Rah Digga Discusses New Chapter and Break with Flipmode

Call me crazy but I think Shawnna got more shine than Rah Digga ever did? I don't think breaking from the boys club is a bad move for her.

The first lady of Flipmode, Rah Digga, has re-emerged onto the rap scene and said she has officially cut ties with Busta Rhymes' popular rap group.

In addition to speaking on the break-up, Digga also promised to not change her rhymes for what's popular and how she felt about Jay-Z's "Death of Autotune" record.

"No, I'm no longer with Flipmode," Rah explained in an interview. "It was an amicable split though. There's no beef, none whatsoever...[Today] I can't try to conform to what the[music] industry thinks I should be doing or records I think should be a single, I should try to run after Akon or T-Pain on the hook, I'm just going to do what I love to do...I love [Jay-Z's "Death of Autotune] song, I think autotune is far from finished. Would I use autotune? No...I'm so glad Jay-Z did it because maybe now emcees will be like, 'It's okay to boom bap in rap.' It's getting to a point where some of our favorite lyricists are starting to sound corny to me." (Street Heat)

Her association with Busta stemmed from rap icon Q-Tip.

When A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip discovered her at a performance at New York's Lyricist Lounge, he introduced her to Busta Rhymes, who invited her to join the Flipmode Squad. As a part of that hip-hop clique, she appeared on Rhymes' 1997 album When Disaster Strikes and the Flipmode Squad's The Imperial Album from 1998. (All Music) (Compiled by Sohh.com)

50 Cent Removing Tattoos for Film

Someone's growing up I see!

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson has opted to have some of his very prominent tattoos removed, to better accommodate his burgeoning career in Hollywood.

“I took some of the tattoos off because on the movie set, if we got a six o’clock call time, I have to be there two o’clock the night before,” 50 Cent told AllHipHop.com. “I gotta go through four hours of make up before we go ahead and play the role. So, I just took it off my arm. My right arm."

The G-Unit founder has not completely done away with his tattoo. He still bears the two on his back, the signature “50 Cent” and “Southside” tattoos.

The move may be working for 50 Cent as he stars in the upcoming film Streets Of Blood. The drama, which stars Val Kilmer, Sharron Stone and Michael Biehn, portrays the street gangs and corrupt law enforcement in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.

Outside of Hollywood, 50 Cent’s current single "Ok, You're Right" from his highly anticipated album Before I Self Destruct, continues to receive heavy radio rotation.

The rapper also recently dropped his new mixtapes, War Angel and Forever King, the latter being dedicated to the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.(From Allhiphop.com)

Video: Kanye and Jeezy Have an 'Amazing' Jam Session

These are the kinds of small, impromptu performances that really give me goosebumps :) Big shout out to RapRadar for being on the pulse as usual!

Beenie Man Takes the Indie Road

Anyone else remember when Beenie was on the run in NYC? lol Yeah man, he was hiding out in Jamaica, Queens of all places! Gotta love him.

The freedom to dictate his musical direction provided the motivation for famed reggae/dancehall artist Beenie Man to align with New York-based independent record label Brookland Entertainment/Universal Republic.

According to the Kingston, Jamaica native, transitioning from a major label to an independent was a no-brainer, considering his track record with well-known labels.

“Being signed to a major label, you lose creative control,” Beenie Man said, as he cited Brookland president Eric Nicks’ track record as a music industry veteran as a factor in his decision to make the label his new recording home. “My company, MD Entertainment, will provide the music and Brookland will work their magic,” Beenie stated. “It’s as simple as ABC. No politics. Let's make good music and make the fans happy.”

Beenie Man’s joint venture deal with Brookland/Universal marks a new chapter in his near 30-year career in music.

The Grammy winner, whose first major deal came with Virgin Records in 1998, is known for a string of hits that include "Dude,” “Who Am I,” "Girls Dem Sugar," and “King of the Dancehall.”

Among those who have collaborated with Beenie Man are Janet Jackson, Wyclef Jean, and Mya.

To celebrate his 30-year anniversary, Beenie Man will appear at a star-studded concert in Kingston, along with rappers Rick Ross, Hurricane Chris, Heavy D.

As part of Brookland, the dancehall star joins a roster comprised of rap diva Lil’ Kim, West Coast crooner LeMarvin, soul songbird Yolanda Renee, and producer/singer August Rigo.

“Beenie Man’s signing with Brookland is yet another example of major artists choosing independent labels over the majors because of the better treatment they receive at the indie companies,” added Brookland president Eric Nicks. “We look forward to extending Beenie’s incredible music legacy well into the next decade.”

Beenie Man’s first album on Brookland will be his 19th studio release, The Legend Returns. The project, which features the single, “Gimmi Gimmi,” is slated to hit stores this fall. (From Allhiphop.com)

Nas Responds to Kelis Allegations

She should have known better anyway! No offense but when was the last time Nas saw a platinum plaque?!

As his less-than-amicable divorce from singer Kelis rages on, rapper Nas has disclosed his earnings and expenses to support the fact that his financial state is not quite what his estranged wife believes it is.

According to TMZ.com, the Queensbridge native reports that while Kelis’ divorce petition indicated that he had received $11 million for his deal with Def Jam in 2006, he in fact only received close to $4 million.

Since then, he says, his monthly income has decreased to $147, 165. Nas’ monthly expenses, on the other hand, currently total $71, 371.96, including $10,000 on his personal grooming alone, clothing and toiletries included.

Almost a month ago, Kelis made a similar disclosure, telling the courts that since her separation from Nas in November of last year, her average monthly income had decreased to $21, 616, almost $60,000 less than her projected expenses, once she gives birth to the child she is expecting with her ex.

The “Milkshake” songbird requested that a judge order Nas to pay all pregnancy-related expenses, half of all medical expenses after the baby is born, child support, and spousal support to maintain the life she lead while married.

“My survival is based on [his] will at this time,” Kelis said. “If he does not want to pay for an expense, it does not get paid.”

Though Kelis claims Nas has not offered any support since their separation, Nas told the judge that has agreed to pay $350 for a stroller, $450 for a baby sling, and $1,598 for two cribs. He also indicated that he’d be willing to pay $5,000 a month in child support, which he called a “reasonable amount.”

He went on to say that he wants to be “fully involved” with raising his second child.

Nas has a 12-year-old daughter with ex-fiancée Carmen Bryan. (From Allhiphop.com)

Trailer: Whitewash

Who knew? Black surfer culture? I'm stoked about seeing this.



Film buffs will be excited for the new documentary, Whitewash. The doc explores race in America through the struggles and history of black surfers, and is narrated by Ben Harper and Black Thought. The movie also features music by The Roots and Erykah Badu.

You can only see this flick at exclusive screenings, so NYC take note: Thursday, July 16th Whitewash will play in Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem (in the Ampitheater behind the Pelham Fritz Recreation Center at Mt.Morris Park at 122nd Street) at 8:30pm sharp, with live music beforehand starting at 7:30pm. (From Okayplayer)

The Game and Jay-Z Do Battle

I'm still trying to catch up on this whole "beef." I'm pretty sure the both of them are just blowing smoke though.

The Game has responded to the public's mixed reactions towards his unexpected rap war against Jay-Z and explained why his latest rival is incapable of being compared to G-Unit.Speaking via his Twitter, Game also addressed dissing Beyonce last week and why his attacks are part of a chess-like strategy.

"I ALWAYS FELT I WAS GOOD ENUFF 2 GO BAR 4 BAR @ JAY IN A "LYRICAL BEEF" JUST DIDN'T THINK HE'D OPEN THE FLOOD GATES," he wrote Saturday (July 11). "W8'n 4 HIS RESPONSE...SEE, Y'ALL GOT IT CONFUSED. THIS IS NOTHING LIKE THE G-UNIT BEEF. THAT ONE WAS WON IN THE STREETS AS WELL AS THE MIXTAPES ! "300 BARS" LIVES...THIS BEEF IS A HIP HOP "CHESS MOVE". STRICTLY A LYRICAL WAR ! DON'T MAKE IT MORE THAN WHAT IT IS... THOSE WHO DON'T BELIEVE WILL SOON SEE !! AS 4 THE BEYONCE DIS, I WAS FREESTYLIN' & SHE GOT HIT. 4 THOSE DEFENDIN JAY ASKIN Y ? AINT JAY DA N*GGA WHO SAID HE CAME ON NAS's BABY SEAT HE CAME OUT HIS MOUTH 2 SAY "GAME" & JUST LIKE ANY N*GGA WIT ENUFF SKILLS 2 LOCK IN, I "LOCKED IN" ! IM SO WAAAAVY AINT SH*T BUT A STATEMENT IF & WHEN HE RESPONDS... I "WILL" BE LOCKED & LOADED !!!" (The Game's Twitter)

He released "I'm So Wavy" attacking both Jay and Kanye West associate Amber Rose over the weekend.

"N*ggas pop tags, I pop the 4-5," Game raps. "N*ggas got swag, I got the tech nine...Yeah, you got cheese and I kill rats/Translation, I still trap/Now do something with that, or respond to this/And with those big a** lips, you got my name in your mouth I hope it taste like uhhh, no homo, one more time/uhhh, that's your promo/And I been hard to the core since I went solo/Only man on my horse like my all black polo...Got the camel in a choke hold/Tryin' to son me, I'm not from N-Y-C/You can't even have a child by your Destiny/And I ain't mean to take a shot at B, I blacked out like you did Free...Too hardcore to be a Jay-Z/Rock more red than Weezy, Baby...And this ain't a diss, I was just out in L.A. with Dra[ke], b*tch...That's Ye's brother so I'ma give him some advice, get rid of Amber Rose/I know how she get down, I was at Diddy's after party/Sippin' on the Cris, she was whispering to Chris, Brown/Then Chris turned his head like 'No'/Then 'Gold Digger' came on, I pointed out like 'H*e'/And this ain't about her, this about Hov/I'm about to drop down the Roc and take it to the stove." ("I'm So Wavy")

The Black Wall Street leader also dropped his "Death of Jay-Z" freestyle last week in Spain.

"I know y'all been hearing about the controversy between with me and Jay-Z right," Game asked a crowd in Spain. "So I'ma start it off like this, f*ck Jay-Z! That's how Pac felt. That's how Nas felt at one time and that's how I feel...This ain't about B/This ain't about Destiny...You got a bad b*tch, word, ain't no p*ssy like hers/Just ask the Mavericks, Cowboys and the Spurs/I mean, my b*tch don't sling p*ssy like that/My b*tch sling p*ssy on a n*gga from the back, back, back/Black Wall Street, that's the game I bang/And I'm in Mahdrid, Spain...It go one, two, I'm back for more/Guess who's coming through the motherf*cking door/Spittin' more sh*t than a Crip/N*ggas know Game back on his sh*t." (TayDoe TV)

His issues with Jigga stem from the rapper's Las Vegas freestyle earlier this month where Hov name dropped past associates Jim Jones, Jaz-O and Damon Dash.

"For what people be talking about all the time," Jay raps on-stage. "Are we talking about fiction or are we talking about fact/You talking about fiction, hold up, pardon my back/I'm talking about life and all I hear is/Oh yeah he's talking about cripe/I ain't talking about profit, I'm talking about pain/Talking about the city, talking about shame/I ain't talkin' about gossip, I ain't talkin' 'bout Game/I ain't talkin' about Jimmy, I ain't talkin' about Dame/I'm talkin' about real sh*t, this here is pain/Whatcha talkin' about, I don't know what y'all saying/Dudes keep talkin' about/'Hov take it back'/I'm doing better than before, why would I do that...People trying to re-write history let's talk about that/Dame made millions, even Jaz made some scraps/He could have made more but he ain't sign his contract." (YouTube) (Compiled by Sohh.com)

Fabolous Links w/Jay-Z for Tour

This is a good look for Fab! Congrats to him!

Def Jam's Fabolous has reportedly been chosen to re-link with his former boss, Jay-Z, for a series of upcoming tour dates throughout the country.

In addition to joining Jay, Fab is also prepping his own tour and next single from Loso's Way.

Fabolous will embark on a radio promo tour in July and open for Jay-Z on seven dates during his tour. In August, he'll begin an official small-venue tour. Additionally, he will release the follow-up club single "Everyday, Everything, Everywhere," featuring Ryan Leslie and Keri Hilson, before the album's release, as well as the Loso's Way DVD, a movie about his struggles to succeed, which will be packaged with the album. (Billboard)

He recently spoke with SOHH about not taking part in a joint tour with Rick Ross and Juelz Santana.

"The thing with the Rick Ross tour, I think it was like a two-week run and I felt like I just wanted to go a different way," Fab explained. "I didn't really want to do an arena tour or any kind of mixture of that. I wanna do something more intimate, you know, House of Blues type of setting , theater kind of setting and something that complimented me supportive-wise. Not to say Rick Ross and Juelz didn't, hip-hop's so sensitive that you have to do a disclaimer for everything you say. And this project, Loso's Way, I also wanted to do a show with a band...Some hip-hop acts need to try that as well, 'cause it's really instrumental...I just wanted to do something different, so I'm not gonna be on that tour, but look for me to be out on the road late July." (SOHH) (Compiled by Sohh.com)

LaToya Jackson Suspects Foulplay

Is there anyone in that family not seeking the spotlight? Smh

Speaking out for the first time, the grieving sister of Michael Jackson says she thinks "a shadowy entourage" led to the death of her brother, accusing them of "murdering" him.

Speaking with Britain's Daily Mail, LaToya Jackson -- who signed the King of Pop's death certificate -- says that Michael was an isolated figure, making him easy prey for greedy associates. She accuses these people, whether it be doctors, handlers or assistants, of feeding Jackson drugs to control his moods in order to get what they want.

"I believe Michael was murdered, I felt that from the start. Not just one person was involved, rather it was a conspiracy of people. He was surrounded by a bad circle. Michael was a very meek, quiet, loving person. People took advantage of that. People fought to be close to him, people who weren’t always on his side," LaToya said.

LaToya then said that she predicted her brother's demise "Less than a month ago.

"'He’s never going to make it to London. He was worth more dead than alive," LaToya said she told fellow Jackson family members,

"I said I thought Michael was going to die before the London shows because he was surrounded by people who didn’t have his best interests at heart. Michael was worth more than a billion dollars. When anyone is worth that much money, there are always greedy people around them."

LaToya continues, saying that in the final months, her brother "was isolated from his family. He had no real friends. He was the loneliest man in the world. I knew something terrible was going to happen."

To read more about LaToya's suspicions, click here. (From AOL News/Popeater)

Video: Beyonce "Sweet Dreams"

Love this song, but why do I feel like this song has been out for years? Maybe b/c it was one of the first songs to leak from the 'I Am...Sasha Fierce' LP.