While tapping up and coming artists to produce soundtracks for video games is nothing new, DJ Green Lantern will be achieving a first when the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV hits stores on Tuesday. The New York City DJ/producer actually developed individual custom radio stations for the latest installment of GTA for Rockstar Games. If you go to Rockstar Games’ Web site, you can check to stations before the game hits the streets this week. For an interview with DJ Green Lantern, check out Reuters.com. 

For more on DJ Green Lantern, check out his Web site.

Several of the artists performing at Sunfest this upcoming week, including Michael Franti and Grammy Award-winning Latin hip-hop act Ozomatli, don’t shy away from expressing their political views.  The music festival begins on Wednesday, April 30 in West Palm Beach, Fla.

For the full article and more information on Sunfest, check out The Palm Beach Post.

For more information about the perfomers, check out Spearheadvibrations.com and Ozomatli.com

 Legendary hip-hop act The Roots return this week with the release of their latest studio album, “Rising Down.” “Rising Down” is the group’s 10th release. The crew from Philadelphia features Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter (vocals), Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson (drums), Kamal Gray (keyboards), Frank Knuckles (percussion), Kirk “Captain Kirk” Douglas (guitar) and Owen Biddle (bass). The band has made a name for themselves as being one of the best live acts around.

For more on The Roots, check out their Web site.

Click here to pre-order “Rising Down.”

No Depression, the bimonthly magazine covering a broad range of American roots music since 1995, will bring to an end its print publication with its 75th issue in May-June 2008. The continued decline of the record industry and the reduction of advertising sales are some of the contributers to the publication’s decision to shift their focus to their Web site, according to a press release.  The magazine will continue to expand its online product and will be collaborating with the University of Texas Press to publish a semi-annual “bookazine.”

For the full update on the future of No Depression, see the magazine’s Web site

Lupe Fiasco’s sophomore effort, “The Cool,” has been certified gold by the RIAA for sales exceeding 500,000.

For more on this story, check out the Rap News Network.

The hip-hop duo of Slug and Ant, known as Atmosphere, cancelled their April 25 show in Toronto after having been denied access to the country.

For more on this story, The Minnesota Monitor.