T.I. Makes Court Appearance Over $8,000 Attorney Fee

With a just a little more than a month before serving time on federal weapons charges, T.I. will head to court for another legal matter.



According to the Associated Press, lawyers for LaShon Dixon, the mother of T.I.’s son’s, claim the rapper owes $8,000 for an attorney bill in Dixon’s child custody case against the rapper.



In September, T.I. was ordered to pay more than $3,000 a month to Dixon as well as the private school tuition and uninsured medical bills for the boys.



FULL STORY @ ALLHIPHOP

Lil Kim Upset at New NOTORIOUS Film

In a new interview with Hip Hop Weekly, Lil Kim slams Big’s mother, Ms. Voletta Wallace, and the late rapper’s wife, Faith Evans, for their involvement in the upcoming Biggie biopic, Notorious, in theaters January 16.

“I’ve had enough and I’m about to expose them both… I’ve been quiet for a long time. I’m very disappointed in Faith,” Kim told the hip hop tabloid this week. “There’s nothing Faith or Ms. Wallace could do to stop me from reppin’ B.I.G. all day. I’m gonna always do that… It’s time for Ms. Wallace to be exposed.”

Lil Wayne Becomes Voice of Gatorade

Mega rap star Lil' Wayne has been chosen as one of the voice-overs for the newly designed Gatorade beverage.

In a new commercial for the popular sports drink, Weezy is heard narrating a description of what "g" represents, as popular sports figures like Dwayne Wade, Serena Williams and Bill Russell glare into the camera.

"[G's] the emblem of a warrior, it's the swagger of an athlete, a champion and dynasty," Weezy says in the commercial. "It's gifted, golden, genuine and glorious. It is a lower-case god. It's the goat. Ha-ha. The greatest of all time."

As the 60-second video continues to scroll past other public figures, including the Yankee's Derek Jeter holding a bat and Muhammad Ali facing off with his fists, Weezy wraps up the meaning of "G." "What's G," he asks. "It is the heart, hustle and soul of the game. That's G."

Aiming for a new look, Gatorade's parent company, PepsiCo, is using the new "G" campaign as an opportunity to create new packaging and rename line extensions.

"For Gatorade," the company wrote in a statement, "G represents the heart, hustle and soul of athleticism and will become a badge of pride for anyone who sweats."

Renamed line extensions include Gatorade Fierce becoming Bring It and X-Factor receiving the newly amped name Be Tough.

In related news, Weezy's Tha Carter III sold the most overall albums of 2008 with around 2.88 million units sold.

According to Billboard, the rapper's latest project outsold efforts from mega acts including Coldplay, which sold 2.15 million, and Kid Rock with over 2 million.

However, this is the first time a best selling album of the year has moved less than 3 million albums since the start of Nielsen SoundScan began recording scanned units.

Dr. Dre's Son Died of a Drug Overdose

A California coroner has confirmed Dr. Dre's son, Andre Young, Jr. passed away last summer over a drug overdose.

According to People, the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner said the 20 year-old died after using heroin and morphine.

"This case has been closed," coroner spokesman Larry Dietz told People. "It's been ruled an accident due to morphine and heroin intoxication."

While early reports suggested an overdose, an official confirmation had been pending for nearly four months.

As previously reported by SOHH, Young Jr. was discovered motionless by his mother, Jenita Porter, August 23 in their Woodland Hills, California residence.

In related news, Interscope head Jimmy Iovine recently promised the release of Dre's long-delayed Detox album this year.

"Dre's going back [to the studio] in January," Iovine told Billboard. "He'll be finished with Eminem by then, and he'll finish his album."

As of now, no release date information for Detox has been released by Interscope/Aftermath.

Oprah Donates To Kids For T.I. Voting Song

Atlanta's Ron Clark Academy students, who famously remixed T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" with lyrics about the 2008 presidential election, received an unexpected Christmas gift from Oprah Winfrey.

Clark's middle school received a letter and a $365,000 check from Winfrey to help more children attend the institution which assists low income students receive a top notch education. The school runs almost completely on donations and now with the generous donation would be to pay the $14,000 tuition for 26 children to attend the academy.

"We teach school all day and fund raise at night," said Clark. "To have an unsolicited gift come like that is incredible."

Full Story at Hip Hop DX

Hip Hop Sampled Jazz Legend Freddie Hubbard Passes Away

After suffering a heart attack one month ago, famed Jazz horn player Freddie Hubbard passed away just before the new year in Sherman Oaks, California. On December 29, the 70 year-old was surrounded by loved ones at the city's hospital as he passed away.

Hubbard recorded in over four decades, for CTI, Columbia and Atlantic Records. Work from the trumpeter has been sampled by Hip Hop groups including Pete Rock & CL Smooth [click to read], A Tribe Called Quest [click to read], Souls of Mischief and early Blackalicious [click to read] hit "Swan Lake."

A tribute show is said to be planned in New York this February.




Story at Hip Hop DX

18-year old flashes gang signs in Santa picture, faces jail time