Jay-Z is considering making a joint bid for The Source. Carter would likely team up in the bid with two top music executives, Warner Music Group's Lyor Cohen and Interscope's Steve Stoute, according to two former employees of the magazine and a source at Def Jam records. Rumor has it that Russell Simmons might also be interested.

It's unclear whether they would try to acquire the magazine directly from owners David Mays and Ray "Benzino" Scott, or try to buy out the $16 million in debt claimed by Textron Financial Corp. - The Source's biggest creditor - in hopes of taking control in the event of a bankruptcy proceeding. Other interested parties, include XXL owner Harris Publications.

A spokesman for The Source declined to say whether it had been approached about a sale, but said, "Dave and Ray own 82 percent of The Source. Anybody who would want to make a deal would have to come to them."

While having a musician/music executive and two music executives owning a music magazine would present certain obvious conflicts of interest, The Source is no stranger to that issue: Scott has received coverage in the magazine for music he's released as Benzino.

A spokesman for Stoute did not comment and representatives of Carter and Cohen did not respond to messages.

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Aaron McGruder's "The Boondocks" cartoon premieres on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim this weekend.

The cartoon, which premieres Sunday (Nov. 6) at 11p.m., picks up where McGruder's irreverent comic strip leaves off. The 30-minute series chronicles the life and times of the Freeman brothers-10 year old revolutionary Huey and 8 year old misfit Riley (both voiced by Regina King of Boyz In The Hood and "227" fame)-and their grumpy "Grandad" (John Witherspoon of the Friday series). The show will also feature guest appearances from Xzibit, Charlie Murphy and veteran TV actor Ed Asner.

The series has been a long time coming for McGruder. The comic strip first received the hip-hop nation's attention when it ran in The Source Magazine, but McGruder's outspoken views about hip-hop ended his relationship there. He then took his comic to the daily newspaper format in April 1999. He has since been published in more than 350 newspapers nationwide.

The strip also spurred multiple book deal for the cartoonist. He has since released The Boondocks: Because I Know You Don't Read the Newspaper, Fresh For 01...You Suckas: A Boondocks Collection, A Right to be Hostile: The Boondocks Treasury and Public Enemy #2: An All-New Boondocks Collection.

Despite McGruder's success, his controversial cartoon has come under fire, in part for its uncompromising take on American politics and pop culture. From President George W. Bush and the late civil right icon Rosa Parks to Queen Latifah and O.J. Simpson, no one is safe under the scrutinizing microscope of Huey, Riley and Grandad.

With the series premiering this weekend, McGruder has been featured in a tremendous amount of press, with some outlets dubbing him "the angriest Black man in America."

"The Boondocks" premieres on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 11p.m.

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The Mayor of London, England criticized rap music on Wednesday (Nov. 2), where a campaign to educate school children about the dangers of guns was launched.

Ken Livingstone stated that crime rates in England has risen to record levels and offered stinging criticism of rap music.

"Gun crime, knife crime - they are the only crime categories that continue to rise,” Livingstone stated. “With role models like rap groups there is almost an inevitability about that and people in the public eye should consider the role models they set.”

Livingstone said some rappers promoted the idea that carrying weapons - such as knives and guns - was fashionable, leading to a surge in violence.

Ironically last week, Carl Morgan, a producer for the popular rap collective So Solid Crew, was sentenced to life in prison for shooting a man to death in a quarrel over a woman.

So Solid Crew member Megaman is also on trial for allegedly encouraging Morgan to shoot Colin Scarlett to death.

In another unrelated case, So Solid Crew member Romeo and an associate are on trial for allegedly slashing a man’s face last Nov. during an attack at the Cirque club, formerly the Hippodrome, located in Leicester Square.

Both have denied charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The trial continues.

In March of 2005, American rapper 50 Cent caused a major outcry in England as well, when Reebok’s “I Am What I Am” campaign came under fire in the U.K.

Television ads featured 50 Cent counting to nine - the number of times he was allegedly shot in 2000 - while the print ads featured the rapper with finger print records.

Reebok issued a statement during the flap saying “Reebok does not condone every action, choice or view expressed by the athletes and entertainers who wear our products."

In April of 2005, the company caved in to pressure from various England based watch groups and pulled the ads from television after numerous complaints.

"Some overpaid rap artists swinging around with a gun or knife... the consequences of their behavior is a kid lying dead in the street. We have to get to kids before bad role models do," Livingstone said. "It is an American thing, but it is starting to spill over into our media, our television, our films."