Beanie Sigel sentenced to 3 months in prison

A federal judge in Philadelphia sentenced Beanie Sigel to three months in prison on Friday after he gave a false urine sample to probation officials, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. Sigel also reportedly tested positive for Xanax and Percocet this month. After violating supervised release, Sigel had been serving a six month term in a halfway house. Sigel told the judge that he is an addict and relapsed when he was sent to the halfway house. Sigel added that being confined to the halfway house and not being able to travel for big income shows triggered the relapse, and that he was feeling a large amount of financial pressure and feared losing his home. U.S District Judge R. Barclay Surrick was not sympathetic. "I told you the last time if you didn't toe the line, jail was the only option," Surrick told Sigel.

Papoose and Remy Ma to Marry Next Month

Although the pair had previously denied rumors they were romantically involved, with Remy Ma’s conviction on assault charges March 27, her and Papoose have decided to go public with their relationship. Pap revealed to MTV News earlier today that, not only are the two lyricists involved, but they also had plans to wed at the end of April. But when a jury found Remy of assault and related charges on Thursday, the presiding judge ordered her taken into custody until her sentencing next month. But according to Pap, the wedding is still on. “Right now, I just feel like she gotta live through me,” he told MTV in an email. “Yes, we were scheduled to be married on a yacht April 27th. But due to circumstances beyond our control, we are now making arrangements to be married in prison.” Pap also mentioned that Remy would be appealing her case, and asked that fans send letters requesting a short jail sentence to lettersforremy@gmail.com. The messages will presumably be shown to the judge prior to her April 23 sentencing.

Fabolous Associate Freck Billionaire Arrested on Drug Charges

Freck Billionaire, a New Jersey based MC associated with Fabolous and his Street Family crew, was arrested on Tuesday (March 25) on charges of drug distribution. According to the Bergen Record, Freck, whose real name is Jeffrey Whitters, and a man named Steven Ramos were taken into custody after they sold crack to an undercover narcotics agent in Edgewater, NJ. Upon his arrest, authorities discovered that the aspiring rapper is also wanted in the Pennsylvania cities of Doylestown and Media on both an unrelated parole violation, and failure to appear in court for a previous case. Freck originally hails from Philadelphia. He is currently being held at the Bergen County Jail on $150,000 bail. Freck, who told police that he worked for Jersey based Sizzle Records, has appeared on numerous songs and mixtapes alongside Fab and his various Street Family artists. He also made an appearance on the track “This is Family” on From Nothin’ to Somethin’, Fab’s 2007 album through Def Jam.

T.I. Pleads Guilty to Weapons Charges, Plea Details Emerge

As expected, T.I. pleaded guilty to three federal weapons charges in a federal courtroom in Atlanta earlier this afternoon. According to the Associated Press, the rapper stood before the judge in a gray suit and accepted responsibility for the charges of possession of an unregistered firearm, possession of machine guns and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he will serve one year in prison and will be required to complete 1500 hours of community service, which will consist of him speaking to youth groups about the pitfalls of guns, gangs and drugs. He will only be sentenced to the prison time after he has successfully completed 1000 hours of the community service over the course of a year. Following his year long prison term, Tip will still be subject to three years of supervised release, which will include one year of home detention, plus a $100,000 fine. Should he fail to adhere to the terms of the deal, he will face a much more severe prison term. Had T.I. maintained his innocence and been convicted at trial, he would have faced a ten year sentence and $250,000 fine on each count. In a statement released after the plea by the U.S. Attorney’s office, prosecutors expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the case and noted the value of having a high profile entertainer like T.I. working to help reduce crime.

Remy Ma Found Guilty on Four Charges

A jury today (March 27) found Remy Ma guilty on four charges related to the July 14 shooting of Makeda Barnes-Joseph. The rapper stood accused of shooting the woman in the abdomen during a heated argument over $3000 that disappeared from Remy’s purse. According to TMZ.com, the Bronx born MC has been convicted of two counts of first-degree assault, attempted coercion, and criminal possession of a weapon. She was initially charged with attempted murder but that count was later reduced to assault after investigators determined that the .45 caliber pistol that shot Jospeh fired accidentally. She was later hit with additional witness tampering and gang assault charges after she allegedly had a group of men assault a potential witness. The former member of Fat Joe’s Terror Squad crew now faces up to 25 years in prison when she is sentenced.

T.I. Expected to Plead Guilty, Facing 12 Months in Prison

In a shocking development, T.I. has reportedly struck a deal with prosecutors and is expected to plead guilty to his federal weapons charges later today. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the deal this morning, citing a source “familiar with negotiations” between his legal team an the Feds. Tip, who was arrested during a sting operation last October, faced federal charges of possessing unregistered machine guns and silencers, unlawfully possessing machine guns and being a convicted felon in possession of firearms. The rapper was facing up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 charge on each count if convicted. Shortly after his arrest, Tip retained an all-star team of trial attorneys and appeared ready to vigorously fight the charges. While the terms of the plea agreement have not been confirmed, the Associated Press reports that he will face 12 months in prison and must complete 1500 hours of community service that will involve him travelling the country and speaking to youth groups. Any deal would have to be approved by U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr., who is overseeing the case.

Kanye West Sued Over “Good Life” Sample

A Maryland based songwriter has filed a lawsuit suit against Kanye West over what he says is the unauthorized use of a sample from one of his songs on the rapper’s hit single “Good Life,” from his 2007 album Graduation. According to court records obtained by TMZ.com, Dayna “DMystro” Staggs says that Kanye failed to obtain the proper license to use elements of the song “Volume of Good Life.” Staggs further argues that Kanye’s version contains “vulgar and offensive” content that could damage the songwriter’s reputation. The plaintiff is seeking a 85% of the proceeds from global sales of the track. The suit, filed on March 20, also names Jay-Z, Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Music label, Rocafella Records and BMI. Interestingly, the video for “Good Life” is posted on Staggs Myspace page and he also mentions the Kanye’s use of the sample in his bio.

Flo-Rida Leads New Debuts, Rocko and Sheek Louch Chart

Flo-Rida’s Mail on Sunday leads this week’s new debuts and will be the only new Hip-Hop album to crack the top 10 of Billboard’s Top 200 album chart. While the Carol City native has enjoyed enormous success with his T-Pain assisted single “Low,” the song’s popularity failed to translate into major sales. Mail on Sunday moved 86,100 copies and will land at No. 4, right behind fellow Floridian and last week’s big winner and Rick Ross. The Boss’s Trilla sold another 90,300 units and moves down two slots to No. 3. Next up we have Atlanta native Rocko with his debut LP Self Made. On the strength of his single “Umma Do Me,” the Def Jam MC sold just under 28,000 CDs and will snag the No. 21 spot. Sheek Louch also charted this week with his third solo album Silverback Gorilla. While his single “Good Love” has enjoyed moderate success at radio, Louch will bow at No. 41 with about 17,800 in total sales. In related news, Gnarls Barkley—the duo consisting of former Goodie Mob MC Cee-Lo and producer Danger Mouse—managed to move 31,000 copies of their latest, The Odd Couple. Those numbers are relatively good considering the album’s release date was bumped up at the last minute and the last week’s release was strictly digital.

50 Cent and DJ Drama to Release G-Unit Gangsta Grillz

DJ Drama recently revealed to MTV News that himself and 50 Cent plan on releasing the very first G-Unit edition of his Gangsta Grillz mixtape series in April. According to Drama, the G-Unit boss reached out a couple of weeks ago after he dropped his Elephant In The Sand mixtape, the second volume in the Unit’s new Thisis50.com series. “He’s really going heavy on the ThisIs50.com Web site, and he was saying basically it’s time to get G-Unit hot in the South,” Dram told MTV. “What better way to do that than to do a Gangsta Grillz? Not only from a South aspect, but from a quality street-music aspect.” Fans can look forward to appearances from all of the G-Unit MC’s, plus La Da Darkman and Willie Da Kid of Drama’s Aphilliates label. The iPod King also says that he has reached out to T.I. and some other unidentified Southern artists to contribute guest appearances. “We’re gonna have fun with it,” the DJ said of the monumental collaboration. “Let the mixtape game come back to life. It’s been over a year since the historical [RIAA] raid, and the mixtape game is still here. That’s what we’re out to prove. 50 is a monster in the game, I’m a monster in the game. The combination is gonna kill the streets.”

Brooklyn Rapper Gravy to Play Biggie in Upcoming Biopic

After months of open casting, Brooklyn MC Gravy has landed the role of Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace in the upcoming biopic, Notorious. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Fox Searchlight has officially hired the rapper, whose real name is Jamal Woolard, to portray the larger than life MC. Rumors have circulated for some time now that the up and coming rapper was being considered for the part because of his physical similarities to the slain rapper. Other artists who are said to have auditioned for the role include Beanie Sigel and Sean Kingston. Also joining the cast of Notorious are Angela Basset, who will play Big’s mom Voletta Wallace, and actor Derek Luke, in the role of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Wallace and Diddy are both serving as producers for the film. Voletta is said to be pleased with the selection of Gravy, and cited his “charming personality, warm spirit, wonderful sense of humor and beautiful smile” as factors in the decision. “He is a talented and charismatic actor, and I am excited that he will bring Christopher’s character to life,” she explained. Gravy first made national headlines in 2006 when he was shot in the buttocks in front of the offices of New York radio station Hot 97. Filming for Notorious will begin on March 24 in New York City and the finished product is scheduled to hit theaters on January 16, 2009.

Webbie’s Savage Life 2 Leads Billboard Debuts

Webbie had the best selling Hip-Hop debut this week with his new project Savage Life 2 which, powered by his Lil Phat and Boosie assisted single “Independent,” moved 72,800 copies in its first week and will debut at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The Baton Rouge native won a decisive victory over Shawty Lo, whose hit single “Dey Know” has been enjoying heavy rotation nationwide. The Atlanta MC and founding member of D4L moved just over 31,000 copies of his debut solo album Units In The City and will take the No. 13 spot. Elsewhere on the charts we see Pete Rock landing at No. 193 after selling 3,900 copies of his latest offering, NY’s Finest.

50 Cent to Accompany Floyd Mayweather into Ring at WWE Match

50 Cent has agreed to walk his friend Floyd Mayweather into the ring for his showdown with wrestler the Big Show at Wrestlemania XXIV in Orlando, FL on March 30. According to MTV News, the champ asked the G-Unit boss the favor while Fif was guest hosting on radio station Power 105.1 last Friday (February 29). “I’m coming. I’m coming,” 50 promised. 50 last accompanied Mayweather into the ring for his bout with Oscar De La Hoya in May of 2007 when the rapper performed his single “Straight To The Bank.” Mayweather is reportedly receiving a staggering $20 million paycheck for stepping into the ring with the Big Show, who towers over the boxer by nearly a foot and a half outweighs him by 300 lbs. The two met in the ring last month for the WWE’s “No Way Out” special and the immense wrestler walked away with a broken nose.

Disturbing Tha Peace Inks New Long-Term Deal with Def Jam

Disturbing Tha Peace Records, the Atlanta-born imprint founded by Ludacris, has inked a new long term agreement with parent company Island Def Jam. Although details about the new partnership have not been revealed, the announcement puts to rest recent rumors about the label being dropped from the Def Jam roster. “The Atlanta hip-hop scene and the Dirty South movement in general owe more than they can ever repay to Chris,” Def Jam chairman L.A. Reid said in a statement. “Our friendship stretches back more than a decade and I never cease to be amazed at his imagination, creativity, and most of all his outrageous sense of humor. Now, changing business conditions necessitate that we review our respective rosters and focus to ensure that future opportunities and challenges are aggressively achieved. Ludacris has built Disturbing Tha Peace into one of the iconic names in hip-hop, one that will remain an important part of the Island Def Jam family.” DTP is currently headed by Luda and his partners Chaka Zulu and Jeff Dixon.

Angry Lil Boosie Fans Flood Omaha Streets

Hundreds of angry fans flooded the streets of Omaha, NE after Lil Boosie failed to show up for a concert at the Sokol Underground on Friday night (February 29). According to the Omaha World Herald, local police had to briefly shut down the intersection of 13th and Martha Streets when about 900 fans started to file out of the Sokol Auditorium after being informed that the Baton Rouge MC would not be appearing. Gary Masek, president of Sokol Omaha, said that a ticket booth was ripped from a wall during the commotion. “There were some pretty mad people here,” Masek told the World-Herald. Despite the large size of the crowd, no injuries were reported and only two people were issued tickets for disorderly conduct. It is unclear why Boosie did not show up, or whether concert promoters would be refunding the $30 attendees paid for tickets.