“I never have and never will steal another writer's song.”]Another day, another lawsuit… On July 8th, news reports surfaced regarding a lawsuit against Grammy-winning crooner John Legend for allegedly stealing a song. Though the singer has already addressed the situation via Twitter, Legend also addressed it earlier this week while at the launch of the GIVE Education campaign.

“This gentleman made an accusation that’s not true and we know it’s not true,” Legend tells E! News. “I never heard of his song until he sued me. I would never steal anyone’s song. I’ve never, ever done that before. Never even been accused of it before, and we will fight it in court and we will prevail. I’m not worried about it. I know the truth is on my side.”

In the copyright-infringement lawsuit, New Jersey singer-songwriter Anthony Stokes claims that he gave Legend his demo tape in 2004, although never hearing back from him.

Two years later, Stokes realized that his song “Where Are You Now?” was ripped off in Legend’s song “Maxine’s Interlude” off of the ‘Once Again’ album. Stokes is suing for unspecified damages and is attempting to prevent the sale of the track.

Once news broke out, Legend took to his Twitter to address the situation right away to his fans. He reassured his fans to not “believe it” and that he’s “never heard of this guy.”

“I never have and never will steal another writer’s song. Never heard this dude’s song til yesterday. The case has no merit,” Legend tweets. “I guess he thinks he can squeeze a little money & fame from this. We’ll go to court and we’ll win.”

Let’s just hope this mess ends as soon as possible for everyone involved.

via-hiphopdx

Spitta speaks on how his former imprint missed out on what he had to offer.

With the release of his Covert Coup mixtape and Weekend at Burnie’s album, Curren$y has already dropped two of the five projects he’s promised to deliver this year.

Both projects were released through the New Orleans, Louisiana native’s new label Warner Bros./Jet Life. While discussing his 2010 releases with the Village Voice, Curren$y addressed the issue of Def Jam/Universal Music undershipping his Pilot Talk albums.”Well, I hoped they learned their lesson, but I’m not mad,” he said of the label. “On paper, I guess I don’t appear to be in such high demand. But those that know how to assess popularity nowadays see it. Trust.

“I rarely go more than two or three weeks without putting out something online,” he continued, alluding to his growing fan base. “You have to make yourself easy to find. Stay accessible.”

As he continues to drop music, Curren$y says that he plans to shape his Jet Life label into a respected brand. “I’m big on observing,” he said. “And it was definitely, shall we say, educational to see certain artists going about building their empires, building their own movements: Pharrell with Star Trak, Cam’ron with Dipset. Fans would hear a beat and be like, ‘That sounds like a Neptunes beat,’ or ‘That sounds like a Dipset joint.’ That’s how I engineered Jet Life to be. I want it to be branded in a way, so the people know what it is.”

Curren$y is expected to release three additional mixtapes or albums by the end of 2011.

via-hiphopdx

Mike Bigga couldn't confirm or deny a new Outkast LP, but says that Three Stacks is back like he never left.

Killer Mike recently paid a visit to Invasion Radio to discuss a number of topics including his latest album, politics and the return of Outkast. In a video of the interview courtesy of 3 Little Digs, Mike Bigga confirms that Andre 3000 is returning to rap but isn’t sure about Outkast reunion rumors.

“The homie Big [Boi], we back in the studio working, so I’m excited, I’m happy. Dre called me a few days ago, too. Then we all hooked up at Big Boi’s house on the 4th,” he said, addressing the rumor that Outkast was linking back up for a new LP. “I heard that rumor. I’m praying it’s true. I heard it. I know Dre’s back rapping, I can confirm that. He told me, ‘Man, I’m back at it like a crack addict.’”

Mike also explained that he keeps in touch with the currently incarcerated T.I., but doesn’t get to communicate with him as often as he’d like.

“Not as often because, I mean, we speak, but I have to email and then I have to get somebody else’s email because I’m not on a list. We was on tour until April 19th, so we couldn’t talk to nobody. But he good. We talkin’ about what we gon’ do to y’all motherfuckers. That man coming out rapping.”

More legal problems for the incarcerated rapper.

Incarcerated rapper Lil Boosie has added a new charge to his growing rap sheet after being formally indicted yesterday for conspiracy to introduce contraband into a federal prison. The charge stems from a May incident where the Baton Rouge native and two associates were busted by an undercover officer while trying to smuggle codeine behind bars.

Boosie is currently serving time while awaiting trial for the first-degree murder of Terry Boyd. The “Wipe Me Down” rapper is accused of having paid a then 16-year-old Michael “Marlo Mike” Louding to kill Boyd in 2009.

via bet.com

Weezy remains intent on keeping his nose clean as he continues touring.

Maybe T.I. can look to Lil Wayne for advice on how to stay out of the pen, because it appears Lil Wayne is serious about his government-mandated sobriety.

TMZ reports that Wayne, who is banned from consuming alcohol until 2013, has instituted a zero-tolerance no-alcohol policy backstage and on his tour bus.

A rep for Weezy’s “I Am Still Music Tour” says that the concerts have “a dry backstage as we are committed to keeping a safe and professional atmosphere to ensure a smoothly running tour.”

“There is no ban on alcohol served at the venue,” added the rep.

Wayne was sentenced last November to a three-year probation that prevents him from using drugs or alcohol, in addition to associating knowingly with any person engaged in criminal activities.

via hiphopdx.com

'We was just chilling,' C-Smoove tells 'RapFix Live' of being in the studio with M-Bone the day he was killed.

Cali Swag District just dropped their new album, The Kickback, on Tuesday, following the success of their massive hit “Teach Me How to Dougie.” But the accomplishment is bittersweet since it arrived nearly two months after the murder of Mante “M-Bone” Talbert.

The remaining members of the group — Yung, C-Smoove and JayAre — hit MTV News’ “Rap Fix Live” on Wednesday (July 13) and, after refuting rumors that they were involved in M-Bone’s death, talked about the last time they each spoke to their late friend.

“We was talking about shoes. I just bought the Cool Greys, the Jordans,” Yung said of his last conversation with M-Bone. “He was like, ‘Man, I can’t find those nowhere, let me buy them from you.’ And I just had bought ‘em, and I was like, ‘Nah.’ And [then], I was like, ‘You know what? I don’t even want them.’ But then I was like, ‘No, but I do.’ And then he was like, ‘Fine, I’m just going to go buy them myself.’ So what he did was he went to the store and he bought them and he took a picture of them [and sent it to all of us]. I was like, ‘It’s all good, though. We all got them, so we a team, you feel me?’ I used to tell him that all the time, I used to be like, ‘Yo, we a team, B.’ ”

JayAre was playing a video game with his fallen friend the last he saw him alive. “I think the last time we talked, we was playing [NBA 2K11] or something,” JayAre said. “I always got the Lakers, he played with the Heat. He was a Heat fan. I think he won that game that time.”

C-Smoove said, “Last time I talked to Bone, he was like, ‘Hey, is Kickback jumping?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, man, we up here.’ He was like, ‘I’m on my way.’ Came to the studio; he came comfortable man — basketball shorts, little Heat jacket, some Nikes or something — he wasn’t even trying to impress nobody. He was just up there chilling in his little giddy-up. He just woke up, drove to the studio. We was just chilling.

“And that’s right before he went to the store, man,” Smoove recalled. M-Bone was shot in his car on La Brea Avenue, not far from the Inglewood, California, spot Airport Liquor and Groceries. “That was the last time I talked to him.”

Smoove’s comment sparked a particularly fond memory for another member of the group. “I remember that whole day too,” Yung said. “I remember we all was at Smoove’s house for his birthday. [M-Bone] pulled up on the side. We all sitting in the cars and stuff, we got girls out there, ’cause we always got girls somewhere. It’s like 20 people, [and] like 19 of them was girls. So we out there, and Bone, he wasn’t there. And he just pulled up in his Camaro and he was like, ‘What’s going on here?!’ I was like, ‘Don’t worry about it; either you with us or you ain’t.’ And he was like, ‘I’m with you.’ So he parked and hopped in the car and then he was with us.”

M-Bone’s murder remains unsolved.

via mtv.com

Happy belated birthday to Brooklyn's own Lil Kim who celebrated her 36th birthday yesterday.

Happy belated birthday to Brooklyn’s own Lil Kim who celebrated her 36th birthday yesterday. The Queen Bee has been making her rounds lately hitting a number of clubs including Atlanta’s famed Velvet Room on Sunday nights where the venue held a welcome home party for recently freed rapper Gucci Mane and celebrities including boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr.

On her born day the Michael Antonio photos were released along with the news that Kim is on the verge of releasing a new single “Looks Like Money” produced by Rockwilder off her upcoming solo album.

www.rapfix.mtv.com

Fif is giving the Southern rapper the opportunity to handpick artists from the region and serve as more of a tastemaker.

50 Cent recently welcomed Shawty Lo to his G-Unit family, announcing the deal in conjunction with a new mixtape release. But according to Fif, the partnership isn’t an artist signing, but more of a business venture. During an interview with Hot 107.9, 50 clarified the signing, explaining that the Southern rapper is signed to D4L through G-Unit.

“The difference is, when you say that, they think Shawty Lo is signed to G-Unit when Shawty Lo is signed to D4L through G-Unit, through his actual company, and he’s the outlet for other artists from Southern based areas to come,” said 50. “In this case, I had to bring private investors in to have enough money to go ahead and do the Shawty Lo deal the way it’s supposed to be done.”

50, who was joined by Shawty in the studio, stated that his new business partner will provide Southern artists with an outlet to get signed without having to leave the area.

“It’s a joint venture, and their route to being able to do business with us at this point would be to go through Shawty here. So you gotta be looking for new talent that’ll be coming to him in different ways, and he’ll be able to say this is it right here,” he continued. “It’s a filter system. Every artist that someone is listening to me right now, the artist that they enjoy from Atlanta or other Southern-based markets gotta get on planes to fly to New York or Los Angeles to figure out what’s going on with their lives and their careers. This is the one route that they can go to someone in the South and make it happen right here, that understands it on a different level. Because on an artist level, he hears the records that he wish he did.”

via-hiphopdx

G-Dep tells "XXL" magazine that Diddy reached out and showed support to his wife and three children.

In the latest issue of XXL magazine, the publication interviewed Harlem, New York emcee G-Dep at Rikers Island. The 36 year-old is presently facing potential life in prison if found guilty for second-degree murder, regarding a 1993 robbery-shooting that G-Dep confessed to this past December when he walked into a New York Police Department precinct.

In the interview, the former Bad Boy Records artist and father of three spoke to his fans, whom had heard the local legend on appearances with Gang Starr and Diddy, prior to his own Child Of The Ghetto solo debut.

“I want to apologize to the people out there that supported me. You kind of just listen to the music. You might not necessarily want to deal with the trials and tribulations that they go through all the time, so I apologize to the fans,” said the emcee, noting that he prefers to refer to listeners as “supporters.”

Additionally, G-Dep revealed that his former mentor and “Let’s Get It” and “Special Delivery” collaborator, Diddy, had contacted G-Dep’s wife. “I haven’t spoke to him in a minute, and he reached out to my family. He spoke to my wife and was showing support. That’s what’s up,” he said. Diddy also recently praised his former late ’90s signing during a Sirius Radio interview.

via-hiphopdx