Ali from the St. Lunatics and Big Gipp of Goodie Mob will be dropping their collaborative debut album, Kinfolk, later this summer.

“Go Head,” the album’s first single, recently became the most added record at the rhythm crossover radio format. The song has been described as a combination of crunk music and Midwest “swing” and is currently at video outlets.

“Gipp and I started hanging out a while back and found that we had a lot in common,” Ali said in a statement. “We’re both considered leaders in our crews, we’re fathers and even though we have different styles, we respect each other’s skills.”

The album features guest appearances by Nelly, Murphy Lee, Cee Lo, David Banner, Juvenile, Three 6 Mafia and Bun B, while production is handled by the Track Starz and Dallas Austin, among others.

Ali and Gipp’s Kinfolk is scheduled to hit stores late summer on Derrty/Universal.

Wednesday, December 4, 2002 Hanifah Walidah’s one-woman, Hip-Hop show, “Straight Black Folks Guide to Gay Black Folks” opened in Oakland, California. Walidah characterizes a pastor, drag queen, and teenager amongst many other personalities in her play on black homophobia.

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Queen Latifah will be star in and executive produce an HBO drama based on the struggle of a former drug addict-turned-AIDS activist.

The Hollywood Reporter recently announced plans to start shooting “Life Support” next month. The film casts Latifah as a mother who survives a dangerous addiction to drugs. Centered around the HIV crisis in the black community, it is scripted by writer Nelson George (”The Chris Rock Show”), who based the story on his sister and their family’s experience.

In addition to Latifah, Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx also serves as an executive producer.

With his Year of The Dog LP due out in August, DMX is considering changing his name to The Dog. With his love for dogs, abundant barking on albums, and firm belief that “a dog is a dog for life”, it wouldn’t be surprising for the Yonkers breed MC to make such a change.

Recently the X man revealed his philosophy on this issue: “”I think I’m going to have to do that soon for spiritual reasons,” It’s just the whole Dark Man thing. Because if you look at it, from a spiritual point of view, the Bible teaches us that we can speak things into existence. … And Dark Man, you know, it may not be the best name for me.”

Obviously very conscious about what the future may bring, DMX is looking to make changes now to not bring anything negative into existence. Part of the incentive for this change taking place soon is his soon to air reality show. DMX: Soul of a Man airing this summer on BET will capture the X Man in Arizona spending time with his children and learning to get along with his fellow cowboy. It seems as through there is never a dull moment in the life of this dog.

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A U.S. District Court Judge has accused lawyers representing the family of the Notorious B.I.G. of deceiving her into declaring a mistrial in a wrongful death lawsuit. Judge Florence-Marie Cooper contends that lawyers for Biggie’s family lied and “absolutely deceived” her after claiming the Los Angeles Police Department withheld crucial evidence from an informant that may have linked officers to the murder of the B.I.G. in March of 1997.

Cooper made the statements after receiving a report prepared by a private investigator for the plaintiffs showing that the attorneys were privy to the informant remarks as early as 2002. In response to the accusations the family’s lawyer Perry Sanders pointed out that while he initially told the court he had no knowledge of the informant; he later recanted those statements. Sanders said that he advised the court that he had been “previously contacted” by the person in question after realizing the mistake and that this was a ploy by city attorney’s to “use this against us.” The case is currently scheduled for a re-trial later this year.

Dr. Mutulu Shakur is prepping the release of an album entitled A 2pac Tribute: Dare 2 Struggle. Mutulu, who has been imprisoned for 19 years due to his involvement in a bank robbery, has assembled incarcerated rappers to rhyme along side the Outlawz and Tupac’s siblings Nzingha and Mopreme.

The album will be released through Kent Entertainment’s rap’s imprint First Kut. Kent President Morey Alexander had this to say about the legacy of Tupac: “The world lost a guiding light when the flame of life went out of Tupac” Half of the earnings from this project will go towards Mutulu’s inner city health and education initatives.

The album will be released on Tupac’s Birthday, June 16th. The rapper would have been 35 years old.

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MTV announced an agreement on Wednesday (May 24) to produce a pilot for an untitled dance competition series produced by Sean “Diddy” Combs, producer of the successful Making the Band series that airs on the music network. Diddys’ untitled show will focus on street dancers from around the country.

Combs announced a first-look production agreement with MTV in March of 2005. “It gives me a chance to create content but it also doesn’t limit me to do things outside,” Combs noted after signing the deal.

The new series comes on the heels of Combs’ reality show Celebrity Cooking Showdown, which aired on NBC. The show, hosted by Alan Thicke, featured various celebrities racing to complete a fancy meal before a studio audience. NBC was originally scheduled to run the series for five consecutive nights beginning April 17, but canceled it in April, with two episodes remaining.

A police officer injured in a shoot-out with Turk of Cash Money Records Hot Boyz fame has won a $10 million dollar judgment against the rapper.

This stems from a shoot-out in a Memphis area apartment complex in January 2004. As SWAT team members raided the apartment seeking a cache of drugs, Deputy Chris Harris was shot in the jaw, hip arm and calf.

A jury convicted Turk after ballistics evidence found gunfire residue on his shorts. He has maintained his innocence and denied firing a weapon.

In August of 2005, Turk was convicted of being a felon with a handgun, a fugitive with a handgun and a drug addict with a handgun. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempted second-degree murder. The rapper was also sentenced to 10 years for being a felon, drug addict and fugitive in possession of a firearm.

The first festival to bring American and Moroccan Hip-Hop artists together was held May 29, 2005 in Marrakeh.

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Smack DVD Magazine is planning their first release since entering its distribution deal with Koch Records.

Smack The Album: Vol. 1 features new music from DMX, Young Jeezy, Fat Joe, Bun B, B.G., Juvenile, Maino and Stack Bundles among others.

The DVD segment includes videos, performances and interviews from Paul Wall, Mike Jones, E-40, Mannie Fresh, Murder Inc. and Funkmaster Flex.

The two disc set will be sold at all Trans World Entertainment stores including FYE, Sam Goody, Target, Best Buy and Circuit City, as well as mom and pop locations.

“We are enthusiastic about the opportunity we have to bring our title to a national market,” owner and CEO Troy “Smack” Mitchell said. “It’s more than just a DVD - it’s a movement. Plain and simple, we are the streets.”

Since its inception in November 2002, Smack has sold over 750,000 DVDs.

The DVD magazine focuses on the various facets of the entertainment, movie , television, fashion and sports worlds.

In related news, this fall Smack plans to produce a Raw & Uncensored DVD featuring previously unreleased footage from prior volumes.

According to reps, a Smack print magazine and documentary series are also said to be in the works.

Smack The Album: Vol. 1 is scheduled to hit stores on June 6.