Plies slips three slots to No. 4. Da Realist bags up 52,700 units this week. So far, the album has sold 167,300 copies.

Currently “Sagging Pants” is a topic that has sparked a lot of controversy and much national debate. A number of states, including Florida, Michigan, Louisiana, Missouri, Virginia and Georgia, to name a few, are considering passing laws banning this practice, by setting up fines and potentially jail time for offenders. Plies addresses this issue head on, on his latest street anthem “Pants Hang Low.” In addition Plies has recently launched www.pantshanglow.com, a blog site devoted to the issue, featuring news, action alerts, and commentary. We would love to hear from you and get your feedback and thoughts on the situation. You can also post your own articles and videos, on the subject matter. So make sure you stop by the site and post a comment or two and tell a friend!

Plies’ NEW Album “Da REAList” In Stores and Online Decmber 16th.

Third Time’s A Charm!

Pliesworld.com

A Fort Myers, Fla.-based rapper who is said to represent a new energy in hip-hop is scheduled to perform in the Civic Center’s Exhibit Hall at 8 p.m. Thursday.

Maybe you’ve seen Plies on MTV or read about him in a magazine - he’s been featured in everything from hip-hop publication The Source to Billboard magazine. Or maybe you’ve heard one of his songs ring on a cell phone; his tune “Shawty” has sold more than 500,000 ring tones. Not a bad sales figure for a guy who never set out to be a rapper.

Plies, whose real name is Algernod Lanier Washington, became involved in music in the late 1990s when his brother, Ronell “Big Gates” Levatte, started a hip-hop label called Big Gates.

According to his biography on the Atlantic Records Web site, Plies always refused to get in front of the mike but found himself getting attention after recording part of a song as a demonstration for another artist.

“(Levatte) started pursuing music, and I saw his vision,” Plies is quoted as saying on the Atlantic Records site. “It wasn’t a dream of mine. It kind of happened accidentally. But at the same time, I’m a believer that nothing happens on accident.”

Plies entered the music world with his 2003 single “Tell Dem Crackers Dat” and signed with Slip-N-Slide Records in 2004. Plies released his debut album, “The Real Testament,” in 2007 and continued with 2008’s “Definition of Real,” which included the hits “Please Excuse My Hands” and “Bust It Baby, Part II.” The rapper will release his third studio album, “Da Realist,” featuring the song “Pants Hang Low,” on Dec. 16.

“Plies is a great artist with our listeners for sure, he’s an artist that’s requested all the time,” said Jason Parkinson, program director for Power 92.3 FM. “We’re giving away tickets for the show, and it’s definitely a hot item right now - everyone’s calling and asking about the show.”

Parkinson said that while Plies is labeled as an up-and-coming artist, he’s already well-versed in the business. He’s collaborated with musicians such as T-Pain (on “Shawty”) and Akon (on “Hypnotized”). He’s also worked with Trina on her songs “So Fresh” and “I Got a Problem” and Jamie Foxx and The-Dream (on “Please Excuse My Hands”).

But not all the media attention for Plies has been positive. The Gainesville Sun reported in April that the rapper was named in a $10 million lawsuit over a shooting that injured five people in a Gainesville, Fla., club in 2006. According to officials, members of Plies’ entourage pulled out guns and fired inside the club. Plies, his record label and the nightclub are accused of negligence in the lawsuit. The newspaper reported that the two men accused of firing the shots - including Plies’ brother - received prison sentences.

Rap Weekly reported in November 2007 that Plies lost a lawsuit to an Alabama promoter after he didn’t show up to answer breach of contract allegations. Media outlets at the time reported that when the crowd found out that Plies was a no-show, several fans began fighting, causing thousands of dollars in damages to the club.

Aside from media reports of the rapper’s legal troubles, he’s seen positive attention, too. Plies formed the Big Gates and Plies Power of Visions Foundation Inc., which aims to provide funding for legal representation and aid to the needy, specifically those who are incarcerated. He has also formed the Somebody Loves You scholarship fund, designed for students who have a parent who is incarcerated.

And he could soon become a reality TV star; Reuters news service reported May 30 that the rapper is in talks with VH1 and Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen Network for distribution of a “Bust It Baby”-themed reality TV show, in which women compete for Plies’ affection.

By DANIELLE HATCH of the Journal Star, Pjstar.com

Plies has been nominated for the 2008 Online Hip-Hop Awards for the Album of the Year Award (Hip Hop) for DEFINITION OF REAL! Help him win by clicking HERE!

Plies’ upcoming album “Da Realist” is the next huge release from Slip-N-Slide Recordsare.

Ted Lucas (CEO, Slip N Slide Records) said to MTV News: “Plies is a hard worker. There’s no need to hold him back. I heard the album, heard the music, and I feel he’s ready. You gotta feed the fans. When you got a fanbase and you’re growing and they like your music, give them what they want. Before, you had albums come out by, like, Michael Jackson - people be on that album for two years. Now, the way the business is, we have to make sure the fans are happy and continue to grow.”

The Realest will continue Plies’ string of mainstream hits and street anthems.

“He’s definitely understanding the business,” Lucas noted. “He understands what it means to be mainstream, and he’s still keeping core to his fans. He ain’t watered down his music. The fans are still getting what they heard on the first mixtape. I feel he’s one of the best at feeding the streets, but he understands the business. He can make a mainstream song that fits on radio and TV, but it’s still on the edge.”

By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes (MTV.com)

Check out the pitures of rapper Plies performing at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta on Sunday, September 14th.

Photos source: Uplies.net

Heavyweight artist Plies is already back in the studio and scheduled to release his new album DA REALIST. The album’s first single ‘Pants Hang Low’ is produced by the legendary Mannie Fresh. Make sure to check it out right now in the music player. The new album is set to hit stores December 16th, so mark your calendars now!

Plies Official Website