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Johnny Ca$h, Bay Area Rapper With Ties To Mac Dre Gunned Down

Bay Area rapper Johnny "Johnny Ca$h" Castaneda died Thursday (Mar. 29) from a gunshot wound to the head, after being shot multiple times in an apartment complex in Vallejo, CA...


According to reports, Ca$h was signed to Mac Dre's Thizz Entertainment, but joined the label after Mac Dre was gunned down in 2004.


While authorities haven't released details of their investigation, Ca$h's murder is the second violent incident connected to Mac Dre's name in the Sereno Village apartment complex within the past three months.


Mario Espinsosa Matthews and Arthur Appling allegedly shot and killed Eli Issac Griffin during a botched robbery attempt.


The men are currently standing trial for murdering Griffin.


Yesterday (Mar. 30), a witness testified that she saw Matthews on the day of the shooting looking drunk and "hyper," wearing a mask of Mac Dre and dancing around with a gun.


Ca$h's murder is the latest in a string of violent incidents surrounding Mac Dre.


In 2003, Sacramento rapper C-Bo, San Francisco rapper Messy Marv and Kansas City based associate and rapper Anthony "Fat Tone" Watkins were in an SUV that was shot and struck multiple times.


Fat Tone suffered the most severe injuries, but survived from several gunshot wounds.


One month later, in Nov. 2004, Mac Dre was killed in a drive-by shooting and crash in Kansas City.


While a suspect was never arrested for Mac Dre's death, police believed Fat Tone was behind the shooting and murder.


Six months after Mac Dre was murdered, both Fat Tone and an associate named Jermaine "Cowboy" Akins were found murdered in a vacant construction area near Las Vegas, NV.


Fat Tone's family members claimed he went to Las Vegas to meet with Bay Area rapper Andre "Mac Minister" Dow.


Mac Minister had supposedly arranged for Fat Tone to meet with Snoop Dogg, who happened to be playing in town that evening.


Witnesses also claimed to have seen Mac Minister leaving the hotel with Fat Tone and Cowboy.


Dow was indicted for the murders of Fat Tone and Cowboy, but he fled, leading to his profile being showcased on the hit television series America's Most Wanted.


He was captured in San Francisco in Mar. 2006 and charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

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I Know She Wants Me" State Shade Sheist & Krayzie Bone

With The Put Yourself Out movement now in full effect Shade Sheist wanted his fans reminding that his heavy workload with both the label and his increasingly popular PYO Radio Show on Swurv Radio has not affected his ability to churn out new music.

Today we have a hot new single featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony member Krayzie Bone entitled "I Know She Wants Me" which is set to be on the Shade Sheist solo album due out later this year after the release of the long awaited group album with N.U.N.E.

http://www.dubcnm.com/audio/2007/april/ ... ayzie_bone)-(dubcnn).mp3

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The Lox Reunite, Prep Comeback CD

Jadakiss recently revealed to Hot 97's DJ Envy that fans should expect a new album from him and The Lox later this year.

The Lox, which is comprised of Jada, Styles P and Sheek Louch, have not released a group album since 2000. During their lengthy hiatus, all three rappers have released solo CDs...


"I'm trying to drop The Lox album first, anytime between May and June," Kiss explained. "Then I'll come right behind that one with an album if it goes well. If not, I'll have to come first and then put The Lox after that."

"I'm pushing for The Lox to come first because that project is almost finished," he emphasized. "It's been like six years since we dropped an album. It was like an experience we were just waiting to do again. Making the music is fun, it's different than doing a solo project cause its all three of us. It's easy, its fun and it's just interesting to see how the songs come out after all these years."

When queried about which label will release his upcoming solo, Jada replied: "That's another interview. It's almost squared away though. The deal should be done by early next week."

Details on what label will release the forthcoming Lox album also remains unclear.

As previously reported, Styles P is currently working on his third album titled 5 Star General. The album, which will be released via Koch Records, is slated to hit stores this summer.

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Mercury Records Being Relaunched Under Island Def Jam

The Mercury Records label will be relaunched as a new division under the Island Def Jam Music Group.

The relaunched label will be helmed by David Massey, who formerly served as president of Daylight Records and Executive Vice President of A&R at Sony Music Label Group U.S.

"Even more than David's proven leadership and success as an executive in our business is the track record of trust and inspiration he has won from the artists he's worked with over the years," said IDJ CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid. "This all important quality makes him the perfect choice to pilot Mercury through its latest incarnation as a new cornerstone in the IDJ family. We welcome him to the senior management team."

IDJ hopes Massey can resuscitate the Mercury Records, which was originally founded in 1945.

"To work alongside L.A. Reid, Shawn Carter, Steve Bartels, Jermaine Dupri and the entire Island Def Jam staff, as we breathe new life into Mercury Records, is a chance to put all our creativity and initiative to the test," Massey said. "I look forward to the challenge."

Mercury is mostly a catalog label, but has released albums by groups like Fall Out Boy, Juelz Santana and Kanye West under the Mercury UK in Europe.

Super producer Quincy Jones also broke ground at Mercury, when he became the first African-American told hold a Vice President position.

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