UG Rap Community

DMX Jailed After Court No-Show

DMX finally showed up in court today (June 29) in White Plains, N.Y., to face speeding and other traffic charges and was sent to jail by the judge who had issued a warrant for his arrest.

The 35-year-old rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was ordered held on $25,000 bail. He was led off to jail in handcuffs and was still behind bars at 2:30 p.m., said court clerk Natasha Lee...

Simmons had been due in court yesterday but failed to appear. His lawyer, Stacy Richman, said he was ill, but City Judge Barbara Leak, who had granted him two postponements, issued the arrest warrant. "We have granted him a number of courtesies," she said. "It ends now."

DMX was pulled over in White Plains on June 2 for speeding and making unsafe lane changes in a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban, police said. Once he was stopped, officers found he was not wearing a seat belt and did not have a driver's license.

Nine days later, he was ticketed for driving a 2006 Suburban on the shoulder of the Hutchinson River Parkway in Harrison.

On June 16, police in Scottsdale, Ariz., cited him for carrying a concealed handgun outside a nightclub. They said he pulled the gun from a holster and put it under the front seat of his 1964 Chevrolet convertible.

Last month, the rapper was arrested in London after refusing to put on a seat belt and becoming abusive on a flight from New York, authorities said.

Last year, DMX served 70 days in jail for violating his parole following a 2004 incident in which he posed as an undercover federal agent and crashed his SUV through a security gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

A week after he pleaded guilty in that incident, state police accused him of driving over 100 mph on Interstate 684 in North Castle, in Westchester County.

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Takeru Kobayashi: Japaner nennen ihn "menschlichen Tsunami"

Japaner isst 53 Hotdogs in zwölf Minuten

Takeru Kobayashi ist im Hotdog-Essen kaum zu schlagen. Zum sechsten Mal in Folge wurde der Japaner Weltmeister in der Disziplin. Erstmals hatte er allerdings ernstzunehmende Konkurrenz - und ließ sich dadurch zu neuen Höchstleistungen anstacheln.

New York - Bei der jährlichen Weltmeisterschaft in New York verdrückte der 28-Jährige in zwölf Minuten insgesamt 53 und Dreiviertel Würstchen und konnte damit seine persönliche Bestleistung um ein Viertel steigern.


Takeru Kobayashi: Japaner nennen ihn "menschlichen Tsunami"
Damit schlug er nur knapp den 22-jährigen US-Bürger Joey Chestnut, der zunächst in Führung ging und dann immerhin noch 52 Hotdogs schaffte. Kobayashi freute sich über den Gegner: Er habe den Druck gespürt und sei dadurch nur stärker geworden, sagte er.

Kobayashi hat für das Schnellessen eine eigene Technik entwickelt: Er schneidet die Hotdogs in zwei Hälften, legt sie kurz in Wasser ein, verschlingt sie dann ohne zu kauen und spült mit Wasser nach. Die Japaner haben dem jungen Mann wegen seiner Fähigkeiten ehrfürchtig den Spitznamen "der menschliche Tsunami" gegeben.

Rap Group Sqad Up Readies for New Album 'We Here Now'

The group best known for their dealings with Lil Wayne and Cash Money and most recently with Lil Flip is releasing a brand new album and bonus DVD entitled, ‘We Here Now’ August 8th, 2006 on Money Yung’n Records, an indie out of Ohio. This album features production from legendary producer Mannie Fresh, David Banner and several underground producers. Keeping artists features to a minimum, Bizzy Bone and Mannie Fresh, ‘We Here Now’ reflects a more mature group showcasing their individual talent and their drive to succeed...


Sqad Up, consisting of group members, Gudda Gudda, Supa Blanco, Nutt da Kidd and Yung Yo, has been through more than their share of ups and downs throughout their career. First and most notable to the public’s eye was the situation with Lil Wayne and Cash Money. Sqad Up formed and began touring with Wayne and thought they were working towards building their own brand with Cash Money. Baby had other ideas and when the paperwork was presented, the business didn’t favor Sqad Up. Unable to come to an agreement that suited both parties, the group decided to part ways with both Lil Wayne and Cash Money to pursue their own destiny. As fate would have it, they found themselves in the hands of Money Yung’n Records shortly after the split with a major distribution deal with Red, who also distributes all SONY’s projects. With a team clearly behind them, giving the support and resources needed, Sqad Up has now found themselves in a better position then they could have ever imagined. ‘We saw their drive and sheer determination to overcome the obstacles that were put in front of them’, says Money Yung’n exec, Jay Exclusive, ‘and we knew right then and there we could work together to take Sqad Up to the next level’.


However, the game would bring another want to be player to the table, Lil Flip. Impressed by Sqad Up’s movement through distribution of their mixtapes on the streets and also on a national level, Flip approached the group to sign with him to establish his label, Clover G Records. Already signed to Money Yung’n Records, there wasn’t an option for a label deal but possibly a co-venue project. Waiting on the opportunity which never came, Sqad Up parted ways with Flip as well to focus solely on the new album without any distractions.


Ready to tell their story and give the fans and the world an incredible album ‘We Here Now’, Sqad Up faces the summer with undeniable enthusiasm with heads held high. Living through everything the industry has thrown at them and even more heartfelt the devastation of Katrina, (all four group members lost everything, Gudda actually experience the tragedy first hand), alone makes the statement, Sqad Up is here to stay.

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Producer Delays Release Of New Big Pun Album

Sony Records has plans of releasing a new Big Pun album featuring unreleased material, but is having problems kicking off the project because the producer who owns the tracks is refusing to negotiate.


According to the New York Daily News, Producer John "Jellybean" Benitez is allegedly holding up the potential project "because he didn't think of the idea himself.


"Sony owns Big Pun as an artist, but Jellybean owns the publishing rights to many of the songs," a source told the Daily News. "Sony wants to do another album, but [Benitez] hasn't returned calls. He's playing the game..."




Benitez's representatives were not available for comment.


Pun (Born Christopher Rios) died from a fatal heart attack in 2000.The Bronx bred rapper made history when he released his debut album Capital Punishment in 1998, becoming the first Latino rapper to go platinum.


His sophomore album, Yeeeah Baby, was released two months after his death and Endangered Species, a collection of his greatest hits, was released in 2001.


Pun was survived by a wife and three children.

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Dead Prez and The Outlawz Can't Sell Dope Forever



Dead Prez and The Outlawz are set to release their collaborative album, Can’t Sell Dope Forever, on July 25.


In addition to M-1 and stic.man of Dead Prez and Kastro, Young Noble and E.D.I. of The Outlawz, Can’t Sell Dope Forever features a guest appearance by Layzie Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony...




In an interview with M-1 earlier in the year, the politically-charged MC told Vibe.com that the collaboration was only right for the two respective Black groups to show unity.


Their first collabo track, “1Nation,” addresses hip hop beef and the level of how senseless it can be.


M-1 released his solo album, Confidential, on Koch Records earlier this year.

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Pharoahe Monch Preps New Album

The last time SOHH.com reported on Pharoahe Monch, the Queens lyricist had just signed a new deal with Steve Rifkind's SRC Records.


Now, Monch is heading to Europe for several concert dates and is prepping the release of a new single overseas. Pharoahe is heading to Europe tomorrow to perform ten shows, according to his manager, Angie Anguirre of Skor Management. The dates will include stops in Belgium, France, the UK, Amsterdam and Germany...




The brief tour kicks off Saturday (July 15) at the Dour Festival in Belgium. SlumVillage, DJ Cash Money and Sa-Ra are also among the acts listed for the concert. The tour ends two weeks later at Paris, France's Le Bataclan Festival (July 30). Fat Joe is also part of the bill.


Meanwhile, Monch will be releasing "Let's Go," a buzz single off Desire, in Europe during his trip. The single recently leaked in the U.S., but has yet to be officially released domestically. As previously reported by SOHH.com, "Push" will serve as the commercial single to Desire. Monch also leaked "Never Walk Together" earlier this year.


The Queens rapper also recorded a track for J Dilla's The Shining set to hit stores on August 22nd.


Pharoahe Monch's Desire is slated to drop later this year.

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2pac Protege Muszamil Ready To Release Album

In 1996 the legendary 2pac introduced people to his youngest protege by asking on the track "As the world Turns"; 'Kamillion do you wanna make a Million?'

After 96 it took Muszamil nearly four years to start rapping, since being a rapper was not a focus for him. But starting in 2000, fans would hear Mil on all Outlawz related projects...

Though it has been nearly four years since then, and since fans have heard from Muszamil, formerly known as Hellraza, and who is also the younger brother of former Outlawz member Napoleon.

After dropping his debut album Hell Razed Us, under the alias Hellraza, he was the first artist to drop on Outlaw Records, and that 12 track independent project was dubbed a street classic.

Now in September 2006, 10 years after the passing of his mentor Tupac Shakur, Muszamil is set to make his mark in the game with a 14 track album that can be only described as soul filled, raw, real music from the heart. With the blessings of The Outlawz, Afeni Shakur, Suge Knight and many other legendary music figures Muszamil is set to carry the torch for 2pac's legacy for another ten years.

The growth on this album is amazing, to hear a young artist spit like that with powerful content is rare. This project truly has something for everyone, from the deep soul filled Teddy Pindergrass joint also known as "Time and Time Again", to the emotional track about a youth story "Sekie".

The album features the traditional raw Outlaw sound with tracks like "Still Bustin" featuring H Ryda and collaborations with artists such as Gritty Outlaw, The Regime and also the uptempo " Mr. Muszamil", and the slow anthem "What I feel inside", feat Val Young.

While fans of 2pac may see Muszamil as yet another rapper eating from his plate, this is far from the case. Muszamil is Outlaw through and through, he was close to 2pac, and Napoleon, his brother, was one of the original Outlawz. Muszamil is merely trying to carrying on the work, and strengthen the name of 'Pac and The Outlawz. He has been passed the torch. A percentage of his album sales will also be going to the estate of Tupac Amaru Shakur.

No tracks are yet available for preview but you can find more about Muszamil at his MySpace page, where the introduction track "Ain't No Reason" Ft Stevie Wonder is available.

There will also be many more surprises on the album and with nationwide and worldwide distribution, and a great promotional plan in place, people will finally get a chance to catch up on what Muszamil has to offer. Look forward to a streethop.com exclusive, with the first track from the upcoming album, the Stevie Wonder inspired "Sitting Down", coming soon.

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Attenchun! It's Bone Crusher!

Whether you know him as “Bone Crusher” or “Mr. Never Scared”, he is bound to get your “Attenchun” by sitting down with Dubcnn for an in-depth interview about his upcoming projects.

If you are unfamiliar with Bone Crusher then this could be your introduction; “Mr. Never Scared” as he is also known is an artist from the South who has worked with some of Hip-Hop’s heavy weights such as Jermaine Dupre, Daz Dillinger and many more.

We sat down with Bone Crusher and discussed his new album, his past releases, the issues over at SoSoDef, working with E-40 and other West Coast artists, his upcoming appearance on Celebrity Fit Club 4 and much more.

So make sure you check out this exclusive interview HERE

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Timbaland Working With Jay-Z On Tracks, New Album Rumored To Be In The Works

Super-producer Timbaland has confirmed that he’ll be collaborating with Jay-Z for the Brooklyn MC's next untitled project.

In an interview with BBC’s 1xtra, the VA producer indicated that he is currently working on tracks for the Def Jam president.


While he remained tight-lipped about the partnership, he confirmed that Brooklyn MC was the only Hip-Hop project he was producing in the near future...




After recording nine albums and selling more than 40 million albums, Jay-Z officially retired from recording as an artist.

The rapper-turned-president recently commemorated the 10th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, by performing the album in its entirety at New York's Radio City Music Hall.

In related news, Timabland recently launched Mosley Music Group, a joint venture label with the Interscope/Geffen/A&M. The label’s first release Loose from singer Nelly Furtado entered Billboard's Top 200 chart at #1.


"Hip-Hop is too easy for me," Timbaland told 1xtra. "I've got to do something that's challenging. The only thing I got coming out is Jay-Z. I'm not trying to do anything new. I'm trying to do pop. I'm trying to bring Top 40 into the hood."

Timbaland is currently in the studio putting the final touches on Justin Timberlake's sophomore album FutureSex/LoveSounds, which hits stores September 13.


Jay-Z himself hinted to a possible come back album in a recent interview with the Associated Press.


"I believe the industry as a whole needs certain events to happen to sustain it and keep it alive," Jay-Z said. "You need (Dr.) Dre albums, you need Eminem albums you need 50 (Cent) albums, you need big artists, you need major events that happen. So when I look at it in those terms, I believe that an album is needed."


Reports have stated that production duo The Neptunes, which is comprised of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, are also producing tracks for the new album.

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Jim Jones Talks Nas, ''I'll Slap The Holy Living Shit Out The Nigga''

While busy promoting his A Day In The Fastlife DVD and prepping his third album, Jim Jones took time to chop it up with SOHH.com. In this exclusive interview Jones shares that he'll punch Nas in the face and reveals how he'll deal with Tru Life.


Jim Jones doesn't see eye to eye with quite a few rappers. But it doesn't mean he can't appreciate their music. Though Dipset's capo had static with Nas a few years back, he digs God's son's latest song...




"Nas, I like Nas' new song. I'll still slap the holy living shit out the nigga, but I like his new song, that 'Where My Gangstas At." That shit is kinda slick," Jones told SOHH.com. "He got a couple of bars in there. But aside from that, I like music so I can never, nah mean... But I'll punch that nigga all in his mouth if I had to."


Nas isn't the only one Jones wouldn't mind decking. He recently challenged Tru Life to a boxing match after the L.E.S. rapper took several shots at him and Cam'Ron. But don't expect the boxing match to happen anytime soon.


"Who? What's his name?," Jones inquired upon being questioned on Tru. "That's really nothing to talk about like...niggas know I don't do no rap battle or battling rap, shit like that. I live my life by a certain code. We got rules and parameters and once someone steps outside of that shit, they get dealt with when they get dealt with. Aside from that, he's nobody."


"I said that [challenged Tru Life to a boxing match] about a month ago, but... I don't know if he ain't had the money or he just wasn't ready to box," Jim continued. "So now that's out the window, it's back to plan A, doing what we do when we see you, you dig."


Jim Jones' A Day In The Fastlife DVD is in stores now while his album, tentatively titled Bright Lights & Big City, is scheduled to hit stores in October.

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Gun Charges Dropped Against Sticky Fingaz

Gun charges against former Onyx frontman Sticky Fingaz were dropped yesterday, according to a New York Daily News report...

The rapper-turned-TV star caught a weapons possession charge back in October of 2005 when a maid at the Flatotel hotel in Manhattan found a 9mm pistol in the room he had just checked out of. Sticky, whose real name is Kirk Jones, turned himself in shortly thereafter and was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. The charges were dropped because the prosecutors could not prove that the weapon was in fact his. The News quoted his attorney, Joesph Tacopina, as saying, “Cleary [the Manhattan District Attorney’s office] did the right thing, and there was a just result because that wasn’t his gun.”

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Twisted Black Arrested On Federal Drug Charges

Rapper Tommy Delando Burns aka Twisted Black was arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance last week, shortly before his new deal with TVT Records was announced...


The 34-year-old Fort Worth based rapper was arrested by officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration on a warrant issued in Midland, Texas.


Twisted Black has had a long arduous career in Hip-Hop. In 1991 he was a member of a popular Forth Worth group titled One Gud Cide, but the rapper was shot in the face.


By 1995, the rapper had recovered and the group released their full-length debut, Look What The Streets Made, which according sold over 10,000 copies. The group was signed by Tony Draper's Suave House Records, but Twisted Black ended up doing a three year stint in prison, interrupting the release of their follow-up, Contradictions.


Due to the turmoil, One Gud Cide split up and Twisted Black released an album titled Late Bloomer, which led to the TVT Records deal.


"Twisted Black's raps are not just empty rhymes about girls and guns," said TVT Records President, Steve Gottlieb. "His music has real depth to it that comes only from a life truly lived on the streets. He's got a great story and great music."


Twisted Black was working on his untitled TVT debut, which is slated to hit stores in 2007. That story will come to life with his untitled TVT debut due in 2007.


The rapper is due in federal court today (July 20) to answer the charges.

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Hi-Tek To Release Hi-Teknology 2 In October

Sophomore album from “Rawkus era” golden child and renowned producer for 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes & more features guest appearances from Busta Rhymes, Nas, Common, Talib Kweli, The Game, Ghostface Killah, Snoop Dogg, Slim Thug, Raekwon, Tha Doggpound, Bun B., Q-Tip, Mos Def & more

After years of anticipation, Babygrande Records is proud to announce the October sophomore release from super-producer Hi-Tek, Hi-Teknology 2...


Hi-Tek first jumped on the radar with the huge success and critical acclaim of his collaboration with Talib Kweli and Mos Def on 1998’s Black Star album. The accolades continued with the release of the equally classic Train of Thought, in which Hi-Tek and long time partner Talib Kweli reunited as Reflection Eternal. Building off his rapidly growing notoriety, Tek cemented his status as an accomplished (and commercially viable) producer/MC with the release of his solo debut, Hi-Teknology, in 2001.

Between 2001’s Hi-Teknology & the forthcoming Hi-Teknology Vol. 2, Hi-
Tek has produced a catalog of hits for a “who’s who” of hip-hop’s finest. His track record speaks for itself, having amassed production credits for the likes of 50 Cent, Talib Kweli, Snoop Dogg, The Game, Busta Rhymes, Lloyd Banks, Common and many more.

Hi-Teknology 2 features guest appearances by Busta Rhymes, Nas, Common, Talib Kweli, The Game, Ghostface Killah, Snoop Dogg, Slim Thug, Raekwon, Tha Doggpound, Bun B., Q-Tip, Mos Def & more and is produced entirely by Hi-Tek himself.

Hi-Teknology Vol. 2 is the next step in a fruitful career and another in a long line of classic releases. Were you expecting anything less?

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C-Murder Trial Update!

Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson in Louisiana says he is “mystified” by the repeated interventions of a judge in the house arrest dispute surrounding rapper C-Murder.
As previously reported, Judge Martha Sassone released the rap star from house arrest last week and instead imposed a 10 p.m. curfew...





According to the Times-Picayune newspaper, Lawson has taken issue with several decisions made by Sassone in relation to C-Murder, including her June 5th phone call ordering an officer escorting the artist to jail to return the defendant back home. Although Sassone was within her authority, Lawson thought it was out of character for a judge. It was also the first such order in the six years that his department has run the home incarceration program.


Lawson also found troubling a statement Sassone made in court last week voicing concern over the “burden” placed on the department by the extra effort it takes to monitor C-Murder, whose real name is Corey Miller.


“We certainly don’t feel that it was a burden. It certainly wasn’t the sentiment of our officers, the office or the program,” Lawson told the Times-Picayune.


Lawson further states that the nature of Miller’s case should not have qualified him to serve his sentence under the home incarceration program. He listed as examples the violent nature of his crime, and incidents he incurred while behind bars, such as possession of an illegal cell phone and an assault on an officer.

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Ice Cube Says Schwarzenegger Ignores Poverty in California

Rapper Ice Cube attacks actor-turned-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on his latest album. The star - real name O'Shea Jackson - accuses Arnie of spending too much time promoting himself on a national and global level and ignoring important issues, like poverty in the rapper's native south central Los Angeles...


The rapper says, "He pisses me off just by the fact that he is the Governor of California. That's enough. You know, that man should just focus his s**t on California and what he's going to do about poverty. It's rabid in the inner city. He needs to be worried about that, not anything on a national or global level.


"You've got to realize, there's a lot of money in California, but it suffers from economic greed. Nobody wants to give up their piece of the pie, so nobody can live real good without resorting to killing each other.

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