JAY-Z & MARY J. BLIGE ANNOUCE "HEARTY OF THE CITY" TOUR

MARY J & JAY-Z: THE "HEART OF THE CITY" TOUR

Here are the initial Heart of the City tour dates:

March 22: Miami (American Airlines Arena)

March 26: Baltimore (1st Mariner Arena) CM8ShowAd("Middle"); March 27: Uniondale, N.Y. (Nassau Coliseum)

March 28: East Rutherford, N.J. (Izod Center)

March 30: Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)

April 2: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)

April 3: Boston (TD Banknorth Garden)

April 5: Greensboro, N.C. (Greensboro Coliseum)

April 6: Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center)

April 16: Los Angeles (Hollywood Bowl)

JAY-Z INKS A DEAL WITH APPLE.......PURE GENIUS!!

JAY-Z IS A GENIUS....I'M CONVINCED!! HE IS ALWAYS THINKING AHEAD.

DIDDY TO RECEIVE STAR ON HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME??

Diddy is getting his star on the HollywoodWalk of Fame on January 11th, 2008. Congrats to him.

CONGRADS TO THE SIMMONS FAMILY!!!!

Reverend Run, 43, and his wife Justine Simmons, 42, adopted an American-born baby girl in September, whom they named Miley Justine Simmons. Miley was one month old when they brought her home and will make her debut on the family's MTV reality series, Run's House, in January.

JAY-Z RESIGNS FROM DEF JAM......WHO'S GOT NEXT?

Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter said Monday that he will leave his post as president of Universal Music Group’s Def Jam Records label after his contract expires this year. The rapper, who was named Def Jam president three years ago, said in a statement that it is “time for me to take on new challenges.” HE RELEASED HIS ALBUM AND QUIT........WHAT ABOUT NAS? He will continue to release his own music through his record label, Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam after his contract expires Dec. 31.

HIP HOP NEWS: PIMP C FUNERAL, BEST SONG OF 2007, & ETC.

SNOOP SAYS CRITICS ARE TRYING TO "KILL OFF HIP HOP"

I THOUGHT SNOOP WAS TRYING TO KILL HIP HOP W/ THAT SENSUAL SEDUCTION MESS.

In part two of Sucker Free’s Snoop Dogg interview, the D-O double G weighs in on the recent opposition to hip-hop from both the mainstream media and society at large:

“They try to bash hip-hop in so many ways to get rid of it but what they’re doing is trying to kill off our forefathers, because we’re only off springs of what was made before we had a chance to make it. I talked to Quincy Jones. I talked to James Brown. I done sat down with these legends in the music world and I found out that I have something in common with them- a love for music and a love for being real. And it should be appreciated and accepted because regardless how I used to live my life or what I come from, whenever I make my music, my music is from the heart and the soul and it’s supposed to help you get by…”

In related news, Don Imus- who’s fall from grace earlier this year lead to a nationwide hip-hop witch hunt- returned to the airwaves on ABC radio yesterday complete with an African-American “chaperone” on his team. Go figure…

SOLANGE INKS A NEW DEAL!!

The young, single mother – who has dabbled in songwriting and acting over the past few years – will reportedly record for the Geffen Records label, already home to music stars Mary J. Blige, Macy Gray, Fergie, Nelly Furtado and Keyshia Cole. As stated before in a music news round-up, Solange & the Hadley Street Dreams is a mix of old sixties and seventies soul mixed with electronica. On the record, she will be working with Cee-Lo Green, Q-Tip, Lil’ Wayne and Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry. Judging from that list, her album seems like it’s going to be very diverse and a lot of cool artists.

According to Chanel Green, a rep for Solange, the forthcoming project will be "a new joint venture relationship with Music World Music," which is helmed by the singers' father Mathew Knowles.

A Geffen spokesperson had no further information on the deal, when reached for comment. {Source}

MOS DEF SPEAKS ON WORKING WITH KANYE WEST FOR HIS NEW ALBUM

Freshly signed to Downtown Recordings, rapper Mos Def is in the studio working on a new album.According to Downtown head Josh Deutsch, Kanye West will produce some tracks on the as-yet-untitled record. Mos Def recently appeared on the track "Drunk and Hot Girls" from West's new Def Jam album, "Graduation." Deutsch tells Billboard.com Downtown has no plans to reissue last year's "Tru3 Magic," Mos Def's swan song for Geffen. The set was pushed back numerous times and eventually appeared with no fanfare in late December. It has sold just 86,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Although he didn't appear in a film in 2007, Mos Def has no less than eight movie roles pending through 2009, including an appearance in the Danny Glover-directed "Toussaint." I can't wait to hear his new music.

TREY SONGZ ARRESTED & RELEASED...

R&B singer Trey Songz was arrested in Springfield, MA early Sunday (Nov 4) along with several members of his entourage following a shooting outside a local venue. Songz was charged with behaving as a disorderly person and resisting arrest. The singer, born Tremaine Neverson, was released after posting $50The alleged shooter, 29-year-old Anthony Williams remains in police custody facing multiple charges, including assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm without a license and assault with intent to murder. He is scheduled to be arraigned this morning. Williams’ unidentified victim suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. It is unclear whether Songz is connected to either man. The shooting took place in the parking lot of The Hippodrome, where Songz performed Saturday evening. Via All Hip-Hop

JAY-Z SPEAKS ABOUT NAS'S NEW ALBUM TITLE

• MTV

Click here: Nas’ Album Title Gets Support From Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, LL Cool J, Reverend Run

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF NAS'S NEW ALBUM TITLE?

CHINGY SPEAKS TO BILLBOARD ABOUT BEING BACK ON DTP RECORDS

As tipped here in August, former Capitol rapper Chingy returns to the Disturbing Tha Peace fold this winter with "Hate It or Love It." Due Dec. 11, the set features guest appearances from Amerie, Ludacris, Bobby Valentino, Anthony Hamilton, Rick Ross and Huey, among others.Amerie appears on first single "Fly Like Me," which will hit radio in early November in tandem with a music video. Ludacris and Valentino team up on "Gimme Dat," while Hamilton guests on "They Don't Know."Though last year's "Pulling Me Back" featuring Tyrese was a ringtone monster in 2006, Chingy says he's learned quite a few hard lessons in the last few years. "I don't think Capitol really knew how to work urban artists," he told Billboard.com in August. "They're really stuck on pop and they didn't know how to market me. I ain't knocking them because that's where I started, but I think that's why they fired a lot of people in the L.A. offices recently. I'm glad I'm off the label." Do you think that Chingy can make a come back now that he is back with DTP? Personally, I'm not sure about this because once you leave a situation and comeback....it's never the same. Let's see what he does@!

NIGO'S BATHING APE EMPIRE......READ ON HOW HIS VISION GREW

I posted a video about Nigo's Bathing Ape empire, but I don't think the video worked so I decided to put the link up so you can read the article. Check it out below the pic!

Click HERE to read

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY SPEAKS WITH DIDDY ON WORKING WITH JAY-Z

A viewing of Ridley Scott's film American Gangster inspired Jay-Z to record his upcoming album of the same name, due Nov. 6. But Jay also drew inspiration from the work of a fellow rapper/CEO: Sean ''Diddy'' Combs, who has produced six likely American Gangster cuts so far with his studio squad, The Hitmen. It's a notable moment, considering that the last time Combs contributed beats to a Jay-Z album was on 1997's In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, back when he was still called ''Puff Daddy.'' ''With us two getting together, people are going to come with some expectations,'' Combs tells EW. ''Before, we were both just starting out and just so hot, it didn't matter. Now it matters. Your legacy is at stake every time.''

At a recent in-studio listening session, Jay told EW that during the album's recording he often wore a chain which belonged to the Notorious B.I.G., who was close to both Jay and Combs before his 1997 murder. ''He gives up a lot of respect to Biggie,'' says Combs. ''The thing that I like about him is that he's so much not like Biggie — his style is so unique to Jay-Z. I definitely feel like on this album, the spirit of Big got up in him, though.''

By Simon Vozick-Levinson

APPLE GOES GOLD???

A company called Computer Choppers is behind making it in gold and they also offer iced out apple logo's. Do you like the gold?

JIM JONES SIGNS MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR DEAL WITH SONY

So Miss Info spoke to Jimmy about an interesting deal he just signed with Sony.

Says the Capo: “I just left the lawyer’s office. I signed a multimillion dollar joint venture with Sony. My boss is Rick Rubin and Hip Hop (Kyambo Joshua) is doing my albums with me. What you think Jay-Z is gonna think about that?”

More of what Jim told Miss Information: “What’s crazy is that they gave me the same deal that Un and them fucked up back in the day when they got the Sony/Untertainment deal….I got that joint venture, that 50/50 split, they don’t give those out anymore. That’s a Dame Dash, Ruff Ryders deal. And I’m bout to go crazy with it. I’m gonna be a problem.”

Of course we couldn't leave Jay out of this: “Hip Hop is the guy who did all of Jay’s albums, and Rick Rubin is the man who gave him that monster hit. So I dont know if he was aware of the deal, but its when everyone else finds out….that’s what I imagine will put him in a different kind of state.”

Timbaland and Jay Z Sued over "Big Pimpin'"

Damn....damn...damn!!!!!! Timbo being sued again...for the same thing.... in the same month? Sheesh! Timbaland faces yet another lawsuit over uncleared samples – the Virginia producer is now being sued over a Jay-Z hit single recorded nearly a decade ago. According to a Los Angeles lawsuit, Timbaland allegedly sampled from an obscure Middle Eastern record to produce the popular song, “Big Pimpin,” which features Jay-Z and Houston duo UGK. Osama Admed Fahmy claims to be co-owner of the song “Khosara, Khosara,” recorded in 1957 by Egyptian musician Abdel Halim Hafez, and accuses Timbaland of lifting a portion of the song without copyright permission. “Big Pimpin” was originally released on Jay-Z’s 1999 LP, “Vol. 3: Life & Times of S. Carter,” only to be re-recorded five years later alongside rock band Linkin Park on the mash-up EP, “Collision Course.” Jay-Z, Timbaland, Linkin Park, and EMI Music Inc. are among those named as defendants in the lawsuit. Timbaland – whose production often borrows from Middle Eastern and Hindustani genres – currently faces a separate lawsuit by recording house Saregama India. The company, which owns nearly 50% of the music released in India, claims the hit producer illegally sampled one of their records for the 2005 song, “Put You On The Game,” recorded by The Game.

THE JUMPOFF HIP-HOP NEWS.....STAY IN THE KNOW!

Q-TIP & COMMON= THE STANDARD

Word on the streets is Q-Tip and Common are forming a duo called The Standard and are about to start recording an album. I can't wait to hear the outcome. In an exclusive interview with XXLMag.com, A Tribe Called Quest frontman, Q-Tip, reveals he’s forming a new group with Common entitled The Standard. “Me and Common [are] getting ready to form a group,” ‘Tip tells XXLMag.com. “We’ll probably run it through the Uni [Universal Records] joint because we’re both on Universal.” According to The Abstract, it was Common who suggested the two from a group. “It was more of his suggestion,” he says. “He was like, “We just need to do a record.” So I’m really excited about that.” While the two haven’t started recording together yet, The Standard will start churning out material once the two starting touring together in a few weeks. As far as the production on the album, though, fans can expect Q-Tip to handle the majority. “I’m probably gonna do a lot of it,” ‘Tip says. “And we’ll get Kanye [West] on a couple things, but you know, that cat is busy.”

NEW NEWS: MARIAH POSES NAKED, TYRA SPLITS WITH HER MANAGER, & MORE!!

Mariah Butt Nekkid on the Cover of Interview [INO] Kanye Calls Timberlake His 'Inspiration' [ABC] Paris and Oprah Called to Court [ENO] Kanye's Mom Compares Him to Jesus [DS] Britney Bails on Duet w/Timberlake [PAGESIX] Britney Spears Moving to London [INO] Pics of Rihanna's Family [CM&V]

Hip Hop Can No longer Fool the White Kids [TIME] Vivica A. Fox Celebrates Her Birthday [FRESH] R. Kelly Judge Allows Video to Be Shown [VIBE] Hamptons Say 'NO' to Diddy's White Party [E-Biz] Tyra Banks Splits with Manager [DI] Omarion: 'I'm Not Dating Rihanna' [SP] Remy Ma Banned From Vivica A. Fox's Party [RAP DIRT] Mary J. Blige Not Pregnant [EURweb] Is Ron Isley in Jail Or Not? [EURweb] Rihanna Loves Being Single [Hollyscoop] Vivica Drinking While She's On Probation? [CL] Eddie Murphy's Baby Daddy Gets His Shop On [TMZ]