Producer/rapper Kanye West will be recognized for his charitable contributions at this year’s Action Awards, an exclusive fundraiser/dinner that supports the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network’s work in utilizing the power of Hip-Hop for social change. Other award recipients include Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Debra Lee and BET Networks, Steve Stoute, HSAN co-chairmen Russell Simmons and Dr. […]

St. Lunatic member Ali was arrested over the weekend for minor traffic violations and during the arrest, the rapper claims police brutalized him by stunning him almost 50 times with a 50,000 volt taser gun. Ali, born Ali Jones, was pulled over Saturday (Oct. 14) afternoon in Hazelwood, Missouri, for driving his Chevy Corvette with […]

Chicago rapper Rhymefest will act as an international spokesman for Hip-Hop culture when he meets with Conservative Party leader David Cameron in the United Kingdom this week.Rhymefest will meet with Cameron at the House of Commons on Thursday (Oct. 19) to help change the politician’s view of Hip-Hop music, according to UK daily The Sun. […]

Busta Rhymes is expanding the sounds of his Flipmode Squad to include R&B and has inked a deal with former Blackstreet frontman Chauncey Black. Black’s solo debut Church Boy features guest appearances by The Game, Young Buck, Rah Digga, Labb, Spliff Star and Busta Rhymes, while Dr. Dre, LT Hutton, Davel "Bo" McKenzie and Teddy […]

And it don’t stop. Rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was celebrated today (Oct. 13) in Chicago with his own day–his second such honor. According to the Associated Press, Mayor Richard Daly declared today as Diddy Day and presented Diddy with a set of cuff links bearing the city’s seal. He also called the entertainer "a […]

Trick Daddy will release the DVD, The Real Entourage, on Oct. 31, the same day as his new album, Book of Thugs II. The DVD, which will be issued via 845 Entertainment, shows the Miami rapper in his day-to-day dealings. In addition to candid interviews with Trick Daddy and his father about a number of […]

Atlanta rapper Young Dro will soon be shoulder-leaning around the country, as he plots his first major tour in support of his Atlantic Records debut Best Thang Smokin’. The colorful rapper is set to hit the road this fall for a major U.S. tour with labelmate T.I. The arena trek will kick off Oct. 27 […]

DMX’s statements in a recent interview with Sister 2 Sister Magazine may come back to bite him. The Yonkers, N.Y., rapper has been named in $2 million defamation lawsuit filed Thursday (Oct.12) by Monique Wayne of Prince George’s County, Md. The woman is claiming to be the mother of DMX’s two-year-old son Javon Micai Wayne. […]

Rap-A-Lot CEO James "J. Prince" Prince has denied that the legendary Houston-based label is co-owned by convicted drug kingpin Michael "Harry-O" Harris.Prince did not attend a hearing in Los Angeles today (Oct. 12) relating to the matter but he and his attorney offered up a challenge to settle Harris and his attorney Steve Golderg’s claims […]

Outkast’s Big Boi is finding good fortune through his alliance with Russell Athletic. The company, which outfits more than 500 men’s and women’s athletic teams on 49 HBCU campuses and provides more than over $350,000 in scholarship money each year, has partnered with Big Boi in support of his Big Kidz Foundation, a philanthropic project […]

Jin is planning to take full advantage of the MySpace phenomenon by releasing his new album I Promise via his MySpace page.The album, which has no ties to MySpace or any record label, will feature new music the rapper recorded over the last month and boasts production by Bangout, Canei, Obi & Josh, Younglord, Music […]

Eric "Lil’ Eazy-E" Wright, son of the late Eazy-E, hopes to be the next rap delegate of Compton, Calif., and now he’s well on his way.The 22-year-old rapper recently inked a deal with Blackground/Universal and is currently preparing his debut album Prince of Compton, due early next year.Lil’ Eazy-E, who was 10-years-old when his father […]

Sexual harassment versus meeting professional expectations–those were the points raised during opening arguments in the sexual harassment trial against The Source Magazine yesterday (Oct. 11). Lawyers for former Source editor Kim Osorio alleged that their client was forced out of her position amid verbal abuse and threats of physical violence, the New York Post reports. […]

Block Entertainment/Bad Boy lyricist Yung Joc has teamed with the Raw Report to give viewers an inside look at his life in the new DVD, The Jocumentary, scheduled to arrive in stores on Nov. 14.Produced by the Raw Report, the new documentary follows an uncensored Joc in his travels and contains interviews and exclusive behind-the-scenes […]

The driver of a truck that critically injured Philadelphia rapper Cassidy has been issued a summons for making an improper turn. According to police, Javier Trujillo Gonzalez, 36, of Carson City, MI, was issued the ticket for his role in the accident, after his truck ran a red light and crossed into a an intersection, […]

Rapper Jay-Z has responded to the recent announcement that the Chinese government would not allow him to perform a date in Shanghai. According to local promoter Sun Yun, China’s Ministry of Culture denied Jay-Z’s performance because of the "vulgar language" in some of his lyrics. Jay-Z was confident he would soon land on China’s mainland […]

G-Unit’s Lloyd Banks and the G-Unity Foundation recently donated $10,000 to August Martin High School in Jamaica, Queens last week. Banks’ donation to his alma mater will be used to bolster the library. "I wanted to start something new," Banks told Fox 5 New York. "I will make sure I come back here every year, […]

Rapper-turned-actor Ice-T will return to his Hip-Hop roots with his ninth studio album Gangsta Rap, which arrives in stores on Halloween (Oct. 31) via the Los Angeles-based Melee Recordings.The new disc will be Ice-T’s first album since 1999’s The Seventh Deadly Sin and contains 17 tracks that were mostly recorded in New York.Known for trailblazing […]

Ex-Ruff Ryders affiliate Drag-On is creating a new buzz with the establishment of his own record label, Hood Environment. The rapper, who has sold more than a million albums over his 10-year career, will release his first album since 2003 under the new label."HE is Hood Environment and the reason I named my label that […]