(AllHipHop News) Los Angeles Lakers star player Ron Artest has launched a new independent record label Artest Media Group, which will be distributed by San Francisco based label, SMC Recordings. According to Ron Artest, his new label is looking to sign established Hip-Hop acts, while developing the talent currently associated with the label, Artest’s second such venture since launch the Tru Warier imprint in 2002. “I am really happy to partner with SMC, this will be my first real shot of getting the music of myself and my new artists out,” Ron Artest said. “I love music and I love my fans so I am looking forward to sharing this with them.”Artest Media recently finished its first major project, which was the launch of www.ronartest.com, which is a multimedia website that highlights all of Ron Artest’s entertainment businesses. “Partnering with Ron Artest and his Artest Media Group puts us in an incredible position for acquiring new artists,” said SMC Records’ CEO, Ralph Tashjian. “Ron’s passion for the music and entertainment business, as well as his incredible reach to already established Hip Hop acts, makes this a perfect marriage.”Ron Artest will announce artists signed to the roster in early 2001.

(AllHipHop News) Rap star 50 Cent has been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit by an aspiring rap artist from Atlanta, Georgia, who claims he owns the original license for the beat to the rapper’s biggest hit single, “I Get Money.”Tyrone “Caliber” Simmons, 28, claims he purchased an exclusive license for all the rights to use, record, publish, re-produce and perform the “I Get Money” instrumental beat, which was produced by William “Apex” Stanberry. The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, claims that 50 Cent, Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit and Shady Records knowingly infringed upon his instrumental track, which was included on 50 Cent’s third album The Massacre.”The misappropriation of copyright-protected material is an endemic problem in the music business, and particularly in the genre of hip-hop/rap  This is one such case,” said Louis D. Tambaro, an attorney at Red Bank, N.J.-based Marks & Klein, LLP, one of the firms representing Simmons. “Our client was granted exclusive rights to the ‘I Get Money’ instrumental and was unceremoniously cut out of the loop when the defendants realized they had a huge hit on their hands.””I Get Money” also spawned a variety of remixes, including a popular “Forbes 1-2-3 Billionaire Remix” featuring Jay-Z, Sean “Diddy” Combs and 50 Cent. “This type of infringement is simply not fair and will not be tolerated,” added Kevin B. Legreide, an attorney at Legreide & Ceres, Toms River, N.J., which also represents Simmons.  

(AllHipHop News) A $20 million dollar lawsuit against Def Jam involving R&B singer Chrisette Michele will proceed through the courts, it was recently ruled.Judges for the New York Supreme Court rejected the label’s request to dismiss the lawsuit on December 7th, paving the way for a courtroom showdown between production company Four Kings Productions Inc. and Island Def Jam. Douglas “Biggs” Ellison filed the lawsuit against Island Def Jam Music Group, Shalik Berry (A&R) and Michele’s parents Lynette and Lemuel Payne in June of 2008. Ellison claims the defendants engaged in unlawful business practices, in an attempt to get Michele out of her exclusive contracts with his Queens-based production company, Four Kings Productions Inc.Michele, who is featured on Rick Ross’ current #2 hit single “Aston Martin Music,” set the court proceedings in motion in July of 2007, when she filed a lawsuit against Four Kings Productions.The original lawsuit claimed that Four Kings’ CEO, Ellison, embezzled money from her Def Jam contract and harassed her.While Michele eventually withdrew those allegations from her lawsuit, Ellison claims that his reputation was severely damaged when the accusations hit the press.Four Kings claims it entered into an agreement with Def Jam in September of 2005 and completed multiple songs, which appeared on Michele’s debut album, I AM.”As soon as the artist’s mother saw that Chrisette was receiving money, all a direct result of the efforts of the production company under its contracts with the artist, Lynette Payne quit her job as a teacher and, in willful disregard of the artist’s contractual obligations to Four Kings, usurped management functions regarding her daughter’s newly found success, in an effort to keep the money in the family,” Ellison claims in the lawsuit.A representative for Chrisette Michele dismissed the lawsuit shortly after it was filed in 2008. Her publicist Rochelle Brown claimed that Michele’s relationship with Ellison turned romantic, after the two met while the singer attended 5 Towns College in Long Island.”This is just a case of the jilted lover and gold digging manager getting caught,” her publicist Brown told AllHipHop.com June of 2008. “The Payne’s and Mr. Berry did not unlawfully try to get Chrisette out of her contract with Four Kings. Mr. Ellison’s devious plot to exploit and rip Chrisette off began to be revealed.”In addition to Rick Ross, Chrisette Michele has worked with rappers like Ghostface Killah, Nas and Jay-Z.

(AllHipHop News) Rap star Lil Kim may not have dropped an album in over five years, but her popularity soared in 2010, according to new data recently released by social networking website Twitter. Despite many high profile releases and events in Hip-Hop over 2010, Lil Kim was the only rap artist to place on Twitter’s “2010 Trends on Twitter” People list. The Queen Bee landed at #5 on Twitter’s “People” list, just one slot behind Mel Gibson (#4) and ahead of celebrities like Zilda Arns (#7) and future princess, Kate Middleton (#8).Pop singer Justin Bieber landed at #1 on the list, which also includes Lady Gaga (#3) and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange (#4). Other top trends on Twitter in 2010 included the Gulf oil spill, the Haiti earthquake, the conflict’s between the Koreas, “Cablegate,” Lebron James, Mike Vick, Google Android, Apple IOS and others. Rappers Drake, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Rihanna all landed on Twitter’s “Top 10 Most Retweeted Tweets” list as well. For a full list, click here: http://yearinreview.twitter.com/trends/

(AllHipHop News) A man with close ties to Miami rapper Rick Ross was shot and killed last night (December 14th) in front of his wife and three kids, in a murder that has the city of Miami in shock. Police are seeking multiple suspects in a home invasion robbery that ended in the murder of Raymond Adderly, who was arriving home from a Christmas party with his children when masked intruders barged into his home. The men shot and killed Adderly in front of his wife and three children, who were all present in the home when the violent criminals took the man’s life. “We’re in shock. It’s awful. It’s awful my nephews and sister have to go through this during the holidays,” Gentry Chambers, Adderly’s brother-in-law told WSVN Channel 7 News.While Adderly’s exact connection to Rick Ross is not known at press time, family members labeled the man an aspiring rapper, and close associate of Rick Ross.

(AllHipHop News) Recently freed rap star Lil Wayne will make a high profile appearance on New Year’s Eve as the headlining act for Carson Daly’s “New Year’s Eve With Carson Daly 2011.”Lil Wayne, CEO of Young Money Records, will hit the stage with his artist Nicki Minaj, during the two-hour event, which will be pre-recorded.In addition to Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj, My Chemical Romance, Bono and The Edge from U2 will make appearances during the New Year’s Eve celebration.“With performances from Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and My Chemical Romance, this will truly be an energetic and celebratory night,” Carson Daly said in a statement.NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly 2011 is slated to air December 31st, from 11PM-1:00AM.