.::Hip-Hop Street::.: 10/01/2006

Philadelphia rapper Cassidy remains in critical condition at Jersey City Medical Center, six days after a traffic accident in which he suffered severe head injuries, a publicist for his record label said.

Cassidy, 23, is said to have suffered a fractured skull and several fractured facial bones in the Jersey City accident. Yesterday, broken car parts and shattered glass were still at the spot of Wednesday night's accident.
Theola Borden, a publicist for J Records, said Cassidy was in critical condition but is expected to survive.

"We don't know whether he is in an induced coma or heavily sedated," she said
yesterday. "The results of a CAT scan were okay."

Borden said friends and relatives were at the rapper's bedside.

"Other rappers, such as Remy Ma, have called and asked to visit, but I think
they're just allowing close family members and friends to visit," Borden said.
"He's on the same label as Swizz Beatz, who I'm sure has been over to visit."

The Philadelphia rapper reportedly was passing through Jersey City on his way to New York to continue work on his third album, slated for release later this year.

The man whose truck slammed into rapper Cassidy in Jersey City has been issued a summons for making an improper turn, police said yesterday.

The ticket was issued to Javier Trujillo Gonzalez, 36, of Carson City, Mich., following the crash on Tonnelle Avenue near Manhattan Avenue at 12:02 a.m. Thursday, reports said.

Cassidy was heading to a recording studio in New York to work on an upcoming album when the crash occurred, said his lawyer, Simon Rosen.

"He has multiple fractures of his face," Rosen said. "He has a nasty scar from
his ear to the corner of his mouth. He's on sedation to keep him from moving,
and to keep him out of pain.

"It's scary looking, but he's a very strong
young man," Rosen added. "He's a fighter. He'll come through this."

Cassidy was in the back seat of a Chevrolet Suburban driven by Gerald Shahid, 43, of California. Shahid told police he was driving south on Tonnelle Avenue and Gonzalez was going north in a GMC pickup truck, reports said.

The pickup took the County Road jughandle, ran the red light and crossed into the intersection, broadsiding the SUV, according to police reports.

All five people in the two vehicles were injured and were taken to local hospitals, but only Cassidy sustained serious injuries, Rosen said.

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Ludacris Scores That 'Number One Spot,' Hosting and Performing on SNL

Disturbing Tha Peace chief Ludacris has two reasons to celebrate this week with a new album and single atop the charts.

Release Therapy, the rapper's latest disc, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, selling 309,000 copies while the album's lead single "Money Maker" featuring Pharrell also scored high, as the No. 1 song on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Mainstream Songs and the Rhythmic/Top 40 charts.

The Neptunes-produced track, Ludacris' fastest growing pop radio single to date, has been selling more than 100,000 ringtones a week and is a top five song at AOL Music.

The album narrowily topped Janet Jackson's 20 Y.O., which was expected to top the album chart but instead landed at No. 2, with 296,000 copies sold.

Release Therapy finds Ludacris exploring topics ranging from politics to child abuse on the "therapy" side, while having fun on the "release" portion with songs like "Girls Gone Wild" and "Money Maker."

"To me, part of being a complex person is a balance of many things. On this record I talk about striving, silliness, sadness, sex, and salvation amongst other things," Ludacris said in a statement. "I'm not knocking anybody's hustle, but many rappers only talk about one side of their lives. Personally, I'm trying to be a more three-dimensional storyteller, and I hope that comes through on the record."

The rapper's double No. 1 occupancy is the latest in a string of accomplishments this year for Ludacris, who hosts his own XM satellite radio show, Disturbing Tha Peace Presents Ludacris' Open Mic.

The lyricist earned positive reviews for his recent appearance in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, collected a SAG Award for Best Ensemble, a 2006 Critics Choice Awards for Best Ensemble, and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporter Actor in A Motion Picture for his role in the Oscar-winning film, Crash.

In addition, his Ludacris Foundation has spearheaded charity efforts concerning cerebral palsy while providing food and shelter to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

With musical, charitable, and acting achievements under his belt, Ludacris has proven to be "a vital member of the Island Def Jam family," according to Def Jam president and CEO Jay-Z.

"Not only is he a phenomenal artist, he is a visionary businessman as CEO of his Disturbing Tha Peace label," added Jay-Z. "He is one of today's most talented lyricists and a very important piece to why we are successful."

Ludacris will make another small screen appearance Nov. 18 when he hosts and performs on NBC's Saturday Night Live.

[+/-]

UPDATE Jonathan "J.R." Rotem & Trackboyz

[+/-]

Diddy Says "It's A Shock To People That I Write My Own Rhymes."

[+/-]

Clinton Sparks Spins for Diddy

[+/-]

Aftermath Hires New Chef - Raekwon

Wu-Tang Clan rapper Raekwon the Chef has officially signed with Aftermath Entertainment and will serve up his highly anticipated album Only Built for Cuban Linx II under the label founded by West Coast rapper/producer Dr. Dre.
The announcement ends months of speculation as to whether or not the album would be released on the powerhouse label, which is also home to Eminem, Eve, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, and G-Unit.

According to a statement on Wu-Tang Clan's official site Wu-Tang Corp., Raekwon is currently in the studio recording new material for the new disc, which is rumored to feature production by Dr. Dre and the RZA and appearances from the Wu-Tang Clan.

"Rae isn't taking this album lightly and it will be released on Aftermath Records, not on the Wu Music Group as originally scheduled," said a statement on the site. "It will be an instant classic!"

Raekwon's solo debut Only Built For Cuban Linx was released in 1995 on Loud Records and set the Hip-Hop world a buzz with songs like "Ice Cream," "Criminology," "Incarcerated Scarfaces," and "Can It Be All So Simple."

His next efforts, however, failed to match the commercial success as its predecessor--the gold-selling Immobilarity was released in 1999 via Epic while 2003's The Lex Diamonds Story was issued by Motown/Universal.

In a recent interview with said, Raekwon talked about the pressure associated with recording the follow-up to Only Built for Cuban Linx.

"It feels good to know that I achieved a mark that I always felt I could," Raekwon said. "For the most part, I tend to stay humble and respect that and not be overwhelmed with the love. It just makes me stronger as an artist because I know that people watch what I put out. So it's kind of a double-edged sword where it's a good thing and a bad thing only because--the bad thing about it is that you have to stay on that level as being one of the best, because if you don't, then why'd you make that? It keeps me on my toes."

No release date has been set yet for Only Built for Cuban Linx II.

Representatives for Aftermath Entertainment were not available for comment at press time.
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Source: AHH

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