Brown was arrested for a motor vehicle violation in Massachusetts dating back 14 years. Brown, 37, was attending his daughter’s high-school cheerleading tournament when a Webster police officer conducted a warrant check, which revealed Brown was wanted on misdemeanor charges for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and having an uninsured motor vehicle trailer. Police allowed Brown to drive to the police station after the cheerleading event. He was detained for an hour and released on $40 bond.

Russell Simmons and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) have teamed with Chrysler Financial and Anheuser-Busch to launch the 2006 “Get Your Money Right” tour. The outing, which is meant to empower youth, will visit colleges across the country on March 25 at Wayne State University’s Bonstelle Theater in Detroit. According to Simmons, the tour will focus on financial literacy, banking, repairing and understanding credit report scores, asset and wealth management, vehicle financing and home ownership. The tour will be moderated by Dr. Benjamin Chavis and will feature various rappers, executives and financial experts. “Poverty and basic lack of knowledge must be challenged,” said Simmons. “‘Get Your Money Right’ is more than a theme. It is an achievable goal when you have the right information. We have high aspirations, but we know to fulfill the aspirations of the hip-hop generation, we have to take the subjects of financial literacy and empowerment seriously and talk with youth in a manner appealing to them.” For more information on the “Get Your Money Right” national tour, visit www.hsan.org.

Ghostface Killah has added a new track to his upcoming album, Fishscale. The rapper recently emerged from the recording studio with the new song, “Momma,” which features recently-signed Def Jam artist, Megan Rochell. Ghostface will also launch a nationwide tour to support the album, due March 28. The outing starts March 5, with 37 stops before winding down at New York’s Nokia Theatre on April 22.

Tour dates are listed below:

March 5 Millvale, Pa., Mr. Small’s Theatre

March 6 Cleveland, House of Blues

March 7 Detroit, St. Andrews Hall

March 8 St. Louis, Pops Nite Club

March 9 Indianapolis, The Vogue

March 10 Chicago, House of Blues

March 11 Des Moines, Iowa, House of Bricks

March 12 Minneapolis, First Avenue

March 13 Omaha, Maine, Sokol Underground

March 14 Lawrence, Kan., Granada

March 15 Boulder, Col., Fox Theatre & Café