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The final line-up of the PAID DUES INDEPENDENT HIP HOP FESTIVAL--presented by independent hip hop artist MURS (Living Legends) in association with Guerilla Union (Rock The Bells, Cypress Hill Smokeout)--has been announced and includes the addition of R.A. The Rugged Man, Three-6 Mafia, Brother Ali and many more, joining previously announced headliners Wu-Tang Clan and Odd Future. The seventh installment of the all-day, all-ages event--highlighting the most eminent and flourishing independent artists in hip hop--will take place on Saturday, April 7, 2012 at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA. "With the tremendous growth in independent hip hop every year there is more and more amazing talent to choose from. And as the spectrum broadens the goal of Paid Dues is to continue to be a

MTV2 is bringing back Yo! by focusing on what drew fans to watch from the start: the music. In this second installment of the special, they'll focus on 3 more songs -- Naughty By Nature's "OPP," Common's "I Used to Love H.E.R." and "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A. -- and tell the stories behind each track, from the artists who penned and produced them, to the fans, insiders, artists and celebs who simply love the music. Yo! all-stars making appearances include former Yo! MTV Raps hosts Fab 5 Freddy and Ed Lover, and hip-hop stars including Ice Cube, Naughty by Nature, Common, Fat Joe, No I.D., Talib Kweli, Fabolous, Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, Machine Gun Kelly, Peter Rosenberg, Maino, Lil Eazy E, Joell Ortiz, DJ Quik, Charlamagne, Big Boy, Miss Info, Damien Lemon, and

An online petition has been started at Change.org in an attempt to get a street in the Bronx named after legendary Hip Hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa. The petition letter reads: "He is the father of a worldwide culture. He is the creator of an international organization. He has worked tirelessly for the community. He continues to work tirelessly to educate the misinformed." Please head over to following link to sign the petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/hip-hoppers-activists-and-conscious-people-worldwide-petition-to-have-street-named-after-afrika-bambaataa-in-bronx-ny

VH1′s five-time Emmy-nominated documentary series “Behind The Music” returns to focus on six of today’s most influential hip hop/urban artists. This season’s roster includes: Nas, Game, Akon, Pitbull, Brandy and T-Pain. In addition to the dramatic storytelling that made “Behind The Music” a worldwide hit, the series will feature originally shot footage of each artist at work today, anchoring each story in the current day and connecting the past with the present. Behind The Music: Nas tells the story of one of hip hop’s most daring and prolific icons. Raised in the gritty Queensbridge projects of New York City, Nas narrowly escaped his violent surroundings. He later channeled his experiences into a lyrical style that would revolutionize hip hop. A musical legend by

The fight against childhood obesity is receiving major support from The Roots lead rhymesayer, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter. The entertainer and GrassROOTS Foundation co-founder is spearheading efforts to slim down youth with his annual fundraiser, “Let’s Move it Philly!” The charity concert party, which is scheduled to take place this Saturday (February 18) at the historic Sigma Sound Stage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will include performances from Trotter and his fellow Roots member Questlove, as well as Rich Medina, DJ Diamond Kuts, Nikki Jean, and the Money Making Jam Boys. Doors for Let’s Move it Philly! will open at 8PM, and proceeds from the event will benefit C.H.I.C.K.S. (Creating Healthy Informed Confident Knowledgeable Selves), an after school program creat

The legendary Erick Sermon has just released a brand new mixtape called "Breath Of Fresh Air" which is available for free download now. The 23 track project features a who's who of HIPHOPGODS royalty including guest appearances from KRS-One, Keith Murray, Too $hort, Daz Dillinger, Redman, Method Man and many others. Be sure to follow Erick Sermon on Twitter @iamericksermon and check out www.defsquaddigital.com to keep up on everything current with the green eyed bandit. Please visit the following link to download Breath Of Fresh Air now: https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&batch_id=T2dkanZnMm05RlpESjhUQw and check out the official track listing below. 1. SUCKA FREE SKIT/JAMIE FOXX 2. CLOUT FEATURING KRS-ONE 3. WHAT HAPPENED 4. AIN'T ME FEATURING RI