Written By: White Chicks On RapSnoop Dogg To Release A New Album Through MTV
Snoop Dogg has signed a multi-rights deal with MTV to distribute, market and promote his upcoming album “Malice In Wonderland”. The album will be released later this year and will feature Pharrell, composer Lalo Schifrin, and Dr. Dre.
Nas Recording With Damian Marley
Nas is recording with reggae star Damian Marley for a project that might be released in the spring. It is not clear which label will release it as both artists are signed to two different labels.
Nas is working with Dr. Dre for the Detox album and he hopes to tour this summer.
Lil’ Kim Not Happy With Notorious Movie
Lil’ Kim has expressed her anger at the biography movie Notorious, which shows the life and death of rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
The film was produced by P. Diddy and B.I.G.’s mother Voletta Wallace and based on the biography “Unbelievable: The Life, Death And Afterlife Of The Notorious B.I.G. by Cheo Hedari Coker.
Lil’ Kim said that the film portrays her as a bitch and a home wrecker and that she had a relationship with B.I.G. to advance her own rap career. Kim said that "I'm very disappointed in Faith (Evans- B.I.G’s widow). There's nothing Faith or Ms. Wallace could do to stop me from repping B.I.G. all day. I'm gonna always do that...It's time for Ms. Wallace to be exposed".
Faith Evans responded with "I try my best not to think about it; It's kinda sad. I got four kids, and I definitely don't have time for this type of shit. It's just sad. This is not my movie. I didn't write the script. Any characters in the film had to agree for their life rights to be in the movie. I don't think I would have signed anything had I felt I was not portrayed properly. I think she had the opportunity to do that. I could be mistaken. I wasn't there.”
Violette Wallace said that the film was about her son and that it is not the Lil’ Kim story and that if she does not like how she was portrayed, it is her problem.
In other Lil’ Kim news, she will be one of the contestants of this season’s Dancing With The Stars.
Death Row’s Assets Auctioned
The assets of Death Row Records, which include master recordings of Tupac, Snoop and Dr. Dre were auctioned for $18 million to WIDEawake, a Canadian development company. The company does not have distribution in the US and it has not been determined who the company will partner with to distribute the catalog.
Lara Lavi who represents WIDEawake said that they have ideas about what to do with the catalog and that “we're very respectful of Death Row's legacy and when the time is right we'll announce that."
Death Row filed for Chapter 11 protection in April 2006 and in July 2006, a CA judge ordered a bankruptcy trustee to take over the label.
Warner Music Group and Koch Entertainment originally put bids on Death Row (some estimates say the bids were up to $25 million), but because of Death Rows inadequate accounting and record keeping made it impossible to determine the label’s true value, they pulled out of the auction.
Cypress Hill Finishing New Studio AlbumCypress Hill is finishing recording their first album in five years and hope to have it out for a Fall 2009 release. The album is in the mixing stages. The untitled album will feature Everlast, Evidence and The Alchemist as guests.
The group has spent the last five years working on their own solo projects. B-Real has been working on “Smoke N Mirrors” which features Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Buckshot, Damian Marley, Too $hort, Kurupt, Sen Dog and B-Real's protege Young De.
DMX Charged With Assault
DMX, who is serving a 90 day jail sentence for felony theft, drug possession and misdemeanor animal cruelty, has been recharged with assault after he threw a tray of food at a detention officer.
This recent charge of assault is not DMX’s first time he has gotten into trouble while in jail. He threatened to fight the guards. According to the guards, DMX started cursing and threatened to “assault somebody to get some respect”. While in lockdown, DMX is on a diet of bread and water.
