Jay-Z’s concert at Madison Square Garden sold out in a matter of hours on Saturday September 27th. Tickets for the November 25th show went on sale at 9am and were sold out by 5pm. The concert is the beginning of Jay-Z’s retirement and will help hype the release of his final solo album, The Black Album. In addition to The Black Album, he will drop a Black sneaker and his autobiography, "The Black Book," which will be written by journalist Dream Hampton. "Originally, he wanted everything to be pre-Reasonable Doubt to kind of tell that story," Hampton told AllHipHop.com. "But as we got into it, we realized it was important to talk about this nine-year career that he’s had." Hampton said that writing the book has been a challenge, since Jay is a very private person. "He’ll talk about some current events," Hampton continued. "He’ll address the [alleged] Roc-A-Fella split, his relationship with his girlfriend. It’s a challenge to do a book on somebody – quite frankly – with so much dignity." The Black Album hits stores on Black Friday, November 28th.

Big Tigger has left New York’s Power 105, after being ranked number 1 in the 18-34 last Arbitron ratings. Tigger was not available for comment, but sources said that the popular host left the station because of a contractual dispute. Tigger will continue on Detroit’s FM98 WJLB and Miami’s new 103.5 FM The Beat as well as host of BET’s "Rap City:Tha Bassment" and his countdown show, "Live in the Den with Big Tigger." Tigger recently made his rap debut on R. Kelly’s platinum Chocolate Factory album on the hit single, "Snake." He is also featured on a hidden track of Ginuwine’s latest album, The Senior. Tigger has a song with Sasha and Elephant Man on Elephant Man’s album which drops in December and is finishing up his own album, Tiggernometery, which hits shelves in 2004.

Dead Prez’ M-1 and Sticman were arrested yesterday as they conducted a photo shoot, in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York. The arrest follows their performance on the 26th, at the New School University, in Tischman Hall. Sources stated that a strong police presence turned out for the free concert the group gave, as part of the ACLU’s College Freedom Tour. "They were assaulted for no reason," a source told AllHipHop.com. "They are fine. They have been visited by their lawyers and members of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement." A spokesman for the 71st Precinct, which handles the Crown Heights area, refused to comment on the nature of the duo’s arrest or what they were charged with. The group is scheduled to be arraigned as late as Monday at Kings County, Supreme Court in Brooklyn.

Rapper 50 Cent recently purchased Mike Tyson’s 52-room house in Farmington, Connecticut. The house sold for $4.1 million dollars and in addition to the 52 rooms, includes 25 full baths and 14 half baths. The house has two three story spiral staircases, several kitchens, a sauna, a hot tub, four whirlpools and brass and marble staircases, a man made waterfall, a pond and boathouse and tennis courts. The 18-year old house, which Tyson signed over to his wife as part of a divorce settlement, is situated on 17 acres of wooded land. It is estimated that 50 Cent made over $18 million dollars in just over a year, fueled by the success of his sextuplet selling album, Get Rich or Die Trying.

Trick Daddy was released from jail yesterday, after being arrested Wednesday on a charge of felony drug charges in Homestead, Florida. Trick Daddy and a friend were in the stands of a high school football game drinking liquor, prompting parents to complain to the police. The two were kicked out of the stadium. After a search, police allegedly discovered a small amount of cocaine and marijuana in the rapper’s shirt pocket. He was released on $15,000 bond after appearing in court on a felony cocaine possession and a misdemeanor marijuana charge. A judge granted the rapper permission to perform several concerts over the weekend. He will be placed under house arrest starting Monday until his arraignment October 15 and is ordered to undergo drug testing.

Hip-hop entrepreneurship might have just gotten too big for its britches, among other things. As their album, Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below, is expected to easily top the charts, Outkast plans to start a line of adult toys. Whether the duo of Andre and Big Boi are serious truly remains to be seen, but the pair claims to be founding a start-up business called the Outlast Vibrator Company. The first product is slated to be the “Big Boi 3000.” “We should have put it out with this album. I hope [people] get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Right at the point where you are about to climax a beat will play like, (“I’m climaxing”),” Big Boi told AllHipHop.com with a heavy does of humor. The product line is strictly for the ladies, the group explained, and they would be available for “home testing.” Oddly enough, this isn’t hip-hop’s first leap into adult self-gratification. Earlier this year Lil’ Kim announced that she would be help create a life-size, anatomically correct blow-up doll. In addition to the “Big Boi 3000, Outkast continues to maintain Outkast Clothing company, Big Boi’s Pitfall Kennels, Dre’s Seven Aire paintings, and the newly created Outkast Foundation, their charitable leg.

Trick Daddy was arrested Wednesday (Sept. 24) and charged with felony possession of cocaine and a misdemeanor charge for marijuana, according to published reports. While he has had a host of criminal cases in the past, Trick Daddy (real name Maurice Young) maintained his innocence through his lawyer. “He’s very upset that he’s being accused of a crime he didn’t commit. He was wearing somebody else’s shirt, which had a small amount of drugs in the pocket. The owner of the shirt already has come forward,” said Jay White the rapper’s attorney to the Associated Press. The 26-year-old lyricist was forced to stay in prison until a bond hearing slated for Friday. This case compounds Trick’s preexisting legal woes as he was already out on bond, awaiting an Oct. 14 court date. In February, he was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Witnesses said that Trick Daddy was playing basketball with friends when he got into a dispute with Pernell Paige, 27. Trick Daddy left the court and returned with a firearm and threatened Paige. He faces 35 years if convicted on all charges. In 1991, Trick Daddy was convicted for possession of cocaine, a firearm and violating the terms of his probation. He’s also had a number of run-ins with the law including a 2 1/2 stay in a Florida State prison.

In the past, Def Jam’s Ludacris hasn’t said much regarding Bill O’Reilly’s aggressive push to get the rapper removed from the from a Pepsi ad campaign last year. That silence has changed with his latest album, Chicken & Beer. O’Reilly’s rants prompted executives to dump Ludacris, but the rapper might have the last laugh. On a song called “Blow It Out,” Luda says, “Shoutout to Bill O’Reilly. I’ma throw you a curve. You mad ‘cause I’m a thief and got a way with words. I’ma start my own beverage, it will calm ya nerves…Pepsi: The Choice of a new Generation – Blow it out ya a**” In past interviews, Luda has expressed his views on both O’Reilly and the soft drink company. “Pepsi, they don’t value the black dollar. I wouldn’t change a thing, it was a learning experience,” he said to BET.com. “I definitely feel it was bigger than myself. They are attacking hip-hop, the culture, everything. Bill O’Reilly [is a] racist hypocrite. If you look at the end of the fiscal year, for Pepsi – they went down.” After a proposed boycott, Russell Simmons and his HHSAN managed to wretch 3 million from Pepsi for various grassroots organizations in urban areas.

Disturbing Tha Peace neophyte Chingy is already getting it poppin’ in the music industry even though he’s only one album in the game. He told AllHipHop.com that he and the rest of the crew have big plans in the upcoming months. Chingy said, “[There] might be a Disturbing Tha Peace tour in progress, and I’m looking forward to my third single “One Call Away” featuring Jason Weaver.” And before his veteran mentor Ludacris can, he’s already started plotting an entry in the fashion world. “I’m about to start a clothing line called Get It Clothing,” he said of the fledgling business. Quickly becoming a marquee rapper, Chingy listed a group of artist that he wants to work with in the near future. “I would like to work with Jay-Z, Eminem, 50, Dr Dre, Ice cube. LL Cool J too,” he concluded. The rapper recently scored platinum with his debut album, Jackpot, and “Right Thurr” rests comfortably at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 100.

The time approaches, Jay-Z and his days as an artist slowly part ways. The already legendary emcee appeared at a press conference yesterday (Sept. 25) and revealed plans for his final album, which will be promoted with the release of a custom sneaker, a tour and the rapper’s memoirs. “The Black Book, The Black Sneaker and The Black Album will drop around November,” Jay-Z said at the press conference, where he appeared with Russell Simmons to speak on the duo’s upcoming concert at Madison Square Garden. Actually, the CD hit stands November 28 with a tour jumping off on the 25th at the garden. “I consider this my victory lap,” Jay said of the final album. “When I came in the game I was forced to be the business man as well as a rapper. I didn’t have a choice to be on more of the business side. That’s what I wanted to do in the beginning. I just wanted to drop one album. I didn’t know what I was thinking. Then I get to live out that dream be more of a business man and do good things for the community.” Of the tour, Jay said that it would still be a family affair even though the Black Album sports no other rappers than the Brooklyn native. “Its surprise guest stars,” he said referring to the tour. “A couple of your favorite artists. Anybody who ever seen me do Summer Jam knows it turns into a great event.” Continuing, Jay-Z stated that he would like to enter Hollywood on his own terms, not only as an actor in front of the camera. “Anything I do I have to have some type of ownership so I have to build a house. It would have to be directing, producing, writing as well as acting. Not just acting. That process is under way also.” Still, he hinted that the music won’t truly cease even though this will mark the end of his solo albums. “There will be other releases it just wont be a full length Jay-Z album so well see how it go. Its like a completion of my whole career.” When asked why he was quitting while still at the top of his game, Jay joked with the group of reporters and critics. Laughing he said, “Y’all just really wanna catch me on the way down so y’all can murder me [with bad reviews].” Simmons said that the concert at the Garden would benefit his Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and Jay-Z’s Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund, both of which are non-profits organizations. “There is a kid killed every single day in Baltimore,” Simmons said. “Every single day, over the drug trade or something thats going on there. They not in the news now. Jam Master Jay passes and he’s news worthy. They serve him asan example of what happens when you still live in that struggle. He never left Hollis. Thats whats going on in Hollis. They murder kids all the time in Hollis. Simmons said that the proceeds of the November 25 concert as well as his Def Con 3 energy drink would go to building the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network’s infrastructure.

In addition to being hailed as one of the best album’s of the year, Outkast’s sixth album and double CD Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is on pace to move over 500,000 copies in it’s first week in stores and is expected to debut at number 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart. "This album, it captures every aspect of life," Andre 3000 told AllHipHop.com. "I mean it’s something you can party to, it’s something you can make love to, you can go do a drive-by on someone or you can ride in the car with your mama with some of them." According to sources, Arista is having slight problems keeping pace with consumers appetites for the long awaited album, which is selling across the country. "I went to Best Buy to get a DVD and you would have thought there was a dag on riot," one fan told AllHipHop.com "All these people waiting for the stock boy to bring another box of Outkast CD’s out!" The double disc features Andre 3000 in a new incarnation, mostly as an R&B singer, while Big Boi sticks to a rap regiment. "We just do all kinds of music so it isn’t really one type of format we fit in," Dre continued. "If an urban radio station wants to play OutKast songs that’s great, but if we create a song and a urban station don’t want to play it, hey we can’t make them play it." Dre produced the majority of his disc, "The Love Below" and played most of the instruments, including the keyboards and the majority of drum programming. He also plays guitar on almost every song. The album is moving on the success of Dre’s "Hey Ya" and Big Boi’s "The Way You Move." Because the demand for the album was so great, the album will chart early on BillBoard’s R*B/Hip-Hop Album’s chart, due to one day sales and street violations, where stores sell the album before the official release date. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is priced as a normal CD for a limited time and is in stores now.

DMX’s The Grand Champ moved over 300,000 copies the first week in stores, landing it on the top of Billboard’s Top 200 Albums Chart. The album is DMX’s fifth consecutive number one album. While the numbers are impressive amid a troubled time for CD sales. DMX’s And Then There Was X and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, both moved almost 700,000 copies according to Billboard, while his last album, The Great Depression moved 440,00 copies. Sheek Louch’s Walk Witt Me and Bubba Sparxxx’s Deliverance made the top ten, while the Ying Yang Twins missed a top ten debut and clocked in at an impressive number 11 with their debut, Me & My Brother.

Jean Grae is set to drop her debut album on Babygrande Records/Orchestral Entertainment. The Bootleg of the Bootleg EP is Grae’s second release, since her critically acclaimed debut LP Attack of the Attacking Things. Grae’s first single from the EP is "Hater’s Anthem," which features Cannibal Ox, whom Grae is touring with. Grae is recording her full length album for Babygrande, which will drop in 2004. Grae will also be featured on an upcoming episode of MTV’s "Advance Warning." The Bootleg of the Bootleg hits stores October 7. Tracking listing and tour dates are below: 1.) Hater’s Anthem 2.) Take Me 3.) Swing Blades (featuring Cannibal Ox) 4.) My Crew 5.) Code Red (featuring Block McCloud and PumpkinHead) 6.) Chapter One: Destiny ** BONUS ** 45 MINUTE MEGAMIX (rhymes & freestyles) Tour Dates: 10-1 – New York, NY -S.O.B.’s w/ Kanye West (Roc-a-fella recording artist)w/ Cannibal Ox 10-20 – Boston, MA 10-23 – Detroit, MI 10-24 – Chicago, IL 10-25 – Minneapolis, MN 10-28 – Seattle, WA 10-29 – Portland, OR 10-30 – Eugene, OR 10-31 – San Francisco, CA 11-1 – Los Angeles, CA 11-2 – San Diego, CA 11-3 – Tempe, AZ 11-4 – Tucson, AZ 11-6 – Austin, TX 11-7 – Dallas, TX 11-8 – Oklahoma City, OK 11-10 – Kansas City, MO 11-11 – St. Louis, MO 11-12 – Cincinnati, OH 11-13 – Pittsburgh, PA 11-14 – Baltimore, MD 11-15 – Philadelphia, PA

Dead prez, Welfare Poets, DJ Revolution, Art Start Project Immortal technique and Tahir are on the road with the no admission American Civil Liberties Union’s College Freedom tour. The tour is aimed at educating college students about the climate of the United States after the September 11 terror attacks on the United States. "While the point is to have fun, we can’t resist taking this opportunity to inform and update you on issues that we at the ACLU see as critical: the USA Patriot Act, racial justice, individual privacy and surveillance," ACLU’s executive director Anthony D. Romero said. "It’s crucial that we take care in this tense post 9/11 climate to protect our hard won civil liberties, especially now that the government has lowered our protections and redrawn the lines." The next event takes place Friday, September 26 at New School University in New York City. Doors open at 6:00 P.M. and will start with an hour long political forum, which is then followed by a concert from the participating groups. The tickets are free and available on a first come, first serve basis. More dates are below: Harvard University, September 29 University Of Massachusetts, September 30 University of Madison/Wisconsin, October 7 University Of Washington/Seattle, October 11

50 Cent was forced to re-shoot an X-rated version of his video "P.I.M.P." in the United Kingdom, because several television stations, including MTV, deemed it too explicit. MTV, Top Of The Pops and CD:UK refused to air the video, which features topless women and features 50 provocatively grabbing a woman from behind. The video was re-shot at a cost of and was toned down by placing tops on the women. All of the television stations, with the exception of CD:UK said they would play the new video, but only after 9 P.M. CD:UK said that the lyrics to P.I.M.P. were still to explicit.