Priest charged with selling coke from campus rectory

A Catholic priest was charged this week with selling cocaine from his office and residence at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, local news organizations report.

The Rev. Christopher Layden, 33, was arrested Wednesday after police found "about 3 grams of powder cocaine and items of drug paraphernalia" while executing a search warrant on the campus, according to The Pantagraph.

Layden pleaded not guilty to three charges, the paper says.

Check Out Full Article @ MSN

How to Be Single in a Couples' World

When you’re surrounded by twosomes, flying solo can sometimes be tough. These tips will help you cope during dude-free days.

So, you’re currently without a main squeeze — big freakin’ deal. While seeing all your coupled-up friends canoodling can make you feel down about your solo status, the reality is that there’s a lot to enjoy about singlehood.

“Many women see that time as just a waiting period between boyfriends and don’t allow themselves to make the most of it,” says therapist Karen Gail Lewis, author of With or Without a Man. “But there’s no better time to learn about yourself, explore opportunities, and finally do all the things you were too busy to do with a boyfriend.” All it takes is the right mind-set, so follow these strategies for feeling fabulous solo.


Check Out Full Article @ MSN

Waving Goodbye to the Bus

As fuel prices rise, some districts are updating an old method of getting children to school.

Check Out Full Article @ MSN

We're married, sleeping separately

It was the sock in the jaw that finally did it.

"We were lying in bed spooning when he had an elbow spasm and punched me in the jaw," says Barbara, a 55-year-old graphic designer from Lansing, Michigan, who asked that her last name not be used.

"I was already so sleep-deprived from his twitching and snoring that I was psychotic. After that, I just told him, 'It's all over, honey.'"

Check Out Full Article @ CNN

Hip Hop Live: Week Ending 9/19/2008

This week’s Hip Hop Live kicks it off with the Midewest Music Festival featuring Plies, Gucci Mane, Soulja Boy and Pleasure P at the Hara Arena in Dayton, OH on Saturday (Sept. 13) at 7:00 PM. Three 6 Mafia hit the House of Blues Dallas in Dallas, TX the same day at 8:00PM, while Ice Cube shows at House of Blues Chicago in Chicago, IL at 7:30 PM.

Check Out Full Article @ Hip-Hop DX

Kanye And Road Manager Released

Kanye West and road manager Don Crowley were leased yesterday (Sept. 11) afternoon from the Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific Division on $20,000 bail.

As previously reported, West and Crowley were arrested after they damaged paparazzi cameras. The cameras were valued at over $10,000, and both men were charged with felony vandalism.

Check Out Full Article @ Hip-Hop DX

Soulja Boy, 50, and Kanye Make Billboard All Time Hip-Hop/R&B Songs List

Yesterday (September 11) Billboard celebrated its 50 year history by compiling a list of the top charting Hip-Hop and R&B songs of all time.

And the results are surprising.

The criterion for the list was based on Billboard tracking the popularity of songs based on sales and number of radio plays.

Other important but largely subjective factors like cultural influence, genre innovation, and timeless or classic quality were not considered.

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

Snoop Passes Character Test, Tour Of Australia On

Snoop Dogg’s Australian tour has officially been green lighted by the country’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship it was announced today (September 12).

As previously reported by AllHipHop.com, Snoop Dogg is now able to tour the country with fellow gangster rap pioneer Ice Cube and a recently reunited Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

In 2007, Snoop Dogg, born Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr. was not permitted to enter the country to host MTV’s Australian Video Awards ceremony, due to his past criminal record.


Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

T.I. Ex-Girlfriend Seeks More Child Support

Legal trouble continues to follow rapper T.I. as the mother of the entertainer’s two sons has come forward to request more child support to help raise the youths.

The Associated Press reports that T.I., born Clifford Harris, is being sued by his 29-year-old ex-girlfriend, Lashon Dixon.

Dixon claims that she is having a hard time raising the former couple’s two boys with the $2,000 a month Harris provides for child support.

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

Rapper DMX Jailed In Phoenix; Held On $25K Bond

Rap star DMX was extradited from a Miami, Florida jail and is now in a Phoenix, Arizona jail on theft charges.

According to reports, Maricopa County Sheriffs are holding DMX in custody on a $25,000 cash bond on felony theft charges.

DMX was originally arrested by Miami police outside of a Wal-Mart, after he failed to appear at a mandatory pretrial conference related to drugs charges in Phoenix.

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

Galveston, part of Houston evacuated ahead of Ike

Authorities urged residents in parts of the the U.S. Gulf Coast to heed evacuation warnings before Hurricane Ike makes landfall, warning of a "massive storm" that could affect roughly 40 percent of the U.S. Gulf Coast.

"Do not take this storm lightly," Michael Chertoff, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said Thursday afternoon. "This is not a storm to gamble with. It is large; it is powerful; it carries a lot of water."

Chertoff and representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency said their efforts were focused on evacuations as Ike, now a Category 2 storm, headed toward the northwestern Gulf of Mexico with top sustained winds near 100 mph.

Check Out Full Article @ CNN

Jay-Z Playing October Shows With Lil Wayne, T.I. — But Not At The Same Time

Ne-Yo will also be on the bill for shows in New Jersey, Philadelphia.

Check Out Full Article @ MTV

Daddy Yankee Defends His Decision To Back John McCain

Reggaetón artist won't accept Fat Joe's challenge to a political debate.

Check Out Full Article @ MTV

Katt Williams To Host BET Hip Hop Awards Again

Comedian Katt Williams will once again host this years BET Hip Hop Awards, making him the only person to host the award show in its three year existence.

No stranger to BET, Williams has appeared on a number of shows including "ComicView", "106 And Park", "The BET Awards", and "Rip The Runway".

On top of hosting the BET Hip Hop Awards, Williams will also be releasing a live-act DVD entitled Pimpin Pimpin DVD on November 11.

Check Out Full Article @ Hip-Hop DX

Young Jeezy Dismisses Wack Interviewers

A week after Vice Magazine's online TV counterpart asked Young Jeezy about his love of boiled peanuts, sparking a new milestone in interview awkwardness, the Atlanta rapper spoke to Rhapsody's blog regarding his personal pet peeves within Q&A.

"Mr. 17,500" specified he really dislikes, "when they are real up-front and ask you about street shit." Examples include, 'When’s the first time [you sold drugs or have you ever killed someone]?' The often interview-shy Jeezy added, "I just sit there and don’t answer like, 'Nigga, I don’t got nothing to say about that."


Check Out Full Article @ Hip-Hop DX

US Soldier Dishonorably Discharged For Hip Hop

Former US soldier Martin Jackson takes his Hip Hop seriously. So seriously, in fact, that he was dismissed from military duty because of it.

One of Malone’s sergeants burned his nine year collection of Hip Hop magazines after a heated argument. Malone’s reaction earned him a discharge for dishonorable conduct.

At the time, Malone had served three years which included a stint in Korea and service after the attacks of September 11.

Check Out Full Article @ Hip-Hop DX

Lil Wayne's Lawyer Accuses Police of Illegal Search

During the court hearing which he skipped various VMA after parties for Lil Wayne's lawyer officially challenged a police search which resulted in a 2007 weapons possession charge. Stacey Richman, who represents Wayne, said arresting officer Diane Hournung "wasn't anywhere near where she said she was" when she claimed to smell marijuana smoke coming from the rapper's tour bus.

Check Out Full Article @ Hip-Hop DX

Jermaine Dupri Slapped With $250K Defamation Suit

So So Def mogul Jermaine Dupri is facing a defamation lawsuit over a private phone call included on Daz Dillinger’s 2006 album So So Gangsta.

The lawsuit, filed by a woman named Aika Kendrick, alleges that Daz and Dupri recorded a personal phone conversation which they then used as a backdrop for the song “The One,” which features Jagged Edge and details the difficulty of leaving an emotionally abusive relationship.

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

Kanye West, Bodyguard Arrested At LAX

Grammy Award winner Kanye West and his bodyguard were arrested at Los Angeles International Airport this morning (Thursday), after an encounter with the paparazzi escalated.

According to several reports, the altercation took place close to the American Airlines terminal at LAX and started when an unidentified photographer began taking photos of the rapper.

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

Ludacris Shoots Down Retirement Reports

A recent Los Angeles Times article has created widespread talk of Ludacris’ impending retirement from Hip-Hop in pursuit of Hollywood.

However, in an exclusive statement to AllHipHop.com, the Atlanta-based rapper says the rumors are exaggerated.

“I never said I was retiring from Hip-Hop today,” Ludacris who celebrates his 33rd birthday today. “Music is my first love and I’m just as hungry as the day I began. The Theater of the Mind album will prove that on November 11 when it drops.”

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

Andre 3000 Says He Can't Save Hip Hop

Andre 3000 has never been the type to toot his own horn. So although his lyrical prowess has caused many to put his sparse verses on a pedestal, Andre has met the high acclaim with a cold shoulder.
“Man, I really appreciate that people appreciate what I do, but I don't like that type of pressure,” Andre 3000 told MTV recently.

Check Out Full Article @ Hip-Hop DX

Diddy Responds To Mounting Jet Controversy

Rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has issued a statement regarding the recent web controversy created by a Palm Beach Post article about the ownership of the private jet he uses.

In a tongue-in-cheek YouTube post labeled as an “extra” to his now famous “Diddy Blog,” the producer-turned-reality TV star poked fun at the maelstrom.

“For the record, here is the truth: my jet is listed under the name Ciroc Obama,” Combs dead-panned. “And I do not own the whole jet, I only own a wing. I could not afford the whole jet. [But] it’s my wing! I worked hard for that wing!”

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

Baby Bash Schedules Persian Gulf Tour for U.S. Troops

Houston rapper Baby Bash has confirmed plans to launch his first tour of the Persian Gulf in support of U.S. troops fighting overseas.

The trip was brainstormed as a follow-up to the song “As Days Go By,” featured on Bash’s latest album Cyclone.

The track revolves around heartfelt letters to loved ones from husbands, wives, brothers, and sisters fighting in foreign lands.

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

Russell Crowe Offers To Back Snoop Over Visa Issue

Snoop Dogg’s visa clearance battle with Australian officials has drawn the attention of Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe, who is urging his native country to lift their temporary ban on the rap star.

In late August, Snoop was denied a visa to launch an October tour with Ice Cube. Representatives for the Australian government justified their stance by explaining they’ve received “complaints” from residents who are wary of Snoop’s previous criminal history.

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

Wu Music Group Signs Global Digital Distribution Deal

De-facto Wu Tang Clan leader the RZA has announced today (September 10) a partnership with global digital music group The Orchard, which will market Wu’s extensive catalogue worldwide in digital and physical formats.

The deal encompasses new material and 13 previous Clan releases that have been unavailable digitally from the Wu Tang Clan, Killarmy, Wu-Syndicate, Shyheim, U-God, Black Knights, and West Coast Killa Beez.

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

Wyclef Jean Launches Haiti Storm Relief Fund

Rapper/producer Wyclef Jean is making moves to provide much needed resources for those affected by severe storms that have battered his native Haiti.

The former Fugees member has launched Haiti Storm Relief Fund, an effort designed to provide food, water, purification tablets, tents, blankets, medical supplies and hygiene kits to storm victims.

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

Timbaland To Be Awarded By Trinity College in Dublin

Multi-platinum producer Timbaland has been chosen to receive the highest award bestowed by Ireland's prestigious Trinity College Dublin.

This October, the Grammy Award winner will be inducted into the school's Philosophical Society as an Honorary Patron.

Each year, the society chooses an elite group of individuals to carry on its time honored traditions, established more than three hundred years ago in 1684.

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

5ive L Continues Force MDs Legacy; Force MDs Documentary Planned

Drawing on the influence of legendary Hip-Hop and doo-wop group the Force MDs, New York-based collective 5ive L is determined to create its own legacy in music circles.

The new group already knows the benefits and good fortune the music industry can bring, as the offspring of Force MD members and brothers Stevie D Lundy and Antoine "T.C.D." Lundy.

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

3rd Annual We The People Fest Kicks Off in L.A.

One of Los Angeles’ premier gathering for socially conscious music and people commences on September 27, with the highly popular We the People Festival.

The forward-thinking event focuses on advocating “non-partisan, non-violent, environmental, and politically conscious views as established through music and dialogue.”

The festival began in Watts in 2006 as a small gathering to give community leaders and artists the opportunity to reach out to urban youth.

Check Out Full Article @ All Hip-Hop

Mentally ill kept in police cells

[in the U.K]



Thousands of people with mental health problems are being detained in police cells rather than being taken to hospital for assessment, a report says.

Over a year, more than 11,500 people were held in police custody for assessment under the Mental Health Act - double the number taken to hospital.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission collated data for all 43 police forces in England and Wales.

IPCC commissioner Ian Bynoe said the situation was "intolerable".

Section 136 of the Mental Health Act enables officers to take someone they believe is suffering from a mental disorder, and in need of immediate care or control, from a public place to a "place of safety" where they can be examined by a doctor and interviewed by an approved social worker.



Full Story at BBC

Few hospitals meet colon cancer care standard

Nearly two-thirds of hospitals fail to check colon cancer patients well enough for signs that their tumor is spreading, says a study that advises patients to ask about this mark of quality care before surgery.

National guidelines say when colon cancer is removed, doctors should check at least 12 lymph nodes for signs of spread. Checking fewer than 12 isn't considered enough to be sure the cancer is contained.

But a study of nearly 1,300 hospitals found that overall, just 38 percent fully comply with the guideline, Northwestern University researchers report Tuesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

"It's a fairly simple thing we can do to try to improve care for our patients," said lead author Dr. Kyle Bilimoria, of Northwestern and the American College of Surgeons.

Colorectal cancer is the nation's second leading cancer killer, set to claim almost 50,000 lives this year.

Some 148,000 Americans are diagnosed annually. For many, the node check can be crucial. Whether cancer has entered these doorways to the rest of the body is an important factor in long-term survival — and thus helps doctors decide who gets chemotherapy after surgery and who can skip it.

FULL STORY at ASSOCIATED PRESS

Microsoft Lets Zune Users Play Radio Tag

As the tech media and blogosphere focused their spotlights on the announcements coming out of Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) Latest News about Apple "let's rock," press event on Tuesday, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Free Trial. Security Software As A Service From Webroot. Latest News about Microsoft risked being lost in the chatter. The company chose Monday to reveal details about upcoming changes to its Zune digital media player.

Among the new features for the Zune are improved WiFi, radio tagging functionality, a 120 GB model and a 16 GB flash memory version.

"It seems like some minor hardware upgrades," said Joshua Martin, an analyst at the Yankee Group, "but it's really about an experience change. They're offering more functionality and increased usability, and that's really [how] Microsoft has tried to position the product ... the whole time. Easy discovery of music, easy sharing of music, easy interaction with people who like music -- that's been their niche, and it seems they are beginning to hone that message."


Full Story at TechNewsWorld

VH1 Debuting Two Original Hip Hop Shows

In anticipation of its fifth annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" telecast, VH1 will premiere two original hip-hop themed programs. "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs" and "VH1 Rock Doc: NWA: The World's Most Dangerous Group" will air Sept. 29 and Oct. 3, respectively.

"100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs" is a five-part series that will count down the best hip-hop songs of all time, revealing the story behind each hit and updating viewers on what the artists are doing today. It also will feature original interviews and archival performances by Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Run DMC, Salt-N-Pepa, Outkast, Eminem and Grandmaster Flash.

Written and directed by Mark Ford, "VH1 Rock Doc: NWA: The World's Most Dangerous Group" takes a look back at the history of the famed L.A. rap outfit. The documentary will be narrated by comedian Chris Rock and will feature interviews with Ice Cube, MC Ren, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, Eazy-E's widow Tomica Woods-Wright, Ice T and director John Singleton, among others.

The shows will be part of VH1's on-air path towards the "VH1 Hip-Hop Honors," which airs Oct. 6. This year's honorees include Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Slick Rick, Naughty By Nature and Too Short. Big Boi, Biz Markie, Bun B, DJ Kaos, Ghostface Killah, Kid Rock, MC Lyte, Lil' Jon, Lil Wayne, Q-Tip, Scarface, Wyclef Jean, Cheech and Chong and Sanaa Lathan will make guest appearances.

Courtesy of HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

WC Talks New Album, Clarifies Mack 10 Separation

Via DubCnn.com

" Dubcnn hooked up with WC for an exclusive video interview while he's on his European tour with Ice Cube, promoting "Raw Footage". He talks to us about his last album "Guilty By Affiliation" as well as his upcoming album, titled "Return Of The Barracuda". He explains the concept behind the album and explains the advantages of being an independent artist.
We also discuss the Westside Connection/The Game rumors, his relationship with Mack 10, cutting off his beard and a wish list for a super Hip-Hop group."

Watch the Interview :


SEE A TRANSCRIBED VERSION OF THE INTERVIEW

Katt Williams Returns to Host BET HIPHOP AWARDS!

Comedian Katt Williams has been tapped for the third time to host the “BET Hip Hop Awards,” airing next month.

The show will be taped in Atlanta on October 18th at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center and is set to air days later on the network. As of press time the list of artists set to appear have not been announced.

In related news Williams made headlines earlier this year about possibly signing a deal with Comedy Central for a pilot of his own sketch comedy show, as well as another special from his, It's Pimpin' Pimpin' tour.

The tour, which recently ended, ranks as one of Pollstar's top live comedy acts of 2008, earning over $17 million in ticket sales and over half a million ticket-buyers since it launched in January. Williams plans to release his “It’s Pimpin Pimpin” DVD on Tuesday, November 11.

The “BET Hip Hop Awards” will air on at 8 p.m. on October 23rd.



Courtesy of SOHH

MF DOOM Returns With New Album, Produced By Dilla

The masked emcee has reportedly been hard at work in the studio.

Now simply called DOOM, the KMD front man will release his first new album in over three years, titled Born Into This, according to Prefix Magazine. The effort will be released on Lex Records, the label responsible for Danger DOOM's Mask & The Mouse album in 2005 .

Born Into This will feature production from Dangermouse and J Dilla, as well as appearances from frequent collaborator Ghostface and now Raekwon. The album is presently intended to be released on October 21.

Between 2002 and 2005, DOOM released nearly a half-dozen projects, including duo albums, instrumental series and various alias-titled projects for labels included Rhymesayers, Stones Throw, Big Dada, Nature Sounds and others.

In related news, next month will also feature the re-release of DOOM's critically-acclaimed solo debut, Operation Doomsday, on his own Metal Face Records. Initially released on Fondle 'Em Records, the release was re-released in 2001 on Doom's imprint, and has been heavily bootlegged by other manufacturers.

COurtesy of HIP HOP DX

MySpace Music Store Launching Soon

Social-networking giant MySpace will open its long-promised music store later this month, allowing fans to download and stream millions of songs — including new music and back catalog — from three of the four major labels. In an attempt to differentiate themselves from the two leading digital-music retailers — Apple’s iTunes and Amazon’s MP3 Store — MySpace Music will let fans share music through their pages and build communal playlists, as well as purchase merchandise and tickets. “It’s not the same kind of listening you do with iTunes,” says the site’s co-founder Tom Anderson. “It’s about sharing songs with your friends and checking out what they are listening to.” Songs will be available as unprotected MP3s, and prices will be competitive with other services.

Courtesy of Rolling Stone

MICHAEL JACKSON - JACKSON'S UNDERWEAR FOR SALE

A pair of white briefs once belonging to pop superstar MICHAEL JACKSON are to be sold at auction.
The Calvin Klein underpants will be sold on internet site eBay with a reserve price of $1 million (GBP540,540).
The briefs are reportedly part of the evidence confiscated by police in 2003 as part of Jackson's child molestation trial, in which he was eventually cleared.
New Jersey businessman Henry Vacarro obtained the underpants - which come in a sealed evidence bag, wrapped with police tape - as part of a bankruptcy case, according to New York Post gossip column PageSix.
He is also selling off other artifacts including a handwritten note from the star explaining his decision to seek an annulment from ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley in 1996, and a used tube of skin-bleaching cream.
The auction for the items begins on Wednesday (10Sep08).

Diddy is Full of ..it

When rap mogul Sean Diddy Combs told the world via video that he quit flying in his private jet because fuel’s too darn expensive, dude forgot to level with his peeps.

There is no private jet!


A thorough review of federal records shows that no plane in this country is registered to a Sean Combs or any of the part-time Miami Beach resident’s numerous companies, including clothier Sean John and his music company, Bad Boy Entertainment.

One private aviation source scoffed: “It’s my jet this, my jet that. I have list of every plane with the name of the owner, and he’s not on it.”

The video released last week on diddy.com showed Combs filming himself in an airport and onto what he said was an American Airlines flight.



“Gas prices are too m@#$(&f(&$# expensive,” he says. “As you know, I do all my own jet … and (flying from New York to Los Angeles) it’s $250,000 round trip twice a month …

“I want to give a shout out to my Saudi Arabian brothers and sisters … Please send me some oil for my jet.”

The private aviation spy said Diddy’s math is off. Flying back and forth to the Left Coast twice would set him back $100,000, even with pricey fuel.

“The truly rich aren’t affected by oil when it comes to private planes,” said the private aviation source in Palm Beach. “Monthly payments on a $20 million-plane and crews are expensive.”

The hip-hopper’s publicist in New York said Combs, 38, swears Combs is the fractional owner of a NetJets plane.

That company sells flight hours on private jets and calls it “fractional ownership.”

Courtesy of Palm Beach Post

Vigorous Physical Activity Reduces Obesity Risk in Genetically Predisposed

Individuals who have a genetic mutation associated with high body mass index (BMI) may be able to offset their increased risk for obesity through vigorous physical activity, according to a study in the September 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Evadnie Rampersaud, PhD, formerly of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, and currently at the University of Miami, Miami, Florida, and colleagues analysed DNA samples of 704 healthy Amish adults (average age 43.6 years, 53% male) recruited from 2003 to 2007. Participants also underwent a series of physiological tests, including a 7-day measurement of physical activity using an accelerometer.

A total of 54% of the men and 63.7% of the women were overweight, and 10.1% of the men and 30.5% of the women were obese. In the genetic analysis, 26 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene were associated with BMI.


FULL STORY at DOCTORS GUIDE

Ike kills 4 in Cuba, takes aim at Mexico, US Gulf

Hurricane Ike roared across Cuba west of the densely populated capital's aging buildings Tuesday after tearing down the length of the island nation, ravaging homes, killing at least four people and forcing 1.2 million to evacuate.

Residents in Texas and northern Mexico braced for a weekend hit from Ike, which has already killed at least 80 people in the Caribbean.

Winds howled and heavy rains fell across Havana, where streets were empty. Towering waves broke over the graceful Malecon seaside promenade, which police had barricaded off the previous evening. Many of the historic apartment buildings along its length are in poor repair and vulnerable to collapse.

Police spread out across the city to halt all but emergency and official traffic. Roadways were strewn with tree branches and rocks, and the rubble from crumbling balconies littered sidewalks. Navigation was banned in Havana Bay, its usually placid surface stirred up by white-capped waves.

Teresa Tejeda, scared to stay in her dilapidated Old Havana home, evacuated with several hundred other elderly people to a government shelter.





Full Story at Associated Press

Tobacco Company Plans to Cut U.S. Work Force

Reynolds American, the tobacco company, said Tuesday that it would cut about 10 percent of its American work force — about 570 jobs — and make Camel its flagship menthol cigarette brand to better compete in a consolidating market.

The company said Tuesday that it would shift its focus in the premium menthol market to its well-known Camel brand from its Kool line. The menthol market has shown some growth, while smoking in general continues to decline in the United States.

Camel is known mostly as a non-menthol brand. But Reynolds recently released a cigarette called Camel Crush, whose capsule in the filter gives off a burst of menthol flavor when it is broken.

Kool will now focus on markets where it has strength and receive less marketing support, Reynolds said.

The overhaul at Reynolds comes a day after the largest American cigarette maker, the Altria Group, announced plans to buy the No. 1 domestic smokeless tobacco maker, UST Inc., for $10.4 billion.

FULL STORY AT THE NEW YORK TIMES

911 to Accept Cellphone Videos

The New York Police Department opened a new front for tipsters on Tuesday, urging citizens to send in videos of crimes in progress.

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the start of the program in the department’s Real Time Crime Center at Police Headquarters.

In August, the department began accepting tips by text message.

The police hope to build on the network of surveillance cameras, 911 tips and text messages, tapping into the technology and habits that are already part of the daily behavior of millions of New Yorkers.

The idea takes the 911 call one step further. When a witness calls 911, the dispatcher takes the details of the crime and then assigns a special code to the report if the caller says he has photographs or video that might help solve it. A detective then calls the tipster with instructions on how to send the visual data into a department computer.


Full Story at The New York Times

The Dangers of Crate Digging

DJs get no respect. Next time you look at the celebrity Serato DJs who hog the spotlight, remember those who put their lives on the line for the sake of spinning vinyl. Graphic designer Stefan Glerum hasn’t forgotten—his recent series of pencil sketches called Crate Digging: Don’t Do It! shows newbies just how tough digging in the crates can be.

See, back in the day, DJs were only as good as the dedication they put forth in searching for vinyl. In Glerum’s work, he gives 13 reasons—physical, mental, financial and social—why the old school hunt can be detrimental to a weekend-warrior DJ’s well-being.



Check out images from Glerum’s illustrated manual [click the link below]

Courtesy of COMPLEX BLOG

Apple unveils 'thinnest iPod yet'

Apple has unveiled the latest version of its iPod Nano, featuring what is says are the thinnest measurements yet.

The fourth generation Nano was launched at a US press conference by Apple chief Steve Jobs, who announced new shuffle and library features.

He also listed the Nano's environmental credentials, including arsenic-free glass and a mercury and PVC-free body that is "highly recyclable".

The Nanos are expected to sell in the UK for £109 ($191) for the 8GB version.

The 16GB version will retail at £149.

Speaking live in San Francisco, Mr Jobs unveiled Apple's new Genius function which allows users to create automatic playlists from the iPod's library with the click of a button.

He said the function worked by taking one song and creating a playlist based on the user's song library and could also suggest other tracks the user might want to buy.

Mr Jobs said the new Nano also had a "shake to shuffle" mode, which sends the gadget to shuffle mode with the flick of a wrist.

The Apple chief executive officer said the company had sold more than 160 million iPods since the MP3 player was introduced seven years ago.
Courtesy of BBC

VH1 Announces 5th Annual "Hip Hop Honors" Performers

As momentum builds for the Oct. 6 airing of VH1's Hip Hop Honors, the network has announced the tentative roster of this year's performers. As previously announced on HipHopDX.com, Tracy Morgan will resume host duties. The 2008 ceremony will honor Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Slick Rick, Naughty By Nature and Too $hort. Big Boi of Outkast will be joined by Scarface, Lil Wayne, Ghostface Killah, Q-Tip, Lil John, Wyclef Jean, Kid Rock and MC Lyte will all perform to honor this year's guests in some capacity. Actress Sanaa Lathan will also be a part of the festivities as well as the comedy duo Robert "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong.

For those fortunate enough to attend the live event, the ceremony will be held Oct. 2 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. VH1 plans to announce additional performances and appearances closer to the show date, and updates will be provided at HipHop.Vh1.com. Much like last year's ceremony, awards for non-performing aspects of Hip Hop will be decided on by fans. Fan votes will be taken for Hip Hop's best radio station, gear site, blog, city and/or venue as well as the best overall Hip Hop website.

Courtesy of HipHOpDX

Keith Murray Wishes For Reality TV Show

After releasing two albums in the last year, Keith Murray [click to read] might be restless. The veteran Def Squad emcee told The Detroit News recently, that he hopes for an opportunity to take his charisma to reality television.

"A lot of Hip Hop reality shows are either romances or vehicles for artists to further their careers. I could do that. I could do all that -- the love aspect, the career development. I could even do a travel reality show for the Travel Channel and travel to all the Hip Hop spots all over the world. I travel all over the world anyway," said the 29 year-old (Editor's Note: The Detroit News reported Murray was 29), also hoping for looks from BET, MTV and Vh1.

At press time, no networks had contacted the rapper known for his hit "Get Lifted."

This summer, Murray has toured with Busta Rhymes [click to read] and Rakim. He also made an appearance, along with EPMD, during Redman and Method Man's set at Rock The Bells' stop in New York. He most recent release is Intellectual Violence [click to read].

Murray's management told HipHopDX Monday night that serious television inquiries can be made to Food On The Table Management at (313-449-2086).

Courtesy of HIPHOPDX