DRAKE & TREY SONGZ CONTEMPLATE JOINT ALBUM

“That’s my homie, man. Making music with him is like two kids getting together to play basketball. It’s gon’ happen,” Trey said about his Canadian counterpart. “We have fun making music and our working relationship has furthered into a friendship.”

The “Successful” stars first met four years ago before Drake’s career took off. “He wanted me on a record entitled ‘Replacement Girl’ and once that record was done, I made consecutive trips to [Drake's hometown] Toronto. I hit him up like, ‘Yo, come holla at me.’”

Trey did what he could to help a then-unknown Aubrey Drake Graham get noticed. “If you look back at the ‘Wonder Woman’ video, he’s in it. I brought him out on the tour I was on with Ne-Yo.”

Since then, both artists have made names for themselves and Trey couldn’t be happier for his friend’s success. “It’s great. I’m proud of him, man. I’m very proud of him.”

When asked whether their frequent collaborations could lead to a full album, Trey revealed that the idea has crossed their minds. “We’ll have to see. That’s crazy. We always talked about that when we first got on,” he shared. “We enjoy making music and we sit back and laugh about a lot of things—life. Look forward to seeing more music from us. I think we’ll make music together as long as we’re both making music.”

The two have recorded material for Drake’s debut album Thank Me Later, due early next year. “We’ve done some songs for his album, but we do songs all the time. There’s no telling if those songs will be on the album or not. I’m sure we’ll work together again before his album is out in stores, but we got some special stuff brewed up.”

In the meantime, Trey plans to release a video for “I Invented Sex,” his collaboration with Drake from his new album Ready.
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Common Readies "The Believer" W/ No I.D. & Kanye West, "I'm Always Gonna Offer Something New & Fresh"

Grammy-winning rapper Common has linked with No I.D. and Kanye West to help make his upcoming album, The Believer, provide fans with a more Chicago feel and follow-up 2008's Universal Mind Control.

The rapper-turned-actor's ninth LP will provide fans with a return to his raw hip-hop roots.

"For Believer, it was creating raw music, raw hip-hop," he said in an interview. "I just wanted to create good hip-hop music. When I create albums, they develop as I go along, 'cause I have different thoughts and visions. And then as you create the music, it takes its own personality and spirit to it. But the beginning of it is raw hip-hop, it's just soulful...Twilite Tone and No I.D., they produced my first three albums and they were the first producers I worked with. And Kanye is an extension of them. Kanye always says No I.D. is his mentor. That's how I met Kanye, through No I.D. So for me to have these three working on my album is going home again. But I'm always gonna offer something new and fresh." (MTV)
His upcoming project will also mark his return to Ye, the producer most responsible for 2005's Be and 2007's Finding Forever.

Be, a much tighter album that was produced primarily by Kanye West, followed in May 2005, netting four Grammy nominations. West remained on board for both Finding Forever (2007) and the lighter Universal Mind Control (2008), though the Neptunes dominated the latter. (All Music)
Common previously spoke with SOHH about not putting down the microphone despite having nearly two decades of music to his name.

"God willing, you'll get albums nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen," he laughingly promised last fall. "I feel like a jazz musician in many ways and I wanna keep creating music. I feel like I want to be doing shows when I'm sixty something." (SOHH)
Aside from his own music, the rapper recently spoke on President Barack Obama's impact on the rap game.

"I also don't find as much gangsta talk," Common explained in an interview. "You see the whole chain-shining-and-rim era is gone. That's like super-played out. Just to have that, I think, is part of the Obama effect...So you find these artists that are having that independent thinking of being able to go out and create for themselves." (Gawker)

The Game Reveals December Release Date For The R.E.D. Album

The Game announced this week that his upcoming fourth studio album, The R.E.D. Album, finally got a release date -- a holiday one at that.

Via a tweet on Monday (October 12), the Compton rapper revealed that his album is set to drop on December 1st, and according to Rap-Up.com, a deluxe edition will accompany the release.

Details about the deluxe edition were unknown at press time.

"R.E.D. album soon, wrappin this mothaf#$%@ up in 30 days! Jimmy Iovine told me to tell ya when this sh!t drop, Merry X-Mas! BWS/Aftermath," Game wrote on his Twitter page (@IHateGame), and later revealed that new labelmate Diddy made a contribution to the project.

Not much is known about the upcoming R.E.D. Album. Aside from the Diddy guest spot, The Game has been in the studio working with Los Angeles producer collective, 1500 or Nothing.

The Game said he was retiring as he released his 2008 album, LAX. But, less than a year later, he headed back into the studio and began work on The R.E.D. Album.

The album is now due to hit stores December

Bill Cosby Launches Socially Conscious Hip-Hop Project

TV legend and social critic Bill Cosby has announced a new album aimed at bringing socially conscious lyrics to the forefront of Hip-Hop.

The new project is titled “Bill Cosby Presents the Cosnarati: State of Emergency,” and will be available directly though Cosby’s social media network site www.billcosby.com.

Cosby, a veteran of several comedy and music albums, serves as the executive producer. Although he does no actual rapping, he is responsible for conceiving all the narrative concepts for each track.
When describing the music, Bill Cosby explained it as a declaration of a new direction rather than an indictment of the current Hip-Hop scene.

"I don't like referring to the music as clean,” Cosby said in a statement. “What I like is what you're not going to do. You're not going to curse. You're not going to put women down. You're not going to put the glory of the gun somewhere. And you're not going to put a whole lot of violence up front like that's the thing that will cleanse you and make you feel better."

The production is handled by William “Spaceman” Patterson (Miles Davis, LL Cool J, Eric Clapton, Alicia Keys) and Ced-Gee, co-founder of the seminal Hip-Hip collective the Ultramagnetic MCs.

The album will mix elements of Hip-Hop, R&B, jazz, pop, rock, and funk. Song titles include “Where’s the Parade,” honoring black women, “Dad Behind the Glass,” about absent fathers, and “Get on Your Job,” detailing self-responsibility.

Bill Cosby and the Cosnarati Band will premier on October 19 via a virtual town hall meeting in New York City. The presentation is courtesy of Ustream and commences at 7PM. Additionally, the concert will be available on www.billcosby.com and www.facebook.com/billcosby.

At press time, Bill Cosby’s “The Cosnarati: State of Emergency” is set to have a physical and digital release on November 24.

Cristiano Ronaldo Replaces David Beckham as Armani Model

There will be no more half-naked pictures of David Beckham wearing Georgio Armani's underwear. After stripping down for the clothing line's campaigns in the last four seasons, the former Real Madrid's midfielder is replaced with Cristiano Ronaldo, who has just joined the Spain's soccer team in summer this year.

On Friday, October 9, Milan-based Giorgio Armani SpA has announced that Cristiano, who is also the captain of Portugal's national team, will model underwear and jeans in a new worldwide advertising campaign. His pictures in various Armani's clothes can be seen starting from the spring of 2010.

Meanwhile, David Beckham, who had been Armani's spokesman since January 2008, is currently developing his own Beckham-branded men's underwear line. Previously, it was reported that his wife Victoria Adams, who has appeared as a model on Armani's billboards since January 2009, will not renew her contract with the Italian fashion company as she allegedly wants to focus on her various fashion and beauty ventures.

J.R. Writer Shot In The Bronx; Juelz Reacts

New York rapper J.R. Writer was shot last night (October 11) in the Bronx, according to reports.

While details are still sketchy, sources stated that the Dipset affiliate was shot in the leg, although this has not been confirmed.

The rapper did confirmed he was at least injured during the shooting via his Twitter page.

“Thank the Lord I'm alive, they tried to kill ya boy.”

Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and J.R. Writer had performed together as recently as last week, at 50 Cent's Thisis50 Festival in New York.

"That's crazy, I didn't hear about it. Damn, I don't know. It's dirty out there in the streets," Juelz Santana told AllHipHop.com about the shooting.

J.R. Writer Tweeted. J.R. Writer recently released a new album titled Cinecrack 1.5 on iTunes.

Former Gangsta Rapper Master P. Aims To Feed and Cloth 1 Million People

Reformed Gangsta rapper Master P. will give back to those less fortunate this holiday season by launching a new partnership with OneMillionGifts.org.


Master P. will donate money and time to help feed and cloth at least 1 million people throughout the world.


OneMillionGifts.org helps children and parents who lack education or shelter and those children that have addicted parents or come from broken homes.


"Growing up in poverty made me realize that most crimes are committed during Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Master P. told AllHipHop.com. “Not only will we feed and clothe one million but also we can help prevent a lot of those in need from committing crimes like robbing and stealing the food or gifts they can't afford during the holidays. Our mission is to bring hope to families by offering programs that help educate and rehabilitate families back into society.”


In addition to donating his time and money, Master P. is also attempting to get his celebrity friends involved in the cause for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.


“Even with the current downfall of the economy, each one of us can help make a difference by volunteering or donating,” Master P. reasoned. “I'm also reaching out personally to corporations, entrepreneurs, pro-athletes, entertainers, churches, foundations, radio stations, online media, TV stations, Oprah, Dr.Phil, and others that can help bring awareness to this great cause.”


Master P. a/k/a P. Miller, who has sold over 75 million records worldwide. In late 2006, the No Limit Records mogul has renounced the gangster lifestyle that earned him hundreds of million dollars.


In addition to running a profanity-free record label, Master P. has experienced success in movie and television, most notably through Romeo!, the hit show on Nickelodeon that starred his son, Romeo Miller.


“Eight years ago, I realized that education saves lives and being charitable and helping those in need has given me a profound happiness in my life, as there is nothing more rewarding than bringing smiles to children who are less fortunate,” Master P. stated. “OneMillionGifts.org specializes in these areas. Therefore, I'm honored to be a part of this team."

Alicia Keys is set to release her fourth album, The Element of Freedom, on December 1.

For the follow-up to 2007's As I Am, Alicia Keys is set to release her fourth album, The Element of Freedom, on December 1. Keys worked with longtime collaborator Kerry "Krucial" Brothers along with Grammy-winning producer Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Jay-Z). Her latest single "Doesn't Mean Anything" has already impacted radio.

"The music is really strong, and the drums are really aggressive, but my voice is vulnerable and delicate," Keys said in a statement, adding that the album sum ups her process of "eliminating all of the boundaries and all the limitations, so that you can feel your freedom and express your freedom in every way you possibly can, and that's what I did with this album."

Keys said the album is diverse but has an overarching pattern. "There's a feeling theme," she explained. "And I think somewhere in there, there's a balance. It's like one side is strong and one side is vulnerable. So that's the theme throughout the album. It has this kind of strong, edgy feel. But it's also intimate and vulnerable and delicate."

The Game Accused Of Not Paying $34K To Lawyers, Slapped W/ Lawsuit

The Game is reportedly being taken to court for not paying the lawyers who helped him avoid a five year prison sentence in 2007 on gun charges.

According to the lawsuit, Game owes over $34,000 to his past defense team.

The Game is in a serious feud with the wrong gang of homies -- the lawyers who saved him from 5 years of hard time. The legal team who repped the rapper in the wake of his 2007 arrest on gun charges claims Game never forked over $34,683.90 in bills for the work they did. In the suit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, the firm, Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert, claims they even got the guy "a successful outcome." ... and since Game was facing a potential five-year sentence in state prison ... and only ended up serving eight days ... you'd think he got his money's worth. (TMZ)
The incident took place around February 2007 in California.

The charges relate to an alleged fight that the 27-year-old was involved in at a basketball game in Los Angeles back in February. Police said he pulled a gun from his red Cadillac Escalade after punching a player on the opposing team and threatening to shoot him. (BBC News)
He was taken in by police nearly three months later.

The rapper wasn't arrested until May 11, when police descended on his home in the suburb of Glendale. After he was handcuffed, Game stuck out his tongue and yelled to a camera crew, "I want to say I'm not guilty." The chart-topping emcee spent several hours in the pokey before posting $50,000 bail. All the while, investigators executed a search warrant on his 5,000 square-foot home. (E! Online)
An account of what went down was released online shorty afterward.

During a time-out, he allegedly approached the coach saying "Your team is garbage" and "You guys are nothing but a bunch of busters," according to the suit. Turning from his players to approach Game, coach Shannon Rodrick was allegedly punched in the face before the rapper went to his car to grab a gun saying "I'm going to blast this fool." He then proceeded to run into the gym and hide until Game left the basketball court. Pleading no contest to possession of a firearm in a school zone and serving eight days of a 60-day sentence, Game was later ordered to 150 hours of community service and required to spend three years on probation. (Contra Costa Times)

T.I. wins BET awards from prison; Kanye a no-show

ATLANTA – T.I. didn't need to attend the BET Hip-Hop Awards to win two trophies on Saturday.

The rapper, who is locked up in an Arkansas penitentiary on a federal weapons conviction, won the best collaboration award with Rhianna for the song "Live Your Life" and the album of the year award for "Paper Trail." His fiancee Tameka "Tiny" Cottle accepted his awards at the ceremony in Atlanta and read a letter by the rapper, who began serving a yearlong sentence in late May.

"Although I'm not there with you all, I'm there in spirit," Cottle quoted the rapper as writing. "My road to redemption is almost over. ... Thanks for the support."

Jay-Z was honored as the "MVP of the Year," while Drake took home "Rookie of the Year," and Ice Cube received the "I Am Hip-Hop" icon award.

Ice Cube said he was humbled by the award, and he believes his career as filmmaker could earn him more honors in the future. He helped launch the gangsta rap genre with the group NWA, and he starred in "Barbershop" and "Friday," which he also co-wrote.

"When you get recognized by your peers for a life of work, you got to be humbled," the rap veteran said. "I'm honored by this. I have 20 more years of work left in me. I hope (BET) is ready to give out two of these awards."

Rapper Busta Rhymes presented the award for "DJ of the Year" to DJ AM, the celebrity spinner who died of an accidental drug overdose in August.

Kanye West, meanwhile, couldn't hijack the stage, because the rapper was a no-show. West had been expected to attend the fourth annual awards show. He fell under scrutiny for interrupting Taylor Swift's award-winning moment at last month's MTV Video Music Awards.

Jay-Z took the stage with Young Jeezy to perform "Real as It Gets" and rap group Goodie Mob performed its 1995 song "Cell Therapy."

The award show will air on Oct. 27.

Jay-Z Named ‘Hottest MC in the Game’ By MTV

After unveiling their list one-by-one each day last week, MTV has revealed that Jay-Z tops their "Hott MCs In The Game" list for 2009.

With everything he has in the mix, it makes sense that Jay would land atop MTV's annual list. He has a brand new album (The Blueprint 3) that's approaching platinum status; landed atop this year's Hip-Hop Cash Kings list by Forbes; he has a huge clothing empire with Rocawear; logged beefs with some of hip-hop's best; and even most recently, appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey" show, a rarity for the daytime talk show.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. His no. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 in September was his 11th, helping him pass Elvis Presley's mark for most no. 1 albums. He's now at no. 2 with only the Beatles ahead of him.

If that isn't hot, what is?

Right behind Jay was Lil Wayne, which is a no-brainer; then Drake at no. 3, another no-brainer; followed by Kanye West, Rick Ross, and so on. Check out the full list over at MTV.com.

We'll run down the list for you below:

1 - Jay-Z
2 - Lil Wayne
3 - Drake
4 - Kanye West
5 - Rick Ross
6 - Gucci Mane
7 - Young Jeezy
8 - Fabolous
9 - 50 Cent
10 - Raekwon

Florida Politicians To Discuss Ban of Hip-Hop Concerts, Due To Stabbing At Plies Concert

The Fort Myers, Florida City Council are set to discuss security concerns at hip-hop concerts thrown in the city's downtown area, after one councilman asked for a ban following a stabbing at a recent concert for hometown artist Plies.

According to local news channel WINK, Councilman Warren Wright said that concerts of the hip-hop genre brings violence to Fort Myers' downtown area and is bad for business.

He knows, however, that a ban is impossible.

"Do I think that we could ban them? I don't think that that would be possible," Wright told the news station. "I think we would have to ban all concerts, and I don't think anyone wants that."

Wright believes rap-related events are responsible for "violence and disruption," citing a September 2008 stabbing of a bouncer, following a Plies performance at the Harborside, as an example.

While the ban is unlikely, Wright says safety issues need to be addressed.

The ban has the vocal support of the city's newly elected mayor, Randy Henderson, who complained that he finds the music "vulgar," and is in favor of quieting Plies

"If there's a legal way to do that, it's a worthy idea," Henderson said.

According to WINK, statistics from the Fort Myers Police Department do not show an increase in crime on concert nights compared to other busy nights.

The City Council discussion will be held during the regular council meeting on Monday (October 5).

Lady Gaga Fights Madonna, Debuts “Bad Romance” on “Saturday Night

Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera stepped up to kiss the Queen of Pop’s ring — well, Madonna herself — at the 2003 VMAs, and Lady Gaga got her chance to pay homage this weekend on Saturday Night Live. But rather than play it straight, SNL cast the two in a mock catfight that pit Gaga (the night’s musical guest) against Madge (in town promoting best-of collection Celebration). It all went down during a “Deep House Dish” sketch when DJ Dynasty Handbag (Kenan Thompson) announced “two exciting entertainers, performing together for the very first time.” The pair of slight blond stars spun around and while Gaga nailed her first lyric — “What’s wrong, Madonna, can’t get into the groove?” — Madonna seemed to blank on her lines, recovering in time to try to yank Gaga’s hair. “What the hell is a disco stick!?” Madonna shouted as the two struggled.

When their mock scuffle moved to the couch, Gaga said, “Hey, guess what Madonna, I’m totally hotter than you” to which Madonna retorted, “What kind of name is Lady Gaga, it sounds like baby food.” Touché. The horrified look on T’Shane (Andy Samberg)’s face said it all: WTF. Like many SNL sketches, there was no clear road out of this bizarre scenario, so Thompson suggested the two kiss and make up.

Get a look at Lady Gaga’s wildest wardrobe moments.

Lady Gaga returned just minutes later for her first performance, in which she put on her best red vinyl and danced to a version of “Paparazzi” that included a brief keytar solo. She was also careful to carefully enunciate the line “To that shit on the radio,” marking the second time this season profanity made it to the air on SNL — and it’s only the second episode of the year.

Gaga debuted an outfit that could double as a third-grade model of the atom for her second performance. The get-up called “The Orbit,” according to her Twitter, was eye-catching but a bit troublesome — it whacked Gaga on the head a few times and caused drama when she segued from “LoveGame” to the piano for a some riffs on life in New York (”cheered for the Yankees with my dad in section six”), “Poker Face” and a bit of new song “Bad Romance.” But Gaga took the time to stretch out and show off her considerable chops on the piano, and shout out “Saturday Night.”

But Lady Gaga was not done there: she showed up again in the night’s final sketch dressed in the bubble outfit the cover of Rolling Stone helped make famous this May. In fact, she was thumbing through the issue as Samberg approached wearing the exact same outfit (now he knows how Pink and Shakira felt at this year’s VMAs).

Jay-Z, Ice-T/WWE, Bounty Killer, Wyclef

Jay-Z has announced a new show in the UK next month. Tickets for Jay-Z’s latest date at Alexandra Palace are slated to go on sale this Friday (October 9) at 9:00 am. Jay-Z is in the UK promoting his latest album The Blueprint 3, as well as “Empire State of Mind,” his new track with Alicia Keys taken from the release. A recent show in London featuring Jay-Z sold out in less than :20 seconds. Jay-Z’s show at Alexandra Palace is slated to take place Wednesday (November 4th).



Pioneering West Coast rapper/actor Ice-T may try his hand at a new career this Fall. The rapper said in a recent interview that Vince McMahon’s WWE contacted him and his wife Coco recently with an offer to appear on the company’s popular Monday Night Raw wrestling show. According to reports, Ice and Coco are working out the scheduling details. The appearance could be delayed, as rumors are spreading that Coco could be pregnant with her first child by Ice-T.



A truce concert between Jamaican artist Bounty Killer and rival artist Vybz Kartel was cancelled yesterday, Bounty Killer was barred from entering Trinidad. Immigration officials cited security concerns and a past performance on the island, where the dancehall artists recited anti-gay lyrics and promoted the use of guns. Vybz Kartel was an artist in Bounty Killer’s group The Alliance. The pair had a falling out in 2006, which led to a number of diss tracks from both artists as well as physical altercations. Bounty Killer, who was featured on No Doubt’s track "Hey Baby," has been featured on songs with Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz, , Busta Rhyme and others.



Rapper Wyclef Jean has teamed with Timberland to create an eco-friendly boot to help aid his native land of Haiti. According to reports, Jean will donate a portion of the proceeds of the 16-piece collection to his Yele Haiti Foundation, which he established in 2005. Jean will also raise money by selling a line of t-shirts at his concerts, which were designed by children in Haiti. In related news, the rapper recently revealed that he is attending Berklee College of Music, where he will receive a Bachelors degree in music theory. Jean’s first class is on Monday. His curriculum this fall includes ear training, theory, improvisation and guitar. The rapper left college after one semester to pursue his career in music as part of the chart-topping group The Fugees. His first class is today.

Eve's "Whip It!" & LeBron James' "More Than A Game" Score Low Box Office Sales

Eve's new film Whip It! and LeBron James' More Than A Game documentary debuted over the weekend with estimated box office sales $5.1 million combined.
The films faced stiff competition from Sony Pictures' Zombieland and the new animated movie Cloudly with a Chance of Meatballs.
Zombieland opened to a healthy $25 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates to take first place. Meatballs still fell harder than last weekend (33 percent), generating an estimated $16.7 million for an $82.4 million total in 17 days. Fox Searchlight's roller-derby film Whip It, generated even less audience interest, opening to a very weak $4.9 million. It cost $15 million to make. Lionsgate saw a strong performance from its launch of More Than a Game, about NBA star LeBron James. Docu grossed $196,681 at 14 playdates; per-screen average was $14,048. (Variety)

Eve's latest film project was directed by Charlie's Angels star Drew Barrymore.

Eve will co-star in Drew Barrymore's directional film debut, Whip It!, based on a beauty-pageant contestant turned roller derby competitor. The project focuses on a misfit woman looking to relieve her small-town complications by joining a team of roller derby women based out of Bodeen, Texas. (Press Release)

James' film shows the NBA superstar's rise to fame from childhood to his current status in the league.

The movie documents how James and a group of inner-city kids who used to practice on a linoleum floor gym at a Salvation Army managed to put Akron on the basketball map. Director Kris Belman, who spent eight years making the film, delved into the backgrounds of each of the players in the 'fab five' and compiled an extensive collection of never-before-seen footage that includes home movies and locker-room meetings. Slated to hit theaters on October 2, the movie will show at subsequent Nike tour stops in China and Europe before returning to the states to visit New York and Los Angeles. (Clevescene)

The film is also accompanied by the star-studded "Forever" collaboration track which features Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem.

"I got some good friends that manage Drake, Ye and Wayne," James said during a press conference last month about the song's creation. "So through a mutual friend and we got an agreeance we thought it would be great if they could do a song for us for the soundtrack...Jimmy Iovine from Interscope of course had a huge part, Polow Da Don did a lot of things for the soundtrack. The soundtrack is great, I'm looking forward to it also being an intricate part of the whole movie and everything." (Rap Radar)

Bounty Killer Denied Entrance Into Trinidad, Forced To Exit Country

Dancehall artist Rodney "Bounty Killer" Price was reportedly barred from entering Trinidad by police and was unable to perform at a scheduled concert over the weekend.
Bounty was denied entry to Trinidad and Tobago and sent back to Jamaica by Immigration authorities upon arrival at Piarco International Airport. The Cease Fire show was supposed to also feature fellow Jamaican act Vybz Kartel. Produced by Jacho Entertainment, the show was advertised as a peaceful coming together of Bounty and Vybz on the same stage for the purpose of mending fences. (Trinidad Express)

While a confirmed explanation has not yet been revealed, speculation has begun to grow.

The reason for his barred entry was not immediately clear but C News reports indicate that the order barring the singer was issued on behalf of the Ministry of National Security. The singer`s last appearance in Trinidad resulted in Bounty being charged with using obscene language on stage. (Caribbean World News)

He was previously arrested while performing in Trinidad.

The last time Bounty Killer was in Trinidad, he was arrested on stage and charged with using obscene language. Authorities in Jamaica arrested him for the same reason during last year's Reggae Sumfest. (Associated Press)

Killer was given a felony charge over an assault which allegedly took place around 2007 last July.

Jamaican rapper Bounty Killer has turned himself in after police accused him of assaulting a man outside a nightclub. Attorney Thomas Tavares-Finson said Thursday (July 9) that his client was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and unlawful wounding and assault. Police say the incident happened two years ago. (Baltimore Sun)

Method Man Arrested, Turns Himself In For Tax Evasion Charges

Wu-Tang Clan's Clifford "Method Man" Smith has reportedly turned himself in to New York authorities and has been arrested on charges related to tax evasion.
Grammy Award-winning hip-hop star Method Man turned himself in to authorities this morning after failing to pay nearly $33,000 in back personal taxes, officials said. The Wu Tang member -- whose real name is Clifford Smith -- walked into the Staten Island DA's office at about 8 a.m. to face felony charges in connection with neglecting to pay $32,799 dating back to 2004. (New York Post)

Further speculation shows the rapper owing just under $33,000 to the government.

The Wu Tang rapper reportedly surrendered to cops on Staten Island this morning on charges of failing to pay four years worth of income taxes. According to WABC in New York, Meth owes $32,799 to Uncle Sam -- not including fees and penalties. (TMZ)

The arrest was made public Monday morning.

The arrest was announced by District Attorney Daniel Donovan and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Jamie Woodward this morning. "Taxes are the burden that all citizens share in a civil society, whether you are an 'average Joe' on the street or a high-profile rap artist," said Donovan in a press release. "Because of the alleged action of people like Mr. Smith, law abiding citizens face higher taxes and reduced government services. Failure to properly report and pay your taxes is a crime against all citizens and will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted." (SI Live News)

After previously joking about not paying his taxes due to being "high," Mef later retracted his statement.

"The reporter said I didn't pay my taxes," Mef said in a video. "It was a play on the Afro[man] song. We was playing around...We were joking around at the end of the article and it wasn't fair that the Daily News put that headline up there, but when you make a movie like How High and sh*t, people always gonna paint you like that and that's the bottom line...Whose gonna really honestly believe that a motherf*cker forgot to pay his taxes because a motherf*cker was smoking too much weed...I may not do any more interviews ever based on how they take your words outta context, ya dig? It's all good though. Y'all be good." (World Star Hip Hop)

Chris Brown Debuts Lil Wayne Collabo, "Make Sure Y'all Request It At The Radio" [Video]

Chris Brown recently debuted "I Can Transform Ya," his new song with Lil Wayne, which is reportedly the singer's first single from his upcoming album, Graffiti.

Chris Brown released a track titled 'I Can Transform Ya' today on his blog site, Mechanicaldummy.com. The song, the first official track Brown has released since the February altercation with ex-girlfriend Rihanna that resulted in his guilty plea to an assault charge, is said to be the first single from his upcoming album, Graffiti. (Billboard)
Breezy played the record during a live blog broadcast yesterday.

"So, like I said, if you wanna actually hear the song, like, I just played it, you can actually play it on the chat," Brown explained. "You can go to mechanicaldummy.com, ChrisBrownWorld.com, it's gonna be everywhere, so, make sure y'all request it at the radio. I don't think it's on iTunes yet, so, I don't think you can download it, not 'til later. So, if you like the song, go 'head and request it. All the fans, I love y'all, thank-you so much for all the support over all the times, I'm still here. I'm gonna try to make as much music as possible for y'all while I'm doing the community service at the same time. [laughs] I thank all of y'all and I love you, bye." (Justin TV)
He also promoted the song's debut via Twitter.

"CHANGE OF PLANS: IM GOING TO RELEASE MY SINGLE TOMORROW INSTEAD OF WEDS.," he wrote on Monday (September 28). "TELL EVERYBODY... I CAN TRANSFORM YA, I CAN TRANSFORM YA.LOL RT: STREAMING LIVE TOMORROW TUESDAY, SEPT. 29th 3:30 PM/EST http://www.justin.tv/mechan...thx everybody who likes the song... and to all the fans.. i love you u so much... request at yall radio asap.. thx" (Chris Brown's Twitter)
Swizz Beatz, the producer of the song, recently spoke on linking with Breezy and Weezy.

"[Chris has] got something to prove," Swizz said in an interview. "He worked on 60, 70 songs. He's just on fire. I told him, 'Listen, man, just stay focused on your music. They gonna throw shots at you. Time heals everything.' He has great support; his mother is amazing. I was really scoping out the situation, it could have been something I didn't want to be around, but I really got a great vibe. Honestly...The Wayne part is just nothing to talk about...He really showed his a** on this one. It's probably the best feature verse since the 'It's Me [B*tches]' remix. He really went in on the 'Transformer' joint." (MTV)

Sales Wrap: SALES WRAP: Jay-Z Slides Down To No. 2, Drake Still Successful At No. 9 & Sean Kingston Lands On The Charts

In this week's Sales Wrap, Jay-Z is forced to fall back a notch, Drake is still seeing success at No. 9 and Sean Kingston makes a decent debut on the charts.

The self-proclaimed greatest rapper alive's The Blueprint 3 took a slight dip this week falling one step to No. 2 with 134,100 sold copies losing out to Pearl Jam's Backspacer which moved 189,300 units to go No. 1. According to Nielsen Soundscan, Hovi's latest No. 1 debuting album has sold 908,100 copies in just three weeks.

Award-winning singer Whitney Houston's I Look To You dropped two slots to No. 4 with 65,800. Houston's comeback album has been able to rack up 620,300 scanned discs after a month on shelves.

Young Money artist Drake's So Far Gone retail re-release slid three spots to No. 9 with 36,100. Going into his third week in stores, the rap newcomer's latest offering rests at 109,700 moved units.

Pop group The Black Eyed Peas' E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) fell to No. 16 moving down six slots with 29,000. With a solid four months under their belts, the group has been able to secure 1,140,300 scanned discs.

Rap newcomer Kid Cudi's Man On The Moon: The End Of Day took a slight hit falling 13 positions down to No. 17 with 28,300 units sold. Going into his third week on charts, the Kanye West associate's debut album has sold 132,600 records.

R&B singer Trey Songz's Ready dropped seven slots to No. 21 with 19,200. Headed into its fifth week of availability, the singer's third solo project has moved 223,900 albums.

Soulful singer Maxwell's Black Summer's Night moved down six spots to No. 27 with 16,600. After three months in stores, the singer's comeback album rests at 778,700 scanned discs.

Southern rapper Lil Boosie's Superbad: The Return Of Boosie Bad Azz took a hard hit falling 27 positions down to No. 30 with 15,000. With just two weeks under his belt, the rapper's latest album has secured 63,900 sold records.

Sean Kingston's new album Tomorrow landed on the charts this week at No. 37. The singer's latest effort has moved 12,600 pieces after seven days in stores.

Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon took a hard fall as Only Built For Cuban Linx Part II dropped 18 slots down to No. 40 with 12,000. After three weeks on shelves, the rapper's long-awaited release rests at 101,200.

Grammy-winning singer Beyonce's I Am...Sasha Fierce moved down four positions to No. 44 with 11,100. With 45 weeks under her belt, the singer's third solo project has sold 2,424,800 records to date.

Eminem's Relapse fell 14 spots down to No. 45 with 10,900 units sold. After 19 weeks of availability, the rapper's comeback album has sold 1,339,400 copies.

Evening things out in Top 50 is Pitbull's Rebelution which dropped 12 slots to No. 48 with 10,000. Going into his fifth week in stores, the rapper's latest offering has sold 82,000 records to date.

Be sure to check back next week to see how new releases from Warren G, Playaz Circle, Ghostface Killah, Mack 10 and more perform on the charts.

Rihanna bares (nearly) all in a very sheer chiffon dress

Rihanna is ever one to make a fashion statement - and she certainly turned heads in this sheer dress. The singer barely kept her modesty in the artfully designed number - stripes of darker chiffon material just about covered her as the star went bra-less at Paris Fashion Week. She was at the British designer Gareth Pugh's Ready To Wear 2010 fashion show, held in a dimly lit hall of the Palais de Tokyo museum in western Paris, and wearing a version of one of his designs. Sheer madness?...

Furtado makes smart entry into Latin music market

MIAMI - Nelly Furtado's musical career has been filled with drastic changes. She started as a funky hip-hop/fusion phenomenon, soaring to success with her 2000 debut "Whoa, Nelly" and its Grammy-winning hit "Fly Like a Bird," then veered into a Brazilian-tinged world-beat detour. She returned to the mainstream in 2006 with the bestselling sexy pop/hip-hop of "Loose." Now Furtado is back with a new sound and a new identity - Latin songstress. Her latest album, "Mi plan," a pop-rock record filled...