Incoming freshman of Clark University received a raucous welcome to the A-T-L courtesy of Ludacris and Jermaine Dupri, who performed their hit song, “Welcome to Atlanta,” for a surprised crowd of students attending an orientation session on Monday night. The performance was apart of MTV’s new show “Jammed,” which will air in September. Clark University associate dean Rick Robinson told the Associated Press he expects the impromptu concert to increase the attendance of future scheduled events on campus. “The next time we call a mandatory meeting, you can be sure they’ll all show up,” he said. As for Ludacris, the DTP C.E.O. is currently putting the finishing touches on his next album, Chicken and Beer, which will feature collaborations with Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent. The southern rapper recently shot the video for the first single, “Stand Up,” in Los Angeles; and while in town, he also appeared in the video for protégé Chingy’s next single, “Holidae In,” which he is featured on, along with Snoop Dogg.

The Source magazine has revealed that they intend to expand their 15-year media empire with the introduction of a French version, which they are hoping to release in the near future. “The debut of the French edition is further proof that The Source brand name is accepted worldwide as the leading authority on what is going on in the world of hip-hop. This is just the beginning,” COO Jeremy Miller told AllHipHop.com. While the company is rapidly working on the new version of the successful mag, they haven’t disclosed exactly when it would hit newsstands in France. Meanwhile the Source Enterprises is gearing up for the 6th Annual Source awards, which are held in Miami from Oct 10-13. Under the mantra “Our culture, our music, our time to shine,” the event will have a number of surrounding activities to compliment the show. Kelli Skeen, the manager of finance & operations for the company, said they intend to take the business to higher levels in the upcoming months with several ventures. “We still capture the essence of the streets. People still check to see how we rate an album-even with The Source Awards. A lot of artists feel receiving that makes them feel official. It means that their people, culture and the streets love them…” Skeen is responsible for the financial aspect of The Source Awards, The Radio Network and The Source Clothing Line, which will be in department stores this fall.

Lawyers for Irv Gotti will enter a plea on his behalf on August 25 and the CEO of Murder Inc. will enter a drug-diversion program in Oakland, California. Because he has no criminal record, Gotti is eligible for the drug-diversion program. He must complete the program to have drug related charges dismissed. Gotti was arrested last Friday backstage at the Oakland Coliseum during an R. Kelly concert. Guards at a security checkpoint searched Gotti and found one ecstasy pill and four prescription Viagra tablets in his wallet.

In addition to having a new daughter, Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys has launched his own record label and recently dropped a compilation album. The Different Styles Organization is a compilation album that Bushwick says features a variety of material. "This album has every style of rap, from your thug sh*t, to your love sh*t, to your political sh*t, to your gangsta sh*t, to your bling bling sh*t, to your playa sh*t, and Christian rap," Bill told AfricasGateway. Bill’s noticeable absence from the hip-hop arena was prompted by record label politics. Both companies he signed with ended up going bankrupt, prompting him to launch his own label, West Town Records. "After the goons beat me from Rap-a-lot in 1998 when I refused to sign with them, I was looking for a label. I found one in ’99 with Ichiban. I then put out the album No Surrender No Retreat. While on tour, the company went bankrupt. In ’01, I signed with a label called Nu Wave Entertainment, and again while on tour, that company went bankrupt. So those two things may be a factor of why you haven’t heard from me in a while." Bill said that a Geto Boys reunion album was possible. Scarface, Willie D. and Bushwick Bill recently came off of a 64 city tour promoting the Geto Boys Greatest Hits album. "It’s not up to us. If the powers that be can get it together, and they get my f*ckin money straight, then we’ll have it." And what label will the record be released on? That is not an easy answer. All of the Geto Boys’ albums have been released under J-Prince’s Rap-A-Lot Records. According to Bushwick, he left because the label refused to pay him. Bushwick severed his ties with J-Prince and said "There is no relationship with J-Prince." The Different Styles Organization is in stores now.

Russell Simmons has joined with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and is calling for a boycott of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Simmons was featured in a full page advertisement in The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky, where KFC is headquartered. Simmons would not comment on the issue with AllHipHop.com, saying "I am not a spokesperson for the issue, I just wanted to lend my support to the cause." Simmons wrote a letter urging David C. Novak, CEO of Yum Brands, which in addition to KFC, owns Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. He urged Novak to improve their practices of raising and slaughtering chickens in a letter printed in the newspaper. "What KFC does to 750 million chickens each year, on your watch, is not civilized or acceptable, and you can change that," the letter read. "I am calling for a boycott of all KFC restaurants until my friends at PETA tell me that you have agreed to be kinder in your practices." Simmons is a longtime vegetarian and PETA supporter. Spokespeople for Yum Brands said that they do not slaughter the chickens, but they buy cook and sell them. The suppliers that do slaughter the chickens are required to follow guidelines developed by the industry. Other supporters include ex-Beatles frontman Sir Paul McCartney, who also appeared in a full page ad in the newspaper and the lead singer of The Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde. Hynde was arrested last month in Paris after smearing blood on the windows of a KFC restaurant and blocking traffic.

Philadelphia rapper Ness, a cast member of MTV’s "Making The Band 2," has taken a cue from his mentor P. Diddy and has launched his own record label. "I got my own label, Rest Ya Neck Entertainment," Ness told AllHipHop.com. "The name means to relax, to fall back and chill. The first group I got signed is The Young Hit Men (YHM). It was a group I was a part of before I got signed. Me and a couple of guys from the projects started the group." As a member of the high profile group, Ness was involved in three fist fights with group member Frederick in last weeks episode. The show featured 84 bleeped obscenities, down from the season high of 92, which was claimed in the previous week. According to Ness, the in fighting has nothing to do with his belonging to another group and he sees no conflict in pursuing outside endeavors. "This group was before I was a part of Bad Boy," Ness continued. "This was when I was doing my thing, blazing mixtapes and trying to get on. These are the people that believed in me first." Ness is quick to point out that Bad Boy is the reason for the opportunities that have presented themselves to every Band member thus far. "We been grinding and struggling, so they are happy to see someone get in the door and get the ball rolling. At the end of the day we are all here to make dope music and keep the music alive and carry on the bad boy legacy." And as if the struggle were not enough, the group recently had to change their name from Da Band to Bad Boy’s DA Band, to avoid legal repercussions, due to another group having the name trademarked first. Despite printed reports that Sara may be leaving DA Band, the only singer in the group dispelled those rumors at a recent photo shoot. "DA Band is the foundation. I feel good about the album, the songs are hot. I really feel like we are going to be make a difference, it’s something new and refreshing."

A law firm his filed a lawsuit against Marion "Suge" Knight, alleging that the imprisoned mogul fraudulently sold or gave away four properties in the Los Angeles area, to avoid paying almost $142,000 a judge ordered him to pay the firm. In May, Knight had been ordered to pay the law firm of Kopple and Klinger almost $142,000 to compensate for legal services the company provided. The firm claims Knight has never attempted to pay, but instead sold or transferred the properties at little or no cost, to "hinder, delay or defraud" the firm. One complaint alleges that Knight and his MHK Investments, gave away a property in an upscale neighborhood for "no valuable situation." Knight has been incarcerated since June 27. He was found guilty of violating his parole for striking a Hollywood area parking valet.

Saint Louis bred rapper Nelly and his company, Team Lunatics are hoping to ride the success of his hit "Pimp Juice," and have launched an energy drink named after the song. "There may be several drinks out there claiming to boost liveliness, but the energy drink market still provides many untapped marketing opportunities," Nelly told AllHipHop.com in a statement. The energy drink is the same size as most energy drink cans, weighing in at 8.4 fluid ounces. The drink consists of 10 percent apple juice, with 100 percent vitamin C, B6, B12, riboflavin, niacin, and panothenic acid and the drink itself, is bright green. In addition to hoping to hit the jackpot in the energy drink market, Team Lunatics plan to give back through educational endeavors. Portions of the proceeds of the sale of Pimp Juice go to Nelly’s non-profit organization, 4Sho4Kids. The company plans to give away a college scholarship each year to one hard working student.

Irv Gotti was busted Friday evening and charged with possession of ecstasy, in Oakland, California. The head of Murder Inc. was stopped at a security checkpoint backstage at the Network Associates Coliseum, during an R.Kelly concert. A search of Gotti turned up one single ecstasy tablet along with prescription Viagra tablets. Gotti was booked at the Alameda County Jail in Oakland, charged with possession of a controlled substance and released on bail. Gotti is scheduled to appear in front of a judge in Oakland today. Officials said that Gotti will most likely be forced to enter in the county’s drug diversion program. In June, John Bryant, labeled as the star of the Murder Inc. backed film "Crime Partners," was arrested in Los Angeles during a routine traffic stop after police found four tablets of Ecstasy on him. He was riding in a Cadillac Escalade registered to Ja Rule.

After a lengthy hiatus, Mr. Eon and partner DJ Mighty Mi are aiming to raise some eyebrows with the release of their latest album, The Highlite Zone. "The lead single is called ‘Take it off,’" Mr. Eon told AllHipHop.com. "It’s all about the jersey’s and how people who don’t know anything about sports are rocking the jerseys. We sent it to Nelly because there are a couple of lines about him. We’ve been told his people are telling him not to react." And Nelly isn’t the only target of the album. Actor Michael Rappaport is also featured on the album and he is throwing rhymes at his Hollywood peers. "Mike always wanted to rhyme, so he did a jawn called ‘How To Rob An Actor.’" The song, which is a spin of 50’s ‘How To Rob An Industry N*gga,’ features Rappaport jacking various actors. According to Eon, a response to the song is already being prepared by Oscar Award winning actor, Adrien Brody, who also raps under the name A. Ranger. "From what we hear, Adrien Brody is supposedly coming back, because Mike names him in the song." Rappaport raps: "You walking down sunset, but no one can save you/Affleck gimme that Rolex that J. Lo just gave you." The crew also take aim at the fast food industry on a song based on the critically acclaimed book, "Fast Food Nation," by Eric Schlosser. "We go after the fast food restaurants hard, it’s on some serious sh*t," Eon said. “We got these girls singing the McDonalds hook, but then I come in and diss their industry. I really think there is going to be strong reaction from the fast food companies and maybe some kind of action against the album because of the song." The 16 track album features production by Mighty MI and RJD2 and features guest appearances from Ra The Rugged Man, Cage, Copywrite, Tame-One, Cannibal Ox and Philly native Rahzel, who takes the place of Ready Rock C. and lends his beatboxing skills to a remake of Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince’s "Rock The House." The Highlite Zone is slated to hit stores October 7th on Eastern Conference Records.

Outkast, Biz Markie and a host of NBA stars are set to join New York Knicks’ Shandon Anderson August 29-31st, to help launch his philanthropic endeavor, The Shandon Anderson Foundation. "Actually the foundation has been in existence for three years," Anderson said. "This is the first actual event because I wanted to make sure I took the right direction." The first event, "The Shandon Anderson Foundation Presents the John Madden Tournament," will take place in Atlanta. The weekend activities will feature complimentary amusement park rides and a barbecue, an auction of sports memorabilia which will even include the 1996 Olympic Basketball autographed by the original Dream Team, a large party and more. "It just seems like the perfect thing to me," Anderson said. "We’re creating a series of rounds where any individual will have the opportunity to play the video games against a celebrity. In this way, we will be raising funds for the foundation via the entry fee and individuals will have a chance to get to know their favorite celebrities by playing against them. That’s much more than just asking for an autograph." The tournament will advance in several stages at different venues which will culminate on that Sunday at the well-known, ESPN End Zone site in Atlanta. Proceeds benefit Shandon’s Youth Retreat, a special series of field trips aimed at developing youth between the ages of 10-14 years of age and follow their development until the age of 18. "I was raised helping others, so it was just natural for me to create a vehicle to give back," Anderson said. Derrick Fisher, Deshawn Stevenson, Jarvis Hayes, Jagged Edge, Chico Debarge, Sam Cassell, Terrance Edwards, Ray Buchanon, Nick Anderson, Dominique Wilkins and more are slated to attend and compete.

"Born Gangsta" an unauthorized glimpse into the lives of rap stars Tupac Shakur and 50 Cent, will hit bookstores soon. According to co-author Anthony Thomas, the book points out parallels and contrasts between the two rappers careers and their impact on American culture. "I wanted to bring up the point that both men rose to stardom from poverty in a short time," Thomas told AllHipHop.com. "They both had their rivalries, Ja-Rule and 50, Pac and B.I.G. 50 getting shot nine times, the guy narrowly escaped death as did PAC when he was shot in a Manhattan recording studio." Tupac’s posthumous albums have generated around $60 million for his estate, while 50 Cent went from being an underground artist giving his material to bootleggers, to being worth an estimated $18 million dollars in one year. "We went to the bootleggers on Canal Street in New York and asked how many tapes 50 put out. Those guys on Canal, who are mostly African, wouldn’t discuss how much money they made and they never smile. When we mentioned 50’s name they actually cracked smiles, implying that the guy made them a lot of money." Thomas said they he and his co-author reached out to 50 and Pac’s respective camps for comments, but found they were stonewalled. "We reached out to 50 and PAC’s people, but being a small company it’s hard to get to the artists and get a representation of their side," Thomas said. Thomas said that in writing the book, they reached out to various people who knew 50 Cent, including people from his neighborhood, various mixtape DJ’s and the bootleggers themselves. The book also features an in depth analysis as to why Tupac, 50 Cent, Eminem and others are constantly being criticized by conservative news commentators. "It’s not just the rappers responsibility," Thomas continued. "It’s the media, the record companies and the artists. Artists and the record labels can put out music that doesn’t always have to be violent." Currently, the publishers are in negotiations with various bookstores, including Barnes & Nobles to carry the book. The book is expected to hit chains nationwide sometime in the spring.

Rappers Insane Clown Posse, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Tech N9ne and the Kottonmouth Kings will hit the road as part of the "Wicked Wonka" tour, set to kick off September 17th in Cleveland, Ohio and fittingly end with a special Halloween show on October 31st in Detroit, Michigan. In related ICP news, Violent J has released a solo EP, Wizard Of The Hood as well as his autobiography, "Behind the Paint." Tour dates are as followed: Wed 09/17/03 Cleveland, OH Tower City Amphitheatre Thu 09/18/03 Columbus, OH PromoWest Pavilion Sat 09/20/03 Minneapolis, MN Target Center Sun 09/21/03 Clive, IA 7 Flags Event Center Tue 09/23/03 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre Wed 09/24/03 Salt Lake City, UT SaltAir Pavilion Thu 09/25/03 Boise, ID Big Easy Fri 09/26/03 Seattle, WA Seahawks Exhibition Center Sat 09/27/03 Portland, OR Metropolitan Expo Center Wed 10/01/03 Las Vegas, NV Huntridge Theatre Fri 10/03/03 Anaheim, CA The Grove Of Anaheim Sat 10/04/03 Mesa, AZ Mesa Amphitheatre Sun 10/05/03 Albuquerque, NM Albuquerque Conv. Ctr. Wed 10/08/03 Austin, TX Stubb’s Barbeque Thu 10/09/03 Oklahoma City, OK Coca Cola Bricktown Event Center Fri 10/10/03 Kansas City, KS Memorial Hall Sat 10/11/03 Sauget, IL Pop’s Tue 10/14/03 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade Wed 10/15/03 Norfolk, VA The Boathouse Fri 10/17/03 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Sat 10/18/03 Worcester, MA The Palladium Tue 10/21/03 Washington, DC Nation Thu 10/23/03 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol Sat 10/25/03 Cincinnati, OH Bogart’s Sun 10/26/03 Grand Rapids, MI DeltaPlex Mon 10/27/03 Indianapolis, IN Murat Egyptian Room Thu 10/30/03 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre Fri 10/31/03 Detroit, MI State Theatre

Fox Searchlight Pictures has snagged the rights to the DMX produced film, "Never Die Alone," an urban thriller that is currently in post-production. The movie is based on the 1974 book of the same name, which was written by cult writer Donald Goines. DMX’s Bloodline Films and Contentfilm have lined up some heavy hitters to produce the flick. The movie is being directed by the critically acclaimed Ernest Dickerson, who as director of photography for Spike Lee, helped Lee to shoot visually stunning movies. Dickerson also worked on "Krush Groove," "Do The Right Thing," "Mo’ Better Blues," "Jungle Fever" and "Malcolm X" and made his directorial debut with 1992’s "Juice," which starred Tupac Shakur. In addition to Dickerson, the film’s director of photography is Matthew Libatique, who lensed "Phone Booth" and "Requiem For A Dream." "Fox Searchlight is honored to work with this talented team of filmmakers to bring ‘Never Die Alone’ to audiences nationwide," said Fox Searchlight Pictures Executive Vice President of Production Claudia Lewis. "’Never Die Alone the kind of edgy and provocative filmmaking that Fox Searchlight is constantly seeking, and DMX is a charismatic star in a surprisingly complex role." DMX stars opposite David Arquette, Michael Ealy and Reagan Preston-Gomez in the thriller, which is based on a gangster (DMX), who’s witness is witnessed by an aspiring journalist (Arquette). The rise and fall of the gangsters life is told in flashbacks through the journal he kept, which helps the journalist understand why he was murdered.

Brooklyn bred rapper Jaz O and his Kingz Kounty Entertainment are launching the 1st annual "Kingz Kounty Throwback to Marcy Classic." Hosted by Free from 106 & Park, the event will feature a variety of events and programs aimed at improving youth education and promoting youth empowerment. The Throwback will also feature a basketball tournament between 5th & 6th graders, 7th & 8th graders and 9th & 10th graders. Food will be served during the event, which takes place Saturday August 9, 2003 at the Marcy Houses in Brooklyn, New York, from 7am-8pm. Jaz O is currently producing material for Free’s upcoming Elektra Records CD. He also produced a track on her upcoming CD, Open Book.