Jim Jones Charged with Assault For Scuffle w/ Jay-Z Associate

On Monday January 5, 2009 Dipset Capo Jim Jones appeared at the 18th Precinct in New York City to speak to the police about an alleged physical altercation that took place on Christmas Eve. As a result of the meeting, Jones has been slapped with a misdemeanor assault charge and a court appearance has been scheduled for February 4th.

As SOHH.com's Gyant Scoop blog previously reported early rumors said Jim Jones got into an altercation with the brother of Ty-Ty Smitha long-time Jay-Z associate. Jones has had a very public beef with Jay-Z.


FULL STORY at HIPHOPDX

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

KRS One Criticizes the Creativity and Materialism of Rap

KRS-One recently rattled a few Hip Hop heads when he embraced newcomer Soulja Boy by welcoming him into the Hip Hop genre.
Although the prolific South Bronx legend demonstrated a show of respect for Soulja Boy, who has been criticized by media and audiences alike, The Teacha also had a few critiques of his own.
“[Old school Hip Hop has] art, creativity, genuineness, authenticity,” he told Real Talk New York on the red carpet of Vh1’s Hip Hop Honors show. “The youth today, the majority, are not seeking authenticity, because the society in which they live doesn't ask them to be authentic. It asks them to be other people… It doesn’t ask them to be themselves because there’s consequences to being yourself. So our young people don’t be themselves and as a result they follow whatever trend is out there…”
KRS-One also commented boldly on today’s quality of music, drawing major contrasts between new school and old school.
“I would say the new school has more money today than we do, that's the difference. We were poorer then. But that's how Hip Hop was created. You cannot be rich and continue to produce raw Hip Hop.”



Courtesy of HIPHOPDX

The Simmons Sisters to have "Runs House" Spin Off

They may have moved out of their father's house, but 'Run's House' fans can expect to see more of the lovely older daughters of Run DMC rapper Reverend Run when their own reality series gets underway.

Angela and Vanessa Simmons revealed to Blackvoices.com that the new MTV spin-off, will be called 'Daddy's Girls,' and will follow their "lives in L.A. and what's going on with us," since making the bi-coastal move from The Big Apple.

Expect the new series to showcase the sisters as they evolve their popular 'Pastry' shoe and clothing line into another more grown-up brand, in addition to embarking upon other exciting ventures.

Over the past few years, MTV viewers have watched Vanessa go from 'Ford' model to 'The Guiding Light' soap star. She tells us, "[I'm] still doing acting and I'm moving along...I appreciate my process because that's going to make me stronger in the end and the best talent that I can possibly give the world."


She just began filming a new movie opposite Marques Houston last week.

And, while Vanessa locks down the acting roles between the duo, Angela, who serves as executive editor of her own magazine, 'Angela's Rundown,' has her eye on music. She recently dropped a Gwen Stefani-esque song called 'Center of Attention' and premiered the video on the official Pastry website.


Coincidentally, Angela's love life has been the center of a lot of her fans attention. People buzzed that she was seeing rapper Bow Wow after appearing in his video for 'Shortie Like Mine,' but Angela put all those rumors to rest when she began publicly dating pro skateboarder Terry Kennedy.

There's sure to be a promising future for the Simmons sisters.

Common Talks Touring, Collaborating & Endorsements With N.E.R.D

Throughout his lengthy career in Hip-Hop, rapper Common has always been about his music more than anything. But recently the Chicago native jumped into a partnership with Microsoft that includes a feature on The Green Room, Zune's weekly video podcast along with his Microsoft-sponsored tour featuring N.E.R.D.
After touring and collaborating with Pharrell on his upcoming album, Common spoke to AdAge.com about his endeavors with the software giant. In a Green Room trailer preview [included below], he also speaks about the musical chemistry between himself and "Skateboard P."
"I know that Microsoft has been around for 20 years, they established themselves in the mid-'80s, and since then they've progressed," Common told AdAge.com. "Microsoft is classy, it's a timeless brand, and it means something to the world, internationally, and I felt like that's the direction of what I want Common to be, to be honest. I want to be timeless, I want to be international, and those are the things I feel like I'm working toward now."


Full Story at HIP HOP DX

Lil Kim Sued By Her Record Company

Lil Kim has been hit with a $2.5 million lawsuit by a New York based record label over claims of breach of contract.

The Associated Press is reporting that Brookland Media filed a lawsuit with Manhattan’s state Supreme Court on Tuesday (October 7) claiming the rapper has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on recording, equipment and advances for her upcoming album, but has only recorded a handful of tracks.

The lawsuit adds that Kim attempted to change her contract with the label and has refused to continue recording her album until they agree to her new terms.

As well as seeking damages, Brookland Media are asking the court to enforce their contract and prevent the rapper from recording with another label.


Lil’ Kim’s lawyer, Londell McMillan, claims the label are using the lawsuit "to leverage their own position" in the contract dispute.

Black Milk and Bishop Lamont Embark on Caltroit Tour

Detroit underground rap veteran Black Milk has hit the road with West Coast rhymesayer Bishop Lamont as they combine their talents for an international trek across Europe and the United States on the Caltroit Tour.



The outing will also feature Guilty Simpson as well as Slum Village’s Elzhi and Boot Camp Click member Sean Price, who will perform on additional dates in the US.



According to Black Milk, the tour offers a great chance to reconnect with his international fans.

FULL STORY AT ALLHIPHOP.COM

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

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

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

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

WORST DECISIONS In HIP HOP HISTORY

Live from 115 Broadway ...XXL Blogger says what he believes are the "Worst Decisions in Hip Hop History"

Worst Decisions In Hip-Hop History

A trip to my barbershop took me down memory lane this past weekend.

They were playing old Video Music Box episodes all afternoon, so I got to see videos I forgot existed like EPMD’s “Crossover.” But one video in particular caught my attention: “1, 2 Pass The Mic” by the D&D All-Stars, the original not the remix. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the classic boom bap track, it features DJ Premier on production with KRS-One, Doug E. Fresh, Smiff-N-Wessun and Jeru Damaja on vocals. Hearing Jeru spit over Primo’s beat, I couldn’t help but think about how his career spiraled down since they split. Heroz 4 Hire had a few tracks, but his post-Primo work has never measured up to The Sun Rises In The East and Wrath Of Math (YES! IT WAS DOPE!!) Why leave Preme? What a horrible decision!

As the videos kept playing, I started thinking about some of the worst decisions in hip-hop history. Since this is off the top, I’m likely to forget some bad ones, so I thought of five and you guys could add the remaining five in the comments. Here are mine, including the aforementioned Jeru one.

Prodigy Jabs At Jay-Z: P was one of the illest MCs out pre-”Takeover.” I never quite understood it, because as Ron Mexico will further explore in the SDN (Smart Dumb Nigga) tournament, P’s pretty much a moron in regular conversations, but has penned some of the most brilliantly thuggish lines ever. In an old Source Magazine interview, P complained about Hov’s “New York’s been soft ever since Snoop came through and crushed them buildings” line from “Money Cash Hoes” and jabbed that the God Emcee was “quiet like a bitch” during the East Coast/West Coast feud. Well, Hov got wind of the remarks, destroyed P on “Takeover” and the Queens MC has struggled to make two consecutive lines rhyme since. Maybe P should have stayed quiet like a bitch.

Canibus Works With Clef, Not Premier: Jesus! The Source did used to be the hip-hop bible. I remember reading that Bis was in the lab with DJ Premier during the publication’s Summer Music Preview back in the day. Preme could do no wrong at the time, so any collaboration between the two was a classic waiting to happen. If only “Second Round Knock Out” had been indicative of Can-I-Bus. Clef isn’t solely to blame for the blunder. Bis should have been man enough to tell him them beats were wack. I’m sure Clef had plenty of heat in the chamber. It just ended up being a bad fit. Bis could have been one of the illest of all time. Now he’s all he can be in the marines or some crap.

Ja Rule Snubbing 50 Cent: For argument’s sake, we’ll take Ja Rule’s side of the story. To let Jeffrey tell it, Fif grew obsessively angry with him after he snubbed him at some video shoot. At the time, Ja was “Always On Time” and Fif was still figuring out “How To Rob” industry negras. The tension eventually escalated, 50 punched Ja in Atlanta, Black Child poked 50 at the Hit Factory in New York, Murder Inc. tried blackballing Fif, Fif signed with Shady/Aftermath and Fif vaporized Ja’s career. If only he said hi at the video shoot. They may have ended up doing songs together. Ja’s career would probably still be over today, but at least he could have lasted a few more years.

Signing With Diddy: Forget 10, 11 years later Puff Daddy is still somewhat on top. The Harlem mogul doesn’t control 40% of the Billboard charts like he once did, but he consistently ranks among top earners in hip-hop. Yup! Diddy’s career has lasted over a decade, but the same can’t be said for any of his artists. At least not on a prominent level. Craig Mack, no. Biggie, R.I.P. 112, nope! Total, where? Mase quit to become a pastor. Shyne got caught up and is currently serving the 9th year of a 10-year sentence. Loon, where? G. Dep was last spotted scheming on some chicken wings at Cassidy’s listening session. Black Rob is stealing old lady purses out of hotels. The Lox got raped for their publishing for years. Members of Da Band are working at Wal-Mart and Starbucks. Carl Thomas…where? Need I say more?