50 plans to launch dieteray supplement line

50 Cent already has his hands in music, film, clothing, video games and now has his eyes set on healthcare.

The G-Unit honcho recently revealed to The New York Post that he plans to release his own line of dietary supplements.

"Right now, I’m interested in dietary supplements,” 50 divulged to The Post. “I’ll be coming up with something very soon.”

50 declined to reveal the name of the dietary line when questioned about it.

"I can’t tell you, I’d be blowing the big launch party!" 50 said.

50 is currently gearing up to release his forth solo album titled Before I Self Destruct in March. The album will feature appearances from Eminem, Dr. Dre and G-Unit rappers Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo.

The Charts

From BallerStatus.com -- Country singer Taylor Swift still continues to dominate the charts, holding down the no. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for the eighth week in a row.

However, Beyonce is staying on her heels, holding steady at no. 2. with 50,900 discs moved of I Am... Sasha Fierce. The album is nearing the 1.7 million mark.

In at no. 4 is Kanye West's 808's and Heartbreak, selling 39,000 copies this week. After nine weeks, the auto-tune album is just over 1.2 million sold.

Keyshia Cole's new album, A Different Me, stepped up three spots to no. 6 this week, selling 31,000 copies; Britney Spears' Circus landed at no. 7 with 31,000; and Jamie Foxx's Intuition came in at no. 8 with 30,000 sold.

Sliding down to no. 9 this week is the original soundtrack to the Biggie biopic "Notorious." The soundtrack sold 29,000, putting its two-week total at 72,000.

The highest debut this week comes at no. 10. It's Mariah Carey's Ballads compilation, selling 29,000 copies. According to Billboard.com, it's the singer's fourth best-of set that has charted, following #1's (no. 4 in 1998), Greatest Hits (no. 52 in 2001) and The Remixes (no. 26 in 2003).

Later down the list, we have Akon's Freedom at no. 17 with 21,500 sold, as his album nears gold; and you have T.I.'s Paper Trail sliding down one notch to no. 18 with 20,900 units scanned -- putting his album at over 1.6 million.

According to Billboard.com, sales are up 9.1% compared to the same total last week and off by 12% compared to the same week in 2008.

TI and Amare Stoudemire Team up

According to Vibe, Phoenix Suns all star power forward Amar’e Stoudemire and T.I. have struck a collaborative deal between their respective record labels. Breaking the cycle of baller-turned-rapper, Stoudemire is pursuing a side-career as a manager. “What we are doing is collaborating as far as managing players…That's something I have a special interest in; with me being an athlete I know what it takes and how important it is to have a great management team.”

The NBA has sported a Hip Hop image since the mid-90’s, with players and rappers mingling on a regular basis. With that said, it was only fitting that T.I. and Stoudemire found their hobby interests meshing well.

“T.I. and Grand Hustle are great from a music standpoint,” Stoudemire explained. “I got a record label out called Hypocalypto Records. My artist Juice is the next project for me. T.I. wants to get into sports management, and I'm already involved with that so we are just going to collaborate with both companies. We've been talking the past two weeks about making something happen. We are finally starting to get the ball rolling.”

COURTESY OF HIPHOPDX.COM

Puffy Exposed "Dancing With the Devil"

Former Bad Boy rapper Mark Curry is releasing a tell-all book about his time at the record label, according to ThisIs50.com.

In the book, which is titled Dancing With the Devil, Curry speaks on Diddy's penchant for stealing artists' shine and charge them strange fees.

"Puff has an annoying habit of inserting himself into the songs and videos of all the artists on his label and its common knowledge that many Bad Boy acts resented him for this," writes Curry. "Asked about his practice in the July 1995 issue of a magazine aimed at black teenagers, Puff said: 'I like performing with my artists. I like talking on the records and I like being in the videos. It protects my interests in terms of what I’m going to do in the future. Say if a company tries to remove me. It's going to be hard to remove me and still have my acts and [have] the same level of intensity and the same flavor and feeling'."

"Puff charged the artists for his appearance on their records and videos, usually without [them] realizing it until they receive their royalty statements," wrote the rapper, who was known for his appearance on the hit "Bad Boy for Life." "That’s when they discovered that their large sums of money had gone to fees which were doubled, tripled and even quadrupled because of Puff's 'special appearances.' He charged artists, for example, for having his Bentley in his videos-which he insisted upon- then took tax credit for business use of a car."

Dancing With the Devil is slated for a February release.

Jay-Z talks about Blueprint 3

Recently, Jay-Z has been seen on various media outlets and has been a part of the inauguration ceremonies for President Obama. With all of this coming up, it's been easy to forget what was once the most highly anticipated album since Dr. Dre's Detox in Jay's Blueprint 3. Now, Jigga has released news on the album and more.

"For me, the process of making an album is difficult with so many things going on," he told MTV. "And me, I wanna make it beyond and above. I'm gonna take my time with it. I don't have any quotas, and that's a good thing. It may be too freeing. It's a good thing and a bad thing. You know, I think I need some restrictions. 'Cause if I had restrictions, I would have done it in three weeks. I would have made what I believe to be a great piece of art."

Months ago, Kanye West spoke on the album, which many believe will be entirely produced by Yeezy [click to read].

"He wanted to do a few more joints, so he kinda pushed it back. Now we're gonna go in and just work on some more records. So I got some more stuff to kill it with! I think [Jay pushed the album back because] 'Swagger' just did so incredible. We wanted to go up [and make sure] everything was on that level."

Jay also added that "Brooklyn (We Go Hard)" [click to listen] is currently on the new album.

"I actually recorded a lot of records already. You know, all those records that leaked [online] were on 'The Blueprint 3'."

In addition to being one of the most talked about albums, it will also be his last on Def Jam. While he did sign a very lucrative deal with Live Nation [click to read], no official word has been given in regards to his distribution.

Barackberry

"President Barack Obama has famously vowed to fight for his BlackBerry (RIMM) while in office, despite advice his phone's data could get subpoenaed by poltical enemies or hacked by foreign governments.

But now The Atlantic is reporting Obama is keeping his cell-phone -- once it gets upgraded with a "super-encryption package":

On Monday, a government agency that the Obama administration -- but that is probably the National Security Agency -- added to a standard blackberry a super-encryption package.... and Obama WILL be able to use it ... still for routine and personal messages.

It's not clear whether he yet has the device...

The messages, like other White House communications, will kept from the public for the duration of his presidency, if not longer.

Obama and other officials won't be able to use Instant Messaging in the White House.

It's already been estimated Obama's love for his cell phone is worth up to $50 million in marketing for Research in Motion. If Obama is seen still using the device as President, the marketing boost for RIM will go through the roof." alleyinsider.com

He fought for his crackberry and he got to keep it. Got to love the persistence in this man!


Thoughts?

Kanye West Interview with Bossip

Bossip: You mentioned beef earlier and it seems like every time 50 comes out with a new album, you’re one of his targets. How do you feel about his ongoing beef with you?

Yeezy: "Just as a real human being, I can’t say that it doesn’t affect me. I was such a fan of 50. As much as people think that I look at myself, I think that me and Lil Wayne are very similar. Even though we believe in ourselves, we’re very much fans of other rappers too. Like how Game is, we really like other rappers. 50 is one of those rappers that I said was the end all be all of what rap what supposed to be. Like a true iconic rapper.

He was my favorite rapper since Mase when he dropped, and when I used to be around him, he was one of the few people that I was like really fan of. I was nervous in the studio working on beats and hoping that I could do a good beat for him. This is even when I had College Dropout and Jesus Walks. Jay Z and 50 are just two of those type of guys you really want to make some good music for. So, for me as a fan of him I felt like if he said something negative and tried to make it like I’m negative it’s almost like if a little kid walks up to you at the airport and is like, ‘Man, I love you so much,” and then you spit on him it’s like (in a joking voice) “I don’t know if I love you as much as I used to,” as you wipe the spit off your face, but you still play their music. I could never have beef with anybody. I’m not here to beef with anybody. I’m trying to bring people together. I realize that my success and my mouth and everything rub people the wrong way every now and then, but I’m not finna have beef with anybody. I really walk around by myself. Like, I don’t wear jewelry. Like all these people are like he’s so arrogant, blah, blah, blah. I’m not arrogant, I’m just truthful. When I talk about myself, there are millions of people that love me, and I just agree with them…..but on a sidebar, it’s good to see a fashion post on thisis50. Look at my influence."

Akon Claims he doesnt know his age

Not knowing your true age can be a problem for some people. But according to Akon, even though he has a birth certification, his age remains a mystery and he rather keep it that way. Here is what he told Jonathan Landrum, Jr. of the Associated Press on a recent interview:

“ATLANTA (AP) — Even though Akon has a birth certificate, he says his age is still a mystery — and he'd rather keep it that way. "All it's going to do is depress me," he told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "I don't want to know I'm getting older. Then I'll start to think about getting checkups and insurance. I don't want that."

Numerous reports have put his age between 25 to 35 years old. In 2006, he gave his age as 25. But now, he claims his birth certificate shows he was born on April 16, 1977, which would make him 31.

Some have accused Akon of trying to push back his age. But the singer, who was born in the United States but spent his early life in Senegal, where his family is from, says he never knew it.

"In Africa ... age is not important over there. They don't care. People only focus on it here (America) and in Europe."

Akon says when people ask, he just gives him a figure that comes to mind.

"I feel like I'm 21 right now," he says. "And I'll be 21 for the next 10 years."

Akon went multiplatinum with his 2006 CD "Konvicted," which included hits such as "Smack That" with Eminem and "Don't Matter." His most recent album, "Freedom," was released in December.”

Beyonce refuses to walk 4 blocks in heels at the inauguration

"Beyonce and Jay-Z were told they would need to walk to meet their chauffeured car due to streets being shut down in DC last night for security reason. Beyonce refused to walk four blocks and convinced the Secret Service to make an exception to let her car through just to pick her up.

The Secret Service had a bigger job than protecting the Obama family last night.

After Jay-Z finished rehearsal for his pre-inaugural concert, he and wife Beyoncé found out police had shut down streets around the Warner Theater. Cops told the star couple they’d have to walk four blocks to meet their driver.

“Beyoncé wouldn’t walk in high heels in the cold,” says our spy. “The cops wouldn’t budge, but the Secret Service agreed to let the driver pick Jay and Beyoncé up, bring them to their hotel so they could change, and get them back to the theater.”

How cold was it? Before he went on, Jay-Z was supposed to leave his hand prints in a block of cement destined for the theater’s star-studded sidewalk. But the cement froze.

New York Daily News

Sure, it was really cold. Cold enough so Beyoncé should have been equipped with appropriate clothing to walk in the open air. As far as the high heels go, if you can dance in them, you can walk in them.

You could maybe understand Beyonce’s inability to walk if people had been around or she had a schedule to keep to and didn’t want to be delayed by autograph hunters, but the reports describe the streets as being ’shut down’ so I guess that wasn’t likely." Celebitchy.com


Well she does have a song out called 'I'm a Diva' so what did anyone expect? I thought that Etta James should have been asked to sing 'AT LAST' since it is her song, but Beyaki did a good job of it anyway.


Thoughts?

Obama's Inauguration

In a ceremony that drew close to two million people from around the globe, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were sworn in by Supreme Court Justice John Stevens and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts around noon. The swearing in was preceded by an invocation from Dr. Rick Warren and a performance of "My Country, 'Tis Of Thee" by Aretha Franklin.

Obama's swearing in was immediately followed by a musical performance and then his inauguration speech.

Chocked full of references from the past and optimistic hopes for the future, Obama's inauguration speech hit on current issues such as the economy, healthcare, education, and foreign policy.

"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood," Obama explained to the millions watching at The Capitol and the millions watching at home. "Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."

Although realistic and straight-forward, Obama's speech seemed riddled with optimism.

"Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage," Obama declared to his audience.

And in conclusion to his speech, Obama added, "With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."

President Obama's inauguration speech was then followed by a poem written and recited by Elizabeth Alexander and a colorful benediction from Dr. Joseph Lowery.

Today's inauguration festivities will also include the signing of the inauguration papers, the Congressional luncheon, the parade, and 10 inaugural balls.

"Notorious" has $21.5 Million Opening

The Biggie Smalls biopic Notorious [click to read] reeled in movie goers this weekend, and entered at fourth on the box office charts. The film earned $21.5 million, and became the biggest opening weekend ever for production company Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Notorious not only brought in dollars, but the opening of the film left many fans and musicians alike praising the Notorious B.I.G. and the film itself.

Busta Rhymes recently spoke on the magnitude of the movie to MTV News. He said, "You see it happen for the generation of artists before us, and you wish it would happen for our generations and the artists that come from our era of the game. It's one thing to have a flick, but it's one thing to have the value of that life story mean so much to the people that the flick now becomes more than a flick. It's a moment. It's a captured moment in time."

Fox Searchlight, the indie version of parent company 20th Century Fox, was pleased with the release as well, and felt the subject matter drove the crowds to the theaters. The news comes after reports of violent incidents related to the movie's premiere [click to read].

Chris Aronson, the senior vice president of 20th Century Fox said, "It's a very high quality film, and it's a compelling look at a compelling cultural icon who, like many cultural icons, left way too early but left an indelible mark on society."

Leading the box office charts was Paul Blart: Mall Cop with 33.8 million dollars while Gran Torino ($22.2 million) and My Bloody Valentine ($21.9 million) rounded out the top four.

Lil Wayne Talks about Cash Money Days

As 2009 is starting to unravel, it's clear that Lil Wayne is not ready to fold. With the Grammy Awards coming up, eight nominations to his name [click to read], and ESPN red carpet hosting duties [click to read], Weezy is ready to unveil even more plans. Recently, GQ caught up with "The Martian" to speak on new information on a Hurricane Katrina-inspired film he's on board with [click to read], working with Forest Whitaker and early Cash Money music. Pressed with questions about an apparent improvement in the lyrical department, Wayne noted that there was a good reason for him to not be as prolific back then.

"If you ask my boss, Baby, he would tell you I’ve always been prolific, always tried to do too much with my words, and they always would tell me, bring it down," Wayne explained. "Because that didn’t fit their formula. It just had to be their way...it was just like a basketball player, he plays within the team when he plays professionally, but you may see him on the court in the park doing some shit that you’ll never ever see in a game. That how it was with me."

When asked about working with Forest Whitaker, Wayne acknowledged that the actor took the film seriously, calling him "intense and serious." Noting how Whitaker's work ethic affected him, Wanye said, "And if I ever thought I was slipping on what I’m doing around here? I would remember those experiences of being around him. He looks at you once, speaks to you once, he’s not ever going to make eye contact with you again."

On his vault, Wayne admitted to recording too many songs to remember and giving an entire iPod of his unreleased work to Michael Phelps as a gift. In turn, Phelps has yet to leak any of it. Finally, he opened up about his upcoming album, one that is reportedly a Rock album, claiming he did not want labels on his music.

"It’s not hip-hop, it’s not gangsta rap, it’s not R&B, it’s not reggae, it’s not reggaeton, it’s Wayne," he said. "Because Wayne do all those fucking things. That’s why it be easier not to put no categories on it, and just call it Wayne."

An uncut Q&A, which also features Lil Wayne sounding off on awards, album sales and his desire to direct a movie, is available at GQ's Web site or by clicking here.

Amy Winehouse stealin and beggin

Acording to Bossip:

WASTED AMY WINEHOUSE is reduced to crawling up to holidaymakers and grabbing their drinks — after fed-up resort staff refused to serve her. The sneaky singer also BEGS guests to order booze for her at the all-inclusive Caribbean resort.
Bizarrely Amy, who has fought addictions to drugs and alcohol, is at the posh Le Sport Spa on the sunshine isle of St Lucia for a HEALTH KICK. Each day seems to start with good intentions as she limbers up with yoga-style stretches before swinging into action on exercise rings. But by lunchtime bikini-clad Amy is relaxing with a drink on the beach or even openly smoking joints by the pool. Come nightfall and she is hitting the bottle with pals — despite the booze ban agreed by her management and staff.
A source at the resort said: “We keep catching her crawling past bars, or hiding behind chairs. She grabs guests’ drinks and runs off, like a squirrel with a nut.”

“One minute she is very pleasant, saying, ‘All right darlin’ and chatting to people and having photos taken. The next she is throwing things and swearing her head off.”

“During a fight with a friend Amy tore off long acrylic nails she had fitted. She came up with her fingers bleeding and asked for a cotton bud.”

Amy, 25, was said to drape herself over male guests and staff — despite repeatedly insisting she still loves jailbird hubby BLAKE FIELDER-CIVIL, 26. Workers even claimed to have found her in a late-night clinch on steps with a man believed to be clean-cut British holidaymaker JOSH BOWMAN, 21, who has since left. Amy’s management have now hired a 6ft 6ins minder to keep her in line — but to little effect. She was spotted creeping up behind one woman, asking for a cigarette and then sprinting away with her cocktail.

Another guest said: “She’s like a child craving attention. It’s embarrassing. She comes in for dinner barefoot and in her bikini, even though the dress code is smart casual. “Then she will go and sit on her balcony topless playing the guitar when everyone is trying to sleep.” But Amy — who has extended her two-week stay for another TWO MONTHS — was overheard on her mobile reassuring her father Mitch, 57: “I’ve been eating well and I feel great. I’ve only had a few drinks, Dad — honest.”

Kendra Used to sneak out the mansion to have sex

"Kendra Wilkinson is dishing on life at the Playboy mansion in the latest issue of US Weekly. It sounds like Kendra is saying that she didn’t have sex with Hef, but was expected to stay faithful to him and found the restrictions too hard to deal with long term. She’s now engaged to football player Hank Bassett and was sneaking out to see him while she live under Hef’s paternal thumb:

Kendra Wilkinson has opened up to Us Weekly about her relationship with Hugh Hefner … and how she cheated!!

“I had to have sex every now and then, so I had to kind of sneak it,” she said, noting that Bridget and Kendra stayed faithful to Hef. “I was like ‘How the hell can you do that?’ I had to have [sex] so I could feel my age, like a healthy human being.”

She also says she didn’t spend a lot of time with Hef. “Besides the nights we went out, I only saw Hef, like, once a day walking through the halls to his office — there were never solo dates … The most we kind of say to each other is, ‘I love you,’ ‘Love you too,’ ‘I hope you have a good day,’ ‘Did you have a good day?’”

Kendra also bitched about Hef’s notoriously controlling ways, saying it was “way more strict than my life has ever been” and that it drove her “insane” that staff members would keep track of the girlfriends whenever they left the Mansion. In fact, staff would note the times they left and returned to the mansion in a book, and Hef would review it each morning. And they weren’t allowed to spend the holidays away from the Mansion. And the paycheck? An allowance of $1,000 a week. I kind of have trouble believing that. Shit, their hair extensions alone had to be like $3K a month in maintenance. And the wardrobes?! Those girls were definitely spending more than a grand a month.

Kendra said, “I hate putting my hand out, but we couldn’t have jobs other than getting appearance fees. Hef was kind of like my best friend, but a sugar daddy at the same time … Hef made me feel beautiful. Now I’m totally against [Hefner's] way of life, with three girlfriends and all of that.”

[Quotes from US Weekly, presumed to be print version, January 26, 2008, via Evil Beet]

It’s widely assumed that Holly was the only one of the three who regularly had sex with Hef, and that’s probably true because Bridget has said that she was celibate for months. I wonder what kind of creepy deal Hef’s new girlfriends, the 19 year-old twins and their college student doppleganger, made in order to get a roof over their heads, free food, and the infamy that goes along with being linked to a dude old enough to be their great grandfather.

I really enjoy “The Girls Next Door” and part of the appeal of the show is the pure excitement all of the women have for the great things they get to do. They all seem genuinely thrilled at the fun experiences they have and it offers a lot of vicarious fun. I doubt that the show will have half the appeal with a new, younger cast of barely-legal women that are likely used to getting their way and take more for granted. Hefner had a great cast of women and although his latest co-eds are some compensation, it’s probably like switching from eating at The Olive Garden to McDonalds. One at least has the surface level semblance of class." Celebitchy.com

Damn Kendra! I don't blame ya girl...you had to sneak out and get yours! I guess the old man didn't wanna bother with Viagra then. Poor thang.


Thoughts?

Run DMC to be Inducted in to the Hall of Fame

It’s official, after being nominated in September, legendary hip-hop group Run DMC has earned a spot at the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame according to New York’s Daily News.

The trio hailing from Hollis, Queens are largely credited as the first major rap act to crossover in to the mainstream with such hits as “My Addidas,” “Run’s House,” “King of Rock,” “It’s Tricky” and “Walk This Way.” Consisting of Run (Joesph Simmons), DMC (Darryl McDaniels) and the late DJ Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell), Run DMC will be the second hip-hop group to make to make it in to the hall. In 2007 rap pioneers Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were honored.

In related news, 50 Cent, who was mentored by JMJ early on in his career, is currently working on a film about the iconic DJ entitled Two Turntables and a Microphone: The Life and Death of Jam Master Jay Documentary. He will be packaging the DVD with the deluxe edition of his upcoming album, Before I Self Destruct.

Run DMC will be joined by fellow 2009 Rock and Roll inductees Metallica, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Jeff Beck, Bobby Womack and Wanda Jackson, among others in a ceremony on April 4th in Cleveland.


-XXL

Rick Ross Leaves Slip N Slide

Rick Ross recently revealed that he has cut ties with his long-time label Slip-N-Slide Records and he will be releasing his next effort via his own imprint, Maybach Music Group.

Ross' upcoming third solo album is titled Deeper Than Rap and the rapper revealed he will be releasing two singles off the projects in the coming weeks, "Mafia Music" and "I'm The Magnificent" featuring R&B crooner John Legend.

Ross divulged to MTV that "Mafia Music” will cause a stir because he targets certain individuals on the song.

"[Mafia Music] is gonna cause a lot of problems," Ross explained. "It's a scathing four-and-half-minute nonstop flow, me being autobiographical about my life and my come-up and my triumph. Of course, I had to address a few things, I had to address a few people. I love it. The thing is, some people are gonna be - um - they're gonna be f---ed up. That's the best way I can put it."

Deeper Than Rap is slated to hit shelves in April.

Nas and Kelis are expecting

According to MTV:

Hip-hop star Nas and his wife, singer Kelis, are expecting their first child together, Us Weekly reported Wednesday (January 14).

A source reportedly told Us that the "Milkshake" singer is in her first trimester. "It's all they are talking about," the source told the magazine. "She is carrying hip-hop royalty! They are so excited." The source said mother-to-be Kelis already has a baby bump.

Nas has a daughter, Destiny, from a previous relationship.

The couple wed in January 2005 after a two-year courtship. The New York natives were married in Atlanta, where they keep a home. Nas' brother, Braveheart member Jungle, served as the best man.

The pair raised eyebrows on the 2008 Grammy Awards red carpet. The rapper was in the midst of promoting his project, then titled N---er and later released as an untitled album, and his wife showed her support by wearing a jacket adorned with the racial epithet.

Nas said their personal life isn't nearly as attention-grabbing. The two were set to appear in an MTV reality show about their life together, but the introverted rapper put the kibosh on the project before it could air. Nas cited privacy concerns, in addition to his marriage just being a normal relationship. He called their lives "boring" and said the only reality he was comfortable with was his music.

At press time, representatives for Nas and Kelis had no comment about the reported pregnancy.

For The Love of Ray-J Premier on Feb 2

Making a Porno with Kim Kardashian was probably the best thing to happen to Ray-J's career. Starting February 2nd, 'For The Love of Ray-J' will premier on VH1. This should be interesting....

DJ Drama Assaulted

According to Allhiphop.com:

AllHipHop.com has confirmed reports of a second altercation between DJ Drama's Aphilliates and members of the CTE family.

According to Aphilliates Music Group president La The Darkman, DJ Drama was assaulted by members of Young Jeezy's entourage last night (January 12), yet walked away from the incident unscathed.

"There was a little scuffle. At a movie screening," La told AllHipHop.com, "A little thing that got handled. Fake thugs with low self esteem want to pick on the DJ’s. We definitely didn't initiate this though. DJs don't go looking for beef with fake gangstas."

The statement comes after several reports surfaced of a squirmish between the crews last night during a screening of Notorious in the posh Buckhead section of Atlanta.

The fight comes two months after La himself clashed with members of CTE outside of Radio One's Dirty Awards in November.

Both he and CTE recording artist Roccett addressed the situation, explaining that the argument was a result of comments made by Young Jeezy during a video interview.

The widely circulated clip shows Jeezy surprisingly speaking ill of Drama, with whom he found tremendous success on the Gangsta Grillz mixtape Trap or Die.

The collaboration was arguably Jeezy's introduction to a national audience.

When the interview first surfaced, DJ Drama responded saying that it had to be some misunderstanding or misinterpretation.

DJ Drama also confirmed the scuffle, while representatives for Young Jeezy informed AllHipHop.com that the rapper was in the recording studio when the incident took place.

Damon Dash Drama

Apparently, Damon Dash doesn’t believe that a mind is a terrible thing to waste:

According to bossip.com, the never-ending battle between hip-hop mogul Damon Dash and his ex-girlfriend, Linda Williams, continues - once again trapping their 17-year-old son, Damon “Boogie” Jr., in the middle.

Boogie, who had lived with Dash in Manhattan since he was 8, moved to Long Island with his mother last summer, leaving the Upper West Side’s Dwight School to enroll in a school that fielded a football team. But last month, Boogie went back to live with Dash, and Williams now says his father “refuses to enroll him back in school.”

“Out of the blue, my son tells me he wants to live with his father,” Williams said. “He left here Dec. 2 and hasn’t been in school since.” A source close to Dash assured us that Boogie will go back to school tomorrow now that the holiday break is over, and that the music impresario has been looking for a school for his son since he moved back in.

The insider said, “A woman who had their son taken away years ago has no credibility. Damon was a single father, raising a boy on his own. Linda needs to leave him alone.” Williams had sole custody of her son until Boogie was handed over to Dash in 2002.

Williams originally contacted us last week in response to our report that Dash took their son to The Plumm nightclub to deejay a New Year’s Eve gig. “A child should not be in an adult club that serves alcohol,” she fumed. “Did anyone even check my son’s ID? His father should stop trying to make a dollar off of him and get him back into high school.”

Williams took Dash to court on Dec. 18, charging educational neglect. The next court date is next week. “I’m happy for my son that he is pursuing deejaying but not at the expense of school,” Williams said. Both Dash and a lawyer for Dash Jr. had no comment.

I think Big Dash need to get his priorities straight!!

John Legend in Vegas

John Legend performed at the Pearl in the Palms. He did his damn thing!

TI MTV reality show coming Next Month

As T.I. prepares to go behind bars in March, he will have the cameras rolling in an effort to set teens on the right course.

The Associated Press reports that Tip’s upcoming MTV reality show “T.I’s Road to Redemption: 45 Days to Go” will be premiering next month, and the Atlanta rap giant hopes the show will scare teens straight.

The rapper, born Clifford Harris, was convicted of felony gun charges last year and as part of his plea deal was sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service, to be completed before his March 27 prison date, as well as a year and day behind bars.

T.I.P. said he has already done 864 hours and during an interview with the Television Critics Association yesterday (1/9) he added, “This show is in addition to (that).”

The MTV reality series, which started filming in June and will continue until March, will debut on February 10.

-XXL

Gran Torino No. 1 at the Box office

"Gran Torino" has made Clint Eastwood's day.

In his latest movie, the 78-year-old Hollywood icon plays one of the grouchiest characters in screen history. But the actor-director is surely smiling now. As his R-rated drama expanded across America this weekend, it raced past the competition to become the top-grossing film in the box-office derby with an estimated $29 million. This marks the biggest wide release of any Eastwood movie, far surpassing the $18-million three-day bow of his "Space Cowboys" in 2000.

Warner Bros.' "Gran Torino" is a redemptive tale starring Eastwood as a cynical Korean War vet bent on reforming his next-door neighbor, an Asian teen who tries to steal his prized 1972 car. The film had generated strong business -- $11 million -- in limited release since mid-December. Some industry watchers were skeptical the film could lure big crowds beyond die-hard Clint fans once it expanded from 84 to more than 2,800 theaters.

The strong turnout for "Gran Torino" is not only a testament to the veteran actor's enduring appeal among his customary fan base of older moviegoers, but also shows his popularity among the under-30 crowd.

"What the platform release has done is take his core audience and broadened it out to an audience he hasn't had for years -- young males," said Warner Bros. distribution chief Dan Fellman, referring to fans of Eastwood's decades-old "Dirty Harry" films. It was in the fourth film of the series, "Sudden Impact," that Eastwood uttered the classic line, "Go ahead, make my day," holding a gun to someone's head. Now being talked about is his similarly threatening line in "Gran Torino": Pointing his gun at a gang, he growls, "Get off my lawn!"

Also surprising, noted Fellman, was that 52% of the audience was female, who ordinarily account for half or fewer of those who see Eastwood's movies.

With a to-date total of an estimated $40 million, "Gran Torino" -- which cost about $33 million to make (after a hefty tax rebate) -- is sure to be profitable. Fellman predicts it will collect close to $50 million by week's end and go on to be Eastwood's highest-grossing film after "In the Line of Fire," "The Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby."

Audiences looking for lighter fare also turned out this weekend to see 20th Century Fox's new chick flick, "Bride Wars," which landed at the altar in second place with an estimated $21.5 million. "Bride" was largely panned by critics. But the PG film starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway as best friends who accidentally plan their weddings on the same day did better than most expected. "Unlike the critics who roundly panned it, women of all ages clearly loved this movie," said Chris Aronson, Fox's senior vice president of distribution.

Proving that satisfying horror films can also scare up good business, director David S. Goyer's PG-13 newcomer, "The Unborn," a low-budget horror/thriller from Universal Pictures recently sold genre label Rogue, came in third with an estimated $21.1 million in 2,357 theaters, averaging $8,950 a site.

In fourth was a strong performer for Fox, "Marley & Me," a family comedy starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston in a story about a naughty but endearing Labrador who teaches his owners some important life lessons. It took in $11.3 million in its third weekend. The film, based on John Grogan's bestseller, has amassed $123.7 million to date and helped reverse Fox's box-office downturn of last year.

Paramount Pictures' holdover drama, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette, took fifth place with an estimated $9.4 million in 2,947 theaters. The film, about a man who ages backward, has grossed about $94.3 million since its nationwide bow on Christmas Day.

"Benjamin Button" is one of several current releases vying for awards attention, which kicks off in earnest tonight with the Golden Globes ceremony and is followed by the announcement of the Oscar nominations on Jan. 22. Movies can benefit at the box office if they win best-picture Globes and Oscars.

The only other newcomer this weekend, "Not Easily Broken," from Sony's TriStar Pictures, grossed an estimated $5.6 million. It was a solid opening for the low-budget film, a faith-based drama that cost $5 million to make. The film was adapted from the book of the same name by renowned pastor and author Bishop T. D. Jakes.

The weekend's total business was up an estimated 14% over the comparable weekend last year, with a total of $148 million versus $129.6 million, according to box-office tracking firm Media by Numbers.

"This is the momentum from 2008 carrying over very strongly in 2009," said Media by Numbers President Paul Dergarabedian. "It's the third consecutive up weekend."

Weekend Estimates:

1. "Gran Torino," $29 million.
2. "Bride Wars," $21.5 million.
3. "The Unborn," $21.1 million.
4. "Marley & Me," $11.4 million.
5. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," $9.4 million.
6. "Bedtime Stories," $8.6 million.
7. "Valkyrie," $6.7 million.
8. "Yes Man," $6.2 million.
9. "Not Easily Broken," $5.6 million.
10. "Seven Pounds," $3.9 million.



-LATimes

Judge Assigned to C-Murder's Re Trial

After being turned down by three judges, C- Murder's re-trial has been assigned to a new judge.

As reported earlier, three judges refused to preside over the rapper's trial because of their prior involvement in the case.

C Murder, born Corey Miller, is accused of killing sixteen year old Steve Thomas in 2002 during a brawl at the defunct Platinum Club in Louisiana.

He has been under house arrest awaiting re-trail since his initial murder conviction was overturned in 2006.

The judge who was initially presiding over C-Murder's case, Martha Sassone, lost the re-election bid for her seat to Judge Ellen Kovach in November 2008.

During the election run, Kovach harshly criticized Sassone for letting C-Murder out of jail and accused her of giving the rapper preferential treatment.

Kovach refused to hear C-Murder's case earlier this week saying that her campaign and judicial ethics would be scrutinized if she presided over it.

The case was then allotted to two other judges, Conn Regan and Lee Faulkner, who both also refused to hear the case because of their ties to C-Murder's case.

Before becoming a judge, Faulkner was appointed by Sassone in 2002 to represent C- Murder while Regan had "direct supervision" over the rapper's case when he was chief of trials at the district attorney's office.

According to The Times Picayune, C-Murder's trial was assigned to Judge Hans Liljeberg on Friday (January 10). Liljeberg held a meeting with C- Murder's lawyer and the lead prosecutor hours after he was assigned the case.

Both attorneys declined to comment when they left Liljeberg's office.

Prior to leaving office, Sassone had set C-Murder's trial to begin on Monday (January 12) but court insiders project that it will be delayed.

Lil Wayne to report for ESPN from Red Carpet Event

ESPN The Magazine will have a memorable Super Bowl celebration, as it has recruited former Fugees member Wyclef Jean and Grammy-nominated rap star Lil Wayne for its NEXT Big Weekend.

Jean will take the stage January 30 as the headliner for the publication’s 5th Annual Next party.

The private, V.I.P. event, which kicks off at 9 p.m. Tampa, Florida, is designed to highlight what is next in sports, technology, and lifestyle and from ESPN.

In addition to Jean, celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson and guest DJ/ESPN Analyst Marcellus "Dat Dude" Wiley will be on hand for the festivities.

Although he is not set to perform, Lil Wayne’s presence will be known at the Next party, as he reports from the event’s red carpet for ESPNthemag.com.

The assignment is the latest in ESPN’s relationship with the New Orleans rapper, who serves as a blogger for the publication’s web site and frequently comments about sports on the 24-hour sports network.

Despite appearances from Jean and Lil Wayne, the hitmakers won’t be the only entertainers on hand for the NEXT Big Weekend. Singer Sean Kingston will perform at ESPN The Magazine's Next Day Tailgate.

The event, which is sponsored by Ford’s F-150, and free to the public, will take place from noon to 5 p.m. on January 31 and include sets from the University of South Florida Marching Band and Tampa-based reggae band Impulse.

Working the red carpet for ESPNthemag.com is the latest achievement for Lil Wayne, who was nominated for eight Grammy Awards in December.

The recognition stemmed from the rapper’s work on his latest album, Tha Carter III.

Here are the New Jordans

The new J’s are out and we all better watch our steps because at $190 a pair, we could be pushing up daisies should we accidentally get to scuffing up someone’s. Michael Jordan, himself, was on hand in NY for the release of the new sneaks at Event Space.

Tracklist for "Notorious" Soundtrack

With the Biggie biopic getting more and more buzz and its release date approaching, it is only right that more information on Notorious: Music from and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture is announced. Fittingly, the soundtrack will be released on Bad Boy, the label that Biggie was on during the time he released his highly acclaimed official solo albums Ready to Die and Life After Death.

"Brooklyn Go Hard," [click to listen] the Jay-Z track produced by Kanye West and featuring Santogold, is set to be on the soundtrack. The track will accompany others including "Letter to B.I.G." [click to listen] by Jadakiss, who is assisted on the song by Faith Evans. CJ Wallace and Evans add more new material with "One More Chance/The Legacy (Remix)."

B.I.G.'s own material will also be on it. Hits like "Party and Bullshit" and "Kick in the Door," will be featured on it, along with unreleased demos. Too Short, Puff Daddy, Lil' Kim, and composer Danny Elfman are all featured on the album.

The two-disc special edition of Notorious will be sold exclusively at Target and it will feature a documentary called Remember Christopher Wallace. The documentary is set to include never-before-seen material and interviews with B.I.G.'s family.

Notorious the film, which stars Angela Bassett, Derek Luke and Jamal Woodward as Biggie, will be hitting theaters January 16, 2009. The tracklisting for the official soundtrack can be found below. It will be released January 13.

NOTORIOUS: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE

1. Notorious Thugs (Featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)
2. Hypnotize
3. Notorious (Featuring Lil' Kim and Puff Daddy)
4. Juicy
5. Party & Bullshit
6. Warning
7. One More Chance/Stay With Me Remix
8. Brooklyn Go Hard (Performed by Jay-Z, featuring Santogold)
9. Letter to B.I.G. (Performed by Jadakiss, featuring Faith Evans)
10. Kick In The Door
11. What's Beef
12. The World Is Filled (Featuring Too Short and Puff Daddy)
13. One More Chance/The Legacy Remix (Featuring CJ Wallace and Faith Evans)
14. The Notorious Theme (Composed by Danny Elfman)
15. Microphone Murderer (Demo)
16. Guaranteed Raw (Demo)
17. Love No Ho (Original Demo Version)

Jadakiss' New Album Cover

Jim Jones Now VP of A&R at Koch

Jim Jones along with being an artist now has landed an executive role at Koch records:

“It feels good to know that the hard work has been recognized by the same people that have helped me get to this point in my career,” Jones added.

“They recognize that I’m not only an artist but a person that can smell talent and be able to mold a superstar.”

Yung Berg smacked around again

Sources are reporting that foolish ass Yung Berg was back at it this week. And caught a beat down…AGAIN. This time Master P’s nephew Young Trump is taking responsibility via the net (like these are some damn terrorist attacks or something). I see ‘09 is filled with the same ol, same ol so far.

Here’s the alleged foolishness that went down according to Hip Hop Stan: Young Trump and Yung Berg were spotted scrapping outside of Club Cabana in Hollywood. A source reports: “They had it going throwing fist and all, the fight was one on one, by some form of miracle. It was a pretty even fight until Young Trump swung and knocked out Yung Berg. Yung Berg’s security then jumped in to fend off Master P’s nephew, Young Trump. Then, the club security finally broke it all up.”

Lil Wayne set to release a Rock Album

According to hiphopdx.com, rapper Drake revealed recently that Lil Wayne's latest project will be a rock album.

"Wayne's coming out with a new album, it's a rock album," said Drake in an interview with MuchMusic.com. "A complete rock album. I have a song on there."

The rapper likened the project to Kanye West's latest project. "It’s something different in just that whole 808s and Heartbreaks, just throwing individuals off."

Drake will be touring with Wayne in North America, stopping at Montreal on Jan. 14 and Toronto on Jan. 15. He has also signed a management deal with Kanye West managers Gee Roberson and Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua and Lil Wayne manager Cortez Bryant.

Its 2009 and it seems to me that certain rappers are not claiming Hip Hop music anymore and believe they are getting too big for the genre, when Hip Hop is the reason their in the game (PERIOD)!....SMH

Katt Williams Goes to Warner

According to HipHopdx.com, Stand up comedian, Katt Williams who has had numerous rumors regarding his sanity recently has some good news as he signed a deal with Warner Brothers to distribute his latest film It's Pimpin’, Pimpin’ in its audio version.

The actor-comedian, who has appeared in such films as Friday After Next, First Sunday and Norbit, released his fourth stand up film last November which documented Williams’ 100-city tour, which grossed more than $25 million in ticket sales. "The King of Pimpin'" has sold over 200,000 copies of his It's Pimpin’, Pimpin’ DVD since its release in November.

Earlier DVD releases from Williams, Pimp Chronicles, Katt Live, and last year’s American Hustle each have sold over 650,000 copies.

It’s Pimpin’, Pimpin’ is scheduled to be released in audio format January 29, 2009

Kanye on the Cover of Vibe

Jay-Z to play before Obama's Inaugaration

Billed "In Concert on the Eve of Change," the "intimate performance" will take place at the 1,847-capacity Warner Theater and will feature Jay performing with his full band.

Tickets for the performance go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

The rap icon has long been an Obama supporter. Jay, along with music executive Kevin Liles, Mary J. Blige and Diddy penned, an open letter one month before the November election calling for the hip-hop community to vote in support of Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden.

"Where it stands today, we are on the verge of making history, the kind of history that will be a part of our culture's legacy," the letter reads. "The kind of history that bridges the gap between race, religion and culture, the kind of history that will ignite a light that shines bright from generation to generation, screaming that our voice does matter and our vote does count. The kind of history that will enable the next generation of leaders to encourage vision, not division, to encourage hope, not hopelessness, to encourage the power of the people, not the power politics of the few."

In addition, Jay took the opportunity throughout his and Blige's "Heart of the City" tour to praise Obama while condemning the current administration. Video images of Obama would appear on a screen behind the stage while Jay stopped mid-performance during "Blue Magic," as he got to the lyric where he disses President Bush.

"Y'all ready for change, right?" he often said. "This concert isn't sponsored by Barack Obama or nothing like that ... I'm just voicing my opinion as a citizen of America."

Young Jeezy, T.I., and Russell Simmons are among the other members of the hip-hop community who will celebrate Obama's win. The aforementioned will appear at Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network's Inauguration Ball, which is also scheduled to take place January 19 at the Harman Center for the Arts in Washington, D.C.

Jermaine Dupri Has Been Fired From His President Position at Island Records

According to AllHipHop.com the Atlanta-based producer Jermaine Dupri’s tenure as President of Island Records Urban Music has come to an end. A formal announcement of his departure from the position, which he has held for nearly two years, may come as early as Thursday (Jan 8). Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source close to the situation confirmed to AllHipHop.com that Dupri has in fact been terminated effective immediately.

Dr. Jan Adams to Serve One-Year Prison Sentence

After facing much negative publicity for his possible role in the death of Dr. Donda West, rapper Kanye West’s mother, [click to read], Los Angeles plastic surgeon, Dr. Jan Adams, was sentenced to one year in prison for driving under the influence.

According to TMZ.com, Adams pleaded no contest to a DUI charge in an incident that occurred last June in the Bay Area. He was arrested after numerous drivers reported that they witnessed him driving his Jaguar XK8 the wrong way on Highway 680. When authorities finally apprehended him, they discovered his blood alcohol level to be .20, which is more than double the legal limit for intoxication in California.

The 54-year old surgeon, who is also an author and television personality, will carry out his sentence in the Solano County Jail in Vallejo beginning on February 6th in order to allow him time to attend to a separate probation violation issue in Los Angeles.

According to Michael Cardoza, Adams’ defense counsel, the defendant chose to do jail time rather than face probation and the revoking of his physician’s license. Cardoza also said that his client’s drinking stemmed from the stress caused by the controversy surrounding the death of Dr. West.

Adams has been charged with two prior convictions of drunken driving in the Los Angeles County including one in 2003, and another in 2006.

Jus Drivin (The Prince Vol. 2)