Russell Simmons and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) will be honored tomorrow (Feb. 2) by Newark Mayor Sharpe James and TRI, Inc. for inspiring and uplifting young people across the country. Chaired by Simmons, HSAN is a non-profit coalition of artists,entertainment industry executives, and community leaders who advocatepositive social change through hip-hop. The group’s […]

Juelz Santana has become a financial partner in a new HipHopSodaShop opening on 125th Street in Santana’s hometown of Harlem, New York. The rapper is co-owner of the new franchise, which is licensed by parent company H3Enterprises Inc. (HTRE), a publicly traded company. "We’re gonna rip 125th up," Juelz said in a press release. "It’s […]

Miami pioneer and 2 Live Crew member Luther "Luke" Campbell is releasing a tell-all detailing some of his explicit exploits. "Uncle Luke – My Life & Freaky Times" contains two audio books from his upcoming book, written by Dara Cook, and an accompanying soundtrack. In "Freaky Times," Luke pulls no punches and reveals stories about […]

The Roots will host their Third Annual Jam Session and the crew is encouraging vocalists, musicians, and aspiring artists to take part in the five-hour session Feb. 7 at Key Club in West Hollywood, CA. This year’s gathering will be hosted by Roots frontman Black Thought, comedian Dave Chappelle, and actor Don Cheadle. The invitation-only […]

Cash Money Records founder and rapper Brian “Birdman” Williams was arrested Sunday (Jan. 29) on weapons and fraudulent driver’s license charges. The 36-year-old music mogul was charged with carrying a concealed firearm; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; unlawful use of a license by presenting another person’s driver’s license; possession of a fraudulent […]

Dave Chappelle will make his first television appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show this Friday (Feb. 3) to explain his sudden disappearance last year after announcing a $50 million dollar deal with Comedy Central. Chappelle gained headlines worldwide when he suddenly disappeared from the set of The Chappelle Show last year and reemerged in South […]

Blade, the Marvel Comics vampire slayer featured in trilogy of big-screen movies, is coming to the small screen and will star rapper/Onyx group member Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones. Spike TV has green-lighted a television series based on the super hero that will serve as the network’s first original scripted series. "Blade" will follow the adventures […]

A jury in Houston Federal Court has found rapper Lil’ Flip and Sony BMG Music Entertainment guilty of willful copyright infringement. Lil’ Flip (real name Wesley Eric Weston) was sued in Nov. 2004 for alleged unauthorized use of three melodies on his major label debut, Undaground Legend. The lawsuit, filed in Federal Court in the […]

Upon returning from the Sundance Film Festival early Sunday (Jan. 29), Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) found that her front yard had been vandalized and “toilet papered” with VCR tape. McKinney had been at Sundance to promote the documentary American Blackout, which focuses on her storied career and the continued disfranchisement of African-American voters and politicians […]

James "Jimmy Henchmen" Rosemond was recently found guilty of beating a Washington D.C. disc jockey during an appearance with The Game, who Henchmen manages. A jury found Henchmen guilty of assaulting on-air personality Xzulu "The Big Lipped Bandit" at 93.9 WKYS-FM in Lanham, Maryland. “We respect the jury’s verdict but we do not agree with […]

The 78th Academy Awards were announced Monday (Jan. 30) in Beverly Hills, California and Hip-Hop received a fair share of nods, some expected and others surprising. Three 6 Mafia, mostly known for an underground sensibility, was nominated for an Original song Oscar for their Terrence Howard-executed song "It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp” from […]

Scarface and rap duo the Product have teamed with Koch to release One Hunnid, the debut album from Scarface’s new venture, The Underground Railroad Movement. The Product features Bay Area rapper Will Hen and Jackson Mississippi native Young Malice. “We are very excited to work with Scarface and his [new] label Underground Railroad,” Alan Grunblatt, […]

Sean “Diddy” Combs is planning a lavish Super Bowl Weekend in Detroit, Michigan. Combs will renovate Detroit’s Captain’s Bar & Grille, which holds 700 people and transform the venue into “Diddy’s House” starting Feb. 3. As part of the re-design, Combs will extend Captain’s Bar & Grille’s floor to host 2,500 VIP Super Bowl fans. […]

Snoop Dogg and Reggaeton artist Daddy Yankee shot a video for “Gangsta Zone” yesterday (Jan. 27). The video for the song, taken from Daddy Yankee’s album Barrio Fino: En Directo, was shot in the Torres Sabana projects in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The video, directed by Jesse Terrero and Carlos Pérez, features Snoop and Daddy Yankee […]

Warren G., one of the pioneers of the “G-Funk” sounds, is back once again with a new album The Mid-Nite Hour and video for his lead single “I Need a Light” featuring Nate Dogg. Warren’s latest video premiered worldwide on MySpace.com this past Tuesday (Jan. 24) and has already reached over 28,000 plays. “‘I Need […]

A United States District Court Magistrate Judge recently granted a preliminary injunction to Slip-N-Slide Records that prohibits TVT Records from interfering with the distribution and/or release of Pitbull’s Welcome to the 305. The two labels were embroiled in a legal battle over the release of Welcome to the 305, an album that contains material Pitbull […]

Aftermath CEO and super producer Dr. Dre has struck an informal deal with Marsha "the Songstress" Ambrosius of Floetry fame, and the two will produce a solo album for the London-born singer. Dre, who recently attended one of the group’s Los Angeles shows, already has a working relationship with Floetry. Futhermore, Ambrosius laid down backing […]