AHH Stray News: Tyrese, DVD Producer Charged, Min. Farrakhan, Soul Assassins

Rapper Cassidy and R&B legend Stevie Wonder are among the guests featured on singer Tyrese Gibson’s second Hip-Hop mixtape Ghetto Royalty. The 21-track disc, released under Gibson’s rap moniker Black Ty, is the follow-up to the crooner’s first mixtape offering, Best of Both Hoods Volume 1, which was hosted by DJ Warrior. Gibson recruited DJ […]

Rapper Cassidy

and R&B legend Stevie Wonder are among the guests featured on singer Tyrese

Gibson’s second Hip-Hop mixtape Ghetto Royalty. The 21-track disc, released

under Gibson’s rap moniker Black Ty, is the follow-up to the crooner’s first mixtape

offering, Best of Both Hoods Volume 1, which was hosted by DJ Warrior.

Gibson recruited DJ S&S as the host for Ghetto Royalty, which also

features appearances from Kurupt, Memphis Bleek, Big Tigger, Bishop Lamont, Erick

Sermon, Ali, A-B, Curtains, Mane-O, and My Conscious. Since debuting as Black

Ty last year, Gibson has worked with a variety of producers, including Sermon,

Scott Storch, Mannie Fresh, Jazze Pha, and Jermaine Dupri. Ghetto Royalty

will precede the singer/MC’s forthcoming double album, Alter Ego, scheduled

to hit stores Dec. 5. Fans can download Ghetto Royalty in its entirety

for free for a limited time at headquarterentertainment.com.The

producer of Fresno Uncensored, a video portraying gang life in northern

CA, was ordered to stand trial on two felony weapons charges for allegedly supplying

gang members with guns during the making of the film. According to the Associated

Press,

Lonnell "Nitti" Greene, 29, released the 91-minute DVD in

2005, depicting gang members in confrontations with police, showing off gang tattoos,

and growing marijuana. "A great percentage of the video contains criminal

acts," Fresno police detective Ron Flowers testified Thursday (Sept. 21)

in Fresno County Superior Court. Greene and his business associate, Marshall Day,

said they made the film for entertainment purposes only, and that one of its main

focuses was to showcase local Hip-Hop artists. They also claimed there was no

intent to promote gangs or violence. If convicted, Greene faces up to eight years

in prison on weapons charges with gang enhancements. As of Friday, he was being

held in county jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.Minister

Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, will relinquish the day-to-day

operations of the group due to immediate health concerns. The 73-years-old spiritual

leader, who was treated for prostate cancer in 2000, revealed that last March

doctors in Cuba discovered an "ulcer in the a### area." According to

reports, Farrakhan has lost over 20 pounds in the past six weeks. Doctors at Howard

University discovered that he was dehydrated and anemic and had incurred a serious

infection and inflammation. Farrakhan has canceled all public appearances, and

the operations of the Nation of Islam will be handled by the group’s executive

board. Farrakhan has been instrumental in mediating several high profile disputes

in the Hip-Hop community. In 1994, he facilitated dialog between feuding rappers

Ice Cube and Common and in 2003 he mediated a violent feud between 50 Cent and

Ja Rule. He was also the keynote speaker for the first ever Hip-Hop Summit, which

took place in 2001.The

Soul Assassins–DJ Muggs, DJ Khalil, and Chace Infinite–are resurrecting their

once-happening Unity Festival with a series of monthly concerts beginning Nov.

2 at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, CA. Muggs says the events have been essential

to Los Angeles as "an integral part of the artistic community, as well as

something that has been missing, and is needed." Rapper Ras Kass and producer

the Alchemist will take the stage for their first joint performance at the festival,

which will also include sets by Self Scientific–who will join Sick Symphonies–and

a special surprise guest who will combine forces with Strong Arm Steady. Originally

started under the name Unity in 1991 by William Lanakila Operin, aka "Bigga

B," the Unity Festival has featured headliners such as Wu-Tang Clan, Nas,

Busta Rhymes, Pharcyde, Freestyle Fellowship, Jay Z, Hieroglyphics, and Boot Camp

Click. The concert quickly developed a reputation that sprang from its community

atmosphere and the quality of the performing artists.