50 Cent and Lil’ Kim, along with their record labels, have been sued by a New York producer who claims the pair owes him $2 million in royalties for work on 2003’s “Magic Stick,” which was intended for 50’s debut album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” but ended up on Lil’ Kim’s “La Bella Mafia.” Carlos Evans says he was employed by Rotten Apple Records to produce, engineer and mix the song in 2003, but has never received a payment. Evans says, “It was one of the hottest tracks on that album, and I didn’t collect my royalties.”

T.I. has grabbed 9 second annual BET Hip-Hop Awards nominations. The self-proclaimed “King of the South” took home 3 awards out of his 8 nominations at last year’s show. Lil Wayne is second in total nominations this year, with seven. Kanye West grabbed six, Common got five, Jay-Z got four, and Ludacris and 50 Cent got three a piece. The Second Annual BET Hip-Hop Awards will air on television via BET on October 17th. Check your local listings for more details.

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREA SHEPHERD FOR TMZ.COM

Rapper Remy Ma has dismissed allegations of assaulting a witness in relation to the shooting of a woman in July 2007, insisting the latest accusations are simply intended to turn the public against her. The hip-hop star was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon after the shooting of 23-year-old Makeda Barnes-Joseph outside a New York City nightclub. One count of attempted murder was reduced to assault after evidence suggested the shooting was unintentional.

…CHANGE THE DAMN ALBUM DATE! Not only are you releasing his LP around the same month as Britney Spears, Alicia Keys, and Celine Dion … but on the same day as Nas and Jay-Z, with heavyweights like those, that boy will FLOP. And lawd knows I ain’t buying three albums cos two is enough … I might even just buy Jay-Z’s since I heard he was taking it back to Reasonable Doubt.

Here’s the other part I forgot to mention … Denzel Washington recently contacted Jay-Z and asked if he could do him the honor of appearing on the AMERICAN GANGSTER soundtrack and Jay-Z was like Naw … I’ll just do a whole album. Now that’s a helluva favor for a best friend!

Word has it that this movie will be BIG and with a cast of Common, Cuba Gooding Jr., Russell Crowe, and T.I. … why wouldn’t it be? Hell, I was speechless after seeing that minute TRAILER …

Another thing … CHANGE THAT WHACK ALBUM COVER! I heard, “Chris picked it” … ? Since when was he allowed to pick anything!? Forget what he likes this is about supply and demand here! And don’t you dare give me that, “this isn’t an album cover contest” – of course it’s not! Just ask your girl Fantasia, her album was going off rip, but her record sales were low because of her album cover! You have to realize your putting out a product!

And please don’t give me that, “as long as the music is good” JIVE, cos if his album sounds anything like the material I’ve heard . . . I don’t really see the “maturity” as you clam … just “horny high school boy”. Call me a “hater” whatever, I have nothing but love for Chris, but somebody need to tell him THE TRUTH! Not the “pretty” truth neither but the truth that’ll make folks angry and wanna do somethin’!

And I mean nothing intentional by this letter, just think of it as constructive criticism to motivate you, I yet to have given up on Chris Brown. Hopefully you will use that time to promote a brother right and switch to a better album cover!

Above is the official album cover of As I Am by Alicia Keys, the LP is set to be released November 13, I’m so excited that the album is finally finished! See some recent promos of As I Am over at our kin folk ALICIA KEYS ONLINE

This is the world premiere video of Ne-Yo’s “Can We Chill”. Ugh, this was unexpected, I thought it was going to be more of a grown-and-sexy-restaurant thing … Although the video isn’t that bad, I wonder where this was shot…

JAY-Z – “BLUE MAGIC”

Here it is, Jay-Z’s brand new single, off the studio album AMERICAN GANGSTER in stores November 6. The track is called “Blue Magic”, it features Pharrell (who also produced), I’m just happy everybody is back! MUCH love to ESKAY for the exclusive and DJ Noodles for making my day – wooo! (Don’t waste your time fighting the light, skate your course, and you’ll understand… – Pharrell)

Denzel: “Blue Magic” … That’s a brand new, like Pepsi, that’s a brand name. I stand behind it. I guarantee it. They know that – even if they don’t know me more than they know the jam in the General Mills…

Jay-Z: … My man

 

Diddy is reportedly planning to use an upcoming appearance on Rachael Ray’s talk show to plug his new perfume, “Unforgivable Woman.” Apparently his plan is to challenge his female perfume-making peers to a scent-off, E! reports.

This week I am going to challenge my female counterparts, from J.Lo, Mariah, Sarah Jessica Parker to Gwen Stefani, that my fragrance is better than theirs. I am a man, and I know how a woman should smell.

Oh lawd…

Apparently Ludacris made a big boo-boo the other night during his performance at “The Dream” concert in NY. Per our post, the concert was to benefit a fund in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life fighting the N-word, but that didn’t stop Ludacris from dropping the racist epithet while slinging his “Money Maker” during the benefit “Dream” concert for the MLK memorial in D.C. Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Wyclef Jean, Usher and Cuba Gooding Jr. also turned out for the Radio City fund-raiser. Among those taking swipes at the White House was Diddy, who said: “We have guided missiles but misguided men who control them.”

Wait, he performed Money Maker?? At a benefit for Martin Luther King?! What happened to “Runaway Love?!” I don’t think Ludacris is to blame here. Whoever planned this and gave him the okay to perform that song should be blamed…

[ COVER VIA THE.LIFE! ]

Welp! I guess we can safely assume that Mya’s career is officially O-V-A! We all know that once you’re pasted on the front of a car magazine, you’re one step away to working the midnight shift at SONIC. Just ask the ladies of DANITY KANE.