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An associate to rapper 50 Cent has reportedly been accused of taking part in the 2008 burning of a Long Island home occupied by the G-Unit head’s ex-girlfriend.

Rapper Yung Berg has remained firm on not being beaten up during a California robbery earlier this week despite reports that cited him as one of the victims.

Now would be a good time to slip on some shades, if you’ve got a pair handy. On his first solo feature, making its world premiere right here in the Booth, Suga City emcee Arkansas Bo Shines so brightly that onlookers risk temporary blindness. Got your protective eyewear on? Good. Here, the laid-back, string-sampled boardwork of B. Keith sets the stage for two verses’ worth of Southern-fried braggadocio. In addition to thoroughly cataloging his admirable qualities (“When it comes to rappin’ and pimpin’ I got crazy skills, plus I’m hella attractive…”) and affirming his ironclad dedication to the hustle, Bo fills inquiring minds in on his favorite color (it’s Navy blue). Topped off with guest vocals from Houston up-and-comer Big Keise, this radiant cut and much more can be found on The Notebook, a DJBooth.net/KevinNottingham-cosponsored street album inspired by the classic chick flick of the same name. Just kidding… or am I? I guess we’ll find out March 17. In the meantime, keep it locked to our front page for one more leak off the project.

Following in the footsteps of such Booth favorites as Mike Dreams (formerly known as Young Son) and Jeff Chery (formerly known as Pay$0z), I Am Us emcee Cause has traded in his dusty old stage name for a fresh new one. As evidenced by Stand Out, the artist’s first track released under his God-given name of YONAS, the change was accompanied by a good deal of soul-searching. Over Sean Divine‘s pensive piano-loop instrumental, the up-and-comer reflects on his motivations for making music, as well as the countless obstacles that stand in the way of his journey to the top – from haters and gold-digging groupies to his self-doubt and preoccupation with fame. Needless to say, the emcee sounds just as dope and insightful by his new name as he did by the old (if not more). Readers digging this introspective, lyrically astute jam won’t want to miss the fresh material YONAS will showcase on his new street album, SEVEN; scheduled to hit the ‘net sometime this spring.

Ever since Chicago-born emcee Neak dropped Make It for the Booth community to rock to, we’ve all had our eyes (and ears) fixed to see what kind of new work would come from this burgeoning hip-hop genius. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long before we were introduced to the stellar Dear Sky and now his latest offering, Film School. On Film School, Neak builds the track with his signature mellow flow while retaining a sense of pride easily heard in his delivery. The jazz-driven, soothing quality of the cut takes fans and listeners to another realm thanks to producer Mulatto Patriot, who’s managed to create a melody that won’t soon leave our heads. Film school made Steven Spielberg famous and it might do the same for Neak – give this track a couple of listens and see if you don’t catch yourself humming it for the rest of the day. Look out for Neak’s DJBooth.net-hosted album 84 Vol. 2 (The Silent Fiasco) due out on March 2, and an exclusive In the Mix interview, dropping this Friday!

Outsiders beware – the streets of the Rotten Apple hold countless dangers for the unwary traveler. Don’t take it from me, though; take it from J.D. Of Duality, the Hollis, N.Y. Rider previously heard flowing alongside reader favorite K. Sparks on cuts like Soul Food, and Three Card Monte. On the inaugural leak off his forthcoming street album, the up-and-comer rejoins forces with his Queens cohort over a head-nodding, sampled beat by Pajozo (the producer behind both of the aforementioned tracks). While the headliner spends his verses describing the predators hiding in the shadows of his home city, Sparks seems more concerned about the annoyances lurking in the corners of his inbox: “Needy rappers in the game act like your long-lost cousins… they send so many messages I send ‘em to the spam folder.” Subject matter aside, though, both collaborators turn in characteristically dope performances on the mic. Fiending for more? Of course you are – though J.D.‘s latest mixtape doesn’t drop till May, fellow Retro Junkies can rest assured we’ll bring you all the latest tunes.

Fresh off the release of Booth-premiered, reader-acclaimed leak Like a Kid Again, house favorite Shawn Chrystopher is back to remind fans and haters alike that, at the end of the day, he’s simply looking out for numero uno – in his own words: “I did this sh*t for me, and you Can’t Take That From Me.” Be that as it may, the Inglewood native comes with rhymes that just about anyone should be able to appreciate, especially those who enjoy playing spot-the-allusion – Home Alone, Gullah Gullah Island, I Love Lucy and The Matrix are just a few of the many pop-cultural touchstones Chrystopher references over Cameron Wallace‘s sparse, simmering synth instrumental. Not to mention, he drops the line “I won’t stop like a sentence with three commas,” which, as a guy who rarely writes a sentence with fewer than three commas, I found sort of hilarious. Anyway, it’s crystal clear that Shawn Chrystopher’s self-interest is listeners’ gain. For more evidence, check out the rising star’s latest EP, The Audition, when it hits the ‘net March 23.

Damn, I miss Cops. There was nothing quite like that watching that shaky camera chase a toothless dude wearing one flip-flop who decided to run when the flashing lights pulled up. While topically Razah’s latest offering Bad Girls doesn’t share those exact sentiments, Cops viewers will undoubtedly recognize the show’s classic theme song as the inspiration for the sugary single’s hook (and title). Propelled by some sparkling boardwork from Waleezy, who crafts an instantly addictive light synth beat, it’s Razah’s Jamaican tinged vocals that truly give the track energy; and it doesn’t hurt that every guy listening will be able to relate to Razah’s search for a female companion who’s the opposite of good. Will Bad Girls be as highly rated as Razah’s last offering Higher, or will the track’s climb to the top be arrested now? We’ll find out soon. Having left Def Jam, Razah will be going the indie route this summer when he drops his upcoming album iamRazah. Sing it with me people: “What you gonna do, what you gonna do…”

Freeway and Jake One, B. Dolan and Alias, Murs and 9th Wonder, I can’t help but feel like the age of the one producer, one rapper album is enjoying a bit of a renaissance. Continuing the same excellence they displayed on previous collabo effort Murray’s Revenge, west coast underground stalwart Murs and North Carolina producer extraordinaire 9th Wonder are preparing to release their new album Fornever, and to get the world – and the Booth – properly excited they’re unveiling the previously unreleased 3:16 pt.2 (which, I assume but can’t confirm, was originally recorded during the Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition sessions). In typical Murs fashion, the heavily dreaded emcee drops nearly three straight minutes of high-caliber flows while 9th delivers yet another soul-meets-boom-bap beat sure to leave aspiring beatmakers jealous. What, like you expected anything less from a duo like this? The producer/emcee renaissance will assuredly hit a high note when Fornever hits eardrums everywhere March 30. 

Download 3:16 (pt.2) at RefinedHype.com!

Grammy-winning rapper Lupe Fiasco has opened up about his rap image and explained why he does not strive to achieve the same fame as Jay-Z.