One of the biggest weed-selling crews in New York was also behind a record label that distributed Wyclef Jean and a slew of reggae stars. The John Shop Crew was a violent, murderous gang moving a literal ton of marijuana per week from California; John Shop Records was the label they started with the profits. I see the subtle connection! Eight members of the crew were found guilty on gun and drug charges yesterday and could face up to life in prison [NYDN]. According to a 2002 article, John Shop was one of the three top weed crews in the city, and was locked in an ongoing drug war responsible for at least a dozen murders. Perhaps a reason to give your record label a different name. The label's motto was "Being real to the music, never hustle the music." No time to hustle the music when you're hustling all that REEFER, ha. John Shop's personal history [MySpace] of how they "made the music and they made the party" is below—inserting "and we passed around unlimited weed and cash" helps it all make sense.

In a research breakthrough that will solve ongoing arguments across the world, an Australian website has tallied thousands of votes and put together a definitive list of the gayest songs of all time [via Queerty]. The full list is 50 songs deep, and can be seen here. But because our motto is "Servicey in gay music matters," we've got the top ten list—and a video of the GAYEST SONG OF ALL TIME—after the jump. If you're an ABBA fan, you have something special to look forward to.

Maxim got in a lot of trouble for giving the new Black Crowes album a two-and-a-half star review without even listening to the whole thing. But now the album is out, and, uncannily, that is exactly the rating it deserves. [New York]

Good news, hip hop fans! It looks like the City of New York is going to save the building at 1520 Sedgwick in the Bronx, a.k.a. Sedgwick and Cedar, a.k.a the BIRTHPLACE OF HIP HOP, from destruction [NYT]. It's where DJ Kool Herc first started throwing parties and cutting records in 1973, leading eventually to those sweet, sweet hip hop sounds. Bad news, hip hop fans: a nightclub in Kips Bay just agreed to pay a $35,000 fine for keeping out black patrons in "urban wear" clothing, but letting in white people in the same clothes. When will the struggle for equality in crappy nightclub admissions end? Below, a documentary clip on Herc and the founding of hip hop in the building. Do the knowledge, yall.

Before you watch the video, you should know that Jenna Bush says some nice things about bands that you might like. If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of your own taste, you should not watch this video.

Yacht Rock pioneer and Best Singer EVER Michael McDonald on how cool he was, back in the day: "I don't want it to sound like I'm bragging about smoking pot, but there was a time when that was a big part of our day. Smoking in the morning was normal. But a lot of things became normal to me. Seizures, pissing my pants, waking up in a hotel room with the New York City police at the foot of my bed became normal." (After the jump, the making of the best song ever, "Peg." McDonald goodness at 6:20.) [TONY]

Have you ever drunk lime-flavored Bacardi? Worn Timberland boots? Made a web site? WELL STOP BITING FROM PRODIGY OF MOBB DEEP YOU FAKE ASS SHOOK ONE. HOW DARE YOU QUESTION HIS TREND SETTING? It turns out that Prodigy, the soon-to-be-jailed Queens rapper, is responsible for many of the innovations in music, clothing, and the world at large, so SHOW SOME RESPECT.

Semi-coherent Rolling Stone Keith Richards gave a blockbuster interview to Uncut magazine in which he calls big-lipped pal Mick Jagger "a maniac," a "power freak," and "a bit vain." He also has some inspirational advice for the youngsters these days: "Lay off the dope." So says Keith Richards, ladies and gentlemen. From a regular band this might qualify as newsworthy infighting, but from the Stones, it's a safe guess that they talk worse than this to each other every day. I mean, look at how Keith treats his own fans:

That headline, quite possibly the best ever written, from About.com, which also reminds us: "AARP members who are also Foreigner fans would have had to have been (as young as) 19 or 20 when the band first emerged."

More exciting news for the music industry: last year, 48% of all teenagers purchased zero CDs [LA Times]. That's up from 38% in 2006. Yes, more kids are buying music online, but not enough to make up for the drop in CD sales. And illegal downloads are also becoming more popular. The Times worries that "Going to the mall to buy music may no longer be a rite of passage for adolescents." So what are all the teens doing with their free time now that they aren't wandering through Sam Goody in search of the latest Christina Aguilera album? One word: Jenkem.

It appears the Black Crowes are not the only musical act victimized by Maxim's "educated guess preview[s]" now that rapper Nas has come forward to say that he, too, was irked to see the magazine publish a review of the album "Nigger" when he's not even done recording it yet. Like the Black Crowes album "Warpaint," "Nigger" got a decidedly "meh" 2.5 stars out of five. Nas told Page Six: "I don't know what a music rating from Maxim is . . . I don't know what it even means really." What it means, Mr. Nas, is that you've just had the honor of appearing in the premier forum for short musical fiction. (It's past the string bikini spreads, somewhere in the back of the book near the penis enlargement ads.)

The record companies are total geniuses when it comes exploiting the internet, and one of them, Warner Brothers, has discovered an "Internet Blog" run by this fellow named Perez Hilton who is huge with the kids, apparently. He took two bands you had never heard of and used his "blog" to made them huge on iTunes and Myspace and now, well, you probably still haven't heard of them. But still, the probably giddy record execs are considering a deal that would give Perez "$100,000 a year as an advance against 50 percent of any profits generated by artists he discovers and releases through Warner Brothers." Sounds completely reasonable. After the jump, your new tastemaker has a supposed meltdown on MTV's Celebrity Rap Superstar.

In the March issue of Maxim, writer David Peisner reviews the new Black Crowes album, "Warpaint." The verdict: Ehhh. Two and a half stars, out of five. The problem: Maxim didn't listen to the album. Their review, it turns out, was an "educated guess." Um, what? The full story, including the faux-review and the band's outraged response, below.

We've completely forgotten the grating, chintzy, and pandering tones of the Obama Girl and will.i.am thanks to the very first entertaining musical salute to a candidate in the history of YouTube. It's called Viva Obama, and it's a catchy tune that will have you humming "Viva Obama! (Viva!) Familias unidas, seguras y hasta con plan de salud!" in no time. Sorry, Hill, your miniature Mexican stereotype is no match for an entire mariachi band. Video after the jump, crank up the volume.

So much for a "special event".Linkin Park played a short set at the SoHo Apple store last night. The show was taped for an exclusive iTunes release next month. It's possible that Apple bumped them from an actual secret event because of the leak, but unlikely. [Billboard]

Rumors are flying about a secret event Apple is holding next week in New York City. Potential introductions include long-expected software which would allow developers outside Apple to make applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Other rumors are circling about new high-end notebooks, a new iPhone, or more labels offering DRM-free music on the iTunes Store. Rock band Linkin Park posted a note on its blog about a special show in NYC in with Apple. "Shh... it's a secret..." Got more details? Drop us a line. (Photo by AP/Jeff Chiu)

"Mogul Larry Tee, fashion designers Heatherette, new media Artist Andrew Strasser, and music video producer Francis Legge" all got together to produce this adorable and incredibly weird Valentine's Day music video featuring children chanting in their best Flying Lizards monotones over a looped electro beat as some sort of post-hipster Sesame Street interstitial video unfolds around them. Exploitation has never been sweeter. [Larry Tee]

Ladies and gentlemen, the single best amateur campaign ad of the 2008 race. Hillary4U&Me features the youth of today joining together to support our favorite dynastic presidential hopeful... in song! The song, which sounds vaguely like an off-key Casio demo version of the Jacksons' "ABC", is inspiring. The video is cutting-edge. The whole enterprise is so awesomely sincere that we were convinced it had to be a parody until we learned that it was composed and performed by a Silicon Valley CEO and "accomplished hobbyist musician." Watch the whole video, after the jump!

It-girl actress Scarlett Johansson held a listening party last night to preview her upcoming album of Tom Waits covers. Waits, America's coolest living man, has reportedly given his blessing to the album for reasons known only to his own enigmatic self. Singing ditties for Barack Obama has not satisfied Scarlett, alas. After the jump, a full track listing from Johansson's unnecessary "Anywhere I Lay My Head" and a bonus video of the real version of one of the badass Waits songs, "I Don't Wanna Grow Up," that the actress will be warbling in an unlikely fashion when her album drops in May.

Since time immemorial, or since maybe 2004, we have received missives from a person called The Earl Grey, the greatest social documentarian of our time. As frequently as possible, we print these letters as a service to society. Today, he takes us on a journey through the past, recreating the intimate details of New York life in the halcyon days of the fin de siècle 1990s.