Str8HipHip

After conquering Hollywood, hip-hop's original rebels, ONYX - Fredro Starr, Sonny Seeza, and Sticky Fingaz - return to the scene, emerging from their musical vaults with a new album, Cold Case Files, a 16-track collection of previously unreleased songs executive produced by the members of Onyx and Omar "Iceman" Sharif for Iceman Music Group (IMMG).  "It's a culmination of all the years," explains Fredro. "A cold case is a murder that gets cold and people forget about it. Years later, with new evidence they reopen the case. This is us coming back after all the years with murderous tracks. It's a throwback for hard-core Onyx fans across the world!"

A Michigan man has sued rapper Eminem, claiming the superstar rapper punched him two years ago while in a bathroom in a detroit strip club.

The Detroit News reports Miad Jarbou of Royal Oak filed the lawsuit Thursday in Oakland County Circuit Court seeking more than $25,000 in damages. The suit claims Eminem punched him July 13, 2006, at Cheetah's On the Strip Gentlemen's Club.

A message seeking comment was left Friday by The Associated Press with an Eminem spokesman.

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, wasn't charged following reports of an incident at the club in 2006.

- Rap star Kanye West picked up two prizes on Tuesday at the BET Awards, an event honoring black recording artists, actors and athletes, while Alicia Keys was one of several stars who used the occasion to salute presidential contender Barack Obama.

The only other multiple winner was the hip-hop duo UGK, consisting of Bernard "Bun B" Freeman and the recently deceased Chad "Pimp C" Butler. In all 15 awards were handed out during a three-hour show mixing the heroes of contemporary hip-hop and old-school R&B.

They say it's not bragging if you can back it up. And while Lil Wayne is talking about being a young cash money millionaire on his hit "A Millie," he may as well be talking about the sales of his eagerly anticipated new album, Tha Carter III.

After nearly a year of hype, endless recording and re-recording, the inevitable Internet pre-release leak, more missed release dates than Guns N Roses' Chinese Democracy and expectations that seem impossible to meet, Weezy is on track to smash the charts next week when Carter debuts. During a time when the beleaguered music industry does cartwheels anytime an album cracks the 300,000-sold barrier in its first week, Wayne could top out just shy of a million copies when the dust settles next week, according to several sources.

And, by some accounts, the early leak of the album may have actually helped sales. Estimates from Wayne's label, Universal/Motown, put sales at between 900,000 and 940,000, which would make Tha Carter III easily the biggest debut of the year, nearing the massive numbers put up by the more mainstream Kanye West last year with Graduation, which moved 957,000 in its first week. The biggest debut so far this year was notched by Mariah Carey's E=MC2, which bowed with 443,000 copies.

According to numbers compiled by Nielsen SoundScan's Building Chart released late Wednesday (June 11), preliminary first-day sales figures for the album at nine leading retailers through the close of business on Tuesday were at 423,000. To put that in perspective, West's Graduation had Building Chart numbers of 437,000 from eight retailers during its first week, or around 3 percent more than Carter.

"Retailers are calling us up and saying they can't remember the last time they had a record like this," said Pat Monaco, executive vice president of sales for the Universal Motown Republic Group, who added that the extra foot traffic in stores due to the Father's Day weekend could also help goose sales at more mainstream outlets like Target and Wal-Mart. "He's not starting at a place where some of the other people he's been compared to are starting at. His other records have sold about 3 million copies total, which is about half of what Kanye's two records [before Graduation] sold, but his appearances on other people's records have led him down side streets that broadened his appeal through other artists who already had a bigger audience."

Some labels might have grown frustrated by the leaks, the constant mix tape appearances or the endless guest spots on other artists' songs, but in the case of the one-of-a-kind Wayne, all that potential overexposure somehow worked in his favor.

"Leaks happen because there's interest, and since the advent of digital technology, there's been a lot of music that gets out there before big releases happen ... and historically, those albums have done well, going back to Eminem and 50 Cent," said Geoff Mayfield, director of charts and senior analyst at Billboard magazine. "People don't steal things they don't want." Mayfield didn't have numbers at press time, but he said after talking to Weezy's label, he's confident Carter will do more than 800,000 in sales and possibly more than 900,000. "If you'd asked me three weeks ago if I thought this would have been such a big album, I wouldn't have been able to predict it."

Rather than diluting the Weezy brand and possibly taking away from his own sales, Monaco said all those mixtape and remix appearances have actually helped Wayne, as did those early leaks of the various versions of the album. "I think we first heard this record 18 months ago, and it was so frickin' out there!" he said. "It was unlike any record we'd ever heard, and I think, musically, he takes chances and he's got all the right ingredients that I'm not sure you could reproduce again. He's now the benchmark."

ATL'S BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY NETWORKING EVENT GOES DOWN JUNE 26th - 28TH  

KICKING OFF WITH THE ATL RECORD POOL JUNE 26TH @ CLUB ESSO!!!

With over 2500 grinders, artist, public relations firms, media, and deejays and more expected to be in attendance over the three day weekend, the ATL Record Pool has become a not to miss event in the Atlanta music industry scene.

Don't miss this opportunity to network with independent grinders to major entertainment mover and shakers, all the while stepping your contact game up a 1000% and building what could be relationships that could get you to the next level of the entertainment business.

50 Cent has issued a statement about the fire that demolished the Long Island home of his baby mama and their 10-year-old son earlier this morning.

"Informed this morning while filming a new motion picture on location in Louisiana, Curtis Jackson expressed deep concern over this fire at his property," his rep said. "He is extremely thankful that everyone including his son, Marquise, escaped the burning house safely.

"He is confident that authorities will be conducting a thorough investigation of the incident and is eager to review their findings."

After numerous delayed release dates for his debut album, rapper Saigon has officially departed Atlantic Records, to which he signed in 2004.

A lone single, "Pain in My Life," failed to take off, peaking at No. 91 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 2007.

Saigon says he's in talks with several major labels as well as a non-traditional music company for his next artist deal. His latest single, "Believe It," was released today (May 21) via TheMegatrondon2.com. Saigon says he has seven viral videos ready to release but was waiting until his contract was resolved.

A representative for Def Jam has confirmed to the website EW.com that hip-hop artist Nas has made an eleventh-hour decision to change the title of his new album from N----- to simply Nas. The Queens rapper sparked a heated debate last fall when he announced the provocative title for his upcoming ninth record, but last October, Island Def Jam Music Group chair Antonio "L.A." Reid publicly denied widespread reports that label execs were uncomfortable with his decision. "We stand firmly behind and beside our artists with pride and with pleasure," Reid told MTV News at the time. "Anything Nas wants to do, I completely stand beside him."

The first Arab hip hop community website, Jota Lounge, launched May 15 by Nas Jota Records, the first Arab hip-hop production label to sign on Arab MC’s.
Nas Jota Records Founder and Producer Ehab Abasaeed notes that “the goal of creating Jota Lounge is to provide a gateway for all Arab hip hop artists to promote their music and provide them with a platform to shine amongst other international hip hop artists.”

Jota Lounge will consist of music and portfolios of videos and songs created by each artist for their profile. Every month, the artist with the most votes for best song will win a free video shoot. “For the first three months we will be shooting the videos in the DC area, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC,” Abaseed said.
People who register can expect to find information about these artists, pictures, videos, and events promotion. “We will also provide fans with exclusive interviews and news about the artists in the future,” Abasaeed added.

Rap star DMX was arrested on Friday on suspicion of drug possession and animal cruelty after two searches of his home allegedly turned up weapons, drugs, dog carcasses and abused pit bulls.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said DMX, 37, whose real name is Earl Simmons, initially barricaded himself in his bedroom when officers arrived at his home at 3 a.m. He eventually surrendered without offering further resistance.

"We are handling this case as we would any other incident of alleged animal cruelty," Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said in a statement.