HIP-HOP NEWS               

Keith Murray has titled his Def Jam debut, “OhMyGoodness,” which drops this fall. I wonder if it’ll change when Rakim drops “Oh My God.”

Look for a comeback from Special Ed, who may be signing a deal with Snoop Dogg’s Dogghouse Records.

Khujo of Goodie Mob was in a serious car accident after falling asleep behind the wheel. His right leg had to be amputated below his knee.

Wu Tang has been on BET News and MTV News as well as Power 105 in New York and backed Nas, saying, “We need to take hip-hop back, and if there’s a revolution, we will fight for hip-hop.”

A British magazine called NOW claims that J-Lo’s husband Cris Judd told his wife to “go back to the man she loves,” after overhearing an intimate telephone conversation between her and P. Diddy, which followed months of strife between the unlikely couple. According to NOW, “A few weeks after Cris started dating Jennifer, Puffy sent her white doves on Valentine’s Day. When she agreed to get married, Cris thought that was the end of Puffy, but underestimated how obsessed Puffy was. Cris’ mistake was to turn a blind eye to the contact they kept up after the beginning of the marriage. As soon as Jennifer and Cris had problems, Puffy was the first to hear. Cris didn’t stand a chance.”

Nas has signed to Murder Inc. Ghostface has signed to Def Jam and has his own label, Starks Enterprises. Philly’s Most Wanted have signed a deal with Universal Records. Also, word is that Juvenile might be signing with Suge Knight’s Tha Row, and that Vita is no longer affiliated with Murder Inc.

P. Diddy will take his Bad Boy label to Sony and will also executive produce Foxy Brown’s next LP.

The sons of Big Pun (Lil’ Pun), Benzino (Ray-Ray), and James Capra (Lil’ James) have formed a group called 3 Down and will be managed by David Mays, owner of the Source Magazine.

Fat Joe was arraigned on one count of second-degree gang assault in connection with an attack on Steve Garib of Queens. It’s alleged that Fat Joe was one of at least six people who punched and kicked Garib inside B.B. King’s Nightclub. Garib suffered a broken jaw and multiple bruises and cuts. Fat Joe turned himself in at the Midtown South precinct. He faces 5-15 years in prison if convicted. Fat Joe’s lawyer, Philippe Dussek, said he is sure his client will be cleared, and has eyewitnesses who “will attest to the fact that my client was nowhere near the incident, and they never saw him touch anyone.”

Be on the lookout for “DJs United Vol. 1,” a mix CD to be given away for free at nightclubs in Orlando. It includes Remington Steel of House of Steele, DJ Jesse Jazz of Full Impact DJs, DJ Caesar of the Hitmen, DJ Reconn of 102 Jamz, and DJ Slique and DJ Skream of Full Impact DJs.

NSYNC member and Britney Spears’ ex Justin Timberlake is now dating Janet Jackson. They reportedly hooked up at Missy Elliott’s birthday party, where an eyewitness claimed, “Justin and Janet just started making out in front of everyone, like they wanted everybody to know.”

According to my sources, after Khia threatened to beat up her ex-manager Taz for starting a rumor that her boyfriend shot and killed her, Khia stepped to him in NYC but got her ass beat instead, which is why she missed her appearance on BET’s 106th & Park.

Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Records is in settlement talks with Saregama India Unlimited, because DJ Quik, who produced Truth Hurts’ “Addictive,” used an illegal and uncleared portion of Hindu singer Lata Mangeshkar’s “Thoda Resham Lagta Hai.” Dre’s legal counsel blames this mix-up on not being able to locate the original copyright holders of the track to properly credit them.

It has now been confirmed that the pilot of the plane crash that killed Aaliyah had cocaine and alcohol in his system.

- Compiled by Jesse Jazz, JesseJazz3000@aol.com