Hip-Hop Summit Action Network chairman Russell Simmons and HSAN president/CEO Dr. Benjamin Chavis will be inducted Tuesday (July 25) as CISRI-ISP Permanent Observer Missionaries to the United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors program. CISRI-ISP is Rome-based intergovernmental institution that helps fight against malnutrition and extreme hunger in various countries around the globe. The new position will mark […]

KRS-One’s 2001 song "Steady Bounce" will serve as the theme music behind the new marketing campaign for Chrysler’s Compass SUV, that launches on July 31st.The auto giant’s multi-million dollar campaign is targeting city residents who are college educated and between the ages of 22-30.The Bronx-bred pioneer’s song, taken from his double CD Strictly for the […]

Midi Mafia’s Dirty Swift, born Kevin Risto, was hospitalized on Wednesday July 19 after a severe bike accident. The chart-topping producer suffered a fractured vertebrae in his lower back after crashing during an off-road biking practice at the Piru Motocross track in Los Angeles. Dirty Swift has been in Los Angeles finishing up songs for […]

U.S. rapper Ja Rule is heading to Africa to headline a concert in Nairobi, Kenya next week. The Inc.’s star artist will perform at the Carnivore grounds on Friday (July 28) as part of the Celtel Kenya Win a Porsche World Cup promotion. The rapper will hand over the keys to a Porsche to one […]

B-girl, a critically acclaimed 12-minute short film from sisters Emily and Elizabeth Dell, is being developed in to a full-length feature. The film centers on a young female breakdancer named Angel and the world of underground Hip-Hop. Since its late 2004 release, the short has received raves from filmgoers who connected with the film’s story and […]

Queensbridge MC’s Cormega and Lake have joined forces to record a full-length album titled My Brother’s Keeper. Set to be released via Fast Life Music, the disc contains 13 tracks with guest appearances from Fat Joe, Mr. Cheeks of the Lost Boyz, Greg Nice and R&B songstress Kira. The album also boasts production from D.I.T.C.’s […]

Afeni Shakur and the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation (TASF) have confirmed dates for the 8th presentation of the Shoulders of Giants, a show based on works from the spoken word album, The Rose That Grew From Concrete. The Rose… features Mos Def, Russell Simmons, Q-Tip, Mos Def, Danny Glover and Tupac’s mother Afeni Shakur contributing […]

R&B legend and renowned songwriter Smokey Robinson has released a new CD of standard songs titled Timeless Love. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer revealed he is also preparing another album with new material, to keep up with today’s sound. Robinson, 66, helped catapult Berry Gordy’s Motown label into history as a member of […]

Rapper Tommy Delando Burns aka Twisted Black was arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance last week, shortly before his new deal with TVT Records was announced. The 34-year-old Fort Worth based rapper was arrested by officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration on a warrant issued in Midland, Texas.Twisted Black has had […]

Nashville, TN startup EverGreen Copyright has acquired the music catalog of MC Hammer from the trustee of the rapper’s bankruptcy estate for $2.7 million. Evergreen, which was launched six-months ago by industry veterans Joel A. Katz, David K. Schulhof, and Richard Perna, now controls over 40,000 copyrights. "We made tremendous progress in only six months," […]

Rapper/actor Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones will be among a host of celebrities appearing this weekend at the annual Comic-Con in San Diego. More than 100, 000 people are expected to attend the event, which is described as the biggest comic book convention in the country. "I’m looking forward to being face to face with people […]

Port Arthur, Texas native and UGK group member Pimp C. scored a #1 debut with his solo CD The Pimpalation (Return of the Trill). The album hit #1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart this week, while landing at #3 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart. The album, which shipped gold, was released on July 11. […]