New Releases,
Huge Stars

Several of the biggest stars in the hip hop and rap world will be releasing new albums in the coming weeks, and it should be a busy and bright summer for pop music's most popular personalities … Fabolous is back with his highly anticipate d From Nothin' to Somethin', which looks to be a Top 20 debut on the Billboard charts at the very least. He apparently is healthy following his gunshot wounds he suffered last fall … Gangsta Boo, ever humble, hits stores next week with her new disc, The Memphis Queen Is Back … Today (June 19) sees the new releases of many hot slabs, including Champion Sound by Jaylib, Rockstar Mentality by Shop Boyz (issued in both explicit and clean versions, which is a treatment usually reserved for the top superstars of the genre), Notebook Paper by Huey (also out in explicit and clean versions), Greatest Hits by Wascals, a self-titled album by Bumps, Ghetto Reality In Texas by Grit Boys, The Death Of Tragedy by Tragedy Khadafi, G-Unit Radio #24: The Clean-Up Man by DJ Whoo Kid, LeBron James (yes, that LeBron James) and Young Buck, Progresivo by Magnate, the self-titled Mac Dre Presents Me-N-My-Gooz, Larry Dallas by Smoov-E, Dat Type Of Gurl by Rasheeda (issued in both clean and explicit versions), It's The Dope by Jacka & Impichino, Never Forget: A Journey Of Revelations by Cornell West, The 8th Sin by Noctural Rites, The Sweatshop by A.M. Kidd, Malamarismo by Mala Rodriguez, Look At Me Now by Key Vous & Buccweet, Bad Azz Mixtape Vol. 2 by Lil Boosie, Da Come Back by Mac E, Mo Dougly Weird Stories by Mister Modo & Ugly Mac Beer, Due Season by Kia Shine (issued in both explicit and clean versions), Bay Bosses, Vol. 2 by Swampkat, Eveybody Ain't Able by Mac Dre and Jay Tee, Bay Area EP by DJ Shadow, King Of Oakland by Bavgate, Camp Is Back by Latino Velvet, the enhanced version of Don't Matter by Akon, Wanted: Dead Or Alive by Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, Pick Your Poison: The Mark Of The East by Poison Pen, Anything Goes by Fragment Crew, The War by Waajeed Of Platinum Pied Pipers, Brand New Money by Green City, Balance Yo' Chips by Balance, Jack Of All Trades by The Jacka, Boombox by Raheem Jamal, Liquid Assets by Little Bruce, Tru 2 Da Game by Tru, Revolutionary Theme Musik by R-Swift, Mic Dreams by Minority, "Body Baby," a new single by Pharoah Monch – and tons of compilation discs as well. Enough for one release date?

Censorship Watch:
Rev. Al Cleans Up

New York's leading black activist, Rev. Al Sharpton, is out to clean up hip hop lyrics – and he's taking his case nationwide.
In early June, Sharpton traveled to Detroit, organizing an event where his followers would collect thousands of bars of soap in a symbolic effort to "clean up hip hop lyrics." Sharpton was quoted as saying it made sense to launch this campaign in Detroit, because NAACP leaders plan to conduct a mock "funeral" for the "N" word during the group's July convention: "The 1960s were the Motown sound and James Brown. But they did not call us the 'N' word and they did not degrade women," Sharpton told the Detroit Free Press. The huge amount of soap will later be donated to shelters and halfway houses for women.