Rapper Nate Dogg Dead at 41

Task force investigating new leads, say sources

(NEWSER) - Thirteen years later, the murders of rappers Notorious BIG and Tupac Shakur remain two of the music industry’s highest-profile unsolved mysteries—but that could soon change. Police “reinvigorated” the Notorious BIG murder case months ago, sources tell CNN , and they are actively looking into leads and new information related to the 1997 crime. The task force investigating the case includes the LAPD, FBI, and the LA County DA’s office. More»

Hip-hop artist does an awful lot of entertaining TV cameos

(NEWSER) - In anticipation of Snoop Dogg’s cameo on tonight’s episode of Brothers, the Huffington Post runs down the hip-hop artist’s best—that is to say, Snoop Doggiest—TV guest moments to date:

• The Martha Stewart Show: “Oh, you want me to take the skizin off it.”
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: “I stay ready so I ain't gotta get ready.”

Newly released files seem to point at corrupt cop

(NEWSER) - The FBI has released a thick—albeit heavily redacted—file detailing its investigation into Christopher "Notorious BIG" Wallace's fatal 1997 shooting, and it provides at least one tantalizing clue. Wallace was killed with an extremely rare piece of ammunition, the Gecko 9mm, which is manufactured in Germany and available through only two distributors in the US. But that same ammo was found at the home of a corrupt ("like, seriously corrupt," Seth Abramovitch notes on Gawker ) former LAPD officer, David Mack, who was arrested later in 1997 for masterminding a bank heist and was just sprung from jail last May. More»

Russian prime minister just plain awkward at music awards show

(NEWSER) - While it would have been infinitely more entertaining had Vladimir Putin actually tried to freestyle, his appearance at a music awards show this weekend still made newspapers titter. Putin, who first stood around looking awkward while his “youth disguised” security mingled with the dancing crowd, handed out an award and offered his thoughts on rap ("addresses the problems of youth"), graffiti ("a real art form"), and, yes, break-dancing, the Telegraph reports. More»

From condoms and KFC to Cuban cigars and Hennessy

(NEWSER) - Drawing on the Smoking Gun ’s collection of concert riders, Sam Greenspan of 11points.com offers a list of the 11 craziest demands made by rappers:

• DMX: Three boxes of condoms and a gallon of Hennessy—that’s anywhere from $300 to $800 worth of cognac.
• Public Enemy: Kosher food—odd, because “Public Enemy is famously associated with anti-Semitism”—and a bucket of KFC.