25 to Life
Artist: The P$CTitle: 25 to LifeRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Brent Woodie In a thriving rap game where it is now ever so popular to have your own clothing line, act in a movie, and have your label, it is inevitable that a platinum artist sign the rest of his click to a recording contract. In […]

DMX Misses Court Date; Food Poisoning
DMX failed to make an obligatory court date on Tuesday, where the rapper was expected to answer to charges related to driving with a suspended license. DMX traveled from Europe to New York to appear in a Bronx courtroom, but the rappers lawyer said a possible case of food poisoning might have prevented the him […]

Scion: NextUp Competition Coming To A Close, 10 MC’s Left
Scion’s 2005 NextUp contest is winding down with one day in voting left in their nationwide unsigned MC search. Over 1700 MC’s from across the country submitted tracks for a chance at winning Scion: NextUp’s top prize: a marketing package valued at $50,000. The top ten finalists were selected by DJ Premier, Green Lantern and […]

Cam’ron Hits R. Kelly With Lawsuit
The legal problems for R. Kelly continue to mount, as Harlem, New York rapper Cam’ron has hit the Chicago, Illinois crooner with a lawsuit. Cam’ron, born Cameron Giles alleges R. Kelly has infringed his copyright for the “Snake Remix,” which Giles claims he co-wrote. Both the original version and the remix to the song feature […]

Reunited Fugees Single Hits Radio, Group Preparing Album
After nearly a decade, the Fugees –Lauryn, Wyclef and Pras–have emerged from a New York studio with the brand-new single “Take It Easy.” The new single is first taste of the eagerly awaited successor to the super group’s 1996 multi-platinum best-selling album The Score. “Take It Easy” showcases all three members and is currently enjoying […]
Tupac’s Screenplay ‘Live 2 Tell’ Coming To Big Screen
A screenplay that late rapper Tupac Shakur wrote while locked away in prison is finally coming to the big screen. Shakur penned the script for “Live 2 Tell” while incarcerated at the Clinton Correctional Facility in 1995. “Live 2 Tell” centers around the inner-city struggle of a drug kingpin who decides to leave the drug […]

Pepsi Keeps Kanye Despite False Reports
A widespread boycott of Pepsi has mistakenly detailed that rapper Kanye West has been dropped from the soft drink giants current marketing campaign for comments made against President George Bush. A statement from boycott organizer Shondell Towns was emailed to a group list of thousands of African American professionals mostly located in California. Still, the […]

Rapper Common Part Of Massive ‘The Know Is Spreading’ HIV Awareness Campaign
Common has teamed with Viacom and The Kaiser Family Foundation as the spokesman for ‘The Know Is Spreading’ campaign, which aims to normalize HIV/AIDS testing as part of routine health care. Common, whose uncle succumbed to AIDS, contributed four original spoken word compositions to the campaign, which launched on Viacom properties CBS, UPN, MTV, Nick […]

Lil’ Kim Issues Statement From Prison, ‘In Good Spirits’
Contrary to published reports, Lil Kim is in good spirits and adjusting to life in the Philadelphia Federal Detention Center. Just days after entering the correctional facility, rumors began to swirl about her physical appearance and her alleged imprisonment in solitary confinement. Earlier this week, Lil Kim born Kimberly Jones, issued a statement to AllHipHop.com […]

Damon Dash Sells Stake In Rocawear For $22 Million In Cash
Damon Dash is severing business ties with formers partners including Jay-Z and is selling his stake in Rocawear back to partners for $22 million dollars. Rocawear was established in 1999 and has grossed over $500 million dollars since its inception. The move all but seals any further business dealings between the two former Rocawear/Roc-A-Fella co-CEO’s. […]

A Piece of Strange
Artist: CunninLynguistsTitle: A Piece of StrangeRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine Before Little Brother was all the rage, the Cunninlynguists held down the South with their own brand of soulful production and humble-minded lyrics. Kno and Deacon have seen both of their previous albums go into second-pressings, as they plow onward after a two year […]

The People’s Champ
Artist: Paul WallTitle: The People’s ChampRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jessica Dufresne What it do? The champ is officially here with his long-awaited debut, and he shows why you need to believe the hype. Paul Wall has been on the grind for years and while heads below the Mason-Dixon always knew about this Swisha House […]

The Poet
Artist: ShihanTitle: The PoetRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine Rapping as we know it, owes a lot of gratitude to The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Herons work in the early 1970s. Most street-poets today fancy themselves as rappers. However, Shihan, a former rap signee to MCA Records, now brings his talents to the medium of spoken-word […]

Russell Simmons, Rev. Run Talk VH1 Hip-Hop Honors
Russell Simmons and Reverend Run have united once again to host the second annual "VH1 Hip-Hop Honors," which pays homage to the Hip-Hop pioneers who’ve transformed the genre into a global phenomenon. This year’s celebration was taped last Thursday (Sept. 22) at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. The special, which airs tonight (Sept. 26) on […]

Beanie Sigel Acquitted Of Attempted Murder
Rapper Beanie Sigel was acquitted of attempted-murder charges today in a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania court, after jurors spent two days deciding the rapper’s guilt or innocence. The jury delivered their verdict today (Sept. 26) vindicating Sigel of shooting Terrance Speller in front of a Philadelphia bar on July 1, 2003. Damon Dash, CEO of Damon Dash […]

Dwele: On The Fence
It was apparent from the 2003 release of his official debut album Subject that pure harmony pumped through the veins of Detroits own Dwele. Whether blessing cameos through singing or production, or engaging in his own recordings, he is proof that soul wasnt left in the 70s. Born Andwele Gardner [Swahili for God has brought […]

R&B Singer D’Angelo Injured In SUV Crash, Lawyer Issues Statement
Soul singer D’Angelo was critically injured in a recent Sept. 19 accident in Powhatan County, Virginia. Virginia State Police said D’Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer, was driving on Route 711 when his 2003 hummer ran off the road, struck a fence and flipped over. D’Angelo was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the […]

McDonald’s Rap Plan Stalls, Corporation Criticized By Watch Group
McDonald’s plan to pay rap artists to mention the Big Mac sandwich in their songs as a marketing strategy has come under fire by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, formerly Stop Commercial Exploitation of Children. CCFC is a national coalition of health care professionals, educators, advocacy groups and concerned parents that work to counter […]

Big Daddy Kane: The Smoothest Operator
Before Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. came into prominence, there was Big Daddy Kane. A product of Brooklyn, Kane and others like him marked the era of the super emcee. However, Kane, a dark-skinned brother, was decidedly different that most emcees before and after him. Kane was able to astound males with his lyrical ferocity, […]

50 Cent, Snoop, The Game Set Ringtone Records
Fans have pushed ringtones by 50 Cent, Snoop Dog and The Game to record breaking status via Sprint PCS’ Music Tones service. 50 Cent has become the first artist on Sprint’s network to have two albums reach platinum/gold status, with more than one million Music Tones being downloaded from his album Get Rich or Die […]