Beamer, Benz or Bentley

Lloyd Banks' "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley" featuring Juelz Santana is blazing in number of downloads on iTunes. It's Hot on the Radio, In Clubs, and has everyone singing the hook! Here is a look behind the scenes of the video shoot. The Official Premiere date of "Beamer, Benz, Or Bentley" is set for March 15th. You can catch the video on MTV and ThisIs50.com. Lloyd Banks will be live on Thisis50 to premiere the video exclusively on Tuesday, March 16th.

Lady Gaga & Beyonce's "Telephone"

Another video creating buzz is "Telephone" by Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce'. Feeling the need once again to show the world she is all woman. Lady Gaga is very revealing in "certain areas". Although the content in the video is very GAY, the Pussy Wagon will gets lots of attention. The video also stars singer/actor Tyrese Gibson.

Diggy Simmons -"Made You Look Freestyle"

Diggy Simmons created quite a buzz on Twitter and other social networking sites when his freestyle video surfaced "Made You Look (Flow Stoopid). Twitterland criticized older brother JoJo Simmons for not being as good as his little brother and tweeted he should take notes. The video received 44,800 hits the first day and 38,900 the second day it was released. Fans felt Diggy delivered "true hip-hop". You be the judge!

Diggy - Made you look Freestyle (Flow Stoopid) from Diggy Simmons on Vimeo.

Fugees 'Killing Me Softly' Director Charged With Raping/Fathering Children

“Killing Me Softly” director Aswad Ayinde is being held on a $1 million bond after being charged with raping and fathering children from his own daughters.

Ayinde, aged 51 and also known as Charles McGill, faces 27 charges ranging from child endangerment to aggravated sexual assault.

According to prosecutors, Ayinde’s daughters bore him six children from the mid 80’s through 2002.

Ayinde’s allegedly oversaw each baby’s delivery, with his motivation being to create a “pure” bloodline to survive the world’s apocalypse.

“He said the world was going to end, and it was just going to be him and his offspring and that he was chosen,” explained ex-wife Beverly Ayinde, who testified in a pre-trial and has 9 children with the accused. “I was afraid to ever accuse him of being demented or being a pedophile. I knew the word, but I wouldn’t dare use it because it would result in a beating."

Aswad Ayinde drew the suspicion of New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services as early as 2000, when the state took temporary custody of his children for beating them with steel-toe boots and wooden boards.

He would later try to forcibly take them from a hospital while they were under state custody. With legal issues mounting, authorities claim Ayinde began moving his family regularly around northern New Jersey in cities such as Paterson and East Orange

An ex-girlfriend named Subhana Rahim told the New York Daily News that she has two children with Ayinde, and lived with him from 2001-2004. She claims the MTV-award winning director referred to his older daughters as his wives, and she first learned about the child abuse in 2002.

“He was this successful artist who had worked with the Fugees,” she stated. “I was shocked when he told me they were his daughters and that he’d been sleeping with them... I didn’t try to understand something so ridiculous.”

An unidentified daughter told reporters outside the Ayinde home that the accusations were true, but declined to elaborate further.

“It’s a painful thing. It’s not something we’re going to talk about outside the family,” she told the NY Daily News. “The truth is coming out now, after a long time. That’s it.”

Teen Arrested For Waka Flocka Concert Shooting; Also Charged With Murder

A 17-year-old from Gary, Indiana faces multiple charges after being arrested in connection with a shooting after a Waka Flocka Flames concert at a local skating rink on March 5th.

Devontius Hutcherson, 17, was arrested and charged with multiple felonies for his role in the shooting last Friday.

He was also hit with murder and attempted murder charges for a separate shooting on January 19th in Miller, Indiana.

In that incident, Hutcherson allegedly shot and killed a 22-year-old and wounded the man’s cousin, after the two men refused to give Hutcherson $5 dollars to attend a rap concert.

Hutcherson then stole money and jewelry from both victims.

Police confiscated a rifle Hutcherson allegedly used in the March 5th shooting after the Waka Flocka Flames concert.

Hutcherson is being held without bail while police investigate the latest shooting and prepare to file more charges related to the incident.

D’Angelo Pleads Not Guilty to Prostitute Solicitation

Singer D’Angelo has pleaded not guilty to charges that he solicited a prostitute.

D’Angelo, real name Michael Archer, was arrested last Saturday (March 6) in New York’s Greenwich Village section for propositioning an undercover officer with $40 for sex.

Through his management, the acclaimed artist proclaimed his innocence and advised fans of his focus in delivering a new LP this summer, which would be his first in 10 years.

“We know there is a lot of speculation in regard to the arrest of D'Angelo in New York City this past weekend,” stated D’Angelo representative Lindsay Guion. “We would like his fans and the public at large to know that D'Angelo has pled not guilty -- and is contesting the allegations made against him. Also know that, he is in good health and extremely excited about his forthcoming new album.”

The vocalist’s last album, Voodoo, was a career milestone, selling over 1.7 million and earning a Grammy for Best R&B album.

In 2005 he was arrested twice, pleading guilty to DUI, marijuana, and cocaine possession charges.

A hearing for the prostitution charge has been set for May 4.Until then, Guion urges fans not to judge the singer based on his past criminal convictions.

“D'Angelo would like to personally thank all of his fans for the outpouring of concern, and appreciates if all would allow the American justice system to resolve the matter before jumping to any conclusions,” she concluded.

Celebrity Rehab Wants DMX

Talks between representatives for reality show “Celebrity Rehab” and rapper DMX are underway.

After his latest arrest (March 9) for violating the terms of his probation by using illegal drugs. “He's been battling addiction for some time and he's in need of treatment," DMX’s attorney Gary Jenkins told TMZ. "We’re hoping that maybe Dr. Drew might be able to help him.”

The “Celebrity Rehab” team is now considering sending someone to DMX’s next court case hearing– set for March 16– to speak with the judge in hopes of getting DMX placed in their care instead of being locked up.

DMX (née Earl Simmons) was charged with five counts of probation violation and is being held without bond.

Lil Wayne Not Allowed to Sign Autographs in Prison

According to TMZ.com, Lil Wayne has been instructed to not sign any autographs while completing his sentence on Rikers Island.

Representatives from the Correction Officer’s Benevolent Association informed TMZ that Wayne won't be signing autographs because he’s not a celebrity in the Rikers facility.

TMZ has also learned that Wayne has yet to request any kind of special treatment and is being treated like a normal inmate. If everything goes as planned, Wayne will be released in October of 2010 if he stays on his best behavior.

Pants On The Ground's "General Larry Platt" Sued

“General” Larry Platt, the novelty singer/rapper known for the wildly popular song “Pants in the Ground,” has been sued by a distribution company for expenses related to a recording studio.

Attorney Leron Rogers of Hewitt & Rogers filed the suit on behalf of American King Music for “expenses related to producing, writing and recording of Mr. Platt’s official recording of the single.”

“My client, American King Music, who funded Mr. Platt’s recording session with Mims, would like to compensate Mr. Platt for the sales of the full-length hit song “Pants in the Ground” which we made available on iTunes. However, Mr. Platt and his representatives have failed to take care of Mr. Platt’s obligations,” said Rogers who filed the lawsuit in an Atlanta federal court.

Platt performed an acapella version of his song as an ineligible contestant on "American Idol. While he didn’t make it to the next level, he did create a tremendous buzz, as well as controversy.

Platt recorded the official version of “Pants in the Ground” with Mims at Mims’s studio and American King Music funded the session as well as the distribution of the single. American King Music also compensated Mims for his production work and co-writing of the full-length song.

T-Pain & Jay-Z Make Peace

The short-lived feud between Jay-Z and T-Pain has finally been put to rest.

The beef began last year when Jay-Z released the song “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)” off "The Blueprint 3" album. T-Pain later insulted Jay during a show in Las Vegas. However, T-Pain, speaking to MTV News, revealed that there is no more animosity between the two of them.

“We talked at the Grammys,” T-Pain said. “It was a pretty big thing. Word for word, he said, ‘That's [messed] up the way you took that song.’ I’m [crazy], so we gonna take the song like that. That’s how we take songs.

“He [Jay-Z] was like, ‘I didn't mean nothing by that,’” T-Pain continued. “I was like, ‘I already put out my apology song [“More Careful”]. So there you go. My bad. I apologize. Apologize for taking the song like that.’ We shook hands, did the little chest bump. That was the end of that.”

T-Pain is currently hard at work on his next album, "Revolver."

Ludacris & Bill O' Reilly Squash Beef

After feuding for the past eight years, Ludacris and Bill O’ Reilly have finally squashed their beef.

Ludacris (born Christopher Bridges) and O' Reilly recently attended the same event and the Atlanta rapper actually extended his hand to the political commentator.

“He wasn’t expecting to see me, at all," Luda explains to Radaronline.com. "The look on his face when he saw me approaching… priceless.”

“The conversation we had was confidential, however, let’s just say it was a good conversation and good came out of it.”

While he won't share details of their conversation, he revealed that the two joined forces for a charity event.

"Perhaps everything happens for a reason,” Luda offered. “It took about seven years for that to happen, but it finally happened. And the joy that came over me, well, it was outstanding.”

As previously reported, O' Reilly denounced Luda's lyrics back in 2002, causing him to get dropped from a lucrative Pepsi campaign.

Rappers Paul Wall and Chamillionaire will reunite at this year’s South By Southwest (SXSW) festival during the “Best in Texas” showcase on March 17th

Rappers Paul Wall and Chamillionaire will reunite at this year’s South By Southwest (SXSW) festival during the “Best in Texas” showcase on March 17th in Austin, Texas.

The “Best in Texas” showcase, which takes place at La Zona Rosa, is presented by AllHipHop.com and OGPR.

The showcase will features a variety of regional acts through out the state of Texas.

Lone Star State rappers like Trae Tha Truth, Chalie Boy, Dorrough, Fat Pimp, League of Extraordinary Gz, Kyle Lee and Question and Big Sid will all hit the stage during the showcase, which is hosted by Swisha House’s Michael “5000” Watts.

DJ’s Grip and Hella Yella will command the turntables during the showcase.

“I remember performing at my first SXSW and not really even speaking to Paul, and now in 2010 we will be touring together and sharing the same SXSW stage,” Chamillionaire told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “I’m sure our collective fans would be proud to see how far we have come and excited to see us together again live."

The “Best in Texas” showcase will also serve as the launching pad for the “In Love With My Money Tour,” a nationwide outing featuring Paul Wall and Chamillionaire that will run through mid-April with more dates being added.

“It feels great to have the opportunity to be back on stage with Cham,” Paul Wall added. “To start our tour together in Austin, at SXSW means a lot because that’s one of the 1st places we used to do shows coming up trying to be discovered. We started out as an opening act, now we're the headliner. Hopefully this will inspire the up and coming artists to follow in our footsteps.”

OGPR is a well known public relations firm with over ten years in the business, representing acts such as Slim Thug, DJ Whoo Kid, Pimp C., Yo Gotti, Three 6 Mafia, while AllHipHop.com is the world’s most visited Hip-Hop website.

“When I heard that Chamillionaire and Paul Wall were reuniting again on stage at SXSW I knew this was a marquee event that AllHipHop.com had to be a part of, this is history,” added Steve Raze of AllHipHop.com/Tantrum Consulting.

The “Best in Texas” showcase takes place March 17th at La Zona Rosa in Austin, Texas.

Diddy Bashed for Overpricing Biggie Party

Diddy's under fire. Fans who stood in line at Bedford Stuyvesant's The Lab Banquet Hall Tuesday night, (March 9) are accusing Puff of charging between $100 to $150 at the door. Advance tickets were reportedly sold for $30.

Angered fans took to twitter to confront Diddy for overpricing at the door.

"This is what happens when you have someone like P. Diddy hosting," one fan tweeted.

"Let's hope the money is going to [Biggie's] Memorial Foundation," another person wrote.

Diddy responded to complaints on his way to the event. "I am not promoting the party," he tweeted. "I'm not making money from this. ... As soon as I get there, I will tell them to stop trying to overcharge people."

DMX Arrested for Probation Violation

According to TMZ.com, troubled rapper DMX (born Earl Simmons) was arrested early on March 9th and booked on five counts of probation violation.

Though the specifics of the arrest are unclear, Simmons’ legal representative tells the website, “He’s been battling addiction for some time and he’s in need of treatment.” TMZ has also leaked footage of X appearing in court later in the day. In the clip, the rapper complains about being the only person arrested for the day.

"You see the fair treatment going on," a frustrated X said while looking at the camera. "I'm the only one in here. I'm the only one that's been arrested today. F**king c**k suckers do it every time man ... I get my rights violated but I gotta be quiet about it ... f**king bitch, man." [Watch Video Here]

Over the last 24 months, Simmons has been booked more than several times for an assortment of reasons, include drug, theft and cruelty charges. X is currently being held with no bond and due back in court March 16.

Lil Wayne Finally Sentenced to Serve Time in General Population

After two separate sentencing delays, New Orleans rap star Lil Wayne was officially sentenced to prison on March 8th in Manhattan Criminal Court.

Lil Wayne was sentenced to the prison term after the rapper admitted to possessing a loaded .40 caliber handgun that was found on his tour bus after a performance in New York in July of 2007.

The rapper was taken away in handcuffs to begin serving his time on Riker’s Island, a prison that is just emerging from a scandal over preferential treatment of certain inmates and celebrities.

In October of 2009, several prison officials resigned from the prison after it was revealed that Brooklyn rapper Foxy Brown and other inmates had been given preferential treatment while serving their time behind bars.

Lil Wayne was originally supposed to be sentenced to prison on February 9th but the date was postponed to March 2nd, because the rapper needed root canals, in addition to having his platinum “grillz” removed.

The March 2nd date was rescheduled to March 8th, after a fire broke out in Manhattan Criminal Court’s basement which sent eight people to the hospital.

Contrary to previous reports, Lil Wayne will not serve his prison sentence for gun charges at Rikers Island in protective custody, but rather under “general population escort” status.

According to the New York Daily News, Correctional Department spokesperson Stephen Morello said that Wayne will have “general population escort” status, meaning that whenever Wayne is out of his housing unit he will be accompanied by a correction captain. This contradicts reports by Wayne’s lawyer, Stacey Richman, that he would be forced into protective custody.

Inside of his housing unit, Wayne will have the option to socialize with the 17 other inmates sharing his cell block.

Lil Wayne could be out in as little as eight months.

"Law is mind without reason. .................I'll return," Lil Wayne tweeted his fans on his Twitter.

Snoop Dogg Snatches Mike Epps for "Imagine That" Comedy Tour

Starting this April Snoop Dogg and Mike Epps will combine their star power for a brief innovative comedy tour titled, “Imagine That.”

The two will team up in selected markets and merge stage shows with a short story about a pair of night club performers who land in jail and have to figure out a way to escape. “Imagine That” is set to kick off April 27 at Harrah’s Rincon Casino in San Diego, which will be followed by a Saturday May 1 show at the Fantasy Springs Resort & Casino in Indio, California.

“This is an incredible opportunity to combine our similar, but different worlds of entertainment together on stage for the first time,” Epps told Allhiphop.com in a statement.

Snoop shared similar sentiments in regards to working with Epps. “We’ve worked together in the past on some projects and knew that our audiences would love to see us bring Hip-Hop music and Hip-Hop comedy together on stage.”

Diddy to Throw Biggie Party in Brooklyn

Sean “Diddy” Combs is planning on commemorating his fallen friend, The Notorious B.I.G., in a way worthy of his namesake.

For the first time in years, Diddy, a Harlem native, will cross the bridge on March 9 – the 13th anniversary of Biggie’s tragic death – to host a party in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, the place where B.I.G. grew up.

According to the New York Post, the party will take place in Bed-Stuy’s The Lab nightclub.

Announcing that the dress code for the event will be “Biggie-inspired,” Combs told MTV News, “We’re trying to make March 9th a national hip-hop holiday. It already is on the low…. It’s a big day. It’s a day to celebrate his life. It’s a day to celebrate the life of the man. We done did the movie, the records. It’s something that, I guess as a label we’re obsessed with: making sure people don’t forget about this man in a positive way. March 9 is Biggie Day… Bump Biggie all day, feel good and positive.”

On March 9th, 1997, The Notorious B.I.G. – née Christopher Wallace – was tragically gunned down in Los Angeles after leaving a Soul Train Awards after party.

Drake to Step in the Ring With Boxing Champ

This weekend Drake will make his boxing debut as he steps in the ring with the undefeated super lightweight champion, Devon Alexander “The Great.”

The two-time Grammy-nominated rapper will walk Alexander into the ring for his March 6 bout with Juna Urango at the Moehgan Sun in Las Vegas. Drake will perform the Boi-1da-produced hit, “Forever.”

“Naturally I’m a big fan of Drake’s," Alexander, who met Drake in Las Vegas while training for the upcoming match, said of Drake. "He’s a really nice guy and I like the ‘Forever’ lyric. I’m looking forward to hearing it as an added bit of motivation while I’m walking into the ring to face Juan Urango on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun.”

In related news, Drake just released “Over”, the first single from his forthcoming album, "Thank Me Later" which is slated to be released in May. The Devon Alexander "The Great" Vs. Juan Urango match airs on HBO at 9:30 pm ET/PT.

T.I. to Complete 10-Month Jail Sentence on March 26

T.I.’s lawyer has officially confirmed that the rapper would finish his sentence at the end of this month.

After serving three months in a halfway house, T.I. (born Clifford Harris) will be a free man on March 26. Tip, who was released from jail in late December after serving eight months at a low security federal state prison in Forest City, Arkansas for felony weapons charges, will conclude his 366 day sentence on March 26th, according to his lawyer, Steve Sadow.

"That date is correct," Sadow told MTV.com via email. "T.I. is now serving the remainder of his sentence in home confinement under the supervision of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons."

T.I. is currently in the studio wrapping up his seventh studio solo LP. On Monday (March 8) T.I. will release a new single titled “I’m Back” at 5pm. The rapper has yet to confirm a title or release date for the project.

Ron Banks of the Dramatics Passes Away

The music industry has lost another one. March 4th, Ron Banks, of the legendary R&B soul group The Dramatics, died of a heart attack at Detroit's Sinai hospital.

The 58-year old Banks was a founding member of the group which was formed in Detroit in 1962. The 6-member group was signed to Stax/Volt Records and were responsible for such hit records as "In The Rain," "Me and Mrs. Jones,"and "Get Up And Get Down."

Two other members of the Dramatics also died of heart attacks (Elbert Wilkins in 1992 and William "Wee Gee" Howard in 2000). No further details of Ron Banks' death were available at press time.

Guru Releases Statement on Heart Attack

Acclaimed lyricist Guru of the hip-hop group Gang Starr released a statement on March 3rd as he recovers from surgery after suffering a heart attack end of February.

Guru, née Keith Elam, briefly slipped into a coma due to the heart attack. However, doctors performed a successful surgery on the rapper, 43, Tuesday March 2nd.

“I am doing fine and I am recovering! I’m weak though,” Guru told AllHipHop via statement today. “[Producer for Guru] Solar is the only person who has the accurate info on my situation. Any info from anybody else is false! I appreciate your well wishes and all the love!”

Guru and his family have asked for privacy as he recovers, yet wants his fans to continue sending prayers, thoughts and love.

Echoing Guru’s sentiments, Solar stressed the need for privacy, but told fans that the rapper’s outlook is positive.

“Guru is resting and doing well after his surgery,” Solar told AllHipHop. “The doctors say that he will fully recover from his illness. We thank everyone who send prayers our way and we appreciate the outpouring of love from around the world!”

A member of the duo Gang Starr alongside acclaimed producer DJ Premier, they released seven albums over a 14-year span. Guru has also released seven solo albums.

Lil Wayne Sentencing Delayed Due to Courthouse Fire

Lil Wayne is still a free man. According to CNN, the Louisiana native was scheduled to report to a courthouse in Lower Manhattan late Tuesday on March 2nd, but a small fire has altered those plans.

Around 10:30 a.m. that morning, flames made their way through the basement of the courthouse forcing hundreds to evacuate the premises. Wayne wasn’t present during the incident. According to personnel at the courthouse, the fire may have been caused by construction in the basement.

According to officials, the Lower Manhattan facility will remain closed for the rest of the day, postponing Wayne’s sentencing. This is the second time Wayne will be delayed from reporting to Riker’s Island.

Early last month, Wayne was scheduled to commence his yearlong sentence but was delayed due to last-minute dental work. Officials have yet to reschedule Wayne’s sentencing.

DJ Scoob Doo, Wayne’s videographer, tweeted that the two are currently headed to the studio to wrap up tracks for Young Money artist, Shanell, Justin Bieber and the late Michael Jackson.

Nas Owes Over $3 Million Dollars in Back Taxes

Nas’ financial issues are far from over. In addition to fighting an ugly court battle with ex-wife, Kelis, TMZ reports the Queensbridge poet is said to owe the IRS more than $3 million.

It’s being reported that Nas owes the exact amount of $3,365,671.26, a considerable increase from the lien the IRS placed on him last week which totaled $2,584,206.31. Nas has yet to comment on his missed payments to the IRS.

In addition, last week Nas’ custody battle with Kelis took an ugly turn when he was placed in contempt for not handling child support payments, which total $200,000. He's scheduled to return to court later this month for a contempt hearing.

Faith Evans Sued Over Biggie Home Videos

Faith Evans has some explaining to do. Formerly married to Biggie Smalls (born Christopher Wallace), Evans is being sued by Kaushi Entertainment for not handing over several private home videos of the Brooklyn MC as previously agreed.

Filed on February 23rd, in L.A. County Superior Court, Kaushi's lawsuit states that both parties struck a deal that would have Kaushi pay Evans $30K for the home movies.

While the $30K was delivered to Evans, the videos were not. Kaushi is now demanding that Evans hand over $1,000,000 for not holding up her end of the deal. Representatives for Faith Evans have yet to respond to the suit.

Lil Jon to Finally Drop "Crunk Rock"

After a lengthy hiatus, Atlanta’s crunk ambassador is set to release his first album in over four years.

After separating ties from his longtime home TVT Records, Lil Jon plans to release his much anticipated solo debut, "Crunk Rock," on Universal Republic. “I’m finally ready to get Crunk Rock out there to my people,” Jon said via statement. “It’s been a long time coming and the album has something for everyone on it.”

Diverting from his signature sound that made him a staple in hip-hop for years, Crunk Rock is set to include a mixture of hip hop, pop and electro-house sounds.

Two singles from the album, "Ms. Chocolate” featuring R. Kelly and Mario, as well as “Outta Your Mind” featuring LMFAO, have already been released.

“I gave them every kind of Lil Jon that they have ever heard on an album,” Jon said. “From crunk, to R&B, to house, electro and rock, the album is on a whole other level. I can’t wait for the people to hear it!”

"Crunk Rock" is slated to hit stores June 8th.

Alicia Keys to Headline Essence Music Festival

Alicia Keys is ready to take over New Orleans. Continuing her successful 2010 run, Alicia has been tapped to headline the 2010 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans this summer.

Joining Alicia at Essence will be the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige, R&B heartthrob Trey Songz, Keri Hilson, Melanie Fiona, Mary Mary, LL Cool J, Mint Condition, Joe, Charlie Wilson, Gladys Knight, Raphael Saadiq, Lalah Hathaway and Laura Izibor.

The four-day festival will begin on Thursday, July 1 and conclude on Sunday July 4. Essence and company will take over the New Orleans Superdome with various exhibits and an assortment of performances throughout the venue. For tickets, head over to EssenceMusicFestival.com.

Snoop Dogg Owes $598K in Unpaid Taxes

Despite recently being appointed Creative Chairman at Priority Records, Snoop Dogg (born Cordozar Calvin Broadus) is the IRS’ next target as the California rap legend owes over $500K in back taxes.

Early this year (January 19) the IRS filed a lien that totaled a whopping $598,309 against Snoop and his wife Shante Broadus.

Snoop and his wife have yet to comment on the matter.