D4L rapper Fabo has been exonerated of gun and drug charges relating to his 2006 arrest. The hip-hop star - real name Lafabian Williams - and his pal Curtis Alfonso Watkins were pulled over by South Carolina cops in February 2006,

It all happened so quickly. Or so it seems. One day Sheed, Meany and Fat were grease monkeys at a makeshift garage in their Bowen Homes neighborhood, the next they were swiftly-rising hip-hop stars, progenitors of a growing musical movement they call '

...In April, Billy Corgan announced that Smashing Pumpkins will reunite and begin recording a new album... Rihanna released her sophomore disc, Unfaithful, featuring the single S.O.S., which includes a sample of Soft Cell's Tainted Love... and Cee-Lo and DangerMouse's collaboration, Gnarls Barkley took the U.S. by storm, as their hit single Crazy stormed the charts and took off as one of 2006's most popular tunes.

A dozen monster tracks from 2006 have been assembled on Only Hits, a specially priced collection featuring chart-topping songs, including 10 tracks that cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. With no space for filler, the compilation packs in a diverse array of artists from the worlds of hip hop, pop and rock. The compilation is now available in stores and online.

Riding the success of his huge single "Chain Hang Low", teen rapper Jibbs is set to release his dynamic debut album, "Jibbs feat. Jibbs" on October 24. He came up with the title as a nod to his musical diversity. "Every song on the album doesn't sound the same," he explains. "That's where the title "Jibbs feat. Jibbs" came from. No songs sound the same, but you’ll always know it's me."

For Courtney, Jon, Michael and Rob, One Chance is the perfect name for a foursome that has invested their heart and soul into their musical dreams and now stands on the verge of savoring the fruits of their labor. "This name really suits us," says Jon Gordon, 20. "One Chance means we only have one life and this is our one dream and you've

Usher signed One Chance to his label, US Records, and began the diligent task of developing them as only Usher can do. The multi-platinum, Grammy-winning artist said he saw reflections of himself in the group.

For more than a decade the south has imparted unique gifts of music, dance and style to hip-hop culture. Atlanta, Houston, Miami and New Orleans have consistently stood out as premier hot spots; cultivating some of the best and brightest stars to ever shine in the spotlight. Following in that tradition is Atlanta’s latest hip-hop sensation Born Husslers, Inc.

Now signed to IGA’s Geffen Records (home to Snoop Dogg, Slim Thug, Common, Pharrell, Mos Def, Mary J. Blige) and riding the success of his new single "Chain Hang Low", teen rapper Jibbs is set to change the game with the release of his dynamic debut album, "Jibbs feat. Jibbs." He came up with the title as a nod to his musical diversity.

So So Def/Virgin Records' Atlanta-based foursome Dem Franchize Boyz are the latest of hip-hop's young players to come from Jermaine Dupri and the So So Def family with a fresh new regional sound to storm the national scene. Their new album, "On Top of Our Game" (click for review), scheduled for release February 7, 2006, is positioned to prove the staying power of DFB as a self-contained performing and production unit, while maintaining the fast-growing spread of the club-oriented "Snap" music.