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Hip-Hop Database

Busta Rhymes to be charged with assault

01/02/2007

Police are planning to charge Hip-Hop star Busta Rhymes with assault charges, after the rapper allegedly assaulted a driver who was seeking back pay, the day after Christmas (Dec. 26).

Busta Rhymes, born Trevor Smith, allegedly assaulted Eddie Hatchett, 39, in Rhymes' office on W. Broadway in Manhattan, when Hatchett attempted to collect money Rhymes allegedly owed him.

The rapper, 34, allegedly struck Hatchett multiple times, causing a laceration on the man's face.

The following day (Dec. 27), Hatchett reported the incident to police.

According to The New York Post, police will charge Busta with a misdemeanor charge of third-degree assault, when he reenters the United States tomorrow (Jan. 2).

Rhymes' lawyer Robert Kalina has agreed that Rhymes will surrender to authorities for questioning about the assault, when he returns from his travels abroad.

"I'm just an average Joe trying to support my family," Hatchett said.

The charges are the latest for Busta Rhymes, who is already facing assault charges and harassment for allegedly punching and kicking a man who spit on his Maybach as the rapper's entourage drove by in midtown Manhattan in August of 2006.

The rapper declined a plea bargain that would have allowed him to serve six months for the assault.

In Feb. 2005, Rhymes' bodyguard was shot and killed on the video set for his "Touch It (Remix)" single, taken from his critically acclaimed album The Big Bang.

Police are still seeking to question Rhymes about his knowledge of the shooting and murder, but police say the rapper refuses to cooperate.

Brother Ali Prepping New Album

12/20/2006

Brother Ali is finally dropping the follow-up LP to his critically-acclaimed Shadows On The Sun. The Undisputed Truth, with all production handled by Atmosphere's Ant.

"I dug deeper than ever before on this record," Brother Ali told HipHopGame. "It was important to me that our new album sounded and felt like my life over the past few years. Ant showed his ass yet again on this record. If you're into us, you're going to really dig this record. If you haven't been in the past, you should really fuck with me. We ain't bullshitting. The truth is here."

The Undisputed Truth is scheduled to drop March 6, 2007 on Rhymesayers.

Brother Ali will be performing on New Years Eve in Madison, WI, and will hopefully perform some tracks from his new album. The info for his show is listed below.

+ 12.31.2006 + Brother Ali New Years Eve Show!
Venue: 7th Street Entry
Address: 701 1st Ave N
City: Minneapolis
State: MN
Phone: 612-338-8388
Ages: 18+
Cost: $15

Russell Simmons Responds to Blood Diamond Criticism

12/15/2006

A week after returning from a fact-finding mission for his Simmons Jewelry company, Russell Simmons is facing criticism from film director Edward Zwick.

Zwick, who helmed the new Leonardo DiCaprio movie Blood Diamond, implied that Simmons is merely a public relations puppet for diamond companies.

Simmons' recently returned from a trip to South Africa and Botswanna after being invited by the diamond industry's Diamond Information Center.

The mogul concluded that the sale of blood diamonds has dropped to less than 1%, since the Kimberley Process was introduced in 2003 to prevent the trafficking of the illegal diamonds.

During the Blood Diamond premiere in Hollywood, Zwick noted Simmons' figures and questioned his support of the diamond industry in general.

"I find it embarrassing for Russell Simmons," Zwick told the New York Daily News. "That's a funky number. That number comes from diamonds that are mined in countries that are 'war-declared.' Conflict diamonds are also mined in countries where there is not a 'declared war.' If you want to know about conflict diamonds, you don't go to Botswana and South Africa. You go to Sierra Leone and Angola. "¦ Russell Simmons is being embarrassed."

Simmons has responded to Zwick's comments and maintains that the film will scare people away from purchasing legitimate diamonds. The mining process of the precious stones have become profitable industries in some African countries.

"This is the arrogance of Warner Brothers pictures," Simmons told AllHipHop.com. "They were selfish self-centered, greedy and hurtful to the indigenous people of Africa. This messaging should have been changed after Nelson Mandela and other African Presidents asked Warner Brothers to change it. Period. I am going to continue to focus on the positive that can come out of this dialogue and work to help empower black Africa."

Simmons was referring to a letter South African President Nelson Mandela authored, reminding Warner Brothers that some African countries were relying on the stones to rebuild their war torn countries.

The Hip-Hop mogul's review of the experience came across as positive as he concluded that the diamond business has been a plus for poor residents whose lives have been improved.

Lil Wayne - "Hip-Hop Doesn't Need Jay-Z"

12/08/2006

Lil Wayne - Hip Hop Doesn't Need Jay-Z Lil Wayne had some pretty harsh words to say about his former favorite MC in Complex magazine.

In the article, Wayne also had some disparaging words for the Clipse, Pharrell Williams and and Young Buck, and said he took issue with Jay rapping about being "hip-hop's savior."

"I don't like what he's saying about how he had to come back because hip-hop's dead and we need him," Wayne said. "What the f--- do you mean? If anything it's reborn, so he's probably having a problem with that. You left on a good note, and all of the artists were saying, 'Yo, this is Jay's house. He's the best.' Now he comes back and still thinks it's his house. ... It's not your house anymore, and I'm better than you."

Love Jay-Z or not, he's looking to be pretty truthful when he claims to be Hip-Hop's savior having sold 680,000 units in his first week. Jay-Z however is downplaying his power by being quoted as saying:

"My album, I believe, is just going to do its part," he continued. "It's not single-handedly going to save hip-hop. No one can do that. I don't have those delusions of grandeur.

Read more about Lil Wayne Starting up Beef here.

Nas, Papoose lash out at NYPD after another unjust shooting

12/06/2006

Nas Takes on NYPD Nas has teamed up with rapper Papoose to speak out against the NYPD in yet another controversial shooting that left one man dead and two others injured in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York.

Three men were leaving a club when the driver, Sean Bell, 23, struck an unmarked police vehicle and then backed into a storefront before charging forward again "” almost striking an undercover cop "” and crashing into the vehicle once more, according to reports.

NYPD officials proceeded to fire 50 rounds of bullets into the car, a late-model Nissan Altima. The unarmed Bell, who was to be married later that day, was killed instantly, and his two passengers were both injured, one critically. Authorities claimed a fourth passenger was present at the time and in possession of a firearm. At press time, however, police were still investigating the matter and so far have questioned two men about their whereabouts that night.

Nas and Papoose aren't the only celebrities that have taken an interest in this shooting, it's even spread to the sports world. NBA star Chris Webber along with Nas offered to pay the man's funeral costs, but they were already being covered by the NAACP.

Earlier this week, Papoose debuted "50 Shots" on DJ Kay Slay's satellite radio show. The mixtape-style track addresses police brutality and what he sees as the unjustified murders committed by the NYPD in the black community. In the song, the rapper compared Bell's death to that of Amadou Diallo, the immigrant Bronx resident who was gunned down in 1999 by 41 shots after police mistook Diallo's wallet for a gun.

Listen to Papoose's "50 Shots" here.

The Coup survives bus crash; cancels tour dates

12/05/2006

Revered hip hop outfit The Coup will likely be forced to cancel its current tour with Mr. Lif after its bus flipped and caught fire early Saturday morning (December 2nd) in Imperial, California. The accident occurred at approximately 3:50 a.m. some two hours east of San Diego following a Friday night performance at The House of Blues.

All occupants managed to get off of the bus before it became engulfed in flames and were transported to El Centro Regional Medical Center. However, Silk-E, Mr. Lif's DJ, Wiz, the group's bus driver, Glenn, incurred severe injuries requiring them to be flown to hospitals in San Diego and Palm Springs. Silk-E suffered several broken ribs and a punctured lung and Wiz suffered a deep laceration to the head and a broken leg.

The tour's merchandise person, Zhana, sustained a severe hand laceration and was transported by ambulance to San Diego. Despite losing all of their possessions in the fire - including laptops, clothes, equipment, cell phones and cash - the rest of the bus occupants walked away with minor bruises, cuts, scrapes and are doing okay.

The Coup had been en route to a Saturday night performance at Chasers in Scottsdale, Arizona. The politically-charged rap outfit, fronted by Boots Riley, was in support of its recent, highly acclaimed Epitaph album Pick A Bigger Weapon.

The following tour dates have been officially cancelled:

12.05.06 Fox Theatre & CafÃ© Boulder, CO
12.06.06 Quixotes Denver, CO
12.09.06 The Abbey Chicago, IL

No decision has yet been made regarding these remaining tour dates:

12.10.06 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, OH
12.15.06 The Paradise Boston, MA
12.16.06 Hammerstein Ballroom New York, NY
12.17.06 The Ottobar Baltimore, MD
12.18.06 Black Cat Washington, DC
12.19.06 First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, PA
12.31.06 Sonoma County Fairgrounds Santa Rosa, CA

Saigon, The Greatest Story Never Told

11/13/2006

Saigon prepares for his major label debut, The Greatest Story Never Told, isn't expected to be released until 2007. Saigon has been successfully releasing mixtapes for four years now. With The Yard Father (1 & 2); Warning Shots; and his latest, Welcome to Saigon under his belt, Saigon is ready to capitalize on his guest appearance on HBO's Entourage with a new album on Atlantic Records. 2007 is expected to be a breakout year for the artist who appeals to everyone from 50 Cent to Talib Kweli fans.

The Kiss

11/13/2006

There's been alot of controversy over the internet lately over a picture of Lil Wayne and Baby kissing. Some called it a fake, some called them gay. But for those who don't know, Lil Wayne and Birdman have a father son relationship with Baby being the only father that Wayne has ever known. Does that justify grown men kissing on the lips? Depends on who you ask. Birdman addressed the situation on many radio shows across the nation while promoting their new album.

"Before I had a child, Wayne and all of them were my children, you heard me? Wayne to me is my son - my first-born son - and that's what it do for me. That's my life, that's my love and that's my thing. That's my lil' son. I love him to death" - Birdman

Damon Albarn announces new super-group: The Good, The Bad, and The Queen

11/13/2006

The Good, The Bad, and The Queen is the name of the new super-group project from Gorillaz frontman, Damon Albarn. The new project partners Damon Albarn up with Paul Simonon (The Clash), Tony Allen (Fela Kuti/Africa 70), and Simon Tong (The Verve), with additional production being handled by Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, Danger Doom, Gorillaz). The album's lead single "Hurculean" is currently available on the group's MySpace page. The album will be released in January 2007.

RJD2's Third Hand

11/13/2006

RJD2 has finished work on his third album, The Third Hand. He left his old label, Definite Jux, and will release this project on XL Recordings in March of 2007. He has leaked a song on his MySpace page called "You Never Had It So Good". There seems to be no bad feelings from his former label about his recent move. El-P posted this on their website.

"For those that don't know yet, the amazing Rjd2 has recently completed his debut record for XL Recordings, The Third Hand. We at the esteemed offices of Def Jux would like to officially congratulate RJ and wish him the best of success on the radical new musical journey he's about to undertake! For those that have yet to hear any of his new stuff make sure to check out www.myspace.com/rjd2 for a sneak peak at what is to come. RJ is completely flipping the script and we are truly happy for him that he found such a great home for his new direction!?" - Love, El-P and Def Jux