Run DMC's Jam Master Jay is murdered 

 

It's another senseless death in the rap community as a famous rap star is shot and killed. Run DMC's DJ, DJ Jam Master Jay (given name: Jason Mizell) was shot and killed this past Wednesday (Oct 30th), He was 37 years old. The reason for the slaying is yet to be determined but speculation say that it's another episode in the East Coast vs West Coast feud. Fellow group members Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl ' DMC' McDaniels were deeply saddened by the news of their friend as they said 'rap music lost one of it's true DJ pioneers'.

Jay had signed the rap group Onyx to his own JMJ Records imprint and helped to produce their multi-platinum debut in 1993 - Bacdafukup and years later, took rapper 50 Cent under his wing, at one point recording 36 songs in 18 days before eventually making the move to the Trackmasters' camp and subsequently landing in the Shady/Aftermath Records fold. He will be sorely missed. He is survived by a wife and 2 children. My sympathies to his family.

  

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New Erykah Badu album due in Dec

 

R&B diva Erykah Badu (aka Erica Wright) will return with a brand new album of all new material this coming December. The album called 'Worldwide Underground' is tentatively scheduled to be on shop shelved Dec 10th but no word yet on what the first single will be but I will keep you posted as news become available.

Erykah's last release 'Mama's Gun' (from 1999) was a critically acclaimed body of work that didn't fair so well on the issue of record sales but hopefully she will find her niche with the US public again and score another platinum plaque for her mantel.

 

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New single from the late Aaliyah has all 'Missing' her

 

The first single from the late Aaliyah's forthcoming collection album 'I Care for You' has hit the cyber space airways for your listening ear. The ballad called 'Miss you' has appeared on AOL's First listen where you can get a listen to the entire song.

 

 

The track as mentioned will be included on a collection of new and archival tracts from the late artist's "I Care 4 U," collection which is due in stores Dec. 10 across the board on the Blackground label. A portion of proceeds from the album, the track list for which is expected to be imminently unveiled, will go to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund, which benefits the Revlon UCLA Women Cancer Research Program and Harlem's Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

 

 

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Common wants you to 'Come close to me'

 

It's hard to believe that it's been 2 yrs in Common's last release - 'Like water for Chocolate' but the man is back with a brand new album called 'Electric Circus' his sophomore release for label OK Player/MCA due on record shelves come Dec 10th. The lead off single is a mid tempo grove called 'Come close (to me)' that finds Common's flow in fine form. The Chicago native has come on strong once again with what WILL be another hit to add to his repertoire with the help of reigning hip hop queen Mary J Blige supplying background vocals and produced by none other than The Neptunes no less (that's right I said The Neptunes)

The single has been sent to radio this week so radio program directors should take note and be sure to add this one to your station's play list and the MTV network has just added the video to their roaster so definitely look out for this one it's going to be huge.