BREAKING NEWS
Guru From Gangstarr Dies
Groundbreaking rapper and Gang Starr co-founder Guru died yesterday, a month after the cancer-stricken artist collapsed and went into a coma, according to a report on MTV.com

The rapper, whose real name is Keith Elam, had been suffering from cancer for over a year. The report quoted a statement from Guru's camp that inferred the cause was complications from cancer.

"According to (producer) Solar, Guru suffered from the malicious illness for over a year and after numerous special treatments under the supervision of medical specialists failed, the legendary MC succumbed to the disease. Guru always tried to keep this harrowing diagnosis in private but in early 2010 he had to admit himself to hospital due to serious effects caused by the disease."

Guru formed the group with DJ Premier in 1985, and they put out six albums, including the well-received "Daily Operation" and "Moment of Truth."

Erykah Badu Announces National Tour
Named after the closing track of her latest "New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh," Erykah Badu has announced the dates for her 2010 North American tour, "Out My Mind, Just In Time." The trek will make stops at amphitheaters and concert halls beginning May 22 at Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore, MD, and wrapping up on June 24 at The Pearl Concert Theater in Las Vegas, NV.

Badu will be joined by N.E.R.D., Bilal, Janelle Monae and The Roots drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson. In addition to "Out My Mind, Just In Time," Badu will also perform during this summer's Lollapalooza festival, Lilith Fair as well as be featured as a special guest at Maxwell's upcoming concerts at Phillips Arena in Atlanta on June 11 and Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 26.

Here are the dates for "Out My Mind, Just In Time":

May 22: Baltimore, MD (Pier Six Pavilion)
May 23: Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
May 22:Baltimore, MD (Pier Six Pavilion feat. Bilal)
May 23: Boston, MA (Orpheum Theatre feat. Janelle Monae)
May 25: New York, NY (Roseland Ballroom feat. ?uestlove)
May 26: Philadelphia, PA (Tower Theater feat. Bilal)
May 28: Washington, D.C. (Constitution Hall feat. N.E.R.D. and Janelle Monae)
May 30: Detroit, MI (Chene Park feat. N.E.R.D. and Janelle Monae)
June 2: Chicago, IL Chicago (Theater feat. N.E.R.D. and Janelle Monae)
June 3: Chicago, IL Chicago (Theater feat. Janelle Monae)
June 5: Memphis, TN (Orpheum Theatre feat. Janelle Monae)
June 6: Nashville, TN (Ryman Auditorium feat. Janelle Monae)
June 8: Kansas City, KS (Midland Theatre feat. Janelle Monae)
June 9: St. Louis, MO (Fox Theatre feat. Janelle Monae)
June 13: Houston, TX (Verizon Wireless Theater feat. Janelle Monae)
June 14: Dallas, TX (Nokia Theatre)
June 16: Denver, CO (The Fillmore Auditorium feat. Janelle Monae)
June 18: Oakland, CA (Paramount Theatre feat. Janelle Monae)
June 19: Saratoga, CA (The Mountain Winery)
June 20: Los Angeles, CA (Greek Theater feat. Janelle Monae)
June 22: San Diego, CA (TBA)
June 23: Phoenix, AZ (TBA)
June 24: Las Vegas, NV (The Pearl Concert Theater)

Singer Kelis Asks for Speedy Divorce
Despite a seeming upgrade each time she visits a courtroom in relation to her ongoing divorce from Nas, "Acapella" singer Kelis is ready for the whole ordeal to come to an end.

According to TMZ, Kelis filed documents last week seeking to have their marriage "terminated as soon as possible". Citing no chance of reconciliation, Kelis reportedly wants the court to finalize the divorce and handle "other issues" at a later date. Just last week, Nas was ordered to pay over $155k to Kelis' lawyers in addition to back child and spousal support.

Both Kelis and Nas have new albums on the horizon, with Nas leading the charge May 18 ("Distant Relatives"). Kelis follows July 6th with "Flesh Tone".

Comedian/Talk Show Host Monique’s Brother Admits to Molestation
The brother of Oscar winner Mo'Nique appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" yesterday to admit that he molested the Oscar winner for "a year or two" when they were children, and to apologize to his sister.

"I abused and betrayed the trust of another sibling, my sister, my blood sister," said Gerald Imes, who began molesting Mo'Nique when he was 13 and Mo'Nique was about 7 or 8. He apologized to the actress, saying "I'm sorry, Mo'Nique. I'm sorry."

Imes said he decided to appear on "Oprah" to apologize to Mo'Nique and reunite their family. Imes said he himself was molested and he was using drugs and alcohol at age 11. "Hopefully somewhere, somehow as siblings we can come back together as brother and sister," he said.

Mo'Nique, who has discussed her brother's molestation in previous interviews, said she didn't want to participate in today's show, but gave Winfrey her blessing. "She said if your expressing what you had done to her could save one family then it would be worth it," Winfrey told Imes.

"It was such a heartbreaking thing to accept," said Mo'Nique and Gerald's mother, Alice Imes, who was also on yesterday's show along with their father.

T.I. Gets His Own Video Game
T.I. and his company, Grand Hustle Records, have signed on to appear in the new online video game Platinum Life, which allows players to start as an unsigned musician and ultimately reach superstar celebrity status.

Users start with little more than talent and a dream. But the dream is enough - players work their way up, perform tasks for iconic hip-hop stars, do shows at local dive bars and clubs, clawing their way up in the music industry by being around the best and the brightest artists, allowing them to upgrade every aspect of their life.

In Platinum Life, T.I. will guide players in their adventure from struggling musician to successful artist.

"Our online game experience allows top-level artists to share their music, video and lifestyle with their huge fan bases in a personal and innovative way," said Anthony Castoro, co-founder and chief creative officer of Heatwave Interactive. "We feel that T.I.'s music, message and deeply engaged fan base make him ideal as an icon within the game."

T.I. is recently served a one-year and one day prison sentence on felony weapons charges. Jay-Z To Appear on SNL For The 3rd Time
Jay-Z has been added as the musical guest for a special Mother's Day edition of "Saturday Night Live" on May 8.

The broadcast will feature America's sweetheart Betty White - by popular demand - and a reunion of six former female cast members: Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer, Rachel Dratch and Tina Fey.

This will be Jay-Z's third appearance as a musical guest on the long-running sketch-comedy series, which airs at 11:30 p.m. Saturdays on NBC. 50 Cent Traces His ROOTS
The soon-to-be tattooless 50 Cent will trace his family roots as part of an upcoming VH1 Rock Doc titled "50's Roots," the network announced.

The rapper, based in South Jamaica, Queens, will head to the deep south and meet with living family members en route to discovering more about his slave lineage.

The "Rock Doc" is being produced in conjunction with 50 Cent and Roadside Entertainment and is part of 44 new shows VH1 unveiled today for 2010. The new programming reflects a study VH1 conducted, to gain insight into what viewers of the network actually wanted to see.

"They told us that they want to connect even more with our characters, our artists and our celebrities - but in a more genuine way," said Tom Calderone, President of VH1. "They still enjoy VH1's signature sense of fun and irreverence, but they also want more storylines that reflect the issues and challenges they are experiencing in their own lives."

An airdate for "50's Roots" was not announced.

Is Brandy Still Upset With Producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins?
Brandy has some serious beef with longtime friend/producer Rodney Jerkins.

In a soon-to-air episode of her reality show with Ray J, VH1's 'Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business, Brandy leaves no stone unturned blaming Jerkins for poor work and the ultimate demise of her last album, "Human". Reportedly interested in working on a project with Jerkins, Ray J discusses the effort with Brandy, only to be hit with a disapproving look and words like 'I don't want the same thing that happened to me to happen to you'.

While it is unknown whether Brandy has patched things up with Jerkins, since the show taped earlier this year, it is very clear that Brandy was not enthused with his work on the album that ultimately ended with her parting ways with Epic Records.

Actor Danny Glover Arrested
Actor Danny Glover and 11 others have been arrested during a labor union protest at the Maryland headquarters of a food service company. Eleven people, including actor Danny Glover, were arrested Friday in Maryland during a labor union protest of food service company Sodexo

The AP is reporting that Glover and others walked past yellow police tape and were asked to step back three times at Sodexo headquarters. When they refused, Montgomery County police spokesman Capt. Paul Starks says officers arrested them.

The dozen were issued citations for trespassing and let go. Starks says they face a $1,000 fine or 90 days in jail. The Service Employees International Union was protesting what it calls Sodexo's unfair and illegal treatment of workers. Sodexo says the union was spreading misinformation

Ex-Idol Finalist's Say Show Is Rigged
Some ousted season 8 American Idol top 36 semi-finalists--including Felicia Barton, Kendall Beard, and Ju'Not Joyner--participated in an online chat with the Idol website AI Now today. And during his frank online conversation with fans, Ju'Not came right out and said that the TV talent show is in fact rigged, and that its contracts are unfair to contestants.

"It's a fixed thing if I ever saw one," he boldly declared--much to the shock of many naive chatters, who responded with caps locked interjections and frowny-faced emoticons.

It was hardly the first time that American Idol had been accused of wrongdoing. A book loosely based on anonymous former Idol employees' experiences with the show, Stage 46, made similar allegations last year. But few detractors have ever been as brutally honest as Ju'Not was today.

Ju'Not--who by his own account was labeled a "troublemaker" by Idol producers for questioning the contract (which he dubbed a "slavetract") that all auditioners are required by Fox/19 to sign, and was allegedly told by Idol bigwig Ken Warwick, "You're not going to ruin my show"--explained that he wanted to set the record straight today. He stated that he wanted to reveal "truth of Idol" because "Idol ain't all it is cracked up to be...It's certainly not the fairytale most think it is."

Ju'Not claimed he was cut from the competition, and not invited back for the Wild Card round (a shock to many viewers wowed by his memorable "Hey There Delilah" performance) because of his concerns regarding the fairness of the Idol contract.

"They pay for our lawyers to negotiate against their lawyer (which is BS)," he said. "They make us COLLECTIVELY choose the lawyer, then they act like it's in our best interest. Craziest stuff I've ever seen. I have a son to feed. I HAD to ask questions and know what I was signing. Plus I write my own songs and I needed to know details...Some folks were like, 'Just shut up and sign on the dotted line.' I know better than that...I wasn't complaining...I was asking basic legal questions. There's a huge difference between the two."

He continued: "I definitely believed that affected my time on the show. They didn't like the fact that I wouldn't sign 'just anything' and that other contestants were coming asking me questions. So I think they ousted me the first chance they could get...Even if I didn't get in on votes...how did I not get picked for the Wild Card show when I received comments from the 'judges' that were better than most of the contestants who were picked for the Wild Card show?"

Ju'Not also theorized that he was not selected for the top 13 because he refused to let the show's producers exploit his sympathetic "back story" of being from "the hood." Said Ju'Not: "They wanted me to put that out to the world and expose my personal business for ratings. I wouldn't do it."

While Ju'Not made it clear he believes Kris Allen is indeed talented and deserved to win this season, he also maintained that Kris's victory was fixed. "The producers know who they want and they slant it to reflect that. They fix it in a way that makes you surprised but it's still manipulated," he typed.

Notorius BIG Lawsuit Thrown Out
That wrongful death lawsuit filed in 2002 by Volett a Wallace, the mother of slain rapper Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, against the LAPD has been dismissed by the court.

The rapper was shot dead in Los Angeles in 1997. His murder has never been solved, has been linked to the murder of rap rival Tupac Shakur, who was killed in September, 1996.

Mrs. Wallace blamed L.A. city officials and the LAPD for her son's death and filed suit against the department. Her legal papers claimed Shakur's label head, Marion 'Suge' Knight, had conspired with alleged gunman Amir Muhammad and LAPD officers Rafael Perez and David Mack to kill B.I.G., although no one has ever been charged with his murder.

The Wallace family initially won the case in March, 2006, when U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper ruled in their favor and awarded them a $1.1 million judgment against the city's authorities. The ruling was subsequently overturned two months later when it was revealed the Wallaces had held back information they had previously told the court they did not have access to.

The case returned to court earlier this year and, after a series of hearings, federal court Judge Jacqueline Nguyen dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice this week, ending the eight-year court battle, reports WENN.

New Tupac Music Due In September
Thirteen years after his death, Tupac Shakur's first Hip-Hop recordings will now become available through a forthcoming album entitled “Shakurspeare”.

The project is the brainchild of Darrin Keith Bastfield, CEO of Born Busy Records. Bastfield was one of Shakur's early collaborators, and the two formed a group together called Born Busy when a 16-year old Tupac first began to rap. For long-time fans, the album will offer the first glimpses of Tupac's Hip-Hop journey, back when he was known by his first rap name of MC New York.

"I was there when Tupac heard himself for the first time rapping on a recording. As he sat in the cafeteria of the Baltimore School for the Arts it was as if he couldn't believe that he was listening to himself," Bastfield told AllHipHop.com. "Just as Tupac was quietly amazed by hearing himself, I want people to hear Tupac as a young artist in his very first recordings ever having fun, rapping about issues that concerned us, and most importantly giving a cautionary and timely 'Message of Peace' in his own voice as if he was already a big rap star with a reputation to uphold."

The title Shakurspeare is an allusion to a conversation between Bastfield and a 17 year-old Shakur, where the aspiring emcee revealed that he dreamed of becoming as renowned Shakespearean actor. The LP cover will illuminate this motif by having a Bastfield oil painting depicting Shakur as Shakespeare.

At press time, Shakurspeare will be released digitally on September 13 through Born Busy Records.

Jagged Edge Says No To JD
Jagged Edge says the door that has long been wide open to collaborating with producer Jermaine Dupri is permanently closed ! "No. I usually like to leave the door open for questions like that, but I'm going to go ahead and close that door. No, we're not working with Jermaine," Brandon Casey of Jagged Edge confirmed in a recent interview.

"I'm not really looking to ever work with Jermaine again. It's not beef. It's no love lost. I just think we're on two different pages and that's fine. He can be where he's at and we can be where we're heading."

Prior to their recently signed deal with Slip N' Slide Records Jagged Edge had a strong relationship with the producer who backed much of their catalog. Aiding in the production of albums including "Jagged Little Thrill," Dupri maintained what had been deemed a successful relationship with Jagged Edge and Bow Wow at So So Def.

Rick Ross Ordered To Pay Lawsuit
For proving that he's a badass, at least to himself, and maybe a few others, Miami rapper rick Ross is going to have to pay $300,000 for assaulting DJ Vlad back in 2008.

A Manhattan federal jury ruled last week that Ross and his crew were liable for the altercation at the Ozone Awards in Houston, Texas which left DJ Vlad, whose real name is Vlad Lyubovny, with a broken eye socket.

For being a victim of Ross' his badness, Vlad was awarded $50,000 in compensatory damages plus $250,000 in punitive damages.

Ross and his crew reportedly attacked Vlad - the owner of hip-hop site VladTV.com - for exposing that he once worked as a corrections officer. Of course Ross had been frontin' that he was a one-time drug dealer and and all around badass before his rap career took off. Although he initially denied his past employment, eventually he confessed to his past.

"As an individual that covers breaking news in the hip-hop world ... I am grateful that the jury punished Rick Ross for setting me up," said Vlad, following the ruling. "All I was doing was covering the news and making commentary."

Ross, who is now reportedly being managed by Diddy, hasn't commented on the court's ruling.

Toni Braxton Readies New Project
Toni Braxton is reinventing herself on a soon to be released Atlantic Records debut. In fact, the "Breathe Again" singer has a lot in store for fans, including a few unexpected collaborations.

"I'm doing some stuff with Sean Paul," Braxton confirmed shortly after a concert this week. "I think I've reinvented [myself]." In addition to tapping Paul, known for singles like "Temperature," Braxton has spent time with "Bombastic" veteran Shaggy. But don't expect the singer to abandon her roots with this reinvention, Braxton told the Jamaican Observer there will still be plenty of traditional 'Toni' on the album.

"It's a lot of traditional stuff on the album, but I think people are going to be surprised cause I switched it a little bit, doing different things." Stargate, The Underdogs and Claude Kelly are among those who have contributed to Braxton's Atlantic Records debut.

Jay-Z To Write A Book
Perhaps breaking what Beyonce once said was an agreement to keep details of their relationship quiet, Jay-Z is said to be writing about the 'Sasha Fierce' diva in his upcoming autobiography.

In addition to shedding light on the inspiration behind many of his hits; the relationships forged and perhaps broken over the last decade; Jay-Z could very well explain why he "put a ring on it". While details and advance snippets of the book have not been released, a source who claims to be close to the deal Jay-Z signed for the upcoming page-turner, says he will have some interesting things to say.

"It's going to cover everything from his days on the streets as a drug dealer to his fairytale wedding to Beyonce. He'll also be revealing his rapping secrets." A release date for the book has not been revealed but, it has been speculated that the first of a three book deal, could arrive in stores by year's end.

In 2008, Beyonce shed light on their relationship in an exclusive sit down with Essence Magazine but has since made only slight mention of the relationship when asked. Jay Z is also due to release a new album this fall, titled "The Blueprint 3". Diddy Manages Nicki Minaj & Rick Ross
VIBE Magazine has confirmed that Sean "Diddy" Combs has signed on as Nicki Minaj's new manager.

News broke a week ago that the Young Money rapper sent her former manager, Debbie Antney, a termination letter via a lawyer, stating that Antney could no longer conduct business for her.

Earlier this month, Nicki dropped out of a tour with Rihanna and pop newcomer Ke$ha, stating on her Twitter account (@NickiMinaj): "Barbz I'm sorry 2 say I will not be going out on RiRi's tour. I've decided 2 use that time 4 the completion of my album."

The rapper is currently prepping her much anticipated debut and recently released the lead single and music video, "Massive Attack," featuring Sean Garrett. The producer told VIBE recently, "[When] I first played that 'Massive Attack' [for Nicki], I could tell that she was trying to be cool like 'I can't tell [him] that shit is that crazy.' And her assistant was like, 'Yo Nicki, you need to go back to that record.'"

According to Billboard, Diddy is also reportedly managing Rick Ross, whose upcoming album, Teflon Don, drops on June 29.

The veteran mogul is scheduled to release his own project, Last Train To Paris, that same month.

Kelly Rowland Has Bumpy Flight
Kelly Rowland got into a verbal altercation with the flight crew on a flight from Melbourne to Sydney. According to Kelly, she and her entourage were treated unfairly.

Kelly was upset at a cabin crew calling their service shi**ty. Apparently Kelly's entourage was trying to use their cell phones and sitting in the wrong seats on board a Sydney flight. The crew reprimanded the travelers for not following instruction prompting Kelly to call their service unsatisfactory.

Kelly went on to say that the crew was rude to her and her guests and treated them like 5-year olds and she couldn't understand why. A spokeswoman for the airline said it was important for the guests to follow instruction.

Jay-Z Sues Boston Red Sox Player & Wife
Jay-Z is going to bat against Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz for naming a club in the Dominican Republic after the rapper's 40/40 Club. According to Reuters, Ortiz is illegally operating a Forty/Forty club on the island, in addition to running the domain name www.fortyforty.net. Ortiz' club opened in October of this year, while Jay-Z's first 40/40 location in New York opened in June of 2003.

Jay-Z and his business partner Juan Perez own and operate 40/40 Clubs in New York, Atlantic City and Las Vegas, with plans to open more clubs in Tokyo and Macau. The superstar rapper claims Ortiz is capitalizing on the fame and value of the club, by using the name according to a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal Court earlier today (April 15th). Ortiz is aware of the club's name, because he has patronized Jay-Z's famous flagship location in Manhattan in the past.

At press time, neither Jay-Z or David Ortiz have commented on the lawsuit.