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first news of the thread...

West Coast rappers the Game and Snoop Dogg appear together on the “West Coast Resurrection” March issue of XXL magazine, in celebration of the history and revival of West Coast rap.

The Long Beach-raised Snoop Dogg and Compton-bred Game are often credited with bringing the West Coast back to recognition in hip-hop recently.

On the cover of the commemorative issue, Game sports his trademark red hoodie (the color of the Bloods gang) and Snoop dons baby blue (the Crips color).

“It’s ironic how much Snoop and the Game have in common. Both are Dr. Dre protégés who created two of the strongest debut albums in hip-hop history,” said XXL Editor-in-Chief Elliot Wilson in a statement. “Hopefully, that type of success will open more doors for a new generation of West Coast MCs.”

In the upcoming issue, Game speaks on his awe of Aftermath mentor Dr. Dre, a legendary face from the West. “I saw Dre, and I damn near shi**ed on myself. I only [knew] this dude from TV and listening to the radio,” says Game. “Still to this day, I be working in the studio with Dre, he turn his head, and I be looking at him like, Damn, that’s muthafu**in’ Dr. Dre!”

Unlike Game, who has openly praised the brotherhood aspect he says gangs can offer, Snoop prefers to downplay his supposed connection to the street life in his interview.

Reacting to his line, “Keep a rag on the left side/yeah that’s the Crip side” on his hit “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” Snoop says, “That was just a particular statement that I made on the song. I’m not tryin’ to promote a way of life. I’m not tryin’ to promote gang violence or nothin’ like that. It’s just the way I felt when I wrote the rap.”

In the special issue, the magazine also pays tribute to vital players in the rap game who came out the West. The hip-hop publication marks the ten-year anniversary of Eazy-E’s death, features profiles of rap pioneers DJ Quik and MC Eiht, and an exclusive interview with Ras Kass on life after prison.

XXL has also joined with MTV2 for the 25 Greatest West Coast Videos of all time, which airs March 13 on MTV2. Elliott Wilson provides his own commentary throughout the countdown.

“The thing I love most about our final list is that we were able to cover such a wide range of artists,” said Wilson. “The West Coast has always been about more than just gangsta rap.”

Wilson said the video countdown honors such artists as Sir-Mix-A-Lot, MC Hammer, Coolio and Young MC, who were often criticized for going the pop route. Female MCs like Yo-Yo and JJ Fad, and rap crews Pharcyde and Souls of Mischief are also given the light.

The XXL “West Coast Resurrection” issue will be on stands March 1

source:envymuzik.com

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Jadakiss Thanks 50 For The Opportunity:

Jadakiss is one of the MCs targeted in 50 Cent's Piggy Bank and he plans to respond with his own diss record.
"This is the best thing that could have ever happened to us," Jada explained earlier this week. "I don't know what's wrong with 50. But I thank him for the opportunity to [let me] air his ass out."

Jadakiss also shows some financial interest, "As long as we do it right, we can't go wrong from this. I can sell, I can make Styles' album double platinum alone just off this whole thing. My album sales for Kiss of Death is gonna start going up off this whole thing. It's just swinging the momentum our way, which we needed."

When asked about his reaction to Piggy Bank, Kiss is quick to answer "when I heard 'Piggy Bank,' I was happy," Kiss laughed. "I felt way worse when I heard [Beanie] Sigel's [diss] record [a few years back]. 'Piggy Bank' was funny to me. He's gotta have something else. That can't be it, it's garbage! I guess it was just a jab. But the power punch I'm gonna give him, that wasn't the right arsenal to start off the fight with."

Jada's response should be released on mixtapes in the next few days, make sure you check HipHopGame's audio section because you know we'll have it.

source: HHG

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Lil Cease claims he's not a snitch for snitching on Lil Kim:

If you're from the streets, one of the most honored codes is that you don't tell, especially not on your friends. And although he testified against his estranged friend Lil' Kim in her perjury trial, he maintains he's not a snitch.

"Being that Kim took the case to trial, they subpoenaed all the witnesses," Cease said on Friday. "Me and Kim wasn't on good terms for the moment, and she made it clear to the world that she didn't want to have anything to do with me and my peoples. So she wasn't trying to call us to her defense. Being that we was witnesses there, the U.S. government subpoenaed us. And there's nothing you can do about that. When you're subpoenaed, you either come or they take your ass to jail. It's just that simple."

Cease said his appearance in court was the first time he had seen his onetime close friend in several years.

"All the sh-- I been through, this is the first time that I've touched the stand. ... It was just sick. But at the end of the day ... that sh-- was like business," he said. "When [the feds] come in there, they're not playing. With this whole war on rap and these feds and this rap patrol, it's serious. They're looking for someone to make an example of."

Biggie's onetime hype man and best friend said the Queen Bee should have never taken her perjury case to trial and should have accepted a plea bargain. Cease described the case the prosecution presented as practically insurmountable.

"She's supposed to have caught the picture that they were trying to put [her] away," Cease vented. "But she felt like she could beat them, and I don't know what she was trying to do with that. These federal people knew everything. They had phone taps, they had the video cameras from the [shooting at Hot 97]. They had that all on tape. They had pictures, they had two-way messages. Remember, [the shooting] was in 2001. So they worked on it for about two or three years, and they pulled everybody in there. My peoples, Rock and Gutta, they copped out to the case once they knew they couldn't win it. Shorty thought she could take it further, and she did what she thought she had to do."

The new leader of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. said that despite Kim's conviction, he doesn't expect her to do much time because her record is "as clean as a virgin." Cease also made it clear that despite their ties being severed, he hates to see the woman he was once close to go to prison.

"No matter what our situations, I didn't have no problems with her," he insisted. "My thing was she didn't call me to her defense, so I left it at that. She could have called me, she could have subpoenaed me as well, but it was the U.S. government that subpoenaed me. She don't mess with me and my dudes, so we kept our distance from them."

Source: Envymuzik

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Quick Note: 50 Cent sold 1.1 Million in the first week of sales, with only 4 recorded sales days instead of a full week.
(http://www.mtv.com/n...309/story.jhtml)

The second week of sales, which was 50's first full week, The Massacre sold 771,000 copies.
(http://www.mtv.com/n...316/story.jhtml)

For the third straight week, 50's The Massacre will claim Billboard's proverbial pole position, according to SoundScan figures. The album, 50's follow-up to 2003's Get Rich or Die Tryin', sold more than 364,000 copies, for a three-week total of almost 2.3 million units. Despite a sales plummet of more than 50 percent, The Massacre maintains its place at the top of the charts, begging the obvious question: Can 50 Cent be stopped?

According to next week's sales tally, not anytime soon. The combined musical might of U2, Gwen Stefani, Lindsay Lohan, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Destiny's Child, Good Charlotte and Ashanti, in the form of Now That's What I Call Music! Volume 18, will prove itself to be the strapping rapper's toughest opponent — with first-week retail scans of nearly 339,000. But in the end, Now 18's still no match for the likes of 50.

Other debuts — Brooke Valentine's Chain Letter, Crosby, Stills and Nash's Greatest Hits, Daft Punk's Human After All and Kaiser Chiefs' Employment — will all infiltrate the top 100, but none will come close to touching The Massacre's market prowess.

Sales of surfer-turned-acoustic-rocker Jack Johnson's hit In Between Dreams will fall just below the 100,000 mark to take a distant third, while Green Day's acclaimed American Idiot will climb one position on the Billboard sales chart to #4, with sales of close to 76,000 in its 26th week of release.

Former G-Unit foot soldier the Game's The Documentary slides two spots to #5, with more than 67,000 records flying from retail shelves. Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway is right behind Compton's finest, coming in at #6 with more than 66,000 scans. Jennifer Lopez's latest, Rebirth, takes #7 with somewhat disappointing sales; with little more than 60,000 albums sold, Jenny's record has barely moved 408,000 copies after its third week of release.

Several chart regulars will round out next week's top 10; the Killers' Hot Fuss will finish at #8 with almost 58,000 scans and John Legend's Get Lifted will hold onto #9 with just over 51,000 records sold, besting a #10 showing by Ray Charles' Genius Loves Company by more than 2,000 records.

But next week could mark the end of an era, as 50 Cent's supremacy will face competition from Queens of the Stone Age's Lullabies to Paralyze, Moby's Hotel, Frankie J's The One and Tweet's It's Me Again. Only time will tell if 50's chart dominance can withstand further attacks, but if the trail of records left in his commercial wake tell us anything, it's that 50 isn't going to go silently.

Source: MTV.com

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Nas's concert at London's Brixton Academy was cut short Monday night when a gun-toting audience member fired two rounds into the venue's ceiling during the rapper's set, leading concertgoers to rush for the exits, according to a Scotland Yard spokesperson. Louise Kovacs, a spokesperson for the venue, said no one was reported injured.

The concert was shut down immediately. More than 40 police were dispatched to the South London venue and recovered a pair of bullets and their casings, according to the Scotland Yard spokesperson, who described the suspected gunman as a black male. No arrests have been made, but an investigation into the shooting by the London Metropolitan Police is ongoing.

Several witnesses who spoke to the BBC wondered how a gun could have been smuggled past the more than 100 security staff on hand. The Brixton Academy statement says the venue always "operates high levels of security," and confirms that "over 100 security personnel were present" during the concert, "with secure cordons across the building and eight metal detectors on site for full security checks and searches upon entry."

The venue's management is also conducting its own investigation into the shooting, according to the statement.

Source:MTV.com

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Texas Teen's Dis Song Leads To His Arrest

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A Texas high school student who rapped about killing a former friend was indicted Monday on felony stalking charges.

Brock Anthony Coleman, 17, who "believes himself to be a budding rapper" according to Dallas County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Sergeant Don Peritz, wrote and recorded a rap song in which he threatened to kill another student, and later sold CDs of the song — called "Theory of a Dead Man: Make Up Your Mind" — to his classmates.

But according to Peritz, the song itself was not enough to justify the indictment of Coleman, a student in the Dallas suburb of Mesquite. The matter crossed the line between free speech and criminal behavior when Coleman began calling his song's intended target and visiting his home, which he did several times. Coleman even enlisted members of his gang, Money Over *BLEEP*es, to follow the victim home, Peritz said.

"You have to look at this thing in its totality," Peritz explained. "The song, by itself, is nothing but a song clearly written to intimidate. When you take the song's lyrics, the way he distributed the song at school, and couple that with the constant phone calls, the visits to the victim's house, the gang members following him around, you have an issue that needs to be dealt with. The rap song is not the offense."

The song's lyrics include, "We used to ride, smoke and get high/ Now I just wanna watch this mutha----- die" and "Ho, answer ya phone/ Don't make me come to ya home ... Sorry [victim's mother's name], wish you well/ Your son can go to hell."

Peritz said the song, which also threatened the victim's girlfriend and family, helped investigators to make a strong case for the grand-jury indictment that led to Coleman's arrest.

According to Peritz, Coleman and the victim had been in the gang together and had a falling out. "The complainant dropped out of the gang, which pisses [Coleman] off, so he writes this song about shooting him," he said. "With all the school violence in the news of late, it wasn't one of those things you could take a chance with."

The victim's family took the threats seriously and contacted police, Peritz said.

Coleman was released from jail after posting $5,000 bond, and is expected to appear in a Dallas courtroom on April 12. He faces 10 years in a federal penitentiary if convicted. Peritz said Coleman would have been facing less time if not for a recent tweak to Texas law that elevated the penal code status of stalking from misdemeanor to felony.

Coleman told The Dallas Morning News that he was not in a gang, and that the targeted student actually likes the song. "He called me up and said it was tight," Coleman said. "He'd come to school and his friends would play it in the parking lot, in the stereos in their trucks. I guess it was supposed to intimidate me."

Source: MTV.com

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Beanie Sigel Not Feelin The Love Up North, Shuts Down S.P.

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As of right now, the name "State Property" only exists as a clothing label, a film company and the title of a movie and its sequel. The chain gang itself is on an indefinite hiatus.

Beanie Sigel has been in solitary confinement for the past 60 days, but he is still able to receive visitors — and apparently give out orders. He's passed down a very clear mandate to his good friend Dame Dash.

"I just know the order he sent me is that there is no State Property until he gets home, period," Dash said last Monday in New York. "That's that. All I can do is carry out that order, 'cause that's my brother."

Beans' mother, Michelle Brown-Derry, says that her son believes his homies — with the exception of Oschino — have turned their collective backs on him. Since going to jail late last year (see "Beanie Sigel Sentenced To A Year In Prison For Gun Charge"), he hasn't heard from Young Gunz, Sparks, Peedi Crakk or even Freeway, who seemed to have the tightest bond with the Broad Street Bully.

"It seems that Beanie was instrumental in getting all of those guys to the point where they was at," mama Sigel said on Friday. "His question is, 'Where is the love?' There's no loyalty, no love being shown at all. There was not a letter from any of these guys other than Oschino out of that whole State Property crew."

Ms. Michelle, as she is called by Beanie's friends and business associates, says she is surprised that the crew seems to have faltered, especially since some of her son's homies were so supportive during the trial.

"As it [became] obvious he was going away, everyone got scared," she determined. "It seems like they counted him out like he wasn't coming home. It's just unfair."


Contractually, all the artists who once rolled as the Philadelphia collective are still on Roc-A-Fella, which of course was sold to Def Jam and is now being run solely by Jay-Z (see "Jay-Z, Dame Dash Sell Roc-A-Fella Records; Jay Named Def Jam Prez").

"They seem to feel content where they are at," she lamented, before clarifying that Sigs has no problem with Jay-Z. "They were originally signed to Roc-A-Fella with the knowledge that once Beanie received his label, they would be transferred to Beanie's label. But they seemed content to stay signed to Roc-A-Fella. The bottom line is there was just no loyalty, period."

"Whoever decided to make certain choices without talking to Beans is a little out of line anyway," Dame added. "It doesn't mean that there is no State Property, it just means that they don't believe in what we believed in as far as that independent spirit and should have had enough respect to go to Beans. But certain people feel there was never a State Property anyway."

Dash was referring to Sigel's choice to start up a label under the Dame Dash Music Group umbrella. Despite being incarcerated, and without any artists in his fold, he is forging forward. Sigel shot five videos before going to jail, and the latest, "And You Don't Stop," is scheduled to begin airing soon. Sigel's third LP, The B. Coming, is coming on March 29, with "State Property 2" hitting theaters on July 13. His mother says that he is looking at brand new artists, one of whom may be his fiancee, Melissa, who sings on the underground smash "Change Gon' Come."

Source: MTV.com

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The Top 75 Women Who Changed R&B

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"URBAN magazine's 'Top 75 Women Who Changed The Face Of R&B' list! (Page 22-24). The list is comprised of female artists/groups who have contributed to taking Rhythm and Blues music to the next level during their reign of success."

1. Aretha Franklin
2. Mary J. Blige
3. Tina Turner
4. Whitney Houston
5. Teena Marie
6. Meshell Ndegeocello
7. TLC
8. Sade
9. Lauryn Hill
10. Janet Jackson
11. Patti LaBelle
12. Chaka Khan
13. Roberta Flack
14. Gladys Knight
15. Diana Ross
16. Dionne Warwick
17. Erykah Badu
18. Toni Braxton
19. Mariah Carey
20. Alicia Keys
21. Aaliyah
22. En Vogue
23. India Arie
24. Anita Baker
25. Donna Summer
26. Destiny's Child
27. Jill Scott
28. Betty Wright
29. Regina Belle
30. Jean Carn
31. Natalie Cole
32. Beverley Knight
33. Missy Elliott
34. Minnie Ripperton
35. Foetry
36. Deniece Williams
37. Stephanie Mills
38. SWV
39. Phyllis Hyman
40. Vanessa Williams
41. Zhane
42. Amel Larrieux
43. Chante Moore
44. Melba Moore
45. Brandy
46. Beyonce
47. Evelyn 'Champagne' King
48. Millie Jackson
49. Jody Watley
50. Emotions
51. Neneh Cherry
52. Faith Evans
53. Ashanti
54. Cheryl Lynn
55. Pointer Sisters
56. Patti Austin
57. Tamia
58. Rachelle Ferrell
59. Angie Stone
60. Lisa Fischer
61. Shanice
62. Rhian Benson
63. Kelis
64. Maysa
65. Meli'sa Morgan
66. Monica
67. Deborah Cox
68. Heather Headley
69. Randy Crawford
70. Patrice Rushen
71. Tracie Spencer
72. Oleta Adams
73. Sonique
74. Jazzyfatnastees
75. Mica Paris

Source: EnvyMuzik
(list subject to change, visit http://envymuzik.com...opic.php?t=2805 to stay updated)

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Outkast's Manager Says Movie, LP Will Be Their 'Purple Rain'

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Outkast's manager, Blue Williams, says that while his fellas' next projects are taking a little longer than originally expected, they're definitely coming.

Andre 3000 and Big Boi's film, shot from July to October last year, was formerly known as "My Life in Idlewild," a title director Bryan Barber had coined as a joke (see "What's Up With The Outkast Movie? The Director Spills It All"). It's currently being edited, and the guys are coming up with music for the soundtrack.

"The plan was to do the movie for the Speakerboxxx/The Love Below box, but we couldn't get it up and running in time," Williams explained. "We worked out a deal with HBO for the movie. The guys wanted to take some of the songs from Speakerboxxx/The Love Below 'cause they were still relevant, but we needed new music. Since the movie is being edited, now is when we plug in the new music. There's music that will be [in the movie], and there's music not in the movie. So fans, when they buy the CD, are getting something they haven't heard yet.

"To do it right, we've had to do it like this, so it's taken a minute," Williams continued. "This is gonna be like our 'Pink Floyd: The Wall' or our 'Purple Rain.' We want it to be a body of work that'll stand the test of time."

Although the LP is being billed as a soundtrack, Williams described it as "the next Outkast album" and said Andre and Big will be producing.

"The majority of the music is gonna be the fellas," he said. "It could be all them, but if I say it's gonna be one way, then next week it's gonna be something else. The plan is for it to be mostly them, but I wouldn't be surprised if [there were] some guest appearances."

If Outkast get their way, the film will have its theatrical release this fall, with the soundtrack coming out shortly before the flick.

"The guys did their thing," said Williams. "They don't look like first-time actors. It's not no ghetto — it's a period piece. Big Boi really shines. His acting stands out."

Outkast are also looking forward to dropping a proper group album in 2006. In the interim, Andre is going to keep acting — he's secured a role in John Singleton's next film -- and Big Boi has started his own imprint, Purple Ribbon, through Virgin.

The first three artists to be spawned from Big's new deal will be Sleepy Brown, a group called Konkrete and Bubba Sparxxx, who has nearly completed his new album. Killer Mike, an artist Dre and Big Boi are putting out collectively, still has his deal at Sony Music and is releasing his sophomore LP later this year. He's going to put out three singles within the next several weeks.

Williams himself is just as busy as his two star clients. He's working with Jay-Z and L.A. Reid at Def Jam, helping Nick Cannon put together his next album and managing Case, who is in the process of securing a new record deal, and also managing newcomer Lyfe.

Source: MTV.com

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State Property Members Stress Independence, Don't Take Order

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Since Dame Dash and Beanie Sigel's mother, Michelle Brown-Derry, announced Beanie Sigel's prison mandate to put State Property on hold until he is released, members of the Philadelphia collective have questioned if there was really anything to pause.

"Can't no one man put nobody on hold," Sparks of Oschino and Sparks said about the order sent down by Sigel (see "Mixtape Monday: Beanie Sigel's Fair-Weather Friends, Saigon's Dose of Ice-Free Reality.") 'State Property' was a movie, then they branded us. They got a clothing line and sneakers, but it wasn't no contract where we was a group [named State Property]. We were all in individual groups. The Young Gunz was a group, me and O was a group, [Peedi] Crakk was a solo artist, Beans was a solo artist, Freeway was a solo artist. Jay-Z signed me and O. People saying Beans got everybody signed. That ain't true."

"It wasn't really no State Property, because [Roc-A-Fella] put everybody together," explained Neef of the Young Gunz, who also said he and his partner were signed to Roc-A-Fella before they even met Beanie. "Nobody really knew each other. Everybody was rapping and trying to get on. They made it hard for n---as. In so many words they said, 'You gotta come out with Mack [Beanie Sigel].' "

Freeway, who seemed the closest to Sigel, has the most optimistic outlook about the breakup. He says don't believe anything until you hear it out of Sigel's mouth.

"I've been hearing a bunch of different things, but when I talk to him about State Property, it's all love," Free said, downplaying the conflict. "Y'all gonna wait till he comes home and interview him. State Property, we see each other all the time. I see O, Sparks, Crakk, the Young Gunz. It ain't been dismantled. That's bullsh--. We here. The streets love us. We love the streets. We love our fans. We gonna make music. Forget all the rumors you've been hearing."

All the members of State Property say they were signed directly to Roc-A-Fella/ Def Jam and never were contractually bound as one supergroup. A few of them did know each other from Philly beforehand, but the crew's bond was fostered and tightened once they were put together. When Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke parted ways with Jay, it was left up to State Property which faction they wanted to sign with. As it stands now, O and Sparks, Peedi Crakk, Freeway and the Gunz are all signed to Jay-Z's new Roc-A-Fella, with Sigel planning to start his own imprint under the Dame Dash Music Group umbrella.

Sigel's mom says that the members were supposed to join Beanie once he set up his situation with the DDMG. However, if you ask some of the State Property members, there was never any question who they were going to align themselves with.

"I don't f--- with Dame Dash at all," Peedi Crakk fumed. "I f--- with Beans and Biggs. I can't be around [Dash]. I can't be on that side of the fence. I hollered at Jay; Jay said he got my contract, and I can go with him. I left it at that. I was happy being with Jay.

"He don't listen," Crakk continued, explaining why he doesn't associate with Dash's group. "He's so smart, he's dumb. He's got so much money, he thinks he's the sh--. A cloud just hovers over his head so much, it f---s with his common sense. That's why he's losing. He don't know how to pick music, what song to do a video for, how to shoot a video. If you tell him this, he feels disrespected because he's got so many people kissing his ass. When you talk to him on a man-to-man level, on a regular level, he feels disrespected. He's got three, four, five assistants holding his two-way, holding his money, holding his phone. All this super Hollywood sh--.

Neef insists that he and Young Chris were always planning to stay with Jay and the Roc. "We met Jay, Dame and Biggs together, but Jay was that n---a comforting us. We ain't really talk to Dame until the sh-- start fading away. When they was together, we was kicking it with Jay more. We were still going on every tour with him, but still doing everything Dame wanted us to do. When the [split] happened, we had to let them know you can't play both sides of the fence. I even had my problems with Dame, too. We used to argue about all types of sh-- — little stuff like directing videos — but [Dame's] a good n---a."

Dash says he doesn't feel that he and Jay-Z cutting business ties should mean that artists under his Music Group label can't still be cool with Roc-A-Fella artists.

"Regretfully, it looks like you have to choose a side, and that's never the way I wanted it to be," Dash said. "I think that's corny. I would look at other situations and be like, 'That could never happen over here.' It appears that it did. That's embarrassing to me. It wasn't anything that me, Beanie or anybody under this umbrella bought into. The Roc is about friendship — or at least it was. It wasn't about the money. We do whatever we do to help each other. ... When we signed people, they were signing into a certain kind of unity where this could never have happened. We were snobby, like 'We're the thorough dudes. We would never do no clown stuff like that.'

"I guess the choice that had to be made was, 'Do we want to go through a system and be corporate, or do we have an independent spirit?' " Dash explained. "Beans was like, 'I'm gonna roll with the independent thing.' Even though we still get distributed through Universal and I deal with L.A. Reid, we're still independent."

Business issues aside, Brown-Derry said her son had fostered close personal relationships with the fellas from Philly, and he's hurt that he hasn't heard from the State Property guys while he's been in jail the last several months.

"I can't really speak on why nobody has really been seeing him," Neef said. "Me and Mack, we never had a crazy relationship like everybody else had with him. We was cool, but we never saw eye to eye. It ain't no beef or drama. ... I ain't on his album. You gonna hear Chris on his album, not me. I was never mad at him; we just never clicked. He's a real n---a — I can't take that away from him. He's nice as sh-- with the rappin', but we just didn't click."

"When I was in jail, didn't nobody write me," Crakk said. "I didn't want nobody to write me. Only person who came to see me was Freeway. Oschino tried to come see me, but he couldn't. I talked to Mack on the phone.

"But that's not how we roll when a person is locked up. N---as don't wanna see n---as when you in jail. All you worried about is your girl, your mom, your grandmother, your kids. You not worried about no n---as in jail writing you back and forth. When I was in jail, I didn't get mad about nobody writing me. Didn't nobody go see my mom, nobody took money to mom. Beans called my mom, I call his mom. Beans is my man. Me and Beans got a connection. I start calling him 'Uncle Mitty.' "

"What are we supposed to do, be stagnated?" Sparks asked. "I got kids. I gotta make moves. I probably ain't take the time out to write him — my fault — but he could have reached out to me. I got the same number. You got money on the books; you can call. My home address never changed. I'm still in the same neighborhood. But I got real busy. It's time to focus on me, 'cause Beans ain't around to handle business. What do they mean, 'We on hold?' I'm supposed to tell my son or daughter, 'We can't eat because Beans is locked up?' "

State Property, as we knew them, all have individual efforts coming down the pike shortly. Beanie Sigel's The B. Coming is slated for March 29, while the Gunz's Brothers From Another is out May 24 and Freeway's Free at Last is due July 5. Peedi Crakk's solo album and an Oschino and Sparks LP have no release dates yet, but Crakk's is well into production and Oschino and Sparks say that they are done. Sparks has even moved on to his own solo project.

Even if we have seen the last of State Property making music as one group, the members of the crew still seem to be pretty tight. Young Gunz, Peedi Crakk and O and Sparks still stay in constant communication. All agree that there is no beef among them, and they still have love for Sigel.

Source: MTV.com

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50 Cent, The Game, Jadakiss, and Fat Joe Invited To Rumble At Fight Klub

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Monday Night Fight Klub announced that it will host the "Battle of Four" if 50 Cent, Jadakiss, The Game and Fat Joe agree to participate.

Fight Klub, the underground emcee battle, proposes to amicably end the present beef by organizing a battle between the aforementioned feuding rappers. Borrowing a boxing match formula, the contestants would lyrically spar in front of a crowd for a grand prize of $1 million dollars. 50, Jada, Game and Joe have yet to agree to the battle.

Monday Night Fight Klub often provides a stage for upstart artists to gain exposure. Jin previously won a $50,000 battle at Fight Klub while Remy Ma's buzz grew bigger when she defeated Lady Luck twice at the event and won a $20,000.

Source: RealestNi---s.com

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Young Buck Birthday Party Ends With Arrests

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The Trap night club, located on Woodland Street, was rented out for a party to celebrate Nashville rapper Young Buck’s birthday.

Shortly after midnight, the security guards inside the club called Metro police and said an estimated crowd of 650 people rushed the doors and was getting out of hand.

About 30 officers responded to the scene.

At one point police said Young Buck pulled up and parked illegally in the middle of the street. A crowd of people surrounded his car.

Police said they asked Young Buck to help control a crowd, but police said he refused to cooperate.

Police arrested three people and several windows were broken in the club.

Young Buck's promoters will be responsible for the damage since they rented out the club, police said.

Recently Young Buck was charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly stabbed a man at the Vibe Awards in L.A.

Source: RealestNi---s.com

[Shadow]

50 Cent Calls Himself A 'Role Model,' Says 'Watch What I Do, Not What I Say'

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50 Cent is no stranger to trouble — he's done time for drug and gun possession, been shot�nine times�and has more beefs than a steakhouse. But despite his controversial past, 50 says that his rise as a rapper makes him a positive example.

"I see myself as a role model because I've been taking advantage of all the options and opportunities that have been created for me," the rapper said last week in London. "They may not consider me as a role model because I write about harsh realities — the things that actually go on in the environment that I came up in — and I ain't going to change that. But what I say to the kids is, 'Watch what I do, not what I say.' "

Echoing Chuck D's famous comment that hip-hop is the CNN of black America, 50 said his lyrical content�takes snapshots of what life is like in the 'hood, and it's his duty to make it an accurate reflection, however violent it might seem. "I'm giving them a photograph, a direct indication, of what this is about, what the actual story is," he said, "and then allow their imagination to go a step further."

He went on to say that the depiction of guns in films isn't questioned to the degree that it is in music.

"There are standards that are placed on music as an art form that aren't placed on any other form of entertainment," he said. "If we walk into your local video store, imagine how many times we're going to see a gun on the cover of the packaging to advertise an action film. How many war films will we find? How many westerns? See, for me to make a record, and just add a gun to it, they want to make it negative, because of their perception of me.

"If you say, 'Who do you know who has been shot nine times?' kids across America will tell you, '50 Cent' immediately," he continued.�"That's because it's something [the media] decided to point out, and they make that part of the perception of 50 Cent. I could tell you about my lifestyle, and all the opportunities I've had, but they've clung to that, and every time you see me say that and read about it is because they've asked me about it. It wasn't because I wanted to talk about it. It's not a pleasant thought. It was a painful experience. But they just think, 'Gun violence.' "

50's past hurt his career before it helped. After he signed a deal with Columbia Records in 1999, the label declined to release what was to be his debut, The Power of the Dollar, within months of his stabbing at New York's Hit Factory and his shooting in Queens, New York, in 2000.�He's also been "passed over" and "overlooked" at awards shows, he said,�because his work is too "aggressive," although he notes that he often performs at awards shows anyway.

"It's cool," he said. "I got all the money I was supposed to get for my records, just not the trophies."

Source: RealestNi---s.com

[Shadow]

Ex-Korn Guitarist tells 50 Cent that he is a tool of Devil

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For a guy who spends most of his days extolling the virtues of heaven, Brian "Head" Welch seems hell-bent on reaching out to 50 Cent. Or at least making him really, really angry.

For the second time in as many weeks, Welch has written an open letter to the platinum-plus rapper, detailing his efforts to deliver what he calls "a personal letter from God" to him. Welch had previously explained that while on religious holiday in Israel, God told him to write a song for 50 (see "Brian 'Head' Welch Aims To Save 50 Cent"). And now he's sent over the lyrics to that song, called "A Cheap Name," which not only touch upon 50's past (most notably the 2000 shooting where he was hit nine times), but call upon him to change his ways:

"My little boy/ Bow your head in shame/ You've disgraced your father's name now/ It's time for you to lose," the lyrics read in part. "Your little toys/ Won't save you from shot 10/ Without me you will not win, no/ I swear you'll lose."

Welch explained that "A Cheap Name" was not an attack on 50, but rather a "message from God" (the last line in the song is "Love, Jesus"). And as he explained further in his letter, Welch only wants the rapper to change the way he lives his life, because, as he put it, "God told me there will be many attempts made to kill you by the enemy."

"The devil sends evil spirits into people's minds to make them want to do harmful things to ... other people. For instance, some fool shooting at you to kill you," Welch wrote. "If you die, the enemy wins. If you don't come home to God, you will get killed by one of the bullets that keep coming your way. You're a huge force for the devil right now. He's going to put demons around you that tell you I'm crazy and God is for punks ... to convince you that money, fame and power are the things you should worship.

"I don't know if you're supposed to live or get smoked. Only God knows the future," he continued. "Like I said, I'm just the messenger. All I know is God told me to tell you he loves you and playtime's over and it's time to come home. He said he's been with you, keeping you safe this whole time. He's the reason you took nine. Not because you're Superman."

Welch writes that he attempted to deliver his song to 50 on a recent trip to New York, but when he was unable to contact the rapper, he settled for giving his lyrics — plus a letter he'd written to 50 — to famed jewelry maker Jacob the Jeweler. He also concludes his open letter by extending an invite to 50 to discuss Christianity or just to snack on some popcorn.

"I invite you to call me and I'll fly out to talk with you anytime you want. I am a soldier for Christ and I will do this alone — with or without you," Welch wrote. "I invite you to at least get some popcorn and sit back and watch what He does with me. Fifty, you're the best out there ... you have the power to not only change history, but the chance to be God's frontline soldier."

Source: MTV.com

[Shadow]

Snoop & Game 'How the West Was One' tour details

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It's a good thing Snoop Dogg and the Game have a love of N.W.A in common, because the pair's How the West Was One Tour will keep them on the road together for the next two months.

As previously reported, the West Coast rappers who just finished a string of European dates — will kick off their first joint North American tour on April 15, with a show at the E Center in West Valley City, Utah (see "Game, Snoop To Launch U.S. Tour; Snoop And Justin Stunt In Vegas For New Clip"). They've added 20 new dates to the outing, which is scheduled to cross the U.S. and end with a May 29 gig in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The 30-date outing will hit arenas and some West Coast amphitheaters.

Snoop/Game tour dates, according to a spokesperson:

* 4/15 - West Valley City, UT @ E Center
* 4/16 - Vail, CO @ Vail Village
* 4/17 - Denver, CO @ Magness Arena
* 4/19 - Valley Center, KS @ Kansas Coliseum
* 4/20 - St. Louis, MO @ Savvis Center
* 4/21 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
* 4/22 - Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
* 4/23 - Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
* 4/24 - Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena
* 4/26 - Columbus, OH @ Jerome Schottenstein Center
* 4/29 - Hartford, CT @ CTnow.com Meadows Music
* 4/30 - Amherst, NY @ University of Buffalo, Alumni Arena
* 5/5 - Worcester, MA @ DCU Center
* 5/6 - Ithaca, NY @ Cornell University
* 5/7 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Spectrum
* 5/8 - Fairfax, VA @ Patriot Center
* 5/10 - Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
* 5/12 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Zoo Amphitheatre
* 5/13 - Dallas, TX @ Smirnoff Music Centre
* 5/14 - Selma, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
* 5/15 - Corpus Christi, TX @ American Bank Center
* 5/18 - Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion
* 5/19 - Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Pavilion
* 5/20 - La Jolla, CA @ RIMAC Arena
* 5/21 - Anaheim, CA @ Arrowhead Pond
* 5/24 - Las Vegas, NV @ Skin Pool Lounge at Palms Casino
* 5/25 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion at San Jose
* 5/26 - Marysville, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre
* 5/28 - Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
* 5/29 - Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum

Source: MTV.com

[Shadow]

Shady/ G-Unit Going On Tour W/ Lil Jon

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Eminem is hitting the road this summer, and he's bringing along a lot of friends. The Anger Management 3 tour is shaping up to the blockbuster of the summer, with a roster that also includes 50 Cent, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, G-Unit, D12, Obie Trice and Em's latest protégé, Atlanta's Stat Quo.

The 20-date, five-and-a-half-week tour will kick off on July 7 in Noblesville, Indiana, at the Verizon Wireless Music Center and is currently slated to conclude in Em's hometown of Detroit at Comerica Park on August 12.

Though 50 Cent will miss the first two dates because of filming on his movie debut (see "50 Cent's 'Locked And Loaded' To Be Helmed By Oscar-Nominated Director"), 50 is on board for the rest of the tour, his first-ever outing with mentor Eminem. Ludacris will fill in on the first two dates.

"We've been waiting for the right moment to go on tour, and it all finally came together," Eminem said in a statement. "We wanted to put together the best lineup we could. I'm always trying to top the last tour whenever I go out. I think we're really doing it this time."

50 also predicted the tour would be the talk of the summer. "Whenever I get together with Em you know it's going to be hot," he said. "Right now, I don't see anything that will stop this from being the tour of the summer. You better put in for that time off from the job now before somebody else beats you to it. Or quit your job so you can see every show."

Sirius Satellite Radio's Shade 45 channel, which is programmed by Slim Shady and his crew, will feature exclusive live performances and backstage interviews all summer. A live DVD from 2002's Anger Management Tour featuring sets from Em and D12 is slated for release this summer.

Anger Management 3 tour dates, according to Interscope Records:

* 7/7 - Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
* 7/8 - Columbus, OH @ Germain Amphitheater
* 7/11 - Tinley Park, IL @ Tweeter Center
* 7/14 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
* 7/17 - Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheater
* 7/19 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion at San Jose
* 7/22 - Chula Vista, CA @ Coors Amphitheatre
* 7/23 - Devore, CA @ Hyundai Pavilion of Glen Helen
* 7/24 - Las Vegas, NV @ Thomas & Mack Center
* 7/26 - Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Pavilion
* 7/28 - Dallas, TX @ Smirnoff Music Centre
* 7/29 - Selma, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
* 7/31 - Atlanta, GA @ HiFi Buys Amphitheatre
* 8/1 - Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre @ State Fairgrounds
* 8/2 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Sound Advice Amphitheatre
* 8/5 - Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion
* 8/6 - Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
* 8/8 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
* 8/10 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center
* 8/12 - Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park

Source: MTV.com

[Shadow]

Jaime Foxx's "Southern Gentleman" Features 50 Cent

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Jamie Foxx titled his 1994 album Peep This, and while few people did, his follow-up will likely be a different story.

Eleven years later, not only is Foxx at the top of his game as an actor — coming off his Oscar-winning performance in "Ray" — he's been collaborating with some of the biggest names in music.

"I just got through messing with Kanye West, I got a joint with 50, it's crazy," an ecstatic Foxx said Saturday. "It's gonna be nuts. And we're gonna get back to love music — young love music that old people can appreciate."

The 50 Cent collaboration is titled "Build You Up." "We're giving back to the ladies," Foxx said of song, repeating what seems like a common theme.

"I got a national anthem on my album called 'Sexy' that's for the ladies who are trying to do the plastic surgery and all that," he said. "You don't need that, just be sexy."

Foxx has also worked with everyone from Snoop Dogg and R&B singer Tank to Scott Stapp and Slash on the album, although a track list has yet to be confirmed (see "On New LP, Jamie Foxx Hopes To Show What He Learned From Ray Charles").

"I've got like 30,000 tracks," Foxx joked. "I'm gonna release seven albums at once."

Although he had previously called the record Ambidextrous, Foxx said the current working title is Southern Gentleman. A release date has not been set, according to J Records.

Foxx is a singer and an actor, but his talents go beyond that. At Saturday's Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards he won the Favorite Celebrity Hidden Talent award for being able to roll his eyes in opposite directions (see "Usher, Hilary Duff, SpongeBob Take Home Orange Blimps From Kids' Choice Awards").

"It's all about the kids," he said in his acceptance speech. "Trick love the kids

Source: Envymuzik.com

[Shadow]

Kanye Autograph Session Cut Short by Fight

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An in-store appearance by Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Kanye West was interrupted on Saturday when a fight broke out between one of the rapper's fans and a security guard, The Associated Press reports.

West was rushed from the scene, and escorted out the back door of FTK, a new urban boutique located in Fresno, California. The producer had been signing autographs for just over 40 minutes when the store's grand-opening event was cut short by the fracas.

The store's doors were locked, and local authorities spent close to 30 minutes trying to disperse a crowd 1,000 strong that had assembled in FTK's parking lot.

"Once security couldn't control it, we had to shut it down," store employee Aron Hekimian told the wire service.

It is not clear what exactly provoked the scrap, or whether anyone sustained related injuries. It was not known whether police made any arrests in connection to the event.

Store owner Sam Hensen said an afterparty with West at a nearby club went off without a hitch. Not everyone who'd attended the in-store was able to make it to the party, though, leaving several fans disappointed.

"Everybody's chance to meet Kanye West was ruined," said 19-year-old Anna Reyna, who told the AP that she'd waited in line for the rapper's autograph, but was one of the many fans who never got to see him.

Source: Envymuzik.com

[Shadow]

Sha Money XL Robbed, Shot At

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CLOSE CALL FOR G-UNIT SOLDIER

Sha Money XL, an executive at G-Unit, was reportedly robbed and shot at, according to sources with BET.com. While details were sketchy, an associate of Sha Money did confirm that an incident occurred while the Queens, N.Y.-native was in his own neighborhood. Apparently, Money went to get a haircut and was locked inside of the shop when men with guns came out. Published reports said that his attackers told him that he couldn’t come back to the `hood anymore. He managed to escape unharmed, but as he fled the crime scene, his car was shot up.

Source: BET.com

[Shadow]

Notorious B.I.G. Movie coming soon

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The estate of the Notorious B.I.G., his mother, P. Diddy and others are planning to make a movie about the late rapper’s life and times. Wayne Barrow, who manages the rapper’s business affairs, has revealed that the story isn’t a documentary and hints that there are some big names being tossed around to star in the flick.

Director Antoine Fuqua is on tap to direct the film and there are a number of candidates, including Guerilla Black (who looks and sounds just like Biggie) and actor Anthony Anderson, who are being considered to play the slain star. Veteran journalist Cheo Hodari Coker is writing the script , which is fitting since he’s written B.I.G.’s biography, "Unbelievable: The Life, Death and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G." (Three Rivers, March 2004, $19.95). The movie will start production in Feb. 2006.

Source: BET.com

[Shadow]

50 Cent Launches 3rd Song Against Jadakiss

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50 Cent is off in Canada filming his acting debut with Jim Sheridan, but he says it doesn't matter where he is, he's still the king of the Big Apple, and no one is going to dethrone him.

50 struck back at Jadakiss Thursday night on DJ Kay Slay's "Drama Hour" radio program on New York City's Hot 97, when Slay played a 50 Cent/ Tony Yayo record called "I Run New York."

"The walls have ears, lil' n---a, I run New York," 50 says on the chorus of the record. "Even when I ain't here, lil' n---a, I run New York."

50 goes on to proclaim that he also runs Interscope Records and that his labelmate Jada is nothing more than "a disgruntled employee."

"Been in the game 10 years and he still ain't rich," Fif raps. "Even his mama upset that he still ain't *BLEEP* / But he keep runnin' his yap like I'mma take that / One more word out his mouth and I'll push Styles' sh-t back."

Later in the record, an excited Yayo gets on the mic and also takes aim at Jada and his crew from Yonkers, proclaiming that "The LOX made more money in the shiny suits," and that "Fat Joe ain't a gangsta."

As the record comes to a close, 50 decides to just talk, and asks somebody to tell P. Diddy to get out of the mirror so 50 can proposition him with a business deal. 50 says he wants to buy Jada's publishing from Puffy.

Don't expect this lyrical feud to end any time soon. Although "My Fo, Fo," — the song Fat Joe said would be his only response to 50 — has already come out, Jada has promised that he has a whole arsenal of records in his stash waiting for 50.

Source: MTV.com

[Shadow]

Power 105.1 To Name Jay-Z "Man of the Millennium"

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New York radio station Power 105.1 will award Jay-Z with the "Man of the Millennium Award," at the stations Power Music Summit, taking place next week.

The station is honoring Jay-Z for his charitable work and community efforts.

Jay-Z will make an appearance at the one day event, that gives business executives, aspiring label entrepreneurs, song writers, producers, and artists a chance to discuss the ins and outs of the business.

Speakers include Jermaine Dupri (President of Urban Music at Virgin Records), Blue Williams (President of Family Tree Entertainment), Bryan Leach (TVT Records/Vice President of A&R), Chris Lighty (CEO of Violator Mgmt/Records), Irv Gotti (CEO of The Inc. Records), Jim Jones (Artist), and others.

Speakers will discuss how they got their big breaks, the ups and downs of the business and share tips on what they wish they would have known when they got started.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to drop demos or resumes in a box that will be sent directly to each panelist.

Power 105.1's Ed Lover and Egypt will serve as hosts of the summit, which takes place on Saturday, April 16th at the Manhattan Center's Grand Ballroom.

Tickets to the Power Music Summit are currently on sale at http://www.ticketmaster.com.

Source: AllHipHop.com

[Shadow]

Ray Benzino Leaves the Source Magazine

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Ray Benzino, the Chief Brand Executive and Co-owner of The Source magazine, has resigned from his position at the company today (April 8th).

"If me leaving the source is gonna help the magazine then I'll do it," the rapper told AllHipHop.com."The Source is an institution and is part of history; I want my kids and grandkids to enjoy the No. 1 Hip-Hop magazine for all time."

“I want to step down from the magazine and sell my stock effective immediately,” the rapper continued in a statement.

The rapper explained that there were a number of reasons for his departure, including his beef with Eminem, politics and other nearby business partnerships.

“This is a big step for me. I’ve been consumed too much with the whole conflict thing… the Eminem suit and I am sick of it. I don’t want to take away from what The Source has built up, but I got issues with The Source and magazines like that. Everyone is too politically correct. They’re not thinking about the little guy who can’t afford to pay for high priced ads. It’s like a monopoly,” he continued.

He also took issue with mogul Earl Graves and his Black Enterprise publication, which partnered with The Source when it sought to strengthen its financial status.

“Our other partner, Black Enterprises, is another reason why I’ve decided to leave. I don’t like how they perceive me. There are too many things that I don’t agree with, so I am moving on.”

Finally, Zino stated that he expects to start a new publication – a direct competitor of The Source – that will be free of his previous constraints.

“I plan on creating another magazine that has my voice which represents the little guy. It’s because of the manipulation of SoundScan and radio that Hip-hop is losing its edge,” he lamented. “I want to come out with a magazine that will reflect that. I want to start from the ground up and speak for the artists.”

While he's starting a mag, a rep for the rapper stateed that he has no beef with his former publication. "They're still cool," the rep told AllHipHop.com and revealed that the rapper and former partner Dave Mays would have a press conference today.

Source: AllHipHop.com

[outlawspirit]

nice info here...

damn, Suge Knight doesnt have $107 million to pay for being sued... but they arent getting his money anyway oh yea

Outlaw 4 Life album goes on sale in stores in a weeks time... just so other hip hop news for you

[Shadow]

outlawspirit, on Apr 13 2005, 03:18 PM, said:

nice info here...

damn, Suge Knight doesnt have $107 million to pay for being sued... but they arent getting his money anyway oh yea

Outlaw 4 Life album goes on sale in stores in a weeks time... just so other hip hop news for you

FINALLY! Someone responds to my thread!

Yeah I know suge don't have that cash. Who, other than Bill Gates or those other super rich people, is gonna have that money?

Outlaw 4 Life? There's too many outlawz 4 life, explain a lil

Got some more news comin', I fell behind!