Pharrell Williams recently announced that The Neptunes' alter ego, N.E.R.D. called it quits due to management conflicts at Virgin Records.

Williams recently told BBC Radio 1 that the group, which includes his production partner Chad Hugo and third member Shay, is disbanding.

"N*E*R*D is dead. I don't agree with the management at Virgin Records so we're done. Me and Chad still do what we do in the studio, Shay is still our best friend, you know, perhaps we'll do some music for our fans and leak it to the Internet or something, who knows," Pha-Real told BBC Radio 1. "I've been very quiet about it for the last two years. I'm not here to slander or throw dirt, I'm just not happy so therefore N*E*R*D is expired."

The Neptunes will continue to work as a production team. Virgin Records were unavailable for comment.

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A recent Nas performance was stopped after a gunman fired shots inside South London's Brixton Academy.

An armed man reportedly jumped on stage during the show and fired two shots at the ceiling. Nas then stopped performing and the Academy was evacuated. According to London's Metropolitan Police force, no one was injured.

However, The Evening Standard reported that several concertgoers were injured when the crowd hurried to leave the venue. Police found two bullets and two casings on the scene. No one has been arrested in relation to the shooting. The Metropolitan Police's Operation Trident, which investigates violence in the city's black community, will take over the investigation.

Brixton Academy spokeswoman Louise Kovacs said the location was cleared after consultation with police and asserted that there's "a high level of security" at every event at the venue, which holds 2,500 concertgoers. She also added that over 100 security staffers were working during the show and fans passed through scanning and security checks at the Academy's entrance.

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Rev. Al Sharpton takes his fight against Hip-Hop violence a step further by seeking to buy stock in record companies.

"I don't think too many CEOs want to see me come into his stockholders' meeting to say that they're not doing enough to stop violence," Sharpton told the NY Daily News. However, he neglects to state which companies he's targeting and how many shares he plans to buy.

Sharpton also plans to put pressure on the Federal Communications Commission to enforce heavier regulations on Hip-Hop radio stations. "I do not understand how the FCC can make a lot of noise around Janet Jackson and that case with Howard Stern; but [the FCC] has not said anything about a pattern of shooting and other violence at radio stations."

Following last month's shooting outside Hot 97 between members of 50 Cent's and The Game's entourages, Rev. Al has been pursuing a radio ban on for artists who commit acts of violence. After Lil Kim's perjury conviction last week, stemming from another Hot 97 shooting in 2001, Sharpton blasted the station as an outlet where rappers go to perpetuate negativity and violence against each another over the air waves.

"At which point does it go from programming to inciting," states Sharpton. "I'm not giving up on rap music; I'm trying to make sure it's rap music and not attack music. We're going from 'Fight the Power' to fighting each other."

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Motown is prepping their compilation album,Motown Remixed, with Hip-hop's biggest producers including ?uestlove, DJ Green Lantern, Salaam Remi, and DJ Jazzy Jeff

Motown Remixed will feature 15 of Motown's classic tunes remixed for the Hip-Hop generation. Producers mixed Hip-Hop with funk and soul to transform oldies but goodies like Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On", Smokey Robinson & The Miracles' "The Tears of A Clown" and Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" into modern day hits. Motown Remixed is scheduled to hit the racks on May, 24.

Additionally, Motown/UME will also release a Motown Unmixed CD on also the 24th, which will feature the classic versions of the "Remixed" tunes. Just a week before the remix release, on May 10, Motown will release three vinyl mega-singles, Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3 -together they include 10 out of the 15 songs from Motown Remixed.

Look out for the Motown Remixed Tour with DJ Smash to hit the road and take over your city during the months of May and June -dates haven't been announced. However, some of the lucky cities hosting the tour will include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Atlanta, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

"Motown Remixed" feature producers/songs:

- The Randy Watson Experience: Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson and James Poyser - "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (Gladys Knight & The Pips)

- DJ Green Lantern - "Mary Jane" (Rick James)

- Salaam Remi - "ABC" (Jackson 5)

- DJ Z-Trip - "I Want You Back" (Jackson 5)

- DJ Jazzy Jeff - "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" (The Temptations)

- DJ Spinna - "Keep On Truckin" (Eddie Kendricks)

- Hank Shocklee - "Smiling Faces Sometimes" (Undisputed Truth)

- Easy Mo Bee - "Just My Imagination(Running Away With Me)" (The Temptations)

- Mocean Worker AKA Adam Dorn - "I Just Want To Celebrate" (Rare Earth)

- Hotsnax AKA Full Phatt - "The Tears of A Clown" (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles)

- King Britt - "War" (Edwin Starr)

- DJ Smash - "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (Stevie Wonder)

- Da Producers, including Paul Simpson - "Let's Get It On" (Marvin Gaye)

- Rafe Gomez and David Baron as The Groove Boutique - "Quiet Storm" (Smokey Robinson)

- Tranzition (everyANYTHING) - "My World Is Empty Without You" (Diana Ross & The Supremes)

Pick up Motown Remixed along with the classic version CD, Motown Unmixed, in stores in May 24th. Catch a sneak peek on Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 vinyl in stores May 10th.

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Lawyers for Dr. Dre have requested that a five-year-old multi-million dollar lawsuit be dismissed, after the super producer was sued by several people that claimed they were illegally included in 2001's "Up in Smoke" DVD.

Dre, Time Warner Inc. and Best Buy were hit with the lawsuit in 2000, after several people claimed their private backstage conversations were illegally videotaped and included in the DVD.

The contested clip features a former spokesman for the mayor of Detroit and former police officers in a heated argument with representatives for Dre over a controversial video clip that the police later censored.

They claim they never authorized their appearance in the popular DVD, which also featured performances by Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube.

Lawyers for Dre dismissed the allegations and said that all three were aware the cameras were rolling.

The lawsuit is one of several headaches the "Up in Smoke" tour encountered in 2000 in Detroit, Michigan.

When the tour hit town, Detroit police officers prevented Dre from playing an explicit video during the performance.

Shortly afterwards, the super producer filed a $25 million dollar lawsuit against the city, claiming his right to free speech had been trampled.

The three plaintiffs were originally seeking damages totaling $3 billion and settled a portion of the lawsuit in January of 2004.

All individuals filed state and federal lawsuits against the super producer for "acquiring and commercial exploitation of the victims private conversations and their likenesses."

A judge previously ruled in favor of Dre pertaining to the controversial clip featured in the "Up in Smoke" tour.

In April of 2002, a judge ruled the city violated Dre's free speech and ordered the city of Detroit to issue an apology for preventing the video from being played during the sold out show.

Additionally, the city was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine, issue an apology to Dr. Dre and the Detroit Police were forced to undergo first amendment training.

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