Similar to Murder Inc's Chris Gotti shooting himself in the leg this past February, Ja Rule may be self-inflicting a wound with the potentially incriminating lyrics in his new mixtape release, "The Wrap." While there is little legal precedent for using song lyrics as evidence in a case, the Federal investigation will certainly be invigorated by Ja's admissions on record of assault, attempted murder and money laundering.

"The Wrap", released just days ago on the Big Mike Rookie of the Year Pt 2 mixtape, features Ja Rule and rapper Fatal Hussein in a lyrical exchange that paints a clear picture of Murder Inc's illegal dealings. Rule aims at the usual suspects 50 Cent, Dr. Dre and Busta Rhymes but the most deadly lyrics are aimed at Ja's camp as the cocky front man mocks the Feds, stating on record that his crew is responsible for the recent assault of D-12 member Proof, the stabbing of 50 Cent and using his label to launder drug money.

"I'm real advanced with that cock and blast / and the Feds want me bad for cleaning cash / What cash is
we cleaning? It's all about the Benjamins / What? If it's dirty, then we rinsing it off / ... / they say I rap to
rhythm and blues / but when I turn on the radio I hear ya'll ni99as rapping it too / like Baby Can You Give
It To Me, now I'ma give it to you / the same way that we gave it to Proof / the same way that we gave it to
Loose [reference to 50 Cent]"

No word from anyone in Ja Rule's camp about the lyrics. The song can be found on Big Mike Year Of The Rookie Part 2.
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Michael Jackson's lavish lifestyle has left him on the brink of bankruptcy, his former financial advisers claim in a lawsuit.

The King of Pop, who was once worth $300 million, is a "ticking financial time bomb waiting to explode at any moment", according to papers filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Union Finance and Investment Corporation alleges the singer owes the firm £7.2 million in fees and expenses, plus interest.

"For whatever reason, Michael Jackson is not paying his debts," said the company's lawyer, Pierce O'Donnell. "He has little or no means of income. He lives off a line of credit ... The day of reckoning is near."

The suit alleges that when Union Finance agreed to work for the singer in 1998 to help straighten out his finances, "there was no clue that Jackson's extravagant lifestyle had all but bankrupted him".

The firm said it soon discovered that the star had only two months' worth of available funds.

Jackson's lawyer, Brian Oxman, said he did not believe the 44-year-old singer was near bankruptcy.

"I see no signs of this impending disaster. I cannot say it for 100% sure because nobody knows his financial statements. But I can say it for a reasonable certainty."

Forbes magazine last year estimated that Jackson was earning $20 million a year at the height of his popularity in the 1980s, and had amassed $300million during his career.

But Jackson faces more than 1,000 lawsuits, including a $10 million claim by a California producer over cancelled concerts. The singer's former manager has also filed a suit for millions of pounds he says he is owed in back pay
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After reports surfaced that MCA would be folded into Interscope Records because of MCA's decline in sales over the past years, it seems that the transition is now underway.

"I got the call and they said 'you know everybody at Interscope is excited…I said, 'Interscope? Why are people at Interscope excited about me?," rapper Skillz revealed to AllHipHop.com.

Skillz, who is signed to Rawkus, which recently entered into an arrangement with MCA, said that most of the rap acts were destined to leave MCA and that the proposed merger may be beneficial to the artists.

"It will probably have a different stamp on it, either Interscope or Geffen, but Jimmy's (Iovine) got the pick of the litter as far as what he wants to keep. They are supposed to keep the Rawkus name anyway, because they bought into it."

While representives for MCA and Interscope Geffen A&M declined comment, sources stated that the merger would turn Geffen Records back into a major, in hopes of finding the same success the label found in the early 90's with such Nirvana and Guns-N-Roses.

"We were all ready to roll at MCA, but now it looks like we might be getting better looks," Skillz concluded.

Skillz has recorded seven new songs for his upcoming release, I Aint Mad, and is currently on a promotional tour.
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Ras Kass is no longer a fugitive from justice. In the early morning hours of Saturday, May 24th, John Austion aka Ras Kass was arrested and taken into custody by the Las Vegas Metro Police Department.

According to Ras' good friend and MC protégé Scipio, Ras Kass was arrested after the vehicle he was a passenger in was stopped by the police.

"From my understanding, (the driver) was driving kinda crazy and so they just got knocked like that," says Scipio. The reckless driving proved fatal to Ras' standing as a free man, as Scipio notes, "you can't do sh*t in Vegas, it was just the homie was drivin' way out. It's crucial when you're on the run from the law, any little thing as you can clearly see can happen to f*ck up the whole thing."

In town to do a show, Ras is now awaiting extradition back to Los Angeles were he will make his first court appearance sometime within the next week.

Any additional charges or possible bond for the legendary lyricist are currently not known.

According to Scipio, Ras Kass' incarceration will not slow the release of new material.

"We still gonna keep it movin', everything is gonna keep runnin'. You gon' think it's on some 'Pac sh*t, 'cause we got music, we gonna keep the n***a alive."

Currently Ras Kass has two new full-length albums due for release, Ras Kass Presents...The Re-Up, a compilation style album featuring Scipio and others due to be released this summer on Empire Musicwerks/BMG, and, Catch Me If You Can, an all new solo release and DVD.

As for public perception of the Waterproof MC's stint as a fugitive, Scipio believes Ras has only done what he was forced to. "I believe if anybody was put in this situation they would react similar."

Ras status as a fugitive may have come to an end, but his status as a Priority Records recording artist remains unclear.

The label has not publicly released a statement regarding any of Ras Kass actions over the past few months, and Scipio for one believes they are directly responsible for all of this.

"Priority/Capitol didn't wanna drop this n***a's sh*t, and if you're tryin' to hold somebody from eating, holdin' a n***a back from feeding his family, but he gonna do his time like a man and hold his head,
but they wouldn't let him get his paper straight before he had to turn himself in. If you see somebody at your record label in this much anguish, if you're a humane person, why wouldn't you let them go?"
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Founding member of rap’s wildest group’s Onyx, Big DS has lost his battle with cancer on May 22nd. Originally consisting of Big DS, Fredro Starr, Sticky Fingaz and Sonee Seeza the group jumped on the scene with their platinum album “Bacdafucp”. Bacdafucp” produced such hits as “Shiftee”, “Slam” and “Throw Ya Gunz”. The group became well known for their hyped up rhyming style. After releasing the first album Big DS was said to have decided to leave the group to pursue a solo career that never came to be.

Fredro Starr who also went by the name Firestarr will be releasing his second solo album “Don’t Get Mad, Get Money on May 20th and Sticky Fingaz recently released his second album “Decade” in April and stars on UPN’s hit television show “Platinum”. As a group the three remaining members will release “Triggernometry: The Study of Guns”, on October 31st.
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Big Boi and Andre 3000's solo joints Speakerbox and The Love Below have once again been pushed back and slated for an August 19, 2003.
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Word is that American Idol winner, Ruben Stoddard may collaborate with Fat Joe on he a track for his first album.
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There also unconfirmed reports that Canibus has enlisted in the army and recently graduated from bootcamp in Ft. Knox, Tennessee as a cavalry scout/reconaissance specialist.