P. Diddy has got mo' money, mo' problems...and mo' money problems.

The rap impresario, alternately known as Sean Combs or Puffy, was slapped with a $50 million lawsuit on Monday by two men who claim to have been beaten by Combs' bodyguards for no good reason.

It's only the latest in a string of legal woes plaguing the music and fashion mogul. More about that later.

In the current suit, Thomas Guest, who claims to be Combs' childhood buddy, and Damon Jackson, a car salesman, charge they were assaulted and knocked unconscious by Combs' guards outside Daddy's House studio on New York's West 44th Street.

Apology, schmology. Now, it's going to take $25 million each to make things right.

A Combs spokesperson called the suit "totally baseless" and said the "allegations are ridiculous."

According to court documents, the men were trying to visit Combs when his security team "confronted plaintiff [Guest], threatened him and thereafter physically assaulted him, causing serious physical injuries and rendering him unconscious."

In a separate suit, Jackson claims he was assaulted while going to Guest's aid.

It's not the first time P. Diddy's goons have potentially cost him big bucks.

Last week, Combs caught a break when a North Carolina judge reduced punitive damages against him from $2 million to $450,000, stemming from a civil suit filed by a man allegedly beaten by bodyguards in Combs' employ.

Limo driver Cedrick Bobby Lemon claims he was forcibly ejected by two guards Combs hired to protect Mary J. Blige at a 1995 concert, despite having proper backstage authorization.

After the incident, Lemon was treated at a nearby hospital for a broken right wrist and bruised left hand and claims the injuries have left him broke and jobless.

Another claim racking up the billable hours for Combs' attorneys comes from former friend and business partner Kirk Burrowes. On June 30, he launched a $25 million breach of contract and racketeering suit, claiming that a baseball bat-wielding Combs stormed into Burrowes' office and threatened to make like Robert De Niro in The Untouchables unless Burrowes signed over his 25 percent stake in Bad Boy Entertainment.
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Luther Campbell is planning to release a tell all book about his exploits in the music business, titled "Uncle Luke Campbell's Chicken Soup."

"The book is a collection of stories," Campbell told AllHipHop.com. "It gets into stories about backstage, the obscenity trial, classic freak parties to classic parties we had with Ray Lewis and Warren Sapp while they were still in college."

The book, which is being co-authored with journalist Dara Cook, features in-depth interviews with various rappers Campbell has come across in his 20 plus years in the rap game.

"We have people and different artists, Keith Sweat, Fat Joe and Run-DMC talk about a wide range of stuff," Campbell continued. "People always say 'what do you remember about that big ol orgy that went on down there? Remember we did this and that?' Half the time I be forgetting. Everyone got their stories, so I interviewed them and put em in."

While Campbell has yet to sign a deal with a publisher, the rapper/CEO said that he already has three solid offers on the table from different publishing companies.

Campbell also revealed that he is working on a 20th anniversary album The Don Of All Dons, which he said would be a very controversial album in which he will diss Snoop Dogg.

"Snoop called me a washed up rapper on his show," Campbell said in reference to a skit Snoop performed on his "Doggyfizzle Televizzle" television show.

"I thought that the beef was squashed until he did that, so I see there's some beef. I really get at him on my album. People are going to find it really interesting, because I don't speak any fiction, I only speak the truth."

The album will be a CD/DVD and will contain all new material.

"I am doing a song with Dougie Fresh, Fat Man Scoop and DJ Kool, like a party kings song," Campbell said. "There will also be a Goodie Mob song featuring all of the group members before they broke up."

The Don Of All Don's hits stores in November and the book has no scheduled release date.

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ODB has decided to name his latest album after his latest moniker, Dirt McGirt, according to his manager. Dirty is eying an October release date and has been in the lab with Ludacris, the Neptunes, Swizz Beatz and the RZA.

Besides the seven beats he's already completed with Dirty, the RZA has become an integral part of his cousin's LP. You see, during all the fanfare surrounding Dirty's signing to Roc-A-Fella Records a few months ago, one thing was overlooked. ODB was still under contract to RZA's production company and the Roc-A-Fella deal wouldn't be official until Wu-Tang's main beatmaker approved.

"When he signed to the Roc, I had to sign that paper because he's a Wu-Tang production member," RZA explained. "When he told me that's what he really wanted to do, I sat down with [Roc-A-Fella CEO] Dame Dash and we talked all about it. When we cut the album it's going to be Roc-A-Fella/Wu-Tang."

Even though RZA co-signed on Dirty's efforts with the Roc, some of the other Clan members weren't as receptive to the idea. Raekwon went on New York radio voicing his shock and concern, and in May Inspectah Deck told MTV News he too was leery of the move.

"I haven't been able to sit him down and drill him," Deck said. "A lot of people feel it's a betrayal thing. I would say that too. That's like going to war in Iraq and you be like, 'I don't want to fight for America' and you joining the Iraqis — no disrespect to the Roc. Me, I couldn't have made that move."

"I'm glad Dirty got that deal with Roc-A Fella 'cause it shows we ain't over yet," Method Man said in June. "The only thing [I have] a problem with is him rocking their flag like that, the Roc-A-Fella chain. Dirty is an entity within himself."

RZA feels that by Dirty spreading himself out, both the Clan and the Roc can make history.

"I know some [members of the group] are upset about it," RZA admitted. "They're upset about it based on the egos. To me, this is the best chance we can get. You have an album that ends up with Jay-Z, Meth, Ghostface, Beanie Sigel, Freeway ... mad n---as you never could get on one album. That's how I look at it. We could sit here and talk egos and go back and forth with that sh-- or we can make history. Let's not even play ourselves. [Dame] saw it the same. Let's get it poppin', yo."

RZA described the tracks that he's done thus far for Dirty as being "gutter" with the same feel as Return to the 36 Chambers. Meanwhile, it doesn't look like the rest of the of the Clan will be following through with plans to commemorate their first LP, 1993's Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), with a 10-year anniversary album. RZA said he couldn't speak on it, but Method Man painted a bleak picture for the project.

"Brothers ain't really been in contact with each other," Johnny Blaze said. "Don't let none of them fool you like we talk to each other every day, 'cause we don't. Where we're at right now, a lot of people got a lot of issues they gotta deal with — personal as well as business."

The Clan members' priorities right now seem to be their various solo projects. The RZA will drop his first solo LP as the RZA this winter (he has two as Bobby Digital and one as Prince Rakeem). Meth's LP is slated for this fall, as is Raekwon's. Ghostface Killah is keeping himself hot on mixtapes and has a Def Jam debut due early next year.

And of course Dirty is almost done recording Dirt McGirt, and his VH1 show, "Inside Out: ODB on Parole," premieres Thursday (August 7) at 10 p.m. Among the behind-the-scenes goings on viewers will see are Dirty settling his contract dispute with RZA, working in the studio with Pharrell Williams and visiting his parole officer. Dirty also gives an interview in which he says he felt abandoned by the Clan while in jail.

ODB has scheduled a party for Thursday night at New York's 99 Hudson club, where the public is invited to join him in watching the VH1 show. Afterward, Dirty will celebrate by performing for only the second time since becoming a free man, his manager said.

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Jay-Z, Damon Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke collectively own the Roc-A-Fella empire which includes the label Roc-A-Fella Records, the clothing line Roca-Wear, and the vodka company Armadale - but maybe not for long. The principals may be splitting up soon, according to New York's Daily News.

A source told the paper, "Damon wants to be a baby Puffy. He's spending aimlessly on the company. He signed ODB against Jay-Z's consent. Jay has had enough. This has been brewing for years. Jay is reserved and cool. Damon is flashy. He's had liposuction twice."

Jay-Z plans to retire after the release of his next set, the Black Album, which comes out in November. According to insiders, Jay-Z may be forming a separate label under the Roc-a-Fella umbrella and may even partner with industry executive Steve Stoute to develop new artists.

Dash has also been making the rounds and talking to labels about working on new acts but his spokeswoman denied that there is any friction with Jay-Z and clarified that Dash is looking for other labels to distribute Roc-A-Fella acts, "We have 21 acts coming out. Damon is not sure they could all come out on Def Jam. A couple of them might come out of another company. But it's not for sure."

When Roc-A-Fella recording artist Chris of the Young Gunz was asked about the situation, he said that he didn't find the reports of the break-up of the Roc-A-Fella empire funny and that Jay-Z and Damon Dash will always be partners. "It ain't funny at all," Chris said. "They always going to be together you know what I mean? No matter what. Business is business." Source: Launch.Com

______________________________________The M-E-T-H-O-D Man is back on the scene and gearing up to release his third solo LP, entitled Tical 0: The Prequel, due out in the fall. But rumors have begun to circulate that the most popular member of the Wu will no longer claim his spot among the nine members of arguably one of the most influential hip-hop acts in history. Now, Method Man speaks to SOHH.com to settle the score about beef within Wu-Tang and his issues with ODB, aka Dirt McGirt.

The rumors of a Wu break up started in mid-July when talk spread that Method Man went off on a rant, dissing his Wu brethrens on radio. Allegedly, RZA called a meeting to discuss the group's future and to work out the differences, especially minor riffs between Ghostface Killa & Inspectah Deck, and ODB & Raekwon. The meeting led to a heated argument with a burnt Method Man vowing to never work with the group again. The rumor continues stating that Meth then released a diss-record to his Wu brethren called titled "Verbal Darts." But Meth is quick to clear up any and all false reports involving the group's differences, and sheds a different light on the situation between he and the Wu family.

"I'm having [my own] discrepancies with Wu Tang Productions," says Meth, who's been in Cali filming his new movie "Soul Plane" with Snoop Dogg. "Not Wu-Tang Clan, but Wu-Tang Productions. It's like I did what, two years, and I come home to nothing! You f#@$ing kidding me? That means they ain't handling their business."

Method Man, born Clifford Smith, seized the rap world in 1993 when New York got a taste of the Wu-Tang on their first single, "Protect Ya Neck" of their classic debut LP, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). But their latter two albums - 1999's Wu-Tang Forever and 2001's Iron Flag failed to duplicate the success of the first. He reminisces on the glory days when everything was all so simple in the Wu camp.

"We had a unique deal G. Our sh!t was the first of its kind," he says, reminiscing back on 1994 when the Wu-Tang members all signed distinctive independent deals with different labels. "We had the option to sign solo deals with other labels. It was like 'look, if it's this man's time to shine, who am I to say it's my time to come with this album?' Being greedy and cut his throat? It ain't ever been like that with us. I was patient enough to wait. I'll come in three years down the line. As long as everybody eatin', that's good talk."

Meth's first solo album, 1994's Tical, was one of the most anticipated LPs in hip-hop history. It produced 1995's classic anthem-duet, "All I Need," with Mary J. Blige that reached No. 3 on the Billboard Charts and won Meth a Grammy in '96. In 2000, Method Man released his follow-up -- the aptly titled Tical 2000: Judgement Day -- released nearly four years after his debut. The record debuted to much fanfare in November of 98, selling over 400,000 records in its first week of release.

But Meth is quick to address the issue of jealousy surrounding the other members of the Wu, including estranged member ODB now known as Dirt McGirt. Method Man claims there's no love lost between he and ODB (now signed to Roc-A-Fella), responding to Dirty's claim on VH1 that no one from the Wu came to visit him in jail.

"I went to see Dirty's funky ass. He's a f#@$ing idiot," says Meth. "Dirty never f#@$ing liked me that's why. He never liked me. I mean he liked me but it was a f#@$ing weak emotion. It was jealousy. I wasn't taking sh!t off that ni99a plate. He's one of my favorite emcees [from] back in the day. He fell way the f#@$ off. He was one of the best ni99as."

Method Man is focusing on the future, and hoping that Tical 0: The Prequel will take him back to the glory days when heads were dusted off "Johnny Blaze." He can be currently seen in episodes of the HBO series The Wire, and he's also set to appear in the upcoming season of Boston Public. The future will see Meth team up again with budding-star Redman in two feature films, a remake of the Japanese comedy Jailbreakers, and DEA.