DX News Bits: Death Row Records, DMX

It appears that Death Row Records/WIDEawake Entertainment is still facing financial woes following their purchase of the label in early 2009.

The Wall Street Journal reports that New Solutions Capital Group, the company that helped WIDEawake finance the purchase of Death Row Records, is now in debt as a result of the purchase.

“If someone would pay the amount of the debt incurred plus a dollar, we’re out,” New Solutions Capital Group’s Robert Thompson-So told CanadianBusiness.com. “This is just another commercial loan transaction that started as a workout and continues to be a workout. Please - step up to the table and take us out.”

Aside from the debt incurred by the deal, New Solutions and WIDEawake are also battling over who gets control of Death Row.

In other Hip Hop news, the VH1 reality show Celebrity Rehab is hoping they can enlist rapper DMX for the next season of their show.

A lawyer for DMX, real name Earl Simmons, revealed to TMZ that a rep for the show reached out to him following the rapper’s arrest earlier this week.

The Celebrity Rehab rep is hoping that DMX can somehow be placed in their facility instead of being locked up. A rep for the show may possibly appear at DMX’s hearing to speak with a judge in regards to the rapper being brought to their facility.

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West Coast Veteran C.P.O. Tha Boss Hogg In Hospital From Heart Attack

Veteran west coast act C.P.O. (also known as Lil Nation) is reportedly in the hospital today, having suffered a heart attack. Details are still emerging, though several associates of the '90s emcee told DX this afternoon.

Known for appearing on classic Rap albums such as N.W.A.'s Niggaz4Life, 2Pac's All Eyez On Me, C.P.O. was a frequent associate of both N.W.A. and Death Row Records. He worked with the famed label on soundtracks such as Murder Was The Case and Above The Rim.

Signed to Capitol, C.P.O. (as Capital Punishment Organization) released one album, 1990's To Hell And Black, which boasted production from N.W.A.'s MC Ren as well as late group partner DJ Train.

Last year, archival material from C.P.O. appeared on the Death Row/WIDE Awake Entertainment re-release of The Chronic and is working with Tha Chill on Chillafornia.

HipHopDX will keep you updated.

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La Coka Nostra & House Of Pain Go On March Tour

With Danny Boy, Everlast and DJ Lethal having roles in both groups, '90s Rap hit-makers House of Pain are joining '00s incarnation La Coka Nostra for a March tour. La Coka includes Ill Bill of DJ Eclipse of Non-Phixion fame, as well as Boston emcee Slaine.

The tour, which begings this evening in Chicago, also includes appearances from Cypress Hill's B-Real, onetime Roots' affiliate Rahzel and Rocksteady Crew's DJ JS-1.

The tour dates are below:

March 12th @ Congress Theatre, Chicago, IL - House of Pain w/ Slaine, DJ Eclipse & GZA
March 13th @ Beach/Mandalay, Las Vegas, NV - Everlast w/ B-Real
March 16th @ Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY - House of Pain w/ Slaine & DJ Eclipse
March 17th @ House of Blues, Atlantic City, NJ - House of Pain w/ La Coka Nostra & DJ Eclipse
March 18th @ Nokia Theatre, NYC, NY - House of Pain w/ La Coka Nostra, DJ Eclipse, Rahzel & DJ JS-1
March 19th @ Webster Theater, Hartford, CT - House of Pain w /La Coka Nostra & DJ Eclipse
March 20th @ Palladium, Worcester, MA - House of Pain w/ La Coka Nostra & DJ Eclipse
March 21st @ Northern Lights, Clifton Park, NY - House of Pain w/ La Coka Nostra & DJ Eclipse

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Xzibit, Snoop Dogg, DJ Quik Featured On Kurupt's "Streetlights"

After his critically-praised collaboration album, BlaQKout, last year with DJ Quik, Dogg Pound emcee Kurupt is preparing his latest solo album.

Streetlights, to be released April 20, finds the Philadelphia native taking his unique lyrical approach to an album based around what goes down after dark in California. A preliminary tracklisting, courtesy of the album's distributor, Fontana, reveals that mentor Snoop Dogg will appear, as well as frequent collaborators Xzibit and DJ Quik. Kurupt's brother Roscoe is also planned to appear on a track, as well as Dogg Pound newcomer affiliates Problem and Terrace Martin, who produced Streetlights.

1. Intro
2. I’m Burnt (feat. Problem)
3. Questions
4. In Gotti We Trust (feat. Xzibit)
5. Face Down
6. Blame It On U (feat. Rell)
7. Yessir
8. All That I Want (feat. Snoop Dogg)
9. I’m Drunk
10. Scrape
11. Riot In The Club
12. I’m The Man
13. I’m Burnt (Remix) (feat. Snoop Dogg, Roscoe & Problem)
14. Streetlights
15. Bounce, Rock, Skate (Bonus Track) (feat. DJ Drama, Snoop Dogg, DJ Quik & Terrace Martin)

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Boston Rapper Sam Adams Accused Of Buying Own Music

After debuting #1 last week on the iTunes Hip Hop chart with his newly-released Boston’s Boy EP, budding emcee Sam Adams was accused of buying $75,000 worth of his own music on a credit card.

The 22-year-old, who according to The Boston Phoenix recorded his first song seven months ago, explained in a statement that his recent success is due to word of mouth and not self-bought promotion. “I know there has been a considerable amount of controversy about my album release and hitting #1 on the iTunes Hip Hop charts, and in response I'd like to say that the numbers are legit.”

Attaching an excel sheet that contained over 65,000 different purchases of his music, he added, “They were organic purchases by fans who simply liked the music to purchase. It's as simple as that really; if something in the marketplace is great and word of mouth spreads about it, purchase is bound to happen.”

Deejay/radio personality Mr. Peter Parker has come to Adams’ side, describing the recent backlash as envy rather than fact. “Everybody is pissed the fuck off because Sam Adams is blowing up and they're not. The bottom line is that he found his fan base, and now he's riding it as far as he can.”

Agreeing with Parker’s sentiment, Adams stated, “In this day and age where numbers are tracked, I'm shocked people would accuse me of buying my own records. Sometimes people don't want others to succeed.”

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