New England Sun-Times

Rapper/actor, DMX was freed from a Yuma, Ariz., prison July 19, 2011 after seven months behind barsfor probation violation. As soon as he touched free ground, Earl "DMX" Simmons checked in with his probation officer, then went shopping. He spent time with family and friends, then headed straight back to work in the studio for what was promised to be a double album. One side Secular, the other side Gospel. While some skeptics are saying this promised release would be contradictory, true DMX fans are salivating about the project and waiting impatiently for the musical return of Dark Man X. It has also been reported that DMX will sign to Maybach Music Group for his next release, and that he already has some TV and movie offers on the table. We are all happy to see our brother home and wish him much health and success. PHOTO: Jemal Countless/GettyImages

(CBS/WCBS/AP) NEWARK, N.J. -- Rapper and actor Ja Rule was sentenced July 18, 2011 to more than two years in federal prison for failing to file income tax returns. "I in no way attempted to deceive the government or do anything illegal. I was a young man who made a lot of money," he said minutes before being sentenced. "I didn't know how to deal with these finances, and I didn't have people to guide me, so I made mistakes." The platinum-selling rapper, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, admitted in March that he failed to pay taxes on more than $3 million that he earned between 2004 and 2006 while living in Saddle River. He has also been ordered to pay $1.1 million in unpaid taxes. Ja Rule was sentenced in New York City last month to up to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to attempted criminal weapon possession. The case stemmed from a gun found in his luxury sports car in July 2007, reports  CBS affiliate WCBS . Depending o...

Reverend Culpepper and MC Spice [photo: Starr Watkins/Shakur Multimedia] Pleasant Hill Baptist Church sits atop a hill in Roxbury, Massachusetts at the corner of Humboldt and Waumbeck streets. This area is known to so-called gang members as "H-Block". What was once a gang of teens who represented the whole of Humboldt and the surrounding streets, "H-Block" has been divided into two sections as of late. Now there's "HB-1" and "HB-2" and they are officially "at war". According to Reverend Culpepper, most of the street wars stem from "beefs" about girls. In fact, the pastor says there's a 75% chance that most or all of the beefs are caused by some friction about a girl and how some of the young men are trying to impress them with their "gangster". But Pleasant Hill Baptist Church does not run from these so-called gang-bangers. Instead, Reverend Culpepper meets the violence and crime head-on and during the ...

Rapper X-Ray spits a new-school/old-school flow, with great breathing techniques in the song "Run". The video shows X-Ray either playing chess with himself or with a dam good look alike. He pleads: "Put the angry rap aside for a second". The new wave of Boston rappers are not impressed with violent lyrics, and are very impressive with crafting lyrics that still hold weight without the heavy-laden gangster rhymes. The video is B.E.T. ready, but unfortunately, with the way B.E.T. has been going lately, THEY'RE not real rap ready. Beat is on point and the rapper gives a great performance lyrically. Support local Hip-Hop and check out the video by the rapper X-Ray [below].

The crisp video for the song "I'm A Boss Freestyle" is professionally done, and gives the artist Mr. So Boston mass appeal and the look of a national recording artist. The backdrop of Franklin Park is a definite prop to the Bean and if you look closely, you'll see a quick shot of that barbecue spot one block over from Dorchester District Court in Dorchester's Codman Square area. "For me to be the coach, I gotta step down from the G.M"... classic. Check out the music by Mr. So Boston and support your local Hip-Hop. Dude is on point with his music. Check out the video below:

Since the beginning of the sloppy murder trial of mom, Casey Anthony who contended her innocence since being arrested for the crime in October 2008. Many Americans questioned Casey's carefree candor during the trial. and her last minute smoking gun testimony that her father sexually abused her. In the end, Casey Anthony will more than likely be released at sentencing for lying to police officers, since she has served nearly 3 years in jail while awaiting and during trial. This is my own opinion... if ANY man is dumb enough to have a child with a GUTLESS woman like Casey Anthony from this point on, he is a desperado. The prosecutor went after this case as if they wanted her to be set free, and the defense played into that crap big time. I ain't feelin' it. She's guilty. PERIOD.

One look at the extraordinary video 'Til The End of Time' by Interscope recording artist Timothy Bloom , and you automatically scream "CLASSIC' . Two beautiful black people intertwined, reminding one of those black light posters of the seventies...but only in 3D. Nothing in the world has ever been done like this; and if you think D'Angelo made 'em crazy with "Untitled" , wait until you get a real look at the artistic depth of Bloom's spiritually-connected video. After all, love is of God, and today's music has been missing that point for far too long. Mr. Bloom drives that point home with the deep lyrics to 'Til the End of Time', kicking off with: "If I should die tomorrow... let there be life" as he tells the story of a young man unsure of where life [or death] would bring him in 24 hours, and how he hoped his girl would cultivate his seed. By the way, who's that girl? And where did that VOICE come from? And who'...