plus: Bad Religion is "punk" again. Leak-proof Redman. Kelly Joe Phelps. Lil Bow Wow postpones Cincinnati show.

The Associated Press reported that rapper Jay-Z was arrested near a Manhattan nightclub on Thursday (4/12) for third-degree criminal possession of a weapon near a Manhattan nightclub. According to the article, police saw a man with a gun get into a Chevy Suburban. When police pulled the vehicle over, they found four men inside, including Jay-Z and his bodyguard, and charged all of them.

MTV.com reported that Jay-Z's bodyguard was the one with the gun.

Jay-Z's attorney stated that the rapper is not guilty, and pointed out that "numerous other celebrities have often used armed security guards."

Bad Religion, which took an immense amount of heat from punk rock "purists" when it departed indie label Epitaph Records for major label Atlantic in 1993, has returned to Epitaph, Billboard reported.

Sonicnet reported on the lengths to which rapper Redman will go to keep his forthcoming album "Malpractice" from being leaked to the public before the May 22 release date.

... Def Jam hosted a studio listening session for select cuts from the new LP.

Those in attendance were forced to wear headphones in order to hear the nine tracks played at the event, due to the rapper's concern that someone could record the music if it blared through the studio's speakers. All lights in the studio were turned off while the music was played; pens that emitted red light and note pads made to look like prescription pads were handed out in case anyone wanted to take notes.

Maybe the answer is obvious, but why did he have all the lights turned off?

Kelly Joe Phelps fourth album, "Sky Like a Broken Clock," is due on July 10 on Rykodisc, and features bassist Larry Taylor (Tom Waits), and percussionist Billy Conway (Morphine).

Young rapper Lil Bow Wow was scheduled to perform in Cincinnati on Friday (4/13), but the show has been pushed back to May 15 due to ongoing unrest in the city. Rioting broke out this week after a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed black man.