NEWS: 22-4-07 :: Beatnuts form new alliance :: Keys' LP delayed :: Twang celebrates

The Beatnuts founder Psycho Les and original member Al Tariq have reunited and teamed with Problemz of Missin Linx to form a new group, Big City. The group recently released The City Never Sleeps, a 13-track-album that features all new material produced entirely by The Beatnuts. Al Tariq left the group in 1998 and released the classic album, God Connections. The album is also the first solo project for Problemz, who has been featured on numerous Beatnut tracks.

Timbaland's Give It to Me featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake begins a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, fending off Akon's former chart-topper Don't Matter, which is No. 2 for a second week.

The Rev. Al Sharpton has canceled plans to honor Island Def Jam CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid, as Hip-Hop music continues to bear the backlash for racist comments made by radio jock, Don Imus. Sharpton was to honor Reid with the James Brown Memorial Cultural Impact Award during the National Action Network's annual four-day convention. According to Sharpton, he has withdrawn the award for Reid, in the wake of criticism over the content of some rap lyrics. Sharpton said he intends to name and target corporations that support "gutter" rap. Artists under LA Reid's watch include Ludacris, Jay-Z, Young Jeezy and Fabolous.

Amaru Entertainment and Universal Music Group have been hit with a lawsuit by R&B/Jazz singer Esther Williams, who claims Tupac Shakur and Ghostface Killah both separately used her music without authorization. The lawsuit, which was filed in Washington D.C. Federal Court, seeks $10 million dollars in damages, claiming Shakur used her often-sampled single Last Night Changed It All without permission on the song Late Night. In a separate incident also specified in the lawsuit, Williams claims Ghosface Killah also illegally sampled her 1976 tune on a skit titled Last Night Skit, which is contained on Ghost Face's critically acclaimed 2004 release, The Pretty Toney Album.

Black Twang is currently in the studio recording his forthcoming Mayor Of Rotten City album, due to be released on the emcee’s own recently-established label Rotton Product Records. As if new music wasn’t enough, to celebrate his 10 year career Mr. Rottenous is finally reissuing his unreleased 1996 album Dettwork South-East, a hidden part of UK rap history that contains the classic single Real Estate and early performances from Roots Manuva, Estelle and Fallacy.

Alicia Keys’ new album has been delayed and moved back till the end of the year. It is believed that Keys is taking out more time to focus on two new film projects, one of which is a Halle Berry-produced film project. The movie, called Compositions in Black and White is set in the 1940s and follows the story of Philippa Schuyler, the noted American child prodigy who became famous as a result of her talent, mixed race parentage and the eccentric methods in which she was bought up.