The Diplomats

Former Dipset Affiliate Max B Found Guilty Of Manslaughter

9 Jun 2009 02:54:00 EDT

Rapper is found guilty of nine of the 11 counts he faced, stemming from a 2006 robbery.
By Shaheem Reid and Jayson Rodriguez, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes

Max B and French Montana
Photo: MTV News

Former Dipset affiliate Max B was found guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy to commit robbery Tuesday (June 9) after a judge ruled over the case in a New Jersey courtroom.

According to the rapper's attorney, Gerald Saluti, Max B (born Charles Wingate) was found guilty on nine of the 11 counts he was facing. The charges stem from a theft that involved the rapper, Kelvin Leerdam and Max's former girlfriend Gina Conway. Conway eventually turned state's evidence against the men.

Max B was accused of leading the trio to steal upward of $30,000 from two men. The incident went awry, however, when Leerdam allegedly shot one of the men.

Conway testified in the case that Max B wasn't present at a hotel room he rented at the time of the crime. The rapper's attorney spoke to MTV News on Tuesday and expressed frustration about Conway's testimony.

"They found him guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery. There's a very specific definition of robbery, by force," Saluti explained. "Then they found him guilty of aggravated manslaughter, instead of unintentional murder. The theory on which they convicted him leads to conspiracy.

"It's boggling," Saluti continued. "The witness [Conway] said the plan wasn't to rob but to go in there and steal money with no one there."

Saluti previously filed a motion on Max's behalf to separate his case from Leerdam's since the second man was allegedly believed to be the shooter. The attorney said he feels his client should be facing lesser charges based on the evidence presented. He has filed an appeal with the court, and a motion should be made within 10 days, Saluti said.

Sentencing for Max B is set for July 31.

The news is undoubtedly a huge disappointment for Max's fans, who have been waiting for his official album since he was introduced as a member of Jim Jones' Byrd Gang crew some years ago. Max made immediate impact on the chorus of Cam'ron's Jay-Z dis record "You Gotta Love It." Jones featured Max on a string of underground songs and mixtapes until Max was arrested on his charges in 2006.

Jones posted $2 million bond, but things fell apart between the two from what Jones called disloyalty and jealousy. Max claimed he was wronged financially. The feud has yet to be resolved, despite B still being signed to Jones' record label.

B has kept himself visible in the streets. He has hundreds of songs on mixtapes circulating over the past few years.

Max formed an alliance with French Montana, who built a strong name for himself in the mixtape and street-DVD circuits. Max and French branched out to work with G-Unit's Tony Yayo, who told MTV News he would have loved to sign B if he could get the business straightened out with Jones. Besides more mixtapes, Max had a deal with Amalgam Digital to release an LP, which has yet to see the light of day.

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Young Jeezy And Guests Steal The Show At Summer Jam

8 Jun 2009 11:38:00 EDT

The Diplomats, Jadakiss, T-Pain, Mary J. Blige and others make room for surprise from Jay-Z to Soulja Boy.
By Shaheem Reid

Young Jeezy performs at Hot 97's Summer Jam on Sunday
Photo: Jeffrey Ufberg/ Getty Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — You guys better stop sleeping on Young Jeezy. The Atlanta rap king pulls out all stops during his big show appearances. The Snowman had the highlight of the night at Sunday's Summer Jam concert, bringing out both Drake and Jay-Z on his set.

Young set it off with his massive stadium knockers/ club bangers, such as "Who Dat" and "Bottom of the Map." He always seems to have the upper hand on shows such as these, at any concert for that matter, because the sound of his music is huge, and the crowd loves his anthems.

Jeezy said he wanted do something for the ladies, and with a couple of thumps of bass preceding him, Drake ran out for "Best I Ever Had." Tens of thousands sang along as the energetic Canadian bopped and performed his hit. "You the f---in' best!" he yelled.

Drake, and you could say everybody else on the lineup, was trumped when Jay-Z came out during "Put On." The Tri-State area crowd filled the home of the New York Giants with applause for the musical icon. Jay spit the verse to his Jeezy remix, then laid his game down with "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)," the new song that has been getting played on Hot 97 nonstop. Jay simply walked off the stage when he was done.




	Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, More At Summer Jam

The Diplomats — Jim Jones and Juelz Santana — were the show closers. Three years in row now, the collective from Harlem have been the chosen send-off act.

"I heard somebody got killed," Jones said, sarcastically referring to Jay-Z's musical burial of Auto-Tune. "They say my man Auto-Tune got killed. Is this a funeral or we came to party?"

Jones then went into "Byrd Gang Money." Juelz Santana came out for a few favorites, like "Hey Ma," then the Dips addressed the elephant in the room: There'd be no reunion with Killa Cam'ron at Summer Jam. It seems like he's really done with Jimmy and Juelz.

"We here, and we love Cam," Jim said. "You wanna do something as if Cam was here?"

They played "Suck it or Not."

Soulja Boy Tell'em came out as a guest for "Turn My Swag On." Ryan Leslie came out for Jim's "Precious," and as expected, Ron Browz brought the Auto-Tune for "Pop Champagne," as did DJ Webstar for "Dancing on Me."

Other Summer Jam guests included Red Man and Method Man, who came out during Mary J. Blige's set. It was big to see Lil' Kim do "Lighters Up" as one of T-Pain's surprises. The Queen Bee was grinding all over the singer during her new song, "Download." Pain also brought out DJ Khaled and Ace Hood.

Jadakiss left the stage in a hurry after his set. He went on pretty early in the show, before the sun had even gone down. The Lox member did bring out Busta Rhymes for "Respect My Conglomerate," but a few of his major tricks outta the hat didn't solidify. No OJ Da Juiceman, Gucci Mane or DMX, and a big rumor that he was going to bring out Cam'ron wasn't true.

Also on the bill were The-Dream (his guest was Fabolous), Day26, Elephant, Mavado and Serani, whose "No Games" had the audience chanting, "It's, it's Serani!"

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Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, T-Pain, More At Hot 97's Summer Jam 2009

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'Play The Game Fair': Lil Wayne Responds To DJ Drama's Mixtape Bust

18 Jan 2007 08:09:00 EST

Diplomats' DukeDaGod, mixtape DJ also weigh in on the raid's impact.
By Shaheem Reid

Lil Wayne
Photo: Courtesy of Complex

Tuesday's raid of the Aphilliates Music Group offices — and the subsequent arrests of DJ Drama and DJ Cannon, who were released Wednesday on $100,000 bond — was definitely a shock to the hip-hop community, and people are still trying to figure out what exactly is going on.

On Wednesday afternoon, one thing that was resonating universally is that the mixtapes will definitely have to change (see "DJ Drama Arrested In Atlanta Mixtape Raid"). Already some Web sites known for primarily selling mixtapes have switched their M.O., promoting the sale of hip-hop posters and traditional, record-label sanctioned, rap albums. Meanwhile, some of the Aphilliates' peers are openly opining on what Tuesday's events mean for the industry (see " RIAA Speaks On DJ Drama Raid: 'We Enforce Our Rights' ").

"Smarten up," Lil Wayne advised mixtape DJs. "Smarten up."

For the past few years, Wayne has seen his entire career shift thanks to his performance on mixtapes. Street CDs such as his Gangsta Grillz classics The Dedication and The Dedication 2 have catapulted him to the lyrical elite in the minds of fans. Last year, he may have been the MC with the most material on the mixtape circuit.

"It's a bad thing," Wayne said of the Aphilliates' arrests, "but you gotta play the game fair. If you don't play fair, all kind of things can happen. You gotta watch people like DJ Clue, watch people like DJ Khaled. They do it right."

Although Khaled and Clue have built careers on their street CDs, they have also been successful releasing official mixtapes through record labels. Clue's first two LPs, The Professional and The Professional 2, went platinum with no videos and limited airplay.

"You gotta do it right," Wayne reiterated. "It's gonna be a message. [The authorities] ain't playing. They gonna make an example. They gonna straighten the game out. A lot of companies take a fall with those mixtapes. N---as be caking up off them mixtapes. The artists can drop his album — and everybody knows that hip-hop [album sales are in] decline — nobody ain't gonna buy the album, and everybody gets the mixtapes off of the Internet or whatever way they get it. The artists ain't caking, but the n---a you made the mixtape with is caking up. Thank God I ain't got that problem, but I know a lot of people who do."

"It's a f---ed situation," fumed one of the most prominent mixtape DJs, who asked to remain anonymous in case the Recording Industry Association of America is listening and watching.

"I think they got a snitch among them," the DJ added, surmising that somebody in the Aphilliate camp may have been working in conjunction with the RIAA. "Somebody snitched on them. Drama is working for the down South artists. I don't think he's bootlegging. He's really helping the movement and promoting, especially the new cats. I'm almost sure that 30,000 out of the 50,000 [CDs confiscated in the raid] were new cats that's next to come up. He uses his mixtapes as a promotional marketing tool that was looked at the wrong way. Drama and Cannon were two of the coolest mutha----as to get ran through like that. They treated them like they was f---ing drug kingpins. That sh-- was wack. I was watching it on Fox News, that sh-- was like, 'Get out of there.' "

"This is like D-Day in hip-hop," Diplomats head of A&R, George "DukeDaGod" Moore, sighed, commenting on the Aphilliates' drama.

"DJ Drama is like our favorite mixtape DJ," he said. "Everybody loves Drama. It's crazy. It's like it's in your own backyard when it comes to Drama. He helps a lot of artists out. It's kinda messed up. I think they're trying to make hip-hop illegal or something. They're trying to make too many regulations on it. This is one of the worst days ever I can remember in hip-hop. I remember when Biggie got shot, when Pac got shot, it was crazy, but this right here is bad because it could determine the future of our music.

"We rely heavily on the streets," DukeDaGod continued. "A lot of people rely on us."

The Diplomats are undoubtedly one of the strongest factions in hip-hop when it comes to the streets and have practically built the foundation of their empire on the mixtape circuit. Duke says his team is now trying to figure out what move to make next.

"It just happened," Duke said of the raid. "It snuck [up on] everybody out the blue. We're going to work everything out, get a lawyer to tell us what we can do, what we can't do. Whoever has a problem with the music in the streets — if we can't use certain beats, rap with certain artists — we need to know what it is so when we do put music out in the streets, it's no problem. With us it's a little different; we only do Diplomat mixtapes, we don't promote other artists. But still, I want to know all the guidelines so we don't have to run down this road anymore. We're gonna follow the guidelines and fall back and see what it is. If they had a mixtapes seminar, that would be hot. Have the RIAA come in and say what you can and what you can't do."

However, some say they're going to keep feeding the streets as usual.

"Without mixtapes, these artists ain't gonna be nothing," the anonymous DJ said. "There's no way they can hold down anything as far as street credibility. It's not our fault these artists do better freestyles and sound better on a mixtape."

"I don't slow down, man," the DJ promised. "I've never made a mixtape and sold it. Every mixtape I made is given away. I'm gonna keep making mixtapes and giving them away. I throw my mixtapes out at my shows. When you see me, any mixtape you can get for free. Everybody knows that. Then when we find dudes who's selling them, we do our own raiding."

Ultimately, DukeDaGod says, the fans will be the ones feeling a mixtape crackdown the most.

"Why are [the RIAA and FBI] getting involved?" Duke asked. "Leave us alone. Let us make our hip-hop. Nobody is dying, nobody is killing nobody. It's just music being made. Everybody is gonna feel it whether you're on the radio, not on the radio. Even if you're a consumer, you gonna feel it, 'cause it's gonna be hard to find certain tapes. Certain people are not going to carry the mixtapes anymore because they know what could happen. It's so many people that wanna hear our stuff. We get e-mails from all over the world. They don't care about the RIAA, they wanna hear some Dipset, they wanna hear some Drama. So it's messed up for the whole world."

For more on the mixtape business, check out MTV News' 2003 report: "Mixtapes: The Other Music Industry."

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Mixtape Monday Year-End Spectacular: Our Picks For The Best Of '06!

22 Dec 2006 01:35:00 EST

Photo: Courtesy of Complex

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Mixtape Monday: Lloyd Banks Puts Rumors Of G-Unit/Dipset Beef To Rest

23 Oct 2006 06:00:00 EDT

Photo: Getty

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Where's The Beef? T.I., Busta, Mary J., Diplomats Keep Summer Jam Light On Drama

5 Jun 2006 04:11:00 EDT

Wu-Tang, Rakim, Q-Tip join Rhymes onstage at NYC radio festival.
By Shaheem Reid

Busta Rhymes and Slick Rick perform at Summer Jam on Sunday
Photo: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

NEW YORK — Each summer, New York radio station Hot 97 gives the hip-hop community something to talk about for the rest of the year.

Something crazy always happens, whether it be a classic performance, like Puff Daddy bringing the whole Bad Boy crew in the late '90s, or a spark of beef, like when the Game delivered a faux beatdown to a man in a rat suit and called off a truce with 50 Cent last year (see "Game Ends 50 Cent Truce With Verbal Attacks At Summer Jam").

This year, classic performances seemed more likely because Sunday's headliners at Giants Stadium — Mary J. Blige and Busta Rhymes — really have no rap beef to speak of. Neither do Jermaine Dupri, Dem Franchize Boyz, Sean Paul, Three 6 Mafia, Remy Ma, T.I., Ne-Yo, Chris Brown or Young Jeezy. The only ones who could have used the infamous Summer Jam screen (which artists use to put their rivals on blast) are the Diplomats, who make their disdain for Jay-Z very public.

Last year the Dips were given a very unceremonious second-performance slot during the show. That means that as people were still filing in — many with their hearts set on seeing Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones and crew — the group was finishing a brief performance. This year, Hot 97 tried to make amends by letting the Dips go on last.

(Click for photos from this year's Summer Jam.)

When Summer Jam's last acts hit the stage in past years (Eminem, R. Kelly, Snoop Dogg), a large portion of the crowd was either in the parking lot or on the New Jersey turnpike heading home. Not this year.

As the Dips hit the stage Sunday night, one big question hung over the crowd: Would Cam'ron, who just a few days ago released a dis track aimed at Hov, strike on a major stage? Nope. Cam & Co. didn't even mention Jay's name. The Diplomats started with Juelz Santana and Jim Jones, who performed the street anthems "G's Up," "Oh Yes" and "There It Go."

The Dip family had a good 50 people onstage, looking almost as deep as the crowd that paid to see them. Cam was introduced to a thunderous roar, coming on with "I Really Mean It" and later carrying the momentum to "Wet Wipes."

Busta Rhymes' set came right before the Dips', and he got the crowd laughing when he entered the stage wearing Jeremy Shockey's New York Giants jersey with shoulder pads and a helmet. Bust did get love, but he probably would have been able to maintain frenzied feedback throughout his set if he would have stuck with his earlier catalog rather than newer Big Bang songs like "Get You Some" and "In the Ghetto." The MC told the audience that it may not know his new material but will learn it by the time he rocks the next Summer Jam.

Busta paraded out several legends toward the end of his set, including the Wu-Tang Clan for "Triumph" and Rakim for "Eric B. Is President." Not to be outdone, Big Daddy Kane came out for "Warm It Up, Kane." The guests didn't end there: Slick Rick came out for "Children's Story," Q-Tip followed for "Scenario," and the set closed with Busta and Swizz Beatz performing "New York Sh--" with all the legends onstage.

But Jermaine Dupri got the award for the most stunting with guest appearances on Sunday. Not only did JD bring out his girlfriend, Janet Jackson, during his set with Dem Franchize Boyz (Janet kissed him on the lips before walking off and waving to the crowd), but he also invited Mariah Carey. For some reason, MC could not sing, but they played "We Belong Together," and the crowd sang along. Mariah mimed the words and waved the crowd as well.

T.I.'s show was basically an abbreviated version of the concert he gave at the Apollo a few days earlier (see "T.I. Mixes Party Anthems, Tribute To Late Friend At NYC Show"), but when he was getting ready to give the fans his biggest hit, "What You Know About That," his mic was cut. Just like Young Jeezy earlier in the night as he was getting into "Go Crazy," Tip apparently ran out of his allotted time.

The audience began to boo — not at Tip, but at Hot 97. The crowd had stood patiently through the rain and paid more than $100 per ticket, and T.I. had flown into Jersey that same morning after being in L.A. for the MTV Movie Awards on Saturday.

Jamie Foxx, who sang "Live in the Sky" with T.I., had his own surprise guest: LL Cool J. LL came out, and he and Foxx acknowledged that they used to have beef, but all is settled. "All I ever wanted to be was your hype man," Foxx told LL.

Still, Summer Jam was missing that one monumental Summer Jam moment. With no Jay, no 50, no Nas, there was no one who really left the stage in shambles.

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

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Busta Rhymes, Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, T.I., Jamie Foxx And More At Summer Jam 2006

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New Releases: Shakira, Chris Brown, Ryan Cabrera, Dave Matthews Band, INXS

28 Nov 2005 08:38:00 EST

Also due Tuesday are new releases by Diplomats, Darkness, Hot Chip and Master P.
By Kurt Orzeck

Shakira's Oral Fixation, Vol. 2
Photo: Sony

Shak' Attack: Is speaking English such a sin? You'd think so from the neobiblical artwork adorning Shakira's Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 — she's naked (but tastefully camouflaged by a strand of ivy) and holding an apple in Eve-like fashion. The belly-bending singer's joined by executive producer Rick Rubin, Carlos Santana and Argentinean singer/songwriter Gustavo Cerati on her first English-language album in four years, which resuscitates two tracks from Vol. 1 ("Something" and "The Day and the Time"), questions religion ("How Do You Do") and somehow manages to tackle politics by way of disco ("Timor").

Brownie, You're Doing a Heck of a Job: If you've been holding out for Chris Brown's much-hyped self-titled debut, you can slake your thirst this week, but be aware that there's a DualDisc dropping December 13 with all the fixins: video (for "Run It!"), interview, photos, and live and behind-the-scenes footage. Tracks on both versions include: "Ain't No Way (You Won't Love Me)," "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" and "Poppin'."

Don't Blink: Did Ryan Cabrera's marketing team run out of steam after the September release of You Stand Watching? 'Parently so, as he's eking out a DVD this week that has gone virtually unmentioned. But rest assured, fans, "Live at the Wiltern LG" is here, and it's loaded with your faves: "Let's Take Our Time," "On the Way Down," "Last Night" and even a cover of Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al."

Switcheroo: What could INXS possibly mean by calling their new album Switch? Could it be the switch to new singer J.D. Fortune? The switch from reunited rock stars to reality-TV stars, then back once again, hopefully, to rock stars? The switch from Mercury Records to Epic? The switch from audio content to video content, as facilitated by the DualDisc version? We may never know. ("Rock Star: INXS - the DVD" also drops this week.)

Open Wide: Already have plenty of Dave Matthews Band live material, which now officially constitutes more than half their official catalog? Already have Dave Matthews Band live material from the scenic Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado? Well, too bad: Weekend on the Rocks has two CDs and a DVD's worth of tuneage from four nights in September. But wait — there's more. No, seriously. On December 13, DMB release The Complete Weekend on the Rocks, an eight-CD-plus-DVD monstrosity that lives up to its name. It won't be copy protected, either, so fans of the typically bootleg-averse Matthews can go hog wild.

A Dark Day in Hell: Will the Darkness fall on deaf ears? That's the question glam fans have been asking since 2003's shamelessly clichéd Permission to Land was followed by rumors of equally clichéd in-fighting, drugs and breakup. It might not be a good sign that the Brits made their entire One Way Ticket to Hell ... and Back available on MySpace prior to release, but they do have a Tenacious-D-worthy video for "One Way Ticket."

French Connection: Les gens behind Nous Non Plus — who actually met at the Rhode Island School of Design — manage to be both bilingual and erotic on their self-named record, which includes "Château," "Tant Pis Pour Toi" and the slightly less frou-frou "Lawnmower Boy." Another indie squad, London's Hot Chip, bring their Europe-released Coming on Strong Stateside and tack on three bonuses: "A-B-C," "Hittin Skittles" and "From Drummer to Driver." (Note: Coming on Strong still does contain "Crap Kraft Dinner" and "Down With Prince.")

Book It: Don't read too much into the title to Diplomats & Friends' "The Book of Hip Hop," which is actually a straight-up DVD featuring Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel. If you're looking for something of the literary variety, turn instead to Lee Ranaldo & Leah Singer's multimedia "Drift" package. The DVD showcases the duo's poetry/ improv guitar/ film projection project that has been exhibited in various museums, while the accompanying 112-page volume has poetry by the Sonic Youth guitarist and lots more.

Song Title of the Week:

"Pharmacists of the Sun" (Winechuggers' Grand Rapids)

New Releases:

Chris Brown - Chris Brown (Jive)
Read: "Chris Brown Dancing His 'Run It!' Straight Up The Charts"
The Darkness - One Way Ticket to Hell ... and Back (Atlantic)
The Greenhornes - Sewed Soles (V2)
Hot Chip - Coming on Strong (DFA/Astralwerks)
INXS - Switch (DualDisc same day; Epic)
Read: "INXS Insist Finding J.D. Was An 'Organic' Process, Think 'Angels Got Together' "
Master P - Living Legend: Certified D-Boy (Gutter)
Dave Matthews Band - Weekend on the Rocks (two CDs with DVD; RCA)
The Mob - The Mob (Frontiers)
Nous Non Plus - Nous Non Plus (Aeronaut)
Paradise Lost - Paradise Lost (Abacus)
Rancid Vat - Rancid Vat vs. the Rest of the World (Steel Cage)
The Samples - Rehearsing for Life (Apache)
Shakira - Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (Epic)
Three - Evocations (Arena Rock)
Robin Trower - Another Days Blues (V-12)
Winechuggers - Grand Rapids (Arena Rock)

Reissues and Archival Material:

Black Oak Arkansas - Live at Royal Albert Hall (DualDisc; S'More Entertainment)
Rick Danko - Cryin' Heart Blues (Other People's Music)
Garth Hudson - Our Lady Queen of the Angels (Other People's Music)
Chris Liebling and Speedy J - Collabs 3000: Metalism (enhanced; Mute)
Richard Manuel - Whispering Pines: Live at the Getaway 1985 (Other People's Music)
Kylie Minogue - Showgirl (EMI)
Ennio Morricone - Crime and Dissonance (two CDs; Ipecac)
Motörhead - Deaf Forever: The Best of Motörhead (DualDisc; Silverline)
Pro-Pain - The Best of Pro-Pain (Candlelight)
Dee Dee Ramone - Zonked! (Other People's Music)

DVDs:

Black Oak Arkansas - "Live at Royal Albert Hall" (S'More Entertainment)
Ryan Cabrera - "Live at the Wiltern LG" (Atlantic)
Caribou - "Marino: The Videos" (Caroline)
Diplomats & Friends - "The Book of Hip Hop" (Image Entertainment)
INXS - "Rock Star: INXS - the DVD" (Epic)
Rainbow - "Legends of Rock: The Ultimate Review" (Classic Rock Legends)
Lee Ranaldo & Leah Singer - "Drift" (with a book; Plexifilm)
Todd Rundgren - "Liars Live" (Sanctuary)

Coming Attractions:

December 6:

Eminem - Curtain Call: The Hits (Aftermath)
Read: "Slim Shady's Phattest, Brightest Compiled For Eminem Hits LP"
Korn - See You on the Other Side (Virgin)
Read: "Korn On New LP: 'Sadness,' 'Anger,' 'Darkness' ... 'Kind Of Perverted' "
Lindsay Lohan - A Little More Personal (Raw) (Casablanca)
Read: "Lindsay Lohan Album Preview: It Really Is More Personal"

December 13:

Beck - Guerolito (remix album; Interscope)
Bo Bice - Real Thing (DualDisc; RCA)
Madonna - Confessions on a Dance Floor - Special Edition (Warner Bros.)

December 20:

Notorious B.I.G. - Duets (Bad Boy)
Read: "Biggie Duets LP Features Eminem, Snoop, Tupac, Nas, Ludacris"
Mary J. Blige - The Breakthrough (Geffen)
Read: "Mary J. Blige's Breakthrough Is Coming Out This Year After All"
Jamie Foxx - Unpredictable (DualDisc same day; J)
Read: "Jamie Foxx Has 'Too Many Drinks,' Samples Charles On New LP"

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Mixtape Monday: The Mid-Season Report

15 Aug 2005 09:02:00 EDT

Starring Jay-Z, Game, Young Jeezy and more.
By by Shaheem Reid

Photo: MTV News

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For The Record: Quick News On Nas, Paris Hilton, Diplomats, Gorillaz, Snoop Dogg, Korn, The Donnas & More

1 Dec 2004 05:29:00 EST

Nas throws a party, Paris Hilton sells her stapler, Gorillaz seek a new member.
By MTV News staff report

"Paris Hilton" in Wednesday night's episode of "South Park"
Photo: Comedy Central

Nas threw a party Tuesday night at New York's Azaza to celebrate the release of his new album, Street's Disciple. His boo, Kelis, and friends Mic Geronimo and AZ were among those present. ...

Paris Hilton has been the brunt of many jokes, but now she's getting the "South Park" treatment on Wednesday's (December 1) episode, when all the fourth-grade girls idolize a certain blonde celebrity, known for her jet-set lifestyle, television show and extracurricular activities. They play with her new toy set that comes complete with a video camera and night-vision filter, and try to pursue the boys to make their own videos — until "Paris" arrives to offer some competition. The episode, called "Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset," airs 10 p.m. on Comedy Central. ... Snoop Dogg is lending his laid-back flow to the upcoming film "Racing Stripes." The live-action/computer-animated flick also features the voices of Mandy Moore and "Malcolm in the Middle" star Frankie Muniz. "Racing Stripes," about a zebra with thoroughbred aspirations, will hit theaters January 14. ...

The Diplomats' newest member came out onstage Tuesday night as the Harlem-based trio of Cam'ron, Juelz Santana and Jim Jones rocked the stage at their hometown's landmark Apollo Theater for a Roc-A-Fella pay-per-view special. The new member? Juelz's adorable nephew, 5-year-old "Young Ja". You could hear all the ladies saying, "He's so cute." He's also a smart businessboy: After he performed the choruses to the records "Shake" and his uncle's "S.A.N.T.A.N.A.," he told Cam he couldn't stay onstage all night because he had to go to school the next morning. The youngster didn't leave, however, until Killa handed over a huge wad of cash (it wasn't staged, according to Juelz) for services rendered. Memphis Bleek and Peedi Crakk also performed at the show. ... Jay-Z's team beat Nelly's team Tuesday night. No, the Roc-A-Fella family didn't square off with the St. Lunatics — Hov's New Jersey Nets played a home game against Pimp Juice's Charlotte Bobcats. In the end, it was the Nets winning 99 to 86. ...

Following their tour in support of Greatest Hits Vol. 1, Korn plan to resume work on their seventh studio album. The as-yet-untitled effort, which follows last year's Take a Look in the Mirror, is expected to drop in late spring or early summer. Meanwhile, the band is also contemplating releasing an EP to showcase its covers of Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like a Hole" and the Psychedelic Furs' "Love My Way." ... Staples is auctioning off more than 140 autographed celebrity staplers from such stars as Paris Hilton, Donald Trump, Kobe Bryant, Ringo Starr, Cher, Alice Cooper, and the Dixie Chicks. Each celebrity has named a charity of their choice to receive 100 percent of the profits from the sale of their stapler. The current high bids are on staplers from Cher ($605), Trump ($800) and Hilton, who leads the bidding at $1,005. The auction ends on Monday at www.staples.com. ...

Adding a new member to the Gorillaz is a lot more complicated than just penciling in another rock star. The animated group, fronted by Blur's Damon Albarn, is holding a contest on its Web site, www.gorillaz.com, to augment its lineup. Entries are being taken beginning December 15 and can be anything from animation to sketches to vocal outtakes. The band is expected to release its second album next year. ... The Donnas are giving fans the chance to rock out with the "Daisy, Decibels, Decay & the Donnas" online sweepstakes. One grand-prize winner who submits their entry by Sunday will receive a prize package including a Daisy Rock guitar with a pink faux-fur guitar strap, guitar accessories including a maintenance kit and picks, a copy of the ladies' new album, Gold Medal, Logitech speakers and Urban Decay's "Heavy Metal" cosmetics package. Aspiring rockers and Donnas fans can check out www.thedonnas.com for more info. ...

Guitarist Luke Pacquin has joined the ranks of Hot Hot Heat, replacing Dante DeCaro, who left in October. The dance-rock band will drop its next album, Elevator, in April; "You Owe Me an I.O.U." will be the first single. ... Better Than Ezra have signed a new label deal with Artemis, and plan to release an album come spring. Lead singer Kevin Griffin recently wrote a couple of songs for Howie Day, "Perfect Time of Day" and his current single, "Collide." ...

11.30.2004

Eminem's been called a lot of things, but "priest" hasn't been one of them ... until now. The extreme cult the Raeleans, who, in addition to being pacifists, believe that the higher being that many call God is really an alien, have bestowed the honorary title on Em for his anti-war/anti-Bush tune "Mosh." ...

Usher, Kanye West and Sleepy Brown are among the acts scheduled to perform with Earth, Wind & Fire at the Los Angeles chapter of the Recording Academy's Grammy Jam December 11 at the Wiltern LG. Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, Van Hunt, Randy Jackson, John Legend, Brian McKnight and Yolanda Adams are also performing at the event, which will benefit the Entertainment Industry Foundation's National Arts Education Initiative. ... Usher continues to be the star of this awards-show season. After picking up a whole mess of trophies already, the singer leads the pack of finalists for this year's Billboard Music Awards with nods in 13 categories including Artist of the Year and Billboard 200 Album of the Year. His "My Boo" buddy, Alicia Keys, raked in 12 nominations of her own, including Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Other finalists with multiple nominations include Maroon 5, Outkast, Jay-Z and Kanye West. ...

Franz Ferdinand were forced to play their Sunday show in Nagoya, Japan, without bassist Bob Hardy, who was taken out of commission with a severe case of gastro-enteritis. Hardy had begun to feel ill during the band's trip to Osaka, Japan, on Friday, and played most of Saturday's show in considerable pain, and mostly seated. Franz Ferdinand enlisted the help of bassist Dino from their supporting act the Beat Up for the Sunday show. Though Hardy performed at the band's Monday night concert in Tokyo, he is returning to the hospital, where he will remain until Thursday, when he flies to New York to join the band for its U.S. tour. For the first two Stateside dates, Franz Ferdinand will employ bassist Toshi Yano of the Fiery Furnaces. ... The final few dates of Coheed and Cambria's tour have been canceled due to personal tragedies that affected the band recently. A post on the group's Web site cites two car accidents and a life-threatening illness for why the shows from Tuesday in Providence, Rhode Island, to Sunday in Clearwater, Florida, were scrapped. ...

Christmas cards designed by Avril Lavigne, Barenaked Ladies, Billy Talent, Sarah McLachlan and other Canadian artists are being sold by the nonprofit War Child Canada (www.warchild.ca). Proceeds from the holiday greetings will benefit War Child's relief efforts in Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan. ... Alicia Keys knows how to get to "Sesame Street." The songstress will sing and dance with Elmo on the season premiere of the show, slated to air on April 4. ...

Pharrell has called rapper T.I. the "Jay-Z of the South," and it looks like Tip has taken another step toward living up to that title. T.I., whose third album, Urban Legend, hit stores Tuesday, is the new spokesperson for Jay's latest S. Carter shoe, the all-white Basketball Low. ... Even though he's been holed up recording the new Limp Bizkit album, you can still catch Fred Durst putting the boots to haters in the new video game "Fight Club," out this week. Durst appears as an unlockable character in the game, which is based on his favorite film and available for Xbox, Gamecube and PlayStation2. ...

Sheryl Crow is slated to perform for Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, at the California Governor's Conference on Women and Families in Long Beach, California. Her audience at the December 7 event will also include Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Lee Curtis and Queen Noor of Jordan. ... Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla will pose for PETA in New York on Wednesday for a new campaign. In a scene inspired by the end of "2001: A Space Odyssey," everything surrounding the guitarist will be white, save for a few brightly colored veggies. The tagline will read, "Add some color to your life — try vegetarianism." ...

The Panic Channel, the new band featuring former Jane's Addiction members Dave Navarro, Chris Chaney and Stephen Perkins and fronted by singer Steve Isaacs, will make their debut Thursday at the Key Club in Los Angeles. Indie 103.1 will be broadcasting live from the show, which will also feature Doheny (Camp Freddy founder Billy Morrison's band) as well as the Tints, which includes Flea's daughter Clara on drums. Camp Freddy singer Donovan Leitch is hosting the event, which has an admission charge of $1.03 and a can of food for the Food Bank. ... Lil' Kim and actress Rosie Perez will serve as special guest hosts of Move Against AIDS: Return of the Dance-a-thon on December 11 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York. ...

In honor of World AIDS Day on Wednesday, Wyclef Jean will ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. On hand with Jean will be Viacom chairman and CEO Sumner Redstone. ... Luther "Uncle Luke" Campbell may be the hip-hop equivalent of legendary football coach Vince Lombardi — at least on the Pop Warner football level. Campbell's Liberty City Warriors will be playing in the Pop Warner Super Bowl national championship, competing for the #1 spot from December 8-11 in Orlando, Florida, at Disney World's World of Sports Complex. ... Underground MC Saigon is finally surfacing in more mainstream waters. The rapper has signed with Atlantic via producer Just Blaze's Ft. Knox Entertainment imprint. There's no word from Atlantic on when Saigon's major-label debut, The Greatest Story Never Told, will hit the streets. ...

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Man Convicted In Fatal Shooting Involving Member Of Cam'ron's Diplomats

7 Oct 2004 01:30:00 EDT

Rapper Freaky Zeeky wounded, friend killed in April 2003 incident
By Alyssa Rashbaum

Diplomats' Freaky Zeeky (file)
Photo: Roc-A-Fella

A man who wounded rapper Freaky Zeeky and killed his friend in a shooting incident last year has been convicted of second-degree murder, assault and related charges.

Chauncey Dillon was convicted on Tuesday of wounding Diplomats member Zeeky (real name: Ezekiel Jiles) and fatally shooting Eric Mangrum in an incident that occurred on April 25, 2003. The altercation resulted after a car carrying Dillon and two other men was involved in a minor traffic accident with a vehicle that held Jiles and Mangrum (see "Member Of Cam'ron's Diplomats Wounded In Deadly Shootout"). Authorities alleged that Dillon also attempted to rob Jiles and Mangrum.

Dillon was also charged with several counts of criminal possession of a weapon, two counts of attempted robbery in the first degree and one count of reckless endangerment, according to a court clerk.

He faces a prison sentence of 25 years to life when he is sentenced on November 5 by Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Bonnie Wittner.

The trial for Dillon, who was the first suspect arrested in May 2003 (see "One Suspect Nabbed, One Still At Large In Connection With Rapper Shooting"), lasted two weeks with two days of jury deliberations.

The two other suspects involved, Herndon Williams and Jon Mingo, will stand trial at later dates as accomplices on murder and assault charges.

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