RAP UP: Very little dealing with militant...

RAP UP: Very little dealing with militant New York rapper Sister Souljah has been quiet--ever since the day last June when presidential candidate Bill Clinton criticized her music as “filled with hatred.” So it’s surprising that Epic Records and the rapper were able to keep quiet--until now--the fact that she was unceremoniously dropped by the label just before the election.

Souljah’s manager, Glenda Gracia, tells Pop Eye that she adopted a silent strategy to avoid a finger-pointing match in the media, fearing it would hurt the rapper’s chances for another deal. Gracia says that the issue with Epic was not record sales. Even without radio or video play, the rapper’s debut album, “360 Degrees of Power,” managed to sell nearly 100,000 copies. Epic had no comment.