Redman Says Jay-Z Needs To Rep Big L, "Jay Need To Give That Sh*t Up" [Video]

New Jersey rap veteran Redman has publicly reached out to Jay-Z and said he should begin paying more homage to the late rapper, Big L.

Redman said Jay should take a moment and inform fans of L's greatness.

"Big L man, y'all n*ggas is f*cking wildin'," Red said in an interview. "Yo Jay man, that n*gga Jay need to give that sh*t up to Big L anytime he's saying anything about man, doing them shows when he have Big Pun in there, he should have Big L up in that b*tch as well. I wanted to do all them on one song and just so happens Eminem gave me track."

Prior to being fatally shot a decade ago, L was rumored to be signing with Jay's Roc-A-Fella Records.

Big L founded his own label, Flamboyant Entertainment, and released the classic street singles "Ebonics," "Size 'Em Up" and "Flamboyant." The enormous buzz garnered from the songs attracted the attention of Roc-A-Fella Records' Dame Dash and Jay-Z, and were in talks to sign Flamboyant Entertainment to the Def Jam giant. Unfortunately, Lamont was killed February 15th, 1999, just days away from signing the deal to make it official.

An upcoming documentary based on the rapper's life is reportedly in the works.

Produced by Dangerzone Films, the documentary will chronicle the life of the rapper with his rise in the music scene. It will show his early involvement as part of the group Children of the Corn, which was comprised of Mase, McGruff, Bloodshed and Cam'ron and then as a member of the D.I.T.C. collective. The story of Lamont Coleman will not just be about the rap game as it will feature rare stories and photographs of the fallen rapper which will be told through family, friends and those that associated themselves with him. The documentary will also give exclusive footage of Big L alongside the late Big Pun as they performed together on stage.

The film also features multiple cameos and reflections on the rapper by the rapper's mother, close associates and friends.

"He would just battle anybody that came on the block," L's friend E-Cash says in the film's trailer. "I remember when he first started rapping, he was talking about how he was just trying to get in to the music business."

Check out Redman speaking on Big L below:

Redman On Big L, Jay-Z, Big Pun, Eminem, etc from 2dopeboyz.com on Vimeo.

Ashanti Stalker Convicted In Sex Text Case, Faces 2 Years In Prison

A man accused of stalking R&B singer Ashanti and her family has been convicted and faces two years behind bars.

Devar Hurd was found guilty of stalking in court yesterday (December 22) afternoon.

A would-be rapper was convicted Tuesday of harassing Ashanti's mother, Tina Douglas, with a flurry of dirty photos and lewd text messages about the Grammy Award-winning R&B star. Devar Hurd shook his head as a Manhattan jury delivered its verdict after two days of deliberations, finding him guilty of stalking and aggravated harassment for messages the singer's mother called scary and disgusting. Hurd, a sometime model and car salesman from Griffith, Ind., said he thought the crude messages, photos of his genitals and a picture of the home where Ashanti's family lives were welcome. The 31-year-old is being held without bail until his sentencing, set for Jan. 11. He faces up to two years in prison. His lawyer, Richard Verchick, left court without speaking to reporters and didn't immediately return a phone call afterward.

According to Hurd, his lewd sex-based text messages and photos were not criminal.

Ashanti's mother, Tina Douglas, testified Hurd was a stranger who bombarded her with disgusting messages, though she told him to stop. She says he didn't. Defense attorney Richard Verchick said Hurd was misunderstood. "Sending pictures and texts is not a crime," he said. "The intent was never to harass Tina or Ashanti...What he wanted was what we all want in life -- love."

The convicted man allegedly sent over 30 inappropriate text messages to Ashanti.

Devar Hurd sent more than thirty lewd messages, in which he described pleasuring himself while thinking of the sultry singer and members of her family, including mom/manager Tina Douglas. Reportedly behind bars in lieu of paying up $50,000 in bail, sources say Devar Hurd is expected to go on trial as early as next week on misdemeanor charges of stalking and aggravated harassment. The lewd messages, which began in May, reached Ashanti's mother on numerous occasions, describing locations where the singer or her sister were present for rehearsals and other events.

Details on the messages have also been exposed to the public.

In just his third text -- and between references to the superstar's upcoming appearances, and mentions of such Ashanti hits as "Girlfriend" and "So Over You" -- Hurd allegedly zips the mom a picture of a car belonging to her 29-year-old singer-actress daughter. "Shani baby I saw U parked yesterday when I showed up to the Wiz," he allegedly says in that text, from June, going on to graphically describe masturbating to a video of one of the star's concert performances. Cops say he ended that text by typing -- perhaps with just one thumb -- "Oh ashanti ashanti ashanti, yes baby woooo lol."

No further details have been revealed as of now.

Kid Cudi's "How To Make It In America" HBO Series Air Date Revealed [Video]

Details on Kid Cudi's upcoming "How To Make It In America" HBO television series have emerged and show the rapper's cable debut will air in February.

According to reports, rapper-turned-actor Mark Wahlberg is behind the new series.

If you're like me then you've been f*cking with HBO programming since The Corner (remember that) all the way to The Sopranos,The Wire, Oz, Sex & The City (not afraid to admit it one bit), Curb Your Enthusiasm & Entourage. Now Mark Whalberg who created Entourage brings us it's East Coast counterpart How To Make it In America about a group of 20 somethings trying to achieve "the American dream" while living in hipster central Downtown Manhattan and stars none other than racial profiling's recent victim Kid CuDi and one of my favorite actors Luis Guzman along with some white boys. Airs Valentine's Day 2010. Next up on HBO, Irv Gotti's 160 Varrick about the old Def Jam.

Cudi previously spoke on wanting to place his focus on the upcoming series.

"It was important to me early on to branch away from music and actually do something outside my comfort zone. When we were developing my character with the writers, I was telling them, 'Man, I don't want to be anything that has to do with music,' just because that's not really acting."

He also hinted at his character's role in the upcoming series.

"I have a lead role," Cudi said in an interview. "My character's name is Domingo Dean. I actually named my character after both of my brothers - Dean, who lives in Phoenix, being one of them, and Domingo. My character's kind of the comic relief. He's really witty - a hopeless romantic but a player at the same time."

Details on the show emerged online earlier this year.

Rapper Kid Cudi is launching an acting career - the hip-hip star is teaming up with Mark Wahlberg for a new TV show. Cudi has signed up to appear in the series "How To Make It In America," a new comedy which will be produced by Wahlberg and the team behind his hit show "Entourage." Cudi admits he has always wanted to try acting, but insists he will not be giving up his music any time soon.

"How To Make It In America" is set to air Tuesday, February 16th, 2010.

Bow Wow Blasts UK Radio Host Over Rented Lambo Questions, "This N*gga Tim Westwood Always Trying Stir Up Sh*t"

Cash Money Records' Bow Wow has lashed at radio personality Tim Westwood for recently asking Soulja Boy Tell Em if his Lamborghini was rented.

Writing via Twitter, Bow Wow took a few jabs at the United Kingdom radio veteran.

"I agree with @50cent," Bow Wow wrote. "This n*gga tim westood always try n sturr up sh*t. then when he interview me its gone be a diff story. cm ym FACT: TIM Never question a maf*ka who got money. i been making money since i was in huggies bro. i should be asking you if u rent sh*t."

Speaking with Soulja Boy, Tim asked the rapper if their past beef was over.

"Will he ever work with Bow Wow again," Tim read from a question sheet to Soulja Boy. "Was his Lamborghinis rented? They looked like leases to me. I'm not saying there's a problem [between you two] but they do look like leases. As opposed to your Lambo which you paid for. Paid cash? Paid cash! Now do you change the color of your Lambo?"

Soulja Boy previously went head-to-head with Bow Wow before squashing their beef earlier this year.

First starting over their alleged "Lambos" claiming each others are leased or rented, then later saying they wanted to race. Things went to the next level when Soulja Boy said Bow Wow's album was garbage and he would leak it to which Bow Wow said Soulja Boy is only in rap because of him. Soulja Boy then released a video explaining how the beef went from friendly to disrepectful then later Bow Wow called Soulja Boy and the two young rappers made up.

Earlier this month, Bow Wow said fans should not always take his Twitter messages serious.

"Promoters think im stupid? They think ima get on 5 passanger jet? Flyin 6hrs to da a show? F*** outta here. Stop wakn people up wit dumbness," he wrote over the week. "My problem is im too nice to folk in the industry. Im always doing things for others i forget to think "what i wana do" im thinkn bout me! By me not having no dad i will make mistakes When yall see me say stupid sh*t i dont mean it. Understand im teaching my self how 2 be a man Thats the dark cloud dats over me everyday. Be 23 yrs old. No man neva taught me how to treat women, nothing. Ill grow jus takes time 100 zz Wished err body took da chance to really f*ck wit me or get to know me for they wana hate ona young brother tryna get by in this crazy world."

Check out Tim Westwood's Soulja Boy interview below:

Drake Makes "Thank Me Later" Single Deadline, "All These People Are Asking Me For This Album" [Video]

Young Money's Drake has announced his plans to release Thank Me Later's first single no later than the top of next year.

Although not giving away too many details, Drake also said he had no intention to stop his work ethic despite the holidays.

"Work [laughs], yeah, work man because all these articles are coming out and all these people are asking me for this album, and yeah, I really wanna get it done," Drake revealed in an interview. "I'm gonna take my time with it but you know, perfection has no deadlines...There's no telling where I'll be [for Christmas], the industry shuts down supposedly in December but my life is just gonna keep going through. I mean, I really wanna dominate a first, second quarter time period so I need to have a single out by the top of next year and just keep going man."

He recently promised collaborations with Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne on his debut.

"I'm making progress on it," Drake said in an interview this week. "I'm hoping for March now. It's just pulling everybody together: I had a wish list for my managers of everybody I wanted involved that stem beyond hip-hop. I'm trying to pull it all together. I'm really trying to work with Sade. Lil Wayne will be on it. Young Jeezy, Jay-Z, Kanye will be doing work on it. It's in the family."

The singer had previously discussed his hope to grow and advance his skills on the forthcoming solo project.

"You can expect the same sound, I'm still going to be telling a story," Drake explained in an interview. "I've got a great story to tell now -- it's been a crazy year. I just want to make it a little bigger, a little more energy. Sonically, I want to advance. I think I've gotten better at rapping since the last one so I'm excited to share it with the world. That's how I come up with songs, I'll sit there and rap to myself. There are people who are phenomenal at freestyling, but I'm a writer."

He also touched on the importance of lyricism for his debut album.

"Lyrically, I want to keep the album as genuine and honest as 'Fear' is, but musically there will be a little more energy," he promised. "There will be more moments of triumph, because my life is the best it's ever been in my 22 years of existence. I want my music to reflect that, but I still want to be able to relate and connect with people. It's a good indication. There will obviously be some variation -- not every track is going to sound like that. I was actually going to save 'Fear' for the album, but I wanted to give people another reason to buy the [So Far Gone] EP."

Check out Drake's interview down below:

B.G. Cuts Ties W/ T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records, "I Felt Like They Were Playing Me"

Hot Boys' B.G. has announced that the release of his new album, Too Hood 2 Be Hollywood, represents the end of his partnership with T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records.

According to Gizzle, the Southern rapper is now on the prowl for a new label.

"I'm gonna be a free agent," he revealed in an interview. " I'm gonna sit down with the people that closest to me like my manager and lawyers and see what's the best route to do. [Grand Hustle,] no, all that's over with. [T.I.] was the executive producer of the project with me when it was on Atlantic. After the situation with him and the Hip Hop Awards, they kind of froze up on me, kept pushing the album back. This was pre-recession. Once I felt like they were playing with me, I stopped calling, got back doing what I was doing, creating another opportunity."

There is also speculation he might make a return to Cash Money Records.

With the talk of a Hot Boys reunion and album, some would speculate that the rapper might find a nesting ground at his own home and align himself with Baby and Cash Money once again. "If the numbers right, if it makes sense." Whatever road the rapper chooses to walk down and whoever decides to do business, B.G.'s track records shows a man that will truly be an asset to whatever team will allow him to play.

Reports of his signing to Tip's Grand Hustle landed online around 2007.

MTV reports that B.G. has signed with T.I.'s Grand Hustle and has plans to collaborate with his former Hot Boy groupmate, Juvenile. The Baby Gangsta also told us his next project, Too Hood to Be Hollywood, set to drop around September, will feature collabos with T.I. and Young Jeezy, along with production by Scott Storch and the Justice League. One producer B.G. wants to link with again is Mannie Fresh, but the rapper said Fresh needs to holler soon before he starts to lose it.

The rapper's latest album debuted onto the charts last week.

Hot Boys' B.G. made his debut onto the charts this week as Too Hood 2 Be Hollywood snagged a spot at No. 77. Headed into his second week, the Southern rapper's new album rests at 18,800.

Check out a past B.G. interview below:

Beyonce & Black Eyed Peas To Ignite Grammy Awards, Performances Announced

Grammy-winning artists Beyonce and The Black Eyed Peas have been chosen to perform at next month's Grammy Awards in California.

According to reports, country singer Taylor Swift has also been announced to sing.

Leading Grammy contenders Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas and Taylor Swift will be among the performers at the awards early next year. Nominations have already been announced, with Beyonce vying for 10 awards while Swift is up for eight. R&B singer Maxwell and country group Lady Antebellum, who are up for six and two awards respectively, have also been added to the bill.

Beyonce and Swift lead this year's annual ceremony with the most nods.

R&B singer Beyonce led the field of Grammy contenders with 10 nominations, followed by teen country sensation Taylor Swift with eight, organizers of the music industry's top awards said on Wednesday. Black Eyed Peas, R&B singer Maxwell and rapper Kanye West each had six nominations, with Lady Gaga and rapper Jay-Z getting five apiece.

The award nominees were announced during a ceremony earlier this month.

George Lopez may have been star struck by Smokey Robinson and Ringo Starr staring at him from ringside at Wednesday's The Grammy Nominations Concert Live: Countdown to Music's Biggest Night, but the comic and TV host still found the words to announce the nominations for Song of the Year. And they would be Lady Gaga's "Poker Face," Maxwell's "Pretty Wings," Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" and Taylor Swift's "You Belong to Me."

Rappers like Eminem and Common are also up for awards.

R&B Album: "The Point Of It All," Anthony Hamilton; "Testimony: Vol. 2, Love and Politics," India.Arie; "Turn Me Loose," Ledisi; "Blacksummers' Night," Maxwell; "Uncle Charlie," Charlie Wilson. Rap Album: "Universal Mind Control," Common; "Relapse," Eminem; "R.O.O.T.S.," Flo Rida; "The Ecstatic," Mos Def; "The Renaissance," Q-Tip

Winners in all categories of the 52nd annual event will be announced at a televised awards ceremony on Jan 31.

Check out a past Beyonce performance down below:

Lil Wayne's "Rebirth" Pushed Back, Only 1 Million Copies Printed

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Wayne's Rebirth has reportedly been pushed back from its February release date and will feature new tracks according to a Universal Motown representative.

Reports also claim roughly one million copies of the project have been printed.

Neither the crew album nor the experimental passion project has a proud commercial legacy in hip-hop. But for Rebirth, at least, Lil Wayne's label had sizable expectations. According to Billboard, around one million copies were printed, one-third of which were distributed to retailers. (Lil Wayne's last album, Tha Carter III, has been certified triple platinum, meaning three million copies were shipped.) For 500 or so fans, the physical CD of the original Rebirth is a collectible. For the untold thousands who downloaded the album's songs free, they're just grist for the mill, placeholders until something else comes along, preferably better. According to a representative for Universal Motown Records, a new version of Rebirth is now slated to be released in the first quarter of 2010.

Young Money President Mack Maine recently addressed the confusion about Lil Wayne's Rebirth album accidentally being released ahead of schedule and promised a "new" version was in the works.

"Young Money will be on the Monique show 2nite!!!!! Check ya local listings for specific times!!!!," he wrote Wednesday (December 16). "RT @GUDDA1: DEC.21ST DEC.21ST >>> "W R YOUNG MONEY" IN STORES MONDAY!! RT @KarenCivil: Leaked 09 Rebirth isn't going to be 2010 Rebirth.."

Despite the project being pushed to February, early copies were released earlier this month.

About 500 Amazon customers who pre-ordered the album are enjoying the record already, thanks to a shipping mishap. According to sources and an e-mail to Billboard from an Amazon customer, the online merchant sent copies of the album to some customers who pre-ordered "Rebirth." The album began arriving in mailboxes on Monday, Dec. 14, despite a change in the street date from Dec. 21 to February 1. Although Amazon received the word to return the Lil Wayne album, supposedly about 500 copies were sent to customers. An Amazon spokesman didn't respond to an e-mail request for a comment.

In light of Wayne's leaked album, SOHH spoke with rappers like Lil Scrappy to see how they battle their music illegally being released.

"You make a lot of music," Scrappy told SOHH, "when you making albums, I think you should do two albums. You should make the same amount of songs on both the first time you hit it hard, bam, then you gotta prepare yourself. Like, it's digital right now so sh*t can happen, get drunk in the car playing CDs and your man got d*mn press the button and be like 'Yo [everybody,] I got that new Scrap.' [laughs] If he's smart, he'll go bootleg it and if it's hot, you gonna bootleg it so my best thang to tell a n*gga is to make two albums, you know what I'm saying? And we do this anyway, so it ain't hard, you feel me?"

Check out Lil Scrappy speaking with SOHH about album leaks below:

Wyclef Jean Makes Fugees Reunion Plea, "If Lauryn Hill Is Listening, Get The Group Back Together" [Video]

Wyclef Jean has shown no signs of wanting to avoid a Fugees reunion by publicly reaching out to estranged member Lauryn Hill and requesting her to take action.

While recently performing at a small undisclosed venue, Clef publicly shared his plea to Hill.

"Let me play you a classic record," Clef told his crowd of fans. "This group still sold 22 million copies and the reason I'll never go broke, I'm still living on they publishing check. See. So right here, Wyclef passing number one -- and if Lauryn Hill is listening, get the group back together too!"

Jean recently explained how he hoped his new music would inspire Hill and group member Pras to re-join forces.

"Yeah. And it's actually a good question, because people within hip-hop don't really care about groups like that, you know what I mean?," Jean said in an interview with DJ Booth. "Once you're done in hip-hop, you're done. But somehow the Fugees is the soundtrack to everyone's house. What I'm hoping is that this group really gets inspired by the new movement that I'm on right now, with the whole Warriors movement, the new music that I've got comin' out, the movement with the youth, and I'm hoping they'll get inspired and be like, 'Yo, let's find Clef and let's get this thing crackin'.' And it would be an honor to go in and make it a super album."

He revealed plans to drop a new memoir which will touch on his time with the Fugees earlier this fall.

"Coming from where I came from and being one of the only Haitian entertainers to make it where I've made it to, I think when people read the memoir they will better learn the story," Clef explained in an interview. "And you know it's going to be several books. I just felt like it was time to do the first one. Wyclef Jean's name is more famous than Wyclef, so I was like yeah I gotta go ahead and lay out the first story. In the first book, there's no way that I can't mention The Fugees because that was done inside of the basement in my uncle's house and that plays a crucial part of the Wyclef Jean story, period."

Reports of the new memoir landed online around mid-October 2009.

The solo star and former frontman for The Fugees is collaborating with Rolling Stone writer Anthony Bozza on a book -- currently untitled -- to be published by It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Financial terms weren't disclosed and a release date hasn't been set. The publisher announced in a statement Monday that the book will cover Jean's life, from his childhood in rural Haiti to his musical career and philanthropic work.

Check out Wyclef Jean reaching out to Lauren Hill below:

Maino Tees Off On Tiger Woods' Marital Flaws, Drops "Get 'Em Tiger"

New York rapper Maino has become the latest artist to weigh in on Tiger Woods' publicized affairs with the release of his new song, "Get Em Tiger."

According to the Brooklyn, New York-bred emcee, the track uses Woods as a metaphor and was not a means for him to bash the famed golfer.

"Whether a person is in his limelight or a person is just a regular dude sometimes we fall victim," Maino told radio personality Angela Yee. "We may have a wifey at home and then we fall victim to other women. I like women and I'm sure a lot of other men like women. They crucifying him for having extra marital affairs but I don't think he did anything different than what most normal win do...I'm trying to change, I'm working on it...This has been going on since the beginning of time. Men cheat, women cheat, like, he just got caught, you just not supposed to get caught. There's women doing it...I wasn't sure how people was gonna take it, that's why I sent it to you. I don't want people to think it's a song about him, it's a song about me. He's just a metaphor..."

The track plays out as Maino speaks on his addiction to wanting women despite his marital status.

"I got women in the 'burbs, women in the hood," Maino raps. "Yeah my wifey mad 'cause she knows I'm no good/I'm just a dog, I'd be faithful if I could/But I'm Tiger Woods, yep, I'm Tiger Woods...I need help because I know I got a problem, every bad b*tch I come across, I think I want them/Look at how I roll when I see 'em/Then I'm on 'em, cup full of liquor, pocket full of condoms..."

50 Cent recently shared his reaction to learning about Woods' situation.

"He just picked the wrong girls I guess," Fif told radio personality Tim Westwood. "[Relationships,] that's wrong too. But he might have trust issues. So I mean, if you have trust issues and you see so many people there, like, you develop a comfort with that person. And even though you don't have a relatonship with 'em, you still wanna be around a selective party. You can tell he was just never under those types of circumstances, because he didn't know better than to not do that. Like even the apology before we found out what was going on. He's like, 'This is obviously my fault,' before we can figure out what he did. [laughs]"

The controversy has also caught the attention of Game.

"see, told y'all Tiger was hood.," Game wrote Wednesday (December 2) on Twitter. "Funny how Tiger do a lil cheatin on his wife & it's a BIG deal but Hugh Hefner can cheat on his wife on a reality show ere'day & its nuthin. aint playin the race card, #imjustsayin. we've seen the media "USE" us then "ABUSE" us over & over again. 1st they love Michael [Jackson] then they scrutinize em to his grave. now TIGER ?!?! Oprah, you ALL WE GOT NOW. don't F#$@ UP !!! Tiger should've cheated wit 1 of dem chicks off Ray J show. they would've held it down for u my n*gga, I can call Tiger my n*gga now right ?"

Lloyd Discusses Stacking Young Money's Debut, "I Respect Their Grind"

R&B singer Lloyd has opened up about working with Lil Wayne's Young Money crew for the We Are Young Money compilation debut.

For the former Murder Inc. artist, Lloyd's close ties with Wayne and Cash Money Records' Baby placed him ahead of the competition for the "Bedrock" single.

"Ah man. That's easy. I'm just a good friend to Wayne and Baby," Lloyd revealed in an interview. "I respect them. I respect their grind. I respect their minds. So they brought me in to be designating; to be the [designated hitter]. They wanted a hit and they brought me in. We came up with something that was dope in 'Bed Rock.' We'll be performing it for the first few times coming up. We're just doing us. It's good to be around a crew of talented young brothers."

He recently addressed the rumors of leaving Murder Inc. for Wayne's Young Money record label.

"I think that's the question on everyone's mind," Lloyd said about the possibility of signing to Young Money. "No, I wasn't offered a deal, uhm, if anything I think about it because I'm big fans of their work and we all good friends. We've worked [together on songs] a lot in the past, you know, we broke bread together and I think a lot of fans would probably want to see that happen. I just wanna win, I just wanna be successful. I think wherever I go, I'm gonna be successful."

Young Money's Shanell aka SNL has been promoting the new group album through her Twitter page.

"We need all the real YM FANS to stand up and stand out!!! lets make tomorrow a day we never forget!! cop the album!!!! mmmwwwaahh!," she wrote Sunday (December 20) night. "send me your twit pic of you and the hard copy of the album tomorrow!!! @freddyb87 lol yes crazy!!"

In addition to Lloyd, the album includes guest slots from Pleasure P and Gucci Mane.

We Are Young Money tracklisting: 1. Bedrock featuring Lloyd 2. New Sh* 3. Pass Me the Dutch 4. Wifebeater 5. F*ck the Bullsh*t featuring Birdman 6. Ms. Parker 7. Target 8. Sacrifice 9. Every Girl 10. She Is Gone featuring Pleasure P 11. Girl I Got You 12. Gooder 13. Roger That 14. Steady Mobbin' featuring Gucci Mane.

YoungBloodz's Sean P Arrested On Disorderly Conduct Charges

YoungBloodz's Sean P was reportedly arrested this week on disorderly conduct charges stemming from an incident.

According to reports, the Southern rapper is facing serous criminal charges.

He was also facing simple battery but those charges were later dropped. The rapper appeared in court Tuesday, according to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office. His bond was set at $1,500. The arrest stems from an incident at Tongue and Groove Monday night in the 500 block of Main Street in northwest Atlanta.The rapper hosted a release party there for his new mix tape.Channel 2 Action News is working to learn more about what transpired Monday night and will update this story on wsbtv.com and Channel 2 Action News.

The rapper is known for making a strong buzz alongside his partner in rhymes, J-Bo.

While they honed their skills and showcased their talent for various record labels, opening the door for the Attic crew to get noticed, it took only one meeting with LaFace A&R executive PA to sign the YoungBloodZ duo. The 1999 album Against da Grain was their full-length debut. Three years later, the highly regarded Drankin' Patnaz found the group on Arista while 2005's Ev'rybody Know Me returned the duo to LaFace.

YoungBloodz were featured on Billboard's Top One-Hit Wonders earlier this year.

At number 18, YoungBloodz and Lil Jon's "D*mn!" The YoungBloodz hit rose to No. 4 in November of 2003. Yet their next hit, 'Presidential,' only made it to the No. 81 spot in November of 2005.

Sean P has kept busy as of late with various collaborations.

P has made numerous appearances on hit singles including Cherish's "Do It to It", Sammie's "You Should Be My Girl", and Lil Jon's "Snap Yo Fingers" with E-40. Sean P is currently working on a solo project under Cornerstore Entertainment/Asylum/WMG that is scheduled for release in early 2009. The first official single, entitled "I'm a Hoodstar" and was produced by CP Hollywood.

No further details have been released as of now.

T.I. Escapes From Prison, "He Was Released This Morning"

Incarcerated rapper Clifford "T.I." Harris has been transferred from his Arkansas prison location and placed into a Georgia halfway house, according to his attorney.

Lawyer Steve Sadow said the rapper has returned to his hometown, Atlanta, Georgia.

"He was released this morning from his place of incarceration in Arkansas," Sadow said in an interview. "As I understand it, he's on his way back to the Atlanta area. He has to report to a halfway house in Atlanta sometime this evening. And he will then spend somewhere between the next two or three months in a halfway house, ending his Buruea of Prison sentence. A halfway house is more along the lines of a residential dormitory. You live within this house that is broken into areas for living, and you are permitted to leave during the day for certain reasons of which would be employment, medical reasons, things of that nature, and you return to the halfway house in the evening. So it's a restriction on your liberty but it's a way for you to reenter into society and not be confined within a jail type institution 24-hours a day."

Initial reports show that T.I. was scheduled to return home in May 2010.

Officially, T.I. isn't slated to be released until May 26, 2010, however, due to good behavior and other factors, prison officials are considering releasing him to a halfway home by no later than March 2010. This will be great news for fans of southern hip hop, as many of their favorite artists are either currently in jail or facing lock-up soon.

The rapper is currently doing time for his arrest on gun charges two years ago.

Federal agents targeted Harris in 2007 after they arrested his body guard, who bought guns from undercover agents. He said the three machine guns and two silencers were for Harris. Shortly after the bodyguard arrest, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents arrested T.I. when he took delivery of the weapons from the bodyguard. The arrest took place just hours before, and blocks away from where Harris was to receive two awards at the 2007 BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. As part of his plea deal, Harris agreed to spend 1,500 hours talking to at-risk children and teens; including 1,000 due before prison. After he is released, Harris has a year on house arrest and two more on probation. The government fined him $100,000.

T.I. was recently named one of iTunes highest-selling artists in its "Top 10 Tracks" 2009 listing.

1. "Boom Boom Pow" (Black Eyed Peas). 2. "Right Round" (Flo Rida) 3. "Poker Face" (Lady Gaga) 4. "I Gotta Feeling" (Black Eyed Peas) 5. "Gives You H*ll" (The All-American Rejects) 6. "Just Dance" (Lady Gaga) 7. "Party in the U.S.A." (Miley Cyrus) 8. "The Climb" (Miley Cyrus) 9. "Dead & Gone" (T.I.) 10. "Use Somebody"

Ruff Ryders' Drag-On Compares Nicki Minaj & Eve, "She's Always In It To Win It"

With Nicki Minaj representing the current wave of new female rappers, SOHH hit up Ruff Ryders' Drag-On to see how Eve compares to the Young Money star.

While declaring his loyalty to E-v-e, Drag said he could not deny Nicki's rap contributions as of late.

"Yeah of course, Eve is always gonna be in it to win it, she's working on her album right now too," Drag told SOHH. "I heard it's bananas too. Like, it's crazy. She's always in it to win it. But I like Nicki Minaj, I ain't gonna front. I like her swag and what she's got going on."

Female rapper Lil Mama recently spoke on Minaj's use of sex appeal.

"Nicki Minaj is a talented rapper," Lil Mama said in an interview. "She's out there, she's doing her. What she represents, I don't represent and she's doing something different, that's her lane. As the voice of the young people, Lil Mama, I focus on bringing up young girls to respect their bodies, respect theyself, do it up."

Former King Magazine covergirl Lola Monroe has also given her stance on Minaj comparisons.

"I don't do the Barbie thing -- that's her thing," LoLa said in an interview. "I really don't agree with it, that's basic. It doesn't make sense to me because first off, you're basically saying I'm jacking somebody who has never been known to have their style all throughout their career. She's never been set to have her own style. It's always been set to say she's jacking Lil' Kim to Foxy [Brown] and now Lil Wayne. So how can I be jacking somebody or using somebody's style if they never been known to have their own style. That part never made sense. That's one. Another thing, it kind of comes from Wayne is in the foundation of my music and what I've listened to him for years and years. So you can hear his styles in my music. And you know, that's her mentor and that's somebody whom she's under and so she's known to sound like Wayne. That's all they say about her now. I believe the similarities may have come from that but besides that, I have my own style, I have my own lane. She does what she does, ya feel me?"

Despite being signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath record label in the past, Eve has reportedly been dropped from Interscope Records.

There are reports that Eve has completely lost her...clothing line, Fetish, and she has been dropped from her label. The label news comes at a good time for Eve, being that the new Ruff Ryders video dropped last week and the anticipated success of their collective album looks to be in the future for the Pit Bull in a skirt.

Check out Lola Monroe speaking on Nicki Minaj below:

Kid Cudi Reportedly Detained At Gunpoint By Police, "I Was In Handcuffs"

Kid Cudi was reportedly detained by police while traveling in California yesterday (December 21) and was accused of taking part in a burglary.

According to reports, the event took place in Los Angeles.

Two police cars cordoned off the road while a further three pulled up next to Cudi's vehicles. Passengers in the cars were then ordered out with their hands on their heads, before being made to kneel on the ground where they were handcuffed. It was only then that Los Angeles Police Department officers realised it was a case of mistaken identity. After the passengers had been released, the officer in charge explained that a resident in the vicinity of the shop had mistakenly identified the party as being involved in a burglary, before allowing Cudi's entourage to go on its way.

Cudi also confirmed being detained by police.

"Who knows, really, the story changed a bunch," he said in an interview. "I'm just happy to be back. I'm a free man! For that moment I was not free. I was in handcuffs. It did not feel very comfortable. We're in LA, it's a rowdy place in the United States, you know? And a lot of sh*t goes down. And these cops have to use force. So it's, like, I understand that they were doing their job. I just wish we weren't in that place at that time."

Prior to the incident, Cudi parted ways with his opening slot on Lady Gaga's Monster's Ball Tour.

Sources at Interscope Records confirm the rapper is "no longer" with the tour -- but wouldn't say if the decision had anything to do with YouTube footage showing Cudi punching fans in the front row of a concert in Vancouver this past weekend. We're told Cudi will be replaced on the Gaga tour by Jason Derulo --the guy who sings "Whatcha Say."

Following the reports, Cudi released a statement explaining his exit from the tour.

"Kid Cudi has decided to take an early leave of absence from Lady Gaga's Monster Ball tour, in order to balance his schedule surrounding the recording of his next album and acting commitments," the statement reads. "Cudi does not want to disappoint his fans and will move forward with his individual show dates in December and throughout the month of January."

No further details have been revealed as of now.

Raekwon Dropped Busta Rhymes From Dr. Dre Track, "We Don't Want People Thinking Busta's A Singer"

Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon recently spoke about working with Dr. Dre on his Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 track, "Catalina," and revealed how Busta Rhymes was originally slated to appear on the hook.

Replaced by Lyfe Jennings, Raekwon spoke on the track's overall success.

"'Catalina' was a vicious record, and we always knew that was going to be a hit," he explained in an interview. "I remember when I actually sat in the studio with Dr. Dre and he first played it for me. I looked at his face and I could tell that he really loved the beat. I loved it because it's my kind of beat. It was still hip hop, but it had savoir faire to it...At first we didn't have the hook. Believe it or not, the first hook had Busta Rhymes. Busta's the one that put me and Dre together. The first hook had a little reference from Busta Rhymes. He was singing and having fun. I liked his hook too, but we decided to change it because we don't want people to start thinking Busta's a singer. He's not that kind of artist, plus he was having fun. It wasn't nothing that he was banking on doing. We knew that record was going to the top."

Raekwon previously discussed his chemistry with Dre.

"He's the type of dude [who] only f*cks with his. When you think of through the years how many people can say they have a Dre beat is rare. I guess he really respect what we did and I respect him for what he did because he's the O.G. He was in it before me. He was just excited with the album. He heard it. He had to hear it first...You can't make a motherf*cker do something he don't wanna do. I already knew what kind of dude he is. Once he heard the album, he wanted to be a part of it...Dre actually gave me around four or five beats to work with."

Originally rumored to be joining Dre's Aftermath roster, Raekwon previously explained why the deal was never solidified.

"The Aftermath thing was definitely something that people wanted to go down, I wanted to go down as well," Raekwon explained in an interview. "We never inked the situation and we was going back and forth. From what I knew is that Dre's time wasn't really going to be there for me to really get what I needed to get out of him. So right then and there I knew that it was going to be a problem and being that he had so much to do and then you know the terms of agreement wasn't coming together as far as from his side. It wasn't actually him that was really making that call. It was people above him that was really telling him like, 'Yo you got to do this first.'"

The rapper's latest album made it into the Top 5 last September.

Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon has returned to store shelves with his long-delayed Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Part 2 landing at No. 4. The Chef's new album has sold a total of 67,900 records after one week on store shelves.

Check out Raekwon & Dr. Dre's "Catalina" track below:

Asher Roth Confronts Gay Rumors, "For The Love Of The Future & Humanity Let's Wake Up"

Rap newcomer Asher Roth has confronted recent rumors which suggest he was on the verge of announcing being an openly gay rapper.

Writing through a statement, Roth denied the claims and frowned upon publications reporting the gossip as fact.

"I hate to disappoint and take away the entertainment of it all but I am straight, not gay. It's disheartening to know such "news" on someone's personal life can be portrayed as fact with no viable source. This, to me, is an opportunity to expose our vulnerability to lies and manipulation through unprofessional and irresponsible news outlets, in which people consider TRUTH. Further, someone's sexual orientation should NEVER be big news, as it delivers a troubling message to children that they can't be themselves without fear of judgment. Race, creed, and sexual persuasion should not just be tolerated but understood and accepted. It's extremely disappointing that this topic would be used with the intention of being hurtful. We are near 2010....2010!! Yet race, sex and religion still play a major role in a hate driven society. For the love of the future and humanity....let's wake up."

Prior to Roth, the rapper's record company vice president denied the online reports.

"As Executive Vice President of Loud.com / SRC Records, I would like to address the recent internet rumors about Asher Roth: Asher Roth is not gay, and is not scheduled to be interviewed on the E! Channel. Furthermore, Asher has not been dropped from SRC Records, and is a top priority at the label after having sold over a million copies of his 'I Love College' single. Asher is currently working on his next album for SRC. DJ Vlad Executive Vice President Loud.com / SRC / Universal CEO, VladTV"

Speculation began to grow over Roth's sexual preference last weekend.

At first, this appeared to be a rumor but I called Terrance Dean, the author of "Hiding in Hip-Hop" and he confirmed that Asher is indeed mentioned in his book. I then went to his blog and saw that he posted this last week: 'Asher Roth admits he is the infamous "Gay Rapper" in a new book put out by Terrance Dean, formerly of MTV. Dean who at first said he wouldn't say names, is now not agreeing or disputing that Asher is indeed the "Gay Rapper."

Reports used Roth's support of gay rights as a hint of his lifestyle.

Asher was recently at a Gay Rights Parade with Lady Gaga, "American Idol" winner, Clay Aiken, Blink 182, and REM lead man Michael Stipe. Besides Terrance Dean posting the news on his own blog, TMZ.com, and E! News all put out newsletters stating the good news about Asher Roth. Asher is currently living in a "gay section" of New York and "loving life".

Check out an Asher Roth interview below:

Soulja Boy Won't Repeat Chris Brown's Twitter Removal, "I Work Hard For Them Followers" [Video]

Soulja Boy Tell Em has opened up about his reaction to Chris Brown deleting his Twitter page earlier this month and said he would not follow suit.

Soulja Boy said he could not see himself deleting his page after reaching nearly 2 million followers.

"I was thinking about that last night man," Soulja Boy told radio personality Tim Westwood. "I just think, I don't know man, you see Miley Cyrus deleted hers and then when he did it I was just thinking like 'Who's gonna be next to delete their Twitter?' I don't never say never because you never know, one day I might just wake-up and be like I don't wanna be on Twitter no more but right now, nah, I don't think I'd ever delete my Twitter. I work hard for them followers, the 1.9 milli's baby. They gonna be disappointed in me man."

While remaining brief, Soulja Boy also shared his initial shock in seeing Brown's page disappear last week.

"@vegasodmg i know man, im talkin 100millions omg," he wrote on Twitter last night. "1st Miley then Chris.. who's next? @jack amazing. PrettyBoyGMoney wtf??? This *igga Soulja Boy Got More Followers Than Tom Got Friends On Myspace #d*mnshame."

According to reports, Brown deleted the page last Monday (December 14) evening.

Chris Brown is the latest artist to abandon the service completely, following the precedent set by Miley Cyrus and Lil Wayne. Brown's exit came after a week's worth of Twitter-based ranting about stores not stocking his new album Graffiti. Only a few hours after that revelation, Brown issued his finally tweet: "I wanna thank my fans for all the support," he wrote. "Goodbye!" The old address for his Twitter page now leads to the dreaded "Sorry, that page does not exist!" screen.

Kid Cudi previously explained why he deleted his popular Twitter page.

"I have an iPhone and I don't even utilize all of the applications on it," Cudi explained. "Just alone on an iPhone you can have multiple e-mails -- I have two e-mails -- text messaging, some people have AIM on there, MySpace, Facebook -- and I don't even have those things...With Twitter, my two e-mails, text messaging, and my phone ringing, that's just overwhelming. And you gotta think of it like this, what did they do before there were cell phones? Use a pay phone or write a letter. Or you catch 'em at the crib....I think I want to take it back to that. Sometimes it just shouldn't be that easy for you to get in contact with me."

Lil Scrappy Gives Album Leak Precaution Tips, "You Should Do Two Albums" [Video]

Disturbin' Tha Peace's Lil Scrappy recently hit up SOHH to discuss what tips he has for artists trying to avoid album leaks like Lil Wayne's Rebirth and 50 Cent's Before I Self Destruct.

Scrap suggested rappers putting together two albums for insurance purposes.

"You make a lot of music," Scrappy told SOHH, "when you making albums, I think you should do two albums. You should make the same amount of songs on both the first time you hit it hard, bam, then you gotta prepare yourself. Like, it's digital right now so sh*t can happen, get drunk in the car playing CDs and your man got d*mn press the button and be like 'Yo [everybody,] I got that new Scrap.' [laughs] If he's smart, he'll go bootleg it and if it's hot, you gonna bootleg it so my best thang to tell a n*gga is to make two albums, you know what I'm saying? And we do this anyway, so it ain't hard, you feel me?"

Grand Hustle's Young Dro recently talked about how he dealt with his sophomore album being leaked online.

"When I walked in the office, couldn't nobody look me in the eye," Dro said in an interview. "They was looking down. You had Jim Jonsin beats, some of the best production I ever had on there. When I saw it I was like, 'Oh my God. OMG.' But then I said, 'I'm gonna patch it up.' The album got leaked, so we going back in the studio. We gonna get [Don] Cannon beats, we gonna get DJ Toomp beats, we gonna sew the album up and act like it ain't never bled. No leak."

Fabolous also spoke on the emergence of music leaks and the new measures he decided to take in order to avoid further leaks of his latest album, Loso's Way.

"We usually don't have a leak problem, the things where we had problems is giving music to people to do their mixes, that's where we had a problem," Fab explained in an interview earlier this summer. "And now I've learned from that okay, we're not going to do that anymore. We're not gonna e-mail you stuff. You're gonna have to come in or we fly to you or wherever and get the sh*t done because the amount of hacking and piracy going on now, and you put all that time and effort into building something, then people are starting to get it here, here, here, piece by piece instead of getting it collectively. I want people to hear the sh*t as a finished product."

Playaz Circle's Tity Boi previously chatted with SOHH about how his Lil Wayne-assisted single "Big Dog" leaked online before its scheduled release earlier this year.

"Nah, that was just a Gmail jacker that's all that happened, it got sent to Lil Wayne's Gmail -- I guess what it is, is they got people that don't come outside -- but you also know you're hot if that happens. Some people really like the momentum part of the actual cover when they start reading the credits, some people get caught up with the blank discs and original music. Other people like to keep the original copy. [For precautions,] you can't just be so simple. You just got to be creative. Figure out new ways, a new [contact] to send it to, change the name under files, send it to other people's e-mails that's not so hot, make up another e-mail, there are plenty of things to do to avoid that. They gonna keep coming but you gotta think ahead and be smart."

Check out Lil Scrappy speaking with SOHH about album leaks below:

Diddy's "Last Train" Release Date Stalls, "We're Figuring Out What's Missing"

Diddy recently updated fans on the delay of his Last Train to Paris album and said he has already recorded more than 60 songs.

According to Puff, there is no release date for his 2006 Press Play follow-up.

Then there's his coming album, Last Train to Paris, which was supposed to come out in September but has been pushed back to 2010. "I don't know the exact month," Diddy said about the release date. "We're going to have it come out when it's ready. We're bringing everything together, editing it down. We did 60 songs. Also, we're figuring out what's missing."

Puff previously said he was holding his album back for Drake and Jay-Z.

"We just vibin' and making music, having a good time," he said in an interview. "The album is gonna be something different for me, and I don't have to support it by myself...The train is coming...It's coming, it's coming. Right now, it's like Jay-Z time and Drake time. Enjoy those guys. But the train is coming. Get your ticket. You don't want to be left out."

The album was originally slated for a fall release.

"It's deeper than any of the other stuff I have ever made," Diddy said. "Last Train to Paris comes out in September...T-Pain gave me permission to use the vocoder, the autotune, and he showed me various tricks that nobody knows but him and myself."

Diddy has also recruited a star-studded line-up of producers.

As with all of his albums, the new CD will include collaborations with hot-right-now producers The-Dream and T-Pain and perhaps overly familiar names on the urban-pop front; The Neptunes, Rodney Jerkins, Mario Winans and Tricky.

No further details have been released as of now.

Check out Diddy speaking on his Interscope Records move down below:

Hurricane Chris Blames Record Label For "Unleashed" Tracklisting, "I Submitted Way More Songs"

With today's release of Hurricane Chris' sophomore album, Unleashed, SOHH spoke with the "Halle Berry" hitmaker to find out what fans should expect to hear this time around.

Chris said the album's tracklisting was slimmed down by his record labels.

"Actually that was all Polo Grounds and J Records," Chris explained to SOHH. "I submitted way more songs and they went and did some other than what I told them to do. But I told you, that's part of the situation we're going through with these record labels right now, they think they know what they're doing and they doing a whole bunch of crazy foolishness so right now we just getting the business straight. I did like 19 songs for that album -- but the mixtape is about to drop and you'll get everything that didn't make the album." (SOHH)

He also explained what his aim was with the new album.

"My main goal with this album is to let you know what level I done elevated to," Chris added. "This album is going to bring to you a whole new Hurricane. This album right here is off the meat rack, Unleashed...I'm fixing to rush the Internet and the streets all at one time. It's going down in a major way, Hurricane, get your paper up." (SOHH)

The new album features guest appearances from Mario and Plies.

Unleashed tracklisting: 1. I'm Back 2. Beat It Out The Frame 3. Halle Berry (She's Fine) featuring Superstarr 4. Coke Bottle featuring Mouse 5. Headboard featuring Mario & Plies 6. Last Call featuring Bobby V. 7. I Want It featuring Fiend 4 Da Money 8. Secret Lover featuring Cherish 9. No Worries featuring Beenie Man 10. Hot Like Lava (Amazon)

The project features production from hitmakers including Shawty Red and Don Vito.

Former "A Bay Bay" rapper Hurricane Chris is readying the release of his sophomore album. Led by the recently released single "She's Fine," featuring Superstarr, Chris' forthcoming effort is titled Unleashed. Play-N-Skillz and The Inkredibles are among those who are linked to Unleashed. (Singersroom).

Check out a Hurricane Chris SOHH freestyle below:

Young Jeezy Performs During High School Football All Star Game

Rapper Young Jeezy will make a high profile appearance during the Under Armour All-America High School Football Game in January.

Young Jeezy will be the featured halftime performer during the third annual game, which showcases the nations top high school senior football players.

The game is taking place at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida and will also be televised live on ESPN on Saturday, January 2 at 11:00 AM ET.

Tickets for the game are available for $10 and also announced February 9th, 2010 as the release date for Young Jeezy’s upcoming album Thug Motivation 103.

Rihanna Picks Her Favorite Song And Artist Of 2009

Last week, we detailed Rihanna's rather, uh, eventful year when we named her our #3 Woman of 2009. It started in February with her assault at the hands of then-boyfriend Chris Brown, and culminated in the release of her most adventurous album yet, the dark and artful Rated R. Along the way, she overcame adversity and reclaimed her title as one of the biggest acts in the world and, perhaps most notable of all, she inspired millions with her strength and spirit.

But what inspired her? When we caught up with Rihanna on the set of her just-released "Hard" video, we decided to find out. She let us in her world, revealing the song that served as the soundtrack for her year, and the artist who she idolized the most in '09.

Song of the Year

" 'Empire State of Mind' was definitely one of my favorite records of 2009 ... one of the biggest records of 2009, also. It's timeless. It's epic, and it makes me want to be from New York every time I hear it. I'm like, 'Wow, I wish I was in New York, or I wish I was from New York.' It's just that great feeling when you hear it."

Artist of the Year

"[Lady Gaga]. She has a very bold, fearless image and, I have to say, I have so much respect for original artists ... who aren't afraid to do what they do. That's what I respect the most. She's awesome."

MTV Shows

Kid Cudi’s Debut Named Best Hip-Hop Album of ’09 by Entertainment Weekly

Weeks after being nominated for three Grammy Awards, Entertainment Weekly has named The Man on the Moon: The End of Day, Kid Cudi’s concept-driven Universal debut, the best Hip-Hop Album of 2009.

Led by the breakout hit, “Day ’N’ Night,” the dark, concept album sold an impressive 103,900 copies in its first week on shelves.

EW also named the G.O.O.D. music artist as one of the five “Breakout Stars”of the year. Songstress Keri Hilson and fellow Universal rapper Drake were also among the acts named on the list.

Meanwhile, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ chart-topping New York anthem “Empire State of Mind” was named Best Single of ‘09.

The Year-End Double Issue of Entertainment Weekly is currently in stores now.

Willie D Pleads Guilty to iPhone Scam

Houston MC Willie D of famed rap group the Geto Boys plead guilty last Friday (December 18) to wire fraud.

According to the Associated Press, the rap vet, born William James Dennis, admitted to selling iPhones and other electronics through his bogus company, Texas One Wireless. Investigators claim D has made around $132,000 through the scam, where he would sell the phones online and never deliver the merchandise.

Willie faces up to 20 years in prison once he is sentenced on April 23. He is currently out on bond.

Nicki Minaj, Birdman & Shanell Hype Young Money Album Release, "We Need All The Real YM Fans To Stand Up"

Young Money's Nicki Minaj, Shanell aka SNL and Baby have made last minute Twitter announcements for their fans to go out and support the new compilation project, We Are Young Money.

The female R&B head of the crew, Shanell, told fans to send photos of themselves posing with the purchased album.

"We need all the real YM FANS to stand up and stand out!!! lets make tomorrow a day we never forget!! cop the album!!!! mmmwwwaahh!," she wrote Sunday (December 20) night. "send me your twit pic of you and the hard copy of the album tomorrow!!! @freddyb87 lol yes crazy!!"

Nicki also reminded fans to get the album today.

""WE ARE YOUNG MONEY" DROPS THIS MONDAY!!!! #WEAREYOUNGMONEYDEC21," she added. "YOUNG MONEY's ALBUM drops tonite @ MIDNIGHT!!!! Itunes, amazon, etc. #WEAREYOUNGMONEY...YOUNG MONEY's ALBUM drops @ MIDNIGHT!!!! Itunes, amazon, etc. #WEAREYOUNGMONEY."

Cash Money Records co-founder Baby displayed his support for the album.

"GOOD DAY SOOOOWOOOOO.YM CMB," he wrote over the weekend. "@kingrashee713 i c u playboy reppn ymcmb. ym cmb boss godfather birdman billionaire minds my life im be a billionaire ym cmb money 2 blow we are young money in stores 2morrow ym cmb billionaire minds."

The album includes guest slots from Lloyd and Gucci Mane.

We Are Young Money tracklisting: 1. Bedrock featuring Lloyd 2. New Sh* 3. Pass Me the Dutch 4. Wifebeater 5. F*ck the Bullsh*t featuring Birdman 6. Ms. Parker 7. Target 8. Sacrifice 9. Every Girl 10. She Is Gone featuring Pleasure P 11. Girl I Got You 12. Gooder 13. Roger That 14. Steady Mobbin' featuring Gucci Mane

Initially slated to arrive in mid-December, the project was recently pushed back by Cash Money Records' Baby.

"*ATTN RT TO ALL LILWAYNE 'REBIRTH' AND THE YM ALLSTARS ALBUM HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK TO DEC 22..CMB/YM," Baby wrote via Twitter on Thursday (November 19). "RT @ceelowthegr8t: attn rt this lil wayne 'rebirth' and the young money allstars has been pushed back to Dec 22... 'PRICELESS' NOV 23 'ALL OR NOTHING' @JAYSEAN....COP DAT YM/CMB."

Check out Gudda Gudda speaking on the Young Money tour below:

Ashanti Sex Text Stalker Pleads Innocence, "Sending Pictures & Texts Is Not A Crime"

The Indiana man accused of stalking R&B singer/actress Ashanti Douglas has pleaded his innocence to the media.

According to Devar Hurd, his lewd sex-based text messages and photos do not constitute as criminal action.

Ashanti's mother, Tina Douglas, testified Hurd was a stranger who bombarded her with disgusting messages, though she told him to stop. She says he didn't. Defense attorney Richard Verchick said Hurd was misunderstood. "Sending pictures and texts is not a crime," he said. "The intent was never to harass Tina or Ashanti. ... What he wanted was what we all want in life -- love." (CBS News)

According to new reports, the suspect sent over 30 inappropriate text messages to Ashanti.

Devar Hurd sent more than thirty lewd messages, in which he described pleasuring himself while thinking of the sultry singer and members of her family, including mom/manager Tina Douglas. Reportedly behind bars in lieu of paying up $50,000 in bail, sources say Devar Hurd is expected to go on trial as early as next week on misdemeanor charges of stalking and aggravated harassment. The lewd messages, which began in May, reached Ashanti's mother on numerous occasions, describing locations where the singer or her sister were present for rehearsals and other events. (Singers Room)

Details on the messages have also been exposed to the public.

In just his third text -- and between references to the superstar's upcoming appearances, and mentions of such Ashanti hits as "Girlfriend" and "So Over You" -- Hurd allegedly zips the mom a picture of a car belonging to her 29-year-old singer-actress daughter. "Shani baby I saw U parked yesterday when I showed up to the Wiz," he allegedly says in that text, from June, going on to graphically describe masturbating to a video of one of the star's concert performances. Cops say he ended that text by typing -- perhaps with just one thumb -- "Oh ashanti ashanti ashanti, yes baby woooo lol." (New York Post)

In light of the seriousness behind the situation, Hurd has proclaimed his innocence.

Prosecutors say they received dozens of messages on their cell phones before Hurd was arrested in July. They say the messages included lewd comments about Ashanti's performances and her relationship with rapper Nelly. Hurd has entered a not guilty plea and is being held on bond. (ABC News)

No further details have been released as of now.

Russell Simmons, Talib Kweli & Lauren London React To "8 Mile" Actress' Death, "This Is Too Sad"

Russell Simmons, Talib Kweli, Lauren London and more have shared their reactions to 8 Mile actress Brittany Murphy's unexpected death over the weekend.

Simmons took a spiritual approach in speaking on the actress' death.

"I met britney murphy before her star rose," Simmons wrote Sunday (December 20) night, "its tough to find peace in fame. I wish her peace and happiness in her next lifetime."

Kweli reflected on her big screen and television accomplishments.

"RIP Brittany Murphy. Gifted actor who I truly enjoyed watching. Passed last night, cardiac arrest, 30. Call some1 u love, remind them. From Clueless to King Of The Hill to 8 Mile, Brittany Murphy contributed a lot to our entertainment."

Actress Lauren London applied religion in speaking on Murphy's passing.

"RIP Britney Murphy.," she wrote. "This is too sad. May God give her loved ones strength right now. Prayers go up. #Clueless one of my all time fav movies."

New York radio personality DJ Clue expressed his condolences to Murphy.

"R.I.P. Brittany Murphy..Such A Nice Person. Rest In Peace Miss."

While details are still being uncovered, the actress passed away Sunday (December 20).

Brittany Murphy died of cardiac arrest early Sunday morning, after her mother had found her unconscious in the shower, according to a report by TMZ. The actress was 32. It is reported that a call went out to 911 from Murphy's Los Angeles home at 8 a.m. Attempts to revive her were not successful. A spokesperson for Cedars Sinai Medical Center confirmed to People that Murphy died at the facility Sunday at 10:04 a.m.

Check out Brittany Murphy & Eminem in 8 Mile below:

Eminem Plays Shady Claus, Offers Personalized Autographs For Fans

Eminem has gotten into the holiday spirit by offering fans an opportunity to purchase a personalized autograph with all proceeds going to his Marshall Mathers Foundation charity.

According to the rapper's website, fans will have up until President's Day to make the deadline.

Get a high quality-suitable for framing - AUTOGRAPHED - photo print of you on Shady Claus' lap! Just upload your face to the Santa shot of your choice, pick a photo size, and the deranged elves will pass it to Shady Claus' hand for his REAL signature before they have the reindeer fly it to you sometime before President's Day. All proceeds from the sale of Shady Claus autographed photos will go to The Marshall Mathers Foundation, Eminem's charitable organization for the support and development of disadvantaged youth. Please allow 4 -6 weeks for delivery. Happy Holidays and a Shady New Year!

Slim Shady is known for participating in various charity-based events.

When Eminem appears on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" for a rare interview and performance Friday, he'll have about 200 laid-off autoworkers from the Detroit area in tow. Eminem and Kimmel are flying the unemployed workers to Los Angeles for the show's taping. It was unclear how the unemployed autoworkers were being selected for the performance, but according to the publicist, they are UAW members. After the Hollywood visit, they will be invited -- with a guest -- to a secret show in metro Detroit the following week.

The rapper said his decision was based on Detroit's contribution to the auto industry.

"In all the media coverage Detroit is getting, everyone forgets about the people that have lost their jobs without getting big cash payouts after dedicating themselves to the auto industry," Em said in a statement. "Jimmy Kimmel and I got to talking, and we wanted to remind everyone that there are real people affected by what's going on in Detroit, and try to show some of them a good time while we're at it."

Aside from being crowned the top-selling artist of the decade, Em earned a spot on iTunes 2009 year-end album charts.

Top Albums of 2009: 1. Kings of Leon (Only by the Night) 2. Twilight 3. Lady Gaga (The Fame) 4. Taylor Swift (Fearless) 5. Dave Matthews Band (Big Whiskey & the GrooGux) 6. The Essential Michael Jackson 7. The Fray 8. Jay-Z (The Blueprint III) 9. Eminem (Relapse) 10. Black Eyed Peas (The E.N.D.)

For more details, check out www.eminem.com

Check out a recent Eminem interview below:

Young Jeezy Finds "Motivation", New Album Release Date Emerges

The release date for Young Jeezy's upcoming Thug Motivation 103 has reportedly landed online showing it projected to drop in early 2010.

According to reports, the new album will be released in February.

Word is this came from the back of a ticket for an All-American High School football game that will be held on January 2nd which Jeezy is scheduled to perform at half-time. "Jeezy TM103 in stores February 9th This ticket is a revocable license, which may be withdrawn, and admission refused anytime upon refunding the printed purchase price."

Last August, Jeezy updated fans on the record's status.

"I have some new producers I'm going to introduce to the world," Jeezy promised. "I like to set trends. I'm going to keep those names in the bag. I want it to be a big deal when you first hear them. There will be a few of the producers I worked from Thug Motivation 101 and The Recession such as Shawty Redd and Midnight Black. I'm just working, man. I'm not really picky when it comes to the production. I just like good music...I have the studio bus and the whole nine. I was already working on it, so I was where I wanted to be on the new album before I left. I recorded most of it at the crib in Atlanta. I'm just putting the icing on the cake, now. I'm going to do the rest on the road and just knock it out. The album will be out sooner than later...I'm going to take my time. That's what the label people tell me. "Yo, hurry up, but take your time, because we want that sh*t to be right.' Soon as my stuff jump off the stove I'm going to put it in the streets."

He previously stressed the importance of not rushing its release.

"I'm taking my time this time," he said in an interview. "I know where I really wanna go. This is my fourth time over. I did it three times -- I'm gonna do it again...No matter what they think, I go harder to be an example for my homies and everybody around me. I'm trying to make cats better. So if you feel the rapping part is that serious to you, then you go with that. When you go with motivational speaking, you don't want it to rhyme -- you want it to make sense. If he sounds like he's rhyming, it sounds like a jingle -- like he's trying to sell you a turkey burger or something...I got a joint called 'I Got This.' Then there's 'Suicide Music.' I don't wanna give it all up, because you'll probably figure out where I'm going."

The "Snowman" announced Kanye West's involvement on the project last summer.

"Mixtapes, you know, I got a few coming out but I'm really more focused on this album," Jeezy said in an interview last month. "I wanna change the way people think about stuff so I'm focused this album. The mixtapes, that's gonna do what it do, but I want the album to be like, when you get it, 'Ah, that's crazy.' I'm about 75 percent [done.] I wanna work with a couple more people and that's about it. Kanye did about maybe six, seven joints on there."

Check out a past Young Jeezy & Kanye West "Amazing" performance down below:

Loud Vice President Addresses Explosive Rumors, "Asher Roth Is Not Gay"

Loud Executive Vice President DJ Vlad has addressed rumors which suggest rap newcomer Asher Roth has decided to come out and admit to being a homosexual.

According to Vlad, the rumors are merely gossip and hold no truth.

"As Executive Vice President of Loud.com / SRC Records, I would like to address the recent internet rumors about Asher Roth: Asher Roth is not gay, and is not scheduled to be interviewed on the E! Channel. Furthermore, Asher has not been dropped from SRC Records, and is a top priority at the label after having sold over a million copies of his 'I Love College' single. Asher is currently working on his next album for SRC. DJ Vlad Executive Vice President Loud.com / SRC / Universal CEO, VladTV"

Speculation began to grow over Roth's sexual preference last weekend.

At first, this appeared to be a rumor but I called Terrance Dean, the author of "Hiding in Hip-Hop" and he confirmed that Asher is indeed mentioned in his book. I then went to his blog and saw that he posted this last week: 'Asher Roth admits he is the infamous "Gay Rapper" in a new book put out by Terrance Dean, formerly of MTV. Dean who at first said he wouldn't say names, is now not agreeing or disputing that Asher is indeed the "Gay Rapper."

Rumors used Roth's support of gay rights as a hint of his lifestyle.

Asher was recently at a Gay Rights Parade with Lady Gaga, "American Idol" winner, Clay Aiken, Blink 182, and REM lead man Michael Stipe. Besides Terrance Dean posting the news on his own blog, TMZ.com, and E! News all put out newsletters stating the good news about Asher Roth. Asher is currently living in a "gay section" of New York and "loving life".

The rapper has received props from rappers earlier this year including Eminem.

"Asher Roth, I haven't had a chance to, like, really get into everything, like, really get into what he's about, because I've only heard a couple songs," Em said in the new issue of XXL Magazine. "There was talk about people saying he sounded like me, and he was doing this and that and, you know, trying to take what I do and do it. You know, sh*t like that. I've heard things. But the stuff that I've heard from him honestly, which certainly isn't enough for me to make my own opinion and say, 'Yeah, he does sound like me' or 'No, he doesn't.' But the couple of songs I've head, I don't really think he does. You know what I mean? He's doing his own thing. I can respect it, too, because at the end of the day, I think he's dope."

Check out an Asher Roth interview below:

Beanie Sigel Reportedly In Near-Fatal Car Accident, Health Status Unknown

State Property's Beanie Sigel was reportedly involved in a near-fatal car accident last night (December 19).

Details on the incident are still developing as of now.

Philadelphia rapper Beanie Sigel was injured in a car accident last night, reps say. Representatives for Sigel maintain a large tractor trailer truck ran his vehicle off the road. Sigel was not the driver of the car and sustained injuries. The full breadth of those injuries is unknown, as is the exact location of the accident.

Beanie has kept busy as of late by making an alliance with 50 Cent and calling out his former Roc-A-Fella associates like Jay-Z and Memphis Bleek.

"A lot of Jay-Z fans are my fans too," Beans explained in an interview. "At the end of the days, [Memphis] Bleek's fake too. F*ck outta here. I ain't trying to hear that. Bleek got the same characteristics, man...Lil Wayne professed the 'Greatest Rapper Alive' [title] and was getting the momentum. Lil Wayne can rap, Lil Wayne can spit, in my point of view. I like Lil Wayne, he should have kept moving with it and then Jay come and tell Lil Wayne he gonna pass the paton to him [then] Lil Wayne falls back."

Bleek later responded to these comments from Sigel.

"That's my n*gga," Bleek said in an interview. "I don't feel no ways [different] as I felt from when he signed to us back in '99. I feel the same way today. That's my n*gga. And that's it. He can say what he wanna say. Him and I know the truth. He know what's real, and that's just it. It's all rap sh*t. Some people do things that you can look at and be like, 'Yo, why?,' but at the end of the day you just have to be in they mind frame and figure out - Try to understand what they thinking at that point in time. But like I say, he never stole from me, he never did nothing physically to me, none of my peoples, none of my family. That's still my brother...I just seen him at the Powerhouse show. Like two days before all of that sh*t popped off, we just had a ill conversation at Powerhouse. It was me, him, all his n*ggas there, my n*ggas, we was kickin' it, choppin' it up and nothing ever was said..."

The beef has also caught the attention of Def Jam's Fabolous.

"Nah, not really [I would not do a diss] because that's not my beef. I don't have a problem with Beanie, actually, you know what I'm saying, I'm cool with Beanie too. The same circle Jay was, Beanie was there too. So we all had, [well], I'm not as close, close to Beanie as I am with Jay, but I wouldn't. That's not my beef. Their thing is a little more personal, I mean. Everybody knows Jay and Beans, at one point, were hand and hand. Like, that's not my beef, I wouldn't even jump in there."

Check out Fabolous speaking on Jay-Z/Beanie Sigel below: