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Big Boi Confirms Def Jam Deal

In July of 2009, OutKast's Big Boi began saying that he wanted to take his Sir Luscious Left Foot solo album to Def Jam, home to L.A. Reid, the record executive responsible for OutKast's discovery and much of their success. Even with various Twitter announcements on spring release dates, it was not until Friday that Big Boi says he officially inked the contract.

"THE INK IS ON THE PAPER!!! "BREAKING NEWS!!!!" It's OFFICIAL! BIG BOI signs SOLO album DEAL with DEF JAM!!! More details to come..." said the Twitter statement.

The announcement came after Big Boi had refuted his summer Def Jam statement, alluding to his Jive Records relationship as "a great situation."

At present, Sir Luscious Left Foot is planned for May release. Big Boi is the latest veteran addition to the label started by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin, after Shyne.

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Max B Granted Appeal For 75 Year Sentence

Yesterday, Max B was granted an appeal for his guilty conviction of a robbery which ended in a fatality. The Harlem rapper, who was sentenced to 75 years in prison, has hired new legal representation according to his manager Jolie O'Shay. "He's gonna try hopefully to go back to trial, or get it a mistrial or get it time served, whatever we can do," she said in an interview with XXL Magazine.

The 2006 robbery, which occurred at a Fort Lee, New Jersey hotel, also involved his then girlfriend, Gina Conway, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison and his stepbrother Kelvin Leerdamn who received a life term plus an additional 35 years.

Prior to being sentenced to prison, Max B had signed a three album deal with Amalgam Digital in 2008 and was slated to release his debut album Vigilante Season which never dropped. He had a successful career through his affiliation with The Diplomats and co-wrote several songs including Jim Jones' "We Fly High".

Max B's manager says that he has high hopes for the appeal.

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Waka Flocka Flame Released From Jail

Georgia rap artist Waka Flocka Flame was released from Houston County Jail Thursday following a subsequent arrest for violating his probation. According to reports, the southern rapper was was apprehended Tuesday evening in Virginia Beach, Virginia for smoking marijuana just before he was set to perform.

Born Juaquin James Malphurs, Waka Flocka had previously been convicted of possession of a sawed-off shotgun which resulted in his probation.

The arrest comes after a string of misfortune for the 1017 Brick Squad associate. In January he was shot twice during a robbery attempt and was later involved in a physical altercation earlier this month with a member of Young Jeezy’s squad.

Waka Flocka, whose alias was given to him by Gucci Mane, is currently preparing his debut album Murder Man Flocka which is set for release this year. 

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DX News Bits: Jeezy Loses His "Young", Romeo

While preparing for his fourth studio album Thug Motivation 103, southern rapper Young Jeezy has changed his rap name to simply Jeezy, according to Def Jam’s official site.

 “Lose My Mind,” featuring Plies, was recently released as the album’s first single. Jeezy’s Thug Motivation 103 tentatively has a summer release date.

In other news, New Orleans rapper Romeo has signed on to be a featured character in a new comic book series and movie video game called RESQ 3.

Created by Outside The Box Vision, RESQ 3 is an interactive series that provides edutainment for grade school children and their parents. “What makes us different is that we create product for the consumer, making a conscience effort to mix in the usual fun and excitement with a sense of wonder,” explained Olatokunbo Betiku, founder of Outside The Box Vision.

RESQ 3 is still in its developing stages.

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50 Cent Says "Black Magic" Won't Be A Techno Album

50 Cent recently announced plans to record his fifth studio album, which will be titled Black Magic. In a previous interview, he said the music on the upcoming project is inspired by genres he was exposed to while in Europe, and will be "more up-tempo, more Dance." Fif told radio host Tim Westwood that the LP, however, would not turn into an uncharacteristic techno album. The biggest difference, he explained, will be the structure of the music.

"It's still 50 Cent on the record," Fif told Westwood. "I'm using different song formats. I'll write a rap song in the sequence of a different kind of record." When asked exactly what that meant, he said, "R&B records may have eight-bar verses and bridges along with the actual chorus. A traditional Hip Hop record has three sixteen-bar verses. So to write it in a different format instead of writing it the way a traditional rap record is written, it's to experiment with different things. It's still Hip Hop music, still 50 cent content. It's just written in a different way. "

50 said he's already recorded three tracks for the album, although he did not reveal much information about production or possible features.

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