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R&B singer Jamelia has criticised Emma Bunton, saying the former Spice Girl should stick to dancing, because she lacks the vocal talent to sing. Bunton, who is currently competing on celebrity dance competition, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, recently released ‘Downtown’, a cover of Petula Clark’s 1965 hit song. Jamelia snared, “Her career is going ‘Downtown’ – but at least she can dance.”

Mel B shocked by Murphy’s claims
Melanie Brown has hit back at former lover Eddie Murphy’s comments questioning the paternity of her unborn child. The former Spice Girl dated the actor for over five months, and only found out she was dumped when Murphy announced it live on Dutch television last Tuesday (Dec. 5). The ‘Beverley Hills Cop’ star denied he was the father of her baby, and demanded a DNA test. Brown responded in a statement, “I was astonished about what Eddie said – there is absolutely no question that Eddie is the father.” She continued, “I am obviously upset and distressed at some of the comments made by Eddie to the media. I have no idea why anybody would want to conduct themselves in this kind of manner about such a personal matter in such a public way.” Just one day after splitting from Mel B, Murphy was pictured courting TV producer Tracey Edmonds at the New York premier for his new movie, Dreamgirls.

Nelly Furtado tour dates
‘Maneater’ Nelly Furtado has announced several live dates in the UK next year as part of her European tour. The sexy singer will be playing the following dates:

February 16, 2007 – M.E.N. Arena, Manchester
February 17, 2007 – Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow
February 20, 2007 – NEC, Birmingham
February 21, 2007 – Hammersmith Apollo, London

Tickets are priced from £23.50 + booking fee, and are available now from www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

HUGO URBAN RULES concert
After a successful launch in London this summer, HUGO URBAN RULES is back for the second round. The event will head to Birmingham on February 21 and 22, 2007, and will feature performances from Amy Winehouse, Jay Sean, and a set by DJ Steve Sutherland.

Amy Winehouse and Steve Sutherland will also take part in the Q&A session on the day of the concert, where participants will enjoy several masterclasses on subjects like vocal coaching, choreography, and the music business. Flexy Stu, of the dance group The Funkstylerz, who worked with Madonna, will lead the dance session.

To participate, musicians need to upload music to the website (www.hugofrangrances.com) or post their demos to the mailing address on the website. The closing date for entries is February 6, 2007, when an expert panel will shortlist the most promising bands and artists to attend the Birmingham auditions and masterclasses. The overall winner will be chosen on the day by judges including Winehouse herself. The lucky entrant will get to be the support act for Amy and Jay Sean on the night, record a track with a professional producer in a top studio, have one of their tracks included on a compilation CD for the promotion of HUGO Frangrances in Spring 2007, and appear on MTV and MTV Base.

Music fans can apply for complimentary tickets to the exclusive gig by registering on the website to enter the competition.

Chart News
In this week’s UK Top 40 Singles Chart, the only new urban entry is Gwen Stefani, who is in at No.8 with ‘Wind It Up’. Elsewhere in the Top 10, Akon slips one place to No.3 with ‘Smack That’ featuring Eminem, Nelly Furtado moves from No.4 to No.5 with ‘All Good Things (Come To An End)’. She is followed closely by Justin Timberlake and Timbaland at No.6 with ‘My Love’, while Beyoncé holds on to the No.7 spot with ‘Irreplaceable’, and Jamelia scrapes into the Top 10 with ‘Beware of the Dog’. There are only two other new urban entries in the Top 40 this week: P. Diddy ft. Christina Aguilera is in at No.20 with ‘Tell Me’, whilst Jay-Z returns to the charts at No.38 with ‘Show Me What You Got’.

Chamillionaire will be hitting the road in the UK this week, after his original dates were postponed to allow the rapper to attend the 2006 BET Awards. Cham will be at the Glasgow Academy on Sunday 26, Manchester Academy on Monday 27, Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall on Tuesday 28, and at the London Forum on Thursday 30. The Bristol date has been cancelled completely. All original tickets remain valid for the new dates – refunds are available from ticket source and should be requested prior to the rescheduled date.

UK rap duo beaten in final stage of World Rap Championships
British duo Whashisface and Possessed 2-1 lost out on the top prize at the first ever World Rap Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, last weekend. The pair were beaten to the $10,000 cash payout by American emcees The Saurus and Illmaculate.

Set across various Las Vegas rooftops overlooking the famous strip, the Playoff-Finals were the climax to a 10-week regular season where each of the teams had flawlessly won their respective divisions with impeccable, unbeaten records. Starting back in July, the unique 2-on-2 tag-team format made up of 12 teams across two divisions; London and New York, featured a gruelling regular season of 60 battles, where teams battled each other twice and were awarded points for either a Win or a 'Murder'. With all the battles, including the finals, being broadcast for free exclusively online on Jump Off TV, over 200,000 viewers tuned in worldwide to watch hip hop history as the world’s first professional rap sports league was born.

Plans are already underway for next year’s World Rap Championships, scheduled to start in July 2007, where the prize money will be $100,000 and is set to include eight divisions: London (UK), Sydney (AUS), Toronto (CA), New York, Houston, LA, Miami and Chicago.

You can watch the World Rap Championships exclusively here: http://www.jumpoff.tv/wrc.php

Vauxhall Tribes hits the road
Following the success of the London Vauxhall Tribes event earlier this year, the organisers are taking the show on the road with a Regional Tour that kicks off this weekend in Leeds on Saturday (Nov.25) and Birmingham on Sunday (Nov.26).

The tour will continue on to Brighton and Newcastle the following weekend (Nov.2 and 3).
The shows are open to budding B-boys/B-girls, beatboxers, streetdancers, emcees and singers to perform in front of some of the industry’s finest to compete for a £1,000 prize.

For full details of the Regional Tour, please visit http://www.vauxhalltribes.co.uk.

Mary J. Blige releases greatest hits LP
The undisputed queen of contemporary soul music and three-time Grammy winner Mary J. Blige is set to release a greatest hits collection, ‘Reflections – A Retrospective’ on December 4th. ‘MJB DA MVP’, Mary’s stunning mini-autobiographical reflection on her glorious career to date, utilising the music track from The Game’s classic ‘Love It Or Hate It’, will be released as a single on December 18th.

‘Reflections – A Retrospective’ is Mary’s first release since her hugely successful 2005 album ‘The Breakthrough’, which entered the US charts at No.1 and has sold over three million copies. The success of ‘The Breakthrough’, which featured the UK No.2 single ‘One’, Mary’s remarkable duet with U2, confirmed Blige as one of the music world’s biggest selling and best loved artists.

The album takes the listener on a journey from her childhood in the projects of Yonkers, New York, to her early successes plagued with drama, to her current position as an artist at the very top of her game.

For more information, please visit: http://www.mjbligeuk.com.

Chart news
In the UK Top 40 Singles Chart this week, Akon moves into the No.1 spot with his Eminem-featuring ‘Smack That’, closely followed by Mr JT at No.2 with ‘My Love’ featuring T.I., while Beyoncé sticks at No.5 for the second week running with ‘Irreplaceable’. Meanwhile, in the album charts, the only new urban entry is The Game at No.21 with his sophomore release, ‘Doctor’s Advocate’.

Ms Dynamite was involved in a high speed car crash last week while filming for Sky One’s reality TV show, ‘The Race’. The rapper/singer, born Niomi McLean-Daley, was treated for minor injuries on site, but was airlifted to nearby Northampton General Hospital for safety, where she stayed overnight.

The accident occurred when fellow contestant Brian Johnson of AC/DC fame, clipped the back of Ms Dynamite’s Formula Ford car, sending her vehicle spinning off the Silverstone track more than 50 metres.

Omar big winner of 2006 UMAs
British soul legend Omar was the big winner at the 2006 Urban Music Awards held in London on Friday (Nov. 10) night, walking away with two awards – Best Neo Soul Act and Outstanding Achievement Award. R&B trio Fun*damental 03 did well to take away two of their own gongs, for Best R&B Act and Most Inspiring Act. Nathan won the Best Music Video award for ‘Cold As Ice’, Akala was awarded with Best Hip Hop Act, and Best Newcomer went to Soundbwoy Ent. For the full list of winners, please go to www.urbanmusicawards.net.

Sway named Best UK Act at BET Awards
UK rapper Sway won the gong for Best UK Act at the first ever BET Hip Hop Awards last weekend (Nov.11). He was voted for by MTV Base viewers and listeners of BBC 1Xtra, beating off competition from the likes of Plan B, Kano, Dizzee Rascal and Blak Twang.

Pharrell live
Pharrell Williams will be playing two exclusive dates in the UK next month. Catch him at the Manchester Apollo on December 14, and at the Brixton Academy in London on December 20. Tickets are £32.50 for the Manchester date, and £35 for the London gig. Prices exclude booking fees. Please check www.gigsandtours.com for more details.

Joss Stone plans return with Raphael
British-born songstress Joss Stone has enlisted the help of the legendary Raphael Saadiq to work on her upcoming album. Saadiq, who has worked his production magic on artists including D’Angelo, The Roots, Erykah Badu, and Mary J. Blige, is reported to be working with Stone in a studio in the Bahamas. This new project will be the singer’s third album, following her critically-acclaimed sophomore set, ‘Mind, Body & Soul’.

Love Music Hate Racism Benefit
The anti-racism campaign’s major fundraising event for the year takes place on Thursday 30th November at London’s infamous Fabric club, with a line-up of hip hop, grime, drum ‘n’ bass, indie and rock set to make the event one of the highlights of 2006. Akala and the Heartless Crew will be leading the way for the urban room, while Andy C, Dynamite MC and L Double will be turning up the beats in the drum ‘n’ bass section. The event runs from 8pm to 3am, tickets are £16 and can be purchased on www.ticketweb.co.uk. For more information, please visit www.lovemusichateracism.com.

Chart news
There were only two new urban entries in the UK Top 40 Singles Chart this week: Akon enters at No.12 with ‘Smack That’ featuring Eminem, and Justin Timberlake featuring T.I. is in at No.14 with ‘My Love’. Beyoncé sticks it out in the Top 10 with ‘Irreplaceable’ moving only one place from No.4 to No.5, while elsewhere in the chart, Cassie falls seven places to No. 21 with ‘Long Way 2 Go’, Justin Timberlake’s ‘SexyBack’ slips two spots to No.23, P. Diddy’s ‘Come To Me’ shifts four places to No.24, and The Game’s ‘It’s OK’ drops to No.36 from No.26 last week.

The 2006 MTV European Music Awards have been the highlight of the week, with news of Kanye West’s outbursts at not winning the award for Best Video the most talked-about point of the ceremony last Thursday (Nov. 2) in Copenhagen, Denmark. However, the rapper has now apologised for his behaviour, blaming his actions on “a little sippy, sippy”, telling MTV UK: “I don’t have anything against the group that won. I’m gonna download their album right now. I didn’t mean to be offensive in any way. I love you guys. I never heard of you [but] I am your friend.”

West crashed the stage as friends of Justice Vs Simian went up to collect the gong for Best Video, unleashing a bitter curse-filled tirade at his loss. Claiming that he should have won the award for his single ‘Touch The Sky’, West ranted, “F*ck this! [My video] cost a million dollars; Pam Anderson was in it, I was jumping across canyons and sh*t! If I don’t win, the awards show loses credibility. Nothing against you (Justice Vs Simian), but hell, man!”

However, West proved that he isn’t always a sore loser, after host Justin Timberlake beat him to Best Male. “Obviously Justin should have won, he’s on fire and he’s an inspiration to me,” he said. Immediately following West’s gate-crashing speech, Timberlake quipped, “After the show, Kanye will be in the parking lot accepting awards he did not win. Seriously though, I’ve got sexy covered, it’s good to see someone’s doing crazy!”

The ‘SexyBack’ star also won Best Pop, whilst the other big winner of the night was Gnarls Barkley, who took home Best New Act and Best Song for ‘Crazy’.

West was named Best Hip Hop, while Def Jam signee Rihanna won the gong for Best R&B.

Alesha splits with Harvey
R&B star Alesha Dixon has split from rapper-cum-actor husband MC Harvey, after the So Solid member was caught having an affair with pop singer Javine Hylton.

Harvey and Javine have been co-starring in the hit musical 'Daddy Cool' in central London.

The former Mis-teeq beauty was alerted of Harvey's betrayal after the pair were caught in bed at Javine's house by her boyfirend, producer Karl 'KG' Gordon.

A source revealed, "Alesha is beside herself with anger, disbelief and pain. She is in pieces. She thought her relationship with Harvey was strong. She thought she'd be with him for ever. She has known Javine for a long time and even raved about her performance in Daddy Cool."

Chart News
In the UK Top 40 Singles Chart this week, there were only two new urban entries from The Game at No.26 with ‘One Blood’, and Sean Paul at No.31 with ‘(When You Gonna) Give It Up To Me’ featuring Keyshia Cole. Elsewhere in the charts, Beyoncé moves up one spot to No.4 with ‘Irreplaceable’, while Cassie’s ‘Long Way 2 Go’ slips from No.12 to No.14, and P. Diddy’s duet with Nicole Scherzinger, ‘Come To Me’, slips seven places to No.20.

Justin Timberlake is set to play a string of live dates across the country next year, starting in April. The ‘SexyBack’ singer will be kicking off his tour on April 24, 2007, in Belfast, stopping at Sheffield, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, and Dublin, before wrapping up the tour in London on July 7, 2007. For the full list of dates and venues, please visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Ne-Yo live in London
R&B star Ne-Yo is playing at London’s Hammersmith Palais this Thursday (2nd November), performing his hit singles ‘So Sick’ and ‘Sexy Love’, plus many more. Ne-yo will be performing with a full band, and supported by the 2006 MOBO award winners, Nu Life. Tickets are £22.50 or £27.50 for VIP tickets plus booking fee, and are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk or the 24-hour hotline 0870 151 4444.

Jaguar Wright & Dwele
Soul sensation Jaguar Wright will be live in the UK this December, with two dates at Neighbourhood in Ladbroke Grove, London. She will be live in the capital on Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th December, and supported by Detroit’s finest, Dwele. Opening the show will be the UK’s own FLOetic Lara & Band. For more information, please visit www.ticketweb.co.uk or call 08700 600 100. Tickets are £20 and £22.50 plus booking fee.

Chart News
In the UK Top 40 Singles Chart this week, Beyoncé moves up nine places to No.5 with ‘Irreplaceable’, while Amy Winehouse also slides up the charts to sit at No.7 with ‘Rehab’. The only new urban entry this week is Rihanna’s ‘We Ride’, which is in at No.17. In the album charts, John Legend debuts at No.10 with his second LP, ‘Once Again’.

Chicago rapper Rhymefest was "impressed" by Conservative Party leader David Cameron after meeting with the politician in London's House Of Commons for a head-to-head on Thursday (Oct. 19). The hip-hop star, who won a Grammy Award in 2005 for co-writing Kanye West’s hit single ‘Jesus Walks’, wrote an open letter to Cameron in August this year, (see News for Oct. 16).

He says of the meeting, "(Cameron) seemed to have a genuine concern. I was impressed that he even bought me to his office for a discussion.” He continued, “Whether you say that it was for the publicity or not, that's more than a lot of other politicians are doing. We talked about the future of responsible music and what can be done. He talked about UK record companies implementing change, and schools too. (Cameron) said that actions speak louder than words. So we'll wait and see what he does."

The Game to party with Prince Harry
The Game is set to shun his rap entourage for a night out with Prince Harry. The rapper, real name Jayceon Taylor, has revealed that he is the prince’s biggest fan, and admires the way he has courted controversy with his non-stop partying and rumoured love affairs. He tells MTV, “Prince Harry knows what's up. That's my homie. He knows that when he's on the West Side I'm gon' hold him down. Whatever he wants: girls, a good drink, a good smoke, just holler Prince Harry. Being a rebel is good. I've been a rebel all my life. Rebel! It's that time, man.”

Jamelia too “overwhelmed” to meet Mandela
Pop/R&B star Jamelia has admitted that she regrets turning down the chance to meet the former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, because at the time, she was too “overwhelmed”. The ‘Thank You’ singer said, “It wasn't because I didn't want to meet him. It was purely because I was overwhelmed. It was strange, because I was actually in the same room as him." She went on, “I'm an extremely emotional person - not the type of person you want at a wedding or anything vaguely emotional. I just thought maybe I'd embarrass myself or faint or something like that. I do think it was a missed opportunity. It's something I would have liked to have done. If I get the chance again, I'd meet him."

Chart News
In the UK Top 40 Singles chart this week, P. Diddy has slipped two places to No.7 with his latest single, ‘Come To Me’ featuring Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, while Justin Timberlake moves out of the Top 10 with ‘SexyBack’ sitting at No.12. Beyoncé is a new entry at No.14 with ‘Irreplaceable’, which is in stores this week; Amy Winehouse’s ‘Rehab’ is also new at No.19, and Cassie just makes it into the charts with ‘Long Way 2 Go’ getting a new entry at No.38. In the UK Top 40 Album Charts, the only new urban entry is P. Diddy, who enters at No.11 with his fifth solo outing, ‘Press Play’.

Chicago rapper Rhymefest is meeting the Conservative Party leader David Cameron this Thursday (Oct. 19) to challenge his views on hip hop music – music the politician has accused of “encouraging people to carry guns and knives”.

The ‘Jesus Walks’ co-writer will meet with Cameron at the House of Commons to try to change his views on rap music and culture. The meeting is reportedly going to be covered by journalists from MTV and the BBC.

Cameron criticised BBC’s Radio 1 last June (2006), when he singled out the station’s flagship Saturday night programme, including DJ Tim Westwood’s Hip Hop show.

In response to his comments, Rhymefest wrote an open letter aimed at changing the views of the party leader, saying, “My challenge, is to ask that you sit down and have a cup of tea with me. In fact, let me come and perform for you. I am sure you will see that rap music is more than murder music or knife culture.”

He continued, “This generalisation is not all of us, it’s just a few bad apples that spoil the bunch… Let’s solve the problem of the rap community in a civilised way and in a way that music can still be entertaining.”

Rhymefest was surprised to learn that Cameron had accepted his invitation and later wrote on his MySpace blog: “Whoever thought that the power of the pen was truly mightier than the sword? Coming from a ghetto on the South Side of Chicago, I know I didn’t. Well, maybe now it’s time for me to accept my responsibility, face my trial and take my place in history.”

UK hip hop recognised at first annual BET Hip Hop Awards
British rappers Dizzee Rascal and Sway were recognised in the nominations for the first ever BET Hip Hop Awards, announced last week (Oct. 12). The American awards show named the artists along with Plan B, Kano and Blak Twang in the new international category, Best UK Hip Hop Artist. The winner will be announced when the ceremony takes place on November 12.

Kyra to play BBC Electric Proms Next Stage
At only 18, Acton-born Kyra is set to light up the BBC Electric Proms Next Stage on Sunday 29 October.

Raised in London by her English mother and Domincan father, Kyra was influenced by her parents' extensive record collection including jazz, reggae, funk and classic soul. When Kyra was just 15, neo-soul star Musiq Soulchild invited her over to America after hearing her sing at a London gig, but a combination of school and Kyra's love for the UK kept her feet firmly rooted on home soil.

Since then, Kyra has recorded a number of self-written tracks and performed on various radio stations. Inevitably, the labels have started to show interest and offers to release her debut album have materialised. At the moment however, she’s sensibly keeping her options open.

Kyra was selected for Next Stage by BBC 1Xtra’s 100% Homegrown.

The Next Stage gig is going to be something special. Not only is it your chance to see so many artists in one go, but you’ll also see the best new talent the UK has to offer. The event takes place at the Barfly in Camden on Sunday 29 October from 2pm. Entry is free – all you have to do is turn up on the day. For more information, please visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms/index.shtml.

Foot Locker host free music event
The Rbk Daddy Yankee sneaker makes an explosive debut at the UK’s only destination for sneaker aficionados; Foot Locker. To celebrate this new release, Foot Locker is inviting all sneaker fans to the special Rbk ‘Now Playing’ event.

Only in Foot Locker London and Manchester, the Rbk ‘Now Playing’ event is a showcase of live urban music from the UK’s top grime and hip hop artists such as Mobo award winner Akala, SkinnyMan, Baby J, Excalibah, and Mr Ti2bs.

Foot Locker sneaker fans will receive free demos and workshops on the art of spitting and scratching. Fans will also be able to try their hand at producing, rapping or using the turntables as well as being in with a chance to win the new Daddy Yankee sneaker from Reebok.

Regarded as one of the most respected and influential reggaeton artists, Yankee is the latest star to join Reebok’s music roster that includes Grammy award winners Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Nelly.

This exclusive one day event will play at Foot Locker London Oxford Street on the 28th, and Manchester Market Street on the 26th October.

The London event will take place between 12 and 9pm at Foot Locker on Oxford Street on Saturday 28 October, and will be hosted by MK and Fusion from Kiss 100.

Soul Glo @ Jazz Café
Soul Glo will be coming to the Jazz Café on Thursday 26th October, showcasing soulful UK talent by the likes of Leon King, Kele Le Roc, Lee Henry, Jason Jermaine and Kyra.

The night is a representation of the talent on British shores and the artists will be accompanied by a full love band. Music on the night will also be supplied by Funksy and DJ Maurice, who will be playing contemporary and classic soul, R&B and swing.

Doors are open from 7pm and performances start at 9pm. Tickets can be purchased from the Jazz Café website (http://www.jazzcafe.co.uk) or, if you’re on the funk’d-up promotions guestlist, you can get in a discounted rate of £10. Email funkedup.promotions@gmail.com for more information.

Chart News
In the UK Top 40 Singles Charts this week, P. Diddy has slipped one space to No.5 with his new single, ‘Come To Me’ featuring Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, while Justin Timberlake remains at No.9 with ‘Sexy Back’. The only new urban entry this week is Corinne Bailey Rae, who debuts at No.32 with ‘Like A Star’. In the Album Charts, the late Luther Vandross enters at No.12 with ‘The Ultimate’ and G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks scraps in at No.40 with his new release, ‘Rotten Apple’.

So Solid Crew’s Dwayne ‘Megaman’ Vincent spoke out for the first time after being acquitted of murder last month. He was cleared of any involvement in the killing of Colin Scarlett in November 2004, and though he awaited the trial in prison, the rapper/producer says he is not bitter about the time spent behind bars.

“I ain’t gonna let prison get me angry and then spend my life battling the system,” he said. “Prison for me was a blessing in disguise. I didn’t appreciate the little things [before].” He continued, “The hype, the glamour [of fame], a lot of things get to you and in the midst of trying to stay focused you tend to slip off and be an a**ehole now and again. I’ve learnt a lot, but through the pain and tears there’s gonna be a lot of happy days.”

Jamelia’s relationship 'on the rocks' for months
Jamelia's relationship with footballer Darren Byfield has been on the rocks "for six months", according to reports. Byfield, who is alleged to have cheated on the singer with blonde model Jaclyn Evans, confessed to friends that he moved out of their Essex, England, home after blazing rows with the 25-year-old ‘Thank You’ star.

A source tells the Daily Mirror, "Darren has been telling pals that they've been unhappy for six months and are rowing constantly. He won't say specifics - but he says they argue about everything, particularly him going partying with the lads, so it's just been easier for him to stay away."

Other reports claim the Millwall footballer felt threatened by Jamelia's success.

The singer, who has a one-year-old daughter, Tiani, with the soccer ace, announced the couple's marriage plans last month, saying they plan to tie the knot next summer. However, Byfield appears to have other ideas. The source says, "He has no plans to marry her. He says it's always Jamelia answering the questions about getting hitched." A spokesman for the pop star refused to comment, saying, "Jamelia is not ready to talk."

BBC launches BBC Blast website
BBC Blast is a website dedicated to giving you the opportunity to upload your music, art, writing, film and dance productions for public viewing. Not only can people see what you’re made of, but you can also communicate with others in the industry to gain hints and tips to making that vital breakthrough.

There’s already a whole heap of music to be listened to for your audible pleasure at http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/music and your music can be there too, whether it’s grime, hip hop, R&B or slow jams.

The website is also launching a dance competition for all you budding movers and shakers, called the BBC Blast Bust-a-move. All you need to do is film your dance moves and send them in, either by post or as an email attachment, to BBC Blast at http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/dance/showcase for your chance to win a dance masterclass with Top of the Pops choreographer Lyndon Lloyd. For more information, check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast

Join the Circle of Life
Black, Asian and mixed-race celebrities have signed up to support the National Blood Service’s (NBS) Circle of Life campaign, aimed at highlighting the shortage of Black and Minority Ethnic blood donors. The NBS works to maintain sufficient blood supplies by collecting and distributing blood from donors in England and North Wales. The NBS needs to collect 8,000 donations of blood every day in order to ensure patients get the treatments they need, but at present, only three per cent of the NBS donor base are from the Black and Minority Ethnic community.

With the 'Circle of Life' campaign, Black, Asian and Mixed Race celebrities have created circular designs to add their own interpretation of the 'Give Blood' message. Designs range from the touching to the tongue-in-cheek, with famous faces pulling together to raise awareness of the situation.

TV presenter Reggie Yates, commented, ‘‘I’ve seen those close to me affected by the great need for blood donation. When I was eight years old, my babysitter had a sickle cell seizure, and it’s one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen. If our community can just spend a little time to give something that costs nothing, we can help stop the pain and save lives.’’

The celebrity ‘Circle of Life’ artworks highlight issues relating to health, community and charity and will be on display at The Hospital Gallery, Covent Garden this month. They will then be auctioned on lastminute.com to raise money for the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, Sickle Cell Society, UK Thalassaemia Society and Ibrahim’s Appeal.

Celebrity artists taking part include Radio 1 and MTV presenter Trevor Nelson, boxing champion Amir Khan, singer Jamelia, actress Preeya Kalidas, Footballers’ Wives star Chucky Venice and Celebrity fitness guru Harvey Walden.

Donors can ring the National Donor Helpline on 0845 7 711 711 (open 24hrs) or visit www.blood.co.uk to register their details and find the venues and times for their nearest blood donation session.

If you are aged between 17 - 59 years of age (you can give blood on your 60th birthday), in general good health and weigh over 7st 12lbs (50kgs) you could support the campaign, just call the Donor Helpline to find out more about where you can make your donation to help save someone’s life.

African rapper K*Naan to tour the UK
K’Naan is one of the most exciting talents emerging in the hip hop scene right now and if you don’t already know about him, then you better get to know, and what better way to do that than at one his live dates this October. The Somali spitter who releases his highly anticipated debut 'The Dusty Foot Philosopher' early next year is coming to the UK as part of his The African Way tour fresh from supporting Damian Marley and Mos Def.

Those who attend the London leg of the tour at the infamous Jazz Café on Sunday October 22nd are in for a special treat as a surprise guest appearance will be made by a leading hip hop figure on stage with K’Naan.

In addition to his headline gigs, K’Naan will also be doing a series of workshops in colleges and universities as part of October Black History Month looking at his experience in the Diaspora.

For more info check out www.thedustyfoot.com or www.myspace.com/knaanmusic.

Chart News
In the UK Top 40 Singles Chart this week, P. Diddy climbs up to the No.4 place from No.30 with the first single from his new album, ‘Come To Me’, which features Pussycat Doll, Nicole Scherzinger, whilst Justin Timberlake’s ‘SexyBack’ slips down four places to No.9. Just outside the Top 10 sits Nelly Furtado with ‘Promiscuous’ featuring Timbaland, followed by the Pussycat Dolls’ ‘I Don’t Need A Man’ at No.12. Shakira and Wyclef share the No.13 spot with ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, and Jamelia moves further down the charts to No.17 with ‘Something About You’.

In what will be one of the most talked about music events in years, Coldplay’s Chris Martin is confirmed as one of the special guests joining Jay-Z on stage at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London, when he plays the closing date of his UK tour there this week.

Martin features on the track ‘Beach Chair’ from Jigga’s forthcoming album ‘Kingdom Come’, and will make his first live appearance with the rapper as he performs at the first ever live hip hop show at the Royal Albert Hall.

Jay-Z will be accompanied by a full 25-piece Orchestra, and the rapper promises a multitude of surprises including special guest performances and amazing stage productions as he closes his UK tour on Wednesday, (Sept. 27).

A few tickets are still available on the 24-hour ticket hotline, 0871 230 4422, or online at www.aeglive.co.uk.

Beyoncé bags three MOBOs
Beyoncé Knowles was the biggest winner at the 2006 Music Of Black Origin Awards last week, despite not being able to attend the awards ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall. Whilst busy promoting her new album ‘B’Day’ in France, the former Destiny’s Child singer won the MOBOs for Best Song and Best Video for ‘Déjà vu’, as well as scooping the award for Best International Female. However, there were boos from sections of the crowd as the star was awarded her second gong, with people criticising the singer for not attending the ceremony, despite having been in the country for most of the week with boyfriend Jay-Z.

“Sometimes you do get tired of people who get awarded that don’t turn up and MOBO need to look at that,” said veteran singer Mica Paris. “Stop giving awards to people who don’t turn up.”

Jay-Z also won a MOBO of his own, for Best International Male, even though his last album was released in 2003.

Other winners on the night included the Leeds’ born Corinne Bailey Rae, with awards for Best UK Female and Best UK Newcomer, whilst Lemar won Best UK Male. London rapper Akala was one of the surprises of the night, beating off competition from Busta Rhymes and Kanye West to take home the Best Hip Hop award. “I didn’t expect this,” said Ms Dynamite’s younger brother. “I know the album did really well, but I was the least known in my category.”

Other main gongs went to Sean Paul for Best Reggae, Rihanna won Best R&B, and Steve Sutherland was named Best DJ.

Chart News
There are few big new entries in the UK Top 40 Singles Charts this week, with only Lemar new in at No.12 with ‘It’s Not That Easy’, Janet Jackson and Nelly at No.18 with ‘Call On Me’, and the Pussycat Dolls’ new single, ‘I Don’t Need A Man’ at No.21. In the Top 10, Jamelia has moved up one spot to No.9 and Shakira’s ‘Hip Don’t Lie’ moves up one place to No.6, whilst Justin Timberlake slips down from No.2 to No.3, Nelly Furtado stays put at No.4 with ‘Promiscuous’, and Fergie’s ‘London Bridge’ goes down two places to No.5.

In the album charts, Fergie’s debut solo set, ‘The Dutchess’ is new at No.27, whilst DJ Shadow’s ‘The Outsider’ is in at No.24.

Hip Hop’s brightest new MC, Chamillionaire, is set to storm the UK this November when he takes to the stage in five cities across the UK.

Supporting Chamillionaire on tour is the UK’s brightest young Hip Hop star – Akala. Having performed with 50 Cent on his UK tour last year, Akala is nominated for Best Hip Hop at this year’s MOBO Awards alongside Kanye West and Busta Rhymes. Critically acclaimed for his socially aware lyrics and fusion of British Hip Hop and mainstream pop, Akala will perform tracks from his debut album ‘Its Not A Rumour’.

The dates are as follows:
12th November – Academy, Glasgow
13th November – Academy, Manchester
14th November – Academy, Bristol
15th November – Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton
16th November – The Forum, London

With Chamillionaire gearing up to release his hotly awaited follow-up UK single ‘Grown and Sexy’, his tour this November is guaranteed to be the most talked about debut of the year. Don’t miss your chance to be there! Tickets are on sale now and are available from the 24-Hour hotline: 0871 230 4422 or online @ www.aeglive.co.uk. Tickets are £18.50 plus booking fee for the London show, £16 elsewhere.

Rihanna joins MOBO line up
Def Jam’s Barbadian songstress Rihanna has been unveiled as the latest addition to the star-studded line-up at the 2006 Music Of Black Origin Awards. The star will jet in especially for the performance, as she is currently in the middle of an extensive American tour. Rihanna will join the likes of LeToya, Jamelia and Sway on the bill, with the awards being presented by comedienne Gina Yashere and rapper Coolio.

A few tickets are still available from www.mobo.com. The show will be broadcast live this Wednesday (Sept. 20) on BBC Three at 9pm, with highlights shown on BBC One on Friday, September 22 at 11.25pm.

Chart News
Justin Timberlake no longer reigns supreme on the UK Top 40 Singles Chart, with ‘SexyBack’ falling to No.2 as the Scissor Sisters take the No.1 spot. Fergie’s solo debut single is in at No.3, Nelly Furtado and Timbaland’s ‘Promiscuous’ is down one place to No.4, and Jamelia moves up into the No.10 place with her new single, ‘Something About You’. Elsewhere in the charts, the only new urban entries come from Lupe Fiasco at No.25 with his single ‘Daydreamin’ ft. Jill Scott, and Cherish’s ‘Do It To It’ ft. Sean Paul. In the album charts, Justin Timberlake has reason to smile as his sophomore solo album, ‘Futuresex/Lovesounds’ enters at No.1, whilst Lemar’s new album, ‘The Truth About Love’, is in at No.3.

September 19th, 2006 is the 10th anniversary of legendary rapper, 2Pac’s death. To mark the occasion, Madame Tussauds London is launching a figure of Tupac, which is to be flown over from their sister attraction in Las Vegas.

Tupac Shakur was immortalised in wax in April this year for the American waxwork museum, and is based on the infamous photo of a shirtless ‘Pac, sporting a bandana and showing off his numerous tattoos. The sculptor, Jeni Fairey, known for her waxwork of Beyoncé Knowles, used hundreds of photographs and measurements provided by the rapper’s mother, Afeni Shakur. Fairey even drew and hand-painted all of ‘Pac’s tattoos onto the figure to make it as lifelike as possible.

The 10th anniversary of 2Pac’s death is being marked by a world tour, with the sculpture appearing at galleries across the world, including Hong Kong, Shanghai and London, before being exhibited at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Centre for the Arts in Atlanta, Georgia.

Speaking of the Tupac waxwork launch, BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ said, “Tupac was one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century. He was the voice of the voiceless; Tupac talked about things that people were scared to say.”

“It’s tragic that he was taken away from us at such an early age, but he continues to be an icon and an inspiration to all. His spirit lives on in his music and continues to touch millions around the world.”

To book tickets for Madame Tussauds, please visit www.madame-tussauds.com.

Stars speak out to support Oxjam
Stars including Roots Manuva, Mylo and Mercury Prize-nominated Hot Chip are supporting Oxjam, a unique month-long music festival taking place across the UK in October.

They are joining Oxfam in calling on budding DJs, MCs, producers and clubbers to get involved by supporting Oxjam events in their area, or by organising an event themselves.

Where Live 8 was all about global music stars performing in front of the public, with Oxjam, every single participant is the star. It will form the biggest music festival in Britain, spreading across the whole of the UK for an entire month.

More than 1,000 events – big and small – will take place across the UK as part of this unique festival, all organised by members of the public using their passion for music to take action against poverty. With four weeks remaining until Oxjam events across the country begin to take place, there are already more than 500 events in place, with thousands of people committed to getting involved by staging an event.

UK hip hop legend, Roots Manuva encouraged like-minded music fans to do their bit in October: “I love this concept: rave should have a reason; rave with reason. Do the Oxjam dance, sing and shout for a conscience cause.”

Gareth Simpson, spokesperson for Oxfam, said: “We’re delighted that some of the biggest names in music are putting themselves forward to support Oxjam. What we need now is for every aspiring Mylo, Roots Manuva and Alexis Taylor to follow their lead and put on their own event. Together we can all fight poverty and make some great music at the same time.”

There are dozens of Oxjam club nights, DJ sets and live performances happening throughout October. The money raised from each event will go to help Oxfam fight poverty in more than 70 countries in which it operates. To find out how to get involved with your own Oxjam event next month, visit www.oxfam.org.uk/oxjam or call 0870 850 6246.

Pussycat Dolls announce tour with Rihanna
The Pussycat Dolls are to tour the UK with R&B singer Rihanna later this year. The dates were announced last Thursday (Sept. 7) with tickets going on sale on Friday morning. The dates are as follows:

November 24 – Point Theatre, Dublin
November 26 – SECC, Glasgow
November 28 – M.E.N. Arena, Manchester
November 30 – NEC Birmingham
December 1 – Wembley Arena, London

Tickets are from £26 + BF. For more details, please go to www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Chart News
In this week’s singles charts, Justin Timberlake’s ‘SexyBack’ has fallen one place to No.2, losing the top spot to the Scissor Sisters. Nelly Furtado moves up to No.3 from No.15 with her Timbaland collab. ‘Promiscuous’, while Shakira ft. Wyclef is at No.5 this week. Lemar is the only new top ten entry at No.7 with ‘It’s Not That Easy’, whilst Beyoncé’s ‘Déjà vu’ with Jay-Z falls to No.8 and Chamillionaire’s ‘Ridin’ slips to No.10. Elsewhere in the charts, Kelis is a new entry at No.22 with ‘Bossy’ ft. Too Short, BEP’s Fergie is in at No 25 with ‘London Bridge’, and Jamelia’s new single, ‘Something About You’ is at No.28.

In the album charts, Beyoncé returns with her sophomore solo set, ‘B’Day’ entering at No.3, whilst Missy Elliot’s greatest hits LP, ‘Respect M.E.’ is new at No.7.

Def Jam Recordings is calling all the hottest MCs in the country to battle! From the 21st August to the 22nd September, Def Jam UK is hosting a competition to find the MC with the best rhymes and flow where the winner will be rewarded with two London concert tickets to see the main man, President Carter… Jay-Z!

Rappers in the making have until the 17th September to simply call the Def Jam number (0906 200 8363 - £1/min from BT landline), throw down 16 bars of their best lyrics and then wait for the fans to pick the best. Each week Def Jam will pick the Top 5 spits and upload them onto their Wap site where fans can hear them and then vote for their favourite. The Top 5’s can also be heard at Def Jam UK’s website www.defjam.co.uk. The final Top 5 will be in the grand final and their raps will be on the Wap site from the 19th September to midday on the 22nd September…the day when the winner will be announced.
Def Jam’s Wap site can be found at wap.defjam.co.uk and it is the home to all their mobile content. On the Wap site, fans can buy ringtones and soon it will be extended to include full tracks, videos, speechtones and much, much more. For now, the Wap site is focusing on this amazing competition.

The competition is the first of its kind in the music industry with an approach that encourages music fans’ interaction with their mobile phone. The importance of the mobile phone to music cannot be under-estimated and Def Jam, alongside Wap services provider Graphico, have created a ground-breaking initiative that will increase Wap site traffic, integrate activity across a number of platforms from web to print and point the way to the future untold possibilities.

Dynamite performances for MOBO 2006
This year’s Music Of Black Origin Awards is the eleventh annual event for organisers, and the ceremony on September 20 is set to be the biggest yet. To celebrate this prestigious event, three talented females will be taking to the stage: Corinne Bailey Rae, LeToya and Keisha White.

The UK’s very own shining star, Corinne Bailey Rae, will be jetting in from her world tour to grace the MOBO stage. As the first UK female artist in recent times to successfully break the US and with tickets to her UK tour this autumn selling at record speed, the MOBO Awards are honoured to have the talented Corinne Bailey Rae perform at this year’s Awards. With her hits continuing to climb the charts, her performance at the MOBO Awards 2006 is set to be a treat for all music fans.

Fresh from her massive US success, original Destiny’s Child member LeToya will be making a triumphant return to the spotlight when she takes to the MOBO stage with her first UK appearance since leaving the group. Having already caused a huge storm Stateside with her self-titled debut solo album, LeToya is poised to replicate her success this side of the water with her exclusive performance at the MOBO Awards this September.

And if that wasn’t enough, following the MOBO tradition of exceptional duets, soul icon Sam Moore (‘Soul Man’, ‘Hold on I’m Coming’) will be performing with the much loved Keisha White who will blend her new school sound with one of the greatest R&B living legends, a performance guaranteed to bring the house down.

Guest presenters on the night include Olympic medal winner Colin Jackson, Love Island’s Kelle Bryant and recent Bad Boy signing Cassie, who will be making her first UK appearance following the major success of her debut single, ‘Me and U’.

All the action takes place on September 20 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. For tickets, please visit www.mobo.com. The show will be broadcast live on BBC Three at 9.00pm, with highlights from the MOBO awards on BBC One on Friday September 22nd at 11.25pm.

Timberlake takes No.1
Justin Timberlake has stolen the No.1 spot from Beyoncé in the UK Singles Charts this week. His massive new single, ‘SexyBack’, took the pole position ahead of Shakira, whose single ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ sits at No.2, followed by Beyoncé’s ‘Déjà vu’ featuring Jay-Z at No.3. Timberlake sold more than twice as many records as any other artist to become this week’s top runner. Elsewhere in the Top 10, Chamillionaire moved down three places to No.6 with ‘Ridin’, and Cassie’s ‘Me & U’ falls to No.9. In the album charts, the only new entry is Cassie’s self-titled debut, which is new at No.33.

It has been announced that Jay-Z will stage the first ever hip hop show at the Royal Albert Hall. The hip hop heavyweight has just announced he’ll play the London venue on September 27th as part of his UK tour.
It’s bound to be a spectacular showcase, with the top price tickets offering you your own private balcony and champagne. Meanwhile, Mr Beyonce turned up on stage at Mariah Carey’s New York gig on August 24th where he accompanied the diva on her tune, 'Heartbreaker'.

Here are those dates in full:
MEN, Manchester – September 21
SECC, Glasgow – September 22
NIA, Birmingham - September 23
Wembley Arena SOLD OUT - September 24
The Point, Dublin - September 26
Royal Albert Hall – September 27

Tickets for the Royal Albert Hall show are on sale from now and are available through the 24-Hour hotline: 0871 230 4422 or online at www.aeglive.co.uk.

New Snoop Dogg album to drop in the UK this November
The new Snoop Dog album, ‘The Blue Carpet Treatment’, will be released on November 20th. The new LP includes collaborations with the likes of Stevie Wonder, The Game, Ice Cube, R Kelly, Brandy and MC Eight. The first single release will be ‘Vato’ featuring B Real from Cypress Hill.
Snoops new album takes the LBC native back to his gangsta roots. The rapper told MTV.com that ‘Blue Carpet Treatment’ has allowed him to embrace his true nature. “I went right back to the ‘hood,’” he said of his album's production. “I took it back to the basics. I've been making a lot of pop songs, lot of R&B songs. Songs that may have made my fans feel like I wavered from what I was naturally accustomed to doing. But I'm an entertainer and I entertain people and that's what I was feeling at the time. But right now, I'm feeling like going right back to the hood.” Pharrell Williams said the rapper’s newest music video ‘Vato’ will not only feature his gangsta side, but will also tackle the issue of racial conflict in Los Angeles and call for racial unity.

The Streets cover Arctic Monkeys
The Streets covered the Arctic Monkeys during their Carling: Weekend Reading Festival set.
Mike Skinner sang the lyrics: “I bet you look good in the dance tent” to a woman in the crowd during his own song ‘Don’t Mug Yourself’.
He continued his tribute to indie during ‘Lets Push Things Forward’ by referencing Razorlight, singing: “In the morning you won’t remember a thing/Because you’ll be off your face.”
The band closed with ‘Fit But You Know It’, where Skinner got members of the crowd to twirl their top around their heads.

Chart news
Beyonce and Jay-Z have managed to take poll position in the charts with B’s single, ‘Déjà vu’, rising from number 21 in the charts. Shakira’s single ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ featuring Wyclef has moved down to number 2, while Chamillionaire and single ‘Ridin’’ has dropped one place from number 2 to number 3 this week. Pharrell featuring Kanye West have debuted at number 31 in the charts with the single ‘Number One’, while Rihanna has dropped to number 9 from number 14. In the album charts Outkast have gone straight in to number 16 with ‘Idlewild’, while Chamillionaire and his album ‘The Sound Of Revenge’ has dropped from number 39 to number 22.

Brought to you by AEG Live, the hip hop wordsmith, Talib Kweli, is set to return to the UK in September for his only live date this year. The prolific rapper will be playing at KOKO on September 14, following the success of last year’s show at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire.

Playing to a crowd of 1,500, the ‘Student of Truth’ will deliver tracks of self-expressive melodies and thought-provoking observations that have come to define his lyrical genius. Talib Kweli will perform tracks from his landmark album ‘Quality’ and his hugely successful follow up albums ‘The Beautiful Struggle’ and ‘Right About Now’. Proving he can hold his own with tracks including the Neptunes-produced ‘Broken Glass’, Talib Kweli will also showcase tracks from his forthcoming album ‘Ear Drum’- released from his Blacksmith Music label which includes collaborations with Kanye West, Rick Rubin and Jean Grae.

Undoubtedly hailed as the back bone of hip hop, Talib Kweli’s intimate show on the 14th September is guaranteed to resonate with fans from both the underground and commercial scenes long after he walks off the stage. For tickets, please visit www.aeglive.co.uk or call 0871 230 4422.

Missy Elliot live dates
In support of her upcoming Greatest Hits album, ‘Respect M.E.’, rap superstar Missy Elliot will be performing a handful of live dates around the country. She will be at Birmingham’s N.I.A. on October 4, followed by London’s Hammersmith Palais on October 5, and a further date at the Bournemouth International Centre on October 7, with support from Ms Dynamite and Akala. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see the hip hop icon live in concert! Tickets are sure to sell out quickly, so go to www.seetickets.com for the Birmingham date, www.ticketweb.co.uk for the London date, or www.ticketmaster.co.uk for the Bournemouth date.

Beyoncé leads MOBO 2006 nominations
R&B superstar Beyoncé Knowles leads this year’s MOBO Awards with four nominations, whilst the UK’s own Corinne Bailey-Rae and Kano are just behind with three nominations each. Beyoncé is up against Mary J. Blige and Nelly Furtado for Best International Female Artist, while she will also compete for Best Song, Best Video and Best R&B Act.

Corinne Bailey-Rae is nominated for Best UK Female, Best UK Newcomer and Best Song for ‘Put Your Record On’, where she will face competition from acts including Gnarls Barkley and Mary J. Blige. Kano fights for the titles of Best UK Male, going against Sway, Nate James, Lemar and Plan B, as well as being up for the awards of Best Video (‘Brown Eyes’) and Best Hip Hop.

Other acts nominated for this year’s Music Of Black Origin Awards include: Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Lady Sovereign and Fundamental ’03. The awards ceremony will be broadcast live on BBC3 at 9pm on September 20, and repeated two days later on BBC1. For the full list of nominees, and to vote for your favourite, please visit the official MOBOs website: www.mobo.com.

DMC World Championships 2006
Beat junkies and turntablists beware! The 2006 DMC World DJ Championships are upon us, with this year’s event looking set to be the biggest yet!

The event will be taking place at the Hammersmith Palais in London on the 10th and 11th September. This year is the 21st Anniversary of the championships and there is a whopping $30,000 (just over £15,000) in prize money up for grabs along with those world-renowned golden turntables.

This year the rules have been brought back to basics with only one set of Technics SL1210 MK2 turntables, one mixer with no effects or modifications and only stylus in the Ortofon range allowed per competitor - a factor which will give each participant an equal platform and really crank up the pressure for each round.

The competition is broken down into three key events: The Battle For World Supremacy, a solo head-to head knock out with rounds leading to the last two DJs standing. The Team Event, which features teams of two, three or four DJ’s using up to 8 turntables to battle each other. And finally - the Individual Event, the main solo event to find and crown the new DMC World DJ Champion.

It all kicks off on September 10, with hosts Killa Kela and MC Trip hosting the event at the Hammersmith Palais. Tickets are £15 per day or £25 for the weekend, and are available from www.dmcworld.com.

Chart News
Chamillionaire has moved up 17 places in the UK Top 40 Singles Chart to sit just behind Shakira at No.2 with the street anthem, ‘Ridin’ featuring Krayzie Bone, whilst Cassie’s single, ‘Me & U’ has also climbed up the charts to No.6, up from No.23 last week. Alesha is new in at No.14 with ‘Lipstck’, and Beyoncé’s ‘Déjà Vu’ is also a new entry at No.21. Her single is officially released this week, going up against Pharrell Williams’ new single, ‘Number One’, which features Kanye West. In the album charts, the only new urban entry is Chamillionaire, whose LP ‘The Sound Of Revenge’ entered at No.33.

The Streets have enlisted the vocal services of Babyshambles front-man Pete Doherty to feature on a revamped version of The Streets’ hit, ‘Prangin’ Out’. According to MTV.com, Skinner and Doherty have been secretly recording the new version of the drugs anthem at Shed Studios in London. The track is being considered for the next Streets single. 'Prangin’ Out' which is featured on the latest offering by the Streets describes Mike Skinner's own cocaine hell. Mike Skinner told NME.com: “His style on 'Prangin' Out' reminds me of his early stuff, but I wouldn't call it 'rapping'. Pete's more of a poet, so it sounds really poetic. He makes my drug escapades look like schoolboy stuff.”

Amp Fiddler live dates
Amp Fiddler has announced several live shows in the UK later this month. He will play the following dates in celebration of his new album, ‘Afro Strut’, which is released on August 28th:

Sat 26/08 – London, Cargo (tbc)
Tue 29/08 – Brighton, Concorde 2
Wed 30/08 – London, Sin (launch party)
Thu 31/08 – Manchester, Mint/Electric Souls
Sat 02/09 – Glasgow, Indian Summer
Mon 04/09 – Oxford, Zodiac
Tue 05/09 – The Social, Nottingham
Wed 06/09 – Leeds, Faversham

The first single, entitled ‘Right Where You Are’, is an assured slice of mid-tempo raw soul music, which will help to cement Amp’s well deserved place at the top of the black music hierarchy. This sees its release on August 21.

MTV Base celebrates Carnival Bank Holiday
MTV Base is throwing the ultimate Carnival Party at London’s Ministry Of Sound, on Monday 28th August to bring the bank holiday celebrations to a climatic close. Legendary in hosting the finest urban events, Base lovers will be treated to a night guaranteed to whip the Ministry crowd into a frenzy. Presiding over the evening will be Trevor Nelson, host of Base flagship show, ‘The Lick’, alongside MTV Base residents Kat and DJ Hanif. As ever, there will be a host of spectacular live Pas, including Tony Matterhorn, performing the biggest carnival record of the year, ‘Dutty Wine’. Highlights from the Party will roll out on MTV Base on September 3rd, at 7pm. The night runs from 10pm to 5am, and standard tickets are £15 in advance plus booking fee. VIP tickets are available at £25 in advance plus booking fee. For more information and ticket purchases, please visit http://www.ticketweb.co.uk.

DJ Shadow UK tour
DJ Shadow has announced his first major UK tour in four years. The groundbreaking DJ will be kicking off his tour at Newcastle Academy on November 28, stopping at Glasgow, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham and Manchester to name a few, closing the tour at London’s Brixton Academy on December 15. The dates, featuring several special guests, follow the much anticipated September 18th release of Shadow’s new album ‘The Outsider’, and the single ‘ENUFF’, featuring Q-Tip and Lateef The Truth Speaker, is released on September 24th. DJ Shadow will also be performing live at Creamfields on August 26th, as well as his sold-out one-off London date at KOKO in Camden on August 29th. For a full list of dates and venues, please visit www.gigsandtours.com or call 0871 2200 260.

Scribble Jam UK Qualifier Results
On Sunday 30th June, JUMP OFF TV played host to the official qualifiers for America’s largest hip hop festival, Scribble Jam. Now in its tenth year, Scribble Jam has seen the best that the world has to offer, and was the very stage where Eminem made a name for himself. Sixteen UK rappers battled it out for a ticket to the US. The winner was 16-year-old rapper, Kulez of Norwich. He will now fly out to the States to battle in the main event. For more info, check out: http://www.jumpoff.tv/news.php?SN=2006-07-31_c

Chart News
Shakira and Wyclef have held on to the No.1 spot again this week with the smash hit ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, making it a consecutive three weeks at the top. The single is still going strong after nine weeks in the charts, fighting off competition from Rihanna, who fell two places from No.2 to No.4 in the UK Singles Chart with her single ‘Unfaithful’. Christina Aguilera has taken the No.3 spot with ‘Ain’t No Other Man’, while Chamillionaire made a dash for No.19 debuting with the single, ‘Ridin’’ featuring Krazy Bone. Meanwhile, in the album charts, Pharrell Williams has crashed from number 19 to number 29 in the charts with ‘In My Mind’. Chamillionaire’s debut album, entitled ‘The Sound Of Revenge’, sits at No.33, while DMX and ‘Year Of The Dog Again’ has failed to impress this week, dropping 13 places from No.22 to No.35.

The late Tupac Shakur is to be the subject of a thirteen day programme of events presented by the British Film Institute and National Film Theatre in London. Screenings will take place, as well as discussions examining the rap star’s impact on hip hop and on mainstream media culture.
Shakur's first manager, Leila Steinberg, will appear for a debate entitled 'Tupac-The First Icon of Hip-Hop.' Screenings will include the hip hop star's 1992 feature debut 'Juice' and his final performance in 'Gridlock'd'. Documentaries 'Tupac Resurrection', 'Biggie and Tupac' and 'Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel' will also be shown. The events run from 15 - 28 Sep. More info is available from www.bfi.org.uk/tupac.

Kanye West covers Eurythmics classic
Kanye West performed a cover of the Eurythmics classic ‘Sweet Dreams’ during a headlining set which drew one of the biggest crowds of the weekend at the Lollapalooza festival on August 5. Despite encountering a series of technical difficulties during the early stages of his slot on the AT&T stage, the rapper managed to redeem himself with a rousing performance which displayed the unadulterated quality of his recent album, ‘Late Registration’.

Chart News
Shakira and Wyclef Jean managed to hold on to the top spot this week guaranteeing a two week stint as the chart leaders with the single ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, moving into their eighth week in the UK singles chart. Rihanna was ‘unfaithful’ to Christina by knocking her and single ‘Ain’t No Other Man’ from their second place perch. The biggest flop this week has to be Nelly Furtado with her once hit ‘Maneater’. Last week she sat rather comfortably at number 10 in the charts, but this week she failed to make the top 40 grade. In the album charts Pharrell William’s latest offering, ‘In My Mind’, has plummeted from number 7 down to 19 in the chart listings, while DMX made a straight dive into the number 22 slot with his latest album, ‘Year Of The Dog Again’, released on Columbia.

Outkast launched their new album, ‘Idlewild’ at The London Eye last week, (July 25). The ATL natives previewed tracks from their new LP via the sound system of the giant ferris wheel. The launch party was followed by an aftershow on the Silver Sturgeon ship, which was attended by both Big Boi and Andre 3000. ‘Idlewild’ will be released on August 21, whilst the first single taken from the album is ‘Morris Brown’, which will be released on September 4. The film the album is soundtrack to, also titled ‘Idlewild’, is released at cinemas nationwide on September 8.

Goldie Lookin Chain headline free festival
Goldie Lookin Chain have been announced as headliners for Newport’s first ever free open air festival, Crow Point, later this year. The event takes place on September 17 in Coronation Park, Newport. Other acts set to hit the stage include Roni Size and Asian Dub Foundation, as well as upcoming local bands.

Chart News
Shakira and Wyclef Jean have moved back up to the top of the charts with ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, after seven weeks on the UK Singles Charts. Rihanna is at No.3 with ‘Unfaithful’, whilst Nelly Furtado sits at No.10 with ‘Maneater’. In the album charts, Pharrell Williams’ debut solo LP, ‘In My Mind’, is in at No.7, and the next single from the album will be ‘Number 1’ featuring Kanye West.

Ms Dynamite is scheduled to give a speech on racism at a school in Dagenham this Friday (July 14). The singer/rapper will be addressing the pupils at Jo Richardson Secondary School as part of the Love Music Hate Racism campaign. Ms Dynamite is the first of many artists working with the LMHR campaign to address schools in the Barking and Dagenham areas in Essex, after the British National Party (BNP) recently won 11 council seats in the area.

Chris Brown London concert cancelled
Chris Brown’s upcoming gig at London’s Hammersmith Apollo this Wednesday has been cancelled, according to Ticketmaster’s website. Ticket holders are advised to contact their point of purchase for more information.

Reggae concerts called off by gay protestors
Dancehall star Buju Banton had his Brighton gig cancelled last week after protests from the local gay community forced the venue to call off the show at the last minute. Banton was due to play at Concorde 2 last Wednesday (July 5), but the show was axed after protestors highlighted his 1992 track ‘Boom Bye Bye’, which included lyrics about shooting ‘batty boys’ in the head.

The venue’s website posted a statement which read: “Due to unprecedented pressure from the council, members of the Lesian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered community and the police, Concorde 2 have been left with no choice other than to cancel. Concorde 2 are concerned that by staging this event, they will have their licence revoked and could have their premises closed down.” Whilst the statement said that they believed the concert would not have caused a threat, they also stated that they wanted to remain ‘a free-thinking live music venue’. Ticket holders are being offered a refund from their point of purchase.

In related news, Beenie Man has had to cancel his upcoming gig at the Bournemouth International Centre on July 29, after Dorset police collected evidence against the Jamaican star and submitted it to the borough council, resulting in the show being banned. Beenie Man has been accused of homophobia in the past, after lyrics in his songs called for the hanging of lesbians and killing of gays.

Who will rep the UK?
This is the official qualifiers for America’s largest Hip Hop festival, Scribble Jam. Now in its tenth year, SJ2006 is lining up to be a super huge unmissable event in the Hip Hop calendar.

This year will see an Official UK MC seeded in the final 32 with a chance to get their hands on that title and the money. The winner from this UK qualifier will be flown out for the 4-day event in August attended by over 10,000 people.

LIMITED ADVANCE TICKETS available via the JumpOff site www.jumpoff.tv

Tournament Battles will be in Scribble Jam format: Two-minute rounds: 30 seconds back to back, no breaks! One instrumental plays the entire two minutes, non-stop, per battle.

The confirmed 16-man line-up is as follows:

Spit Semiz (Nottingham)
Arkaic (Norwich)
Kulez (Norwich)
INC (North London)
TA (West London)
Saint (North London)
LNC (Hertfordshire)
Chalk (Kent)
Spartacus (Belgium)
Ezra (Ipswich)
G-Dash (Bristol)
(5 spots left)

Check the Scribble Jam MySpace for examples from previous years.

Chart News
Nelly Furtado’s ‘Maneater’ has been knocked off the No.1 spot this week, and slips to No.4 on the UK Singles Chart. Shakira meanwhile, has held on to the No.2 slot with ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, whilst the Pussycat Dolls’ ‘Buttons’ have moved down three places to No.7, leading Ne-Yo and ‘Sexy Love’ by one place. The only new entry this week comes from Busta Rhymes and his follow up single, ‘I Love My Chick’ featuring Will.i.am and Kelis.

The Roots have just announced a seven-date UK tour for this winter. The influential Grammy-winning Philadelphia-based hip hop group, named one of the ’20 greatest live acts in the world’ by Rolling Stone magazine, will be hitting the road in December in support of their new album, ‘Game Theory’, released August 29, 2006, on Def Jam Left. The Roots will be stopping in Bristol on December 10th, followed by dates in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, before wrapping up the tour in Belfast on December 18th. For full details, please visit www.gigsandtours.com.

Justin Timberlake sells out in four minutes; more tickets released
Justin Timberlake’s comeback show at London’s Hammersmith Apollo on July 13 is reported to have sold out in just four minutes after going on sale to the general public. However, extra tickets appear to have been released as Ticketmaster have begun to sell more tickets. These are currently on sale for £50 + booking fee, and can be purchased now from www.ticketmaster.co.uk. The show will see Timberlake showcasing tracks from his upcoming album, ‘Future Sex/Love Sounds’ LP which is released later this year.

Jay-Z adds Dublin show
Jay-Z has added another date to his European tour, stopping at Dublin’s Point Theatre on September 26, 2006. The tickets are on sale from Thursday 6 July at 9am, and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

DJ Shadow announces exclusive London show
Off the back of a storming performance at the Wireless Festival, DJ Shadow has just announced an exclusive London show at Koko on August 29th to promote his new album, ‘The Outsider’. For tickets, please visit www.gigsandtours.com.

Jurassic 5 European tour
Jurassic 5 are renowned for being one of the most innovative and exciting hip hop acts of their generation, a reputation that’s built not just on the quality of their albums but also around the spectacle of their live shows. Now the group are set to tour Europe with seven dates in the UK alone, with London’s Brixton Academy providing the largest venue of the whole tour with a capacity of 5000. J5 sold out Brixton twice on their last UK tour two years ago. The announcement comes in the run-up to the release of the band’s fourth album, Feedback, out July 24th. For full venue details or to purchase tickets, please visit: www.gigsandtours.com.

Bare Naked Brothers at Jazz Café
The exceptional triple bill of Atlanta and Detroit’s finest soul vocalists comes to the Jazz Café on Friday 14 July. Featuring ATL’s Anthony David and Donnie, and Detroit-raised KEM, this is set to be a night to remember – a night real soul fans should not miss. For more information and tickets to this event, please visit www.jazzcafe.co.uk or call See Tickets on 0870 060 3777.

Jump Off TV to launch $10,000 MC Battle League
Jump Off TV releases plans to launch the first ever cross-continent, MC Battle League on July 23rd, 2006. Entitled the ‘MC Street Battle Pairs League 2006’ it promises to revolutionise Hip Hop, Sports and Entertainment through Internet TV (IPTV).

The global format will take place simultaneously across two divisions: London (UK) and New York (USA). The event takes place over a 10 week season, and with no music, the competitor’s battle on the streets.

Established MCs pair up to form six teams of two in each division. The winners face-off at an exotic, neutral location in October 2006 for The Finals, where the overall Champions are awarded $10,000.

Match-ups take place every Sunday at famous regional locations with the first battles at Wimbledon Tennis Finals (UK) and Times Square (NY). Judged on insults, punchlines aim to embarrass the opponent’s facial features, dress sense and everything else about them, the battles will be broadcast exclusively on JumpOff.TV and will also be available as a Video Podcast.

Since November 2005 Jump Off TV has organized over 100 MC Battles on the streets of London and New York with individual global viewing figures of over 500,000.

Battling is deep rooted in Hip Hop culture, from its inception in the early 70s through to its commercialisation today in films like Eminem’s ‘8 Mile’.

This is the first move in a sequence of events to push Hip Hop Battling as a sport in a world where Golf, Cricket, Snooker and many other ‘sports’ are fast loosing relevance with today’s youth.

Kiss 100 are confirmed as radio media partners in the UK, whilst Russell Simmon’s Def On Demand channel in the U.S confirmed as TV partners. For more information, please visit: www.jumpoff.tv/diary.php?SE=51

Chart News
Nelly Furtado has been knocked off the No.1 spot this week my Shakira’s single, ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, which features Wyclef Jean. Furtado’s ‘Maneater’ sits at No.2 this week, whilst the Pussycat Dolls’ ‘Buttons’ featuring Snoop Dogg are at No.3. Elsewhere in the Top 10, Ne-Yo’s ‘Sexy Love’ is in at No.5, whilst Sergio Mendes featuring the Black Eyed Peas is at No.8 with ‘Mas Que Nada’. In the Album Charts, the only new urban entry comes from Plan B, who is new at No.30 with his LP, ‘Who Needs Actions When You Got Words’.

To celebrate the anniversary of his groundbreaking debut album, ‘Reasonable Doubt’, Jay-Z has announced four live dates in the UK later this year. The award-winning rapper will be hitting the UK in September at the following venues:

September 21 – M.E.N. Arena, Manchester
September 22 – S.E.C.C., Glasgow
September 23 – N.I.A., Birmingham
September 24 – Wembley Arena, London

Tickets are from £25 + BF and are available from www.seetickets.com.

Angie Stone & Anthony Hamilton concert
The soul diva, Angie Stone, will be in town for one night only this summer, when she performs at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. Stone will be supported by the critically acclaimed Anthony Hamilton. Tickets start at £22.50 + BF and are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Chris Brown live in Leeds & London
Teen sensation, Chris Brown, is coming to the UK in July to promote the release of his new single, ‘Gimme That’. He will be performing at London’s Hammersmith Palais on July 12, and is at the Passion night at Discotheque by Gatecrasher in Leeds on July 14. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.seetickets.com for the London date, and www.gatecrasher.com/leeds for the Leeds date.

Eclectic Breaks at London Calling 2006
For the second year running, Eclectic Breaks will be at the London Calling Exhibition, which takes place at London's Earls Court on the Thursday 29th and Friday 30th June 2006.

Eclectic Breaks and Ebsel Pro Audio will be hosting the DJ Cafe, with an impressive international line-up of champion DJs performing on both days. They will be showcasing the Pro X Fade, along with several mixers that feature the fader, including the world premier of the AEM 100i (a redesign and slight modification of the AEM 100) and the new FF4000 four channel DJ mixer from Formula Sound. Also representing on the stand will be our friends at Skratchworx, Gemini (showcasing the CDT05S and CS02 five channel mixer), Rodec's scratchbox (fitted with the Pro X Fade) and equipment from Cortex. There will also be exclusive screening trailers for the new Beastie Boys DVD 'Awesome; I F***ing Shot That', and will be unveiling another world exclusive, artist and sculpture Mac McCaughan’s stunning ‘Skratchart’ pieces.

London Calling DJ showcases will include: 2tall (12pm Thurs & Fri), Matman (2pm Thurs, 3pm Fri), Rafik & Kid Fresh (3pm Thurs, 4pm Fri) and Daredevil (4pm Thurs, 2pm Fri).

Chart News
Nelly Furtado is No.1 for the third week running with her hit single, ‘Maneater’, whilst Shakira and Wyclef Jean are at No.2 with ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, and Sergio Mendes’ duet with the Black Eyed Peas, ‘Mas Que Nada’, is in at No.6.

Leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron, has accused BBC Radio 1 of encouraging gun and knife crime through their flagship Saturday night show with Tim Westwood. “I would say to Radio 1, do you realise that some of the stuff you play on Saturday nights encourages people to carry guns and knives?” said Tory leader David Cameron. The comment was made last Tuesday (June 6) at a British Society of Magazine Editors event, and Cameron went on to say that his remark is an example of having “the courage to speak up when you see something that is wrong” even if you know people won't like it. The remark was in response to a question on how the Conservatives planned on tackling the growing problem of knife crime. Radio 1 answered back, rejecting that the station condones or encourages knife or gun culture: “The station take its responsibilities very seriously and has strict producer guidelines that govern all of the output,” said a spokesman for the station. “Hip hop is a huge international genre with a vibrant UK scene and that music reflects the sometimes harsher realities of people's lives and cultures.” Radio 1 also defended Westwood, emphasising his standing as a respected DJ in the UK and the US, active in various projects to help disadvantaged young people. Westwood also serves as the patron of Feltham Radio, a station founded by inmates at the Feltham Young Offenders Institute, as well as DJ-ing at HMP Bronzefield, a women prison in Middlesex.

Black Eyed Peas open for Busta
Busta Rhymes will be joined onstage by the Black Eyed Peas when he performs at London's Hammersmith Apollo this Thursday (June 15)! Currently on their own tour of the UK, the BEP have been exclusively revealed as the surprise opening act for Busta Rhymes, as Bus-a-Bus promotes his new album, 'The Big Bang'. Will.i.am and the crew will be joined by fellow supporting acts, the Flipmode Squad and New York's hottest property, Papoose. The event will be hosted by Tim Westwood and ATL's finest, Hollywood. As well as playing in London, Busta will be hitting Manchester Apollo on June 17, and Nottingham Arena on June 21. To get your tickets, just call 0870 121 0123 or visit www.ticketmania.co.uk, www.ticketmaster.co.uk, or www.seetickets.com.

India Arie live in the UK
Neo-Soul singer India.arie has announced one live date in the UK this summer to support the release of her new album, ‘Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship’, in stores June 26. India will be performing at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London on August 30. Tickets are priced at £25 each plus booking fee, and are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Chart News
Nelly Furtado has stormed the charts to No.1 with her stomping hit, ‘Maneater’, knocking wannabe punk rocker Sandi Thom off the top spot. The Streets are new in at No.20 with ‘Never Went To Church’, whilst Mariah Carey’s ‘Say Somethin’ is in at No.27

Sway, Killa Kela and DJ Yoda are set to rock the ‘Sprite’ Urban Games this year when they take to the new ‘Sprite’ 3G Music Stage on London’s Clapham Common on June 30 to July 2. The event will feature live music from midday with top DJs and artists from across the UK gathering at the urban sport and lifestyle festival. The largest outdoor festival of its kind in the UK, 20,000 spectators and a run of world class competitors in skate, BMX and B-boy descend on SW4 for three days of ground-breaking competition and entertainment. The three-day event kicks off on Friday 30 June from 4 - 8pm, and runs right through till Sunday 2 July. Tickets can be bought in advance from www.spriteurbangames.com. For more information on the event and the line-up, please visit: http://www.obeyyourthirst.co.uk.

Rooney to party with Diddy
England football star Wayne Rooney is reported to have paid £150,000 to party with Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs in New York. The bid was made at a charity auction at David and Victoria Beckham’s recent World Cup send-off. Rooney outbid Sharon Osbourne for the VIP experience, but because he and his fiancé will not turn 21 until October this year and April 2007 respectively, the pair will have to wait a year in order to satisfy US drinking legislation. A close friend of Rooney’s said: “Wayne loves P. Diddy’s music and was really looking forward to a huge ‘bling’ night out in New York.”

Chart news
Having removed their chart-topping single from shops, Gnarls Barkley fall one place to No.2 with their hit. ‘Crazy’. Nelly Furtado is new in at No.8 with the stomping ‘Maneater’, whilst Corinne Bailey Rae just makes it to the Top 40 with ‘Trouble Sleeping’, sitting pretty at No.40. This week will see the release of The Streets’ ‘Never Went To Church’, and also the official release of Nelly Furtado’s new single, which is sure to climb into the top three on Sunday.

The duo of DJ Danger Mouse and rapper Cee-Lo have announced that they are to delete their smash hit single to focus on their next release, despite holding on to the No.1 spot for the ninth week running. In a statement, Gnarls Barkley said: “I consider myself a realist. I suppose that goes for most of us. But I have found a way to at once hold them, fold them, walk away and run. This was not a painless decision. But pain is nothing but a bi-product of beauty. Potentially toxic, to be sure, but that’s all it is.” In pulling the plug on ‘Crazy’, Barkley hope to focus on their follow-up single, ‘Smiley Faces’, released on July 17.

Busta Rhymes adds two new tour dates
In addition to his London date on July 15, Busta Rhymes will now also be playing the Manchester Apollo on Saturday 17 July and at Nottingham Arena on Wednesday 21 July. For tickets and more information on the London and Manchester dates, please visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk. For the Nottingham date, please go to: www.nottingham-arena.com.

Floetry start UK tour this June
UK soul sistas Floetry are set to tour their homeland this June, with a handful of dates around the country. The girls kick off their tour in London on June 24, making stops in Bristol, Birmingham and Liverpool before finishing up in Newcastle. For more information and ticket purchases, please visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Kelis announces UK date
Nasty Nas’ wife, Kelis, has announced that she will be touching down in the UK on June 28 to play an exclusive date at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. Other dates have yet to be announced. Check out www.ticketmaster.co.uk for more details.

Erykah Badu plays Somerset House
Soul diva Erykah Badu is set to play two summer dates in the plush surroundings of Somerset House in the heart of London this July. Badu will be hitting the stage on July 14 and 15 – get your tickets now as these are sure to be in high demand! Go to www.ticketmaster.co.uk for more details.

Mos Def will be in the UK in July for a one-off show at The Forum in Kentish Town. The rapper will be live in concert on Thursday 6th July, 2006, and the show will be hosted by Radio 1’s Ras Kwame. For more details and ticket purchases, please visit: www.seetickets.com.

Regional Conflict - The 2006 National B-boy Eliminations
The B-Boy and Popping battle featuring the UK’s top ranked crews and solo poppers is set to hit the Carling Acedemy in Islington this Saturday. The event will feature all-out battles plus open b-boy circles. DJs Renegade, Duce, Timber & Ellegal will be dropping heavyweight sets featuring all the classic hip hop joints, funk and b-boy breaks. The winning crew and solo popper will represent the country at the PlayStation UK B-Boy Championships at Brixton Academy on October 7 and 8, 2006, against the world’s best.

The eliminations take place this Saturday 27 May at Islington’s Carling Academy from 5pm till 10pm. Admission is £8 on the door or advance tickets can be purchased from www.ticketweb.co.uk or by calling 08700 600 100.

Chart News
Gnarls Barkley reigns supreme for the eighth consecutive week at No.1 with their smash hit, ‘Crazy’. Christina Milian flew up to No.4 after the official single release of ‘Say I’ featuring Young Jeezy, whilst Busta Rhymes landed at No.6 with ‘Touch It’.

DMX was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport on Saturday afternoon, after allegedly refusing to co-operate with cabin crew when asked to fasten his seatbelt. The rapper was on a flight from New York to the British capital, and the incident occurred when the plane started its final descent. X is reported to have verbally abused the flight attendants, and the captain of the plane alerted police at Heathrow, where X was arrested upon his arrival.
“Heathrow Police were called at 12.05pm on Saturday to reports of a passenger causing a disturbance on an inbound aircraft,” said a Scotland Yard official in a statement. “The plane landed at approximately 12.15pm and a 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being verbally abusive to cabin crew.” DMX was later released with a caution.

Snoop Dogg permanently barred from the UK
Snoop Dogg has allegedly been permanently barred from entering the UK following the brawl at Heathrow Airport two weeks ago.
Reports now claim that because of his criminal record in the US, which includes drug and gun offences, the rapper has been permanently banned from returning to the UK. “The Home Office is taking a tough line on him,” a source told The People newspaper.
The April incident, which turned violent when members of Snoop’s entourage ran riot in the Duty Free lounge, left seven police officers injured, and landed the rapper and his crew in prison for the night. The Long Beach star was subsequently given a police caution and banned from flying with British Airways for the foreseeable future.

'U Must Learn': KRS-ONE, Skinnyman, Paradise & MCD
Following in the traditions of ATCQ, Boogie Down Productions, the Roots and Public Enemy comes a new hiphop classic. Nothing but quotables here as 'The Teacher' himself, hip hop legend KRS-1 trades verses alongside UK luminaries Skinnyman (Mudfam), MCD (Silent Eclipse), and Paradise (57 Dynasty/ TGSMP).
Head-nod factor peaks at 10 with this Charlie Parker (The Baptist) produced 12" complete with live horns, piano driven loop and a scratch chorus which makes for a CLASSIC reminiscent throw back to the days of true school hip hop.
March 25, 2006, saw a simultaneous release as world renown DJ Cash Money premiered ‘U Must Learn’ to a highly amped crowd at Ministry Of Sound, London, while in the studios of Choice FM, DJ 279 gave the record its first on-air spin. The take over is eminent.
‘U Must Learn’ is the lead single lifted from The Good Samaritan Music Project, a musical initiative to raise awareness and bring relevant issues to the forefront of young people’s minds via edu-tainment (education and entertainment).
“This is the sort of creative endeavour that only comes around once every few years and makes it clear what entertaining should be about,” said Ann-Marie Nicholson, former News Editor of The Source.
The single ‘U Must Learn’ is released on May 29, 2006, through Indie Label Units Distribution.

Chart News
Gnarls Barkley are No.1 for the seventh week running, fighting off competition from LL Cool J and Jennifer Lopez with their colaboration, 'Control Myself', which is in at No.2. Further down in the chart, based on downloads alone, Christina Milian is in at No.18 with 'Say I' featuring Young Jeezy, whilst Busta Rhymes lands at No.23 with 'Touch It'. Both these singles see an official release this week, so watch out for them in the top 10 on Sunday.