Last year, Cory Gunz earned mad props for his rap on Lil Wayne’s ’6 Foot 7 Foot,’ a song whose visuals ranked first on The BoomBox’s list of 2011′s best videos. So far, 2012 is off to a less promising start. As MTV reports, the 24-year-old rapper was arrested yesterday (Jan. 28) in his hometown of the Bronx, N.Y., after being caught with a loaded firearm.

The Young Money MC was picked up around 2PM, and while his father, veteran rhymer Peter Gunz, says police sometimes “like to make an example” out of young hip-hop artists, that doesn’t appear to have been the case here.

“I spoke to the arresting officer, and so far, what I’m hearing from him is that they got a phone call at the station saying they should ‘look out,’” the elder Gunz told MTV. “According to [the officer], they didn’t know he was Cory Gunz. They just saw a bunch of kids following him around.”

He added that it was “definitely an illegal search” and said that the officer “felt bad about the situation” — perhaps because in New York, such gun charges come with mandatory jail time.

This is Cory’s first such offense, and after being taken to the 43rd Precinct, he was transferred to Central Booking. As of Sunday afternoon, he remained in police custody.

“To go to a precinct and see your son, your junior, in handcuffs, it’s heartbreaking,” Peter told MTV. “Anytime you see your child in jail, in the cell, in handcuffs, it’s very hard. He’s walked down some of the same paths that I walked down, but you never want to see your kids go through what you went through.”

ShoutOut: www.theboombox.com

Blues legend Etta James passed away this week after a two-year battle with leukemia and other medical complications, leaving celebrities and entertainers sending out their public condolences.

Etta James, whose assertive, earthy voice lit up such hits as “The Wallflower,” “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” and the wedding favorite “At Last,” has died, according to her longtime friend and manager, Lupe De Leon. She was 73. She died from complications from leukemia with her husband, Artis Mills, and her sons by her side, De Leon said. She was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010, and also suffered from dementia and hepatitis C. James died at a hospital in Riverside, California. She would have turned 74 Wednesday. “This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends and fans around the world,” De Leon said. “She was a true original who could sing it all — her music defied category.”
The news caught the eyes of music moguls like Russell Simmons who sent his condolences and tweeted a link urging his followers to study her background.

“RIP Etta James >> http://bit.ly/xCqzvC,” he tweeted January 20th. (Russell Simmons’ Twitter)
Actress Sanaa Lathan spoke on how she felt upon learning of James’ passing.

“My heart is broken… RT @UncleRUSH: RIP Etta James >> http://bit.ly/xCqzvC” (Sanaa Lathan’s Twitter)
Music producer DJ Clark Kent expressed how much the late singer’s music impacted the entertainment industry.

“Rest In Power To The Voice, The Magic, The Woman That Is Jamesetta “Etta” James.. “At Last” You are finally in The Greatest Place!” (DJ Clark Kent’s Twitter)
“106 & Park” co-host Rocsi Diaz also paid her respects to James.

“R.I.P RT @BET: Etta James dies at age 73 after losing battle with leukemia: http://bet.us/wDUScC #RIP” (Rocsi Diaz’s Twitter)
Despite a music career which dated back to the 1950′s, James’ achievements flourished well into the 2000′s.

James did get her accolades over the years. She was inducted into the Rock Hall in 1993, captured a Grammy in 2003 for best contemporary blues album for “Let’s Roll;” one in 2004 for best traditional blues album for “Blues to the Bone;” and one for best jazz vocal performance for 1994′s “Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday.” She was also awarded a special Grammy in 2003 for lifetime achievement and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But her health went into decline, and by 2011, she was being cared for at home by a personal doctor. A struggle between her sons and her husband developed as she became more ill, as he sought to control her estate. Her sons, Donto James and Sametto James, had power of attorney over her affairs. #ShoutOut: www.sohh.com

We’ve gotten 2 singles from this album thus far, and we’ll finally be getting the final product on February 28th in stores everywhere. Up top, is the official album cover.

Beyoncé checked into the Lenox Hill Hospital in Harlem last night and gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Blue Ivy Carter. This is the couple’s first child. Congratulations, guys! #HappyNewYear #ShoutOut www.RapRadar.com

[With Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas DVD here just in time for the holidays, actress Cassi Davis gives you her Top 5 reasons to get your hands on a last-minute stocking stuffer.]

1. The Laugh Factory

The number one reason would be because it is funny. Everybody needs to laugh. This is really not a great season time for a lot of people because of loved ones, traditions and things that are changing. Even if it is good, laughing is always good. The main reason is because you’re going to be laughing from start to finish.

2. The Message

The second reason is because a group of people got together and thought there would be a message that would motivate people in this film during the Christmas season. This movie’s message isn’t just geared toward the Christmas season but Tyler Perry made sure it provoked a lot of thought on everybody [experiences] different situations.

3. Whole Grain

The third reason is because this is a quality film. If you’re going to spend your money, you might as well spend it on something quality. I think the messages that are in here are really so potent to life right now in situations. It’s not just a culturally sort of thing. Anybody can get it.

4. The Man, The Myth, The Legend

It’s a Tyler Perry brand. He has something that really motivates people. It’s not really easy to continue to produce in this particular economy and for him being the businessman that I know him to be and for him to keep on sustaining himself it’s big. I have been with him since 2004 and I have not been in every production but he continues to generate the funds to do these particular reasons. Also, if you have a desire to produce or make films, this is a great piece for you to learn from. There’s a lot of great acting in there and a lot of different levels of acting. Across the board, this is a great educational tool.

5. All In The Gang

This movie also bridges the gap between ages. All family members can watch it from 5 to 99 and everybody can sit down and watch A Madea Christmas. That’s my last reason. #MerryXmas

Curtis released his new mixtape yesterday and this morning he delivers the first visual featuring his latest signee, Paris. It’s a Queens thing, doofy!

Ludacris schools us on the “Supa Dupa Flow” with the visual aid to his controversial track. Just in case you forgot, his 1.21 Gigawatts mixtape is available now.  #ShoutOut: Datpiff and RapRadar.

EPMD’s Erick Sermon has stepped up with details to calm hip-hop fans worrying over his health condition after suffering a heart attack just a few days ago.

Calling in from a hospital, Sermon detailed how serious his heart attack was last week.

“I scared myself, man, it’s crazy,” Sermon told radio host Sway. “I was downstaris on Wednesday night, I was making this record — I went upstairs and I sat on the sofa and I had got two sharp pains on my lefthand side and I said, ‘Maybe I’m sitting wrong,’ so I positioned myself differently on the sofa and I sat there and watched the TV. … Around twelve o’clock [on Thursday], I got the same pains on my lefthand side, so I said, ‘You know what, let me go to the emergency room’ — when I got there, as soon as I hit the door, my whole leftside kind of cramped up on me — I started getting those pains again, so they put me to the back to get a blood pressure reading and my blood pressure reading was 200 over 190. … If I didn’t make it there in time, I would have suffered a stroke first — so when I got to the emergency room, they figured out that heart attack was a mild one and they took me in the back and I’m still here. I’ve been here for about five days.” (“Sway In The Morning”)
Yesterday, the renowned producer/rapper provided a small update on his condition.

Erick Sermon sent shockwaves through the hip-hop community yesterday as his close friend, DJ Scratch, tweeted that Erick had suffered from a heart attack. But, we spoke exclusively with Erick Sermon this afternoon who assured us he is alive and well. He said… “I’m good! I got two more tests on Monday and Tuesday then I’m home hopefully on Wednesday.” (Global Grind)
Reports of his unexpected heart attack hit the Internet Saturday (November 12).

Just days after Heavy D passed away, hip-hop almost endured the loss of another legend. According to DJ Scratch, MC/producer Erick Sermon suffered a heart attack earlier today–though he said Sermon is recovering. “Erick Sermon had a heart attack today,” Scratch wrote. “He’s ok, but still send your prayers.” DJ Scratch was a long-time DJ and producer for seminal hip-hop duo EPMD, which consisted of Sermon and Parrish “PMD” Smith. (BET)
Initial reports claimed Sermon’s high blood pressure ultimately sparked the attack.

Kim Wingate, a close friend of Sermon and owner of justshuddup.com, said that she talked to the rapper. He nearly died. “On the heals of suffering the loss of Heavy D, we almost lost another HipHop Legend last night. Erick Sermon is in the hospital after suffering a heart attack last night. I just got off the phone with E and he said the doctor told him his blood pressure was so high he was minutes from death. He wanted me to let everyone know he’s okay.”

#ShoutOut: www.sohh.com and www.allhiphop.com

After rap mogul Jay-Z sparked mixed reactions by revealing plans to sell “Occupy All Streets” t-shirts which would not financially benefit Occupy Wall Street protestors, Rocawear has reportedly dropped the campaign.

According to reports, Jay’s Rocawear site mysteriously removed the t-shirts over the weekend.

For Jay-Z, the week started out with acclaim, and ended with a controversial product vanishing from the website of his clothing line. Photos of Jay-Z wearing an “Occupy All Streets” t-shirt were posted on the Rocawear site with close-ups of the shirt and a statement that it was going on sale on Friday. By Saturday morning, the shirts had vanished from the Rocawear site. Tweets from the Rocawear and Roc4Life Twitter accounts published Friday touted the sale of the shirts, but the links to the retail page point to an empty page. (Wall Street Journal)
This weekend, reports emerged online claiming Jay’s pro-protest shirts would not aid in the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations.

Rocawear isn’t going to share its wealth. A Rocawear spokesperson sent us a statement confirming there’s no plan to distribute any of the profits, which will surely pour in from shirt sales, to Occupy Wall Street: The ‘Occupy All Streets’ T shirt was created in support of the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement. Rocawear strongly encourages all forms of constructive expression, whether it be artistic, political or social. ‘Occupy All Streets’ is our way of reminding people that there is change to be made everywhere, not just on Wall Street. At this time we have not made an official commitment to monetarily support the movement. (Business Insider)
The shirts were reportedly set to be sold for just over twenty dollars.

The “99 percent” have got money problems — but Jay-Z’s got none. The millionaire rap mogul is set to make a mint by hawking T-shirts based on the Occupy Wall Street anti-capitalist movement. The shirts bear the words “Occupy Wall Street,” with red graffiti spray altering the slogan to read “Occupy All Streets.” They went on sale yesterday for $22 on Jay-Z’s Rocawear Web site. The music star — comfortably among the richest “1 percent” of Americans that is the focus of the protesters’ rage — has not committed to giving any of his T-shirt proceeds to the drum-beating beatniks occupying Zuccotti Park. (New York Post)
Earlier in the week, Young Hov was spotted rocking the message-driven shirt at his Madison Square Garden, New York City concert.

Jay-Z isn’t trying to Occupy Wall Street, he’s trying to Occupy All Streets. While backstage at his Watch The Throne concert, Jay rocked an “Occupy All Streets” t-shirt, as he snapped a few pictures with his good friend Russell Simmons. Jay-Z and Kanye West told us that somebody watch the throne, and the critics should have listened. DETAILS: Jay-Z & Kanye West “Watch The Throne” Tour Dates While backstage at their Watch The Throne concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Jay-Z and Kanye were presented with platinum plaques for selling over a million recordsfor Watch The Throne. #ShoutOut: www.sohh.com

Just days after the passing of hip-hop icon Heavy D, the rap world has learned EPMD’s Erick Sermon suffered a heart attack this weekend.

Details of the rapper’s heart attack emerged online Saturday (November 12) evening.

Just days after Heavy D passed away, hip-hop almost endured the loss of another legend. According to DJ Scratch, MC/producer Erick Sermon suffered a heart attack earlier today–though he said Sermon is recovering. “Erick Sermon had a heart attack today,” Scratch wrote. “He’s ok, but still send your prayers.” DJ Scratch was a long-time DJ and producer for seminal hip-hop duo EPMD, which consisted of Sermon and Parrish “PMD” Smith. (BET)
Reports claim Sermon’s high blood pressure ultimately sparked the attack.

Kim Wingate, a close friend of Sermon and owner of justshuddup.com, said that she talked to the rapper. He nearly died. “On the heals of suffering the loss of Heavy D, we almost lost another HipHop Legend last night. Erick Sermon is in the hospital after suffering a heart attack last night. I just got off the phone with E and he said the doctor told him his blood pressure was so high he was minutes from death. He wanted me to let everyone know he’s okay.” (All Hip Hop)
Producer 9th Wonder sent his prayers to the hip-hop veteran.

“Praying for E. Sermon yall!!RT @djscratch Erick Sermon had a heart attack today. He’s ok, but still send your prayers. He is not on Twitter.,” he tweeted Saturday. (9th Wonder’s Twitter)
Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons gave his thoughts on Sermon’s incident.

“praying for my man Erick Sermon >> http://bit.ly/tDqDDV,” he tweeted.
“sending prayers to my life long friend Erick Sermon…http://bit.ly/th5Lqy” (Russell Simmons’ Twitter)