Freekey Zekey Signs with Big Cat, Donda West Bill Proposed, MC Lyte Drops New Project And More In “The Roundup”

The Diplomat's Freekey Zekey has inked a deal to release his upcoming solo debut through Big Cat Records. The Atlanta record label was once home to Gucci Mane and currently features Khia on its roster. Zekey has no date set for his project, but fellow Dipset members Juelz Santana and Jim Jones are on board to executive produce and direct the video for his lead single, respectively...

Six months into the aftermath of Dr. Donda West's death, Los Angeles lawmakers are pushing for stronger surveillance of cosmetic medial procedures. West, the mother Grammy-winning rapper Kanye West, passed away after suffering complications from an outpatient surgery producer done by Dr. Jan Adams in California. The lobbying efforts are pushing for greater regulation of the plastic surgery industry. "These clinics are not hospitals," Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) told the Los Angeles Times. "You have to raise the standards."

MC Lyte released her latest project Tuesday (May 27), the collaborative effort Almost September featuring Whitey and Jared Lee. The trio's self-titled project is a blend of Lyte's familiar rap rhymes with a soul tinge. The first single, "Love" features KRS-One...

C-Murder's latest album, Screamin' 4 Vengeance, is set to hit shelves July 1 through Asylum Records. The album is the former No Limit rapper's first since his release from prison. C-Murder was facing charges stemming from two separate incidents; he was indicted on attempted murder charges and later charged with second-degree murder while out on bond. Screamin' 4 Vengeance reunites the rapper with former No Limit label-mate Mia X...

The 2008 National Conference for Media Reform is set to take place June 6-8 in Minneapolis, Minn. The three-day event will center around big media's relationship with hip-hop. Noted cultural activists Rosa Clemente, Davey D, and media members such as blogger Arianna Huffington will be among the many in attendance.-XXL staff.