A local newspaper is looking into the antics of Snoop Doggs dogs. Local Southern California residents have filed complaints (44 different ones) against Snoop. The complaints date back to 1994 against his collection of Pitbulls and Rottweilers. Word has it that this loud collection of dogs only totals 3, but they managed to wreak havoc. One instance tells of a hapless shih tzu that was put in a death grip by one of Snoops dogs. Another one tells of one of Snoops horny dogs knocking up a pure bred Akita, and another one tells of one of the dogs chasing a neighbor up a tree. Things are ruff.

Burglars broke into the NYC offices that house the Christopher Wallace Foundation after a benefit for the slain artist (where Puff forgot the lyrics to I’ll Be Missing You). The crooks pried open the door, took a small amount of cash, a Compaq laptop computer, and two plaques commemorating Biggie’s gold and platinum record sales (valued at $1,500 each). Police lifted prints, and an investigation is going on.

Raekwon let us know that he has finally named his latest album Immobilarity– State of Grace, Vol.1, which will drop sometime this summer. For those of us that didn’t know the meaning of the word, Chef said: "The word is from The Godfather Part 3, when Corleone says: International Immobiliare must be legitimate. The word means assets and property." Of course the Chef gave it another meaning "I Master More Opponents By Implementing Loyalty And Respect In To Youngsters." He said. He said that he is also opening a new restaurant named after his mother, Andrea, in Georgia, or Virginia.

Ice T is the latest high profile artist to big up the MP3 format. He has released ‘Don’t Hate The Playa’, over at www.mp3.com. Ice is one of the few industry heads that can see all of the benefits that this format has over traditional techniques. Ice is releasing his next album, The 7th Deadly Sin, on Coroner Records. Ice is no longer dealing with Sire or Warner Brothers.  

L7 will be joining RZA’s alter-ego Bobby Digital as player models for Atomic Pop’s Panic I. The Dr. Atomic vs. the Hitmen and Panic II: Hostile Takeover games, which are modifications of the networked games Quake II and Unreal, respectively. The player models of the four brash female rockers will be available for download at www.atomicpop.com in conjunction with the online release of their new single for Atomic Pop, "Freeway"/"Mantra Down" next week. Atomic Pop’s two futuristic games pit players against a hostile alien race who have invaded the Earth in the form of a giant music industry conglomerate. A third game, Panic III: The Big Shakedown, is also in the works. The games are part of the new online company’s effort to be more than just a traditional record label in promoting and marketing its music. The site also includes the streaming video of AtomicTV and the special edition Atomic Comix.

Ex-Ultramagnetic MC, Kool Keith is at it again, this time as Kool Keith with Beck. an artist that has also been lauded for his ability to transcend all musical expectations of him. Keith, recently announced a new alias, The New Black Elvis. He is currently awaiting his Ruffhouse/Columbia release. The Beck collaboration is due out in the fall on Geffen.

Chris Blackwell, (who also is the owner and founder of Island Records) and his Palm Pictures will produce the next film from Master P in association with the rapper’s No Limit Films company. "Lock Down," the story of three wrongly imprisoned friends and how jail divides them, stars Master P, who also co-directs and executive-produces. Producers of the film include Palm Pictures executive Hooman Majd and No Limit’s Jeff Clanagan. The movie, which will be shot in late April and May in northern California and Los Angeles, was written by Preston A. Whitmore II, whose credits include "Fled" and "The Walking Dead." The film’s soundtrack will be produced and arranged by Master P and released by New the No Limit label. "Lock Down" will be the Master P’s fourth film. His first venture, "I’m ‘Bout It," went straight to video, while his second, "I Got The Hook-Up," was released in partnership with Dimension/Marimba. Master P has recently completed another movie, "Foolish," to be issue this April by Artisan Films.

ODB was arrested for allegedly wearing a bulletproof vest, something he shouldn’t have done because of his previous arrests. Mike Partain said he was pulled over for "driving erratically". “He didn’t have a driver’s license, so the officers had him step out of the vehicle and noticed he was wearing body armor,” Partain said. “A check found he had prior violent felony arrests and he was taken into custody.” Ol Dirty who is 30 was booked for investigation of possessing body armor. He could get up to three years in prison. He was released on $18,000 bail.

A grand jury in New York Wednesday ruled that the Wu-Tang Clan star should not face charges for what police called a shoot-out with undercover officers. ODB was booked January 15 for suspected attempted murder after authorities said he engaged cops in a fire fight in Brooklyn. On Wednesday, ODB’s attorney told reporters, "The only individuals that fired shots were the police officers." Lawyer Peter Frankel said police couldn’t prove their version of things because there was no gun recovered, there was no ballistics evidence. ODB, 30, is due back in court Friday, when his attorney expects charges will be formally dismissed. Word has it the ODB is trying to get Madonna, among other acts to be on his upcoming release.Rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard said on Thursday that he planned to sue New York police after a grand jury ruled against indicting the rapper on charges of attempted murder, weapons possession, and assault.

Public Enemy has split with Def Jam Records due to the controversy the group is causing over their want to release their new records via the Internet, and the MP3, and MP4 format. Their record label, Def Jam and Polygram ordered them to take the MP3’s off of their site, which they did. They then put up the songs in the new MP4 format. Russell Simmons said "PE has always been one of my favorite groups. I wish them success." Chuck D. had this to say: ""The day of the demo as we know it is outta here! Now the possibility of 500,000 independent labels will make the majors revise their thinking. No longer will a home studio from Ohio waste time sending a neat package to LA or New York only to sit up in some incompetent A&R’s office corner collecting dust. It’s back to Pre-K, big boys will have to learn how to share. Skeptics ask me, "So, how do you make your money Chuck?" Well, artists will have to really expand on their art; live appearances, full fan contact and sweat for the $3.00 – $5.00 that the fan will spend outta their hard-earned money. Now artists will have to work harder for people’s time and money."

Rawkus Records is in the process of trying to land a P&D deal with Los Angeles based Priority Records. The deal would give Rawkus a bigger audience. Most people don’t know that Rawkus Records is backed by none other than the billion dollar conglomerate News Corporation, which also happens to own the Fox TV Network, among other media interests. The deal is messy. Mos Def has a label of his own through MCA. MCA won’t release anything unless he has Kweli with him Rawkus won’t get their deal unless Mos and Kweli give up another album. Each act owes Rawkus separate albums still. Headaches indeed. I caught the tail end of Mos Def’s manager, and the owners of Rawkus the other day, when I stopped into their Broadway office. We will keep you posted!

ODB was arrested last night (Jan.15th) after a shootout with police. No one was injured in the incident. Ol Dirty and another man were riding in a Chevy Tahoe with one headlight out, when the cops pulled them over in Brooklyn. According to police, Ol Dirty and the other man hopped out of the car and began firing, and the officers returned shots. Both of them were charged with Attempted Murder Of Police Officers. Man, what a bad way to start off the New Year.

L-Boogie has received 10 Grammy Award nominations Tuesday as women dominated several categories typically ruled by men. “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” will compete against a nearly all-female field — including Madonna, Sheryl Crow and Shania Twain — for album of the year. Hill was also nominated in the best new artist, pop, R&B, rap and producer categories. The 41st annual Grammys will be presented Feb. 24 in Los Angeles on CBS. Hill, who wrote and produced Aretha Franklin’s song “A Rose Is Still a Rose,” will go up against the soul queen for best female R&B vocal and best R&B album.

Members of the Wu Tang Clan are looking to expand their horizons into film, devoting time to two independent pictures. Method Man will play the lead in the upcoming movie Bundy, the story of a deaf-mute who unwittingly becomes a drug courier between rival gangs. RZA has been tapped to produce the soundtrack. Word has it the RZA is p##### at Gee Street for not pushing the Bobby Digital project to the fullest. Bill Duke (Hoodlum) is directing Bundy. Frank Vincent and Wu-Tang’s Raekwon will star in Lucky Man, which will explore black and Italian-American subcultures in Brooklyn and Staten Island. Wu-Tang manager Power will executive produce the soundtrack. Ruvin Orbach will write and direct the film based on his short of the same name.