(AllHipHop News) The Hip-Hop has mobilized and joined relief efforts in the wake of Haiti’s devastating earthquake that’s left the nation’s capital Port-au-Prince in shambles.

The efforts are led by Haitian-born Wyclef Jean, who reached out on CNN immediately after the magnitude-7 quake hit on Tuesday (January 12).

“I’m in the process of looking for a young rapper who went to Haiti to do a mix tape. His name is Jimmy O – it came through on a text that he died,” Wyclef explained to journalist Anderson Cooper. “He was part of my foundation Yele Haiti. I’m trying to verify this information – it would be a terrible loss for us. I was on the phone to a friend in Haiti and she said ‘I think an earthquake is coming ….’ Then the phone went off. After that I texted and it took 45 minutes to get a text back. She told me she was outside with her kids and the buildings had started collapsing. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now.”

Jean’s organization has been accepting donations at www.Yele.org, and automatic $5 donations by texting “Yele” to 501501.

As of today (January 14), humanitarian relief from other nations such as the U.S., Cuba, and China have begun arriving.

The International Red Cross estimates 3 million people are in need of help, and many of the dead litter the streets and rubble of collapsed buildings.

“This is much worse than a hurricane. There’s no water,” doctor’s assistant Jimitrre Coquillon told the Associated Press. “There’s nothing. Thirsty people are going to die.”

Although Haiti President Rene Preval declined to commit to a casualty total, estimates are as high as 500,000 fatalities.

To help the effort, Akinah Rahmaan, founder of The iCase Place Premium Mobile Phone Case Boutique announced that the company will donate 100% of the proceeds from the Haiti iCase to Clef’s Yele Haiti non-profit, from now until Sunday.

 100% of the proceeds from the Haiti iCase from now through Sunday will go to Yele

AkiNah Rahmaan Founder of The iCase Place Premium Mobile Phone Case Boutique

 The Rev. Al Sharpton announced that he is traveling to the country on Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, for a “mercy mission.”

“There will be no better way to say happy birthday to Martin Luther King,” Sharpton said in front of the Haitian Consulate in Manhattan yesterday (January 13). “We all have some Haitian in us, and we stand in solidarity with the Haitian people until Haiti is restored.”

Haitian rap legend Kangol Kid of UTFO is also an Ambassador of Hope for Haiti. He almost missed the chance to visit the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, due to media portrayal and stereotypes.

“This is an absolute tragedy for my brothers and sisters in Haiti,” Kangol Kid told AllHipHop.com. “These are people that made the best of having nothing and circumstances still find a way to take even more away from them. That’s just real evil and plain wrong…I had the pleasure of visiting Haiti this past October for the first time since I was 8 years old. I feared the visit because I was ‘Media-Washed’ (in other words I was brainwashed by the media) and believe every stereotypical rumor society had to offer about the country. My manager, Shaunda Lumpkin, convinced to go and that visit changed my world so much that I’ve become proud to be Haitian! Moreover, I am currently an Ambassador of Hope for Haiti.”

The incident has affected Kangol Kid personally, as his father has been missing in the country since the earthquake hit.

“Today, I feel great sadness for my people as my mother who lives in Miami, Florida, is frantically trying to reach my Father who is currently visiting Port Au Prince with no word of his condition. I asked that my Hip-Hop Community, my fellow Haitian-Americans and people alike pray for the safety of Haiti and for my father,” Kangol Kid stated.

Rap mogul Russell Simmons called upon the Hip-Hop community to act immediately to help the millions of people affected by the devastating earthquake, the worst to ever strike the country.

“We must do all that we can as individuals and collectively to help save the lives of our brothers and sisters in Haiti,” Simmons stated. “We know Haiti will need increased attention and resources from the international community to help it recover from this disaster, so let us ensure that our country does right. My thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian people whose suffering I can only imagine, and the Haitian Americans who have lost their loved ones.”

A musician who work with hip-hop artist Lauryn Hill and Oakland rap group the coup was found dead late Tuesday night (January 12) in Oakland, California.

Police found 24-year-old Dewey Tucker dead, behind the wheel of his car, from a gunshot wound to the head.

According to California police, Tucker was on his way to band practice prior to being murdered in the car.

Police are currently seeking suspects and have stated that they had no motive for the shooting.

Tucker may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time according to authorities, who revealed he had no prior criminal record.

Tucker, who was a member of the Greater St. Paul Baptist Church band in Oakland, was engaged to be married.

The arrival of the New Year has become a moment of sadness with the death of Staff Sgt. John A Thorburn, the father of underground rap artist R.A. the Rugged Man.

Thorburn, a highly decorated veteran, passed away on January 7 from stage four cancer in the lungs, hip and kidney. He was 63.

Prior to his death, Thorburn enjoyed a eventful career in the military. As a member of the Army, the serviceman was assigned to the Green Berets in the 10th Special Forces Group as well as the Screaming Eagles in the 101st Airborne Division in the Screaming Eagles. Thorburn later enlisted in the Air Force, where he became a helicopter crew chief and instructor gunner.

During the Vietnam War, Thorburn played an active role while embarking on various secret missions behind enemy lines. The missions would forever affect Thorburn, who was exposed to the chemical Agent Orange. The exposure remained undiscovered years after the military man came home from Vietnam. It wasn’t until the birth of two of Thorburn’s children that the impact of Agent Orange was felt as the siblings were born severely mentally and physically handicapped.

The legendary war hero’s plight was immortalized by R.A. the Rugged Man more than 20 years later via a verse on the song “Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story.” The little more than four-minute track, which appears on the 2006 Jedi Mind Tricks album Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell, offers a gripping account on the effects of the Vietnam War on soldiers and their families. Although the song as a whole was lauded as one of the standouts on Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell, listeners and critics were especially impacted by R.A.’s nearly two-minute verse, which received continuous praise from various publications and websites. The rapper’s 44-bar verse is considered by many to be one of his best.

According to R.A. the Rugged Man, Thorburn “loved the idea” of sharing his Vietnam experience with him and was “blown away” after listening to “Uncommon Valor.”

“He couldn’t believe it. He was blown the f**k away, like, “Holy s**t, it’s like you were there.” It brought some of his friends to tears. They were really happy and impressed with it,” R.A. revealed in a 2007 interview with The Smoking Section.

“As far as talking about his experience, he was ok with it. He told me all the stories in the past. But there is one part of his story that he doesn’t talk about. My dad’s gun shot 4,000 bullets a minute,” the rapper stated. “He was shooting 30,000 bullets a day sometimes. When I say, ‘Hey pops, how many people did you kill while you were there?’ he’ll say, ‘Oh son, I didn’t kill nobody. I didn’t take lives I saved lives.’ He looks at it like he wasn’t killing; he was saving the lives of his people. So he’ll never tell me how many lives he took. But the rest of it he’s totally open about.”

Realizing how talented his son was on the mic, Thorburn expressed his admiration for R.A. during a video interview last year on ArtofRhyme.com

“Any father would be very proud as far as he’s come in the music business and what he’s done. His achievements are amazing. One after the other. The music. And then the movie he did Bad Biology, you might be familiar with that,” said Thorburn, who appeared in a cameo role in Bad Biology. “I’m very proud of him He’s always been a good son.”

Thorburn’s accomplishments in Vietnam were recognized in 2008 with New York State Senator John J. Flanagan awarding him the Conspicuous Service Cross.

The honor was one of many bestowed upon Thorburn, who received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal with two Oak leaf Clusters, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, the National Defense Service Medal and numerous others.

In 2007, Thorburn was diagnosed with fourth stage cancer in the lungs, hip and kidney. The condition would ultimately prove to be fatal as the cancer traveled to Thorburn’s brain. A documentary chronicling the military hero’s life is currently in production.

Thorburn is survived by his wife, Dee, two daughters, Lisa & Niki-Lee and two sons R.A., and Johnny Omar.

(AllHipHop News) Rap star and mogul Jay-Z has addressed growing speculation and rumors that he is secretly involved with a cult, or a high ranking member of the “Illuminati.”

The rapper appeared on Angie Martinez’ Hot 97 show today (January 12) to promote his latest tour, during an showing that included rapper Young Jeezy and R&B singer Trey Songz.

Conspiracy theorists claim that Jay-Z’s lyrics and videos are filled Masonic imagery throughout the years, including his most recent hits, “Run This Town,” “On To The Next One” and “Empire State of Mind.”

The chatter only grew louder when “On To The Next One” hit the Internet supposedly linking Jay-Z’s music, hand symbols and extraordinary wealth to freemasonry, the Illuminati and even Satanism.

“I don’t know where it came from, I don’t know where it started,” Jay-Z told Angie Martinez today. “No, not me. Never done that before. Why win the world would I do that? That’s retarded.”

The rapper gave some insight into his thoughts on religion, which can also be found in the song “Empire State of Mind.”

A line on “Empire State of Mind” added fuel to the fire when Jay-Z rapped: “Hail Mary to the city,/you’re a virgin/And Jesus can’t save you/life starts when the church ends”

“I believe in God, I believe in one God,” Jay-Z said of his religious background today. “I don’t believe in religion. I think that separates people.”

The rapper quipped that if he did belong to a secret organization, it has not helped him in terms of race and acceptance in general.

“I can’t even get in a golf club in palms springs,‘ Jay-Z joked. “I’m from Marcy.”

As for the imagery in the “On To The Next One” video, Jay-Z admitted to making the video darker than usual.

“As far as how far people are talking it, I guess I’m an entertainer. I entertain. People make up their own things and they run with it.”

(AllHipHop News) Chung King Studios, a popular recording facility that is noted for the many classic hip-hop it has recorded over the years, is changing locations after 30 years. According to Bloomberg, Chung King is now backed by an eight-figure private equity fund and will move to a new location, which is three times bigger than the current recording studio. Over the years, Chung King has recorded top albums by Run-DMC, LL Cool J., Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and numerous others. “Rental space in Manhattan is too much money,” studio manager Joe Moose Demby told Bloomberg. “We have a great location now but we’ve forged an alliance with a private equity fund to purchase space.” The studio is also diversifying with a new label and several film projects.

A high school in Bangor, Maine has suspended all dances unless the students agree to cease what teachers have labeled a Hip-Hop style of dance called “grinding.” Students at Bangor High School have allegedly refused to comply with the rules at four previous dances, so principal Norris Nickerson has called off all future events. The Student Council has presented students with rules to follow to control the sexually suggestive dance, which Principal Nickerson is reviewing.

Atlanta rap group Goodie Mob has announced the second leg of their reunion tour. Cee-Lo, Khujo, Big Gipp and T-Mo are all featured on the tour, which will kick off January 14 in Houston, Texas at the House of Blues and after 15 stops, will wind down at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on February 27th. Full dates are listed below:

Thursday 01/14/10 Houston TX House of Blues Friday 01/15/10 New Orleans LA House of Blues Saturday 01/16/10 Austin TX Emos Sunday 01/17/10 Dallas TX House of Blues Tuesday 01/19/10 Aspen CO The Belly Up Wednesday 01/20/10 Denver CO Gothic Theatre Thursday 02/04/10 Orlando FL Firestone Friday 02/05/10 Miami FL Performing Arts Center Thursday 02/11/10 Washington DC 930 Club Friday 02/12/10 Atlanta GA The Tabernacle Saturday 02/13/10 Asheville NC Orange Peel Sunday 02/14/10 Charlotte NC Amos’ Southend Wednesday 02/24/10 Seattle WA Nuemos Thursday 02/25/10 Portland OR The Roseland Saturday 02/27/10 Los Angeles CA Club Nokia