Rapper MC

Lyte will attend the second annual Hip-Hop Leadership Camp in Los Angeles this

year, being held in Los Angeles. A

variety of entertainment industry professionals will attend the four-day camp

for at-risk youth, which takes place Aug. 10-13 on the campus of UCLA. "This

camp is more than just a series of classes," said HHLC Founder Karen Levy.

“The personal interaction and application of the skills acquired in the program

gives them the chance to experience their potential as future leaders by using

their love of hip-hop and entertainment as a learning tool.”In

addition to MC Lyte, Sticky Fingaz, Chino XL, Sway, DJ Skee, Big Jon Platt (Executive

Sr. VP Urban Music, EMI Music Publishing), Big Paul (Universal/Motown), Davey

D., DJ Skee, Myra McCaskill (Geffen), Gary Jackson (Professor, Hip-Hop Business,

UCLA), Poetess (100.3 The Beat), Luscious Liz (Power 106), Billy Johnson Jr. (Yahoo!

Music), Gail Mitchell (Billboard) and others will attend the camp. The

professionals will teach 35 inner-city youth the ins and outs of the music business

as a way to learn various business skills. The camp focuses on team building,

goal setting and leadership culture through Hip-Hop.Students

who maintain a 2.5 grade average and above and graduate from high school are guaranteed

an internship in the entertainment field of their choice. HHLC

is a non-profit 501c3. To donate money to help cover tuition costs for at-risk

youth, contact: Ballyhoo Public Relations: Octavia Bostick: 714.808.2840.

Def

Jam Records president and CEO Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter will take part in

an effort to educate the public on the world’s water crisis.The

mogul will be joined by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and MTV president

Christina Norman on Wednesday (Aug. 9) to announce the details of the venture

at the United Nations, 1st Avenue at 46th Street, New York.The

effort is part of MTV’s ongoing mission to educate and empower young people about

global issues as well as get them involved. Jay-Z’s

experiences as he witnesses the human impact of the water crisis will be documented

by the network. Information

on the documentary and companion initiatives will also be announced.According

to recently released statistics, more than one billion people across the globe

lack access to safe drinking water and water-related diseases are the leading

cause of death in the world and is responsible for 80% of all sickness in the

world.A

UN study revealed that two in three people, more than 2.7 billion people, will

face water shortages by 2025 at the current rate of consumption.

Kanye West will

open for the Rolling Stones on the legendary rock group’s A Bigger Bang North

American tour. West

will team with the Stones on their stop at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

on Sept 20. The

rapper will then head to Halifax, Nova Scotia for a date at Halifax Commons on

Sept. 23. On Sept. 27, West and the Stones will head back to the United States

for a performance at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.In

November, West will hit the road with Irish rock group U2, for a series of rescheduled

dates in Australia and New Zealand. U2 interrupted its world tour in March and April due to a family emergency

of one of the band members. The

group will play in Brisbane on Nov. 7, Sydney on Nov. 10 and 11, Adelaide on Nov.

16 and Melbourne on Nov. 18 and 19. Two concerts in Auckland will take place on

Nov. 24 and 25.West

will play all of the all Australian and New Zealand dates.

Hip-Hop veteran

Rakim is headlining a concert sponsored by the City of Boston being held at City

Hall Plaza tomorrow (Aug. 5).Boston

Mayor Thomas M. Menino has endorsed the Peace Boston 2006, which is a free outdoor

music festival that focuses on the positive aspects that Hip-Hop music has to

offer. The

day-long event is a celebration of Hip-Hop music and culture and will feature

performances by variety of national and local acts including CL Smooth, Nice-N-Smooth,

Ed O. G. and others. The

concert is being held in conjunction with the City of Boston’s Office of Arts,

Tourism and Special Events and is part of the Hip-Hop Reconstruction Conference,

which started today.The

conference will show participants how Hip-Hop is influencing violence, education,

social growth and personal development, as well as community development.

Peace Boston 2006 takes place from 4 – 8pm on City Hall Plaza. For more information

log on: http://www.bostonhiphoproundtable.org/

Hannah Hightower,

mother of controversial radio personality DJ Star, has filed an $11 million lawsuit

against Emmis Radio for disparaging comments Hot 97 disc jockey Miss Jones made

about her. The federal lawsuit contends that Miss Jones defamed Hightower

during an on-air rant in which Jones described her as a "a prostitute."

The complaint, filed on Wednesday (August 2) in a Manhattan court, also quotes

the disc jockey as saying, "Your white mom was nothing but a prostitute that

your dad turned out," and "got knocked up by the blackest, blackest,

blackest n – – – – r." The lawsuit is the latest round in a flurry

of legal maneuvering that has resulted from Star being fired from New York radio

station Power 105.1 after making racial and sexual remarks about DJ Envy’s wife

Gia Casey and their 4-year-old daughter.Star

(real name Troi Torain) was later arrested and charged with harassment and endangering

the welfare of a child. Last

month, Star struck a deal with the city’s District Attorney’s office to have the

charges dropped after agreeing to stay away from Envy’s daughter, as well

as, perform three days community service. In related news, Star is also

facing a multi-million dollar lawsuit that was filed by former co-host Prozac

Girl, who alleges that the shock jock caused her intentional emotional distress

and fired her in violation of the Americans with Disability Act.

Slain

rap icon Tupac Shakur will be the subject of a 13-day educational study geared

toward his work in film.The

study, titled Tupac Shakur Reinterpreted, will be presented by the British Film

Institute and National Film Theater. The

event will feature screenings and discussions which will examine Shakur’s impact

on rap music and mainstream media culture, as well as his overall influence on

fans.The

MC’s first manager, Leila Steinberg, will appear as well as join coordinator Jacqueline

Springer for an on-stage debate titled "Tupac-The First Icon of Hip-Hop."

The

discussion will focus on the significance of Shakur’s legacy.Films

that will be screened include Shakur’s 1992 feature debut Juice as well

as his final performance in the dark comedy Gridlock’d. The documentaries

Tupac Resurection, Biggie and Tupac and Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel will

also be shown.The

event, presented in association with the Contemporary Black Music Culture, comes

as fans mark the 10th anniversary of Shakur’s death. The

lyricist was 25 when he was died September 13, 1996 from fatal wounds sustained

in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting. Rumors and conspiracy theories surrounding

the slaying have run rampant since.Tupac

Shakur Reinterpreted will run Sept. 15-28. Tickets are £3.00. Contributions

to the event will be used to form part of the Tupac retrospective ‘Digital Wallpaper’

and feature in the debate.For

more information of the event, visit www.bfi.org.uk/tupac.

Public Enemy rapper

Chuck D. has teamed with Waliyy "Main Event" Dixon to host an On Demand

television show titled Main Event, teaching lessons in playground basketball.Viewers

will have the opportunity to learn how to execute passing, defense and dunks,

including Main Event’s trademark moves, the 360 dunk and the windmill dunk. The

series was shot on location in Behagen Park in the Bronx. In

related news, Chuck D. has announced Public Enemy will is planning an international

tour in October, with dates in the United States following in October. The

group will perform their classic hits, as well as selections from New Whirl

Odor and Rebirth. The tour marks the first time the group has toured

with group member Flavor Flav since 1999. "With

Flav’s TV show popularity I’m interested to see the make up of this audience and

definitely eased to share the stage and perform at full effort and half motor,"

Chuck D. said of the pairs reuniting. Main

Event premieres on On Demand today (Aug. 3).

According to sources,

SRC Records CEO Steve Rifkind is in negotiations to regain his best known brand

name, Loud. Sources told AllHipHop.com that the mogul is planning a relaunch of

the Loud brand, including a website and a mobile effort, Loud Mobile. Loud

closed its doors in 2002 and Sony acquired the Loud name when it purchased the

label from Rifkind, who launched a new label, SRC Records with Universal. Loud

Records boasted a roster of numerous Hip-Hop acts, many of which are still recording

today. Former

artists on the label include Wu-Tang Clan, Xzibit, Mobb Deep, Big Pun, Tha Alkaholiks,

Lil’ Flip and others.TVT

Records has signed New Orleans rapper Awood "Magic" Johnson and the

rapper is preparing his TVT debut, tentatively titled Before & After.

Magic, who recorded for C-Murder’s Tru Records and Master P.’s No Limit imprint,

stated that music industry politics and bad deals kept his music from reaching

the masses. "With TVT Records behind me, I can finally make the mark on this

industry I know I was meant to make," Magic said. "TVT’s so strong in

the South, and together we’re gonna take it to the very bottom — the Ninth Ward!"

Magic’s debut as a TVT recording artist will hit stores in 2007. Hip-Hop

clothing line Sedgwick and Cedar have announced they have secured World-wide rights

to The Twins (Keith and Kevin) two pioneering B-Boys that helped revolutionize

breakdancing. Originally known as The N***a Twins in the 1970’s, the two have

been labeled "founding fathers" of B-Boy culture. “We are inspired

by the legendary style Keith & Kevin were well known for, which was a dramatic

sense of fashion, including matching outfits, trench coats and often times sporting

cigars in their routines,” commented Ray Riccio, CEO of Sedgwick & Cedar.

“They are the founding fathers of the B-Boy movement, one of the most artistic

fusions of body and music ever created. It became so connected to the music that

it became an essential element of hip hop culture.” Sedgwick & Cedar,

which debuted in Spring 2005, features some of the most influential figures in

Hip-Hop history that have lent their images and likeness to the clothing line.

Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Caz, Melle Mel, Chief Rocker Busy Bee and Sha-Rock

have all been tapped to represent and be part of Sedgwick & Cedar.

Former Power 105.1

FM DJ Star has filed a $55 million defamation lawsuit against the city councilman

who prompted the radio station to fire him. The

suit, filed today (Aug. 2) by attorney James Cinque, accuses City Councilman John

Liu (D-Queens) of launching a malicious crusade against Star that led to his firing

and arrest. "Councilman

Liu has continued to publicly make false, disparaging statements about me,"

Star, 42, said in a statement. Liu

publicly criticized the shock jock and called for a boycott of Power 105 after

Star made anti-Asian comments about the family of rival on-air personality DJ

Envy, Gia Casey, in May. Star

also made remarks implying a threat of sexual abuse against the couple’s four-year-old

child and threatened to urinate on the girl. He offered $500 to any listener who

provided details about where the girl went to school. Star

was later arrested and charged with harassment and endangering the welfare of

a child. Despite

criminal charges being dropped if he does three days of community service and

stays out of trouble for six months, Star said he has to even the score with Liu

and others.

Common will play

host to the debut of Chicago Urban League’s Teen REACH Music Program as well as

the grand opening of a new South Side Chicago Banking center established by Bank

of America. The

Chicago Urban League’s Teen REACH Music Program aims to introduce high school

students to various careers in the music industry. The

after-school and summer program teaches students the intricacies of music production

and music business. A

performance by The Chicago Urban League’s "Urban Definition" will highlight

the red carpet event , where Common will also be on hand to sign autographs.

Bank of America will also support the foundation by donating an undisclosed amount

of money to the Chicago Urban League. The

event takes place today (Aug. 2) from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at 69th Street and S.

Ashland Avenue in Chicago.

Houston rapper

Paul Wall has been added to the Grand Finale concert of AllHipHop.com’s annual

AllHipHop.com Week 2006. The platinum selling rapper joins other talented artists,

including Lloyd Banks, Remy Martin, Papoose, Shawnna, Joe Budden and The Clipse.

The

concert with media partners Hot 97 and VIBE magazine, takes place on August 11

at the Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan. "AllHipHop.com

is the undisputed leader in news and events, rumors, anything important,"

Paul Wall told AllHipHop.com. "Man straight up, it’s an honor to be a part

of AllHipHop week. The lineup for the show is serious. I’m gonna be there as a

fan [and] as a performer."In

related news, Paul Wall is working on Get Money Stay True, the follow-up

to his platinum selling 2005 album The Peoples Champ. "It’s

been a lot of fun for me," Paul Wall said. "I’ve been busy in the lab

with T. Farris and Lil’ Keke. We’ve been grinding hard and just having fun

making good music. We’ve been in the studio with Mr. Lee, and also Travis Barker.

We’ve got some good music so far. I’m excited to see where we go from here, as

we are finishing up the album."Click

here to purchase tickets to

AllHipHop’s Grand Finale concert and go to AllHipHop.com to read a new interview

with Paul Wall.

Rap star Kanye

West made fashion magazine Vanity Fair’s 67th Annual Top 10 Best Dressed

list.West

was included in the Top 10 best dressed men along with actor George Clooney, CNN’s

Anderson Cooper, David Beckham and Prince Ernst of Hanover.Over

1,000 fashion industry industry insiders vote each year on the world’s best dressed

people. West was the only male musician that appeared on this year’s list."He

goes far in new directions and is very watched, imitated and admired," Vanity

Fair said of West’s fashion sense. "He feels good about himself and it shows.

Kanye is a college boy. He knows about the Lacoste preppy collegiate look, but

he’s not going to leave it at that. Instead, he takes elements of that and almost

makes inside jokes on it. He never looks like a slob, even if he’s in jeans."This

year’s other winners include US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Gwen Stefani,

Prince William, Oprah Winfrey, Sofia Coppola, Renee Zellweger and Kate Moss, who

is featured on the cover of the September issue, which hits newsstands on Aug.

8.Queen

Rania of Jordan, Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts and Moss were also inducted

into Vanity Fair’s fashion hall of fame.

Authorities

are investigating the recent deaths of two members of the Flint, Mich. rap group

Skanibino Mob.

Deion J.L. "Bone Skanless" Smith was gunned down Friday (July 28) in

a hail of AK-47 gunfire outside his home on Alma Avenue. The 32-year-old rapper’s

fellow Skanbino member Marcus Mosley (AKA Young Kee) was found shot to death on

Lawndale Avenue near Dayton Street on Monday (July 31). Although

they haven’t ruled out a connection between the killings, police cite no evidence

linking the crimes. A woman who was with Smith is expected to survive the ordeal,

despite being critically wounded.No

arrests have been made in the case. However, authorities impounded a car that

matched the description of the vehicle used in Smith’s slaying after a man abandoned

it at a gas station Sunday morning after seeing police.Investigators

are believed to have information pointing to a suspect in "at least one of

the shootings," Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton told the Flint

Journal.

Smith survived being shot five times at close range and was acquitted of a murder

charge in 2002 in the

shooting death of a Flint man. The rapper was on probation for gun

possession when he was killed.The

32-year-old Mosley also ran afoul of the law when he was sentenced to 4 years

in prison in 1994 for cocaine possession. In 2001, he was caught with a gun in

his waistband during a drug bust, in which police also found $20,000 hidden in

a football.Mosley

denied having the gun but was sentenced to a year of probation in 2005. On

July 13, Smith attended a funeral for his 5-year-old niece, NiYauna S. Jones,

who was shot and killed by unknown assailants while riding with a relative who

was test driving a new car.

Bun

B. of UGK is setting up the next leg of their career by positioning their status

as mature, vets amid a rush of new talents.According

to Bun B., maturity and perseverance is what allowed the group to remain longtime

fixtures in the rap industry."Being

a southern n***a, we used to have to fight for our position. But now southern

rappers are valid and we just have to make the most of it. We know all the drills

and all the plays. I know the play book and that’s what’s important. We learned

how to deal with radio, record stores. We just didn’t have the push and that’s

what all Southern acts were missing at one time."To

continue, the Texas rappers UGK are preparing their final solo album as Jive recording

artists and are assembling a team of all-star producers to help create the self-titled

album.An

all-star line up of hit making producers have lined up for the group’s latest

effort, according to Bun B."We

are about to go to Las Vegas for a week to lock in with Timbaland, 36 Mafia, Cool

and Dre," Bun B. revealed to AllHipHop.com. "This album is going to

be a beast, I wouldn’t b####### you. Jazzy [Pha], Manny [Fresh], Timbaland, Blackout

Movement [and] The Runnaz."We

[are] trying to make a well rounded album," Bun B. said. "We want to

take Southern rap back to a certain feel. Banging ass music and real talk. The

solo albums were to keep this UGK going and this is new album is for the hardcore

fans."As

artists, the new album will reflect the continued growth of UGK, who released

their first album The Southern Way for Big Tyme Records in 1991.Bun

B. also addressed a growing controversy stemming from a lyric on the new single

"Can’t Stop the Rain 2006" featuring Shaq and Papoose, from Kay Slay

and Greg Street’s compilation, The Champions: North Meets South.Rumors

started speculating the Bun B. took a swipe at West coast DJ Felli Fel of Power

106, with the line "n***as used to be on top/but now you fell like Felli/""Fellie

knows I f**k with him," Bun B. clarified. I don’t have any issues with Fellie

Fel. He knows I f**k with him. But then everyone calling saying ‘that n***a dissed

you, when really I bigged him up. Instead I got some backlash. We don’t need anything

hindering this project because of what we are trying to do, bringing the north

and south together. If I don’t squash it, it’s going to give the beef validity.

I was giving Fellie a shout out."The

misunderstanding is minor compared to the tribulations the group has seen in its

15-year history.UGK

suffered a minor set back when group member Chad "Pimp C" Butler was

incarcerated in 2002 for parole violations. He served 3 years in prison and was

released in 2005.During

Pimp C’s three year incarceration, Bun B. made numerous cameo appearances and

dropped a solo album Trill, while Pimp C. released The Sweet James Jones

Stories from jail in 2005, as well as his album Pimpilation, which

debuted at #1 on Billboard‘s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.