While G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks is revving up to release his sophomore album Rotten Apple on October 10, the rapper will also make an appearance on TLC’s#### show Miami Ink., where he’ll receive a full-back tattoo.The tattoo, intricately placed on Banks by renowned tattoo artist Chris Garver, depicts a New York City landscape, showcasing the […]

Kanye West has been announced as the newest addition to the William Morris Agency, the firm that also represents Sean “Diddy Combs.” William Morris will oversee and negotiate all aspects of the Chicago rapper’s recordings, production, publishing, touring, and endorsements. “We’ve always believed that Kanye West is one of the most talented, driven, important artists […]

The reunion of rap duo EPMD during VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors Week won’t be the only stop for the group, according to their DJ, Scratch. The pair is also in the early stages of planning a world tour. But in the meantime, EPMD will perform their first concert in eight years on Oct. 14 when they […]

Disturbing Tha Peace chief Ludacris has two reasons to celebrate this week with a new album and single atop the charts. Release Therapy, the rapper’s latest disc, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, selling 309,000 copies while the album’s lead single “Money Maker” featuring Pharrell also scored high, […]

A Washington Supreme Court declined to reinstate a libel lawsuit that was initially filed by C. Delores Tucker, the deceased Civil Rights Activist and foe of the late Tupac Shakur.The lawsuit was directed to a pair of Philadelphia papers–The Philadelphia Daily News and The Legal Intelligencer–for reporting that Tucker’s sex life had suffered due to […]

KRS-One and The Temple of Hiphop will embark on a tour of Florida during the I Am HipHop Preservation Tour, which will feature KRS-One offering what he dubs "edutainment," where he will educate and entertain crowds. The pioneering South Bronx rapper will teach crowds the art of emceeing and will focus on the strength and […]

Despite a successful launch, Spike TV has canceled the Blade television series which starred rapper Sticky Fingaz. Blade was Spike TV’s first original scripted action-adventure series, which featured Sticky Fingaz as Blade, an immortal half-man made famous by actor Wesley Snipes in the movie of the same name. The series drew record ratings for the […]

One lucky person could walk away with the full rights to their own Public Enemy album, as a live disc by the legendary group is scheduled to be auctioned off Oct. 26 by Ocean Tomo, an intellectual property asset management firm. The 24-track set was recorded in Helsinki, Finland, during Public Enemy’s 1999 European tour, […]

Anti-Bush statements still don’t fly these days. The latest target is Jackson, Miss., rapper Kamikaze, who was recently banned by student representatives at Mississippi’s Millsaps College after he criticized the war in Iraq during a performance.Kamikaze, one-half of rap group Crooked Lettaz with David Banner, was invited to speak and perform at Millsaps as part […]

All Access DVD has partnered with Starz In Black to produce 12 original episodes of All Access TV, a monthly television show that premiered two weeks ago.The joint venture calls for Starz to air 12 episodes once a month as a part of the network’s In Black Original series production.The first episode, which has been […]

A copyright infringment lawsuit involving the #1 single "Baby Boy" by Beyonce Knowles was dismissed in a US District Court. In July 2004, Jennifer Armour filed a lawsuit against Beyonce and other writers and producers of the song, which include Scott Storch, rapper Jay-Z, Jamaican artist Sean Paul and Sony Music, claiming "Baby Boy" was […]

While some MCs would be content celebrating a new $1.5 million label deal with Jive, Brooklyn-bred rapper Papoose is already planning his future with the rap group the Nation of Thugacation. According to Papoose, group members Tydro, Snipe, Odogg, Flip, Cbrown, Ike enfa diamonds, and R&B singer Maleeke will have cameos on the rapper’s upcoming […]

The market for religious-themed Hip-Hop continues to grow with the Gospel Music Channel’s addition of the new program Hype & Glory.The gospel/Hip-Hop video show, developed with Open Rivers Pictures, will be hosted by bilingual Christian rapper T-Bone, a pioneer of the genre who released his groundbreaking album Redeemed Hoodlum in 1993."We’re seeking out top graffiti […]

Rapper/Actor Ice Cube will add a touch of West Coast flavor to Howard University’s homecoming festivities in October.The former NWA affiliate was recently tapped to serve as ambassador and grand marshal for the annual affair, which will be called Utopia: Pinnacle of Dreams. Events slated for this year’s homecoming include a yard fest, an alumni […]

Wu-Tang Clan rapper Raekwon the Chef has officially signed with Aftermath Entertainment and will serve up his highly anticipated album Only Built for Cuban Linx II under the label founded by West Coast rapper/producer Dr. Dre. The announcement ends months of speculation as to whether or not the album would be released on the powerhouse […]

A show that was meant to welcome kids back to school spawned a “mini-riot” on Sept. 30 after a performance by rapper DMX. During the Back To School Jam at The Nassau Coliseum Yonkers rapper experienced audio problems with his microphone as he performed his best known hits. However, when the rapper’s show was completely […]

New York City’s Apollo Theater will be the site of the 10th Annual Mixtape Awards scheduled for Dec. 7, the Jus Muzik Group announced Thursday (September 29).In addition to celebrating its 10th year of honoring the best in the mixtape game, this year’s event will also be used to celebrate the life and memory of […]

An error in this week’s Nielsen SoundScan sales numbers reflected inaccurate sales figures, resulting in misleading numbers for artists like Lupe Fiasco, Chingy, and Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas.SoundScan subscribers were advised that there "may be anomalies in the data for the week ending 9/24/06, after a system failure at a "major chain," reportedly […]

Veteran rapper AZ doesn’t seem to be fazed by his lack of commercial success, as the Brooklyn MC continues to pound out albums. The next addition to his growing discography will be The Format, due Nov. 7 via his own label, Quiet Money Entertainment/Fastlife Music. The 12-track offering features appearances from Little Brother (“Rise and […]