Flashing Lights video premiers this Monday!! Stay Tuned…..

All eyes were on the Black Eyed Peas as the group’s celebrity friends turned out in Hollywood for the fourth annual Peapod Foundation Benefit Concert. John Legend, Common, Ne-Yo, Earth Wind & Fire and The Roots were some of the folks to perform. Stepping out on the green carpet before the glitzy fundraiser, Grammy nominated Fergie revealed she enjoys charity work. "Travelling around the world and seeing disease and poverty, for me it’s about giving back," she said. Earlier this month, the group officially opened the doors to the first ever Peapod Music and Arts Academy – a state-of-the-art music educational centre for kids in foster care and other at-risk teens. Fergie’s bandmate Taboo explained how the foundation had taken off, saying: "We’ve been doing this since 1999 and it started with a toy drive for kids in Pasadena, but now we have all these artists coming to support us and it’s good because we give back to the community and now to all different countries. "Next we’re probably going to do one in the Philippines and in Mexico."

Bryant Purvis was charged with one count of assault causing bodily injury for fighting with a fellow student at his high school in Texas. An 18-year-old student told authorities two males approached him and asked if he had flattened the tires of "their homeboy’s" car, according to an affidavit supporting the arrest warrant. The student said he didn’t, but the two told him they didn’t believe him and walked away. Purvis, he said, approached him from behind immediately afterward, then grabbed him with one hand and began to choke him. "Purvis continued to choke [the student] and told him, ‘Don’t you ever mess with my car again,’" the affidavit said. "Purvis then pushed his head into the seating area of the bench," causing the student to strike his left eye, then walked away. Come on people…. SMH source

50 Cent’s clothing company, G-Unit Clothing, has officially severed ties with its parent company, Marc Ecko Enterprises, it was announced Friday (February 8). Staffers at G-Unit Clothing were notified this morning that they would be let go. Earlier this week, hip-hop news maven Miss Info reported on her Web site that 50 would likely retain complete ownership of the brand and attempt to relaunch the line with another manufacturer. In other 50 news … Curtis appeared on DJ Kay Slay’s satellite-radio show to refute claims he was kicking Young Buck out of the crew. 50 dismissed the incidents as pure coincidence. "During the international tour, Buck was scheduled to go on the Young Rich Tour, that was the tour [his manager] Sha Money [XL] was putting together for him and Rich Boy," 50 told Kay Slay. "I didn’t know that didn’t materialize while I was overseas, but that’s why you didn’t see Buck overseas with us. And he was just in Nashville while I was in New York the weekend we decided to put the tape together. "It just looks crazy because he wasn’t there, then you come back and see the tape and he [isn't on it], but it’s not what people think it is," 50 added. source

Pitbull accused TVT Records of not properly promoting his latest release, The Boatlift, as he encourages fans to "download" or "burn it" instead of buying the album in stores. "When I tell y’all [not to buy my record], it’s not because I don’t want you to support me," the rapper said in an interview on Latina.com. "It’s because I don’t want you to support what this man [TVT President Steve Gottlieb] is doing to an artist that everybody knows is humble, a hustler and a grinder." "My problem is with the president, and he knows that," said Pitbull. "When you don’t clear me for a DJ Khaled album, when you don’t clear me for a Janet Jackson record, hardly cleared me so I had to fight tooth and nail to get on the Gloria Estefan record…I bust my ass for [TVT]. "I’m out here working like a slave, doing things that other artists don’t even know how to do," the rapper continued. "A label’s there to further and promote your career, but it feels like they just keep holding me back." soruce

Oh yeah, this is definitely proof…..

Kanye West has been tapped to perform at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, the Recording Academy announced Friday (February 8). West’s performance, along with a strong critical buzz for Graduation are leading many to predict that this is the year the beleaguered rap star will finally win the coveted Album of the Year award. He’s hardly bitten his tongue in the past regarding his desire — and right — to win. source

As part of the kick off for its Mobile Producer in Residence program, Verizon Wireless has announced hip-hop star Timbaland will be the carrier’s first Mobile Producer. Timbaland will release an entire mobile album through Verizon Wireless’ V CAST service during the course of 2008. Album tracks will be dropped one at a time, exclusively to Verizon Wireless customers through V CAST Music. Complimentary video content will also be available across Verizon’s V CAST Video and Verizon Surround platforms. Timbaland plans to start production of his mobile album at the beginning of March, collaborating with a new guest artist on one track each month and creating the track from the fully equipped Verizon Mobile Recording Studio Bus. As the bus stops in various cities, fans will get access to recording sessions and get a glimpse into Timbaland’s creative process. Verizon has not announced yet which cities the bus will hit first. source

Mass Appeal interviewed Rik Cordero who is an independent music video, commercial, and film director. Features behind the scenes footage from the Kidz in the Hall’s Drivin Down The Block video and some commentary from Rik on his last video with Joell Ortiz and the infamous Blue Magic Trailer. Rik is also the founder and executive producer of the New York based production company Three/21 Films.

Former No Limit Soldier, Serv-On, has written a book called Inside the Mind of Brothas : A Young Black Man’s Guide for Black Women Trying to Survive the Dating Game in Today’s Hip-Hop Generation “Seventy percent of the time, Black Women’s hearts get broken because of their own blind misjudgment and greediness for a man based on outside attributes. With this book, I hope to teach women about today’s Black men in the Hip-Hop community, so that the playing fields are equal and every black woman will end up with the right guy.” This should be interesting …… source

Managers at Jay z’s newly-opened 40/40 Las Vegas joint have been accused of treating their staff poorly and in an unprofessional manner. Reports in Las Vegas Weekly magazine suggest that an estimated 100 employees of the club have voluntarily resigned or been sacked from their jobs since its launch in December 2007.

Organizers of the A3C Hip Hop Festival have announced the first round of artists to perform at this year’s event. On March 20-22nd in Atlanta, the festival will feature Hiero legend Del The Funkee Homosapien, The Cool Kids, Guilty Simpson, Wale, Blu & Ta’Raach are C.R.A.C., Tanya Morgan, Hangar 18, John Robinson, Binkis Recs, Nobody Famous and DJ Lord of Public Enemy. A3CHIPHOP

Steve Stoute, left, and Jay-Z are opening Translation Advertising in New York to help marketers reach multicultural consumers. “There are people who don’t understand the culture,” Jay-Z said. source

There really isn’t too much we have to say about this……..