The highest court in the land won't be weighing in on the fate of C-Murder. The U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear the local rapper appeal his 2009 murder conviction. C-Murder, real name Corey Miller, was convicted of second degree murder for killing 16-year-old fan Steve Thomas at a West Bank nightclub in 2002.

Even if you can't get a fresh dose of Mystikal in person while he's in jail, there will still be a chance to hear that familiar voice. The New Orleans rapper, who is fresh off a set at Jazz Fest last week, has also been recording new music in advance of his scheduled Monday reporting date for an 81-day prison term for violating his probation, and plans to release a mixtape while he's in the clink. To get more details about what's in store for a comeback rapper who will have to make another comeback, Billboard caught up with him in that city where you find most New Orleans rappers: Miami. Read the interview here.

by Michael Patrick Welch

Just over ten days after Mardi Gras 2012, legendary perverted New York rapper Kool Keith played a last minute 2am New Orleans show at the tiny Dragon’s Den on Frenchmen Street, on his way out to a bigger performance at the 5th Annual Arizona Pornstar Ball industry function. Ten years ago, Keith filled the big room at New Orleans’ House of Blues with the likes of Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor in the audience.

by Dan Goodman

Lynyrd Skynyrd not quite your speed? Not ready for the boogie quite to end this weekend? Then surely you should find yourself a way to check out a stellar bill this Sunday at Tipitina's uptown for some proper dance and innovative hip hop as Theophilius London and Friendly Fires take the stage.

Local hip-hop purists who spent the first half of the summer complaining about Yacht Bounce and Mr. Ghetto are set for some salvation as the dog days approach. Hip-hop's full Rock the Bells tour, which features some of the genre's biggest names (Lauryn Hill, Nas, Erykah Badu,  Common) doing their biggest albums, is not stopping in New Orleans. But the tour will give a bit ring to the 504 with two upcoming shows at the House of Blues.

In news sure to surprise anyone who's ever heard the range of elocution in one of their songs, Cash Money Records is set to open a publishing arm. Label founders  Birdman and Slim inked a deal with a Simon & Schuster subsidiary, adding to an increasingly diversified portfolio that also includes an oil company. The imprint will initially offer such titles as "Raw Law: An Urban Guide to Criminal Justice," the novel "Justify My Thug," and the late, irate Iceberg Slim's memoir, "Pimp." If only Weezy had a little more time in prison. He could've signed up for National Novel Writing Month.