Multi-talented emcee Mos Def will return from a 3 year hiatus with his 4th studio album, The Ecstatic.   Mos debuted two new tracks courtesy of his Myspace page (www.myspace.com/mosdef): the Mr. Flash produced “Life In Marvelous Times,” and “Quiet Dog Bite Hard,” produced by Preservation.”   Both songs are available for download via iTunes […]

Veteran rapper Grand Puba is returning to rap with a clean slate with his fourth solo album, Retroactive.   The forthcoming release is under a new deal with New York City based independent record label Babygrande Records.   Best known as a member of the rap collective Brand Nubian, Grand Puba has carved his own […]

Hip-Hop soul pioneer Mary J. Blige was recently cleared of copyright infringement accusations stemming from her 2001 hit “Family Affair.”   The suit was filed in January by Leonard Jones and James White.   White, who previously managed a rapper named Benevolence, claims to have submitted the artist’s copyright-protected demo to Universal Records in May […]

Accusations of deception and sabotage are at the heart of a new lawsuit filed by the mother of deceased rap legend Tupac Shakur against Morgan Creek.   Afeni Shakur’s Amaru Entertainment has filed a $10 million cross complaint that claims Morgan Creek head James Robinson and other tried to strong-arm a deal for the movie […]

50 Cent has announced plans to tour with rock group Fallout Boy on the group’s Believers Never Die Part Deux tour, which kicks off next month.   The Queens-bred rapper mwill join the tour starting on April 14, when the group plays in Dallas.   Other tour dates in which 50 is scheduled to take […]

Rapper Kid Cudi is ready to exit the music game even before his debut album is released this summer, a direct result of the pressure, rigors and foolishness of the profession. The rapper wrote a comprehensive blog post where he explained his looming exodus. “After the release of my first LP this summer, I am […]

Yesterday (March 13), digital label A.E.G. announced that Tupac Shakur and Boot Camp Clik’s fabled One Nation album would finally see an official release on March 20.   While Hip-Hop fans were surprised, no one was more so than Duck Down CEO Dru Ha, who explained that his organization was never approached about releasing the […]

Former Fugees member Pras Michel is being sued by three homeless people over his 2007 documentary Skid Row.   Michelle Hassan, Wesley Bolden and Terrell Brown claim Michel disguised himself as a homeless man to “star” in the film, which chronicles the rapper’s nine-day experience living in the 50-square-block Skid Row section of downtown Los […]

Rapper/television star Flavor Flav celebrated his 50th birthday last night (March 15) at BB King’s nightclub in New York City with a concert with Public Enemy.   The rapper was joined by Ice-T and Coco, boxing trainer/commentator Emmanuelle Stewart, Grand Master Melle Mel and others like his wife Liz.   As a special request, Ice-T […]

A number of varied artists are coming together to support the 2nd Annual Roots Picnic this June in The Roots’ hometown of Philadelphia.   Public Enemy, Asher Roth, Santigold, The Black Keys, Kid Cudi and The Roots themselves are included in the picnic’s lineup, which will feature a main stage and a second stage to […]

UPDATED: 12:45 PM   Popular Detroit rapper Trick Trick was shot in his hometown of Detroit during a show featuring New York rapper Jim Jones this morning (March 16).   Trick Trick is in a Detroit area hospital, where he is recovering from a single gunshot wound sustained during the melee, reports the Detroit Free […]

Atlanta based rapper Pastor Troy is preparing a new album of material titled Feel Me or Kill Me, the follow up to his 2007 album Tool Muziq.   Troy’s latest album is his third under a deal with San Francisco-based independent label SMC Recordings.   The 12-tracks on Feel Me or Kill Me features production […]

Fresh off teasing fans with a trailer for an upcoming p### video featuring the mother or Rick Ross’ daughter, 50 Cent has officially released the X-rated clip for the public to view.   Throughout the close to 13 and a half minute video, which debuted last night (March 13) on boobootv.com, the G-Unit frontman portrays […]

Oakland, California rapper MC Hammer has been hit with a lawsuit over an inspirational book that a publishing company claims was never finished.   Simon & Schuster filed the lawsuit on March 5, seeking the return of a $61,000 advance doled out to Hammer for the book Enemies of the Father: Messages from the Heart […]

Coolio has scrapped a series of shows in Australia due to his arrest at Los Angeles International Airport last Friday (March 6). Coolio, who recently starred in UK Celebrity Big Brother, was arrested at the airport after a screener found crack cocaine in his possession, resulting in a scuffle between the rapper and security. He […]

After 13 years of speculation and legal wrangling, the late Tupac Shakur’s dream of musically uniting the East and West Coasts has become a reality with the release of his ambitious One Nation album.   The opus was originally conceived by Tupac in 1996, after he witnessed the media and fan fallout of his personal […]

Tina Davis, manager of Chris Brown, has denied that she sent Chris Brown a 3-page “sex text” to the embattled singer. “The relationship between Ms. Davis and Mr. Brown is that of manager and client. There has never been any other relationship. The rumors in circulation are false,” said Marshall B. Grossman, Davis’ lawyer. “There […]

Miami rap star Trick Daddy has signed a deal with MTV/Pocket Books to release his autobiography, officially titled Magic City: Trials Of A Native Son.   The new book will be penned with the help of award-winning journalist Peter Bailey, a former staff writer at The Miami Herald.   Magic City, which was acquired from […]

U.S. Hip-Hop star Wyclef Jean arrived in Port au Prince yesterday with former U.S. President Bill Clinton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a high profile trip to Haiti.   The appearance is part of an effort to bring attention to the Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.   Jean was part of […]

Rap pioneer Yo-Yo is making a return to music with a new album titled My Journey To Fearless: The Black Butterfly.   The EP is the first full-length release from the Grammy nominated rapper since 1996’ album Total Control.   My Journey To Fearless feature cameos from Raheem Davon, Missy Elliot, Keri Hilson, DJ Toomp […]