Hip-Hop Summit Action Network chairman Russell Simmons and HSAN president/CEO Dr. Benjamin Chavis will be inducted Tuesday (July 25) as CISRI-ISP Permanent Observer Missionaries to the United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors program. CISRI-ISP is Rome-based intergovernmental institution that helps fight against malnutrition and extreme hunger in various countries around the globe. The new position will mark […]

KRS-One’s 2001 song "Steady Bounce" will serve as the theme music behind the new marketing campaign for Chrysler’s Compass SUV, that launches on July 31st.The auto giant’s multi-million dollar campaign is targeting city residents who are college educated and between the ages of 22-30.The Bronx-bred pioneer’s song, taken from his double CD Strictly for the […]

Midi Mafia’s Dirty Swift, born Kevin Risto, was hospitalized on Wednesday July 19 after a severe bike accident. The chart-topping producer suffered a fractured vertebrae in his lower back after crashing during an off-road biking practice at the Piru Motocross track in Los Angeles. Dirty Swift has been in Los Angeles finishing up songs for […]

U.S. rapper Ja Rule is heading to Africa to headline a concert in Nairobi, Kenya next week. The Inc.’s star artist will perform at the Carnivore grounds on Friday (July 28) as part of the Celtel Kenya Win a Porsche World Cup promotion. The rapper will hand over the keys to a Porsche to one […]

B-girl, a critically acclaimed 12-minute short film from sisters Emily and Elizabeth Dell, is being developed in to a full-length feature. The film centers on a young female breakdancer named Angel and the world of underground Hip-Hop. Since its late 2004 release, the short has received raves from filmgoers who connected with the film’s story and […]

Queensbridge MC’s Cormega and Lake have joined forces to record a full-length album titled My Brother’s Keeper. Set to be released via Fast Life Music, the disc contains 13 tracks with guest appearances from Fat Joe, Mr. Cheeks of the Lost Boyz, Greg Nice and R&B songstress Kira. The album also boasts production from D.I.T.C.’s […]

Afeni Shakur and the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation (TASF) have confirmed dates for the 8th presentation of the Shoulders of Giants, a show based on works from the spoken word album, The Rose That Grew From Concrete. The Rose… features Mos Def, Russell Simmons, Q-Tip, Mos Def, Danny Glover and Tupac’s mother Afeni Shakur contributing […]

R&B legend and renowned songwriter Smokey Robinson has released a new CD of standard songs titled Timeless Love. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer revealed he is also preparing another album with new material, to keep up with today’s sound. Robinson, 66, helped catapult Berry Gordy’s Motown label into history as a member of […]

Rapper Tommy Delando Burns aka Twisted Black was arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance last week, shortly before his new deal with TVT Records was announced. The 34-year-old Fort Worth based rapper was arrested by officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration on a warrant issued in Midland, Texas.Twisted Black has had […]

Nashville, TN startup EverGreen Copyright has acquired the music catalog of MC Hammer from the trustee of the rapper’s bankruptcy estate for $2.7 million. Evergreen, which was launched six-months ago by industry veterans Joel A. Katz, David K. Schulhof, and Richard Perna, now controls over 40,000 copyrights. "We made tremendous progress in only six months," […]

Rapper/actor Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones will be among a host of celebrities appearing this weekend at the annual Comic-Con in San Diego. More than 100, 000 people are expected to attend the event, which is described as the biggest comic book convention in the country. "I’m looking forward to being face to face with people […]

Port Arthur, Texas native and UGK group member Pimp C. scored a #1 debut with his solo CD The Pimpalation (Return of the Trill). The album hit #1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart this week, while landing at #3 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart. The album, which shipped gold, was released on July 11. […]

Pharrell Williams is in negotiations to build computer resource center for residents in his hometown of Virginia Beach, VA. Virginia Beach economic development director Don Maxwell told The Virginian Pilot that the size, location and cost of the center are still being determined, but plans could be finalized and presented to Virginia Beaches’ City Council […]

Music mogul Andre Harrell is making moves in front of the small screen as a judge in the new ABC series The One: Making of a Music Star. The show, which premiered last night (July 18), features 11 contestants who compete for an Interscope Records deal while living in the same house and receiving guidance […]

Rapper/actor Ludacris took a break from recording his newest album Release Therapy and attended a weekend of charitable events in Los Angeles and Miami to raise funds for his nonprofit charity organization, The Ludacris Foundation.Ludacris raised over $25,000 during a four-day weekend that saw the rapper take home an award during GM’s Auto Fashion Show, […]

Nicholas "Fat Nick" Minucci was sentenced to 15 years in prison yesterday (June 17). Minnuci was sentenced for fracturing the skull of another man, while using the word n***ER in June 2005. Queens Supreme Court Justice Richard Buchter chastised Minnuci, who fractured a black man’s skull with a bat, while uttering the racial epitaph. Minnuci […]

The Black Eyed Peas have postponed a trek to Mumbai and Bangalore, India, the group’s tour management announced. The concerts, scheduled to be held in Mumbai at the MMRDA Grounds and the Palace Grounds in Bangalore August 2 and 3 were canceled for reasons not specified. According to reports, the group plans to reschedule the […]

The Lincoln Park/Coast Cultural District (LPCCD) announces the 1st Annual Lincoln Park Music Festival in New Jersey. The three-day event is set to consist of a variety of activities including a film screening of Afro Punk, a Skateboarding camp and an Afro Punk concert featuring M-1 (of Dead Prez), Tamar-Kali, G.A.M.E. Rebellion and Yougalao. The […]