A judge dismissed Violetta Wallace’s lawsuit against the LAPD over her son Christopher Wallace’s death.

I remember reading about Biggie’s death in a few books. Apparently one of the theories about Nototrous B.I.G.’s death was that corrupt LAPD cops killed Biggie at the orders of Suge Knight.

The theory alleged that Knight used Amir Muhammad, the alleged triggerman, and LAPD officers Rafael Perez and David Mack to have Christopher Wallace set up for murder. That probably is the most popular and likely theory regarding Biggie’s death.

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Thoughts On The Death Of Biggie Smalls

Christopher Wallace, best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was murdered on March 9, 1997.

EULOGY: Thoughts On The Death of Biggie Smalls

Check out our Biggie photo gallery below:

Best Of Biggie: May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997

“This is why it’s not good to hold grudges…” -Kandi Burruss

It was fun. Fun to hear his growls at the beginning of records and to mimic the way he slurred some of the words in his rhyme. I loved watching him play the playa role in a ridiculously huge suit and enjoyed dancing all night to his tracks with women who loved his “Big Poppa” steelo. And when he rose out of bed, naked and unashamed, roaring down the phone in all of his 300-pound glory in the “Warning” clip, I knew that for now and always, Big was a star.

In February 1997, a few weeks before his death, I was assigned to do a feature for Trace magazine on the life and times of Biggie Smalls. I was determined to write a piece that kept clear of what I saw as the bullshit controversy surrounding his life: the drug busts and criminal charges, the hoopla around Lil’ Kim, the break-up with his wife Faith, and of course the conflict with Tupac Shakur.

I wanted to see what was behind all that, concentrate on the music, and explore some of the peculiar dilemmas that the nineties have held for African-Americans. See, for many of our young folk, Big was a hero. A hero because he gave expression to the thoughts and feelings of those who have never been heard. Biggie, as the best hip hop artists do, narrated as artistic fantasy what for so many, is a cultural reality. And that is essentially, the nature and purpose of the art form.

Like the blues, jazz and the best of African-American art, hip hop is one person’s expression of self that is representative of some part of ourselves. Big was Brooklyn’s finest, the brotha who dedicated his album to “all the teachers that told me I’d never amount to nothing…and the niggas in the struggle.” And he was a real person.

I remember the first night I spent with him, his peeps and I laughed for hours about his exploits on the road. Stories of Luke, Shaq, and rolling with R. Kelly had us in tears about as much as the numerous sex tales of groupies along the way. But there was no pretentiousness, no over-confidence, no cocky mask to hide any deep-seated insecurity. Big let you love him or leave him alone. And it was hard to do the latter because as he said so often: “To know me is to love me.”

“Dolly My Baby (Remix)”

But those who have the least, have to sing the loudest. So it was no surprise that Chris Wallace, former hustler, former dealer, former survivor, frequently expressed in his music the anger and frustration inherent in a life from the ‘hood. And the materialism. For over the past two decades, the most significant shift in the culture of African-Americans has been that we have fallen victim to the individualism and greed that have always defined the larger American society.

James Baldwin once asked in his classic discussion of the Civil Rights Movement, The Fire Next Time, “Do I really want to be integrated into a burning house?” Without ever answering, black folks find ourselves today within that burning house, robbing and stealing and “going for mine” either on Wall Street in a Ralph Lauren three-button suit or on the streets of Brooklyn in a Korean-made Polo sweatshirt. Biggie wasn’t ashamed about being in hip hop for the money. And why should he be? Goldman Sachs makes no apologies. Everything we learn and are taught by America tells us to go for the paper because with money there is success and happiness. Don’t try to improve your community or change the ghetto, just buy your way out. By any means necessary. And Big did that through hip hop.

A generation ago, Chris Wallace wouldn’t have had a chance to make “tremendous cream.” There wouldn’t have been a space for a “Notorious B.I.G.” or a “Biggie Smalls” or a “Puff Daddy.” And a generation ago, our parents feared we would be killed by someone in a white sheet, not someone that looks like us. So where are we now? And who’s to blame?

“Juicy”

Do we blame rappers themselves for often talking about the worst of their environments or the media industries for promoting and selling unhealthy words and images? Do we blame the parents who are not around to teach and guide their children or the kids who don’t take responsibility for their own actions? Do we blame an indifferent white government or ineffective black leadership? Or shouldn’t we just blame ourselves as a collective?

If I asked my former students, twelve and thirteen year-olds living in inner-city Baltimore, how many of them had seen or known someone who had been killed, every hand would go up. And so the drive-by murder of Biggie Smalls becomes not an anomaly, but a part of the macabre reality we call black life.

Hip hop is the primary way we are all socialized. In the absence of a strong family unit, the church, or any reliable systems of education, young people learn how to talk to each other, treat each other, and feel about themselves and their world using the rhymes they listen to every day.

The tragedy about the death of B.I.G. is here was a young brotha struggling to figure himself out. Life After Death represented for him a new beginning. A path away from a life he knew to be self-destructive, but one which until recently, he was unable to escape. That is not to say his second album is free of the pathos that made him so Ready to Die, but there is a growth there. A progression he would have continued in his music, a journey that so many young people could have learned from.

“Warning”

Big wanted to be alive, to laugh and cry and act out the lessons he had learned from his past. He also wanted to love. Love his children, his fam, and his moms. Mrs. Wallace was all over Ready to Die. She was an object of stress and bitterness, but also a symbol of strength and survival. Big spoke of her in his rhymes more than any other rapper I know–except of course, Tupac.

Many will point out that Biggie and Tupac’s deaths are more examples of life imitating art. But aren’t we all on stage? Murder is often the leading cause of death for young black men and most of us do very little about it. Can that be a reality? It seems that we have become increasingly unable to differentiate between fantasy and what is real. And for that reason, our art is our life.

Hip hop is our dominant culture, and it’s the way we learn how to live. Kids act like the stars they see in their favorite videos, and find a rhyme for the situations that confront them every day. That power of the art form surprises even many of those who wield it. It’s what makes hip hop so compelling, but aren’t we allowing ourselves to be entertained by our own tragedy?

Tupac, in his martyrdom, became a cultural hero. Biggie will be the same. Tupac asked brothas to die for him…Big found new life. But ultimately, the music couldn’t save either of them.

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I never knew E-40 and Biggie had beef. They had a similar look and fashion taste. I guess it was over some things that Biggie said in a magazine. Well some angry E-40 fans had burners on Biggie’s whip and Biggie had to call E-40 to get the goons off him.

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While on what would be his last tour in November of 2005, J Dilla sat with his friends and tourmates, Frank & Dank, Dave NY, and DJ Rhettmatic of the Beat Junkies in an airport and talked about working with Biggie, and going out on a date with Lil’ Kim.

And just for good measure, here’s the Biggie song mentioned in the video.

RELATED: Maureen Yancey Relaunches J. Dilla Foundation, Confirms 2010 Projects

RELATED: J Dilla Tributes To Take Place Nationwide

Mary has an album out tomorrow and I love Mary. Here is the best work she’s done featuring rappers.

10. I Love You (Remix) Featuring Smith And Wesson

9. What’s The 411 Featuring Grand Puba

8. You Remind Me Featuring Greg Nice(Of Nice And Smooth)

7. All That I Got Is You Featuring Ghostface Killah

6. Can’t Knock The Hustle With Jay-Z

5. I Can Love You Featuring Lil Kim

4. Rainy Days Featuring Ja Rule (Don’t Hate)

3. Real Love Remix Featuring Notorious B.I.G.

2. Love Is All I Need Featuring Nas

1. You’re All I Need With Method Man

In this video Snoop reminisces about the mid nineties and the east coast/west coast beef. He talked about the Source awards and how he remained friends with Biggie and Puffy, despite Suge and Pac’s beef with them. He also talked about how his decision not to dis Puff and Biggie led to a rift between himself, Pac and Suge.

Check Out These Joints Too

Treach Says He Was Cameraman For Tupac Sex Tape

THROWBACK: Biggie And 2Pac Freestyles

THROWBACK: Notorious B.I.G. On “Martin”

THROWBACK: Tupac And Jada On A Different World

Here are some rare performances with Biggie and Pac. I’m mad that I can’t find a video from Biggie’s “where Brooklyn at” verse but Pac’s part is there. Snoop, Warren G, Puffy and Daz make an appearance. I even threw in a Nas and Biggie freestyle for good measure.

Where Brooklyn At(No Biggie Verse)

Biggie And Pac Freestlye

Biggie And Nas

Biggie, Snoop And Warren G. (With Tupac In The Background)

Biggie With Pac And Puff As Hypemen

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Biggie was never as good as an actor as Tupac but he still had presence. Here he goes on “Martin.”

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Kandi Burruss Talks About Biggie’s Dreams

In part 2 of Tupac’s lost interview with Vibe, he talks about his beef with Biggie, the east coast west coast beef and the night he was shot.

DJ Clark Kent drops many, many jewels in this interview (namely about the difference between MCs and rappers) but around the 3:00 minute mark he tells a crazy story about a Tupac fan stepping to Biggie the wrong way.

247HH V2: DJ Clark Kent from MCM on Vimeo.

The legendary Hit Factory. B.I.G., Diddy, Onyx, Naughty By Nature. Amazing. This is when cats had to write they numbers on paper to exchange info. This is when there was no Twitter or Facebook. You had to wait for exclusives like this to hit the street.

Oh, how those times are missed… Check out some nostalgia and share your thoughts in the comments section!

Wow, genetics are an amazing thing. Little Christopher Wallace and Little Christian Combs are posted up on a city block giving Diddy swagger lessons. Clearly, proper toothpick twirling technique is on the Swag Summer School syllabus.

Props to Nahright for starting my day with a chuckle.

Big Pun was one of the best to ever do it and if you don’t know check out his credentials. First Latino rapper to go Platinum, along with Heavy D and B.I.G. – he was a nice with the ladies and duke could go toe to toe lyrically with the best and brightest in the rap game.

But sadly, his time on this Earth was cut short when Pun died in 2000. His accomplishments and life was capture on film and the good folks at Czar are letting the world know about his “legacy” in this new documentary.

Check out the video below and share your thoughts in the comments:

VIA SP:

Shy rapper Rick Ross is so obsessed with his collection of designer sunglasses he always wears a pair during sex [click here to read].

The Hustlin’ star was inspired by late rapper Notorious B.I.G. to customize his growing collection of shades, costing up to $2250 each. And he’s become so attached to the diamond-encrusted eyewear it’s often the only item he’ll keep on when stripping down for a steamy session of love-making [click here to read].

He tells StreetLevel.com, “I’ve had sex in my shades, sometimes I wear my clear ones. A lot of ladies compliment my eyelashes so I don’t want people to see them; I’m shy, so wear my shades all the time. I never told nobody that before.”

Ladies, do you think that that’s sexy? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Check out these ‘Urban Daily Noisemakers’ below:

VIA DX:

Producer Colione of the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League recently spoke to Vibe Magazine about the impact The Notorious B.I.G. had on the production for Rick Ross’ latest album, Deeper Than Rap [click to read].

“We actually went to the theaters and saw the Notorious,” said Colion when prompted about the inspiration for Ross’ song “Magnificent” [click to listen]. “When we got home, we were inspired to work with B.I.G. So we started making tracks for him and ‘Magnificent’ was one of the beats that came out. We were like, ‘Yo, if Biggie was alive today what would he rap to?’ We were actually doing it for ourselves. Actually, our management sent that to Ross.”

Click here to read more about the story! Does Rick Ross make our 100 Celebs gallery? Check it out:

Fox
$29.98
3-Disc Edition: $34.98
Blu-ray: $39.99

Plot: The story of Christopher Smalls a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G. (Jamal Woolard), the Brooklyn born rapper who lived large and changed the hip-hop world before his untimely death.

Opinion: Shot in 38 days, Notorious was a fast pace homage to the life of the legendary Christopher Wallace. Jamal Woolard, Angela Bassett, Derek Luke all star in director George Tillman Jr.’s musical biopic. The rise to fame, fall from grace spotlights some known and unknown marks in the great rapper’s life, but is a glossy representation of the man’s time on earth.

Tillman captures the essence of post-Reagan era New York with the 90′s being the rock ‘n roll era of hip-hop where a dollar and a dream was what you needed to be a star. Not giving you too much more about the movie, Notorious finds strength in its omissions and although it may be some time before we get a deeper look at the late Frank White a la Tupac Resurrection style, you can rest assure that there’s dope stuff on this DVD that’ll keep you entertained.

Bonus Features: There are a lot of things packed into this DVD for the Biggie fans. After the fat gets trimmed, you can check out vintage video of Wallace and Diddy performing, the featurette that chronicles “Biggie Boot Camp” and a ton of deleted scenes for your viewing pleasure.

Verdict: Buy It

Check out our celebrity gallery below!

All eyes were on the cast of Notorious this week for the DVD release party for the film about the life of The Notorious B.I.G. Check out Jamal Woolard (Biggie), Antonique Smith (Faith) and Naturi Naughton (Kim) at the party! Even Lil’ Cease made it out!!

Click here for all things Notorious!

Check out GIANT magazine’s interview with the Jamal Woolard and the bast of Notorious here!

In and interview with Ubeenjacked, Lil Cease talks about B.I.G., the Notorious movie, Junior Mafia, and trying to make up with Lil Kim.

“You can only argue, fuss and fight with people you’re close to…” – Lil Cease

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Lil Kim, they say, is off her rocker. And with some already questionable feats to her resume already, the Queen Bee goes in on Big Boy’s radio show about a few topics that’ll hit close to home for any fan of the late Notorious B.I.G.

Check out the video below:

On the anniversary of the death of Christopher Wallace, I remembered this eulogy I wrote twelve years ago.  I had met Biggie days before he left New York for Los Angeles where he would be gunned down on March 9, 1997…

Where were you when the legend died??

I was a fan first.  Before I had the chance to talk and laugh and join him in his world, I was a fan of Notorious B.I.G..  From “Juicy,” “Warning,” “Unbelievable” and “One More Chance” to “Things Done Changed,” “Dreams…,” and all the cameos and remixes, there was a lot of music to love.  I actually played “Get Money” so often that the vinyl began to sound dead, and I remember rushing to the club the night I got “Hypnotize” so I could blow it up three or four times in a row.  It was fun.  Fun to hear his growls at the beginning of records and to mimic the way he slurred some of the words in his rhyme.  I loved watching him play the playa role in a ridiculously huge suit and enjoyed dancing all night to his tracks with women who loved his “Big Poppa” steelo.  And when he rose out of bed, naked and unashamed, roaring down the phone in all of his 300-pound glory in the “Warning” clip, I knew that for now and always, Big was a star.

A few weeks ago, I wanted to roll with that star.  Assigned to do a feature for Trace magazine on the life and times of Biggie Smalls, I was determined to write a piece that kept clear of what I saw as the bullshit controversy surrounding his life: the drug busts and criminal charges, the hoopla around Lil’ Kim, the break-up with his wife Faith, and of course the conflict with Tupac Shakur.  I wanted to see what was behind all that, concentrate on the music, and explore some of the peculiar dilemmas that the nineties have held for African-Americans.

See, for many of our young folk, Big was a hero.  A hero because he gave expression to the thoughts and feelings of those who have never been heard.  Biggie, as the best hip hop artists do, narrated as artistic fantasy what for so many, is a cultural reality.  And that is essentially, the nature and purpose of the art form.  Like the blues, jazz and the best of African-American art, hip hop is one person’s expression of self that is representative of some part of ourselves.  Big was Brooklyn’s finest, the brotha who dedicated his album to “all the teachers that told me I’d never amount to nothing…and the niggas in the struggle.”

And he was a real person.  I remember the first night I spent with him, his peeps and I laughed for hours about his exploits on the road.  Stories of Luke, Shaq, and rolling with R. Kelly had us in tears about as much as the numerous sex tales of groupies along the way.  But there was no pretentiousness, no over-confidence, no cocky mask to hide any deep-seated insecurity.  Big let you love him or leave him alone.  And it was hard to do the latter because as he said so often: “To know me is to love me.”

But those who have the least, have to sing the loudest.  So it was no surprise that Chris Wallace, former hustler, former dealer, former survivor, frequently expressed in his music the anger and frustration inherent in a life from the ‘hood.  And the materialism.  For over the past two decades, the most significant shift in the culture of African-Americans has been that we have fallen victim to the individualism and greed that have always defined the larger American society.  James Baldwin once asked in his classic discussion of the Civil Rights Movement, The Fire Next Time, “Do I really want to be integrated into a burning house?”  Without ever answering, black folks find ourselves today within that burning house, robbing and stealing and “going for mine” either on Wall Street in a Ralph Lauren three-button suit or on the streets of Brooklyn in a Korean-made Polo sweatshirt.

Biggie wasn’t ashamed about being in hip hop for the money.  And why should he be?  Merrill Lynch makes no apologies.  Everything we learn and are taught by America tells us to go for the paper because with money there is success and happiness.  Don’t try to improve your community or change the ghetto, just buy your way out.  By any means necessary.  And Big did that through hip hop.  A generation ago, Chris Wallace wouldn’t have had a chance to make “tremendous cream.”  There wouldn’t have been a space for a “Notorious B.I.G.” or a “Biggie Smalls” or a “Puff Daddy.”  And a generation ago, our parents feared we would be killed by someone in a white sheet, not someone that looks like us.

So where are we now?  And who’s to blame?

Do we blame rappers themselves for often talking about the worst of their environments or the media industries for promoting and selling unhealthy words and images?  Do we blame the parents who are not around to teach and guide their children or the kids who don’t take responsibility for their own actions?  Do we blame an indifferent white government or ineffective black leadership?  Or shouldn’t we just blame ourselves as a collective?  If I asked my former students, twelve and thirteen year-olds living in inner-city Baltimore, how many of them had seen or known someone who had been killed, every hand would go up.  And so the drive-by murder of Biggie Smalls becomes not an anomaly, but a part of the macabre reality we call black life.

Hip hop is the primary way we are all socialized.  In the absence of a strong family unit, the church, or any reliable systems of education, young people learn how to talk to each other, treat each other, and feel about themselves and their world using the rhymes they listen to every day.   The tragedy about the death of B.I.G. is here was a young brotha struggling to figure himself out.  Life After Death represented for him a new beginning.  A path away from a life he knew to be self-destructive, but one which until recently, he was unable to escape.  That is not to say his second album is free of the pathos that made him so Ready to Die, but there is a growth there.  A progression he would have continued in his music, a journey that so many young people could have learned from.

Big wanted to be alive, to laugh and cry and act out the lessons he had learned from his past.  He also wanted to love.  Love his children, his fam, and his moms.  Mrs. Wallace was all over Ready to Die.  She was an object of stress and bitterness, but also a symbol of strength and survival.  Big spoke of her in his rhymes more than any other rapper I know–except of course, Tupac.

Many will point out that Biggie and Tupac’s deaths are more examples of life imitating art.  But aren’t we all on stage?  Murder is often the leading cause of death for young black men and most of us do very little about it.  Can that be a reality?  It seems that we have become increasingly unable to differentiate between fantasy and what is real.  And for that reason, our art is our life.  Hip hop is our dominant culture, and it’s the way we learn how to live.  Kids act like the stars they see in their favorite videos, and find a rhyme for the situations that confront them every day.  That power of the art form surprises even many of those who wield it.  It’s what makes hip hop so compelling, but aren’t we allowing ourselves to be entertained by our own tragedy?  Tupac, in his martyrdom, became a cultural hero.  Biggie will be the same.  Tupac asked brothas to die for him…Big found new life.  But ultimately, the music couldn’t save either of them.

Check out the hot new Biggie mixtape here

The provocative new blog, “A Dead B.I.G. Is Better Than A Living Weezy!”  here

And our exclusive GIANT VIDEO interview with Jamal Woolard and the cast of Notorious here

Today marks the 12th year of Christopher Wallace’s passing and since then a lot has changed. The slang, the style of dress and even the “pop culture” referenced metaphors have been altered since the Notorious One was laid to rest.

With all the discussion of who’s the best, who’s king and who’s overrated – The Urban Daily has taken particular notice about the ascension of Lil Wayne. The self-proclaimed “best rapper alive, since the best rapper retired” is a mixed bag of nuts for many in this hip-hop game. But we’ll give three reasons why even though B.I.G. is gone from this earth, he’s still light-years ahead of the game’s most beloved alien.

Influence:

Christopher Wallace was responsible for the entire considerable wealth that Diddy amassed before and after his passing. Mr. Wallace was the reason why Diddy had the loot to create his own clothing line and his pen game helped to make Sean Combs a “respected” rapper. The Bad Boy CEO got a Grammy for No Way Out that B.I.G. was heavily featured on, gave Lil Kim her start and was the only competition Jay-Z faced that mattered.

When Weezy started, he was the baby of the Hot Boys and although he started his own imprint (Young Money Entertainment), he hasn’t really directly influenced anyone other than Kanye West, but we know Mr. West isn’t a subscriber to anyone else’s modus operandi.

Slanguistics:

Wayne said that he came up with the term “bling-bling” which sparked a million imitators. From songs to wack commercials, “bling” was king for a few years. But B.I.G.’s “ashy to classy” – first heard on “Sky’s The Limit” off of Life After Death – is still cool to say after 12 years in rotation. Go on… say “bling bling” around a girl right now and see if she doesn’t give you the wicked screwface.

Music:

Despite only just having two albums – Ready To Die and Life After Death – before losing his life on March 9th, B.I.G. came, saw and conquered New York hip-hop and ultimately the game with a crazy style of lyricism that blended storytelling with real life escapades. His signature designs made his one to envy, as well as imitate.

On the flip-side, Weezy F. has made six studio albums and tons of mixtape collectables that helped him to achieve his considerable commercial success. Yet, still fails to hold down Top 10 honors in any weight class. Juvenile and B.G. may have fallen off the bottom of the map, but still gain the respect commanded of true veterans of the game in Louisiana. Scarface may have retired, but he is lightyears ahead of Wayne in the storytelling department and many consider T.I. to be the “King of the South.” It is up for discussion if Lil Wayne can even rightfully be considered the heir to Jay-Z with so much work not producing the same quality and sales as the Brooklyn heir to B.I.G.’s throne.

BIGGIE’S PRODUCER CARLOS BRODY DISAGREES WITH KEV! CLICK TO READ WHAT HE HAD TO SAY….

Check out these videos and you be the judge:

The production company Morgan Creek has sued Amaru Entertainment, alleging that the company ran by Afeni Shakur has reneged on an agreement to sell 2Pac’s life rights for an upcoming film adaptation.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amaru and Morgan Creek started negotiations in November of 2008 for a currently untitled Tupac Shakur biopic. The complaint states a written contract was in place for the late Shakur’s life rights, but representatives from Morgan Creek were unhappy with Amaru Entertainment’s “refusal to honor and perform a contract of a production of the film based on the life of Tupac Shakur.” Morgan Creek is reportedly seeking financial damages and other relief.

Amaru Entertainment lawyer, Skip Miller, says no written contract was in place, and he indicates that Amaru will take defensive measures.

“They have scared away Paramount, Fox and others, and we are going to sue them and recover millions (in damages),” Miller told The Reporter.

While life rights and permission from Afeni Shakur aren’t necessarily needed to make the film, since 2Pac was a public figure, some agreement would need to be reached to include any works from 2Pac’s musical catalogue.

The Reporter adds that those close to the situation point to “Notorious” as a culprit. The biopic based on the late Notorious B.I.G. did not bring in as much as Fox Searchlight hoped to, despite a $21.5 million opening weekend. A rift between Morgan Creek and Amaru Entertainment reportedly developed shortly after the release of “Notorious,” with either one or both parties disagreeing on changes to the movie to avoid a similar fate at the box office.

Morgan Creek has declined to comment on the situation.

Does that mean he’s overrated? Check out our Top 10 Most Overrated MC’s gallery!

SOURCE: HipHopDX

After serving roughly eight years of a ten year sentence for his role in the infamous Club New York shooting on December 27, 1999, Shyne looks to be finally on the verge of release. The attorney for the former Bad Boy Records artist spoke to HipHopDX earlier today to clarify the details of his client’s pending parole, as well as provide some insight into Shyne Po’s post-prison plans.

“We’re hoping for April,” said Shyne’s legal counsel, Oscar Michelen, of when he is anticipating his client’s release from the Woodbourne Correctional Facility in Sullivan County, New York. “[But] they don’t normally let you know [the exact release date] until right before it happens.”

Mr. Michelen went on to clarify that, “A parole hearing is scheduled for June. And if they don’t release him prior to that date, then he gets his parole hearing. But they can advance that depending on the situation at the jail at that particular time. And we’re under the belief that it might very well be advanced [to April].”

Shyne’s stellar personal conduct while incarcerated should contribute to his likely parole this spring.

“He’s been an exemplirary inmate,” Michelen told DX of the now 30-year-old Shyne (who legally changed his name in 2006 from Jamal Barrow to Moses Michael Leviy upon converting to Judaism). “He’s had no problems, been very positive. As a matter of fact, myself and another person were scheduled to go up [on] the 26th of February [to see him]. There’s a dinner in honor of African-American History Month, and so Moses [is] participating in that. And he’s also coordinating, getting some speakers to talk about how things have affected the criminal justice system in the last few years, [and] what we think the affect of the new presidency will be on issues affecting minorities. So he’s always been involved in many positive things at the jail and has never had a problem at all whatsoever. So, he’d be the perfect candidate for [parole]. The only knock against him was that he was convicted of a crime that’s considered a violent crime.”

Shyne was charged and subsequently convicted in March 2001 of four charges-including first degree assault-for allegedly firing multiple shots into the crowded Club New York (and striking three people) after a fellow patron named Michael “Scar” Allen approached Sean “Diddy” Combs, Diddy’s then girlfriend actress/singer Jennifer Lopez, Shyne and their additional entourage and taunted the Bad Boy CEO by throwing money at him.

Diddy was acquitted of all criminal charges for his alleged role in the melee that night. But a subsequent civil lawsuit was filed against both the Bad Boy founder and his then artist by Natania Reuben, who was shot in the face during the incident and is now seeking a $130 million dollar settlement.

“The matter is still pending in court and we’re awaiting a trial date,” revealed Mr. Michelen, who also represents Shyne in this civil case in addition to providing the rapper’s criminal defense. “Both Mr. Combs and Shyne are being sued; they’re [both] defendants. I’d rather not comment on Mr. Combs’ aspect of it. I can comment on my client. He’s got his own lawyer. But [Shyne] is still a defendant in the lawsuit. There are going to be motions to dismiss. And I guess a judge will ultimately determine whether it goes to trial or not.”

Mr. Michelen did not wish to reveal when asked by DX whether or not Shyne had been deposed in the civil suit yet. Shyne’s testimony was reported to have taken place last year following Diddy’s deposition in March of ’08-marking the first time Shyne would have gone on record (he did not testify during his criminal proceedings in 2001) about the events that took place at Club New York and whether he was or was not acting in defense or under the order of his then label boss, Diddy (Shyne’s then trial attorney claimed that a person in Allen’s entourage shot first) when he fired into the club. Shyne will likely remain on parole for nearly two years following his release, until the maximum expiration date of his sentence on March 12, 2011. Once the aforementioned civil proceeding against him is adjudicated he should be free of any legal entanglements for the first time in more than a decade.

And according to his attorney, the Belize-born/Brooklyn-raised unacknowledged son of Belizean Prime Minister Dean Barrow who went on to gold success as a rapper (first noted for his uncanny vocal similarities to The Notorious B.I.G.) is eager to resume his life free of the criminal justice system.

“I [can] only speak as his lawyer and his friend,” began Mr. Michelen, “but I know he’s anxious to get back into the recording industry. He’s got a lot to say. And people are anxious to hear it.”

“He’s a very spiritual person in general, very committed [to his faith],” he continued. “And of course he wants to see his family. He wants to be able to make decisions for himself for the first time in years. He’s a bright man. He’s still got a lot of things to say. And I think he’s going to try to make the most positive impact out of this very negative experience that he possibly can. And if anybody can do it, he can. He’s a tremendous person. He really is so much more than just a musical artist. And I think he’s gonna be a force.”

SOURCE: HipHopDX

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all! With love in the air, some may have gone the Ralph Tresvant route with the flower’s and candies. But I know BlackPlanet is a little bit more tougher than that. So, check out these Top 10 Most Gangsta Love Songs and be in the mood! Enjoy!

10. Tupac Shakur, “Me & My Girlfriend” -

Although this song was about his gun, ‘Pac’s conviction wooed plenty a lady who already had affinity for the West Coaster’s “thug passion.” On “Me & My Girlfriend,” ‘Pac cleverly displayed his wit, charisma and brute aggression… three things women still love to this day.

9. LL Cool J, “I Need Love” -

LL Cool J was the first to let his “sensitive” side show and in 1987 that was gangsta enough. Women already loved Mr. Smith’s casual delivery, confident bravado and the “LL” wasn’t for lackadaisical lame, if you know what I mean.

8. Lost Boyz, “Renee” -

The Lost Boyz held New York down with their creative beats, rhymes and life. Mr. Cheeks somber tale about “Renee” highlighted that ghetto love that we’re all trying to have in our lives. At the end of the day, you still gotta tell that one that you care for that you love ‘em, you never know what’s going to happen.

7. 50 Cent, “21 Questions” -

50 broke Ja Rule’s heart so he could make women swoon with “21 Questions.” You can never go wrong with Nate Dogg on the hook and 50 capitalized on his massive buzz, biceps and street cred to get this song by without ruining his rep in the rap game.

6. Busta Rhymes ft. Janet Jackson, “What’s It Gonna Be?!” -

Heads flipped when they saw the Hype Williams video, but true heads flipped when they saw former LONS dungeon dragon, Busta Rhymes, all hugged up on Janet Jackson. The song did well for Bussa Bus, but certified Ms. Jackson as the one that made our hearts go pitter-pat.

5. Eminem, “Superman” -

Eminem has done his brand of “love” songs before, but they were more about offing his wife Kim if anything else. But with “Superman,” the Aftermath lyricist du jour wouldn’t buy life for a chicken and that’s priceless.

4. Apache, “Gangsta Bitch” –

When this song came out, I couldn’t believe that they could play this on the radio, but the charm was inescapable. Hell, I still want a gangsta b*tch, but she got to have Michelle Obama class and wit. Apache described New Jersey (and Brooklyn) to a tee with this ode to the rough-neck sistas we all know and love.

3. Notorious B.I.G., “Me & My Bitch” -

Biggie Smalls may have been “black, fat and ashy,” but that didn’t stop the girls from loving the way he talked about ‘em. On “Me & My Bitch,” the girl who looks so good that he’d oral compensate her father for helping create her, may be a little bit much… But it was that charm that B.I.G. possessed that always made the ladies call him “poppa.”

2. Jay-Z ft. Beyonce, “Bonnie & Clyde ’03″ -

If you didn’t know that Jay & B were together until she married the Brooklyn entrepreneur, then you MUST’VE been under a rock when this joint dropped in 2003. The chemistry the duo had may not have matched up to our #1, but they placed #2 on the fact that out of everyone on the list – they’ve been able to translate their musical partnership into some real love. Now that’s gangsta.

1. Method Man & Mary J. Blige, “I’ll Be There For You/All I Need” -

You couldn’t have anyone BUT Mef and Mary do this track. They were our Marvin and Tammi and a lot of folks are bumpin’ this song for they shorty right now! We can make war or make babies. The choice is yours!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all! Snuggle up with that loved one and check out our Top 10 Valentine’s Day Movies!

Bossip.com snagged clips from Hip-Hop Weekly (gotta love the Internet game of telephone, folks) of Ms. Voletta Wallace responding to Lil Kim’s Notorious film grievances:

“She felt the character we chose for her was ‘too dark,’ ” Wallace told the publication, regarding Kim’s issues with the film. “Do you know why the character was too dark for her? Because she’s a white woman trapped in a black woman’s body, and you can tell the world I said it, because those are Lil’ Kim’s words. She should be ashamed of herself.”

Wallace had some more ether for the pint-sized rap icon:

“Tell Lil’ Kim to go find herself, go drink a cup of green tea and get a life! This movie is not about Lil’ Kim. She felt we used her character to promote [but] this movie is about my son. … Lil’ Kim needs to go sit down.”

CHECK OUT OUR GALLERY OF LIL’ KIM PHOTOS

On the other side of town the loquacious P. Diddy dropped his two cents on the situation in his video blog with Biggie’s friend, D-Rock:

In the  BP forum “I Saw ‘Notorious’ Yesterday…” members share there experiences since the movie’s premiere last Friday. Tell us how you liked the movie here.

As former label mates in the ‘90′s with Bad Boy Records, R&B group 112 and Notorious B.I.G. spent a good amount of time together touring and recording in the studio. Collaborating on the hit singles “Only You” and “Sky’s the Limit,” it pained the four-man crew to see Biggie go at the peak of his career.

With B.I.G.’s legacy resurrecting through the new biographical movie, Notorious, former 112 member Michael Keith spoke to HipHopDX about one particular gesture from Biggie Smalls that has stayed in his memory to this day. “There was a show that B.I.G. and we were doing together, but because 112 was new to the game, the promoter wanted to reduce our show time. We weren’t happy to say the least,” Keith noted.

Frustrated, the group seemingly had no choice but to take the shorten performance slot, until Biggie stepped in. “We passed by B.I.G. on our way to the stage and told him how the promoter was trying to play us, and B.I.G. (who was the headliner) told the promoter that unless he gave us our regular show time he wasn’t going to perform, period! We got our time back and B.I.G. even preformed ‘Only You’ with us. That’s the kinda dude he was; he had a really big heart.”

Notorious is currently playing in movie theaters, while Keith’s self-titled solo disc is available in record stores now.

SOURCE: HipHopDX

Courtesy of the good folks over at SOHH.com:

“Rapper-turned-actor Jamal “Gravy” Woolard is reportedly due in court later this month for an alleged assault on his wife.

The alleged incident took place last fall.

‘Court records show Jamal Woolard was arrested and charged back on September 14 with misdemeanor assault, menacing, and harassment after an alleged altercation with his wife, Trina Younger. Woolard is due to appear in court on the charges January 29. (TMZ)’

In other reports reveal Woolard’s mother-in-law disputed the reports.

‘Paperwork shows Woolard admitted responsibility, allegedly telling cops, “She wouldn’t stop pushing me, so I snuffed her.” The rapper’s mother-in-law, who is staying with the couple during the film’s opening weeks, said she was unaware of any domestic-violence incident. “I know he wouldn’t hit her,” said Roslyn Younger. “He’s not like that. Most definitely, they have a good relationship. That’s impossible. I think it’s made up. He’s a loving husband and I never heard of anything like that before in my life.” (New York Post)’

The news comes a day after Woolard signed a deal with It Girl Pulic Relations.

“I want to be the guy that is a chameleon with performances, known for a diverse body of work and hopefully fortunate to be working in this business for a long time,” Woolard said in a statement. (Hip Hop Press Release)”

What do you think? Jamal forgot that he’s not in a movie?