Two men associated with Murder Inc. have been arrested in connection with last weeks federal raids of the Murder Inc. offices in Manhattan, New York. Derek Hayes and Jon Ragin were arrested on federal fraud charges. Both are accused of using a phony tuxedo rental business in Brooklyn as a front for laundering stolen credit card proceeds. Prosecutors are also alleging that SUV’s registered to the business are linked to burglaries and other various crimes on Long Island. Police say they are investigating an individual who dropped the body of a homicide victim. The victim, known as "Black Just," was dropped off at a hospital after he had been shot. The SUV driven was registered to the tuxedo rental business, according to court papers. "If they’re trying to tie Preme to Black Just’s death they will be unsuccessful," a source speaking on the condition of anonymity told AllHipHop.com. "Just was Preme’s true friend. Preme was the driver of the SUV that dropped Just at the hospital. The only blame that belongs to Preme is not taking Just straight to the hospital while the main artery in Just’s leg poured out blood. This delay caused Just to bleed to death while Preme frantically tried to find someone else to take Just. Preme wanted no connection to Just or a shooting because of the history they had, knowing it was cause for a fresh charge." According to the Daily News, sources have confirmed that Ragin was an associate of Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, who is believed to have provided funding for Irv Gotti. Other sources maintain that it Def Jam provided $3 million in financing to start Murder Inc, not McGriff. According to the source, the shooting of Black Just was allegedly carried out by another Queen’s rapper, E Money Bags. "Bags constantly bragged about killing Preme’s right hand man Black Just in Preme’s presence," the source said. E Money Bag was subsequently shot 10 times and murdered in 2000.

Lil’ Cease, Junior Mafia member and rhymester down with the late Notorious B.I.G., was placed on five years probation Monday after submitting a guilty plea in conjunction with gun possession charges stemming from an August 2001 shootout. According to police reports the shooting was caused because a man was talking too loud on a cell phone at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport. Cease and his entourage, which included JM member Larceny (Antoine Spain), were charged with five counts of assault, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree and attempted murder in the second degree. Michael Goody of Brooklyn was shot in the leg. Witnesses later placed the vehicle at scene which lead police to search and recovered two 9 millimeter fire arms registered to Lil’ Kim. Kings County Judge Abraham Gerges is expected to drop charges of attempted murder, harassment and five counts of assault for guilty pleas of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. Larceny and Damien “D-Roc” Butler, B.I.G.’s best friend and tour manager, will appear for sentencing on Jan. 30. Bodyguard Suif Jackson was sentenced to 5 years in state prison on November 6th 2002.

Jay-Z will be the first rapper to perform on pay channel Showtime, Saturday, February 22, 2003 from Memphis Tennessee. Jay-Z and other Roc-A-Fella family members are slated to perform before former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson returns to the ring to fight Clifford Etienne. The concert is being held at the Mid South Coliseum and is the first in a series of musical events that will be presented on the channel. An extensive television and print campaign is planned, utilizing all of the Viacom family of companies, including MTV, BET, Westwood One, CBS and UPN and Showtime. "Jay-Z is the perfect performer to kick off Showtime’s return to the musical event business," Jerry Offsay, Programming President, Showtime Networks, told AllHipHop.com in a statement. "With the triple threat of Jay-Z, followed by Mike Tyson, followed by our new series, "Family Business," Showtime will display the full range of original "No Limits" programming on February 22nd for our subscribers and distribution partners." Jay-Z’s newest album, The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse is double platinum. Jay-Z also signed a deal with Reebok, giving him his own line of sneakers, the S. Carter.

According to the New York Post, the federal raid of the Murder Inc. offices in New York City was just "the tip of the iceberg" of a year long investigation into money laundering, gun charges, murder and violence, including the 1995 shooting of Tupac Shakur in midtown Manhattan. Authorities are trying to establish a financial link between Irv Gotti and convicted Queens, New York drug kingpin, Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff. Authorities suspect that drug profits have been used to purchase equipment, transportation, food and hotel rooms. The Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office is investigating several unsolved shootings and violent incidences in the rap world. The report was not clear as to what role McGriff may have had in the Shakur shooting. McGriff has never been charged, nor surfaced as a suspect in the shootings. Shakur was shot shortly after midnight on November 30th, as he and three other men, Randy "Stretch" Walker and Freddie Moore entered the building that housed the Quad recording studio. Moore was shot once and Shakur was shot five times. Both men survived the shooting. Walker was found gunned down in Jamaica, Queens one year to the day after Shakur was shot in New York.

A special task force of Federal agents raided the New York City offices of Murder Inc. yesterday (Jan. 3) as part of an investigation into Irv Gotti. The task force has been formed to investigate Gotti and his financial ties to Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff. Investigators are trying to determine if McGriff provided money from drug trafficking to launch Gotti’s musical career. The task force is investigating allegations of money laundering and gang ties. While AllHipHop.com could not confirm any arrests, sources stated that at least 5 men, one of them Gotti’s brother, were detained at the label and at Gotti’s studio, The Crack House. Sources also stated that McGriff has been arrested in Florida on gun charges. These charges are in addition to the 5 years McGriff is about to serve for a July 2001 weapons charge. McGriff gained notoriety in New York as a member of The Supreme Team, which sold an estimated $10 million dollars worth of crack in the mid ’80’s. were sent to prison. The Team controlled the Baisley Park Houses in Queens, peddling an estimated 25,000 vials of crack a week. McGriff was hit with drug and weapons charges by the city’s special narcotics prosecutor in 1985. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years to life. Due to a technicality with the search warrant, McGriff only served 22 months in prison before his case was thrown out. McGriff is listed in the credits of the movie, "Crime Partners 2000," starring Ja Rule, Snoop Dogg and Ice T. He is described as co-author of the screenplay and executive producer of the DVD only release. JA Rule thanks "Preme" in the shout out’s on his latest album, The Last Temptation. "My n#### Preme you said it ‘we will not die until history records our greatness,’ the notes read.

Rapper Common makes his television acting debut Monday January 6 on UPN’s#### television series, "Girlfriends." The episode focuses on Lynn, who falls for a spoken word artist played by Saul Williams. When she finds out he is celibate, she loses interest. Common’s character makes her promiscuity public during a poetic performance. Common’s latest album, "Electric Circus" is in stores now.

50 Cent and Lloyd Banks were released from police custody after they were arrested for gun charges in front of a nightclub in Manhattan New York early Tuesday (Dec 31) morning. 50 Cent posted $10,000 bond on Tuesday, while Bank’s amount was lower. All of the suspects were released with the exception of Jean Bernard, who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Queens, New York. The hired driver of the vehicle was not charged. Shortly before his arrest, 50 Cent claimed that he wasn’t as much trouble as people perceive. "I think people think that I set out for trouble," he told AllHipHop.com. "But once they get around me they realize that ain’t what it is." Looking toward the future, 50 said that signing the deal with Eminem has not caused any drastic changes in his lifestyle. “One thing I know for sure is I am content with myself," he continued. "I see the expectation that people have around me. Signing the deal, it makes no difference, because the people that might wish I do bad, I’m already doing better than people would expect me to do. So, I’m on cloud nine. I can only do better because of my space right now.”

Queen Latifah’s arraignment for drunk driving charges has been postponed until January 15. Latifah was busted last month in Hollywood. Latifah was driving her 2003 Cadillac Escalde along the Hollywood Freeway when an officer spotted her making an unsafe lane change. Latifah failed a sobriety test and was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Latifah will star in the musical "Chicago," which is being shown in select cities. Latifah had a scene in the film where she sang a duet with Catherine Zeta Jones, but the scene ended up on the cutting room floor. According to the film’s director, the scene didn’t test well with audience members in early showings. "It was painful to cut it, but when you’re making a movie of a stage musical, songs do get eliminated," director Rob Marshall told TV Guide. "It bummed me out a little," Latifah said. "I love the song and I felt it was a cool scene with Catherine and I. But I’m here for the team, whatever makes the movie work."

Eminem plans to jump start 2003 off with change. The rapper said that he has abandoned drug use, is working out daily to maintain his health and is focused on the New Year. Em’s two albums and hit movie "8 Mile" raked in a total of $300,000,000. Eminem was also the best selling rapper of the year. The Eminem show moved a cool 7.4 million copies, while the soundtrack to "8 Mile" moved 3.5 million. Looking back at this year? I really haven’t thought about it," Em told the Detroit Free Press. "I haven’t taken it all in yet. I never really stop to look back on things and reflect on them. I keep ’em on the head, but I’m concentrating on next year more than anything." Em said that he is shunning the spotlight for the time being and focusing on getting his production weight up. "It’s almost to the point where I truly believe I may be getting too big for my own good," he said." I never really asked for that." The budding producer and label is exec is working out of 54 Sound in Ferndale, Michigan and preparing releases from 50 Cent, Obie Trice and D-12. "As far as hip-hop, there’s talent in Detroit — it’s just hidden. It hasn’t been exposed yet," he continued. "I want to open up the market here."

Rappers 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks were arrested this morning (Dec. 31) in New York City, after police responded to a complaint about a double parked SUV in front of a nightclub. The police allegedly found two loaded guns in the bulletproof SUV 50 Cent, Banks and three other men were traveling in. 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, was in front of the Copacabana nightclub and according to the police, as they approached the vehicle in regards to the complaint, they saw a .25 caliber handgun on the floor. After searching the SUV they also found a .45 caliber pistol. 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks, whose real name is Christopher Lloyd and three other men were charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. "As he was getting out of the car to go inside the police came up and stopped him and told him to get back in the car and go around the corner, where they searched the car," John Mangan told the AP. Mangan was the promoter for 50 Cent’s scheduled performance." "I think they’re trying to get him … to connect him to things that he has nothing to do with," Mangan continued. Mangan is referring to what many feel is a connection between 50 Cent and the murder of Jam Master Jay. While 50 Cent is not a suspect in the case, 50 Cent was working with Jam Master Jay prior to the legendary DJ’s murder. 50 also has a well documented beef with Murder Inc. It was recently reported that a reputed drug dealer from Queen’s, New York Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, who was once a leading figure in the infamous Supreme Team, may have connections to Murder Inc. McGriff has been mentioned on various 50 Cent records and 50 Cent even raised the possibility in a rap that McGriff may have had something to do with 50 Cent being shot 9 times in May of 2000. At one point Jam Master Jay was working with 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Caddilac Tah and others.

DMX was forced to cancel two concerts in Canada, after custom officials refused to let him off of his flight when he landed in Calgary, Canada. DMX was slated to perform two shows, one in Saskatoon and one in Calgary. While DMX was not allowed off of his flight and was barred from entering Canada, custom officials did approve six other people in his entourage for entry into the country. "All I can say is that individuals have to meet the normal immigration requirements," Fred Furlong, manager of the immigration office at the airport told Jam Showbiz. Furlong said that DMX did not meet those requirements and refused to provide extra details. Unconfirmed reports state that DMX was also briefly detained in a holding cell, when he became irate at the lack of explanation for his denied access to Canada. "Individuals that we don’t allow entry can and may be detained," Furlong said, but refused to comment if this was the case for DMX. Both concert venues and Ticketmaster are issuing refunds.

A 26-year-old man from the Bronx, New York, was arrested for murdering a 13-year-old boy Friday (Dec. 27), because the teen teased him about his weight, and compared him to Roc-A-Fella rapper, Freeway. Demetrius James, who stands 6-foot-2, and weighs 300 pounds, shot Brandon Marcus in the face as they rode the elevator in the Jamie Towers in Castle Hills. Marcus and his 10-year-old cousin were visiting their grandmother, who resides in the same building as James. Marcus was struck Marcus near his left eye. He was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where he died at 1:28 a.m. James was arrested at 5:20 a.m. Saturday (Dec. 28) and was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

Suge Knight spoke out from his prison cell last week, after he was jailed for allegedly violating his parole by associating with reputed gang members. Knight claims that he is being harassed by police in a bid to get him to speak about warring rival blood factions in California and murders he says he knows nothing about. "I ain’t no gangster. I’m too damn old. I’m a grown man trying to run a business. The guys who work for me ain’t out wearing rags and gang-banging in the streets. We got families. We got bills. Why don’t they just leave us alone?," Knight told the Los Angeles Times. Knight’s offices were raided at dawn in November, as police were searching for suspects and information related to two gang related shootings earlier in the year. L.A. is experiencing a surge in gang related violence, pushing the city’s murder rate to a six year high, with over 600 people being murdered. Los Angeles’ new police chief, William Bratton, has declared a virtual state of emergency over the spike in violence and likened gang members to "domestic terrorists." "There is nothing more insidious than these gangs," said Bratton. "They are worse than the Mafia. Show me a year in New York where the Mafia indiscriminately killed 300 people. You can’t." The city is introducing new efforts to curtail the gang activity in the Los Angeles area, where authorities say there are more than 100,000 gang members and at least 200 active gangs. Bratton said he will head to Washington to ask for help from the federal government. The use of the RICO statute (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) and the IRS to bring down the gang members. They will also actively track down parole and probation violators. Under Knight’s parole terms he is prohibited from associating with gang members. He was arrested because he hired people who had not been approved by authorities and because he has been photographed with gang members. "I told parole that if I had to stop dealing with people from the ‘hood, I might as well shut my business down. I can’t just turn my back on the people I came up with. Rap comes from the same place that I did — the ghetto."

Master P was ordered to pay $105,000 in punitive damages to an 80 year old woman on Thursday (Dec. 27). The woman’s voice was tape recorded and used on a 1998 album that Master P. executive produced. The song also featured Master P’s younger brother C-Murder and Snoop Dogg. Geneva Burger was taped by musician Johnny Lupo in 1997. Lupo asked her questions about marijuana use. Burger didn’t know she was being taped and the song appeared on the introduction to "No Limit,’ the 13th song on Magic’s 1998 album, Sky’s the Limit. Master P executive produced the album, which according to Burger’s lawyers, made over $3 million dollars. Judge R. Bruce Minto ordered Master P to pay the damages, because she suffered from anxiety and embarrassment after hearing her voice on what was labeled a "crude gangsta rap CD." Snoop Dogg already settled out of court for $75,000 and Priority records also gave her $300,000 before the trial begin. Priority is also suing Master P., seeking to be reimbursed for the settlement.

A federal judge has blocked the deportation of Rick "Slick Rick" Walters. Judge Kimba Woods gives Walters more time to fight the deportation order stemming from his 5 year stint in prison for a 1990 shooting that left his cousin, the cousin’s pregnant girlfriend and a bystander wounded. Judge Kimba Wood’s ruling will give Walters extra time to fight the INS’s deportation order stemming from the shooting. According to United States law, any non-citizen who serves more than 5 years in prison must be deported. "It’s like a technicality where if you served more than five years, you can be deported [if you are a immigrant]," Rick told AllHipHop.com. "At the time, of the [original] appeals and everything, it reached five years and 12 days." Woods found that there was substantial proof that Walters can prove he should not be deported. "If it wasn’t for me being Slick Rick, in the music industry, I probably wouldn’t get any coverage at all," Rick continued. "So that’s a blessing in disguise. People got to look past music like, ‘He’s a human.’” While the ruling raises the hopes for Rick defeating the case, he will still remain behind bars outside of Tampa, in Bradenton, Florida. I’m considered a flight risk, which we feel is unfair because, if anything, you would be a flight risk when you first catch your case, not after you finished your sentence," Rick continued. "It’s been over six years [since I got out of jail]. I have a wife, kids, a whole family, real estate, a rap career – Slick Rick. Its strange that they open such a heavy watch [against me]." Minister Benjamin Muhummad, President of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network that helped gain congressional support for Slick Rick, was equally excited about the victory. "This was a very important step and victory," Muhummad told AllHipHop.com. "Now we in the hip-hop nation must demand Slick Rick’s. Let’s keep the pressure on President Bush!"

After releasing two critically acclaimed albums for Motown, rapper AZ is a free agent and is no longer signed to the label. He is currently working on material for his third album. "From the Sosa bootleg on the streets, it got that buzz out there and Motown wanted to lock in with me," AZ explained to AllHipHop.com. "We did an album with options. The first one was 9 Lives, it did so so. We decided to another one, which was Aziatic. I feel like I put my good foot forward and they didn’t do what they had to do" AZ said that he had no bitter feelings toward the label, but said that they were moving in a different direction. "Motown is a good label, but they are dealing with that Neo-Soul," AZ continued. "No disrespect to them, but Hip-Hop is not their specialty. I need a good team in order to win." AZ said that he is weighing his options carefully, making sure that he aligns himself with a label that can properly market and promote his music. "I got a few people at the table, but I am trying to weight my options and see what’s gonna be best for me. We went through a dispute to get off of Motown, I don’t want to relive that. They finally let me off like 3 weeks ago, so it feels really good to be free and have options. Now that I am free with no strings attached, I feel like I am on parole." AZ is currently in the preproduction phase of his third album, tentatively titled Alpha/Omega.