The network will be dedicating all of its platforms to breaking new music from a host of A-list artists during the week of November 7th. "Total Request Live" will feature performances from Kanye, 50, Jay, and Skateboard P (Pharrell), while "Direct Effect" will feature video premieres and appearances from Juelz Santana and Lil' Wayne, among others.


The channel will also air a host of specials during the week. "The Life and Rhymes of Kanye West" delves into his creative process and the inspiration he uses to get out his dreams. Kanye's new single "Heard 'Em Say," featuring Maroon 5's Adam Levine, will also be featured on "Making The Video."


Another edition of "The Life and Rhymes of..." will air later in the week featuring 50 Cent. He will also host MTV2's "Sucker Free Sunday" and "T-Minus Hip-Hop" this week.


Little Brother, Ft.Minor, Rhymefest and Saul Williams will also be featured on programming throughout the week.
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Despite Murder Inc's recent legal troubles, Ja Rule is preparing to return to the racks with Exodus, a greatest hits set.


According to billboard.com, The Inc./Def Jam compilation will include three new tracks as well as Ja Rule favorites like "Holla Holla," "Clap Back" and the R. Kelly and Ashanti-guested "Wonderful."


The album will mark the first Inc. release since Ashanti's Concrete Rose in 2004.


The label, founded by brothers Irv and Chris Gotti, has been in the news lately for its upcoming money laundering trial.


In related news, A Ja Rule-like character is said to be featured in the upcoming 50 Cent film Get Rich Or Die Tryin'.

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The Beastie Boys will release a documentary directed and produced by group member Adam “M.C.A.” Yauch titled “Awesome: I F**kin’ Shot That.”

The documentary was shot at an Oct. 9 sold-out show at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The group handed out 50 cameras to various audience members during the show. The documentary will include the audiences’ perspective from 50 different camera angles.

Yauch and co-producer Doran produced the documentary for their company Oscilloscope Films for about $1 million dollars.

Independent film distribution company ThinkFilm landed worldwide rights to documentary, after reading about the innovative approach to filming the concert.

According to Yauch, the concept was inspired by a fan who posted a video clip of a concert performance from his phone on the group’s internet message board.

"I'm glad that the film has found a home with Think,” Yauch said. “S**t has been bubbling for a minute and now Think is gonna light a match."

ThinkFilm Company President and CEO, Jeff Sackman, said ThinkFilms pursued the project aggressively upon learning about the innovative approach to filming the concert.

“Adam, Jon, and the rest of their team at Oscilloscope Films are the equal of any filmmaking team we've worked with when it comes to having a vision and realizing it to its best and fullest potential," Sackman said.

According to Yauch, the film will appeal to viewers despite being shot by “a bunch of untrained camera operators.”

“That gives the film sincerity,” the rapper said. “The people that shot it, were feeling it."

“Awesome: I F**kin’ Shot That” will open in spring of 2006 and in summer, a cutting edge DVD version of the documentary will hit stores.

In related news, The Beastie Boys will celebrate their 24th anniversary by releasing the 15-track limited edition CD/DVD Solid Gold Hits on Capitol Records, Nov. 8.

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Planet Asia is planning a grand entry into the New Year. The Fresnso, California native is launching a three part album series titled The Medi-Cali Trilogy, which draws upon the healthy talents of an eclectic array of artists and producers.

Installment number one, The Sickness, Part One, features production by Khalil, Jake One, D-Cyde, and Amp Live, along with guest appearances from Moka Only, Rasco, Flii Stylz, Mitchy Slick and Killa Ben.

The rapper teams up with the West Coast Mixtape King, DJ Warrior, in the second part of the trilogy, The Diagnosis.

Finishing strong, Planet Asia leaves the best for last: the trilogy's final part, The Medicine, is produced by Evidence and features the work of Black Thought, Prodigy, Strong Arm Steady, Dilated Peoples, Defari, Babu, Revolution, and Shake da Mayor.

The three albums are follow-ups to Asia’s album, The Grand Opening.

Planet Asia formed his own label, Gold Chain Music, shortly after leaving a deal that went sour with Interscope Records.

The Sickness, Part One hits stores Jan. 31, 2006 on Gold Chain Music/Copter
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A new CD is on the way from Talib Kweli titled Right About Now... The new album is the result of a deal struck by Kweli’s label, Blacksmith Music and KOCH.

The album contains all new songs and features appearances by Mos Def, Jean Grae, Pappose and others and features the singles “Who Got It” and “Fly That Knot.”

"Right About Now... sums up this project,” Kweli said. “Usually when my music comes out, the people hear where I was a year ago. This project represents where I am right now."

In recent press releases, the album was billed as being released through a deal Kweli inked with Warner Music Group. Despite the shift in labels, the album will still be released on Nov. 22

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Police in Washington, DC have no motives or suspects in the attack on rapper Cam’ron, but they hope that will change as authorities are seeking to question the rapper about the shooting.

Cam’ron, born Cam’ron Giles, was shot in the United States capitol city early in the morning of Oct. 23, as he sat at a traffic light in his 2006 Lamborghini.

Authorities said they haven’t been able to get in touch with the chart-topping rapper, who recently appeared on Hot 97 and addressed the shooting in a rap.

In a police affidavit, more details of the brazen shooting were revealed.

Police said Cam was driving with one passenger and was being tailed by friends in a pink Range Rover.

The rapper pulled in front of a D.C. Protective Services officer, who was in a marked car at the light as well.

The officer said a male passenger exited a burgundy Ford Expedition that pulled alongside of the rapper at a red light.

The man open fire at the driver’s side of the Lamborghini and in a new revelation, fired shots at not only Cam’ron, but also at his entourage in the pink Range Rover.

The officer gave chase and the SUV crashed, trapping the men for a time. One of the men shot out the window and both occupants escaped on foot.

Cam’ron drove himself to Howard University Hospital and was released with minor injuries. No one in the pink Range Rover was reported injured.

Investigators located the owner of the Expedition, who said he lent the vehicle to associates. Police have still been unsuccessful at learning the identities of the men in the Expedition.

Police have not ruled out robbery as a motive, because Cam’ron was wearing over $200,000 worth of jewelry.

Police are also investigating to see if the shooting was a botched, targeted hit against the rapper’s life.

Two shell casings, a Nextel phone and fingerprints were recovered from the burgundy Expedition, which police hope will reveal more clues.

Cam’ron was in town for Howard University’s annual homecoming and to promote his latest album and movie, Killa Season, which hits stores this month.

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If Jay-Z and Nas can put aside their differences, why can't Jadakiss and 50 Cent? In hip-hop, anything can happen. On Monday in New York, 50 told MTV Radio that there's really no bad blood between Jada and him. "Jadakiss, I don't resent him to the point where I'd absolutely like to see him suffer," 50 said. Last week on New York radio station Hot 97, 50 said that he'd even like to help Jada make his next record. "I didn't say I would sign him," he said to MTV Radio about the once seemingly far-fetched rumors of Kiss coming to G-Unit Records. "I said I didn't dislike him."

While 50 didn't clarify exactly what his intentions for Jada were, he did allude to the fact that he was open to doing business with the man he's dissed on records, in a music video and on the cover of his current mixtape. "There are other options and opportunities that may open up for [Jada] in the future," 50 said. "If he's smart enough to explore them, there is a possibility. I'm trying to build my company as fast as possible. There's unlimited possibilities.

"I only wrote two lines about Jadakiss [on 'Piggy Bank']," 50 continued. "I said, 'I'll do your little ass like Jay-Z did Mobb Deep,' and that was put you on the Summer Jam screen. That wasn't a disrespectful-enough insult to stop Mobb Deep from doing business with me, and they made the best-performing record of their career with 'Outta Control.' It went to the top 10 in all formats."

Although Jada could not be reached for comment, his LOX partner Sheek Louch said, "50 will never put out a Kiss record. Ever." Jadakiss' Ruff Ryders label had no comment.

One person 50 is definitely going to be working with is Mase. In fact, the two have already knocked out some songs. While Mase has confused and angered some fans with his return to his Murda Mase M.O. of harder raps — Mase has dissed Diddy, Brandy, Fabolous, Loon, the New York Knicks' Quentin Richardson and even dropped lines like "I'll have hoes back of the church humming your name" — 50 says when he started putting out new material by the pastor on the mixtapes he expected some backlash. But 50 also says everyone can calm down — it's all for the greater good.

"That's actually my idea," 50 said about Mase going back to "Murda." "I'm actually not supposed to say this, but I'mma say it anyway. Me and Mase sat down and had conversations. I told him, 'When you were writing Murda Mase material you sold 4 million records. If you can sacrifice for a moment ... having people being confused with what your intentions are and have them think that maybe 50 is so evil you went from God to the G-Unit, that he got you thinking like that, it'll all be for a greater win when you generate that interest of [millions] of people to deliver a record that has a positive message.' "

50 stressed that Mase's new album won't just be all Murda. "What you gonna hear when you hear Mase's new record is the production caliber of a Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre with a more positive message. The concept of it is the phases he's gone through in his life. Right now he's trying to create the Murda Mase portion of it. While he's doing it, I'm taking the pieces of it and putting them on the [mixtape] circuit so they can hear it. These things have been surfacing on radio. It's such a dramatic change, like 'Wow, you got a minister talking aggressive.' If you can get the kid that's listening to that aggressive music to hear and understand your positive message, he actually did something."

50 says that despite his master plan, he still expects some people to shun Mase when his album drops. Nonetheless, he anticipates big album sales.

50, Mase, the G-Unit, Mobb Deep and M.O.P. are all featured on the soundtrack to "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," due November 8. The film hits theaters the following day.

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The biggest question in hip-hop after Nas got onstage with Jay-Z last week is: Will their apparent friendship turn into a business relationship? Is Nas officially signed to Def Jam? Island/ Def Jam chairman L.A. Reid seems very open to having the legend on his team, but would not say for sure.

"I don't know if I have a comment for that," Reid said last week in New Jersey about Nas' possible signing. "I'll tell you what, I absolutely love him. He's an amazing artist. I have loved him and supported him for years. He's been a great supporter of mine. And obviously he and Jay-Z have a mutual respect and love and admiration for each other. So let's just see. I really don't know. Let's see what happens."

As the first anniversary of the Shawn Carter administration at Def Jam approaches, Reid applauds the job the Jiggaman is doing.

"I liken him to Michael Jordan in that winning is just an innate part of his personality," Reid said. "But he also knows what to do and what not to do: A part of winning is knowing what you can win at. Being blessed, talented and all of the above doesn't hurt either."

When asked the best thing about working with Jay, Reid said, "The wisdom. At such a young age, he's amassed an amazing amount of wisdom — a lot more than you should expect from someone of his age."

And although Jay hasn't said whether or not he's working on a new album, Timbaland said last week that he's going to make some beats so crazy that Jay will have no choice but to rap on them and put them out.

"We working on that one now," Tim said. "We're magic together. Jay brings a lot of stuff out of me; I bring a lot of stuff out of him. I feel like I work under Jay and he's Keyser Soze [from "The Usual Suspects"]. He's a mastermind."

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We just might see a minor N.W.A reunion soon. Eazy-E's son (who sounds very similar to his pops if you ever talk to him), Lil Eazy-E, has already been working with Ice Cube and wants to round up Dr. Dre, MC Ren and maybe even DJ Yella for a song on his debut, Prince of Compton.

The album doesn't come out until 2006, so he still has time to get it together. E currently has a record out, "Gangsta Sh--," that was produced by Cool & Dre.

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