After having his album pushed back numerous times, Nas is finally scheduled to release his highly anticipated Hip-Hop Is Dead LP on December 19.

The album will mark the Queens, NY lyricist's first offering on Def Jam records under his own imprint, The Jones Experience. His new contract also involves a joint venture between Island Def Jam and Sony Records, - Sony is Nas' previous label, Columbia's parent company - with the companies working as financial partners on his first two albums under a four album deal. For the initial two albums Def Jam will provide A&R, promotion and distribution and the labels will both share in the marketing costs.

With his release date approaching, Nas is readying to drop the title track featuring Black Eyed Peas front man will.i.am on production. A snippet of the song leaked onto the internet this weekend. The album also features production by Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Just Blaze, DJ Premier and Scott Storch. Guest appearances include The Game, Snoop Dogg and West. Hip-Hop Is Dead has also been rumored to feature a long anticipated Nas and Jay-Z collaboration.

As previously reported by SOHH.com, Nas is one of several albums to be released by Def Jam in the next two months. Jay-Z, Young Jeezy and Fabolous are also scheduled to hit stores with new LPs by the end of the year.

Nas' Hip-Hop Is Dead is slated to hit shelves on December 19.

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VH1 has greenlighted a variety of new reality series, including ego trip's White Rapper Show and a show starring the Inc.'s CEO Irv "Gotti" Lorenzo.

The Irv Gotti Project was one of six new series that the network announced today (Oct. 30). The show will focus on Irv Gotti's comeback in the entertainment industry after being acquitted of federal money laundering charges.

The series will also document Gotti's life as a husband and father and is being executive-produced by Mark Cronin and Cris Abrego, the duo behind the franchises Flavor of Love, Surreal Life and others.

Also greenlighted was ego trip's White Rapper Show, which will feature 10 contestants who battle and compete in various Hip-Hop-oriented challenges designed to test their knowledge of Hip-Hop culture.

White Rapper is set in the South Bronx and is hosted by Michael "MC Serch" Berrin (3rd Bass) and producing veteran Prince Paul.

"The breadth of this slate of music-based series illustrates, once again, that VH1 is the only place for adults to go to see the kinds of music and storytelling that speaks only to them," said Brian Graden, president of entertainment at MTV Networks Music Group.

Other series approved for airing include Rags to Riches, Man Band, the Untitled Whitestarr Project and Bridging the Gap.

The latter is a half-hour music series that features two established artists collaborating for the first time with a well-known producer. The first episode features Eve and Queen Latifah.

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Philadelphia is close to outlawing the smoking of blunts in the city.

Last Thursday (Oct. 26), the council's Committee on Licenses and Inspections unanimously approved a bill that would make the sale of "loosies" and other drug paraphernalia, including cigarette wrapping papers, illegal.

The Philadelphia Metro reports that sales of cigars in packages of fewer than six would also be banned, except those sold in specialty tobacco shops.

Available at most inner-city convenience stores and Chinese take out restaurants, "loosies" are loose cigars that are frequently emptied out and filled with marijuana.

"I think it sends the wrong message when you can get a blunt or rolling papers with your Now and Laters or Lemonheads or pretzel sticks," said Stephen Clay, a medical director at the Gaudenzia drug treatment facility.

Local activists believe the accessibility of blunts in stores and on the streets helps create a feeling of "lawlessness."

They further point out that the items are at times laced with cocaine or PCP for a greater high.

If the bill is passed, at least one major retailer has vowed to stop selling small packages of blunt cigars, according to the Metro, which added that the entire council is expected to approve the measure next month.
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Cent won a victory in a Miami Court yesterday (Oct. 27) when a judge threw out a copyright infringement lawsuit that accused the rapper of stealing the chorus to his hit single, "In Da Club."

Attorney Richard C. Wolfe filed the 27-page lawsuit in January on behalf of attorney Joseph Weinberger and Lil' Joe Wein Music Company.

The lawsuit claimed the chorus "Go Shorty, it's you're birthday..." from 50 Cent's "In Da Club" was lifted from Luther "Luke" Campbell's song "It's Your Birthday."

According to the Associated Press, U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck ruled that the chorus was a "common, unoriginal, and noncopyrightable element of the song" and therefore cannot be protected.

"We are pleased by the clarity brought by U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck by proclaiming what 50 and his team always knew was a frivolous and money grubbing attempt by the Lil' Joe Wein Music Company," 50 Cent's manager Chris Lighty told AllHipHop.com.

Judge Huck also ruled that there were "almost no similarities between the works" and that the disputed lines were only eleven seconds of a more than three-minute song.

"We are also pleased that we were able to defend a lesser known part of the case [the words] 'I like it, I love it' as a phrase non-copyrightable," Lighty revealed. "This was an important stance and win for 50's publishing entity so we can continue to grow and protect what is one of the most important artist held publishing entities right now."

"It's Your Birthday" is taken from Campbell's 1994 album Still a Freak for Life.

Weinberger is an attorney who also once represented Luke and was a Chief Financial Officer for Luke Records.

He acquired Luke's catalog when the Miami-pioneer filed for bankruptcy protection in the mid-90's.

The original lawsuit also named Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope Records and Universal Records.

Shortly after the lawsuit was filed in January, Luke distanced himself from the legal proceedings stating: "Let the record reflect that Joe Weinberger and [Weinberger's attorney] Richard Wolfe are the individuals who are suing 50," Luke told AllHipHop.com. "They are not suing on behalf of me or any member of the 2 Live Crew."

"We are thankful for the support from Luke who completely stated from day one he wasn't part of this lawsuit," Lighty said.

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