P.E., Alkaholiks relaunch sites
Two groups from opposite ends of the country and opposite ends of the hip-hop spectrum have recently overhauled their web sites. Public Enemy and the Alkaholiks both relaunched their sites in recent weeks. P.E., true hip-hop pioneers in many ways -- including on the internet -- have added e-commerce, MP3s, classic videos and better navigation to their primary site, Public-Enemy.com. Chuck D's monthly commentary and the ever-popular Enemy Board are still staples of the site as well. Meanwhile, the Liks have redone their site in anticipation of their new album, XO. Alkaholiks.com features news, tour dates, bios, discography and will add a new show, "Likwit TV," in January. There are also plans to add a behind-the-scenes documentary on next year's promotional tour as well as production tips from E-Swift.
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Ja Rule will headline the Teck $ Holiday Jingle Jam at the Civic Center in Peoria, Ill., on Saturday, Dec. 23. The show will be hosted by Teck Holmes, a native of Peoria who rose to fame on MTV's "The Real World: Hawaii" and now hosts "Direct Effect," MTV's latest hip-hop series. An assortment of local and regional talent has been selected to open for Ja at the 7:30 p.m. concert, which is being billed as "the biggest holiday concert party to hit central Illinois." Ja Rule's sophomore album, Rule 3:36, recently was certified platinum, and his hit single with Christina Milian, "Between Me & You," still is getting heavy airplay on both radio and TV. 
In October, 
Less than a week after being ordered to pay $4.3 million in compensatory damages to the former managers of 
"Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." Even if what you say is on an album? Shyne will soon find out. Launch reports that the lead prosecutor in Shyne's upcoming attempted murder trial plans to use some of the lyrics from his self-titled debut album against the Bad Boy MC. Prosecutor Matthew Bogdanos believes that the line, "Let me warn ya / Trip against my team / You's a goner," from "Commission" proves motive in his case against Shyne. On Jan. 8, Shyne will begin to face attempted murder charges stemming from a December 1999 shooting at Club New York in New York City that injured three people. The shooting allegedly occurred after a wad of money was thrown at Puff Daddy, who also faces charges in the incident. Bogdanos thinks the lyrics prove that Shyne opened fire because Puffy was disrespected. Shyne's lawyer, Murray Richman, released a statement saying that the "Commission" lyrics are not relevant. Because they were recorded after the crime took place, Richman doesn't think the lyrics will be admitted as evidence. 
The N.W.A reunion that was 
Cox News Service reported once again on the ongoing police investigation of the Wu-Tang Clan's 60-acre retreat in Steubenville, Ohio. Police in Steubenville refer to the site, which is owned by the RZA, as a compound. It has been the target of gun-trafficking allegations for several months, and the local sheriff passes by every weekend "just to nose around," according to the report. The RZA, who is from Steubenville, still has family in the town. "It's the longest investigation in the history of the United States," said Peter Frankel, the group's attorney. "It keeps circulating in the rumor mill." 
According to a report in the New York Daily News, Mobb Deep's Prodigy had $343,000 worth of jewelry stolen by muggers during a video shoot in New York on Friday morning. Prodigy was taking a break from the shoot when two men robbed him at gunpoint, according to police spokesperson Joe Cavitolo. The mugging happened outside a store in Long Island City, not far from the Queensbridge Housing Projects where Prodigy and his Mobb Deep partner, Havoc, grew up. 
In a live webcast on Y2G.COM, FUBU's urban lifestyle web site, L.L. Cool J stated he expects to part company with Def Jam Records -- ending a relationship that lasted 15 years. "Right now Def Jam and I are figuring out where we're at," L.L. said in the interview. "My contract is basically up. And we plan on just seeing what's going on. It looks like I'm going to be moving on. Where I'm going to go I don't know. How it's going to work out I don't know. It's not any bad blood. It's not negative. It's not like I hate them or they hate me. We did what we did for a very long time. It's time for us to change the sheets on the bed. Nothing like crisp sheets to make you feel fresh again. That's part of it. You gotta grow. Def Jam is a great label and they'll continue to have success. I plan on having success, God willing... As long as people know that it's nothing negative. It's positive. We plan on seeing what we're gonna do. They've agreed to let me go and I've agreed that I would like to leave. I've expressed that wholeheartedly." L.L.'s latest album, The Greatest of All Time, recently was certified gold by the RIAA.
The World Entertainment News Network is reporting that 
Columbia Pictures has filed a lawsuit agaunst 
The recording industry is a fickle business. One minute you're hot, the next you're not. In order to keep an ongoing buzz going for yourself, you
have to constantly be in the public eye, either by dropping some guest
vocals on another artist's song, showing your face at some hob-knob industry
event or engaging in the new trend of releasing back-to-back albums. Your
fans' fascination with you or your group must never fade. Now what if you
haven't released an album in five years? What then becomes of your career?
In the case of the 
Wyclef Jean held a press conference Tuesday to announce the details of his Jan. 19 benefit concert at Carnegie Hall. Destiny's Child, Whitney Houston and Eric Clapton will be among the performers at the event, which will benefit Clef's Kids, a group of young musicians that also will perform at the show, and other causes aided by Wyclef's foundation. The partcipants will sing current hits as well as covers from throughout the 20th century. Wyclef will be the first hip-hop artist to headline a show at the legendary music hall, even though he admits he is distancing himself from rapping and concentrating more on singing.
When discussing his plans for his third solo album, Masquerade, Wyclef said, "Everything is singing... even when I'm rhyming, I'm singing." That could be due to the fact that his biggest hits have been the tracks he sings on. Wyclef's "Gone Till November" recently was ranked as the No. 88 pop song of all time by MTV and Rolling Stone, and his current duet with Mary J. Blige, "911," is getting heavy video and radio airplay. 
Because hip-hop and R&B apparently were packaged together in every category this year, not one MC went home with an award at the 2000 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. In fact, R&B dominated so thoroughly that 
Kay Gee has left 
Despite the fact that they've been struggling to release an album for well over a year, Run DMC has found a couple of new ways to reach their fans. The first is a DVD that includes a documentary and several videos from their early days. Of course, hits like "Walk This Way" and "Rock Box" -- the two Run DMC videos you're most likely to see on an MTV countdown -- appear, but classics like "King of Rock," "Christmas In Hollis," "It's Tricky," "Run's House" and "Beats To The Rhyme" are included as well. Even a couple you might have thought even they didn't want to see anymore have been thrown in -- "Pause" and "On The Avenue" from their colorful, big-floppy-hat days. The DVD will be released Dec. 12. The second project is a new book from Reverend Run titled "It's Like That: A Spiritual Memoir." As for Crown Royal, the long-delayed album is getting a full makeover after failing to get single clearances from some of their collaborators. It's now expected to be released in early 2001.