Last year, Chicago emcee Common announced plans to partner with Microsoft and create an innovative new line of t-shirts called Softwear.

 

After several months, Common has unveiled the first Hip-Hop centered products from the brand, with the best being aptly titled “The Creator: The Code of Hip-Hop.”

 

The all-black shirt features the full lyrics of Common’s 1994 classic “I Used to Love H.E.R.” written in 80s computer font.

 

In addition, the acclaimed Chicago emcee has designed three other shirts showcasing throwback styles in phrasing, dress, and social courtesy.

 

As the line’s official spokesman, Common explained that the fledgling brand is “very fly and progressive,” and he expects it to garner a solid audience once more shirts are introduced.

 

“I’m very enthused about it,” Common stated. “No matter what size, it’s gonna look right on you…Stay up and check out the Softwear.” A

 

s a brand, Softwear retains a distinct 80s flair, meant to conjure images of Microsoft’s early days before it became an industry giant.

 

According to Microsoft, the brand’s motto is to “tap the nostalgia of when PCs were just starting to change our lives.”

 

Currently, consumers can also select “classic design” shirts featuring Bill Gates’ mugshot and a retro MS-DOS font logo.

 

A full list of available shirts can be viewed at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/softwearbymicrosoft/story/

Grammy Award winning Chicago rapper Kanye West recently taped an episode of VH1 Storytellers last week, which will reveal how the eccentric artist made each of his hit albums.West, who taped his episode at Sony Stages in Los Angeles, gave exclusive performances of a number of his hit records from each of four albums, including his latest, 808’s & Heartbreak.Additionally, West explained his thought process behind creating each record, in accord with the Storyteller’s format.In the upcoming March issue of of Details magazine, West, who is featured on the cover, gave readers a glimpse into how he created 808 & Heartbreak and reiterated his claim to be retiring from Hip-Hop to focus on fashion.”There’s nothing more to be said about music,” the 31-year-old artist told Details. “I’m the fu**ing end-all, be-all of music. I know what I’m doing. I did 808s in three weeks. I got it. It’s on cruise control. Man, we talked about music for God knows how long! Now let’s talk about how my fu**ing sweater didn’t come back right from Korea. That’s what’s interesting me.”According to the article, West, who recently launched a line of sneakers with Louis Vuitton in Paris, is serious about his move to the fashion capital of the world to pursue a career in fashion.”I’m moving to Paris and I have a relationship with Louis Vuitton, and it’s like, Look how far I took that relationship to the biggest record label, and look where I took it in music,” said West, who earned over $40 million dollars in 2008.VH1 Storytellers: Kanye West is slated to premiere Saturday, February 28.

The murder trial of C-Murder has taken another twist as New

Orleans authorities have verified records of a man

pleading guilty last year to obstruction of justice.

 

According to nola.com, authorities are accusing Dwayne

“Wango” Cobbins with witness tampering. The 35 year old New

Orleans native is alleged to have tampered with trial

evidence by “threatening to use force to influence one or more persons,”

resulting in “the hindrance, delay or prevention of the communication to a

peace officer of information.”

 

C-Murder, real name Corey Miller, was convicted in September

2003 of murdering 16 year old Steve Thomas at a Harvey

nightclub in 2002.

 

On appeal, C-Murder was granted a new trial when his

attorney Ron Rakosky revealed evidence confirming that prosecutors withheld the

extensive criminal backgrounds of their three witnesses.

 

At press time, the courts have sealed specific information

detailing Cobbins’ alleged tampering activity.

 

However, records have confirmed that Cobbins has an

extensive criminal background dating back to the early 90s.

 

He was arrested in 2002, and sentenced to nine years in

prison for attempted conspiracy to distribute cocaine between 1991 and 1997.

Also, Cobbins pleaded guilty in 2006 to narcotics charges and was sentenced to

15 years.

 

Previously, Cobbins was booked for attempted murder in 1993

and murder in 1995. Both charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence.

 

At the time of his 2002 arrest, court records show Cobbins

had in his possession a TRU records gold medallion from C-Murder’s label.

 

At press time, C-Murder could not be reached for comment.

Hip-Hop mogul and former head of Phat Farm Russell Simmons will launch a new line of clothing in 350 Wal-Mart stores.

 

Simmons American Classic line will sell for between $9.99 and $29 with most of the line being priced at less than $15.

 

Wal-Mart will carry a number of items from the American Classics line, including knit and woven shirts, sweater vests, jeans, casual sports shoes and more.

 

Simmons also struck a deal to place flat screen TV’s in most of the stores carrying the line, that will feature the mogul describing his latest brand.

 

Simmons, who launched his Phat Farm line of clothing in 1992, sold the brand in 2004 to Kellwood Industries for $140 million in cash.

 

He stepped down from the CEO position of Phat Farm in 2007 but has continued in the fashion world with his brands Russell Simmons-Argyleculture and Atman.

 

The line debuted on Sunday (February 15) in a Chicago-area Wal-Mart.

 

The rest of the line will be rolled out nationwide in the coming weeks.

Cleveland rapper Kid Cudi has dispelled the notion that he was arrested in an altercation in Phoenix during NBA All-Star Weekend.

Cudi was set to perform at a Reebok party when an altercation transpired between the rapper and Reebok employees of the event. Reports detail the verbal altercation becoming physical fight. Police were called where Cudi was then tasered after officers couldn’t control the rapper.

“I was tasered (s**t hurt like a muthaf*cka), I was not arrested.” said the rapper on his blog at kidcudi.com. “I didn’t put my hands on anyone; the muthaf*cka I was trying to touch, I couldn’t reach his f**kin’ collar to grab him.”

In reports by eyewitnesses, the rapper defiantly wore Jordans to a Reebok party as the source of the altercation, but Cudi claimed that intelligence is false.

“It wasn’t over me wearing Jordans. I arrived at the event in the most ‘fugliest’ Reeboks ever,” he said.

Cudi also noted that he immediately left the scene in car service after the incident ended.

Although the rapper presented his side in his blog, he was vague about why the altercation transpired.

He said he just wants to make music not be involved in such drama.

“This s**t really makes me want to fall back on this music s**t yo, s**t is getting out of hand,” he lamented. “I’m just a dude who wants to make ill music to help people on their day to day grind, help them get thru it to accomplish whatever goals they have in life.”

Click here to read the initial report on this news.

Hip-Hop mogul Suge Knight was treated at a local Scottsdale, Arizona hospital, allegedly for broken bones in his face, after he was assaulted by a man associated with R&B singer Akon.

 

Police were called to a private party hosted by Akon on the second floor pool area of the W Hotel around 3:30AM this morning.

 

Hotel security expressed concern to local police that an altercation was brewing between two parties in the VIP area.

 

As officers arrived, they witnessed one person identified as Robert Carnes Jr. punch Knight in the head two times.

 

Officers used tasers to break up the fracas and later arrested Carnes Jr., 38, of Pennsylvania and another suspect, Thomas Leon Anderson Jr, a 33-year-old resident of California.

 

Knight was transported to SHC-Osborn hospital, where he was treated for several broken bones in his face and released.

 

Anderson was charged with one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

 

According to Scottsdale police, Carnes Jr. is charged with one count of felony aggravated assault, due to the severity of the Knight’s injuries.

 

Both suspects were booked into Scottsdale City jail and are being held in custody.

 

Knight has had a number of altercations and run-ins with the law over the past year.

 

In May of 2008, Knight was knocked unconsciouss during an argument outside of a Hollywood Club, but failed to press charges against his assailaint, a local barber.

 

In August of 2008, Knight was arrested and charged with two counts of felony drug possession and one count of misdemeanor battery, after police claimed they had witnessed him strike a woman while holding a knife in the parking lot of the Las Vegas strip.

 

In December, a judge dismissed the charges without prejudice, after the prosecution had “discovery problems and witness problems.”