Compared to last year, the Hip-Hop offerings at the Grammys were sparse at the 47th annual event. But Sunday evening (Feb. 13), the night saw rapper/producer Kanye West and Usher take away three awards, and Alicia Keys three. "Everybody wanted to know what I would do if I didn’t win," West shouted after claiming his […]

Continuing his successful run at the box office in the last few years, actor/rapper Will Smith’s latest movie "Hitch" brought in an estimated $45.3 million, debuting at No. 1 this weekend. In his first romantic comedy, Smith diverged from his typical action hero role, playing a New York City "date doctor" who helps men with […]

Pioneering producer Rick Rubin has signed a deal with Warner Bros. Records to distribute his American Recordings label, according to the New York Post. Rubin, who founded Def Jam Records in his NYU dorm room alongside rap impresario Russell Simmons, will bring several acts including the Jayhawks into the partnership. Rubin recently returned to his […]

Music and Fashion pioneer Russell Simmons recently etched another entity to his argosy of urban and political related ventures by launching the UniRush Financial Services. The company, which Simmons explained will assist Americans in climbing out of financial debt, will provide several banking and account managing opportunities assessable to minorities minus the stipulations and policies […]

Organizers have arranged a hip-hop benefit concert at BB King’s Blues Club in New York City February 22, to raise money for victims of the devastating tsunamis that hit South Asia last December. The concert is the first in a series of hip-hop benefit shows as part of "Rap for Relief," created by The Agency […]

Busta Rhymes’ lengthy hiatus from rap has seemingly caused the supply to exceed the demand and Hot 97 DJ Funk Master Flex has leaked a new song from the Aftermath rapper without permission. Flex premiered the Scott Storch-produced "I’ll Hurt You" on Wednesday and Busta has reluctantly started to promote his next album. "Somehow, some […]

Houston, Texas Rapper Kiotti has inked a deal with Unauthorized Entertainment and has secured major label backing from Asylum/WEA. Kiotti, who was featured in The Source’s “Unsigned Hype,” rejected offers from Def Jam, J Records and Sony, after his single “H##### H#####” dropped and was well received by rap fans. Shortly afterwards, Kiotti signed with […]

Rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was hit with a $43, 219 lawsuit by their lawyers Walter & Haverhill. The lawsuit, filed in Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County Court, claims that the multi-platinum rap group owes money for unpaid legal services. Representatives for the group declined comment. At an event celebrating his first ever Grammy nomination, Twista and luxury […]

Missy Elliott’s line of clothing Respect ME with sports giant adidas, hit a bump in the road – courtesy of the Queen of Denmark. Queen Margrethe II complained that Elliott’s logo, which the superstar rapper/producer designed herself, infringed on the Royal monogram. “Adidas has never intended to copy the crown or any other symbols of […]

Reebok is launching a $50 million dollar ad campaign, “I Am What I Am,” which will feature rappers Jay-Z, 50 Cent, NBA stars Allen Iverson, Yao Ming, tennis star Andy Roddick, soccer star Iker, skater Stevie Williams and actress Lucy Liu. The global campaign kicks off February 20th, with television ads running during the NBA’s […]

Though DMX’s tardy appearances and no-shows at scheduled performances have been well documented, the Yonkers rapper was the victim of a real concert scam in Springfield, Illinois this past weekend. Booking agents spent at least $1,325 to arrange DMX’s performance at the Orr Building on Illinois State Fairgrounds, according to Springfield’s State Journal-Register. The phony […]

The Game re-took the top slot on the Billboard charts this week with his seminal work, The Documentary, a work that moved over 190, 000 more units according to data derived from SoundScan. And while the album is already heralded as one of the best offerings of the year, Game took a second to address […]

Rza has a ominous date in court with the mother of his four-year-old daughter as she is seeking more financial support from the Wu-Tang Clan co-founder. Jamie Summers, the ex-girlfriend of the Rza, is taking the rapper to court the day after Valentine’s Day next week in an effort to get more money to support […]

Sway & King Tech, legendary hosts of the syndicated rap radio program “The Wake Up Show,” will showcase up-and-coming artists alongside veteran acts with the release of their second album Back 2 Basics. The title is intended as a return to focusing more on lyricism, the pair explains. “[It’s] all about giving talented MCs with […]

Brooklyn Mint, the clothing line launched by the late Notorious B.I.G. in 1996, will debut during the Magic Convention from February 14th-18th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Under the watchful eye of B.I.G.’s managers Mark Pitts and Wayne Barrow, Brooklyn Mint will drop several T-Shirts with images of B.I.G. with the approval of B.I.G’s mother, Voletta […]

Hip-Hop and Fashion entrepreneur Sean “P. Diddy” Combs recently turned down an offer from the Warner Music Group to purchase his Bad Boy recording label. The proposal was initially offered to acquire Combs’ share of the imprint, which is presently being distributed through Universal until early next year. The New York Times reported the deal […]

Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, will report in for a parole hearing today to appeal for a release from an Atlanta-area prison. The elder Shakur was arrested on Feb. 12, 1986 and was subsequently sentenced to 60 years in jail for an alleged conspiracy against the government according to his website. The feds […]

As the NFL put its best on display at Super Bowl XXXIX Sunday (Feb. 6) in Jacksonville, Florida, hip-hop, too, made its presence known. With about 140 million viewers expected to tune in, rap stars and R&B singers alike materialized in high quantity at the biggest football match-up of the year between the New England […]

Marion “Suge” Knight was arrested Saturday (Feb. 5) evening for suspicion of violating his parole after police found marijuana in his Ford pickup truck during a traffic stop, according to reports. Knight, 39, was arrested in Barstow, about 100 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The rap mogul is currently awaiting transfer to state prison […]

Founding Wu-Tang Clan member RZA will return to his native New York City Saturday (Feb. 5) to sign copies of "The Wu-Tang Manual: Enter the 36 Chambers, Book One." "The Wu-Tang Manual: Enter the 36 Chambers, Book One" is RZA’s introduction to Wu-Tang Clan’s history. The first book chronicles the philosophy of the band of […]