While President Bush delivered his State of the Union address yesterday (January 20), Public Enemy front man Chuck D. is preparing his own speech.Chuck D. will deliver his “State of the Union and Vibe Session” February 5, at California State University in Sacramento, as part of Black History Month.Chuck D. has been one of the most vocal opponents to the current United States government.At the Moveon.org awards that honored amateur and independent filmmakers for the best anti-George W. Bush commercial, Chuck D. made his stance on the current administration clear.”We do not want eight years run by a Colin [Powell], a Bush and a Dick [Cheney],” he saidIn related news, Chuck D.’s latest recording project, Fine Arts Militia, struck a deal with Shared Media Licensing, to deliver releases in the new “Weed” file sharing format.The “Weed” format allows a file to be freely shared on the Internet. Users can listen to a file three times for free and is then asked to purchase the file.Artists receive 50% of all sales and 35% is distributed to the three recipients who shared the file in the distribution chain.Unlimited copies can be burnt to CD and MP3 players as well.”Weed lets us get our message directly to the people, without layers of corporate bureaucracy to water it down and f*ck it all up,” Chuck D. said.

Percy “Master P.” Miller has left Universal Records and inked a label deal for his New No Limit Records with Koch Records.The first release under the new deal will be Master P.’s 10th solo album, Good Side/Bad Side.The album, along with every release under the new deal, will come with a DVD release. Good Side/Bad Side is accompanied by a DVD of the same name, which is produced by and starring Master P.The first single, “Them Jeans” is currently receiving heavy radio rotation and a video for the song debuted on BET last week.The album features appearances by Master P.’s son, Lil Romeo and brothers Silkk The Shocker “C,” the shortened name for his brother C-Murder, who is currently seeking a new trial after being convicted of murder.Releases from Lil Romeo and Silkk The Shocker will also be released under the deal.Good Side/Bad Side is slated to hit stores March 23.

Mos Def will give a series of rare Jazz performances at the legendary Blue Note New York restaurant, as part of the “Another Side Series.”The performances, produced by Jill Newman, will take place February 13-15.R&B singers Bilal, Donnie and Nas’ father, accomplished trumpeter Olu Dara, have all been featured in past shows.Mos Def will explore his love of Jazz and the songs that have influenced his life and work.The prolific rapper will be backed by Living Colour’s Will Calhoun on the drums, Grammy Award willing bass player John Benitez and critically acclaimed pianist, Orrin Evans.Other musicians will be announced at a later date.Tickets are priced at $20 – $35 and are available at http://www.bluenotejazz.com/newyork/schedule/moreinfo.cgi?id=1552

Adisa Banjoko’s “One Mic,” a political radio show, premiered excerpts of a rare speech made by Dr. Martin Luther King set to hip-hop music.Producer Inspector Double Negative debuted the exclusive remix last night (January 18).”Now let me make this clear in the beginning, that I see this war as an unjust, evil & futile war. The time has come for America to hear the truth about this tragic war,” King said of the Vietnam war.The show was dedicated to Dr. King’s legacy and his quest for peace.“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks from the grave about the Vietnam war, but his perspective parallels the current state this world is in right now,” Banjoko said. “You quickly realize that the political side of Dr. King has been deliberately suppressed by the media.”Other guests on the show included Hip-Hop journalist and cultural critic Charlie Braxton, David Life and Sharon Gannon (yoga instructors of Russell Simmons) and M.C. Shamako Noble from the Hip Hop Congress.The speech can be found at iciclenetworks.com.

Percy “Master P.” Miller has come a long way from the tough Calliope Projects in New Orleans, Louisiana where he was raised.After turning a $10,000 inheritance into an estimated $300,000,000 fortune, the mogul is slated to appear on “The Dr. Phil Show.”Miller will discuss his career and give advice to the 5.1 million viewers who watch the television show daily.The show is owned by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions and will air January 23.In related news, Miller will launch a line of diamond encrusted watches, called Master Pieces.The watches will feature oversized diamonds, that will come in a variety of colors.

Foxy Brown is coming to MTV in a reality series titled “Foxy’s Family.”The show, described as “Good Times meets Making of the Band, with The Osbournes dynamic,” will feature the Brooklyn bred rapper shuttling back and forth between her Suburban New Jersey home and Brooklyn, New York, where she grew up.The weekly show will focus on Foxy’s business dealings, running her record label, seeking new talent and her family, who assist the rapper in running her businesses.Foxy, who recently left Island Def Jam, is in negotiations with several labels, but hasn’t signed a deal as of press time.”Foxy’s Family” is being developed by TRL executive producer Tony DiSanto and MTV’s VP of Development, Liz Gateley.In related news, Foxy Brown will star opposite Angela Bassett in “Less Than Kind.”The movie centers on a woman (Angela Bassett) who is having an affair with the boyfriend of her daughter (Foxy Brown).According to sources, Brown is also finishing a tell all book, chronicling her career.

Ludacris will join an all star lineup scheduled to participate at the first annual World B-Boy Championships.Taking place on February 7th and 8th at Wembley Arena in the U.K., the event will feature Slick Rick’s first performance in his native land in almost 20 years.Clipse, Pharaoh Monch, The Jungle Brothers and Killa Kela will give performances as well.The event is dubbed as the biggest international B-Boying event of its kind, with B-Boy’s from across the world competing for the $100,000 prize.Each battle will be judged by an expert panel, that will judge each team on style, presentation and technical ability.Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, or by visiting www.justfabulousgroup.com.

Grammy nominated rapper MC Lyte has been tapped to serve as judge on the 2004 season of “Star Search.”The winner of the tournament style competition will be awarded $100,000.Lyte will be joined by country music singer Naomi Judd, “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” and executive producer Matti Lesham.The series premieres tomorrow (January 17) from 8-9pm on CBS.Lyte was recently nominated for a Grammy in the Best Solo Performance By A Female MC For A Track Or Single, for her cut “Ride Wit’ Me.”The category is new for the Grammy’s, which takes place February 8.”What’s happening now is they are realizing the importance of the female MC,” Lyte told AllHipHop.com shortly after the nominations were announced. “The public does, but the record labels still don’t because there’s not enough of them [labels].”

Rapper Paris’ Guerrilla Funk Recordings has reached an agreement to manufacture and distribute an exclusive, Paris-produced Public Enemy album entitled Rebirth Of A Nation.“I’ve had admiration for Public Enemy since the inception of their career,” Paris told AllHipHop.com. “They are one of the most important groups in hip-hop history and represent a time when music that made sense for us as a people wasn’t watered down and made accessible to the masses.”The relationship between the two politically charged hip-hop powerhouses began in 2002, on Public Enemy’s Revolverlution, which featured Paris on the remix to the lead single.Both Paris and Public Enemy stepped it up a notch on Paris’ current album Sonic Jihad by collaborating with Dead Prez on the cut “Freedom.””The production approach I’m taking with this project will be to capture the essence of what I love about them – controlled chaos – with potent, razor-sharp lyrics and unrelenting hardcore music,” Paris revealed. “These are the styles that we’ve both built our careers on, and it’s necessary to show comradery among those of us who live to uplift through entertainment.”Rebirth Of A Nation, a name spin on D.W. Griffith’s controversial 1915 Civil War movie “Birth Of A Nation,” is slated for a summer 2004 release date and will be available exclusively through Guerrilla Funk Recordings.”Guerrilla Funk was founded to bring balance back to the game and counteract the bullsh*t commercialized garbage the industry is giving us right now,” Paris said. “They’ve been influential to me beyond words and it’s an honor for me to get down with them.”In related Guerilla Funk news, T-KASH has signed with the label to release his debut, Afterparty Music.T-KASH was featured on several of The Coup’s projects and the group will lend a hand to his debut album along with Paris.Paris will also re-teamed with The Conscious Daughters, whose debut album, The Conscious Daughters and follow up Gamers, sold over 500,000 copies combined.Their third album, The Nutcracker Suite, features will touch on self-empowerment and sisterhood and will feature production by Rick Rock (Jay-Z, Ice Cube, 2Pac) and others.

With six Grammy nominations the Neptunes’ influence may be no greater than it is at this moment, however the Clipse don’t want any of the duo’s pop-perfection production. “Beat wise, we won’t let them duplicate nothing,” Pusha T told AllHipHop.com about the ‘Tunes contribution to their second album, Hell Hath No Fury.The Clipse are putting the final touches on their sophomore effort and say fans should expect a darker album.Ironically, Pusha T said the Neptunes were supportive of the group switching gears to a more sinister sound.“They were really complimentary to what we were doing,” the rapper said. “[Though] the album is really dark, we’re really not going to lose a lot of fans with this one.”A big reason for the new sound, according to Pusha T, is the lyrical growth of Virginia’s Finest.“A sixteen-bar spitter and call it a day,” Pusha T said.But now the younger half of the act believes through diligence, he’s learned his craft.“The last album I could tell you I didn’t know how to write songs. I was doing the best I could,” he said. “I did a lot of observing… and just critiquing myself, basically. In accordance with all the greats I like.“It’s like I’m not just trying to find the hottest punch line these days. I’m trying to make sure the fan, or the consumer, or whoever just gets in my world and gets into my whole mood. And I think that’s what makes all the greats great.”While the new album has been finished for some time, Pusha T explained that he and Malice are waiting for last minute guest appearances. Yet he remained tightlipped about revealing who would be sharing time on the mic with them.However, he quickly added the album could stand as it is, without anyone else.“I don’t want to put it out there right now because it’s not done yet,” he said. “But the album is done. I’m so happy with it, that at this point I don’t even need they a**. We good, man.”In addition to new material, fans can expect a DVD documentary chronicling the Clipse titled “Behind the Grind.” The DVD will be available in March of this year, when their album is released.

While most Boot Camp Click and Duck Down devotees may be clamoring for Smif-N-Wessun to return to “Bucktown,” Tek, one half of the duo, has plans of his own.After being urged on by radio personalities and Brooklynites, the rapper has decided to release a solo album.“It’s in the works. We’ve been rocking,” Tek told AllHipHop.com in a recent interview. “They’ve been hollering at me for a couple of years, I should do this, I should do that. In these days and times, you gotta separate nyourself from sh*t that’s not doing what it’s suppose to do.”Though the Brooklyn-bred emcee is breaking ranks from his rhyme partner, Steele, he explains the move is amicable and a conscious strategy on the duos part to induce their creativity while not breaking up.“It’s just something that I had to branch out and do being a career move for me. And plus, he [Steele] was doing his own thing,” he said. “To avoid bumping heads anywhere down the line, he do what he do, I do what I do. And then we still come together and do the Smif-N-Wessun thing.”As to whether there is any beef brewing the two, Tek adds: “That’s my PNC (partner in crime) for life. It ain’t never gonna be no beef between Tek and Steele. None of that.”In fact, Tek said he’d be working with Steele on a couple of tracks for his album.The rapper didn’t disclose any more information regarding his album, but said it should be hitting shelves late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter.In other BCC news, Tek stated estranged member Rock has been working on new material, but he doesn’t know if the rapper will ever rejoin the click.“I can’t call that man’s shots. I can’t think for him,” Tek said. “From what I hear, he’s doing his own thing and I wish him all the best success in the world. From the grace of Allah, I hope he do good. (But) I don’t know what he’s gonna to do

Michael “Mystikal” Taylor was sentenced to six years in prison for sexual battery.The 33-year-old Grammy nominated rapper accepted the six years in a plea agreement and will immediately begin serving time.The victim, Tyler’s former hairstylist, accused the rapper and two bodyguards of forcing her to perform oral sex, after they accused her of stealing $80,000.Baton Rouge Judge Tony Marabella ruled that a videotape the men made proved the sexual acts were not consensual.Marabella concluded the victim had been “terrorized.””If it weren’t for the victim, his sentence would have been the maximum 10 years,” Marabella said. “The court is convinced that the defendant believes he is above the law and can take the law into his own hands.”In January of 2003 Tyler assumed that he would settle the case and declared his innocence.”I was ready to go all the way, full fledge ’cause it’s the principle,” Tyler told AllHipHop.com. “The person that was involved in it was real dear to me, I still don’t believe it. I refuse to believe they could do something like this to me after all I had done for them. That’s like taking in a foster child and he kills you or robs you. That’s serious, that’s someone I considered to be a true sister.”The other two men, Leland “Pokie” Ellis, 37, received three years, while Vercy Carter, received four years.”You got to be a little more careful with your love and your trust, you cant just throw it out there like that even though my trust was earned with this person,” Tyler continued. “This was five years in, man. I couldn’t have saw that coming in a million years, I would have bet my life on it.”Tyler has already paid the woman $350,000. The money and the plea were his attempt to prove he is “continuing to try to make up to all involved for the distress.”The three men pleaded guilty in June, but withdrew the plea, claiming the judge was biased after viewing the tape.The motion was withdrawn Thursday, which led to their sentencing.

The last time snipers took to the streets of Washington D.C., mayhem ensued and brewed into the latest national crisis.This time, however, a different breed of snipers is taking to the streets of the Chocolate City as presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich is using a hip-hop street team to bolster his bid presidential campaign.Kucinich has partnered with a D.C based hip-hop group to form the Dennis Kucinich Hip-Hop street team.Members of the street team, also known as snipers, have passed out pamphlets to partygoers and poets around the local clubs and spoken-word venues.The Ohio Congressman is attempting to raise his profile in the city where most of the national attention has gone to the likes of Dr. Howard Dean and retired general Wesley Clark. Yu-Lan Tu, the DC/MD State Coordinator for the Dennis Kucinich for President Campaign, believes the street team is alternative way to introduce their platform to the nation’s capital.”We are trying to use innovative ways of getting out the votes not only to raise awareness for our candidate,” he said. “But to also support a primary that is trying to bring awareness to the fact that residents of DC lack representation in Congress.”With eight candidates vying for the presidential nomination at this year’s Democratic National Convention in Boston, hip-hop has become very influential in winning the bid.General Clark has quoted OutKast lyrics during the campaign trail; Al Sharpton has already held a fundraiser at Jay-Z’s 40/40 club; and Contrabandit.com and the Source recently co-sponsored a presidential forum in Iowa.

Last night, the 8th Annual Mixtape Awards took place at club Speed in New York City.Loon, Skillz, Ghostface and Fat Joe attended the awards, which were hosted by Bronx legend Kool DJ Red Alert.Dirty Harry, Lloyd Banks, Whoo Kid, Kay Slay and DJ Vlad were the big winners for mixtapes that were released last year.A complete listing of winners is below:Best Mixtape DJ Whoo KidBest Southern DJOG Ron CRed Alert AwardRon GPinkhouse AwardDJ KalidBest DuoKay Slay and Big MikeBest New DJP CuttaBest Westcoast DJ Dj WarriorBest TeamGet Money NationBest PersonalitySiccamoreBest UndergroundJ LoveArtist On MixtapeLloyd BanksRookie of the YearDJ LBest Hip-HopBig MikeBest SkillsDJ JuiceBest FemaleLazy KBest Commercial MixtapeKay Slay