Rappers Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg and Mos Def are among the celebrities to lend their voices to the upcoming season of the award-winning cartoon, The Boondocks. The series, which is based off the comic strip by Aaron McGruder, will premiere on Monday October 8 on the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block of programming at 11:30 pm. Fans can look forward to 15 new episodes, which revolves around the characters Huey, Riley and Granddad. Other featured voices include Ghostface Killah, Cee-lo, Lil Wayne, Aisha Tyler, Tichina Arnold, Mo’Nique, Tavis Smiley, Cedric the Entertainer, Xzibit, Charlie Murphy, MTV’s Sway, Katt Williams and others.
Thousands of fans will pay tribute to Houston’s late legendary DJ Screw during the annual DJ Screwfest Concert and Car Show, which takes place September 30 at the Reliant Arena in Houston, Texas. DJ Screw is celebrated for creating the “screwed and chopped” sound, a technique of remixing and slowing down a popular song to an alternate tempo. Over 15,000 fans will attend the all-day event, which features performances, 200 cars, graffiti writers and a turntable exhibition sponsored by the Bumquad DJ’z, who made DJ Screw an honorary member earlier this month. “DJ Screw was the quintessential DJ,” said Bumsquad DJ’z founder Latin Prince. “He represented DJ’s to the fullest and he believed in and supported his Houston artists and music as a whole, we are honored that his father accepted on his behalf to induct him as an honorary member of the Bumsquad DJ’z because he encompassed everything we’re about.” The annual event will raise monies benefiting the DJ Screw Foundation & the families of slain Houston rappers John “Big Hawk” Hawkins and his brother “Fat” Pat Hawkins.
Compton, California rapper Guerilla Black will release a new album titled God Bless The Child, which he says touches on God, the miracle of life and the “hood.” The rapper named the album God Bless The Child after he witnessed the birth of his son. His son’s birth made him reflect on his own childhood, as well as his future legacy. The album is the follow up to his debut album Guerilla City, which has moved over 300,000 copies. God Bless The Child features 12 new tracks and the first single from the album is titled “Whatever.” “Pay close attention to this s**t that’s about to go down,” Guerilla Black said. “I’m one of y’all!” God Bless The Child is due in stores before the end of the year.
Veteran producer Prince Paul has recruited Charli 2na of Jurassic 5 and Lady Bug Mecca of Digable Planets for his first children’s CD titled Baby Loves Hip-Hop. The CD is the continuation of the Baby Loves series, which includes titles Baby Loves Rock, Baby Loves Disco and Baby Loves Reggae. “My goal is to make a hip-hop record for kids that’s not corny,” Prince Paul told Newsday. “I listen to some of this children’s stuff and I think, ‘Oh, my god.'” Children will be entertained by the cast of characters Prince Paul has created for the CD, which include MC T-Rex, Billy Brontosaurus Tracy Triceratops, DJ Spinosaurus and The Bracheasaurs.Beat Box. Baby Loves Hip-Hop is due in stores in late 2007.