In an interview with Hot 97’s Morning Show staff, Mase, Jim Jones and Cam’ron engaged in a heated debate, with the two Dip Set members questioning Mase’s authenticity. On air, Mase recalled the cause of his split with Cam’ron, with whom he once rapped with. The incident started when Mase claimed he offered to split a $50,000 fee for appearing in Cam’s 1998 hit song “Horse-n-Carriage,” instead of him doing the song for free. Diplomat CEO Jimmy Jones called the show enraged. “I will do it to you duke," Jones said. "I don’t like you. You shouldn’t have came out your mouth. I’ll put some dentures in your mouth. Go back down south with your congregation. Tell the truth. For you to sit there and lie…you are a reverend.” Jones also charged that Mase left the game due to pressures from individuals in Harlem who extorted him. Mase eventually gathered himself and denied the charges that he was forced out of Harlem. Mase explained that he had already purchased land in Atlanta, Georgia and was planning to move. Continuing, he stated, in his slow tone, that after a close friend was stabbed, he headed down south and that it had nothing to do with unsavory characters forcing him to leave. “People grow up, I don’t have time for that,” Mase said. “[During commercial break] I was praying for Jimmy, I love them dudes. It’s just sad when people don’t understand.” Angry like Jones, Cam’ron called in shortly afterwards, questioning Mase’s motives for returning to the rap game. “I’m just not into the lies I’m into the truth and that’s it. The only thing you did was took me to counseling, you broke out on everybody and left. That’s what you do, you did it before and you’re gonna do it again,” Cam stated on air. “I’m not a chump like that. [Mase], tell them how you called me and asked me to do an album last week,” Cam told Mase. “[Diplomats are] gonna make $150 million off the liquor. There aint no money in this rap game. I just do the music because I am nice. I wish you the best, but tell the truth.” Cam’ron even called Mase a fraud and said that he had a tape of one of Mase’s sermons, where he said rap music “is the devil.” “You’re a reverend lying. I was there," Cam said. "You said rap is the devil at your speeches in church. I got it on tape…and [now] you’re rapping [again],” he said. “The reverend is up there lying. I wish you the best of luck, stop lying.” Mase rebutted, calling the rappers thin-skinned. Mase did admit to Cam’ron’s accusations surrounding his statements about rap but said, “When I think about how the people need what I have to say [I changed my view]. It’s just like money. The same money that buys marijuana, buys bibles. Rap is not really of the devil, it’s what people say in it. “I cannot not express the truth because they’re sensitive,” Mase said. “I don’t have any problems with them. Even in the bible when a person knows that you come to say something powerful, they try to discredit your name. One word from God can wipe out years of wrongdoing.” Mase, who said that he was going on the road with Usher to promote his new album, closed his appearance on the Hot 97 show with a prayer: “In the name of the Heavenly Father, I thank you today for forgiving me for all my wrong doing and shortcomings. I thank you for dying on the cross for all of my sins. I am healed, I am delivered and I am rich. Amen.” Incidentally, Mase and Jim Jones will release albums on the same day, August 24.

Kimberly "Lil’ Kim" Jones’ perjury trial was delayed after a judge gave her lawyers more time to review evidence presented by the prosecution. Jones is accused of lying to a grand jury about her knowledge of a daylight shooting in 2001 that occurred in front of Hot 97’s New York offices. Prosecutors objected to the delay, which was moved from November to February 28. On Wednesday, Jones again pleaded not guilty to the charges the government has levied against her. She is free on $500,000 bond and has called the charges baseless. Prosecutors claim the shooting stemmed from a dispute between her and rapper Foxy Brown, who was not present at the scene of the shooting that left one man wounded. Also charged were Jones’ manager Damion Butler, bodyguard Suif Jackson and a friend, Monique Dopwell, who all pleaded innocent. Prosecutors also argued that Lil’ Kim created a conflict of interest when she paid for Dopwell’s lawyer. Additionally, prosecutors indicted Kim’s business manager, Hillary Weston, 32, of destroying records. Weston is free on $50,000 bail. A hearing pertaining to the issue will be held next week.

Gregory “Big Hutch” Hutchinson a.k.a.Cold 187um from pioneering Hip-Hop group Above the Law has been indicted for conspiracy to traffic almost 1,000 pound of marijuana. Hutchinson turned himself in yesterday, to begin serving an unspecified amount of time for violating federal drug laws. In an exclusive interview with AllHipHop.com before he started serving his time, Hutchinson explained how his simple association with the wrong people landed him in the hands of federal authorities. Hutchinson said that unidentified men he had once been in contact with were arrested by federal agents in a drug sting. The men claimed that Hutchinson had financed their drug operation, a charge he denies. “I knew them through mutual friends,” Hutchinson told AllHipHop.com. “It was a situation where guys who were working with my company and doing their thing. I had knowledge of what was going down, but that’s it. They decided to put me in it and I was hit with a conspiracy charge. That’s just the way it played out. I confess up to my wrong doing. It’s just that you don’t know who your friends are.” According to Hutchinson’s account, an employee of his record label was being monitored by federal agents and that is how he came to the attention of law enforcement. Authorities claim that Hutchinson financed the drug operation and that his label was the recipient of the drug proceeds, a charge the rapper/producer vehemently denied. Hutchinson recently finished his second solo album, Live from the Ghetto on his West World Records and is preparing another album that will be released during his incarceration titled Only God Can Judge Me. "Sometimes we try to help people too much and you can’t really play that anymore," Hutchinson said. "They are putting us legit guys trying to help get guys off the street in a stronghold.” This is not the first time a group member has come under the eye of federal authorities. In February of 2002, group member Anthony “Total K-Oss” Stewart pleaded guilty to drug and child-endangerment charges after police found rock cocaine in his Corona, California apartment. According to court documents, the drugs had a potential street value of $250,000. Above The Law was signed to Eazy E’s Ruthless imprint and in the early 90’s released their ground breaking album, Living Like Hustlers. The album is hailed as one of the groundbreaking releases of the era, due to the involvement of a young producer named Dr. Dre, who helped produced the album with Above The Law. The group was also signed to Suge Knight’s Death Row Records for a period of time.

Bad Boy rapper Loon will appear in Beverly Hills for a September 8 preliminary hearing for an assault case that occurred earlier this year. In February, the rapper allegedly stabbed a security guard when a group of men attempted to forcefully enter the House of Blues in Los Angeles, California during a release party for Lil Jon. Police said that in the ensuing fracas, the security guard was injured. Loon reportedly missed an initial court date on June 3 and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He and his co-defendant William Reyes appeared before a judge soon after. Singer/ rapper Lauryn Hill has reportedly upset organizers at “Rock The Vote,” an initiative backed by MTV. The singer was tapped to perform at a pre-Democratic National Convention in Boston. However, the singer only performed one song, according to a story by the New York Daily News. She played one acoustic song and departed, reports say. According to “Rock The Vote” planners, Hill was supposed to play for a longer, unspecified period of time. LL Cool J has jumped into the 59Fiftyat50 fray and designed his own cap like other Hip-Hoppers before him. LaLa of MTV fame is the most recent cap designer, but others like Cam’ron, Fabolous and Spike Lee have already crafted their own. Cam’ron’s hat was made in his trademark colors pink and purple. Def Jam has reportedly moved up the release date of incarcerated rapper Shyne’s album, Godfather Buried Alive, to August 10 in order deter online piracy and bootlegging. A new single will follow the release of the album. Sean ‘P.Diddy’ Combs has been the victim of a high-end heist. About 7.2 million in jewelry was stolen from his New York office, according to a number of published sources. No suspects have been found at press time, but those close to the situations feel the thief/thieves have access to the mogul. Bad Boy employees have been rumored to be taking polygraph lie detector tests. Method Man is reportedly extremely unhappy with the script and writers behind the “Method & Red” show. The show, which he serves as an executive producer, has been criticized for being stereotypical. Meth however had stated that the show isn’t “ghetto” enough and has gotten writers ousted to redirect the show. “Method & Red,” has seen a decline in viewers since it premiered.

Contrabandit.com has teamed with an organization called Slam Bush and the League of Independent Voters PAC to create a national MC battle and poetry series created to allow the Hip-Hop generation to take a stand against President Bush and help oust him from office. Starting in August, contestants in Slam Bush will compete in regional battles held in key swing states across the country. The winners will move on to the finals in September in Miami, with the aim of taking home the grand prize of $5,000. Chuck D., Wordsworth, Joshua "Fahiym" Ratcliffe and Medusa will serve as the judges of the contest. The final battle that takes place is will coincide with the presidential debate that is slated to take place in late September. "Slam Bush is an opportunity for the Hip-Hop generation to use its own voice to stand up against George W. Bush," organizer Rob "biko" Baker told AllHipHop.com in a statement. "For years Hip-Hop has been an informal political voice, now it’s time to show we can make change at the polls." For more information on how to participate and/or organize an event visit www.slambush.net or contact Robert "biko" Baker at 213-925-1545/biko@contrabandit.com.

Kimora Lee Simmons, wife of mogul Russell Simmons was arrested in New Jersey and charged with a series of drug and traffic violations, after she was stopped and marijuana was allegedly found in her vehicle on Sunday (July 25). According to reports, Kimora was driving near her home in Saddle Brook, New Jersey when officers attempted to pull her over. Police allege Kimora made no attempt to stop and did not pull over until she reached her home. Kimora was charged with eluding a police officer, possessing marijuana, careless driving, operating a vehicle while possessing a controlled substance, tail-gating and having a taillight out. She and her clique charge that she was a victim of excessive force as well, as she claims to have bruises on her wrists. Hip-Hop tycoon Russell Simmons, Kimora’s spouse, said the arrest and subsequent “abuse” shocked him. Simmons said that his wife may have also been the victim of racial profiling. “When my wife noticed the police were behind her, she put on her hazard lights and drove a short distance because there was no shoulder on the road,” Russell told AllHipHop.com. “She drove to her home where the entire illegal search and abuse was filmed by our home security cameras. The first question they asked was ‘is Russell home?’” Similarly, Kimora’s attorney accused the police of illegally searching the car and also stated that any unlawful drugs in the automobile belonged to an unidentified passenger. Furthermore, her attorney also said that her arrest was another example of police targeting prominent members of the Hip-Hop community. “We’ve had a great relationship with the police chief and most of the Saddle River Police Department,” Russell told AllHipHop.com. “The arresting officer was one we don’t know. I guess we enjoy a privileged life in that community, but my guess is that other people of color who drive through are not afforded the luxury we have. I am always looking for new material for my new show on Court TV, but I didn’t think my family would be candidates to be featured on it.” In related news, Baby Phat Fashions, the company headed by Kimora, recently dropped a new extravagant shoe called the Diva Sneakers, which is designed to motivate inspire young women.

De La Soul is set to release their eighth album, The Grind Date, with a high-end signing to the Matthew Knowles-headed Sanctuary Urban Records Group. The album is slated for release on September 28. De La Soul member Pos said that Knowles was attracted to De La because of their proven durability, consistency and their built-in fan base. “We have shown a steady pace of longevity. Nowadays, people are so quick to want to blow up, but they burn themselves out very quickly instead of moving slow and steady. I’d like to think that De La Soul is like incense that’s burning slow and even by the time it’s fizzed out, it’s left a great aroma,” Pos stated. DJ Mace said that the album’s title is indicative of their mantra after 15 years in the rap game and the industry’s mentality overall. “To get to the point of releasing this new album it’s been a grind, but as a group we have never stopped working,” Mace said. “Over the past three years we have been busy traveling the world taking hip hop to places like Prague, Ireland, and Poland, as well as continuing to play in the mainstays such as London and the U.S.” The Grind Date features a cornucopia of guest appearances like filmmaker Spike Lee, Bonz Malone, crooner Carl Thomas, Common, MF Doom, Sean Paul, Ghostface Killah. Production is being handled by JayDee of Slum Village fame, Dave West, Madlib, and Jake1. Additionally, for those that thought De La was dormant, Maceo revealed that the group had a few extraordinary dealings slightly outside of Hip-Hop’s conventional boundaries. He said, “We have also been busy designing a new limited edition shoe with Nike called the ‘De La Dunk’ that is due to arrive in stores in the fall, and we are gearing up to teach a class a NYU (New York University) this fall on Hip-Hop, as well as working on our new album.” Furthermore, the new deal with SURG also coincides with the group’s new record label, AOI Records. Knowles, who is also Beyonce’s father, said that he was thrilled at the reality of joining forces with such a mainstay in Hip-Hop. “Hip Hop’s dominance in the marketplace is sprinkled with a handful of creative, envelope-pushing artists, and De La Soul is one of them. I am happy to begin our foray into the Hip-Hop industry with veterans such as De La Soul…we are going to be very successful together,” Knowles said. Concluding, Dave (aka Trugoy) concluded,” The most important thing to us is respect. We’ve never compromised ourselves or our artistic point of view and we, as people are just everyday people. You are never going to see us doing anything other that what we do. Being Dave, Pos, or Mace.”

Jay-Z, Outkast, Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West and Missy Elliot were all nominated for multiple awards at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards. The awards show is being held in Miami, Florida, the first time the event has been held in a city outside of New York or Los Angeles. Jay-Z led the pack with a total of six nominations for his video “99 Problems.” Outkast, Usher, Beyonce and No Doubt earned five nominations each, Kanye West earned four for “All Falls Down,” Black Eyed Peas scored three nominations and Missy Elliot earned two. D-12, 50 Cent, Ludacris, Nelly, Twista and Chingy were also nominated for awards. It was also announced that Kanye West and Usher have been added today to perform during the annual awards ceremony. "We’ve brought in the heavy hitters," said Van Toffler, President, MTV & MTV2. "These artists put on incredible live shows, which combined with the heat of Miami, some surprise collaborations, and a stage like no other seen on television will make for an unforgettable night." The 2004 MTV Video Music Awards take place at Miami’s American Airlines Arena on August 29 and will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. EST.

A group of protesters that included Hip-Hop legend Africa Bambaataa boycotted the Kool Mixx DJ Championship in Chicago on Saturday (July 24). The majority of states that make up the United States of America have filed lawsuits against Brown & Williamson, makers of the Kool brand of cigarettes. Attorney Generals in various states including Illinois claim that Brown & Williamson violated a 1998 billion dollar settlement agreement between the U.S. and cigarette makers to stop targeting potential underage smokers. "Your body is your first temple, your first mosque, your first church," Bambaataa said in front of the Vic Theatre. "We’ve got to respect what goes in our bodies." The competition has gone on for six years, but this is the first year that the Kool cigarettes came in packages featuring brown-skinned people. That bolsters claims that Brown & Williamson are marketing the cigarettes to African-American and Hispanic youth. Brown & Williamson said the packaging was a mistake and discontinued the line. In an affidavit accompanying a lawsuit filed against Brown & Williamson in Baltimore, Maryland, a professor at the University of Southern California labeled Brown & Williamson’s Kool campaign effective marketing to a select group of people. “Hip-Hop is one of the music genres most preferred by the youth culture, and the popularity of this genre declines as the age group increases," Kamins said. "As a result, linking one’s marketing strategy to Hip-Hop is an extremely effective approach if a company wishes to sell its product to youth." Another professor, Richard Daynard of Northeastern University, labeled Brown & Williamson “particularly reckless.” A spokesman for Brown & Williamson defended the marketing campaign, claiming Hip-Hop was popular in the 25-34 demographic. The spokesman also said magazine advertisements are only included in publications sent to adult subscribers. "When we say it is brand merchandise, they say it is not,” Marlene Trestmen, special assistant to Baltimore’s attorney general relating to tobacco issues told the Baltimore Sun. "When we say it is youth-targeting, they say they did not. To have any certainty in the state of Maryland, we were really left with no choice but to proceed with this enforcement action."

Today, a scheduled appearance by Fat Joe’s Terror Squad was suddenly cancelled by the South Street Seaport in New York City. The venue gave no reason for the cancellation, which was supposed to take place on TS’s Tuesday release date (July 27). Even though no reason was sited, Fat Joe said that it based on unfounded fear of violence on the part of the city. He charged that organizers had enormous levels of insurance to comfort the South Street Seaport. Nevertheless, those in Philly can check out the “Exclusive Lean Back Party” at club Transit on Thursday, July 29 with appearances from Fat Joe and Terror Squad. Viktor Vaughn, alter personality of super-villain MF Doom is set to drop a new CD entitled Venomous Villain set for release August 3 from Insomniac Music. It features cutting edge production from a number of notable beat makers and appearances from various artists including Kool Keith. Producer Iz-Real describes the album “progressively thugged-out, new era rap.” Reebok International announced a drop in second-quarter earnings by 15%, despite being linked to rappers like 50 Cent Jay-Z and others. Hip-Hop related apparel saw and incredible sales leap, as high as a reported 350 percent according to published reports. Reebok will hope to add the Hip-Hop related income by launching a line of footwear with Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes. Organizers recently announced the 7th annual Black August Celebration with Talib Kweli and Common headlining. The event will take place at B.B. Kings Bar and Grill in New York for the benefit concert™. The event is described as a “celebration of Hip Hop,” which aids political prisoners. Black August 04 will also feature the talents of Jean Grae, Flo Brown, Saigon and others. M1 of dead prez will host the event. Organizers promise that there will be other special appearances. Previous Black August alumni include Erykah Badu, Fat Joe, Mos Def, The Roots, Goapele, Keith Murray, dead prez and many others. Andre 3000 of OutKast is using his knack for shocking people to good use in a new ad campaign to encourage voting. Famed photographer Dave LaChapelle shot the ATLien with a tie shoved in his mouth symbolizing silence. His ad is a part of the “Only You Can Silence Yourself” voting movement and it also features others like Christina Aguillera, who is featured with her mouth “stitched” shut.

Ja Rule surrendered to a Toronto court this morning to face assault charges, stemming from an altercation at a nightclub. Police refused to release details on the incident, which took place June 5 at Tornoto’s La Rouge nightclub. They did say the multi-platinum rapper was charged with assault causing bodily harm. On July 1, Ja Rule ran afoul of the law when he was pulled over for driving erratically in Manhattan. A search of his Mercedes Benz revealed a small amount of Marijuana. He was arrested due to an outstanding warrant from 1996 for resisting arrest, fined $100 dollars and released. The marijuana charges were later dropped.

Cash Money has further bolstered their R&B repertoire with the signing of R&B songstress Lil’ Mo. Sighting a lack of support from her former label, the defunct Elektra Records, the New York native said she intends to refocus her musical career. Lil Mo’ joins the legendary Teena Marie as another leg to the R&B component of the largely Hip-Hop label and according to unnamed sources, may release the first single “Hot Girls,” which features rapper Fabolous. Her Cash Money debut is tentatively titled Syndicated: The Lil’ Mo Hour is scheduled for an early 2005 release. The 27-year-old R&B veteran is best known for her two gold selling albums, “Based On A True Story,” and the highly touted “Meet The Girl Next Door.” She has also lent her vocal talents to a plethora of popular artists, such as Keith Sweat, BLACKStreet, Missy Elliot, Next, and Joe Budden.

Hip-Hop music has been meshed with almost every musical genre. Country music star Tim McGraw is breaking ground and incorporating the art form into his live stage show. McGraw’s 2004 tour is being hailed as a milestone event due to the inclusion of an African-American rapper named Cowboy Troy, who rhymes during McGraw’s set. Troy, who is 6’5 and 260 pounds, performs with McGraw on the song “She’s My Kind of Rain” complete in cowboy hat, boots jeans and a large belt buckle. “CTB” is no stranger to rapping. He started his career in 1989 and honed his rhyming skills in bars around the Dallas, Texas area before heading for the bright lights of Country music capital, Nashville, Tennessee. He has released three independent albums, Hick-Hop Hysteria (2001), Beginner’s Luck (2002) and Vintage (2003). “One day in the future, people might point to the current Tim McGraw tour as the start of something big,” music critic Jim Harrington wrote. “I’m not talking about McGraw’s career. That’s already plenty big enough. I mean the mainstreaming of a new musical trend: hip-hop country. In five years, if not sooner, when rap mingles as easily with country as it now does with rock, scholars will see McGraw’s 2004 tour as a milestone event.” And despite purists’ objections to the mixing of the two art forms, the crowd that attended McGraw’s show at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California embraced the concept. “I’m a country girl and my husband is more rap and rock,” Brianne Critchley told the Alameda Times Star. “But I really liked it.”

New car company Scion is offering upcoming rap artists or musicians an opportunity to help realize their dream, by offering a chance to win a $50,000 marketing deal. The promotional deal is one that includes three industry heavyweights judging the work of the 10 finalists. TVT executive Bryan Leach, radio personality Eric Cubiche and producer Just Blaze are the judges scouting for talent. “This is one of the few opportunities for aspiring artists from all over to have their music listened to and judged by the people who are actually doing it, without it being hokey or turned into some dramatized ploy for ratings,” Just Blaze told AllHipHop.com. The winner of the contest will receive a fully produced music video and live performances at Scion’s monthly Hip-Hop events, which take place in various cities across the United States. If it’s hot it’s hot and if it’s not… Next,” Just Blaze exclaimed. “No crying artists, no beef, no walking for cheese cake, just music.” Entries to the contest must be submitted by August 2, 2004. For more information on the contest, visit http://www.scionnextup.com or email chuck@runllc.com.

A Baton Rouge, Louisiana grand jury has indicted Corey "C-Murder" Miller on attempted second-degree murder charges, stemming from an incident in at a local New Orleans nightclub three years ago. The incident occurred in August of 2001 when the owner of Club Raggs refused to allow the platinum selling rapper into the establishment without a proper search. The incident allegedly sent Miller into a violent rage and he drew his pistol in an attempt to shoot the owner in the back. When the gun jammed, Miller allegedly fixed it and fired a shot in the floor. He allegedly attempted to fire a second shot and when the gun malfunctioned again, he fled the scene in a 2001 Ford Excursion. Miller faces a 50-year sentence if convicted of the second-degree attempted murder charges. Prosecutors refused to answer why it took almost three years to bring the case to the grand jury. Miller is already awaiting a second murder trial in Jefferson Parish. He was found guilty of shooting a 16-year-old to death inside of a now defunct nightclub. The mandatory life sentence was never imposed because the D.A. withheld evidence and expunged the criminal records of prosecution witnesses. A second trial is set for September 13, 2004.