NEW PICS: CHARLI BALTIMORE, ROXANNE SHANTE, DOUG E. FRESH, BOWLEGGED LOU IN THE SOURCE MAG WITH THEIR CHILDREN.

When hip-hop began it was comprised mostly of young people that believed in the power of their culture to change the world. More than two decades later, many of those young people have grown and passed down hip-hop's culture to a whole new generation. The folks at The Source magazine took a couple of hip-hop's hottest iconic artists of yesteryear and featured them and their offspring in a mini fashion photospread in its 20th anniversary issue. I'm guessing they threw in Charli Baltimore and her daughters for......? Eye candy? The hell if I know. Iconic she is not. Anyhoo, check out pics of Doug E. Fresh a.k.a. The Human Beatbox with two of his five sons, Slim (standing) and Jonah. Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, one of the pioneers of hip hop culture and founding members of the legendary rap group Run-D.M.C., with his only son, Darryl Jr. Rapper Charli Baltimore (born Tiffany Lane) and her two adorable daughters India and Siaani. Full Force's Bowlegged Lou (real name Lucien George, Jr.) and his son and aspiring rapper Lou$tar.

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And we (by 'we' I mean those of us from the old school! LOL) all remember Roxanne Shante....or shall I say Dr. Lolita Shanté Gooden. The former rapper is pictured (on the left; click it to see its full image) with her daughter Tajzae; and her three sons (from left to right) Chris, Kareem and Randy (kneeling). Shante, who graduated with a Ph.D in psychology from Cornell University, now runs her own family practice in New York. In her spare time she keeps herself involved in the entertainment industry by mentoring young, up and coming female rappers. She also owns Hip-Hop Ices ice cream parlor in Queens.

In related news, actress Keke Palmer has been cast to portray the 'First Lady of Rap' in a new biopic titled The Vapors. Set against the backdrop of New York City's infamous Queensbridge Housing Projects, The Vapors tells the story of Marley Marl, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane and Shanté, who were a part of the pioneering rap group "The Juice Crew". Clifton Powell (Ray) has also been cast to play hip hop DJ and radio host Mr. Magic. The Juice Crew, founded by Mr. Magic's on-air assistant, DJ Marley Marl, was named after one of Magic's aliases, "Sir Juice." Actor Evan Ross will play M.C. Shan. Rapper Nas is rumored to play Kool G. Rap (that's Karrine 'Superhead' Steffans first husband) while David Banner is rumored to portray Biz Markie. Ugh, right? Yeah, I know. Rumors have already began to plague this film. According to SOHH.com, the movie has allegedly 'collapsed' due to financial problems and casting issues although the Internet Movie Database has the film listed as 'in production.' I guess only time will tell.

TO READ ABOUT ROXANNE SHANTE'S RISE TO THE FAME AT THE AGE OF 14, CLICK 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!' AT THE BOTTOM.

According to an online mini-bio, Roxanne Shante career began at the age of 14 when she met record producer Marley Marl, radio DJ Mr. Magic, and Tyrone Williams talking about how UTFO had canceled their appearance at a show they were promoting. Shanté offered to record an answer to UTFO's recent hit Roxanne, Roxanne, which was about a woman named who rejects the members of the group. The men agreed and the result was Roxanne's Revenge, a confrontational and profane song in which Shanté assumed the role of Roxanne, dissing UTFO over a Marley Marl-produced instrumental (The official UTFO response to their own song, was the Real Roxanne with artist Adelaida Martinez assuming the role of Roxanne). Shante's version and The Real Roxanne's version sparked the Roxanne Wars and made Shante a hip-hop star in the process. The single would go on to sell over 250,000 copies in the New York area alone. It also went on to allegedly spawn 102 additional answer records. Aligning with the Juice Crew, most of her tracks would be produced by Marley Marl, with the exception of several songs on Shanté’s last album, 1992’s The Bitch Is Back.

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PICS: ADIDAS CREATES SPECIAL EDITION SHOE, THE JAM MASTER JAY' SNEAKERS TO COMMEMORATE 5th ANNIV. OF HIS DEATH.

Earlier this week, I posted an article on the status of the investigation regarding the senseless murder of Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay. And although no new information has surfaced, his memory and legacy continues to lives on. So much so that Adidas will release a special edition sneaker to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of the turntable extraordinaire. According to Complex magazine, the shoe company crafted four pairs of footwear as part of the Nov. 29 J.A.M. Awards, a special benefit concert that focuses on rap's social responsibility. Run DMC paid homage to the shoe maker in their 1986 anthem My Adidas, which was released from the album, Raising Hell. The Jam Master Jay sneakers will be available in an original Ultrastar and three Brougham models, each featuring the Run DMC member's face on the shoe's tongue. The product will sell exclusively through Footaction later this month for $70-$80.

Jay, born Jason Mizell, was shot and killed in a Merrick Blvd. recording studio in Queens, New York on Oct. 30, 2002. He is survived by his wife Terri and three children.

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5 YEARS AFTER THE EXECUTION-STYLE DEATH OF JAM MASTER JAY...AND STILL NO LEADS....OR SNITCHES HAS SURFACED.

He was doing what he loved most in a neighborhood recording studio any other hip-hop star would have abandoned long ago - but Jam Master Jay always did his own thing. And that October night in 2002, the pioneering Run DMC deejay, whose real name was Jason Mizell, was doing what he did best - mixing beats - when he was shot in the back of the head in a Queens studio full of people. The execution-style murder of the hip-hop legend remains one of the most notable of the city's unsolved homicides. With the fifth anniversary of his stunning killing approaching, family members of the iconic deejay are still fuming over the lack of cooperation from those believed to have witnessed the murder. "It's five years already and none of his so-called friends that were in the studio have come forth yet," his brother, Marvin Thompson, 53, told the Daily News. "Come on - you were in the studio and you didn't see nothing? It just doesn't make no sense. ... As far as I'm concerned, everybody that was there and hasn't said anything had something to do with it."

Mizell's Oct. 30 murder cast a pall over the hardscrabble Hollis neighborhood where he grew up, and left several members of hip-hop's elite shattered over the death of one of its most beloved and influential figures. The investigation was complicated by the fact that no one in the studio where Mizell was killed would speak with cops, authorities said. This lack of cooperation infuriated the Mizell family, leading them to cut ties with the likes of Randy Allen, Mizell's longtime business partner, and his sister, Lydia High, who allegedly buzzed the killers into the studio.

In the weeks following the killing, cops identified a number of men wanted for questioning. All shared a dubious connection: They once were close to the 37-year-old turntable wizard.

There was Curtis Scoon, an old friend who investigators said had threatened to visit the ground-breaking deejay to settle a decade-old drug debt in the weeks before he was killed. There was Ronald (Tinard) Washington, a career criminal who has told investigators he was outside the Merrick Blvd. studio at the time of the attack, but had nothing to do with it. And then there was Darren (Big Dee) Jordan, a former promoter for Island Def Jam Recordings, and his son, Karl Darren (Little Dee) Jordan. Washington implicated the father and son in Mizell's murder.

But the leads went nowhere.

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PICS: ASHANTI'S 80s THEMED B-DAY PARTY @ CAFE DUPRI'S IN ATLANTA

I've never seen Ashanti and her boyfriend, Nelly show so much affection towards each other in public before. That's a good look. They look adorable together...as well as very much in love DESPITE Deelishis flapping her recently-installed porcelain veneered chops claiming Ashanti and Nelly's relationship is fake. Heffa, your ass kissed Flavor Flav in the mouth and said you liked it..so now we're supposed to believe you when you start yapping off at that contaminated hole you call a mouth about someone else's relationship? Sorry, we don't believe you! You need more people!

After Saturday night's taping of the B.E.T. Hip Hop Awards show in Atlanta, the R&B singer celebrated her 27th birthday at Jermaine Dupri's 'Cafe Dupri' in Atlanta with an 80s hip-hop-type theme. I think she pulled it off really well. Also in attendance were Jermaine Dupri, of course, Ne-Yo and Katt Williams. Looks like a good time was had by all. Can you imagine the music that was played at that party? I'm getting nostalgic just thinking about it! LOl! Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, Whodini, JJ Fad, MC Hammer, Oaktown 3-5-7, LL Cool J., Roxanne Shante, The Real Roxanne, Run-DMC, The Fat Boys, Heavy D. & the Boyz, Kurtis Blow, Salt 'N Pepa...just to name a few!

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