Word is that Cam'Ron`s Purple Haze album has been pushed back for the third time. The Pink Panther`s fourth effort was initially scheduled to drop in June before being pushed back to July and now August. While "Get Em Girls" has established a strong buzz, its follow-up, the Jaheim assisted "Lord You Know" has failed to measure up to past countdown bound singles such as "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma" - prompting the label to push his release back. Sources say Cam is presently in the lab searching for another strong single.
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Though he's dropped a mixtape in recent months and a bootleg of his most recent tracks, sources say that Mos Def has just completed his long awaited sophomore LP tentatively entitled The New Danger. While the Brooklyn rapper/actor's next music project was originally slated to be a rock offering with his Jack Johnson band, the record promises to contain straight Hip-Hop material. The CD is scheduled to drop on September 28th.

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While Lloyd Banks is sitting atop of the Billboard charts after selling 431,000 units in The Hunger For More`s first week, the buzz around the street on the album's offering is mixed reviews. Fans have expressed disappointment with the Boy Wonder`s first offering - noting everything from production to uninspired hooks for the LP`s downfall. Publications such as Vibe and The Source Magazine also have given Banks' debut a 3.5 rating, quite modest considering the hype surronding his LP.

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Legendary Hip-Hop collective, A Tribe Called Quest, appears to be re-uniting - or at least for one summer night in San Diego. The entire band, including Q-Tip, Ali-Shaheed and Phife, are scheduled to take the stage together for the first time in years at the annual Street Scene concert in August. Also on the bill are Ludacris, Mos Def & Jack Johnson and The Black Eyed Peas. Street Scene, San Diego's premiere annual musical extravaganza, takes place on August 27th and 28th.

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Eminem will make his first foray into radio with an investment in a new, nationwide channel on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Eminem, Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine and Shady Records vice president Paul Rosenberg will executive produce a 24-hour Hip-Hop music and lifestyle channel for the network, which will include a specialty show hosted by Eminem, a show by DJ Green Lantern and other Hip-Hop offerings.

Eminem said the move to Sirius would allow him to freely express himself. Because satellite radio is a private industry, it is not monitored by the FCC, something that many artists find attractive.

"Once upon a time not too long ago, the feds wanted all my music off the air," Eminem said. "Now we'll be on Sirius 24 hours a day, playing the best Hip-Hop ... not just from Shady Records, but from everywhere.”

Shady’s new channel plans to conduct live broadcasts and interviews and would air hard to find music from an assortment of Hip-Hop acts.

Eminem’s lyrical content has come under fire numerous times, from various groups of people. The FCC has even penalized radio stations with fines for playing his music.

“We'll deliver an uncut hip-hop radio station like never before,” Eminem continued. “I can't wait to start dropping new material, exclusive tracks and uncensored hip-hop featuring me and everyone else, freely saying whatever the hell we want."

The channel is on tap to debut this fall and will be included with every Sirius subscription at no extra charge.

Eminem has also ventured into the world of television. His Shady Records had partnered with Universal Music Group and the owners of adult industry powerhouse Vivid Entertainment to launch 1 AM, a subscription-based channel that offers uncut videos and uncensored content.

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The Notorious B.I.G. will finally have his day in court as a federal judge on Friday cleared the way for his wrongful death suit against the LAPD to be presented on October 5th.

Two years ago, the estate of Christopher Wallace aka The Notorious BIG filed a wrongful death suit against the City of Los Angeles and LAPD police chiefs alleging the department's authority was used to execute and cover-up the rapper's murder. The rap giant was slain seven years ago when his vehicle was hit by rounds of gunfire after attending an after party for the Soul Train Awards. Former LAPD officer, Richard Mack, along with accomplices, has been named by theorists as the mastermind behind the murder.

The issue in question for the judge was whether Mack acted "under color of law" - which is defined as committing an act with the authority or supposed authority of the law. A summary judgment filed on June 30th in the US District Court in California stated that, though Mack as "off-duty" at the time of the murder, it could be determined that he was acting "under color of law."

"The judge, after reviewing the totality of the circumstances, determined that a jury could find that Mack acted under color of law if they determined he did the crime," remarked attorney Perry Sanders, counsel for the estate of Christopher Wallace.

The suit alleges that Mack, who is currently serving a 14-year federal prison term for a 1997 bank robbery, planned and orchestrated the murder with accomplice Amir Muhammed as the triggerman. Additionally, the suit claims that various LAPD chiefs "intentionally, willfully and recklessly delayed and stopped the investigation" to protect the force and the city.

To prove their case, Perry and Biggie's estate plan to show that Mack and Mohammed had access to non-public information that would have been available only to police officers, including the surveillance of the rapper, the composition and location of police officers at the Petersen Automotive Museum where the rapper was attending an after party for the "Soul Train" Awards, tactics used by the police in protecting large events, tactical frequencies used by police radios, the location of the rapper's car and his exit plan, and how the police officers would respond to the shooting. "In addition, it appeared that police radios were used to monitor the location and response of law enforcement to the shooting, as well as to facilitate escaping after the shooting, concealing the vehicle, and disposing of the weapon," reads Judge Florence-Marie Cooper's summary judgment filed.

The court also found that the fact that Mack was off-duty on the night of the murder does not control whether he acted "under color of law."

"It is the nature of the act performed, not the clothing of the actor or even the status of being on duty or off duty, which determines whether the officer has acted under color of law," the judgment reads. Therefore, whether or not the LAPD was aware of or authorized Mack's actions would not exonerate them of responsibility for Biggie's death if in fact Mack abused his badge and position. "To find that color of state law was present, the police officer's actions must have been performed while the police officer was acting, purporting to act, or pretending to act in the performance of his or her official duties," the judgment continues.
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The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People expects more than 8,000 people to attend the convention, which opens on Saturday.

Democratic challenger John Kerry accepted an invitation to speak next Thursday on the final day of the convention, the NAACP said.

Bush spoke at the 2000 NAACP convention in Baltimore when he was running for president.

NAACP spokesman John White said Wednesday that Bush has declined invitations in each year of his presidency -- becoming the first president since Herbert Hoover not to attend an NAACP convention.

The NAACP received a letter from the White House three weeks ago declining the invitation because of scheduling conflicts and thanking them for understanding.

The letter was signed by presidential scheduler Melissa Bennett.

White House spokesman Jim Morrell said Wednesday that the president has spoken about "equal opportunity and equal rights for all Americans" in many public places.

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LL Cool J is all about balance. He juggles rapping with acting and then has to make sure that no matter what he does in the entertainment field, he keeps a steadiness at home. That's why when he was in New Orleans on July 3 performing at the Essence Music Festival, he made sure he had a jet waiting for him after a post-show press conference — he had to be home to celebrate the Fourth of July with his wife and kids.

"Life is about priorities," he explained at the press conference. "If [my wife] cooks something at home, I'mma try to get home to eat it."

Taking professional precedence in L's life is his upcoming LP, DEFinition, which drops on August 30. The first video from the set, "Headsprung," has already debuted.

"What I wanted to do is something real new, something different," he said of his 11th LP. "I didn't want to do the same thing over and over again. I kinda liken it to an actor that does a lot of dramas then jumps into an action movie. I did most of the record with Timbaland and I wanted to have some fun and do music that would be playing in the club like 1, 1:30 in the morning. I've done a lot of romantically inclined songs on the last few records; I wanted to venture off and do something different. That's why the first single, 'Headsprung,' is such a curve from what I've been doing, and I feel great about it."

Cool J already dove into movie mode earlier this year, filming "Slow Burn" with Ray Liotta, and he just completed work on "Edison" with Justin Timberlake, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey.

"It's my most dramatic role," he said of "Edison," in which he plays a police officer who has to make some serious choices in his life and career. "It was the most challenging role I've ever had. Working with Morgan and Kevin and just being around people like that was a blessing for me. It's kinda like being in the NBA and being in two or three years and getting to play in the all-star game with the best people in the league. It was amazing.

"Justin is incredible, we had a lot of fun," he added. "We talked about a lot of things on the set, hung out."

In "Slow Burn," LL plays a gang leader. According to Cool J's spokesperson, there is no confirmed release date for either "Slow Burn" or "Edison." Another LL movie, "Mindhunters," has made the rounds on the black market but never officially hit theaters. The legendary MC said he has no idea what the movie company plans to do with that film.

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From the what the fuck category, Paris Hilton, heiress to the billion dollar Hilton Hotel fortune and star of the hit television show "The Simple Life," is working on an album with Lil Jon.

"We met at the MTV Movie Awards where we were hosting pre-show," Lil Jon told AllHipHop.com. "We talked about me doing some s*t on her album and so we hooked up and talked and its going down."

Hilton is negotiating with a major label and according to reports, has already laid down several tracks with Lil Jon for her debut album tentatively titled Screwed.

While the release is meant to showcase Hilton's singing ability, the album may include a rapping Hilton.

"The Simple Life 2," Hilton's reality show, premiered last night (June 16) on Fox.

The show features Hilton and Lionel Ritchie's daughter Nicole, travelling in a trailer and working odd jobs.