By: Rizoh The G-Unit chief has teamed up with MTV and Pocket Books to publish hip-hop novellas. 50 Cent, along with authors Nikki Turner and K Elliott will sign copies of "Death Before Dishonor," "Baby Brother," and "The Ski Mask Way" to celebrate the launch of G-Unit Books imprint. Beginning Thursday January 4 at 9:00 a.m., customers who bought copies of the G-Unit titles will receive wristbands on a first come, first serve basis. However, the wristbands will not guarantee customers a chance to meet with 50 Cent or the other authors. As a precautionary measure to ensure that as many customers as possible get their books autographed, no cameras are allowed. CDs, memorabilia or periodicals about/by 50 Cent are also barred from the venue. Only G-Unit Books releases will be signed by 50 Cent. The signing will take place on January 4 at 6:00 p.m. at Borders – Columbus Circle, Time Warner Building, 10 Columbus Circle (Celebrity Level), New York, NY 10019

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno Carlos Mencia’s Comedy Central show, Mind of Mencia had a bit of a rough start in the shadow of Chappelle’s Show. But now he’s gearing up to tape his third season and is pulling no punches and will be going after Michael Richards’ racist tirade. “Turns out we get a copy of one of the lost episodes of ‘Seinfeld,’ in which a black family moves into their building," Mencia told the L.A. Daily News. "It’s all about Kramer’s reaction to the family when he has this dialogue with Jerry." And it doesn’t stop there. "We gotta tackle Mel Gibson, of course. And we also have to tackle the fact there are no Latin superheroes. We’ve had some black X-Men, but no Hispanic X-Men, and there’s going to be a change to that with something like ‘Beanerman.’ ‘He came from outer space in a giant bean, he’s the most amazing beaner you’ve ever seen. He’ll spot immigrants pickin’ lettuce, when we’re in trouble, he’ll never forget us’ … something like that." Mencia recently released season two of Mind of Mencia on DVD along with his comedy special, ‘No Strings Attached’.

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno It may look like another movie where the white chick comes to the hood and saves the poor, miserable, and violent Black and Latino kids, but the soundtrack for Freedom Writers is looking mighty fresh. Although it features classic joints from Montell Jordan (“This is How We Do”), Pharcyde (“Passing Me By”) and Gang Starr (“Code of the Streets”), new songs from Common, Talib Kweli and Will.I.Am (of Black Eyed Peas) are also included. The Soundtrack will hit stores on January 9, with the film arriving in theatres on January 12. The film follows the true story of teacher Erin Gruwells (played by Hillary Swank) as she comes to the hood to teach at a local high school. She realizes the pain and struggles of the everyday lives of the urban teenager and teaches them how to express themselves through writing. Here’s the track listing to the soundtrack: 1. Dream, A – Common – (featuring Will.i.am) 2. It’s R Time – Jeannie Ortega 3. When The Shit Goes Down – Cypress Hill 4. Listen – Talib Kweli 5. Passing Me By – The Pharcyde 6. Hip Hop Hooray – Naughty By Nature 7. Keep Ya Head Up – 2Pac 8. Code Of The Streets – Gang Starr 9. Rebirth Of Cool – Digable Planets 10. This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan 11. Officer – The Pharcyde 12. Change – Darrius Garrett 13. Colors – Will.i.am

By: Rizoh " Ghost-riding the whip," a relatively new fad in which a driver exits the car and dances around or on top of the moving vehicle, has claimed two lives and led to several injuries in others. Ghost-riding (also known as "ghosting") was ushered in with the west coast-bred hip-hop subgenre known as hyphy. Lastmonth, 18-year old Davender Gulley, died after his head slammed into a parked car while he was hanging out the window of an SUV in Stockton, according to police reports. In October, a 36-year-old man dancing on top of a moving vehicle fell, hit his head and died in what authorities noted as Canada’s first ghost riding fatality. E-40′s hyphy smash "Tell Me When to Go" is a highly favored ghost-riding soundtrack. The song offers a step-by-step on how to undertake the ghost-riding stunt, and includes the lyrics: "Ghostride the whip."

By: Rizoh The New York rapper, who has an outstanding court date for allegedly assaulting a fan, will be slapped with fresh charges when he returns to the country. According to the New York Post, Busta (born Trevor Smith Jr.) allegedly threw some punches at one of his drivers on December 26, 2006. The driver, Eddie Hatchet, had gone to the rapper’s office to demand payment for his services. Rhymes, 34, is still facing a weapons charge from an earlier assault case, following his alleged beating of a teenage fan who allegedly spat on his car. Busta was cuffed on August 12 for allegedly assaulting Roberto LeBron following the AmsterJam Music Festival. Busta reportedly declined a plea deal of six months in the slammer.

Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in downtown Denver early Monday morning. Team spokesman Jim Saccomano said police called him about 3 a.m. local time from the scene of the shooting and told him three people had been shot and that Williams had been killed. A little after 4 a.m. EST, a white Hummer limousine was sprayed with bullets from a vehicle that up along its side, said Sonny Jackson, spokesperson for the Denver Police Department. Three people in the limousine were hit and were taken to area hospitals, where one man was pronounced dead, Jackson said. The other man and woman who were shot were not identified. Jackson said police were searching for the suspects and interviewing witnesses.

James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," whose revolutionary rhythms, rough voice and flashing footwork influenced generations of musicians from rock to rap, died early Christmas morning. He was 73. Brown was hospitalized with pneumonia at Emory Crawford Long Hospital on Sunday and died of conjunctive heart failure around 1:45 a.m. Monday, said his agent, Frank Copsidas of Intrigue Music. Brown initially seemed fine at the hospital and even told people that he planned to be on stage in New York on New Year’s Eve, Copsidas said. Brown’s connection with hip-hop has been there since the start. His music is perhaps the most sampled in hip-hop history. In 1984 he collaborated with Hip-Hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa to release the hit single "Unity"

By: Rizoh Mobb Deep’s Belgium concert last Friday (December 15) was cut short by violence. A fight broke out between security personnel and a fan that had been kicked out of the VIP section. According to Mobb Deep’s camp, the fan upon being booted from the VIP returned with friends and began throwing bottles at the VIP area. One of the bottles accidentally found G-Unit signee 40 Glocc, cutting his hand in the process. The violence was later controlled and 40 Glocc and Mobb Deep fans were then able to exit the club safely. Mobb Deep will continue to play Europe by visiting Munich today (December 22). 40 Glocc is expected to return to the US after the European tour. His forthcoming mixtape with DJ Whoo Kid will hit the streets in January.

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno P. Diddy’s Sean John clothing line has always got a pass from animal rights groups because the line has always claimed that it uses fake (faux) fur in its clothing. But the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) released the results of a mass spectrometry test that found what Sean John claimed was an imitation rabbit fur collar on one of its Sean John Hooded Snorkel Jackets was actually fur from the canine species raccoon dog. "First these jackets were falsely advertised as faux fur, and then it turned out that the fur came from a type of dog," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "This is an industry-wide problem, and our investigation demonstrates that retailers and designers aren’t paying close enough attention to composition of the fur trim they are selling. It’s especially problematic when the fur is sourced from China where domestic dogs and cats and raccoon dogs are killed in gruesome ways, even skinned alive. The safest course of action is for Sean Combs and other designers and retailers to stop using fur trim. That single act would solve the problems we have uncovered." Macy’s has already pulled the jacket from all of its stores and the HSUS is urging all other retailers to do the same. The Fur Products Labeling Act prohibits the advertising or sale of any fur product that is falsely or misleadingly labeled, and authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to seek criminal penalties, impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation and to seize mislabeled products.

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno Looks like 50 Cent is taking this acting thing seriously. On January 7, his flick with Samuel L. Jackson, Home of the Brave, will hit theatres. Fifty stars as a soldier returning home from Iraq and learning to adjust to life outside of the military. Fifty is currently shooting The Dance, with Nicolas Cage. The film is about one-time champion prize fighter Billy "The Kid" Roth, who has volunteered as a boxing coach for over 40 years in the prisons of Louisiana. Fifty is slated to play one of the inmates Roth coaches. Finally in February, Fifty will join Robert De Niro in New Orleans. That’s right, Fifty will co-star, and hopefully hold his own, with De Niro as the two play cops who head to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Fifty plays De Niro’s new partner while investigating his old partner’s mysterious death uncovers a labyrinth of police corruption.

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno For several years now the DJ battle scene has been a bit on the tedious side so earlier this year, DJ Roc Raida of the X-Ecutioners (and 1995 DMC World Champ) threw his own competition, The Gong DJ Battle. Taped in New York on April 5, 2006, the competition featured DJs from all over competing for DJ supremacy. And if a DJ wasn’t representing, he was getting gonged by the judges DJ Scratch (1988 NMS World Champ/EPMD), Rob Swift (formerly of the X-Ecutioners), DJ Cash Money (1988 DMC World Champ), DJ Spinbad (Power 105.1 & Z100) and GrandWizzard Theodore (inventor of the scratch). To make matters worse, those DJs got clowned by hosts Lord Finesse, Lord Sear and DJ Fat Fingaz as they left the stage. At the same time however, fans are introduced to a new crop of DJs like As One, Kinetic, Steel, Illogix, Slip Wax and DJ I-Dee who are keeping the art of turntablism alive. Look for the DVD to hit stores on March 6, 2007.