Howard University students are questioning Mase's credibility after the rapper turned pastor turned rapper allegedly gave his personal cell phone number to a Howard University freshman.

Mase recently stopped by the school's Cramton Auditorium to sign autographs and promote his new album. Following the session, Mase was escorted to an Escalade, where he obliged in signing more autographs for fans crowding the vehicle. Once the coast was clear of pedestrians, Mase allegedly gave freshman Erica Pinkett his cell phone number along with a note that read "don't talk."

I came out just because Mase is a cool guy," the freshman said. "I just wanted to meet him."

According to a Hiltop reporter, she called the number several times after seeing it during an interview with the student. When a young man who claimed being a Bad Boy intern finally picked up, the journalist explained how she obtained the number and then requested an interview with Mase. The youngster then hung up before calling back within 10 minutes to say that Mase was playing around by giving a number that isn't his. The intern also said that the request would be passed over to Mase. According to the reporter, Mase called 30 minutes later to inquire on how the number was acquired. Mase then said that he gave the student the number "to get her off my back" because she harassed him for it. Pinkett then said that she called but never met the rapper.

"He was really mad and asked why I gave the number out," Pinkett said.

Howard students weren't surprised by Mase's actions and some voiced that they questioned his credibility.

"I think he was probably serious about [ministry] at one point, but he's back in that [rapper] lifestyle," senior Jeron Ravin shared. "Why would he give a girl his number when he has a wife? It definitely wasn't promotion for his CD."

School of Divinity student Trevor Beauford added, "It's straight up from God. He should still be taken seriously because he's still a person. Sometimes we have to separate a man from a message. When he wrote 'don't talk,' that's what raised questions. If that got out that he was trying to talk to a freshman at college, it would affect his ministry."

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As Hip-Hop invades the Playboy TV network they are prepping the release of Snoop Dogg's Bucwild Tour Bus DVD.

The DVD captures Playboy TV personality Bucwild as he hang with Snoop and 10 Bucwild girls, backstage, on the tour bus and exclusive after parties during last year's Roc The Mic Tour. The DVD also features exclusive footage featuring Snoop performances and music videos, interviews, outtakes and a Bucwild girls gallery and nude videos. Busta Rhymes, Spliff Star, Daz Dillinger, Uncle Junebug and Bishop Don Juan all make appearances.

Snoop Dogg's Bucwild Tour Bus DVD hits stores on September 14.

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Master P's New No Limit and Koch Records have extended their partnership and readying for several releases for the fall.

First up, Silkk The Shocker will release his 5th LP, Based On A True Story and two weeks later, Lil Romeo will drop his third album, RomeoLand. Despite C-Murder's incarceration, New No Limit also intends to release (C-Murder, Master P & Sillk The Shocker) TRU's next album, The Truth in November and P will release his 11th record, The Ghetto Bill Gates at the top of next year. Albums from 504 Boyz and teen act Rich Boyz are also in the works.

Silkk The Shocker's Based On A True Story hits stores September 7, Lil Romeo's RomeoLand drops September 21, TRU's The Truth lands on November 23 and Master P's The Ghetto Bill Gates hits stores in January 2005

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Onyx group member Fredro Starr is in the process of producing a movie based on the life story of his mentor Jam Master Jay, the late DJ for Run-DMC.

The script is being written with a cousin of Jay’s and according to Starr, Derek Luke, Mekhi Phifer, Will Smith and Queen Latifah have expressed interest in the movie, which he hopes to have out as soon as next year.

“JMJ put me in the game,” Fredro Starr told AllHipHop.com. “The first time I went to Los Angeles, I was with JMJ. I was gonna do a TV show with Russell Simmons and Quincy Jones called ‘B-Boys’ when I first got signed to JMJ records with Onyx. He’s been my mentor from day one.”

With ten years in Hollywood under his belt, the rapper/actor said he felt the time was right to move behind the camera.

“I think this is a good way for me to produce my first movie and a good way for me to give something back to Hip-Hop, Jay and his family,” Fredro said.

No one has been arrested or charged for the murder of the legendary DJ, who was gunned down on October 30 of 2002 in Queens, New York, where both Starr and Sticky Fingaz hail.

Fingaz will also step behind the camera for what is tentatively titled “Sticky Fingaz Untitled Project.”

“It’s basically a movie that he (Sticky) wrote and directed and it stars me, Mekhi Phifer, Omar Epps, Faizon Love aka Big Worm, Melinda Williams, and Mike Williams from the Wire.

Fredro said that with the movie, he aimed to unite black Hollywood.

“Everybody came to do this movie with us and we didn’t have to pay anybody,” Fredro continued. “Mekhi did it for the love. Omar did it for the love. We just wanted to show the studios that we can make a film without going thru the politics being in Black Hollywood, it’s gonna be the hottest movie out.”

Fredro said the flick is based on two friends from the neighborhood trying to survive and find away out of their impoverished living conditions.

“Everybody in the movie is rapping,” Fredro explained. “We came out of our pocket to shoot the first few scenes then Lions Gate Films picked it up so it’s going to come out early next year. To me it’s the rap version of “City of God,” There’s a lot of shooting and a lot of nudity. It’s real raw.”

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It turns out Eminem's show has an encore — fans just had to wait two and a half years for it, rather than the typical couple of minutes.

The rapper otherwise known as Slim Shady will release Encore, the follow-up to 2002's smash The Eminem Show, on November 16. Details on the release, such as the first single or collaborators, have not yet been revealed, but Em's spokesperson said the album will feature all new material.

Along with his own album, Eminem recently recorded a verse for a remix of the country's #1 song, "Lean Back".

Em last hit record stores in April with D12 World, the second album from his hometown crew, which has produced a couple of hits in "My Band" and "How Come."

D12 earned three Video Music Award nominations but left Sunday's ceremony empty-handed Eminem was not present with the rest of the group, who attended wearing Detroit Pistons garb.

source:MTV