The annual Source Awards are taking place in Miami on October 13. Lil Kim and Jay-Z lead all nominees with five apiece, including the prized Album of the Year nod. Next in line are 50 Cent, Nelly and Camron and his “DipSet”, all pulling in four nominations each. With this being the 15th anniversary of The Source, expect great things from the show. Look forward to the addition of three new categories: Best Dancehall Reggae album (let’s say Sean Paul is a lock for this one), Best Independent album and Best International album (hip hop is global!). For all those that can’t attend the show in MIA, don’t worry, you can catch the show when it premieres on BET November 4th.

Universal Music Group, the world's largest record company, on Wednesday said it will cut list prices on compact discs by as much as 30 percent in an effort to boost sales that have been stymied by free online music-sharing services. Starting in October, Universal, the home to such artists as Mary J. Blige and Elton John, will trim its prices on most of its CDs to $12.98 from its current $16.98-$18.98 range of prices.

While Luther Vandross continues to recover from the stroke he suffered in April, his career has not slowed down at all. According to Soundscan his current album has sold 1.2 million copies in the U.S. and on October 14 he will release his live album entitled “Live at Radio City Music Hall 2003”.

Nelly's new energy drink, Pimp Juice, is not in stores yet, and some leaders of black organizations want to keep it that way. Project Islamic Hope, the National Alliance for Positive Action, and the National Black Anti-Defamation League want to keep the rapper's energy drink off store shelves in LA. Leaders of the three organizations held a press conference in South Central Los Angeles to make their feelings about the energy drink and the word that inspired its name known. "As black men we should be building a nation of strong black leaders, not a nation of super-energized, drunk pimps," stated Minister Paul Scott, founder of the Messianic Afrikan Nation.

Hot on the heels of her #1 film Freddy vs. Jason, Kelly Rowland has wrapped her second film, The Seat Filler. The romantic comedy was co-written by Duane Martin (All of Us) and his wife Tisha Campbell-Martin (My Wife and Kids) and will be produced by Will and Jada Smith. In it, Kelly plays a superstar singer who meets a guy at an award show whom she believes is a successful attorney but, in reality, he’s an unemployed seat filler.

Ja Rule has been absent from the hip hop scene as of late and with good reason, he’s getting his acting on. Ja will appear in Scary Movie 3 (Queen Latifah will appear in the film as well), the film comes out October 24. After that he will re-team with his singing partner, Jennifer Lopez and R&B singer Mya in Shall We Dance scheduled for release next year. As if that isn’t enough The Rule will begin shooting Back In The Day next month in Puerto Rico with Ving Rhames.

The annual Hollis Day Celebration in Queens will be renamed Jam Master Jay Day. The announcement was made by Council Majority Whip Leroy Comrie. Local organizers are trying to rename a street after Jam Master Jay as well. Their goal is to have the process completed before the first anniversary of Jay's death which is October 30. At press time his murder remains unsolved.

Compiled by Connie M. Howell