Ishmael Reed On the Clintons

Ma and Pa Clinton Flog Uppity Black Man

Lupe Accused of Being Bad CEO

You want it to be one way; well, it's the other way

Just as the monstrosity that was Fiascogate looked like it was finally beginning to die down, Atlanta-by-way-of Chicago producer Prolyfic, who contributed beats to Lupe's acclaimed 2006 release Food & Liquor, declared, yesterday evening, that Lupe, CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment, where Prolyfic and other peons Chicago-area artists have deals, is guilty of neglecting the roster.

The accusation, issued on GO-IN.COM the Okayplayer message boards, comes at a time when Mr. Fiasco has been riding the wave of promotion for his latest effort The Cool, which was released late last winter.

The story goes something like this: Lupe makes a post claiming that 1st and 15th is, among other things, committed to treating its artists like family. The post in question appeared to be aimed at recruiting new artists and was met with a mix of disdain and rampant admiration that is consistent with most online communities.

No biggie. Except, out of nowhere, Prolyfic jumps in, declaring that Lupe, in making such a statement, is worthy of XXL's "Negro Please" award. He then goes on to state that Lupe is unaware of 1st and 15th’s in-house affairs. "All you [knew about] was stuff that pertained to you," said Prolyfic. "You abandoned a [sic] entire group of [people] that broke bread with you and road [sic] with you to the dirt when we had almost nothing."

In other Lupe-related news, the blogger Byran Crawford posted an entry last week, in which he claims to have received an e-mail from a reader possessing information that links the socially conscious rapper to Chicago's notorious Blackstone gang.

Okayplayer post claiming that Lupe Fiasco is a bad CEO

Byron Crawford blog suggesting Lupe's affiliation with the Blackstone gang

Weekend Update

HOLY SHIT MICK BOOGIE: How come no one bothered to tell us the Cassie record that’s been out, like, forever is so damn HAWT? While the lead single "Me & You" was our entire shit during the summer of ’06, we were totally in the dark about the record’s ‘80s-inspired wall-to-wall goodness (courtesy of super producer Ryan Leslie).

When her follow-up joint drops later this year, we will surely be in line to cop. EARLY.

Speaking of crackheads, DMX must pay a Baltimore woman $1.5 million in penal damages.

The woman, Monica Wayne, sued DMX, who claimed in an article that Wayne raped him during a 2003 stay at a Baltimore hotel room.

Needless to say, the Darkman X failed to appear before the judge.

Hmm. Lady-instigated rape? Is that’s what’s hot in the streets?

The British electronica outfit Goldfrapp is set to digitally release its new single “A & E” February 3.

The song will later be available in stores February 11.

Elsewhere, Panic At the Disco! announces that they have excised the Exclamation point (!) due to irritated fans.

Is anybody else amazed at the fact that Panic At the Disco fans actually know what an exclamation point is?

In closing, can someone hook us up with those leaked episodes of "The Wire"? We are so jonesing.

Wyclef Accused of Copyright Infringement

Damn right I'm over the Hill

Brooklyn rapper Blahz, born Martell Ellis, filed a lawsuit in Manhattan U.S. District Court accusing Wyclef of sampling his group Blahzay Blahzay’s 1995 hit single “Danger” without permission.

Damn. Looks like L-Boogie wasn't only one on some shiesty shit.