Atlanta’s Gorilla Zoe has landed in hot water with parents of a Dallas middle school, due to a controversial poster featuring the rapper.

Gorilla Zoe appeared at Pearl C. Anderson Junior High School on Friday (March 6), where he delivered a positive message to the school’s 10 and 11-year-old students.

After his motivational speech to students, posters were handed out featuring Gorilla Zoe surrounded by a stack of money, while smoking a cigar, sipping a drink and brandishing a gun.

A number of parents expressed outrage at the posters their children were sent home with and questioned the message Gorilla Zoe was trying to send.

Gorilla Zoe is currently preparing to release his sophomore album Don’t Feed The Animals, which has already produced the hit single “Lost” and is due in stores March 17th.

The rapper recently shot a video for “What It Is,” featuring Rick Ross.

MC Lyte and Doug E. Fresh helped Carnegie Hall launch their Honor! A Celebration of the African American Culture Legacy in New York City this past Wednesday (March 4th).

The festival, curated by renowned soprano Jessye Norman, will run 20 events throughout multiple venues in New York City until March 23rd saluting the vitality, influence and creativity of African American culture.

On Wednesday (March 4th), the “Honor: Blues, Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Soul and Beyond” program paid tribute to great artists of the past.

Artists in attendance included Doug E. Fresh and MC Lyte (Hip-Hop); Geri Allen, Terence Blanchard, Ron Carter, James Carter (jazz); Freddie Jackson, Anthony Hamilton, Leela James, Kem, Ryan Shaw (R&B, soul), Vernon Reid (rock); James “blood” Ulmer and Toshi Reagon (blues).

A tribue to Duke Ellington will be held today (March 7th) at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.

Jessye Norman will perform an excerpt of Duke Ellington’s Three Sacred Concerts called “Sacred Ellington.”

A three panel discussion will be held Sunday (March 8th) focusing on various aspects of the African American culFor more information on the festival, it’s fundings and sponsors, please visit carnegiehall.org/honor. ture experience.

Maya Angelou, Michael Eric Dyson, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Gwen Ifill, Judith Jamison, Tania Leon, Arthur Mitchell, Toni Morrison, George Shirley, Anna Deavere Smith and Cornel West are expected to participate.

On March 12th, a panel discussing the Dance Theatre of Harlem will be held at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

March 16th at Carnegie Hall will hold performances by The Roots, vocalists de’Adre Aziza and Tracie Luck and others.

Other programs and panels take place from March 17 until the conclusion of Honors! on March 23rd, with the “Honor: The Voice” event.

The program will unite acclaimed African American classical singers to pay tribute to icons who paved the way for succeeding generations.

Singers Harolyn Blackwell, Gregg Baker, Angela M. Brown, Nicole Cabell, Kevin Maynor, and Eric Owens are expected to perform.

For more information on the festival, it’s fundings and sponsors, please visit carnegiehall.org/honor.

Rihanna intends to testify in court if the Los Angeles DA calls her as a witness in her assault case involving Chris Brown, according to her lawyer.

Donald Etra, counsel to Rihanna, said that she would comply with the legal requirements of her with authorities.

Chris Brown, 19, was formally charged on Thursday with two felonies for assault and making criminal threats in an alleged violent argument that resulted in a brutal beating of his girlfriend.

A shocking image of the 21-year-old’s wounds was leaked to the internet, but Rihanna hasn’t commented at the urging of police.

The detectives’ findings were revealed last week. (Click here to read the full transcript.)

In the report, Rihanna is referred to as “Robyn F” for her real Robyn Rihanna Fenty.

Rihanna didn’t attempt to enforce a “no contact” in court proceedings, but Etra stated that she could report any additional infractions to authorities against her.

Brown faces more that four years in prison if given the full penalty for all charges against him.

Producers affiliated with rapper Eminem’s former production company, F.B.T. Productions LLC, were handed a unanimous defeat Friday (March 2) in its royalty lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG).

According to The Associated Press, a federal jury unanimously voted in favor of Universal and other defendants such as rapper/producer Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Records and its distributor, UMG’s Interscope Records.

Richard Busch, F.B.T’s attorney, weighed in on the defeat as he mentioned that the company’s owners, Mark and Jeff Bass, were considering all options, including appeal.

“We’re very disappointed by the decision,” he told the AP.

The Bass brothers are best known for discovering Eminem and signing the rapper to an exclusive recording deal in 1995. The rapper eventually signed to Aftermath in 1998.

Friday’s verdict is the latest development regarding F.B.T.’ s lawsuit, which the company filed in order to receive a greater share of revenue generated from digital downloads of music made by Eminem between 2003 and 2008.

A distinct difference between digital music and the sale of traditional CD emerged as the main source of conflict in the suit, according to F.B.T.

When it comes to income generated by sales, artists are paid on a royalty structure for traditional CD sales.

The entertainers receive about 16 cents when their CD is sold at retail stores such as Wal-Mart, while a music publisher collects 9.1 cents.

With the suit, F.B.T. sought to have digital sales from services such as iTunes be treated under a master recording licensing deal between Universal and Apple.

The result would have enabled F.B.T. to acquire its share of a 50-50 split with Universal.

Eminem would have factored into the situation, as part of the 50 percent would have been split with him.

Universal instead paid F.B.T and Eminem 12 percent of the album sales, which is the agreed upon rate for physical album sales.

Lawyers for Universal countered F.B.T’s claims as they stated that no difference existed between a digital album sale and a physical album sale.

With that, Universal asserted that its royalty rate was correct and as a result, digital sales shouLd be handled the same way as physical sales.

The difference between the rates could have brought about $1.3 million more for F.B.T. and, according to Busch, furthered the possibility of Eminem suing for a bigger share of the sales himself.

A Universal spokesman expressed how “pleased” the label was with the verdict handed down by the jury, which included Universal’s acknowledgement of an accounting mistake and its agreement to pay about $159,000 to F.B.T.

Rapper Uncle Murda has been convicted of attempting to use a fraudulent

California identification card at Los Angeles International Airport,

reports say.

The New York rapper, real name Leonard Grant, pleaded “no contest” to

one count of possession of a counterfeit ID, according to the Los

Angeles Times.

“It was a legitimate ID. But it was the ID of another individual. He

was trying to pass it off as his own. His motivation for doing so is

unknown,” said Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the city attorney’s

office.

The 27-year-old rapper will have to perform 50 hours of community service and undergo 18 months of probation.

In May 2008, Grant tried to pass off an ID with his face, but a

screener at LAX was suspicious about the card. Upon further

examination, the ID number was appointed to another person. The

identification was taken and destroyed by police.

In related news, Uncle Murda recently adjusted his controversial name to Uncle M.

Authorities have confirmed that veteran rapper Coolio was arrested

today (March 6) at LAX airport on charges of drug possession.

Coolio, real name Artis Levo Ivey, Jr, was set to board a Southwest

flight to Tulsa, Oklahoma for a scheduled performance with Tone Loc and

Shock G of Digital Underground.

After getting into a physical altercation with the terminal screener, a security search revealed the illegal narcotics.

Although officials have not verified what drug(s) Coolio was

arrested for, celebrity site TMZ has reported the West Coast rapper was

booked for possession of crack cocaine.

Debuting in the early 90s, Coolio’s most successful album to date is 1995’s Gangsta’s Paradise, which spawned two Top 10 singles (“Gangsta’s Paradise,” “1,2,3,4 (Sumpin’ New)”) and sold 2 million copies.

In recent years the rapper has expanded his talents to his own cooking show (Cookin’ with Coolio), and several reality shows (Coolio’s Rules, Celebrity Big Brother 2009).

At press time, Coolio could not be reached for comment.

Francis M, a trailblazer of music and fashion in the Philippines, has passed away after an arduous struggle with leukemia.

Known in his native homeland by the title of Master Rapper, Francis M (Francis Magalona) inspired strong patriotism among his country’s youth throughout a celebrated career spanning Hip-Hop, movies, fashion, and photography.

“The country has lost a modern-day artist, a nationalist in his own creative way,” stated Philippines Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. to GMA News. “Francis M. used music and fashion to promote love of country among Filipino youth.”

Beginning his career as a breakdancer in the early 80s, Francis M moved into feature films in the early 90s before releasing his seminal Pinoy album Yo! in 1990.

The LP, helmed by the nationwide hit “Kababayan (My Countrymen),” became the first commercially released Hip-Hop album in the Phillipines.

Throughout the 90s, Francis’s music continued to be acclaimed for its social and political commentary, along with his experimentation with rock arrangements and melodies.

Last year, he was diagnosed with leukemia and began extensive chemotherapy treatment.

An avid blogger, Francis kept fans up to date via his website http://www.magalona.com/, even posting the day before his death.

“I look forward to the pain as I know my journey is on full speed ahead,” Francis wrote in a recent entry. “I will not be bold to say that without asking a favor from you all. PLEASE PRAY for me as I undergo treatment. Your prayers, as always, have sustained me. And [I] am sure the Lord will listen to all our prayers. To His will I submit myself.”

Francis Magalona is survived by his wife Pia Arroyo and eight children.

He was 44 years old.

At the time of his passing, Francis was working on a project with guitarist Ely Buendia and other Filipino artists entitled The Sickos Project.

The album is expected to be released posthumously.

It has been confirmed that a screenplay written by late rapper Tupac Shakur titled Live 2 Tell will be turned into a motion picture.

The movie is about a young powerful drug lord who is trying to leave his life of drugs and crime behind.

Shakur wrote the screenplay in 1995 while serving a prison sentence on sexual assault charges.

Insomnia Productions brought the film rights to the screenplay from Tupac’s mother Afeni Shakur, whom also has control over his estate.

Insomnia Productions and producers Preston Holmes (Hustle and Flow) and Afeni Shakur are planning on releasing the film sometime next month.

Tupac wrote the script, with intentions of portraying the main character it has been said.

Casting for the film is already underway, while filming could start as early as the end of this month.

There have also been rumors circulating that a film about Tupac’s own life is in the works, after the success of “Notorious” a film about late rapper Notorious B.I.G., in which Tupac is portrayed in the film.

One of Hip-Hop’s brightest minds will return to the game with new material, as rapper Ahmad has inked a deal with Syntax Records to release new material and launch a new label, WE C.L.A.P.

Ahmad, 32, is best remembered for his 1994 hit “Back in the Day,” as well as his work with 4th Avenue Jones.

He stepped away from the rap game over the past two years, after he enrolled in Long Beach City College, maintained a 4.0 grade average and graduated valedictorian of his class this past May.

Ahmad was accepted as transfer student at Stanford, where he is currently studying for a double major in sociology and African-American studies.

The first release under the new deal with Syntax Records will be Ahmad’s album The Death of Me, which will chronicle his attempts to rise about the “trappings of Hip-Hop fame” and his new life as a student.

“The Death of Me is a return to the kind of Hip-Hop music that we all love: dope beats and well-crafted lyrics,” Ahmad told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “The title has to do with death being something we should all appreciate. In order to die, something must have lived. So, we celebrate the life lived, and we view death as an opportunity to transition into a new phase of life. I experienced the death, or ending, of several relationships during the last couple of years; however, as a student at Stanford University and with this new album on the way, I have never been as excited or encouraged about the future.”

The album is Ahmad’s second solo release, the follow up to the South Central Los Angeles native’s self-titled debut album, which was released in 1994.

Syntax founders Tim and Steve Trudeau were excited about releasing Ahmad’s first solo album in over 15 years.

They are also excited about the possibilities with Ahmad’s label WE C.L.A.P., which stands for “We Change Lives, Attitudes & Perceptions.

The three have known each other since a collaboration with the San Diego based label in 1999.

“We are proud to be working with Ahmad,” said Syntax Records President Tim Trudeau. “We’ve been fans since the beginning. Now, 15 years later, we’re proud to say that Ahmad can call Syntax his family…It hit a certain point where we both realized that it would make sense to work together on a professional level. Mutual respect is an extremely powerful business tool. With our rapid growth and Ahmad’s work ethic we believe we are at a pivotal moment to thrust him back into the forefront of listener-ship.”

Ahmad’s The Death of Me is due in stores this year.

Chris Brown is being charged with two felonies in connection to the domestic violence incident with girlfriend Rihanna last month in Los Angeles. <BR><BR>The singer made an appearance in the Los Angeles Superior Court earlier today for arraignment on charges of felony assault and making criminal threats. <BR><BR><BR>Brown’s arraignment has been postponed by a mutual request of his attorney and the city’s District Attorney until April 6th. <BR><BR><BR>The charges being brought against the Virginia-bred singer stem from a melee ensued with Rihanna last month in LA during Grammy weekend after leaving Clive Davis’ pre-awards party. The couple has since reportedly resolved their issues and are working on rebuilding their relationship.<BR><BR><BR>

Kim Kardashian has been tapped to host Russell Simmons’, Danny Simmons’ and Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation’s Second Annual Art For Life Miami Beach Benefit on Saturday, March 14th at the Fontainebleau.

The Gala will honor Anheuser-Busch, Inc., the Rubell Family Collection and Chairman of the Fontainebleau Resorts, and Jeffery Soffer for their work in supporting youth arts education and improving the lives of others.

Scheduled appearances by this years Art For Life Miami Beach committee includes Wyclef Jean, Dwayne Johnson and Danny Garcia, Michael Klug, Lana and Michael Bernstein, Mark and Amanda Tamis, Amaris Jones, Javier Evans and Walid Sfeir.

Proceeds of the Art For Life Miami Beach gala will be donated to the Miami Dade County community via art program grants servicing disadvantaged youth through live and silent auctions of unique art and luxury items.

Beneficiaries of this years Featured Youth include: Arts for Learning, Miami Light Project, EnFAMILIA and several local organizations.

To purchase a table for a party of 10, pricing ranges from $7,500 (limited availability) to $15,000.

Individual tickets range from $500 (limited availability) to $1,000. Each ticket includes admission to 6:30pm cocktail reception and silent auction, 8:00pm dinner, program and live auction, followed by dancing from 10:00pm to midnight.

Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, founded by brothers Russell, Danny and Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons, provides access and exposure to the arts for disadvantaged urban youth, as well as providing exhibition opportunities to artists of color and under-represented artists since 1995.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation has enlisted Nas to honor a special plea made by 13 year old Darnell Hicks to meet the acclaimed Queen’s emcee.

According to the Patriot News, Hicks was diagnosed at age 2 with Duchenne, a form of muscular dystrophy that normally kills patients by their 20s.

He has been confined to a wheelchair since the age of 10, but still fought last year to be allowed participation in his middle school choir, located in the Susquehanna Township of Pennsylvania.

Through Make-A-Wish, Hicks will be flown out today (March 5) to Los Angeles, where he’ll attend his favorite rapper’s concert and meet the legendary emcee.

Also, Hick’s trip includes stops at Universal Studios and Disneyland.

The child’s grandfather, Milton Watson, informed the Patriot News that Darnell is expected to undergo surgery this Spring to correct a worsening scoliosis condition.

Nas, fresh off the critical acclaim and gold certification of 2008’s Untitled, is diligently working on a surprise collaboration album with Damian Marley.

The proceeds from that album will be donated to building a school in Africa, with a specific country and location to be finalized.

Rapper Eminem is finally set to return to the music scene, after a four-year sabbatical since his last solo album. The Relapse is set for release on May 19 and the Detroit-bred artist is already moving to drop a sequel at the end of the year. The follow-up, Relapse 2, is expected to hit stores as 2009 closes. “A lot of people were expecting Relapse to drop last year,” said Eminem in a statement. “I was one of them. Then Dre and I went back in the studio in September for a few days, and that turned into six months. We were on such a roll; we wound up with a ton of new music produced by Dre. Putting out Relapse 2 will let everyone get all of the best stuff.” The first official single and video from the will be released on April 7, according to Interscope Records.