Joe Budden has kept a relatively low profile since his self-titled debut album went gold in 2003, earning him a Grammy nomination for best male rap solo performance.  Despite his successful debut, Budden’s sophomore album sat on the shelves at Def Jam for nearly four years.

Despite the numerous setbacks, Jump Off Joe Budden kept busy during those years, accumulating a massive internet fan base by releasing the critically acclaimed “Mood Muzik” series of mixtapes, collaborating with artists such as Fabolous, Clinton Sparks, and Joell Ortiz, and engaging in highly publicized feuds with other rappers like Jay-Z, The Game, Prodigy and Ransom.

After finally cutting ties with Def Jam in 2007, Budden signed with Amalgam Digital, the booming independent responsible for launching hip-hop’s first genre-specific digital retail store.  Amalgam promises to release Joe Budden’s highly anticipated sophomore album, “Padded Room” on October 28, 2008. The album will be available in stores worldwide in both physical CD and digital format. In addition, Joe and Amalgam are offering two bonus tracks for fans purchasing the digital version from the www.AmalgamDigital.com digital retail store.

The music video for the first single “Touch & Go” will air nationwide on all video outlets in Sept and features an onslaught of guest cameos.

Tracklisting and credits for Joe Budden’s Padded Room:

       1.)   Now I Lay

2.)      Touch N Go

3.)      If I Gotta Go

4.)      Blood On The Wall

5.)      Don’t Make Me

6.)      In My Sleep

7.)      Outcast

8.)      I Couldn’t Help It

9.)      Do Tell

10.)   My Life

11.)   Better Me

12.)   Just to Be Different

13.)   Angel In My Life

Heltah Skeltah is the legendary rap duo comprised of Rock and Sean Price, a.k.a Ruck. The duo is most know for their debut album, "Nocturnal," which produced such hits as "Operation Lockdown," "Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka," and "Therapy." Heltah Skeltah is also an intricate part of the mighty Boot Camp Clik, who over the past several years have released projects such as "The Last Stand," and "Casualties of War."

Since 2005, Sean Price, a.k.a. Ruck, 1/2 of Heltah Skeltah, has re-invented himself as a solo artist with projects such as "Monkey Barz" (2005), "Jesus Price Supastar" (Winter 2007) and his "Master P" Mixtape (Summer 2007).  Sean P's newfound fans aren't aware at times that he is also RUCK from Heltah Skeltah; "At shows kids will approach me to my face and ask how Ruck is doing...I just respond with he's chillen," says Sean Price. Fans who have come to love Sean Price for his witty delivery, bluntness, and incredible knack for word-play, can expect the same P!!!! in the new Heltah Skeltah album. Sean Price went on to say "there's only one way I know how to rhyme and that is to straight body the mic and the verse."

Rock, the second half of Heltah Skeltah, has made headlines recently as he's battling an attempted murder charge, as well as being accused of pimping.  In one of the opening lines from the album Rock proclaims "I'm out on bail, fresh out of jail, Brownsville scheming, y’all want to see me up North, but I'm down the hill creeping." Since his release, the main place Rock has been creeping to is the studio, as he just released his critically-acclaimed Mixtape "Shell Shock," while at the same time completing the Heltah Skeltah album.

For Heltah Skeltah fans, and hardcore Hip Hop enthusiasts, the new "D.I.R.T." album will serve as a breath of fresh air. With production from Khrysis, Marco Polo, Evidence, ILL MIND, Black Milk, Sic Beats, and more, as well as guest appearances from fellow Duck Down artists, Buckshot, Smif N Wessun, Ruste Juxx, and The Representativz, Ruck and Rock stuck to their proven formula and sound. Sean Price states: "We didn't try and get cute with this album and pick some 'out da box' beats and get on some philosophy sh*t. We did what we knew best and that was rhyme about the street, while of course infusing the humor that you know you're going to get when you listen to our rhymes."

One of the lead singles from “D.I.R.T.” is the ILL MIND produced track "EVERYTHING IS HELTAH SKELTAH."

Tracklisting and credits for Heltah Skeltah’s “D.I.R.T” (Tentative):

1.) Intro

2.) Insane (Produced by Marco Polo)

3.) Chipmunk 3000 (Produced by Fatim)

4.) Everything Is Heltah Skeltah (Produced by ILL MIND)

5.)  D.I.R.T. (Another Boot Camp Clik Yeah Song) (Produced by Khrysis)

6.) So Damn Tough f/Buckshot and Ruste Juxx (Produced by ILL MIND)

7.) WMD f/Smif N Wessun (Produced by M-Phazes)

8.) That’s Incredible (Produced by EZ Mo Bee)

9.) Ape Muzik f/ The Representativz (Produced by Stu Bangas)

10.) The Art of Disrespekanization (Produced by Khrysis)

11.) Hellz Kitchen (Produced by Evidence)

12.) Shmack Muzik (Produced by Sic Beats)

13.) Twinz (Produced by Ken Ring)

14.) Ruck N Roll (Produced by Stu Bangas)

DJ Revolution said it best in a recent interview, "the connection between the DJ and the emcee has been severed. ”King of The Decks" is my attempt at reconnecting it." DJ Revolution did just that with his new album, as he brought together some of the most talented names in Hip Hop today, who not only produce quality music, but also respect the craft of the DJ Culture.

DJ Revolution has spent 15 years perfecting that craft on the SP 1200. He's currently behind the wheels of the longest running Hip Hop show in the history of commercial radio, "THE WORLD FAMOUS WAKE UP SHOW alongside Sway & King Tech.

Aside from his weekly duties on the show based out of LA on Power 106, and syndicated Worldwide, he has lent his now infamous scratch techniques to countless records and his production skills to many established artists. REV has also taken his skillz to the far corners as the globe and ripped clubs in locations such as Japan , Europe, Australia and New Zealand . He has also shared the stage DJ’ing for many artists including legends like Rakim all the way to current superstars such as Kanye West. Revolution has released two of his own Full length LP’s (“In 12’s we trust/R2K”) and one with his partners Sway & Tech (“This or That”).

As DJ Revolution readies "KING OF THE DECKS," in stores on September 16th, he divulged further on the issues of the lack of communication between the MC and THE DJ stating that it "is one of the most obvious reasons Hip Hop has devolved so drastically over the years. Since MC's in general decided to toss aside the DJ as an asset and integral part of their success from production to performance, the music has suffered tremendously.  My goal is to re-introduce to the world what a DJ is. He or She is not just a celebrity, or someone who plays records, or makes funny sounds with turntables. He or she is all of that and more. I recruited some of the most legendary and also most talented up and coming artists to help me express all of this within the context of the music.

The title of the album is by no means a way of saying I'm the best on the turntables. "King of the Decks" is obviously just a play on words related to a deck of cards. However, it is also a statement that needs to be remembered. The DJ is King."

Tracklisting and credits for DJ Revolution’s King Of The Decks (all songs produced DJ Revolution except where noted):

1.) Intro f/Jazzy Jeff

2.) King Of The Decks f/ Sean Price & Tash

3.) THE DJ f/ KRS ONE

4.) Do My Thing f/ Guilty Simpson & Royce Da 5' 9"

5.) LADJ (skit)

6.) Funky Piano f/ Bishop Lamont, Crooked I, Styliztik Jones

7.) For The Kids (skit)

8.) The Big Top f/ Special Teamz

9). Start The Revolution f/ Boot Camp Clik

10.) Scratch Nerds (skit)

11.) Invaders from the Planet Sqratch f/ DJ Qbert

12.) EY! f/ Joell Ortiz and Termanology (Produced by DJ Revolution & DJ Numark)

13.) Casualties of Tour f/ Rakaa Iriscience (produced by Marco Polo)

14.) Damage f/ Blaq Poet & Bumpy Knuckles

15.) Willie Lynch f/ Styliztik Jones and KBimean

16.) The Biggest Up f/ DJ Premier (Skit)

17.) Blow Da Spot f/ Strong Arm Steady

18.) School f/ Planet Asia

19.) Spit Ridiculous f/ Defari

20.) Pro's & Con's f/ Evidence

21.) Calling Haul (Skit)

22.) Man or Machine

23.) The Set Up f/ Sway & King Tech

24.) The Re-Match f/ DJ Spinbad

Cincinnati Bengals four-time Pro Bowl Offensive Tackle, Willie Anderson, takes his prowess from the field to the entertainment industry by starting Think Big Entertainment a full fledged Entertainment Company that focuses on both music and film.  Think Big's first release will be an album for 19-year-old rapper, G-Fiive, out of Anderson's hometown, Mobile, Al. 

"While football is my first love, music and film are a close 2nd," states the consummate businessman.  "But the first businesses I started were the twenty (20) Fat Burger franchise licenses I've acquired throughout Atlanta and Cincinnati.  Now that I've gotten a number of them up and running I can concentrate on making my dream come true by building a successful entertainment company."

Anderson's love of hip-hop music and in particular the iconic rapper, Biggie Smalls, is what led to the naming of his company in 1997.  "The night that Biggie was killed the networks kept showing the scene of the crime and I noticed that 'Think Big' posters were plastered all over the SUV.  To commemorate him I thought it would be a great idea to name my new company that.  The thing is, the company wouldn't start for another 4 years but the name stuck."  Think Big was incorporated in 2001.