-Barack Obama upsets Kenyan official. Truth, as they say, is bitter.

-OutKast's Idlewild enters Billboard on No. 2 behind Danity Kane. No thanks to the ambiguous marketing and promotion of what is actually their new album as a film soundtrack / album.

-50 Cent wants to collaborate with Elton John. What an original idea.
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-Eminem apologizes to Hef's girlfriend.

-Lil' Kim is working on a book and film based on her prison life. *Yawn*

-Ice Cube blasts hip-hop, which is like AJ blasting music videos.

-2Pac's sister says she battles with suicide and depression daily.

-Shots Fired: 50 Cent vs Diddy (Audio Link) I guess Diddy is also excluded from 50's VMA Afterparty guest list now. Apparently, this is over the Ma$e issue. Plus, what better way to promote Banks' upcoming album.

Lupe Fiasco featuring Sway - We Love You (mp3)

I remember hearing Lupe say that he was cooking up a Sway collabo back whenever Food & Liquor hit the nets. He supposedly has a track with some Korean rapper as well. Anyhow, you gotta love the flavor Sway brings to this. My only gripe is that it's too short.

Today's Cuban Linx is a rap-up of August bloggage. (What an event-ful month.) Making sure you didn't miss out on any of the gulliness. Enjoy.

Pix: Kelis, NaS, others at VH-1's Summer of Soul Party
Shots Fired: Trina vs. Everybody
Video: Whatdafxup with Cassie
Jay-Z + Kofi Annan Fight Water Crisis
Pix: Janet Jackson's Vibe Photoshoot
What's Beef...Pt. 2
Pix: Rock the Bells Festival
Soundbites: Kelis ft. NaS - "Blindfold Me"
Free's Back
Soundbites: Akon ft. Eminem - "Smack That"
Video: Beyoncé - "Ring the Alarm"
Cuban Linx 08-16-06: Caught Out There
Pix: Stephon Marbury and Steve Barry Present "Starbury"
Busta Rhymes Arrested for Assault
Video: The Game's "One Blood"
Pix: Kelis' Birthday Party
Sounbites: Beyonce ft. Jay-Z - "Upgrade U"
Pix: Janet Jackson's FHM Photoshoot

VMAs Kickoff Concert featuring Chamillionaire and mini-Beyonce Rihanna














































After-party with Missy and Ciara

Initially, I was going to do a recap of what went down a year ago when Katrina wreaked its havoc in the gulf coast, but what good is it? Why go back and relive a tragedy. I'm actually more interested in seeing progress...kinda like these.

Oh yeah, Top 5 Katrina-Related Rap Songs (Listen-N-Download)

While other 40-yr olds are busy trying to convince their daughters not to pose for FHM, Janet's too busy baring it all for them. Hey, at least, she's the first black person on the cover of FHM. (j/k)

Album art for Snoop Doogg's The Blue Carpet Treatment out Nov. 21


-The ever-grindin' Smoking Section has a brand new interview with 9th Wonder.

-Beyonce storms to No. 1

-Mixtape Monday: Nas says he has a 'crazy joint' with Game. Whatever, put out a single already. Also, Papoose, who recently signed a $1.5 million dollar deal with Vibe through Streetsweeper / Flipmode (wtf is that?), hopes to release Nacirema Dream before '07.

-First, David Hasselhoff[sp], now Elton John wants to record a hip-hop album.

-Foxy Brown allegedly stole 2 $400 belts from boutique.

"Vato" is definitely no "Drop it Like It's Hot" but it works for me. I see us headed back to the Neptunes era, with Thelonius P and Hugo Boss producing more than half of what's out there. I don't blame Kelis for divorcing them.

Beyonce ft. Jay-Z - Upgrade U (mp3)

Exactly what I expected it to sound like. A song about...upgrading each other...yay!! Seriously, Beyonce's album is shaping up to be a disaster. By that, I don't mean that it won't sell a million copies the first few months. The six songs I've heard so far divulge a lack of direction. Picture in-and-out studio sessions...

-According to well-respected DJ Semtex, Dr. Dre is on The Game's album. I wonder if Curtis "Interscope" Jack will get pissed off and push back The Doctor's Advocate indefinitely.

-DMX Slammed for Iraq no-show. For some reason, I'm not surprised that X pulled this crap on the troops, even though he found time to kick a free show for kids in Harlem. Not saying that the Iraq no-show was intentional, but it just seems like the sort of thing he'd do.

-Speaking of Iraq, this former U.S. Army ranger talks about the Iraqis he killed before turning his back on the war. I don't know about you, but killing harmless children at close range, and bombing folks while they're praying are no ways to liberate anyone. Is this guy a fraud?

-17-year old Lil' Romeo starts his own label, hopes to follow in Master P's footsteps.

-Xzibit set to pimp his album, Full Circle, on October 17.

-Matthew Knowles does not care about 2500 Beyonce fans.

-If finding out people's true sexuality is your thing, then this is for you.

-Top 10 Rap Albums 09-02-06: Ross still "pushing it" to the top?

-Am I the only person not feeling this collaboration?

-"Idlewild" lacks substance, or so says the Washington Times.

-Who stole Mac Dre's tombstone? And did I mentioin a big WTF!?

The Roots + Zion I - Come Together (mp3)
The Roots + Zion I - Come Together (instrumental)

A big shout out to my boy Dark Poet who saw this post and declared an internet search party to help find the missing GT track, which then reminded me to go Soundbites-crazy today. I see how "Come Together" could be a decent album cut on Game Theory. But, there are several samples here, and you know how easy it is to clear those bad boys these days. Besides, do we really need that many melancholic tracks on the same album?

"Come Together" appears on The Roots/J. Period mixtape.
More odeos from that mixtape below:

-The Roots + J Period - Rock Star / PSA
-The Roots + J. Period - Thought Is Like (Freestyle)

-OutKast's Idlewild is expected to debut at No. 1 with 200,000 units next week.

-Jay-Z and Beyonce about to dole out $3 million on their wedding?

-Pranksters release real snakes in a theater showing Snakes on a Plane.

-Rev Run's daughter Angela launches her own magazine.

-Apparently, the only thing Janet Jackson likes to talk about is her sex life. *Yawn.*

-The Roots perform one song a day from Game Theory on MTV Live Leak.

-Ice Cube is surprised that former N.W.A. member Yella is in the porn industry. Who wouldn't be?

-Full version of The Roots' 3-in-1 Game Theory video

-Video: Fat Joe visits Shyne in prison. Now that's gangsta.

-Snoop's Blue Carpet Treatment will now drop two weeks after The Doctor's Advocate

-Christina moves 356,000 units of Back to Basics to clinch the No. 1 spot. And...and, and I like her album. A lot. On the other hand, Obie Trice's Second Round's on Me 77,000 units at No.7.

-Busta Rhymes still not willing to co-operate with investigators. Busta has some serious issues. This man beat up a teenager for accidentally spitting on his car? Boycott his album.

-Nas signs an R&B singer to Ill Will I thought he erased that label to start The New Jones Experience. By the way whatever happened to Quan?

-If you're in the NYC area, then you need to hit upHipHopKaraoke (aka some innovative shit) .

One of my favorite singles at the moment. The rastafarian in the video is Junior Reid--author of the original "One Blood"--whose voice was sampled here. I would have loved to see the "chronic smoke clears, all you see is one blood" line dramatized in slow motion, but it's all good.

Apparently, the names have been changed to protect the innocent:

Old: I ain't got beef with 50, no beef with Jay/What's beef when you gettin' head in the '63
New: You gotta beef with me if you beefin' with Dre/What's beef? Us low-ridin' in the '63

Old: What would the motherf****n west coast be without one crip and...(one blood)
New: You kill me, what would the west coast be without Snoop and...(one blood)

Old: And I ain't gotta make shit for the club, what DJ gon' turn down a .38 [slug]
New: And I ain't gotta make hits for the club; what DJ gon' turn down some groupie luv

Old: Turn on the TV and all you see is the "A"/You niggas better make up a dance if you tryin' to get radio play
New: Turn on the TV and all you see is the "A"/You better do like they do if you need radio play

And here's JT denying the thin-veiled insults on "One Blood":
"I'll say it again...I'm not dissin' the "A" -- The Game

The mean-muggin' 07 Denali below is Kelis' birthday gift from NaS
(Click to enlarge)

























































Irv Gotti takes a break from hustlin' Viagra pills to crash K's birthday party.

(Psst: Several attempts to post more pics were repeatedly foiled by Blogger's incredulous f*ck-ups. )

...in stores today

-C-Murder ordered back into house arrest. After being able to roam parties and events, C-M must be pissed to learn that his weed supply is back to home delivery.

-RZA and Common join T.I. and Denzel in "American Gangster"

-Jay-Z announces world tour dates.

-John Legend's Once Again due in October. (Plenty of good music dropping around my birthday.)

-So, how did "Snakes on a Plane" fare at the movies?

-Beyonce's B'Day dubbed a collection of "invariably tuneless songs."

-The Game called off engagement to date this chick?

Watch Lupe Fiasco's "I Gotcha" (windows media)

I would post a YouTube rip of the vid, but you already know the deal with stuff like that. As for the song, Lupe's 3 for 3 right now, even though this isn't as strong as his previous cuts.

-Welcome to U.S., the land of sex slavery

-Mixtape Monday: OutKast to work with A Tribe Called Quest. This should be interesting as long as they hide the guitar from André.

-Kelis never intended for "F**k Them Bitches" to be on her new album, explains why she dropped the Neptunes from her production crew.

-Info on Spike Lee's Katrina documentary which airs today on HBO

-Watch Lupe Fiasco's "Daydream" video

Featuring: Jay-Z, Beyonce, Janet, Ciara, David Banner, Diddy, and the worst rapper alive (I'll let you guess that one).























































































And...let's just say that Aretha Franklin looks different these days.

Oh yeah, guess who crashed OutKast's "idlewild" listening party?

1. Rotten Apple (feat. 50 Cent and Prodigy)
2. Make A Move
3. Survival
4. Iceman (feat. Young Buck, Scarface & Eightball)
5. Dollar Bill (feat. Rakim)
6. Help (feat. Keri Washington)
7. Addicted (feat. Musiq Soulchild)
8. Hands Up (feat. 50 Cent)
9. Stranger
10. Get Clapped (feat. Mobb Deep)
11. One Night Stand (feat. Keon Bryce)
12. NY, NY (feat. Tony Yayo)
13. Playboy Pt. 2
14. Gilmores
15. Cake (feat. 50 Cent)
16. Life (feat. Spider Loc)

Whether or not people will still believe in the G-Unit regime depends on the outcome of this Rotten Apple.

I was really rooting for Banks prior to the Hunger for More. Imagine my chagrin when his mixtape murder attitude was nowhere to be found on HFM, an album that was still two songs shy of a great effort. Then, he started taking the whole Blue Heffner thing a little too seriously...

Peep what others are saying about Rotten Apple:
Rotten Apple Review (1)
Rotten Apple Review (2)

Sez Yahoo News:

Rapper Busta Rhymes has been arrested and charged with assault, police said Sunday.
Few details about the arrest and the attack that prompted it were immediately available, although police Officer Martin Speechley said they occurred about a week apart.

Police have been wanting to interview Rhymes since the February shooting death of one of his bodyguards, Israel Ramirez. Ramirez, 29, was killed outside a Brooklyn studio where Rhymes was recording a music video.

I was hoping they would arrest him for squandering his advance on dookie chains. I bet he'll start snitching now.

Biz Markie, Rocsi, and others were in the house to support the new clothing line by Knicks guard Stephon Marbury. $14.98 for a pair of sneaks? $9.99 for a crisp tee? How real is that?

(click to enlarge)