"Flavor Flav is still locked up in New York because of traffic violations. Let me hear from the Detroit Tigers fans who don't like the Yankees. F--- the Bronx. F--- the Yankees. They did this to him," the rapper said, referring to all things New York, where Flav was arrested and imprisoned. Afterward, he whipped off the hooded sweatshirt that had been hiding his face and bounced around the stage like a boxer practicing for a round in the ring. The energy level in the room hit the water-damaged roof for "Welcome to the Terrordome."

Two members of the Security of the First World book ended the stage, wearing bulletproof vests and holding swords. Their militaristic dance steps provided a backdrop to a handful of Public Enemy's songs. Professor Griff traded vocal licks with Chuck D. A good chunk of the show was devoted to Public Enemy's political and social stances. Early in the show, Chuck shared his distaste for the president by flipping off a member of his posse wearing a rubber mask of George W. Bush during the song "Son of a Bush." The Bush stand-in was accompanied by two "Secret Service" agents who followed him as he and Chuck D criss-crossed the stage. The crowd screamed as the "president" flexed his biceps and raised his arms in victory. Near the end of the song, he dropped to his knees and prayed.

The rapper told fans he is opposed to the United States interfering with other countries' problems.

"They send people like us to war … They're trying to become kings of the world like some new Hitler. We need to shoot this sh-- down," he said before seamlessly going into "Shut 'Em Down."

The set list reflected Public Enemy's history, touching on hits such as "Don't Believe the Hype" and "Bring the Noise," as well cuts off of the group's latest album, Revolverlution. Nearly in sync, fans lifted their index fingers in response to "Public Enemy No. 1." Like its opening bands, Public Enemy suffered from a muddy sound mix that hindered performances and in-between banter.

The crowd was a diverse mix: Rockabilly cats mingled with rap fans, and gothic-clothed concert-goers camped out at a bundle of televisions. Chuck D saw the concert as a way of teaching the crowd about music. He explained that "Detroit was always underrated on the rap" scene, before name-checking hometown rappers Insane Clown Posse and Esham. The rapper offered a vocal missive about Michigan's musical history that included mentions of Motown, soul, Iggy Pop and Alice Cooper.

"Let's bring some soul to the f---ing place. With Revolverlution, we're coming full circle," he added.

Chuck dedicated the "rest of this night to Flav," encouraging the crowd to show their love for his hypeman.

"I miss my man Flav. Really. How many of you miss Flav? I'd like to dedicate at least a moment of silence for Flav.". "I had to do that for Flavor Flav, for real."

Last Wednesday, Flav (born William Drayton) was sentenced to nine weeks in prison for multiple parole violations, which include missing appointments with his parole officer and failing to pay fines for traffic violations.

Midway through the set, Griff took over the mic as Chuck took a break offstage. Griff and Public Enemy's band used the opportunity to share their influences, many of whom were rock artists.

During a Rage Against the Machine song, Griff, too, took a political stance, taking aim at Bush as well as the war with Afghanistan and trouble with Iraq.

"President George W. Bush stole the election like his father and his grandfather all did to get where they are today. I'm not doing this to ignite the Bush fans. … We got into a war that we American people know nothing about."

Chuck D re-entered the stage for "Can't Truss It" and "Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need" to close out the set.

Openers Dilated Peoples, Blackalicious and Impossebulls offered a mixed bag of performances.

The Impossebulls, a rap collective that dubs itself the first band to record an album exclusively using the Internet, hit the stage as ticket-holders were still filing in. Dilated Peoples — Evidence, Akaa and DJ Babu — inspired the crowd to rap along to most of the set. Those closest to the stage punched their arms in the air to the beat. But DJ Babu's turntable skills surpassed the rappers' performance.

Blackalicious' set, on the other hand, was consistent. Gift of Gab and Lateef, accompanied by DJ Chief Xcel and two back-up singers, waxed poetic between songs, eliciting an enthusiastic response from the crowd.

Lateef, who called his music "history in progress," rapped "Sky Is Falling" as he crouched down near the ground. He introduced Gab into the song by waving his arm sharply toward him. Facing each other, Gab wiggled his arms and fingers at Lateef like a puppeteer leading his toy. "Alphabet Aerobics" was clearly a crowd favorite. As Gab shared Blackalicious' version of the alphabet, the female back-up singer walked around the stage like a ring girl, carrying cards on which individual letters were printed.

"I'm trying to sell 10 million on the first day," Said Jaheim, who began the Seagram's Gin Live 2002 Tour September 16 in Philadelphia. "You heard the last album, that was more of a cry. I was crying for position and fighting for the position I got now.

"The way I feel now, I thank the world for giving me the opportunity and acknowledging me," he continued. "All I could do is put my heart and my soul into this new album."

Still Ghetto has much of the Ghetto Love team in place. Kay Gee (Naughty by Nature, Next, Koffee Brown) is again the executive producer, and Eddie F. (Angie Stone, Heavy D), Eddie Berkeley (Next, Luther Vandross), and Eric Williams (Blackstreet) are turning the knobs. Divine Mill/Warner Bros. executives are keeping copies of Still Ghetto tight to the vest, wary of a repeat of what happened to Ghetto Love. Bootlegging of the debut album became so prevalent in the U.K. that extra tracks were added before Ghetto Love's March 2001 release. So far, Warner Bros. has taken the wraps off of only one track from Still Ghetto. The single "Fabulous," due to radio by October 1, features a minor-key arrangement complimented by a children's chorus and a high-end percussive treatment.

"Kids are our future ... that's the truth," said Jaheim, 23. "Some kids need to know that. When you touch them like that and they're happy and they smile, you got to acknowledge them."

Kids are attracted to Jah because of his style, which includes baggy jeans, boots and plenty of ice, said Warner Bros. senior publicist Karen Lee. But Lee feels that Jaheim's appeal can cross over to their parents, thanks to the singer's R&B loverman passion, which recalls Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross. Jaheim is currently headlining the Seagram's Gin Live 2002 Tour with featured acts Truth Hurts ("Addictive") and hip-hop legend Biz Markie. The outing, which is raising funds for the nonprofit social service group One Hundred Black Men, concludes October 18 in Los Angeles. The tour gives fans a chance to see the performers in smaller venues as well as the opportunity to watch Jaheim perform with a live, four-piece band for the first time since he became a star. The outing is also Jaheim's first as a headliner.

The rough-times-to-riches story of Jaheim Hoagland began in the projects of New Brunswick, New Jersey. His father died when he was two and his mother, Julia, died when he was 17. There were times when Jah ran wild while he was growing up, but he eventually found direction in his music. Jaheim was able to get a tape of his singing into the hands of producer Kay Gee five years ago, and subsequent years were spent polishing Jaheim's style. The time also was spent recording songs for Ghetto Love, which produced the hit singles "Could It Be," "Just in Case" and "Anything."

Now it's time for Jaheim, the sequel.

Cam'ron may insist that his Roc-a-Fella familia is full of love, despite them not inticing him to join the next Jay-Z tour. All is good, however, as Def Jam have snapped him up to join their Survival Of The Illest 2 Tour. The tour, which also features Foxy Brown and NORE starts on October 11th, in California, and ends in November.

The original Survival Of The Illest was in 1998 and featured DMX, Ja Rule, Cormega, Onyx and the Def Squad.

For Cam'ron, the tour is going to make his already packed datebook even fuller. His debut film, "Paid in Full," is due to be released in the US on October 25. Three days before that the soundtrack will drop. Cam'ron has the lead single with "Bout It, Bout ... Part III," which features Master P and Jimmy Jones.

Meanwhile, Foxy is gearing up for her own LP, Ill Na Na 2: The Fever, due November 19 The first single will be a remix of "Stylin'," which features Loon, Baby, N.O.R.E. and Fox's brother Gavin.

Survival of the Illest 2 dates, according to Def Jam:

10/11 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
10/12 - Greensboro, NC @ House of Blues
10/13 - Columbia, SC @ The End Zone
10/15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ TBA
10/16 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
10/18 - Providence, RI @ Lupos
10/19 - Washington, DC @ Howard University
10/22 - Cleveland, OH @ The Agora
10/23 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
10/25 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Union Center
10/26 - Baltimore. MD @ TBA
10/28 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
10/30 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Cafe
10/31 - Boca Raton, FL @ Florida Atlantic University
11/3 - Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
11/7 - Norfolk, VA @ Norfolk State University

Bad Boy impresario Sean "P. Diddy" Combs was ordered by a North Carolina superior court judge to pay $2.45 million in damages to a man who claimed he was injured by bodyguards hired by Combs for a 1995 Mary J. Blige concert, according to a spokesperson for the court.

Cedrick Bobby Lemon, a limousine driver who was working at the Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on the night of the concert, said he was beaten by two bodyguards employed by Combs, who was acting as Blige's manager at the time of the show.

Forsyth Civil Superior Court Judge William Z. Wood ordered Combs to pay Lemon the damages on September 10, after explaining that Combs failed to respond to the allegations in Lemon's suit within a 30-day state-mandated time limit, the spokesperson said, reading from the court records.

"We have just learned of this lawsuit," read a statement issued Tuesday by Combs' spokesperson, Nathalie Moar. "As it has no merit whatsoever, we intend to take all necessary steps to have it dismissed."

Hip Hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons has hit back at the conroversial LA Times article "Who Killed Tupac Shakur", with the following letter

Today's article in The Los Angeles Times entitled, "Who Killed Tupac Shakur?" does more to inflame passions and emotions than to clear the air with actual facts concerning the tragic murder of Tupac Shakur six years ago.

We challenge the following inaccuracies in the LA Times story:

- Christopher G.L. Wallace (Notorious B.I.G.) was not in Las Vegas on the night of the shooting of Tupac.
In fact, Christopher Wallace was at his home in New Jersey on that night as his family and friends have verified.

- Christopher (Notorious B.I.G.) Wallace paid money and supplied the weapon for the murder of Tupac.
These allegations are inaccurate, untrue and unsubstantiated.

People should not rush to judgment concerning this tragedy based on inaccuracies as reported by the LA Times. We need healing in our community. Only facts and the real truth will bring ultimate justice and peace.

Russell Simmons, Chairman HSAN

DMX recently spoke about his drug problem- an addiction to cocaine, but says that he is working hard to beat the habit. DMX also threw out claims that Ja Rule is homosexual, releasing this satetment...

"Some ni**a that was stylin his clothes for one of them shows got him ecstasy'd up and f***ed him. Ja-Rule is f***in ni**as I'm telling you dog! On my momma! The ni**a told me that himself," DMX said referring to the stylist. "You talkin bout me, you can't be serious! For all them homo ni**as out there that want some d**k, give ya man Ja-Rule some ecstasy and he'll f**k you."

Long shared directing duties with Murder Inc. boss Irv Gotti for the video, in which she plays a woman who is so lovestruck she can't sleep and leaves her home in the middle of the night to confront the man of her dreams. Flashbacks are shown throughout the clip as precursors to their relationship. The song's star, Ashanti, isn't left out, though: She gets to display her performance skills in the video.

Outraged by recent allegations that Biggie had something to do with 'Pac's killing, Faith Evans exclusively spoke out, stating that Biggie cried when Tupac was shot dead, and was clearly shaken by the news.

Biggie's mother Voletta Wallace released the following statement:

"My initial reaction?" she said, a tone of rage rising in her voice. "I'm hurt. Somebody's attacking my son. My son who died five and half years ago. How do I feel? I'm downright angry. I'm a mother, I'm a human being and [L.A. Times writer Chuck Philips] is gonna attack my son that's not here to come forward and defend himself. Damn I'm mad!"

Cynics may think that this is a bid to clear Biggie's name, which it obviously is, but I can imagine Biggie being genuinely upset at the news, as my murder accusations are more inclined towards Suge Knight

The Los Angeles Times delivered a bombshell on Friday 6th September when it reported that the Notorious B.I.G. offered gang members $1 million to kill Tupac Shakur and provided the gun used in his 1996 murder. The investigative report, which details the hours leading up to Shakur's fatal shooting, was written by Chuck Philips, who has covered the slaying extensively and spent more than a year researching the case. The Times piece places Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, in Las Vegas on the night of the shooting and details a meeting that allegedly took place between the East Coast rapper and several Crips. Citing gang members who spoke only on terms on anonymity, Philips asserts that not only did B.I.G. agree to pay the killers, but that he also insisted they use his gun, a loaded .40-caliber Glock pistol that he then placed on the table.

"The revelation of Biggie was shocking to me,"

Philips told MTV News on Thursday. "When this came up, I was just, ... 'I don't believe it.' So I went about trying to disprove it in various ways with various sources and that's not what happened. What I ended up writing is what happened." Philips reports that Orlando Anderson, a Crips gang member long believed by many to be Shakur's murderer, pulled the trigger. According to the article, Anderson and several other Crips planned the execution in retaliation for a beating Shakur, Marion "Suge" Knight and their associates gave Anderson earlier that evening after a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand Hotel. Biggie had been feuding with Shakur and, according to Philips, had told the Crips he wanted the rival rapper dead, so the gang members figured they might get Biggie to pay them for the hit. (Biggie's ties to the gang stem from allegations that his record label employed Crips as security guards, although Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, the rapper's best friend and head of Bad Boy Records, has denied it.)

"If you go back to my stories that I wrote prior to this, I never believed hardly anything about [the Biggie/Shakur] feud," Philips said. "People kept telling me it was serious, and I didn't believe it. But apparently it was."

In Philips' article, he noted that "a handful of thugs and East Coast rap associates" were with B.I.G. at the meeting with the Crips. When asked if there were specific names his sources mentioned, Philips responded: "Not that I'm willing to talk about."

Philips said at least one of his sources was in the meeting with Wallace, but he would not say if any were among the four Crips in the white Cadillac that executed the drive-by shooting he so specifically describes. "All I'm going to say is that I think I have very good sources on the story."

In the second part of Philips' report, to be published Saturday, the writer examines the police investigation of Shakur's murder. While Orlando Anderson has long been pinned for Tupac's murder by reporters, police never charged him. Two years after Shakur's death, Anderson was killed in an unrelated incident Philips' report also runs counter to a theory constructed by former LAPD Detective Russell Poole, whose ideas about the murders of both rappers are the subject of journalist Randall Sullivan's book "LAbyrinth." Poole's analysis asserts Death Row CEO Suge Knight arranged to have his label's star rapper killed and that affiliates of the West Coast Mob Piru Bloods gang carried out the hit.

"LAbyrinth" suggests that Tupac intended to leave Death Row, an idea that his alleged conversations with a girlfriend and his firing of Death Row attorney David Kenner shortly before his death seem to substantiate. It also claims that Knight owed Shakur a substantial sum of money and points out that a bullet wound Knight claims he suffered in Las Vegas has never been verified by hospital or police records, or anyone other than Knight himself.

Poole was the lead detective investigating Biggie's murder, an assignment the highly decorated officer picked up not long after he had been looking into the shooting of sometime Death Row employee and LAPD officer Kevin Gaines. After conducting an exhaustive investigation, Poole concluded that Knight, an alleged hitman-for-hire named Amir Muhammed, and a group of rogue cops including convicted bank robber David Mack were all involved in the planning and execution of the murders of both Biggie and Tupac.

Poole eventually left the force, frustrated by what he claims was reluctance by the brass to follow up on his leads. It is his assertion, in Sullivan's book and a Rolling Stone article that preceded it, that several cops were associated with Death Row Records and street gangs and that his bosses simply did not want this information to come out.

DMX seems to have unearthed his beef with Ja Rule which started over 2 years ago when he speculated plans to record an anti Ja Rule single. Ja Rule, however, claims that he is not up for battling, and is set to focus upon his music. The following statement implies that the beef has always been rather one-sided

"I never had a confrontation with DMX, He's always had a [problem] with me. Since the beginning of my career, I ignored it. I felt my way of answering him was to be very successful and that would hurt him the most. So I blasted off and now he's back again and he's mad again 'cause of my success."

The beef started when Ja Rule was still a relative newcomer, and was victim to claims that he had copied DMX 's style

"These days I'm celebrated for having my own style," he said. "And there are a lot of people out there following what I do now, but you don't hear me saying, 'This person's biting my style,' because it's not about that. We all take from each other. B.B. King said it the best, we all take from each other and make it better and that's how music is made."

Not only is Ja Rule uninterested in rivalries with other rappers, he's actually striving for unity within the rap community. He and Irv Gotti recently invited Nas into the Murder Inc. fold, and a remix of "The Pledge" will appear on both Ja's and Nas' upcoming albums. In addition, an upcoming video for the song might feature Death Row Records kingpin and controversial figure Suge Knight.

Ja knows such affiliations can be dangerous, but he doesn't care, he believes that the friendship is non-corrupt, like many of Suge's former "friendships".

 

 

BEYONCE AND PHARRELL? PHARRELL AND JUSTIN?!?

Many rumours about Neptune Pharrell Williams and beauty Beyonce Knowles have been flying around. Are they dating? Pharrell recently quashed those rumours, insisting that he is still single. One rumour that you may have heard holds some truth however. The Neptunes have broken boundaries again by producing seven tracks on pop icon Justin Timberlake's upcoming solo album.

"We did seven joints on there," Williams said. "Justin's album is incredible because of the amount of musicality he gave us the room to bring to the project. It's a whole other level."

The Neptunes strive to retain their hip hop credibility by making their presence felt on Jay-Z's upcoming joint

The new Jay-Z stuff, I got some crazy beats, man," He said about material for Jay-Z's follow up, The BluePrint 2. It's crazy material, man, it's gonna be classic, classic material. I can't really talk about what the songs sound like or how many [I produced], but it's incredible."

 

 

THAT OLD FEELING FOR LL

Rumour has it that LL Cool J is so nervous to release his new album, "Ten" that he gets butterfiles. LL was quick to laugh off these rumours and regain his G.O.A.T personna. Sitting in his New York City hotel room last Tuesday, the rap legend was laughing hysterically because somebody made the mistake of asking the author of "I'm Bad" if he had butterflies about releasing his next LP.

"Nah, I don't have any butterflies about putting this record out." He said. "It is what it is. I'm more excited ... The last album I felt this good about was Mr. Smith. Before that was Mama Said Knock You Out"

LL is understandably confident. His first single from the new album, "Luv U Better," has gotten rave reviews, and he just released the video to further fan the flames.

 

 

MOBY HITS BACK

The unexpected happened when usually mild-mannered Moby hit back at Eminem's unsavoury comments at this years VMAs and over recent months.
In a posting on his official website, Moby wrote:

“So, I, uh, guess that I have to write something about the Eminem/VMA debacle. Hmmm... well, what should I write? The truth? The truth is that I honestly, in all sincerity, thought that the whole Eminem thing was done in some semblance of humor until Eminem called me a pussy (that was off camera) and then threatened to beat me up. Ah well.”

“More truth? I think that Eminem is talented and interesting, but I'm kind of stunned at the anger that he has for me, seeing as I'd never met him up until last night,”
Moby added.

The feud dates back to last year’s Grammy Awards, at which Moby dubbed Eminem a “misogynist, a homophobe, a racist, and an anti-Semite.” Then in way of repayment, Moby found himself mentioned in Eminem’s single, 'Without Me', with the words: “And Moby, you can get stomped by Obie, you 36-year-old bald-headed fag, blow me. You don't know me, you're too old. Let's go, it's over, nobody listens to techno.”

If Eminem thinks Moby is past his sell-by date at the age of 36...where does that leave 37 year old Dr Dre?