Critically-acclaimed

author and Hip-Hop activist Bakari Kitwana has collaborated with the Community

Technology Foundation of California to kick-off Rap Sessions, the first national

tour that explores race and Hip-Hop.

Rap Sessions presents a multiracial panel of Hip-Hop experts who will tour the

nation to engage youth and community leaders in candid, compelling conversations

about the Hip-Hop cultural movement and the emerging racial politics of our

time.

“What the nation witnessed in the 2004 presidential election relative to

youth was only the beginning,” Kitwana said. “This is a generation

of young people that is deeply concerned about the future of the nation and

wants to get involved. These community dialogues are designed to give young

people a forum and to help them find ways to expand the Hip-Hop movement beyond

the traditional confines race.”

The tour is geared toward targeting the Hip-Hop generation, young Americans

who have lived their entire lives in post- segregation era, and engaging them

in discussions around the new paradigm of race relations and social justice

as expressed through Hip-Hop arts.

The groundbreaking tour will conduct interactive community dialogues in ten

cities across the nation.

Panelists include

authors: Hip-Hop journalist and ethnic studies professor Oliver Wang, (Classic

Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide); Tufts University sociology professor Raquel

Z. Rivera (New York Rican From the Hip-Hop Zone); Spoken-word poet and novelist

Adam Mansbach (Angry Black White Boy); and award-winning Hip-Hop photographer

Ernie Paniccioli (Who Shot Ya?: Three Decades of Hip-Hop Photography).

The 10-city tour starts March 8, 2006 in Buffalo, NY. For more information about

Rap Sessions, log onto: www.rapsessions.org.

Rapper/actor Ice

Cube has announced that he will release his seventh solo album, Laugh Now,

Cry Later, in June via his independent label, Lench Mob Records.

The album is the

follow-up to Ice Cube’s Greatest Hits collection, which hit stores in

2001. The rapper, born O’Shea Jackson, put his film career on hold to focus

on recording the new LP.

"It’s a record

that flows from kind of one tone to the next," Ice Cube told AllHipHop.com

in a recent feature. "Laugh Now, Cry Later really is the state of the world

in a way. You know, you could say it’s the state of the world, the state of

America, the state of urban America.

Now everybody’s

doing a lot of playing and nobody’s really thinking about when God’s gonna make

us pay for all this at some point in time. That’s really what inspired me to

make it that title."

Scott Storch, Lil’

Jon and Swizz Beatz are among the contributing producers on the 18-track album,

with Snoop Dogg, WC and others making guest appearances.

The first single

is the Scott Storch-produced social commentary titled "Why We Thugs."

Ice Cube started

his career as a member of the pioneering rap group N.W.A., on Eric "Eazy

E" Wright’s Ruthless Records.

Ice Cube left the

group because of a financial dispute with Wright and N.W.A.’s manager, Jerry

Heller.

In 1990, he released

his solo debut, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, which was followed by Death

Certificate, War and Peace, Lethal Injection, The Predator

and others.

Laugh Now, Cry

Later hits stores June 6.

Trillville rapper Don P was arrested last week for the rape of a 16-year-old girl.

The rapper (born Donnell Prince) was charged with rape and two counts of aggravated sodomy.

According to Cory Hughes, a DeKalb County police officer, the alleged assault happened Dec. 16 at the Wood Crest Walk apartments in Lithonia, GA. During that time, Prince and another man took the girl into a bedroom, according to police, who also cite the other man in the rape.

After leaving the apartment, the girl and her friend called police, who arrived after most of the partygoers left.

The party was attended by about eight to 10 people, Hughes said Monday (Feb. 6).

Police are looking for the second man

Although Teresa Sanders, Trillville’s publicist, did not want to comment on the arrest Monday, Prince’s attorney, Keith Adams, voiced his opposition to the version given by authorities.

The girl was not a minor, Adams said, adding that there was more than one other person in the room at the time and the sex was consensual.

Adams further stated there were several people in the apartment that night and “none of them will corroborate what they [the police] say had occurred.”

Trillville is best known for their hits “Neva Eva” and “Some Cut,” which peaked at number 3 on Billboard

Roc-A-Fella rapper Freeway, of State Property fame, will collaborate with 50 Cent and G-Unit for his second album titled Free at Last, according

to his manager.

The album is co-executive

produced by Def Jam president Jay-Z and50 Cent and will be released Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella imprint via Def Jam, said Freeway’s manager Ryan Press of Press Conference Management.

" Jay-Z,

and 50 Cent will both be on my album," Freeway told AllHipHop.com. "I got mad love for [50]. What people don’t know is that

we have been tight for a while. Our first album both came out in the same month,

and we did a lot of shows and other things together back then."

50 Cent’s longtime

manager and G-Unit founder Sha Money XL also confirmed 50’s involvement in the

project, as well as Lloyd Banks and Young Buck.

The album is slated

to feature Kanye West, Beanie Sigel, the Roots’ Black Thought, Nate Dogg, and

Mariah Carey, in addition to production by West, Just Blaze, Chad Wes, Scott Storch, Dangerous

LLC, and Needlz, among others.

"Philly, I

got a crazy joint with Black Thought. You already know what time it is with

my joint I got with [Jay-Z]," said Freeway. "We only make classics,

and the joint with 50 is stupid.

According to Press,

Freeway is still currently signed to Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam and maintains good

ties with Jay-Z.

Representatives

for Def Jam could not be reached for comment.

"Jay-Z and

Freeway have a great relationship and they’re gonna work together for the album

and other projects," said Press. "[They’re] still very tight. There

are no problems there. Freeway wants to put the Roc back were it is supposed

to be."

Freeway made his

first notable appearance on "1-900-Hustler," from Jay-Z’s 2000 compilation

album, Dynasty: Roc la Familia.

The rapper followed

with his solo debut, Philadelphia Freeway in 2003.

His new album is

due tentatively in May.

"The album

is gonna be crazy. You’re gonna hear growth from Freeway, the same classic hood

bangers, and some stuff about why he has been in the cut for a minute,"

said Press.

He added that the

album will also address the status of Freeway’s relationships with G-Unit, State

Property, and fellow Roc-A-Fella founders Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs"

Burke.

"Any questions

that you have about Freeway will be answered on the album," said Press.

"He really wanted to stress that a lot of people are making songs that

just come and go but if you check his track record, ‘What We Do,’ ‘Rock the

Mic,’ and ‘Flipside’ are part of Hip-Hop history and are records that still

bang in main rotation even though they are three years old."

Added Freeway:

"I’m just very excited about my new album and also to help the unity in

hip-hop and prove that young black successful people can work together in this

game. It’s gonna be big for the east coast. We need something like this."

The Fugees will kick off Grammy week tonight (Feb. 6) with a free open-air concert on the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles.

The hip-hop trio–Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel–will perform their new single, “Take It Easy,” as well as new material from the long-awaited follow-up to their multi-platinum sophomore album, The Score.

That album spawned the hits “Killing Me Softly,” “Fu-Gee-La” and “Ready or Not,” and generated critical acclaim.

More than 8,000 fans are expected for the show, which will air Feb. 7 on an exclusive live broadcast titled “The 2006 Grammy’s Presents: The Fugees Reunited,” at midnight on New York’s Hot 97(WQHT) FM.

Verizon Wireless customers can watch highlights from the concert, as well as clips from previous Fugees shows, on their V CAST-enabled phones. Video from tonight’s performance will be available for free for a limited time.

“We are excited to perform at this exclusive Verizon Wireless concert to kick off Grammy week in L.A.,” the group stated. “As artists, we realized that there was more music we needed to make together. Verizon Wireless’ V CAST allows us to connect directly to our fans by placing the music from our hearts into the palms of their hands.”

The concert is one of the Fugees’ first performances in the U.S. since their breakup in 1997. The group reunited in late 2005 for a European tour.

In the coming weeks, V CAST Music customers can access audio recordings from the show and purchase recordings from the performance on their V CAST Music-enabled phones.

“The Fugees have legions of fans from coast to coast who crave their music,” said John Harrobin, vice president of marketing for Verizon Wireless, in a statement. “The availability of songs from this exclusive Fugees concert on V CAST–in both the video and music formats–gives our customers a front row seat in a truly mobile format while giving legendary bands, like the Fugees, a new way to connect with their fans.”

Tickets for the event will be distributed through LA-area radio contests, TXT and PIX messaging offers, at local area Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and by Verizon Wireless street team members.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the concert will begin at 7 p.m.

Following Slip-N-Slide

Records’ recent court victory against TVT Records over an unreleased Pitbull

album, the Miami rapper has released a statement about the collection of previously

recorded songs. A United States District Court Magistrate Judge sided with Slip-N-Slide,

ruling that the label can release Pitbull’s Welcome to the 305. "I

want it to be clear that this is not my second album. These are some old tracks

that I recorded soon after I left Luke Records," Pitbull told AllHipHop.com

in a statement. "El Mariel will be my follow-up album to M.I.A.M.I."

The two labels squared off in a Miami court, where Slip-N-Slide owner Ted Lucas

claimed Pitbull signed over all rights to the recordings when he was granted

a release from his contract in 2003 in order to sign with TVT. TVT claimed that

Slip-N-Slide was unjustly benefiting from TVT’s involvement with Pitbull, which

helped turn the rapper into a major recording star.

Grammy-nominated

producer DJ Toomp, along with longtime friend and business associate Bernard

Parks Jr., have joined forces to launch NZone Entertainment, a new label venture.

The duo desired to start their own company after years of crafting hits for

other artists and propelling them to stardom. An Atlanta native, DJ Toomp has

churned out hits for Young Jeezy, Ludacris, 8 Ball & MJG, Stat Quo, and

Boyz N Da Hood, among others. Most recently, Toomp produced T.I.’s "24’s,"

"Motivation," and "U Don’t Know Me" off Urban Legend,

and "What U Know" from the rapper’s forthcoming album King.

Parks is credited as one of the masterminds behind Goodie Mob who contributed

to the rise of Organized Noize and the Dungeon Family. NZone, in conjunction

with DJ Toomp’s production company Zoneboy, is currently focused on launching

the careers of Jack Bona and Suga Suga. The latter artist recently released

the single, "Do It With No Hands," and is touring and working on his

debut album. "I have these eyes and ears and I know what it takes to be

successful in this business and so does Bernard," said Toomp. "We

want to discover a star…We want to win."

Jay-Z and Linkin

Park will perform together at the 48th annual Grammy Awards, taking place on

Wednesday (Feb. 8) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The two acts join previously

announced performers John Legend and Kanye West, Madonna with Gorillaz, and

others. Comedian/actor Dave Chappelle will also introduce an all-star tribute

to Sly and The Family Stone, which will include Maroon5, will.i.am of the Black

Eyed Peas, Robert Randolph, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Joss Stone,

Legend, Ciara, and others. The ceremony will be broadcasted on CBS at 8 p.m.

E.T.

Snoop Dogg will

host "The Rapper’s Challenge Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament," a one-day

event slated to take place in Miami on May 5. Snoop and a variety of celebrity

rappers, actors, and top poker players from across the country will participate

in the event, which will take place on board a Casino Ship at the Port of Miami.

Later in the evening, various rappers will compete for $25,000 in a Monday Night

FightKlub battle. The Entrance fee for the "Rapper’s Challenge" is

$15,000 and includes no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournament play, access to the

pre-event Celebrity Registration Party, a Monday Night FightKlub, Uncle Reo’s

BBQ, the After-Party in South Beach, VIP admission to various clubs on South

Beach, and travel expenses (airfare and hotel). Snoop’s Uncle Reo will barbecue

on the top deck. Tickets are available for spectators as well, starting at $2,000,

with an additional $500 fee to play in the Charity Tournament.

Police are seeking

to question G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo in connection with a shooting on a Busta

Rhymes video set that left one man dead with a gunshot wound to the back.

While he is not

an official suspect, police are seeking to question Yayo about a heated argument

that took place on the set of the video, which was being filmed on location

in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, New York.

Israel Ramirez,

29, was gunned down shortly after midnight on Sunday (Feb. 5), about a half-hour

after a group of men were ordered to leave the building after an argument on

the set.

He

was rushed to Woodhull Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:10 a.m. Ramirez

was in charge of guarding Busta Rhymes’ cache of jewelry, which was being used

in the video.

Police are investigating

what rappers’ entourages were present and if any of the men were connected to

the shooting.

Rhymes was shooting

a video for his latest single "Touch It (Remix)". The video’s cameo

appearance list included G-Unit members 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks, DMX, Mary J.

Blige, Missy Elliott and other high profile celebrities.

Yayo and Rhymes

are labelmates on Interscope Records, home to Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment

and 50 Cent’s G-Unit Records imprint.

Contradicting earlier

reports, Rhymes, Ramirez and others were in front the studio when shots were

fired, sending people running for their lives.

The make of the

gun used in the shooting has not been confirmed: reports have cited the shots

came from an AK47, while others have identified the weapon as a 9mm or a .45.

Eight spent shells were also recovered.

Police are scanning

video footage to see of the murdered has been captured on tape but have yet

to find a suspect or a motive in the shooting.

According to the

New York Post, police are having difficulties contacting Busta Rhymes

and at least 50 other people that believe were at the scene of the shooting.

Atlanta rap group Dem Franchize Boyz were recently held up from leaving a Chicago high school after a performance, due to a minor prank.

One of the students decided to pull the school’s fire alarm to prevent the group from leaving the building.

Due to the fire alarm, the students had to use the schoolyard as an exit, which in turn blocked the path for DFB to make a quick exit.

Even under the supervision of the Chicago police, fans stood in front of the vehicle preventing any movement of the car.

It was reported that one student opened the door to the vehicle and pulled the passenger door off the track while trying to climb in the vehicle.

An accident report was filed, but no one was injured.

Dem Franchize Boyz’ second album,

On Top of Our Game, is due in stores

Tuesday (Feb. 7).

While some choose to view Black History Month as a celebration of Black achievements, Dead Prez member M-1 has released a statement denouncing it and urging Black people to speak out against inequality all year round.

“I think the concept of Black History Month is insulting and offensive to all people of African descent,” M-1 stated. “It seems like a measly, meaningless offer from the parasitic and capitalistic system that has amassed an empire of wealth from our worldwide community.”

A known political activist, M-1 (a.k.a. Mutulu Olugabala) serves as local president of the Brooklyn Chapter of the National Peoples Democratic Uhuru Movement and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement.

The rapper has also supported Friends and Family of Mumia-Abu Jamal, the Hands Off Assata organization, and participates in the annual Black August celebration in New York.

“Instead of offering us 28 days in February, we should be awarded reparations as this so-called Black History Month doesn’t include any agenda to lift oppression from Black life i.e. war on drugs, taxes, awful healthcare conditions, and economic disparity,” said M-1. “Further, the actual name of this ‘sacred’ month is damaging propaganda in [and] of itself.”

M-1 also referred to his new music video for “Til We Get There,” which depicts a group of neighborhood kids replacing the words “Black History Month” on a mural with “African History Year.”

“As my partner Sticman would say, we should call it Crack History Month because of the damage that has been done to our community,” the rapper added. “I propose a ban on the term ‘Black History Month’ because it doesn’t identify the land mass and the people that produced everything that we know as culture today.”

M-1’s solo debut, Confidential, is due in stores March 21.

Scott Storch has

a bone to pick with the Grammy committee. The super-producer, who was named

Billboard’s number one Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop producer of 2005, feels

he was snubbed in the Producer of the Year category for the 48th annual Grammy

Awards.

The Producer of

the Year nominees for the Feb. 8 ceremony in Los Angeles are the Neptunes, Jimmy

Jam and Terry Lewis, Danger Mouse, Nigel Godrich, and Steve Lillywhite.

"I was extremely

disappointed to find I was not nominated, and even more so when I saw the list

of nominees," said Storch.

Last year, the

veteran producer opened the first 20 weeks of the year with back-to-back number

one hits—Mario’s "Let Me Love You" and 50 Cent’s "Candy

Shop," featuring Olivia. "Candy Shop" went on to become the number

one ringtone of 2005.

Storch ended the

year strong with Chris Brown’s "Run It!" which held the number one

spot on the singles chart for five weeks, as well as five songs on Billboard’s

Hot 100 Year End songs chart.

Overall, Storch

produced 13 hit singles that were released in 2005.

Although he said

he isn’t trying to disregard the nominees, Storch feels it’s hard to justify

some of the names when looking at the big picture.

Three of the candidates

(Danger Mouse, Godrich and Lillywhite) have one or two albums credited to their

names for the entire year, said Storch, adding that Jam and Lewis have worked

with many artists but have not had as many 2005 number ones as Storch.

Police are seeking

suspects in an early morning shoot-out on the set of a Busta Rhymes video shoot

in Brooklyn, New York.

Israel Ramirez,

29, was shot once in the chest and was pronounced dead a short time later.

Rhymes, who was

in the studio at the time of the shooting, was not injured.

Rhymes was shooting

a full length remix video for his single "Touch It," on Green Street

in Greenpoint, known for it’s thriving artistic community.

Last week, Busta

Rhymes released three all-star remixes to "Touch It."

The video will

feature Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, DMX, Papoose, Rah Digga, Lloyd Banks,

Sean "Diddy" Combs, Winky Wright, Garry Sheffield, Raekwon and others.

Shortly before

the shooting marred the all-star video shoot, Rhymes was in good spirits.

"Touch It"

is taken from his highly anticipated Aftermath/Interscope debut The Big Bang,

which is slated for an April release date.

"I am blessed

to be in a position at this stage in my career that I could put out one record

and completely dominate the scene with the crème de la crème of

NY," Busta Rhymes said shortly before the shooting took place. "Mary,

Missy, Rah Digga, Banks, DMX and Papoose…its just the beginning.”

Police are viewing

surveillance footage from nearby buildings hoping to identify a suspect in the

murder.

Representatives

for Interscope declined to comment on the shooting.