By Quibian Salazar-Moreno USA Today has published a list of the Top 25 Music Moments of the Last 25 Years with a couple of hip-hop moments making the list. At #15, Eminem makes the list for his debut album The Slim Shady LP. “WithThe Slim Shady LP, rap’s most successful, skillful and controversial player burst forth, thrilling young fans while horrifying conservative sensibilities with outrageous and violent rapid-fire rhymes,” wrote the paper’s Edna Gunderson. “Denounced for misogyny and homophobia, he was also hailed as hip-hop’s clown prince and poet laureate.” At #12, is “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five. “Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five’s landmark anthem, the first significant rap tune to focus on inner-city turmoil, established the budding hip-hop genre as a vital vehicle for both musical creativity and social commentary,” Gunderson wrote. The highest hip-hop related moment on the list is the release of NWA’s debut album “Straight Outta Compton” at #4. ” Gangsta rap exploded in violent, explicit street stories, including widely banned F— Tha Police, fueling hip-hop’s mainstream popularity and intensifying censorship debates and a culture war,” Gunderson wrote. Napster’s onslaught of downloading made the #1 spot, but you can check out the list yourself at USA Today

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno Even though he could probably retire with a cool $100 mil in his pocket, 50 Cent is still hustling. The rapper recently inked a deal with author, DJ and former video chick Meta Smith to add her to G-Unit Books. Smith stepped on the scene last year with her book “The Rolexxx Club”, a story about a dancer who dreams about becoming a rapper before her past comes back to haunt her. She followed that book with “Queen of Miami”, a DJ who becomes ensnared with a shady Miami club owner’s underworld dealings, and “These are my Confessions” an erotic book featuring stories from four different authors which hits shelves on June 26. She’s currently working on her book for G-Unit called “Heaven’s Fury” and is set to hit bookstores in November. The story is “all about a good girl who turns bad once she finds herself caught in the middle of a bloody drug war,” according to Smith. For more info on Metaclick HERE.

By Kevin L. Clark She may be only 21 years-old, but if you take one listen to songs off of her debut album East Side Story– you’ll hear the voice of someone who’s been here before. Emily King has dazzled audiences and critics alike with her unique songwriting and beautifully crafted voice. It is that distinct and wondrous sound that’ll be blaring out of the speakers during the 3rd Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival in New York. The Room Service Group allowed Crackspace to talk with the New York native as she breaks bread; discussing the allure of New York, talks about her anxiousness to perform at the Festival and shares what she learned from being on the road with John Legend. HHC: Being a New Yorker – what is one thing about the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival that an out-of-towner would cherish that a New Yorker would think is just commonplace? EK: I would have to say that it would probably be the diversity. There’s a soul within New York that exemplifies the culture. I think a lot of those things are traits of New York that I miss every time that I leave. There’s the quality of music that I especially miss. I was on the road with John Legend and we were in Arizona. First, let me say that it’s too hot, but the music in New York just sounds native. Arizona was dope, too, don’t get me wrong, but New York is like a country in its own. HHC: How did you hear about the Festival and what piqued your interest about joining its line-up? EK: I have been hearing about it through friends for awhile. I had never been to it, but I heard about all the incredible artists that have graced its stage. So, I couldn’t say no to the opportunity. I have an incredible stage show to present to the audience. I’ll be on there for about 30 minutes and I hope that everyone enjoys it. HHC: Speaking of the line-up – it’s a raw assembly of people. Is there anyone on the ticket that you’re excited to see perform? EK: Ghostface all day! I’m looking forward to the experience. Doing this show has me feeling like this is going to be some sort of family reunion. HHC: On your album East Side Story — you wrote the majority of the songs. Which one best reflects your personality? EK: …Good question… Umm, I don’t know – I think that it changes from day-to-day. Today, there’s a song called “Moon” and I’m kind of feeling like that. I just got back from the road and I just want to have some tea. I’m a Cancer so… I can be shy or a few other things; like I really want to go to the beach right now. HHC: I still haven’t been to Coney Island, yet… EK: You need to go to the beach! [Donald] Trump bought up a lot of it. They plan on tearing down the amusement park and building up new stuff. HHC: What is one thing about New York that keeps so many people coming through to experience its highs and lows? EK: I come back here for the food. You can get anything that you want right there on your block. There’s the spontaneity. You can just walk around and get into anything, virtually. It’s amazing. You don’t know who all you can see. There’s always something that’s going to happen. The diversity is key, the energy is just fulfilling. So many people crammed into one little space; there’s something that’s bound to happen. That is very good for songwriting. HHC: Since this is a hip-hop festival – will your performance cater to the hip-hop enthusiasts? Or will you have something else in store? EK: I do what I do. I grew up in that culture so it comes out naturally. There may be some surprises. You’ll just have to wait and see. HHC: With this being the 3rd Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival – what do you think that Emily King will bring to the concert that’ll be innovative and refreshing? EK: My band is dope. We have fun on stage. I just want to bring a fun vibe to it. I want to let people know that I’m here to have a good time. HHC: What inspired you to write “U and I”…? Was it a relationship that you were in or was it a reflection of someone else’s relationship? EK:Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I think that it’s me, sometimes I think that it’s about somebody else [laughs]. I’ve definitely been through that before. Sometimes I write a song and it’ll come true after… like I spoke it into reality. HHC: What have your learned by being on the road with John Legend that you’ve used to help with your own stage show? EK: I have learned that you have to have your own ritual to do before a show. No matter if you don’t have enough space and you have to go elsewhere, you just have to have something to do. Musically, I learned that there are so many details that you need to look at before performing. He’s [John Legend] a real class act and he caters to a wide range of people. From young to old, black and white, he’s just very appealing. Aside from music, I learned just to enjoy every little moment. We drove around in a bus with the band for 12 hours at a time and I loved the experience. So, I want to continue to love the experiences that I’m blessed to go through.

By: Hot Gossip Gal Surprised it took this long to come out really but what with all the speculation as to how much Curtis really got from that Vitamin Water deal, you know his baby Momma looking for her share. Her lawyers are saying that when the couple go to court over child support for Marquis the money baby Daddy made from that deal will be the topic of conversation.

By: Rizoh Since it was first announced last year, Chamillionaire’s sophomore album, Ultimate Victory, has been pushed back over and over. It was previously set for March 27, then postponed to April. According to the latest press release we received on the project, it’s now set for September 18, 2007. But while we await the release of Ultimate Victory, Cham is in the studio cooking up a holdover mixtape for his fans. Just like he did last year with Mixtape Messiah 2, King Koopa will be handing out free copies (downloads?) of Mixtape Messiah 3 and Mixtape Messiah DVD. “I’ve been hard at work, putting the final touches on Ultimate Victory while my fans have remained patient and overwhelmingly supportive of me,” explained Cham in a statement. “Now that the album is finally complete and the first official single, “Hip-Hop Police” is ready for release, I’m back on the mixtape grind.” Apparently, Cham has decided to ditch his lead single “Not a Criminal” and restart his Ultimate Victory campaign with a new cut, “Hip-Hop Police” (which features the legendary Slick Rick). The track was produced by hitmaker JR Rotem and will be introduced to radio airwaves later this month. Let’s hope it’s not “Ridin’ Part II.” Both the new mixtape and DVD will be available for free download in their entirety off of the hip hop star’s official website, CHAMILLIONAIRE , on July 18th, exactly three months before the release Ultimate Victory. Guest artists on Ultimate Victory include: Lil Wayne, Krayzie Bone, Pimp C, Lloyd, Famous and Devin the Dude.

By: Rizoh Gucci Mane has inked a deal with Asylum/Atlantic Records via a pact with his own imprint, So Icey and production company Czar Entertainment.Mane’s first Asylum/Atlantic album is scheduled to drop this summer, with appearances by Pimp C, Nitty, Rich Boy, and R&B group Silk. President of Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group, Todd Moscowitz, referred to the deal as a “great coup.”Said Moscowitz: “He’s one of the most charismatic and acclaimed rappers on the street, with an extraordinary life story and the authenticity and talent to back it up.” Atlantic Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman added that “Gucci has been writing poetry and stories since he was ten years old, and it shows in the creativity and depth of his music. He is a brilliant rapper and a fantastic character who is injecting real originality and humor into the hip-hop landscape.” Gucci rose to stardom in 2005 with his hit song “Icy,” which featured Young Jeezy. He was later embroiled in a well-publicized beef with Jeezy over the song. Mane may never have another hit as huge as “Icy,” but for now he’s keeping streets warm with some awesomely-titled buzz records like “Pills” and “Bird Flu.”

By: Hot Gossip Gal Well it might explain her move to MIA. But the way him and Trina are looking all loved up if Superhead has got her hopes set on Weezy will she be able to break them up? Perhaps for a night or maybe an hour or two. Also just for the record, the Baddest Bitch is looking pretty damn good right about now. Way to go Trina.

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno Even if he’s not making money off the music at the moment, 50 is banking off of his recent investment. Last year he entered into an agreement with bottled water company Glaceau that allowed them to use his name and image in marketing the product in exchange for a piece of the company. The Vitamin Water brand blew up and Coca-Cola became interested. Last month the soda empire bought Glaceau for a cool $4.1 billion, leaving fans wondering how much 50 would get from that. Published reports said that 50 had a 10 percent stake in the company and was going to see about $400 million. But in actuality, 50 only has around a 2 percent stake in the company and is walking away with a $100 million from the deal. Still, that’s not too shabby.

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno It looks like the previously announced Wu-Tang album, “8 Diagrams”, might actually happen. The release date is set for September, some folks are saying August and other as early as July. They haven’t recorded an album as a collective in six years, but RZA recently told NME.com that nothing has changed. "This isn’t a comeback,” RZA told NME. “We never went anywhere in the first place, we were just working on various different projects and this is the first group album in six years and the first European Wu Tang tour featuring all members." The Wu are also scheduled to participate in the Rock the Bells tour slated for this summer, also something they haven’t done since before Ol Dirty Bastard’s death in 2004. "We still miss him every day,” RZA said about ODB. “It’s like you lost an arm or a leg, you feel incomplete. He was a very special person, like a very rare diamond. You know, it’s like you wake up one day and they’re saying: ‘There are not diamonds in the world anymore, just cubic zirconia…’."

By: Hot Gossip Gal I was so saddened to see this picture of Remy floating around the internet after giving her her props for stepping up her game somewhatn the other day…BIG MISTAKE. (Note to self…wait at least a month to compliment the chick again!!!)

By: Rizoh If you’re one of those viewers who divorced Rap City after Big Tigger’s exit, BET may have found a way to lure you back…if only for a week. Eve will takeover the show for an entire week, starting today (June 18, 2007) and ending on June 22. She’s bringing along five been-around-the-block hip-hoppers who still command respect in the game: Monie Love, Remy Ma, Mimi Valdes, DJ Jazzy Joyce, and Dr. Roxanne Shante. Eve and friends will discuss the current state of women in hip-hop, the power of women in the industry, and how image-driven the game has become. The legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, longtime Eve collaborator Swizz Beatz, and hip-hop head Common will also stop by Rap City to join the conversation.

By: Rizoh Gather ‘round G-Unit stans, things just ain’t the same for your favorite faux gangstas. Word on the street is that Young Buck fired off some anti-G-Unit shots at a recent music concert. According to spywitness over at a Black Wallstreet blog, Buck specifically said “F**k G-Unit, Cashville Records is the new Unit!” at radio station 107.9 FM’s Birthday Bash in Atlanta. Buck Marley supposedly took the stage after The Game’s performance in front of over 20,000 people, but it hasn’t been confirmed that Game was directly involved in the saga. The folks at BlackWallstreet Blog are alleging that YB’s outburst stemmed from angst at 50’s purported $400 million cash-in from Glaceau Vitamin Water. Glaceau, which manufactures 50’s Formula 50 vitamin water, was recently bought by the Coca-Cola company for $4.2 billion. Buck and the rest of the G-Uniters were left behind on the deal, claims the BWS blog, despite being a part of 50’s marketing campaign. Maybe Buck is simply fed-up with 50’s own “F**k G-Unit” campaign. The G-Unit General has been lashing out at his underlings a lot lately. After Buck disclosed to Hot 97 FM’s Angie Martinez that he had spoken to The Game—50 Cent’s nemesis—over the phone, 50 dashed to Hot 97 to say that he now “holds Young Buck in the same space as The Game.” Strangely, Curtis did a 360 on his statement in the June issue of VIBE, saying: “In no way do I hold him in the same regard as Game.” In the same VIBE interview, Fif barked: “I’ll fire everybody. I don’t give a f**k. They’re capable of all their responsibilities, but when they start slacking, they gotta get the f**k outta here.” G-Unit has been dead on the charts for a while, but is this the end of the Unit as we know it?

By: Hot Gossip Gal …..Eddie Murphy you are the Father. I mean c’mon Mel B was too adamant in her quest for verification ( and child support) for it not to be him. This sure is no Maury show we dealing with here.

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno You really can’t go a week without a popular rapper getting into some legal trouble, but you know what? Cops don’t like underground emcees either. According to the San Francisco Bay Guardian, The Coup’s lead emcee, Boots Riley was a victim of racial profiling while leaving a friends get-together at a Bay area warehouse. “They were saying, ‘Don’t f***ing move, don’t f***ing move,’ and came straight at me," Riley told the Guardian’s Kim Chun. "They put my hands above my head, searched me, and searched my car, even though they were looking for someone who was stealing tires. You know, if they had a description of a light-skinned black man with a big Afro and sideburns, maybe they should have taken me in. But they were yelling, ‘Are you on probation? Do you have a warrant?’ And every time I said no, they said, ‘Don’t lie to us. Don’t f***ing lie to us.’" They also had Boots at gunpoint as neighbors walked by checking out the scene. In the end, Boots was let go and he is considering filing a grievance with the Office of Citizen Complaints, since they didn’t even check his ID. "Usually it’s not anything with me specifically being a rapper," he said. "I might have even more protection because of that. Like at this get-together, somebody came up and said, ‘Don’t you know who this is? This is Boots Riley.’ They might not have known who I am, but they realize this isn’t the regular case where they can do whatever they want."

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno There’s dozens and dozens of movies and documentaries on the life and death of Tupac Shakur, but a new film, “Tupac: Revelations”, is apparently going where no film has gone before. Director Richard Bond has hooked up with Pac’s former bodyguard Frank Alexander (who had a Tupac DVD called “Before I Wake”), to take an investigative look at the murder of Tupac, which is still an unsolved and open case. Bond and Alexander get commentary from former detectives, judges, prosecutors, and criminal journalists on how the entire case was mishandled and mismanaged from the get-go. The DVD will hit stores on the anniversary of Tupac’s murder, September 7, 2007. To get a sneak peek of the film, check out the trailer HERE .