Rap Producer Claims He’s Unfairly Linked To Officer’s Murder
Rap producer Christopher Hicks was arrested Friday (Feb. 17) in connection to the murder of a California highway patrol officer. Sacramento’s Modesto Bee reported that Hicks unwittingly became linked to the murder suspect, 30-year-old Columbus Junior Allen II. Hicks, a veteran producer who has worked on movie soundtracks, is best known for his collaborations with […]

Terrence Howard Inks Deal With 310 Motoring
Actor Terrence Howard has struck a deal with 310 Motoring to become a spokesman for the high end automotive company’s 310 footwear line. The company is planning to launch The Terrence Howard campaign in men’s urban, fashion and lifestyle magazines around the world in markets where the footwear is sold. "I’m thrilled to take on […]

Wendy Williams Invests In High-End Champagne Company
Radio host Wendy Williams has finalized a deal to become part owner of The House of Georges Vesselle champagne as well as the company’s stateside spokesperson. The nationally syndicated radio personality invested in the company after years of tedious negotiations. "Well, first of all, I know it sounds crazy because I’m a simple Black girl […]

LL Still Loves The Ladies, Teams With Oxygen For Special Concert
Rapper/actor LL Cool J has teamed with Oxygen Media and will perform songs from his forthcoming 12th studio album, Todd Smith in the "LL Cool J Custom Concert Featuring Ne-Yo and Special Guest." Oxygen viewers starting voting on Feb. 17 to determine what hit songs LL Cool J will perform from his sizable catalog. The […]

Slim Thug Goes Titanium For Energizer Music Contest
Rapper Slim Thug has hooked up with Energizer for the battery company’s Engergizer Titanium Technology Freestylin’ music contest. The contest, which runs through March 24, will give participants the chance to freestyle over a beat provided by Energizer. "I started out by freestylin’ over different beats," Slim Thug said. "Energizer’s providing an opportunity for other […]

Snoop Dogg To Tour New Zealand
Snoop Dogg will tour New Zealand with a live band in April, ending an eight year absence from the country. The rapper, backed by his 12-piece band The Snoopadelics, will make stops in Wellington at the Events Centre on Apr. 13 and at the Supertop Ericsson Stadium in Auckland on Apr. 15th. The last time […]

Rappers Help Dub Magazine Launch 2006 Auto Show
Various rappers will help Dub Magazine kick off their 2006 Custom Auto Show & Concert today (Feb. 19) in Los Angeles, California. Auto enthusiasts and Hip-Hop lovers will see performances by Mike Jones, Paul Wall Slim Thug, Strong Arm Steady, Xzibit and a special surprise guest. Hundreds of the best customized vehicles in the United […]

Suge Knight Files Lawsuit Against Michael ‘Harry-O’ Harris
Marion "Suge" Knight and Death Row Records have filed a $106 million dollar lawsuit against Michael "Harry-O" Harris and others in Los Angeles Federal Court. Harris and Wasserman Comden Cassleman and Pearson LLP are named in the lawsuit, which claims Harris, who is serving a 28-year-sentence in a California State prison for attempted murder and […]

Universal Zulu Nation Calls Emergency Meeting to Recapture Hip-Hop
The Supreme World Council of the Universal Zulu Nation will hold an emergency meeting Feb. 22 to address what the group feels is an imbalance of Hip-Hop played on radio and TV stations. Expected to appear at the meeting to support the Universal Zulu Nation and founder Afrika Bambataa include Hip-Hop activists Kevin Powell, Davey […]

Police Seek Man Suspected Of Soulja Slim Retaliation Slaying
Houston, TX police are questioning Hurricane Katrina evacuees that sought refuge in the state, in an attempt to locate five men accused of various crimes, including a man suspected in a revenge murder related to the death of rapper James “Soulja Slim” Tapp. Police are seeking Jerome Hampton, 23, for the Dec. 28 murder of […]

Queen Latifah Receives First ‘Rosa Parks Lifetime Achievement Award’ From Newark, NJ
Rapper/actress Queen Latifah will receive the first Rosa Parks Lifetime Achievement award issued by her hometown of Newark, NJ. Latifah, born Dana Owens, will receive the award at Newark’s annual Black History Month Monday tribute on Monday (Feb. 20). The Rev. Keith Marshall of Macedonia Baptist Church will give the keynote address at the ceremony, […]

Jay-Z Chats With Roc Fans; Reveals Foxy Brown Had Surgery
Rapper Foxy Brown has undergone ear surgery and is in the process of recovering her hearing, Def Jam president Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter has revealed. Of the Def Jam-signed artist, Jay-Z said, "She just had an operation out in L.A. and hopefully within the next couple of weeks her hearing will slowly start to come back." […]

Dem Franchize Boyz Debut High On The Charts, Rack Up Ring Tune Sales
So So Def/Virgin Records’ group Dem Franchize Boyz recently reached the one million mark in ring tune sales, just as their debut album, On Top Of Our Game entered near the top of Billboard’s Top 200 chart. The Atlanta-based group racked up 1,056,924 in sales of ring tune versions of their #1 hit “I Think […]
Brooklyn Rapper Red Café Recovering From Car Crash
Brooklyn rapper Red Café was involved in a car accident this past weekend in a snowstorm that left portions of the East coast in a blanket of snow. According to his label, the accident occurred early Sunday morning as the rapper was driving his BMW. The rapper was recently released from Long Island College hospital […]

Big Daddy Kane, DJ Premier ‘Salute Heroes of Hip-Hop’
In commemoration of Black History Month, Double Xxposure and the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services (JBFCS) are sponsoring the first ever Salute to the Heroes of Hip-Hop, a one-day event celebrating individuals who have contributed to the success of Black people in the Hip-Hop industry. The one-day affair was organized to honor present-day […]

Nelly Files Lawsuit Against NY Luxury Car Dealership
Rap star Nelly recently filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court, alleging that a luxury car dealership in New York cheated him out of over $30,000. The rapper is seeking $37,000 from Manhattan Motorcars Inc. for breach of contract, fraud and unfair trade practices. While the filing did not specify why Manhattan Motorcars, which sells […]

NYPD Commissioner Says Busta’s Silence ‘Quite Disturbing’
Flipmode Squad rapper Busta Rhymes has garnered criticism from New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly for his silence concerning the recent slaying of one of the rapper’s bodyguards, Israel Ramirez. Kelly, who accused Rhymes Wednesday (Feb. 15) of withholding information about the slaying, complained that the silence of several potential witnesses has held up […]

Compton Rapper MC Eiht Inks New Deal, Preparing Album
Compton, Calif. rapper MC Eiht recently signed a distribution deal for West Music, a joint venture between the veteran rapper and Paid In Full/Koch. The union will produce a new album from MC Eiht titled Affiliated, which hits stores this spring. “I named it [Affiliated] because there are a lot of misconceptions in the street […]

Block Ent. Inks Deal With Bad Boy, New Albums From Yung Jock, Jody Breeze On The Way
Russell "Block" Spencer, CEO of Block Enterprises, recently inked a multimillion dollar label deal with Sean "Diddy" Combs’ Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment and Warner Music Group (WMG). "When Block and I first met, I realized he had an ear for the streets of the South," Diddy told AllHipHop.com in a press release. "Block brought us […]

Mos Def In Court Over Child Support
Mos Def appeared in court yesterday (Feb. 14) after filing for divorce from his wife, Maria Yepes-Smith. Mos Def, born Dante Smith, was ordered to pay $10,000 a month to support their 7- and 8-year-old daughters. The rapper has paid roughly $8000 a month since the order was issued, but said obligations to his three […]