Shocker: Snowman previously worked as "Chuckles the Clown"

Following the recent revelation that rapper Rick Ross was previously employed as a prison guard for the Florida Department of Corrections, the week reporters uncovered another rapper with a hidden past that contradicts his gangster lifestyle. According to the Associated Press, despite his claims of a criminal past and a history of drug dealing, rapper Young Jeezy used to work as an entertainer at children's birthday parties near his home in Macon, Georgia.

According to reports, Jeezy, the self described "Snow Man" was previously known as “Chuckles the Clown” and “Majesto the fun time party Magician” in addition to work dressing up as popular children's characters including Barney the Dinosaur and Winnie the Pooh.

Walt Mortenson, owner and founder of Walt’s Wacky Party Supplies told reporters that Jeezy, real name Jay Jenkins, was a valued employee for over five years. “I remember Jay, he was wonderful with the children. Whether he was making balloon animals, or dressing up as [Winnie the] Pooh, he always had a smile on his face, and a spring in his step.”

When asked about his alleged past employment, Jeezy was quick to deny the accusations. “The snowman never work no nine-to-five, feel me? We trappin’ and we strappin’, ya heard? Yeeah! Jeezy make it snow, I’m tha snow man. It’s like a blizzard when Young Jeezy on the block. I don’t know no balloon animals. Balloon Doggy? Get tha fuck outta here!”

Despite the denials, the rumors surrounding Jeezy’s past persist. Jamal Wilson, a high school student in Decatur, Georgia, claims that Jeezy performed at his birthday party as a magician. “I knew it was that dude! He was at my birthday. Jeezy came, he made me a balloon dog, then that mothafucka ate like 10 slices of ice cream cake! That’s what’s up.”

This is far from the first time a rapper’s past has contradicted his public persona. In addition to the recent outings of Rick Ross and Young Jeezy, rapper Jay-Z previously revealed that Prodigy of the rap duo Mobb Deep used to take ballet lessons and 50 Cent has accused The Game of performing as a male stripper and exposed his appearance on the dating show “Change of Heart” where his girlfriend had a change of heart and opted to date another man.

Reports have been surfacing regarding other rappers’ pasts as well. Commenters on several hip hop internet message boards have reported that the self described “gentleman” Fonzworth Bentley was nicknamed "Dirty Raw Dogg" during his adolescence, due to his substandard grooming habits as welll as his preference for inexpensive malt liquor and unprotected sex. It has also been reported that Busta Rhymes frequently performed a raunchy drag queen act in Manhattan's West Village as “Mistress Zelda” and that Sean "P Diddy" Combs is not, in reality, a self-absorbed douchebag.

Young Jeezy's latest album The Recession was released yesterday on Def Jam Records. Buy it at Amazon HERE.

Lil Scrappy Learns Valuable Lesson: "Don't take your weed to a knife fight"

Rapper Lil Scrappy (real name Daryl Kevin Richardson II) learned a valuable lesson over the weekend when he decided to bring his marijuana to a knife fight. The incident resulted in him not only being stabbed, but being arrested for felony marijuana possession as well.

When reached for comment, the rapper, out of the hospital and out on bail, declared it "wasn't his day."

Tony Yayo Arrested For Assaulting a Four Year Old

Rapper and 50 Cent's man servant Tony Yayo was arrested today on charges that he threatened and assaulted a toddler while dining in a Denny’s restaurant in East Brunswick, New Jersey. According to witnesses, Yayo (real name Marvin Bernard) had just finished his “Moon over my hammy” when he noticed a child in the restaurant staring in his direction.

Monique Delmonde, a waitress in the restaurant, told reporters that Yayo began staring down the young child and taunting him verbally. “What up lil’ bitch? You gotta eye problem? Why don’t you just turn around son?” The rapper reportedly asked, before throwing French Fries in the direction of the child’s high chair.

The confrontation escalated when the child began laughing and threw a chicken nugget that landed in Yayo’s soft drink. At that point Yayo was heard telling his dining companions, “We gon’ fuck dat baby up!”

Yayo ran at the youngster and reportedly was able to slap the child several times before the child’s family and restaurant employees were able to intervene. The G-Unit lackey and 50 Cent's tax write-off was then forcibly ejected from the restaurant. Police officers, responding to several 911 calls from diners in the restaurant arrived at the scene and promptly arrested the rapper for assault, disturbing the peace and other charges stemming from the low quality of his debut album "Thoughts of a Predicate Fellon" .

This is not the first time the less than talented rapper has had problems with the law resulting from a run in with a much younger individual. Yayo was previously charged with assaulting the 14 year-old son of rival rapper The Game's manager, Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond. Yayo also reportedly kicks puppies and gives painful "Indian Burns" to the elderly.

When reached for comment, Yayo explained his actions, telling reporters, “G-Unit, we don’t play around. It's Tony Yayo up in this bitch. Got them German lugers with them hollow tips. Whether you’re four or a hundred and four, we gon ride on you! Buck! Buck! Buck!”

The when asked about the incident, the toddler who was involved in the fracas told reporters Yayo was a "poo poo head." and "eats doodie."

Tony Yayo’s G-Unit Radio Mixtape “Finally Off Papers” is available for free download: HERE.

Snoop Dogg announces first annual AIDS Crip-Walk for Charity

Grammy winning rapper and pornographer Snoop Dogg (real name Calvin Broadus), announced plans today for the first Snoop Dogg Aids Crip-Walk to benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles. The charity event, to be held in Compton, California is a variation on popular AIDS Walk events. Instead of simply walking a predetermined distance, participants are expected to “Crip Walk” the entire route. Crip Walking or “Cripping” is a steady movement of the feet used to spell out gang-related symbols and images. The practice is popular among members of the California based Crips, a gang that Snoop Dogg has long been associated with.

The rapper hopes that the event will raise awareness, not only of the AIDS crisis, but of the Crips as well. When reached for comment, the rapper referred to himself in the third person by saying, “Big Snoop Dogg tha Dogfather of this whole charity shit. You know I gotta do my thang, fight that bug. But an OG is always repping they hood. That’s why we Crip Walking in Compton bitches; we fightin’ that AIDS.”

The move stunned many AIDS activists due to the rapper’s frequent use of homophobic slurs in his lyrics. When reached for comment, Director of AIDS Project Los Angeles Barry Tretorn told reporters, “This is certainly unexpected but charity work sometimes makes strange bedfellows! While I certainly don’t support everything Snoopy (sic) has done, I applaud his efforts on behalf of AIDS research. I think Snoopy and his Doggy Pound Gang are just terrific. They're fabulous!” Tretorn added, “Snoopy’s (sic) involvement has allowed us to reach a segment of the population that normally resists our message either from homophobia or simple fear. Kudos to you Mr. Dogg!”

When asked to comment on Tretorn’s statement, Snoop responded, “No Homo.”

AIDS Walk is a walkathon fundraiser that raises money to combat the AIDS epidemic. The funds raised from AIDS Walks usually benefit a local AIDS service organization which provide services and advocacy for local community residents who are infected with HIV. They are also often credited for being effective tools of public outreach, community empowerment, and education for the issues surrounding AIDS. Those wishing to make a donation to AIDS Project Los Angeles can do so HERE.

Snoop Dogg Demonstrates his "Crip Walk" technique

Method Man and Redman sign on for “Weekend at Bernie’s” remake

Executives at 20th Century Fox confirmed today that rappers and platonic life mates Redman and Methodman have signed on to star in a remake of the 80’s comedy “Weekend at Bernie’s.” The film, tentatively titled “Ballin’ at Bernie’s” is slated for release in February 2009.

The original “Weekend at Bernie’s,” released in 1989, starred Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman as a pair of young executives who must create the illusion that their murdered boss, Bernie Lomax is still alive in order to avoid being murdered themselves. The Redman and Methodman version will center around the creatively named characters “Red” and “Meth.” The characters are two aspiring rappers who must pretend that rap producer Bernie “Ice Dawg” Slim is still alive after a local gang murders him in a drive-by shooting. Red and Meth must keep up their clever ruse in order to avoid being murdered themselves and score a record deal by winning a local radio station talent contest.

When reached for comment, Redman, nee Reginald Noble, explained, "First ‘Bernie’s’? Straight up HOOD CLASSIC. Dat fool, straight murked and they be ballin’ in his crib like it ain't no fuckin’ thing. That’s what’s really hood. The second one was wack with that voodoo shit. What the fuck was that? But this one we're takin’ it dirty, we gonna be smokin’ up in that shit, bangin’ bitches, Red, Mef and Bernie yo, all up in your cinema."

Redman and Method Man previously starred together in the 2001 stoner comedy film “How High”, which featured the pair playing two marijuana-addled students attempting to survive at Harvard University. The duo also briefly had their own television sitcom, “Method & Red”, which featured the pair interacting with a variety of upper-middle class Caucasian stereotypes on Fox during the 2003–2004 season. The two also co-own three Einstein Bagels franchises in the greater Dallas Fort Worth area and co-manage a small maple syrup farm in northern Vermont.

Method Man addressed critics who doubted the duo’s commitment to maple syrup manufacturing, "First thing we do in the morning is get high. So you know we love our fuckin’ maple syrup . We need the raw uncut organic shit. So we takin’ the methods of productions into our own hands. Yeah son, that’s the package, right there."

“Already Platinum” Still Not Platinum

Nearly three years since its release, “Already Platinum” the major label debut from Houston rapper Slim Thug has yet to be certified as a platinum record. A Platinum Record is an award given to a musical artist for the sale of one million copies of an album. The most recent data from Soundscan, the entity charged with monitoring music sales, indicates that the record has yet to achieve even Gold Record status, selling only 457,002 copies since it’s release. In recent months, the record has been consistently selling approximately 100 copies a week. If this trend continues, the record should achieve platinum status sometime in the year 2018.

Slim Thug, nee Stayve Jerome Thomas, is known among hip hop fans primarily for appearing on a Mike Jones single, being really tall, and for having his name prominently tattooed on his forearms. The self-proclaimed “Boss of all Bosses” was signed by Geffen Interscope during the American public’s brief flirtation with regional Houston hip-hop, a subgenre known mostly for its celebration of prescription strength cough syrup and jewel encrusted dental appliances known as “grills.” Houston hip-hop reached its commercial peak in 2005 with releases from Mike Jones, Paul Wall, and Chamillionaire topping the billboard charts.

Commenting on the record’s boastful title, Slim Thug has recently distanced himself from the high expectations created by “Already Platinum.” He has claimed that the title referred not to the album that bared its name but to his previous success selling other albums, which, curiously had also failed to be certified platinum. “Yeah, I called my album 'Already Platinum.' In the streets they know me.” The back-peddling rapper explained, “Any hood I go to they know Slim Thug. I've been rich for years. I got fuckin’ platinum in my mouth, platinum on the handle of my glock, platinum in my wood grain. Soundscan can't tell me nothing about platinum."

“Already Platinum” was released in the summer of 2005 to high expectations. Executives at Interscope hoped the record would appeal to hip hop fans hungry for songs addressing gun violence, unearned bravado and customized cars who had not tired of hearing these issues commented on by every single rapper in existence. In an bid for mainstream success, many of the tracks on the record were produced by The Neptunes, a highly successful production team consisting of Pharrell and another guy who appears to be of Asian descent. Despite the high profile production and a strong marketing push, Slim Thug failed to connect with a mainstream audience, quickly falling down the billboard charts.

Slim Thug has taken the commercial disappointment of “Already Platinum” in stride. Despite the tendency of many hip hop artists to blame their record companies in such situations, Slim Thug has been eager to shoulder his share of the blame for the lackluster sales. “I think it was a great record, but the problem was the label and the decision-making. Geffen didn't respect my G. My whole album was produced by Pharrell. I mean that’s alright for a single but my dirty south crew didn't get their shine. I grind dirty, ridin’ on candy paint. What they know about that at Geffen? So I'm gonna say their name after RIP. I’m tha Boss. H-Town's finest. Ya heard?"

In recent weeks, Slim Thug has been released from his contract with Interscope Records. His next album “Boss of All Bosses” will be self-released.

Slim Thug’s latest release, titled "Headed 2 Da Kappa", is a mixtape collaboration with the Boss Hogg Outlawz. The mixtape is available for free download HERE. (link via Mixtape Mafia).

KRS-One educates youth about non-violence, KRS-One

Prior to injuries that lead to the postponement of KRS-One's “Stop the Violence” tour, the rapper and Nike pitchman spent last Monday at Crane High School in Chicago educating students about non-violence and who KRS-One is. The tour, which includes stops in some of the nation’s roughest neighborhoods is geared toward promoting KRS-One’s message of nonviolence and his latest single, "Self-Construction." Speaking to a disinterested teenage audience with only a vague notion of who he was, KRS-One (real name Lawrence Parker) spouted trite slogans and non-sequiturs, urging students to “Create themselves” and “polish their mind metal.”

Once considered a significant figure in the hip hop community, KRS-One has been largely ignored by the younger generation of hip hop fans due both to his creepy demeanor and his pseudo intellectual condescension. KRS hopes to appeal to a younger demographic by appearing at their schools and yelling at them for twenty minutes. “I’m talking deep here, only five of you are probably going to understand what I’m saying here,” he told a captive audience who faced detention if they did not remain for the entire lecture, “I'm going to be real with you.”

Reaction to KRS’s message was mixed among the student body. When asked for comment, Tamika Jones, a sophomore, asked, “Why did they get the janitor to talk to us about violence? Did his son get shot or something? He’s old… and weird.”

“This is some bullsh*t, I thought we was gettin’ T.I.!” declared Darnell Washington, referring to the more popular southern rapper who is touring local high schools as part of his court ordered community service.

Others in attendance found much to admire in KRS’s message of hope and beginner level eastern philosophy. Derrick Parson, the gym teacher at Crane High School declared "Man back in '81, I remember the Blastmaster KRS-1 rappin’ at a park party out in Brooklyn Heights. The bridge is over! Maaaan, I thought that guy had retired or something"

KRS-One had a message for the public, "If you keep perpetuating violence, aggressive behavior, that's what people are going to gravitate toward. But if you turn the volume up on peace, people will gravitate towards that as well. Enlightenment comes through education which is fundamental to Hip Hop and to proceed to the next level in the God's karmic knowledge.”

KRS-One’s “Stop the Violence” tour has been temporarily postponed due to injuries to KRS-One caused by violence. The weekend after KRS-One’s “Stop the Violence” rally there were 26 shootings in the Chicago area resulting in four fatalities.

KRS-One’s “Self Construction Preview video featuring The Game (plead no contest to weapons and assault charges), Cassidy (convicted of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault), Fat Joe (arrested on robbery and assault charges), Chamillionare (arrested in a video once).

KRS-One acting as a glorified show and tell presentation: