P. Diddy Turns Down Warner, Says Offer Was Undervalued
Hip-Hop and Fashion entrepreneur Sean “P. Diddy” Combs recently turned down an offer from the Warner Music Group to purchase his Bad Boy recording label. The proposal was initially offered to acquire Combs’ share of the imprint, which is presently being distributed through Universal until early next year. The New York Times reported the deal […]
Tupacs Father Seeks Release From Jail
Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, will report in for a parole hearing today to appeal for a release from an Atlanta-area prison. The elder Shakur was arrested on Feb. 12, 1986 and was subsequently sentenced to 60 years in jail for an alleged conspiracy against the government according to his website. The feds […]
All Bets Off
Artist: JUICETitle: All Bets OffRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Christopher Scav Yuscavage Being the only man walking the Earth to have defeated Eminem in a freestyle battle definitely has its advantages just ask Chicago rhyme-spitter JUICE, whose claims to fame include defeating Slim Shady in a mind-numbing off-the-top battle and losing gracefully to the […]
Hip-Hop A Major Player In Superbowl
As the NFL put its best on display at Super Bowl XXXIX Sunday (Feb. 6) in Jacksonville, Florida, hip-hop, too, made its presence known. With about 140 million viewers expected to tune in, rap stars and R&B singers alike materialized in high quantity at the biggest football match-up of the year between the New England […]
Marques Houston: Renaissance Man
In 1994 the youthful R&B trio Immature issued their debut album, Playtyme Is Over, when Marques Houston was only 11-years-old. Singing lead on many of the groups standout tracks, Marques star potential became evident. That same year he joined the cast of the television show Sister, Sister as the precocious Roger, displaying scene-stealing appeal up […]
Lil Wyte: Up the Ladder
In 2005 with the release of his sophomore album, Phinally Phamous, Lil Wyte is here to shatter the stereotypes and racial barriers that still exist in the music industry and America today. Dont believe it? Just read. He has also set out to prove that all the topics he speaks about in his lyrics are […]
Suge Knight Arrested In California
Marion “Suge” Knight was arrested Saturday (Feb. 5) evening for suspicion of violating his parole after police found marijuana in his Ford pickup truck during a traffic stop, according to reports. Knight, 39, was arrested in Barstow, about 100 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The rap mogul is currently awaiting transfer to state prison […]
RZA Signs Autographs In NYC For Wu-Tang Manual
Founding Wu-Tang Clan member RZA will return to his native New York City Saturday (Feb. 5) to sign copies of "The Wu-Tang Manual: Enter the 36 Chambers, Book One." "The Wu-Tang Manual: Enter the 36 Chambers, Book One" is RZA’s introduction to Wu-Tang Clan’s history. The first book chronicles the philosophy of the band of […]
Jermaine Dupri Signs 106 & Park Champion To Virgin
In another classic BET “106 & Park” moment, Hip-Hop mogul Jermaine Dupri announced that he has signed freestyle champion SunNY, who was officially named to “Freestyle Friday” Hall of Fame Friday (Feb. 4) after a seven-week winning streak. Dupri surprised the “106 & Park” audience by appearing on stage, presenting SunNY with a chain and […]
Actor/Activist Ossie Davis Dies At 87
Renowned actor Ossie Davis, who advocated social and racial justice in life and on stage, has died at the age of 87. Davis was found dead Friday (Feb. 4) in his Shore Club Hotel room in Miami Beach, Florida, according to the Associated Press. Davis’ grandson called officials early morning after Davis would not open […]
AHH Stray News: Master P, The Roots, Kurupt
Master P has commented on a recent arrest and has proclaimed his innocence in a statement. “Black man with gun, white cop panic. I’m a businessman. If the cops stopped panicking for one minute, they would’ve realized that the guns were registered, and that is legal in America, said Master P. Officers on the campus […]
The Surviving Elements
Artist: Pete RockTitle: The Surviving ElementsRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Brolin Winning Though some heads were under whelmed by Soul Survivor 2, and the rumored reunion album with CL Smooth seems unlikely at best, Pete Rock comes back strong on his latest release, a fifteen track instrumental collection in the vein of his much-loved Petestrumentals LP […]
“The Godfather” Video Game On The Way
The gangster flick many rappers swear by is finally coming to video – games that is. A video game version of the classic "The Godfather" book/film is in the works, Electronic Arts and Viacom Consumer Products announced Wednesday (Feb. 2). "The Godfather," written by Mario Puzo and developed into a Paramount Pictures motion picture is […]
Tray Dee Gets 12 Years For Gun Case
Rapper Tray Dee of Snoop Dogg’s West Coast-based crew, Tha Eastsidaz, was sentenced to 12 years in California state prison Wednesday (Feb. 2) in relation to a 2003 shooting. Tray Dee, born Tracy Lamar Davis, appeared in Long Beach Superior Court and pleaded no contest to the shooting, which allegedly occurred near an occupied vehicle, […]
UGK’s Pimp C Preparing Rap-A-Lot Solo Album
Pimp-C, one half of the Texas rap group UGK (Underground Kingz), is set to release his first solo project, The Sweet James Jones Stories,due out early 2005 on Rap-A-Lot Records. Pimp-C will be one of the first artists to release an album under Rap-A-Lot’s new distribution deal with Asylum/WMG/Warner Music Group. The Port Arthur, Texas […]
AHH Stray News: P.Diddy, Russell Simmons, Missy Elliott, Snoop
Adding another notch to his budding acting career, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs will star in an untitled heist-action comedy to be produced by Paramount Pictures, Maverick and MTV Films. “This will definitely take a page out of all the great heist movies and return the favor by having two token white guys,” Combs told Variety. […]
Bushwick Bill ‘Rap’ About Houston
After hearing reports yesterday (Feb. 2) that hip-hop artist Houston gouged his eye out in an apparent suicide attempt, rapper Bushwick Bill of the legendary Geto Boys has expressed his empathy and condolence. Bill, too, was compelled to kill himself one night back in 1991,losing his eye in the process. “I want Houston to know […]
Key Hot 97 Morning Staff Fired Over ‘Tsunami Song’
In light of controversy surrounding the Hot 97 Morning Show’s parody "Tsunami Song," radio station executives have taken action, firing morning crew member Todd Lynn for offensive racial comments made on-air, as well as producer Rick Delgado, who created the song. Following an internal investigation into the incident, Hot 97 and their owner, Emmis Communications, […]
45 King: True Spin
45 King is the Reggie Jackson of Hip-Hop. Whenever anybody needed that sound, that drum loop funk, that gusto – there was the 45 King’s name. His is a name that found its way onto all the big labels during the Golden Era: Wild Pitch, Tuff City, 4th & Broadway. The Bronx-born DJ went on […]
Ron Browz: One Track Mind
MC. Check. Official track credits. Check. “Ether”, the Nas direct shot at Jay-Z song shut down was a miraculous come up for Harlem producer, Ron Browz. The Uptown resident went on to get behind, “Last Real N***a Alive” by Nas, “Blow It Out Your Ass” by Ludacris, and “Playboy” by G-Unit’s own Lloyd Banks are […]
