Quick News on Dame Grease, Willy NorthPole and Universal Music Latino

Producer Dame Grease, who is responsible for smash hits such as DMX’s “Get At Me Dog” and “We’ll Always Love Big Poppa” from the L.O.X. and Diddy, is preparing to release his sophomore solo LP, Sour Diesel. The albums title track, which refers to a particularly potent strain of marijuana, features N.O.R.E. and Styles P professing their love of the premium bud. Sour Diesel does not yet have a firm release date, but Grease recently told MTV News that he has recorded over 80 songs for the project with various artists, including DMX and Dipset.

Phoenix, Ariz. MC, Willy NorthPole, has inked a deal with Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace Records and will release his debut album, Tha Connect, later this year. “Pound for pound, Willy is the leader of the next generation of rappers on the scene, representing not just Phoenix, not just the West Coast, but the Family Tree & DTP future,” says his manager, Michael “Blue” Williams, CEO of Family Tree Entertainment. While Arizona has yet to make its mark on the hip-hop map, NorthPole is looking to change that with his debut LP. “It’s crazy that people don’t believe Arizona got streets,” he says. “But I lived it. It’s my responsibility to let people know how it went down.”

Universal Music Latino has announced a new joint venture with Rebel Music Group, a label owned by Jack “Sick Jacken” Gonzalez of the L.A. based hip-hop group Psycho Realm. “We are very excited to be able to work with RMG,” says John Echevarria, President of Universal Music Latino. “We admire the talent and credibility of Jack and his team and are happy that we can be a part of this new stage in his career.” The first release from RMG and Universal will be DJ Muggs (of Cypress Hill fame) vs. Sick Jacken: The Legend of the Mask and the Assassin. The concept album marks the first time that Cypress Hill and Psycho Realm will collaborate since Psycho’s self-titled debut album in 1997. “We’re looking to provide a home for music that doesn’t fit the current formula for mainstream record sales,” says Jacken. “We hooked up with the best in the business to help us distribute this idea worldwide. The rebellion is coming.” The Legend of the Mask and the Assassin will be released on August 21.