http://www.hip-hopvibe.com: May 2010

Sunday, May 30, 2010

J. Cole is reinventing the South

For years, rappers from the South have been trying to prove they are just as good, if not better, than rappers from other parts of the nation. Even with the rap music scene dominated by the likes of Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, people still consider rappers from the mecca, New York City, as the best, overall. Some people feel this is because of the Southern drawl.

Since his return from prison, T.I. has tried to improve his speech, but it is obvious he is from the South. Lil Wayne, on the other hand, raps with a heavy Southern drawl. But, when he talks, he does not have an accent. When J. Cole speaks, he has no drawl and when he raps, he has no drawl. It would take deep listening to tell he is from the South.

The reason J. Cole sounds this way is because of the city he is from. Cole was born and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina and the city is home to a military base. The city is located in a rural county on the rural side of North Carolina, but people from all over the world reside in Fayetteville. The city is an international city and living there exposed J. Cole to many different lifestyles. People in Fayetteville do not have much of a drawl and because he grew up listening to Nas and others, he is very lyrical.

However, in cities such as Miami, Atlanta, and New Orleans, the cities have deep ghettos and the population is black people who have lived in the area for decades. J. Cole did not grow up in a city with a deep ghetto, although there is a poor section in the city. Plus, for the past three years, J. Cole has been living in New York City working for Jay-Z. Having been away from the South for this many years has changed the way J. Cole talks and being around rappers from other areas, personally, has changed his style of rap. Despite being from the South, J. Cole has no drawl. But, he still claims the South as where he is from, but he raps for everyone.

Soon, other Southern rappers from similar areas will begin to do the same thing and Southern hip hop will merge into other regions of hip hop and the debate over regions will soon be over. When this happens, hip hop will truly become a music genre in its own right.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Jay-Z's legacy better than Tupac's?

Before his untimely assassination, Tupac Shakur was the top dog in the game. He had finally reached the point where anything he put out would be successful. Tupac had solidified his legacy with the release of All Eyez On Me, the first double album in hip hop history. Weeks after his death, he set another record when he released The Seven Day Theory and it was also critically and commerically successful.

As great as Tupac was and as popular as he was, and still is, there are some things he never did. Tupac released albums frequently, but he was unable to release an album each year and have a long run. Initially, Tupac was viewed as a socially-concious rapper and was not very popular. But, over time, he became a gangsta rapper and earned fame. One thing remained constant and it was the fact of him being critically-acclaimed.

Jay-Z, on the other hand, came into the game and gave himself a record deal. When Jay-Z was trying to break into the game, it was being dominated by Tupac. The only way to land a deal was to try and be Tupac. Many gimmick rappers were signed, but none of them ever made it, but Jay-Z did. He released his first album independently and it would be met with critical success. With hardly any promotion, the album nearly went gold. Realizing the star emerging, Def Jam tried to sign Jay-Z, but he turned them down. More than anything else, Jay-Z was a businessman and he was not going to sign an artist deal, instead he signed a distribution deal.

Under the Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam partnership, Jay-Z forever changed the game and he would release seven more albums on the heels of each other. Out of his next seven albums, two were undeniable classics, while the other albums were met with positive reviews. Even the album he released on behalf of Roc-A-Fella Records was a critical and commercial success. Most rappers who try to also run labels have to give either one or the other. It is rare that an artist remains on top while his crew also gets exposure. But, with Jay-Z, he made every artist on the label into a moderate star. Each time Jay-Z released an album, he was nearly assured a platinum plaque. Each time any other member of the crew released an album, they were nearly assured a gold paque.

Now that he has passed on, it is rarely mentioned about Tupac and his crew. Before he signed with Death Row, Tupac ran his own label. The only artists signed to the label were his crew, Tha Outlawz. The group was signed to a deal and each artist was signed to a solo deal. Tupac had hoped to use his fire to light their candles and he tried with the Thug Life, Vol. 1 album. The album did enough to cross Tupac over into the mainstream, but his crew was left behind. While Tupac will forever be known as the best rapper to ever touch a microphone, he could not handle both being the franchise player and the owner. Aside from being bailed out of jail by Suge Knight, Tupac signed there because he knew Death Row had great management.

Of course, no one knows both the insides of Jay-Z and Tupac's career, but from the outside looking in, Jay-Z has accomplished more in his time than Tupac. The argument is there, Jay-Z had more time than Tupac to build his legacy, but it was clear Tupac would have probably retired to build his crew. The only way they could have ever had the success of Roc-A-Fella Records was if Tupac could devote all of his time to the project. Where Jay-Z is a great multitasker, Tupac Shakur was a single-minded man. Then, of course, Jay-Z had Dame Dash in his corner for most of his run. In the time since he sent Dame dashing, his career has fallen off and his comeback has been met with mixed reviews.

Regardless of position, Jay-Z and Tupac will go down as all-time greats, but the impact of Jay-Z goes much deeper than Tupac's.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Da Brat is free, Working on New Album

It has been three years since Da Brat was last free when she hit a woman with a bottle. But, after the woman filed charges, she found herself in the Georgia Prison System. Despite being behind bars, she has remained close with Jermaine Dupri. Now separate from Def Jam, he is looking to rebuild his empire.

Da Brat is a free lady for the first time in years and she has wasted no time getting back into the public eye. Already, she has been featured in a video. Da Brat was discussing her career and how she plans to revive it. Starting this year, she wants to get herself back on track.

Headed back into the studio with Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat promises an incredible album. With her three-year prison term wrapping up, she has been released through work release. Her primary job is rapping, so Da Brat will find herself back with Jermaine Dupri.

Rick Ross to perform at Tupac Birthday Concert

To honor the late rapper, Tupac Shakur, last year an event was held in his memory. With his birthday being towards the end of May, a concert was held to honor him. It was held at his memorial center in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

This year, the event will be in the same place. Multiple rappers have signed up to perform at the concert. Because the event is being held in Georgia, mostly Southern rappers will be participating. However, Too $hort and Pill will make the trip.

The headlining rapper of the event will be Rick Ross. He has developed his style, partially from the late Tupac Shakur. Over the course of his career, he has become one of the big players in the game. It is only right for Rick Ross to perform for Tupac.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The Real Rick Ross is suing Rick Ross

Rick Ross has based his career off of drug kingpin, Freeway Ricky Ross. The rapper Ross discovered the drug trafficker through his former job. Before his time as a rapper, Rick Ross worked in law enforcement. For a while, the two Rick Rosses operated on different sides of the law.

When it was revealed what Rick Ross' original job was and how he discovered Freeway Ricky Ross, the golves were off. The original Rick Ross made it clear he was not friends with the rapper. Often times, he would be seen on video dissing Rick Ross. Then, when 50 Cent began feuding with Ross, he joined in.

The only difference between now and then is the fact that the original Rick Ross is out from prison. Now, he feels he has grounds to sue. The former police officer, Rick Ross, has built his fortune off of a lifestyle in which Freeway Ricky Ross lived. Because of the lifestyle he lived, Freeway Ricky Ross found himself in prison. Meanwhile, Rick Ross gave up his job as a police officer to rap about this man's life.

Probably needing a source of income after losing everything when he was busted, Freeway Ricky Ross has decided to sue Rick Ross. The main reason for the suit is over the name, less than the lifestyle the rapper has glorified over the past four years.

T.I. lands Eminem and Lady GaGa for "King Uncaged"

Today has been a great day for T.I., as he continues to work on his latest album, King Uncaged. Earlier today, he released the second single from the album, "Yeah, Ya Know (Takers)." The song features Chris Brown and it will be on the soundtrack of their new film, Takers. Having been out of the spotlight for a while, T.I. is aggressively reclaiming what was his.

Frequently, T.I. compares his album to the classic album released by Tupac Shakur in 1996, All Eyez on Me. Tupac released the album after his time behind bars in 1995. Many people saw that album as the ultimate back from jail album. Using this as his goal, T.I. plans to outdo All Eyez on Me with King Uncaged. Like Tupac, T.I. hopes to have multiple guests on the album.

Until now, nothing has been set in stone as far as collaborations go on King Uncaged. However, recently T.I. decided to join forces, once again, with Eminem. The two collaborated in 2007 on T.I.'s T.I. vs. T.I.P. album on the "Touch Down" track. For the first time in three years, the two will be doing a song together. Aside from landing Eminem for the album, T.I. has reached out to Lady GaGa for an experimental track.

T.I. plans to released King Uncaged towards the end of the summer on Grand Hustle and Atlantic Records.

Red Cafe co-signs Bad Boy movement

Last spring, Diddy announced he was signing Red Cafe to Bad Boy Records as a start of the new movement. Months later, he announced he was moving the label from Atlantic Records to Interscope Records. This deal is unique from most deals because the artists were not transferred. When Diddy decided to move Bad Boy, Red Cafe had to be dropped from Bad Boy/Atlantic and moved over to Bad Boy/Interscope.

Realizing what Diddy is trying to do, Atlantic Records is doing all they can to make sure they get something out of the deal. Red Cafe was dropped from the deal with Atlantic Records in December. But, the deal was not cleared until this spring. Once Red Cafe was officially off of Atlantic Records, Diddy signed him to the new Bad Boy Records under Interscope. The deal was official at the start of the month. An announcement was made.

Now done moving, Red Cafe has started working on his debut album, which has been due since 2004. Diddy wants to put new music out and he wants Red Cafe to headline the new label. With all of this going on, Red Cafe recently spoke on the new movement Diddy is creating with Bad Boy Records. Earlier this month, the new Bad Boy label was slammed by Hip Hop Wired and Red Cafe is responding to the statements made by the site. He said the deal is official and Bad Boy is behind him 100% despite what some people say.

According to Red Cafe, before the end of the year, Bad Boy Records will be running the game. All of the people who are currently doubting the label are going to be proved wrong in a few. Red Cafe has released multiple mixtapes, waving the Bad Boy flag. Before the end of next year, he will finally get to release his debut album, while waving the Bad Boy flag high.

Eminem caused the delay of Dr. Dre's "Under Pressure" with Jay-Z

The hip hop community was buzzing at the beginning of last month with the possibility of Dr. Dre releasing a new single. For the past decade, Dre has been talking about his Detox album. But, now he is actually trying to get the album released to the public. He announced the first single as a collaboration with Jay-Z. The song was supposed to have come at the beginning of April, but it did not come.

When the single was not released, as planned, it came as no surprise. Still, a lot of people were disappointed because Dr. Dre had never promised a Detox single. Jay-Z spoke on the song and he said it should probably come some time before the end of May. With the end of May around the corner, "Under Pressure" has still yet to be released. Now, there is a likely answer to why this is so.

Eminem recently spoke on the single and he revealed why the song has yet to be released to the radio. Initially, Eminem had planned to use music he recorded last year when working on Relapse for his next album, Relapse 2. But, Interscope Records forced him to move on from the Relapse, so his music could not even be used. Quickly, Eminem came up with the concept for another album, Recovery, but he needed someone to help him. Had Dr. Dre released "Under Pressure," he would have had to go out and promote the song. There was no way he could do Eminem's album and promote himself.

Because he has always chosen Eminem first, Dr. Dre decided to help with Eminem's album and delay the release of "Under Pressure" until Eminem is ready to begin the next phase of his album.

Fabolous is excited about BET Awards

Three years ago, Fabolous was nominated for his first-ever BET Award. Aside from his nomination, he and Ne-Yo were signed on to perform their then-rising hit, "Make Me Better." Their performance won the crowd over and Fabolous had a great time. Following the show, he promised to come back every year. At the time, he had planned to release another album the next year.

Things did not go according to Fab's plans, but he still attended the 2008 BET Awards. With no new music out, all he was able to do was sit back and watch. Despite not having a starring role, Fabolous was happy to be there. Last year, he was at the awards show, but again took a back seat. Even with being in the crowd, Fabolous always has a good time.

Going to the BET Awards for the fourth straight year, Fab will have a starring role this year. He is nominated for an award and he is going to face-off against his mentor, Jay-Z. Because he always has a good time at the BET Awards, Fabolous is excited about heading to the show for another year. He feels this year will be special because he has a chance to win his first-ever BET Award. Even if he does not win, Fabolous is happy to be a part of the show for another year.

Sha Money XL tells female rappers to look like Nicki Minaj

Following the release of The Naked Truth by Lil' Kim, the female rap game has fallen off. For four years straight, the rap game was completely dominated by male rappers. Last year, Eve tried for the third time to land her comeback. The sad part about her comeback was the entire female rap game was counting on it. While Eve did not come back, Nicki Minaj entered the game.

Riding off of the Young Money name, Nicki Minaj has changed the game forever. She presents herself in skimpy outfits as the black Barbie in rap. Her image has been embraced by some female rappers, while taunted by others. Despite what people say about her, she is on top of the game. Inspired by Nicki Minaj, a lot of other females are trying to enter the game.

Industry veteran, Sha Money XL has advice for any woman trying to make it as a rapper. With the way Nicki Minaj has dominated the rap game, he has advised any female rapper to look like Nicki Minaj. It is optional, but he said if they want guaranteed success in the game, the best way to do it is the way Nicki has done it. Because of her looks, she was able to draw the male audience. But, it has been her style and the way she raps that has kept them. While keeping the men looking at her body, she is one of more lyrical rappers out.

Kanye West finally delivers New Music

For the past year and a half, there have been rumors of a new album from Kanye West. After he delivered his R&B debut, 808s & Heartbreak, Kanye West promised his next album in June 2009. But, when the time came, the album did not come. Instead, he pushed the album back an extra six months. He had a plan to stage his rap comeback.

Starting after the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West was going to begin releasing new music from his album. Later that week, the title of the album was supposed to come. Those plans were halted right in their tracks when Taylor Swift won the VMA for Best Female Video over Beyonce's "Single Ladies." Feeling as if Beyonce was slighted, West jumped onto the stage and said Beyonce was more deserving.

The media had been waiting for a chance to pounce on Kanye West and they had finally found it. In a matter of minutes, he went from being a fan favorite to being public enemy number one. Because of all of the negative press, Kanye West flew to India to clear his mind. While in India, he began to recording process all over again. When he returned, the people who heard Kanye West's new music were impressed. DJ Premier said the album would be one of the best of all-time.

While people close to Kanye West have been hearing his music, the fans have not heard anything new from him since his verse of Keri Hilson's "Knock You Down." But, for the first time in almost two years, Kanye has delivered something actually new to his fans. Yesterday, he played four new songs off of his album, Good Ass Job, which will be released in September.

Big Boi analyzes the game

Yesterday, David Banner gave his diagnosis on the death of hip hop and he has sparked another discussion. After David Banner gave his opinion of what has gone wrong with hip hop, Big Boi plans to deliver his. Much like Banner, Big Boi is trying to prove himself to be one of the best rappers in the game. He wants his debut album to be one of the best of the year.

Big Boi said hip hop has lost its essence because it has become too commercial. In the old days, rappers used to come off of the top of their head and do a freestyle. But, now rappers such as Drake write their freestyles and then recite them. Big Boi said the game is not about that. People are supposed to come with their own styles and come off of the top of their heads.

Like many other rappers, Big Boi has realized the game is changing, but he does not like the direction. His statement was similar to the one made by David Banner, yesterday. While the game is currently lost to him, he feels as if the game can be changed back to its original form. Big Boi plans to begin this change with his album, as does David Banner with Death of a Pop Star.

Fat Joe boasts about Trey Songz collaboration

Yesterday, Fat Joe released his long-discussed Trey Songz collaboration, "If It Ain't About The Money." Once he revealed he was recording a new album, Fat Joe has named Trey Songz as one of the guests. After talking about the album for almost six months, it was heard for the first time on May 24, 2010.

While the song was released yesterday, it will take some time before the song actually gains airplay. The song is currently dominating the radio in the New York area. But, it will be some months before the song receives airplay outside of its own area. Fat Joe is confident the song will change his fortunes when it is released.

Describing his new song, Fat Joe said the game will not be the same once everybody hears it. Fat Joe said a change will take place in the streets. Not only will the change take place in the streets, but change will also take place within the city. There have been doubts of Fat Joe's legendary status despite him being a veteran.

However, after the release of this song and once the people hear it, Fat Joe is confident in his legacy being cemented.

Styles P pegs new L.O.X. album for 2011

Dating back to 2007, The L.O.X. have been working on a new album. But, with the members all trying to release solo albums, the project has been neglected. Last fall, Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch were inspired to complete the album. A bidding war between Diddy and Swizz Beatz for The L.O.X. soon ensued.

For the most part, it looked as if The L.O.X. would end up returning to Bad Boy. But, the deal has been stalled and it now appears as if the crew is headed back to Ruff Ryders. Because of the bidding war, the album was pushed back from 2009 until this year. However, it appears as if the album will have to wait a little longer.

Recently, Styles P spoke on the status of the album and he said they had to record some new tracks. With the album on hold, some of the songs were a little too old. Because they have had to record some new music, their album has been pushed back from a 2010 release date to a release date for sometime next year. Still, before the end of the year, the first single should be released.

Nicki Minaj changes her Name

Ever since she came into the game, Nicki Minaj has used this alias. The Minaj is a play off of her last name. One reason she has gone by Nicki Minaj is because she feels the name is cute. Not only the way it sounds, but the way it is spelled.

When Lil Wayne discovered Nicki Minaj, he felt the name went with the look. Once he heard her rap, he wasted no time signing her to Young Money. Her name has gone on to become quite popular with the fans. The name goes with her voice.

But, with her debut album set to come towards the end of the year, Nicki Minaj has decided to change up. Yesterday, she revealed she has changed her name from Nicki Minaj to Roman Zolanski. Some people feel this is a play on the French director, Roman Polanski.

Drake wants to be a Legend

There is nobody in the game as hot as Drake right now and people have picked him to be the future of the game. Detractors of Drake, few and far between, however, have written him off as a fad. When he first began receiving attention, some tried to write him off as a pop rapper. But, after So Far Gone, it was clear Drake was the real deal.

With his album set to come in three weeks, Drake is on top of the world. He cannot wait to finally release his debut album, which is coming through Young Money. Most projections show Drake selling over 80,000 copies in his first week. The possibility of having his debut album go platinum excites Drake, but he wants more.

Because he is who he is, his Thank Me Later album is likely to sell 1 million copies. Then, critics are likely to give the album favorable reviews. But, usually rappers take a while to come back with their next album and with Young Money built around Lil Wayne, it may be three years before another album comes from Drake. Then, when he comes back, the people are likely to have moved on. This was the case with such artists as Huey and Mims.

But, Drake does not want to come back with some pop rap album when he does return. Drake wants all of his albums to be platinum successes and critically-acclaimed. When he finally hangs up the mic, Drake wants to be remembered as a legend in the rap game. Because he is in Lil Wayne's crew, Drake is often mentioned with Wayne. But, when people speak of Lil Wayne, they often put him in the same conversation as Biggie, Tupac, and Jay-Z. Wayne demanded the critics make room for him in 2008 and Drake has those same demands two years later.

J. Cole compares Nas to Michael Jordan

With people finally hearing J. Cole rap, he has received a lot of comparisons to Nas. Last week, J. Cole spoke of his influences and he admitted to being a major Nas fan. But, he said most of his inspiration came from Canibus and Eminem. Despite what inspires him, the people see a parallel between himself and Nas.

Earlier this year, Drake even openly stated J. Cole was the next Nas. In response to those statements, Cole said people need to chill with all of the comparisons. He said there is no doubt in him, and Drake, becoming great artists. But, J. Cole wants it to happen in their own rights.

Recently, J. Cole addressed the Nas comparisons again. He said Nas is like Michael Jordan, in a way. After Jordan retired in 1998, the sports media began a search for the next Michael Jordan. Any player in the NBA drafted to a bad team that was between 6'4 and 6'8 was pegged as the next Michael Jordan.

With Nas no longer being a focal point in the hip hop game the way he was, ten years ago, J. Cole feels Nas is going to go through the same thing Jordan went through. J. Cole said right now, people are thinking of him as the next Nas, but this could change in the next few years. Once he has established himself in his own right, some other rapper may end up being compared to Nas. He said this is a cycle and the fans cannot help but get caught up in this.

Monday, May 24, 2010

David Banner says mixtapes Killed Hip Hop

David Banner has drastically changed his style from what it was when he came into the game. He has had many reasons for the changes he has made. For starters, he lost a lot of weight because of his health and he decided to build muscle. With a new image and a new lease on life, Banner decided to hone his mic skills. Now, he finds himself among some of the best rappers in the game.

However, Banner is unique from most rappers in the game. It has been said that rappers need to step up and take accountability. Many rappers have agreed, but few have stepped up. David Banner has been among those few. One of his first appearances in years was his appearance on BET's "Hip Hop vs. America." On that program, Banner proved how wise he actually was.

The changes he made during his hiatus spread over into his music. His last album, released in 2008, shows multiple differences from the album he released in 2003. Now that he has a wise voice in the game, David Banner often delivers his opinions to hip hop outlets about the state of the game. In 2006, Nas made the delcaration of hip hop being dead. Ever since he released the album named after the death of hip hop, many rappers have given their opinion on the situation.

Recently, David Banner gave his opinion and he said the reason hip hop died was because of mixtapes. The top rappers in the game are focusing more of their energy on the mixtapes as opposed to the albums. In the early days of hip hop, rappers poured all of their emotion into their albums. But, now with the popularity of mixtapes, rappers place their true feelings in the mixtapes. On the albums, rappers are being more contained and as a result, mixtapes are receiving better reviews than the albums.

Lil Chuckee tells Kat Stacks to Cool It

Throughout the spring of 2010, a new video vixen has emerged on the scene. She follows in the footsteps of Tahiry and others, but she claims to be the baddest of them all. Kat Stacks claims to have slept with every rapper in the game. When she first made herself known to the public, she claimed to have slept with the entire Young Money crew.

Each time she does an interview, Kat Stacks ends up recounting her time with Young Money. But, in the time since she first made the statement, she has spent time talking about Fabolous. Initially, he tried to ignore her, but Fab has been caught up exchanging Twitter messages with her. But, her favorite topic has been Young Money.

Most people know the aim of Kat Stacks is to try and gain fame in the industry. The best way to receive quick attention is to latch onto the Young Money crew. However, when speaking of Kat, Lil Chuckee feels she has gone about this the wrong way. He feels if she wanted to roll with the Young Money crew, she could have come another way.

Video:

Saturday, May 22, 2010

The Death of Dolla, one year later

Among the rising names in hip hop, Dolla’s name will forever ring loud. For years, he worked in the background, waiting for his time to shine. At the age of 12, he began rapping and landed his first record deal three years later. But, after his crew disbanded, Dolla was left on the outside looking in. In an effort to keep a foot in the door, Dolla began working with Sean Combs as a model for his Sean John clothing line.

For four years, he modeled for Sean John, but he was rapping to himself every time he had a spare minute. Living in New York City and working for the biggest urban fashion line around, Dolla was often surrounded by some of the power players in the music industry. On the scene, looking for his time to shine, Dolla ended up meeting Akon. After rapping for the mini-mogul, he signed him to his Konvict Muzik label.

The deal was official in May 2007 and Dolla quit his job at Sean John. Led by his single, “Feelin’ Myself,” Dolla was quickly rising up the ladder of success. Due to the success of his debut single, he soon found himself involved in a feud with West Coast rapper, Mac Dre. Dre said he had recorded a song of the same name, which was actually older. Nothing ever came of the issue with the single and Dolla was happy with the free publicity.

Late in 2007, Dolla released his first official single, “Who The Fuck Is That?” to radio and the song would peak at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100. He recorded with Konvict label-mate, T-Pain on the track. The chemistry shown on the track led to T-Pain signing Dolla in a joint-venture deal with his Nappy Boy label. With the large promotional machine behind him, in 2008, the video came.

Early in 2008, he revealed the title of his debut album to be A Dolla and a Dream. Promotion of the album continued with his next single, “I’m Fucked Up.” But, for some reason, none of the songs by Dolla could stay on the charts for long. In an effort to have him land that big single to make him into a household name, Akon and T-Pain decided to push his album back until an indefinite release date. In the meantime, he made an appearance in Ciara’s video.

Dolla proved free time was something he could not deal with. Living off of the advance money given to him by Konvict Muzik, Dolla was living in Atlanta, Georgia. Not only was Dolla living the good life, but he was famous within the city. Because “gangsta” is what is “in” with the hip hop community, Dolla often traveled with a gun. Every night, Dolla would hit the club scene and his gun was never too far away from him. On October 20, 2008, this landed him in jail.

Upon getting out of jail, Akon set him up in Los Angeles to start recording A Dolla and a Dream and he demanded Dolla to stay out of trouble. To make sure he was on task, Akon would drop in on him from time-to-time. From October 2008 until May 2009, Dolla remained on task, limiting his trips to the club. But, after being held up in the studio for weeks at the time, Akon would allow him to go have some fun.

On May 18, 2009, Dolla was taking a break from his album, which was coming together quite nicely. Having the day off, Dolla spent the day shopping in Beverly Hills. Along with a couple of friends, he was waiting for the valet to bring his car around. Sadly, he would never see his car come around the corner because he was shot at 3:10 pm. Despite being rushed to the hospital, the rising rapper did not make it and the talent he had was never properly shown.

It has been one year since Dolla departed the earth sooner than expected. His murderer was revealed to be Aubrey Louis Berry. The man had an altercation with Dolla and his crew in Atlanta days before Dolla’s October 20 arrest. However, a little over a year since his death, Berry has been released from jail with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. The light sentence and release on Berry’s behalf has shocked quite a bit of people.

Konvict Muzik released A Dolla and a Dream late last year and the album was met with mildly positive reviews.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Lil Wayne admits to Trouble Behind Bars

Last week, MTV broke news of Lil Wayne getting into a bit of trouble behind bars. During a routine raid, Wayne was caught with an iPod charger and earphones. At the facility at Riker's Island, having music is not allowed. The rapper will be charged for being in possession of music contraband.

However, when Lil Wayne first went behind bars, he openly stated he would work on music. He brought with him his iPod. Not only did he have an iPod, but he also brought a recorder. The plan was for him to work on Tha Carter IV while behind bars.

Yesterday, his ex-wife Toya Carter, said the issue never happened. But, recently, Lil Wayne said he was in a bit of trouble with the guards at Riker's. However, he played it off as not being much of a big deal.

Nas admits mistakes in His Rhymes

Throughout his career, Nas has projected himself as an intellectual rapper and many people have looked up to him. His early rhymes were hailed by critics and they grew upset with him. Starting with his second album, Nas started to change his style. Mafioso rap was popular and Nas transformed himself into Escobar.

During his feud with Jay-Z, Hov revealed this to the world and all of the quiet rumblings soon became loud rants about Nas. In an effort to combat all of the negative attention, Nas soon returned to his intellectual rapping. But, it was a case of too little too late, even after his victory in the feud with Jay-Z.

The feud with Jay-Z was won with his epic diss, "Ether." But, in the song, a lot of the information was fabricated. Even on his song, "I Can," a lot of the facts were a bit tangled. Years after his feud with Jay-Z and the mix-up in his songs, Nas has decided to speak on the criticisms. He said many of his rhymes are complicated like this.

Nas says when he writes songs, he does not check the facts. He simply rolls with the rhymes and if there is a mistake, the mistake stays. Much like many other rappers, Nas said he has sacrificed words all in an effort to keep the rhyme going. He said he has slurred words on almost all of his albums in order for the song to keep a consistent rhyme. In his "I Can" song, he mistakenly credited Alexander the Great for Napoleon. Nas said there was nothing wrong with that because Alexander the Great and Napoleon go hand in hand.

Fabolous sets Release Date for "Loso's Way 2"

After finally releasing his mixtape, There Is No Competition, Pt. 2: The Funeral Service, Fabolous is finally ready to release his next album. Soon after he released Loso's Way in 2009, Fab made plans to release Loso's Way 2 in 2010. Late last year, he said the album should come out sometime before the end of the spring.

With the spring almost over and the summer of 2010 heading in, not so much as a new single has come from Fabolous. Now his mixtape is finally out there, Fab has dominated the underground market. Following the success of his mixtape, Fabolous has started working on his next album. The single, as opposed as the album, should come before the end of the second quarter.

Fabolous wants to release multiple singles before the release of his next album, Loso's Way 2. Def Jam has reorganized and they have promised Fab he will become a key member in their new movement. Because of this, his album will be released in the fourth quarter. Fabolous recently spoke on the progress of this new album. He said he is working as much as he can on the album and it should be released sometime before Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

LLoyd Banks recruits Gucci Mane for New Album

Following his departure from Interscope Records, 50 Cent ordered Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo to begin working on their new albums. While they had their time tied up in recording, 50 was to be out looking for a new deal. In the time 50 Cent has spent handling business, Lloyd Banks has become the unofficial spokesperson for G-Unit Records.

Now, it appears as if G-Unit Records will be teaming up with Def Jam. Lloyd Banks' talk has changed from the status of his label to the status of his album. From the beginning, Banks said he had some surprises in store for the album. For weeks, he spoke of the big surprise and it was his collaboration with Juelz Santana.

In the eyes of many, their collaboration was not much of a surprise, so Banks provided another. Recently, he reached out to Gucci Mane and he has agreed to work with Lloyd Banks on his new album, The Hunger For More 2. The two were in the studio laying down a couple of tracks, one for the new Gucci Mane album and another for the new Lloyd Banks album. Gucci Mane has no release date for his album, but Lloyd Banks plans to release his sometime before the end of the summer.

Game's "R.E.D. Album" pushed back

Ever since he reunited with Dr. Dre to work on the long-awaited Detox album, Game has taken a page out of Dr. Dre's playbook. He has had multiple set release dates for The R.E.D. Album. Initially due in December of 2009, with June around the corner in 2010, the album still has more time to wait.

The album was first pushed back so Dr. Dre could do some work to the album. But, because he had to focus on other projects, Dr. Dre had to leave the project. In his place, Dre recruited Pharrell, who Game has become very close with. All of the sounds on this album have led to the album being delayed several times.

After the March 23 release date came and went without an album, Game was pushed back until June 15. He was supposed to go head-to-head with Drake, but Drake was pushed back to June 22. Soon, Game found himself saddled with the June 29 release date. However, the album has been pushed back one more time to July 6, 2010.

Game is currently pushing the single, "Ain't No Doubt About It," on the radio. The album will be released through Aftermath Entertainment, Black Wall Street Records, Star Trak Entertainment, and Interscope.

Jae Millz gets arrested in New York

Recently, a domestic dispute Jae Millz and his girlfriend landed the Harlem rapper behind bars. Details about exactly what happened are sketchy at this point. While the story says Millz was arrested for a domestic dispute, Millz argues he was arrested for having an illegal substance.

As the situation was going on, Jae Millz took to his Twitter. The message stated he could not believe this woman was calling the cops on him. He later adds the woman is calling the cops to him in his own house. A few minutes later, Millz posts he is getting arrested. Millz said he was arrested for substance, but others were behind bars due to women.

There is still no clarity on what happened to land Jae Millz behind bars, but the rapper is out now. Later today, Jae Millz plans to release the official music video for his new single. The song is the first release off of his new mixtape, He Still Nasty.

Ludacris said "The Hangover" inspired the "Sex Room" video

For the past few days, Ludacris has been discussing the latest single from his Battle of the Sexes album. Ludacris was very close to retiring from the game, but working on this album led to him falling back in love with the game. The album featured the chart-topping lead single, "How Low."

Coming off of the success of his spring single, "My Chick Bad," Luda is looking to put a lock on the summer. He feels his Trey Songz-assisted, "Sex Room" single can do this for him. Throughout his career, Ludacris has always been a nasty rapper. But, for some reason, he has always been a hit with the kids.

For this reason, Ludacris has come up with two different videos for his latest single. One video will be for the kids who love his music dearly. The other video, however, will be for the adults. Another icon meant for the adults and loved by the kids is The Hangover. The film from last summer has been the model for the "Sex Room" videos.

The adult video will be filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada and Ludacris said the concept of the video comes right from The Hangover. Luda described the video as he and Trey Songz doing what they do best.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Nas regrets not collaborating with Raekwon last year

Last year, as Raekwon was gearing up for the release of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, he announced Nas as one of the guest features on the album. For unknown reasons, Nas did not appear on the album and Rae seemed to be a little offended. He said he understood how busy Nas was with everything going on, but he made a promise.

In the end, the joke was on Nas because Raekwon's album was viewed by many as one of the top albums of the year. Later, Nas would go on to praise both Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II and The Blueprint 3 by former rival, Jay-Z. Nas was supposed to appear on both albums, but did not.

When speaking of the proposed Raekwon album, Nas admitted he messed up when he was not a part of that classic. Nas has yet to talk with Raekwon since last year, but he is confident they will collaborate in the future. He said it is likely for them to collaborate on the project Rae has in store for this year.

J. Cole discusses Eminem and Canibus

For years, Eminem and Canibus have been rivals, but in J. Cole's house growing up, they often stood, side by side. Despite their differences, no one can deny them their position in the rap game. Both men are known for their deep and complex lyrics. Growing up, J. Cole studied both.

Now, over a decade after they emerged into the game, J. Cole is here and looking poised to take over the game. For the past few years, hip hop has been taking a lot of heat. The game used to focus on lyrics. But, now, the game is centered around gimmiks and ad-libs.

However, many people have pinned the future of hip hop on the shoulders of J. Cole. In the past, he has talked about some of his influences. Like most rappers, J. Cole has credited the likes of Nas and Jay-Z. But, recently, he opened up about his all-time favorites.

His response may come as a surprise to a lot of people, as he listed Canibus as one of his favorites, along with Eminem. The reason picking Canibus is so odd is because of the fact that Bis has been a running joke ever since his LL Cool J feud. J. Cole said he used to hang raps by Eminem and Canibus up on his wall because he loved them that much. He said he has yet to meet Eminem, but he hopes Em has heard about him and likes what he hears. Cole said he still listens to music from Canibus and is looking forward to the release of his next album.

J. Cole's debut album should be coming sometime before the end of 2010 through Roc Nation.

50 Cent turns to Eminem for advice

Despite all of the rumors of a possible feud between 50 Cent and Eminem, 50 has put the talks to rest, for the time being. Recently, he spoke on their relationship, saying he still goes to Eminem with everything he creates. Early in his career, 50 Cent relied heavily on Eminem, but he has become a major star in his own right.

50 Cent said he handles his fame differently from Eminem. All of his life, 50 Cent has wanted all of the attention to himself. Eminem, on the other hand, simply wanted to do what he does without being noticed. More than anything, Eminem wants to be with himself and his thoughts, unlike 50, who would rather be the center of attention.

When 50 Cent writes a song, he first shows it to Eminem to see how he likes it. Chances are, when Eminem dislikes a song, 50 Cent does not record it. When 50 Cent records a song, he plays it to Eminem first, to see if he likes it. If Eminem likes the song, it usually goes on an album, if he does not, the songs are usually used for mixtapes.

Rap-A-Lot Records lands distribution deal with Fontana Distribution

With today being the twenty-fourth anniversary of Rap-A-Lot Records, J. Prince has landed a new deal for his label. Established in 1986, Rap-A-Lot is best-known for the Geto Boys and their frontman, Scarface. For the past few years, Prince has had the label working with Asylum Records.

However, from this point forward, Rap-A-Lot will be under an exclusive distribution deal with Fontana Distribution. Ron Spaulding, the president of the company, is very happy to be doing business with J. Prince again. In the past, they have worked together and Spaulding loved the result. Now they are back in cahoots together, Spaulding and J. Prince are confident they will pick up where they left off years ago.

The deal is effective immediately and J. Prince is confident Rap-A-Lot will become the largest breadwinner for the Fontana division of Universal.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Big Boi's quest to become a top Emcee

Over the years, Big Boi has been the lyrical half of Outkast, while his partner, Andre 3000 was the creative backbone of the group. Despite his accomplishments on critically-acclaimed Outkast albums, no one has looked at Big Boi as a lyricist. When speaking of some of the best lyrical rappers from Atlanta, all eyes fall upon Ludacris, Andre 3000, and T.I., as opposed to Big Boi.

When speaking of the best lyrical rappers in the game, overall, Big Boi is overlooked by almost everyone. From the beginning of his career, he has been overlooked for Andre 3000, in his own crew, and rappers like Jay-Z, who ran the game. But, as Jay-Z stepped aside and other rappers and groups, such as Outkast moved into his role. Many rappers had their eyes set on the position once held by Hov.

However, Lil Wayne was able to move fast enough to claim the position for himself. Following his barrage of mixtapes and one strong album, Wayne became considered the top lyricist in the game. The attention was on Lil Wayne and still remains on his crew, but Big Boi is confident in his own abilities. He feels as if he is just as good, if not better, than the top "lyricists" in the game. Now, with his debut album finally coming out, Big Boi is ready to claim the title, himself, instead of having it handed down to him.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Kanye pegs album for September release

Last year, Kanye West was putting the finishing touches on his new album. The album was a return to rap after West decided to try his hand at R&B. He proved that he could leave the top of the rap game and take the crown in the R&B game. Following the release of his last album, West said to expect the next album in 2009.

Following his appearance at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, West was supposed to begin promoting his new album. The album was supposed to be released in December. However, his run-in with Taylor Swift derailed those plans. One comment almost ended his entire career, so West decided to take a break.

Initially, Kanye West announced that his album, Good Ass Job, a return to rap, would be released before the end of 2010. But, a producer from the album stated that it would likely come out sometime in mid-2011. Recently, though, Def Jam revealed that the album will likely come out in September.

Juelz Santana approves Dipset reunion

Throughout his career, Juelz Santana has been an afterthought that was caught in the middle of multiple situations. He came into the game when he was featured on Cam'ron's 2002 hit, "Oh Boy." The song and his appearance in the video made him into a rising star. But, Santana was not the focus of Diplomat Records, Cam'ron was.

After being labeled as Cam'ron's sidekick, Juelz Santana became a star in his own right in 2005. He seemed poised to take over the game when Cam'ron had a falling out with Jay-Z. Not only was Jay-Z the owner of Roc-A-Fella Records, but he was also the boss at Def Jam. Because of the disrespect from Jim Jones and Cam'ron, Juelz lost.

When Jay-Z focused his energy back to his own music, it appeared as if Juelz Santana could finally become a star. But, just as he began working on his next album, Jim Jones and Cam'ron began feuding and Juelz was stuck in the middle. Deep down, he wanted the feud to end, but he was forced to side with Jim Jones.

Feeling disrespected by the man he helped bring into the game, Cam'ron accused Juelz Santana of being addicted to drugs. This is something that Juelz Santana continues to deny, but even as he deined it, he said that he would never go against Cam'ron. Instead, he said that he would love to reunite with him. Earlier in the year, Cam'ron made a similar statement that was panned by Jim Jones. Because of this, Cam'ron pronounced that the Dipset movement was dead.

More words were exchanged before Cam'ron and Jim Jones decided to reunite. Jones said the decision was made because they missed each other. Cam said that the money was right. Regardless of why they came back together, Juelz Santana was glad that it happened. When asked if he approved of the reunion between his friends, Jim Jones and Cam'ron, Juelz Santana admitted just how excited he was about their decision to come back together. The new album should come before Christmas.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Kanye West negotiating with Interscope Records

Most of America may still be upset with Kanye West because of his actions last September, but the music industry could care less. For years, Kanye West has been under the shadow of Jay-Z, but last year this shadow moved. Because of his outburst at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West did not receive the opportunity to show his new project off. Instead, he took a break from the music industry.

During his time off, Def Jam shifted more of their focus over to Rick Ross and because of his now flawed image; they are not willing to push Kanye West the way that they used to. Outside of his own career, Kanye West is the CEO of his own record label. Each of his albums have been released through G.O.O.D. Music and Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam. Now, Kanye West is looking for an exclusive distribution deal for his label.

Kanye West is actually one of only two artists on G.O.O.D. that records for Def Jam, the bulk of the roster records under Geffen/Interscope Records. However, there is a shift going on with Geffen Records since 50 Cent and G-Unit left. There are a lot of artists being moved around and the G.O.O.D. artists, which include Common, have been moved over to Interscope Records. In order to maximize his own profits, Kanye West wants his label under one parent.

With the possibility of 50 Cent heading over to Def Jam, Kanye West is looking for a new home and the best way to punish 50 Cent is to break bread at his old home. West knows that if 50 Cent joins Def Jam he will never shut up about their past differences. Plus, Kanye is searching for the best possible deal for G.O.O.D. Music. Aside from West, Common is the most popular artist on the label and he records for Interscope Records.

Based off of that fact alone, it would be best for Kanye West to see if some sort of deal can be worked out with Interscope Records for them to become the exclusive distributor of G.O.O.D. Music.

DJ Clue is leaving Def Jam

Ever since he has been in the game, DJ Clue has been signed to Def Jam. In the late 1990s, he became the official DJ of Roc-A-Fella Records. The late 1990s was when Roc-A-Fella Records was at its peak. DJ Clue used his superstar status to create his own record label, Desert Storm and he soon landed a deal with Elektra Records.

Late in 2000, DJ Clue met Fabolous and made him into the first artist signed to his label. This move paid off big time as Fab would go on to become one of the bigger rappers in the game. He would keep Desert Storm with Elektra Records until the label shut down. The shut down led to his label being moved over to Atlantic Records. After a bad experience with Atlantic, DJ Clue decided to move to Def Jam, which was hailed by Jay-Z.

Once Fabolous finally released his album on Def Jam, he seemed poised to become the next star of both Desert Storm and Def Jam. But, for some reason, he has never been able to keep the fans coming back like Jay-Z has. His album was not even able to go platinum, as it stalled at gold and his 2009 effort, Loso’s Way, suffered from similar stagnation.

Fabolous was poised to become the new face of Def Jam while Jay-Z was the head of the label, but when Jay-Z stepped down, the new management did not care for Fabolous. It has been said that the only artists that Def Jam actually cares about are Rick Ross and Kanye West. Even such longtime artists as Ludacris do not receive the treatment of Rick Ross.

DJ Clue has been on the outs with Def Jam ever since Jay-Z resigned as CEO of the label and he is now looking for the exit. He is ready to leave Def Jam for another label and he will be taking his franchise player, Fabolous, with him. If DJ Clue, Fabolous, and Desert Storm end up leaving the Def Jam label, there will be almost no one left from the Jay-Z era on the label.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

“King Uncaged” will be a Classic Album

Before he was sentenced to prison, T.I. was finally on top of the rap world. Initially, people wrote him off as another Southern rapper, but on his Paper Trail album, he proved otherwise. As he finally reached his peak, T.I. was forced to go behind bars for one year. During this year, he watched, helpless, as he went from being on top of the game to being an afterthought.

T.I. is not the first rapper to go through this. Long before he was in the rap game, Tupac Shakur was in a similar position to T.I. For years, many people thought of Tupac as simply a social activist rapper. However, he was finally able to break through on his Me Against the World album. Right before he began working on his follow-up album, he spent a year behind bars.

Rap music was not the enterprise that it has become today, so Tupac was unable to post bail, himself. Instead, Death Row Records CEO, Suge Knight, came to bail him out. Following his release, Tupac recorded the classic album, All Eyez on Me. The album is still relatable to today’s times despite Shakur being long gone.

Due to the fact that times have changed, T.I. was able to handle his situation easier than Tupac fifteen years later. Immediately following his release from prison, T.I. began recording new music. Soon, the music took the form of his comeback album. Finally free from the prison walls and the legal troubles, T.I. has titled his album King Uncaged.

When T.I. compared himself to Tupac Shakur, he did not mean the overall legacy. T.I. meant that his album will end up having the same effect on 2010 as All Eyez on Me affected 1996. T.I. plans to create the best post-prison rap album in history. Most people credit the rawness of Tupac on All Eyez on Me to his personal feelings after being behind bars. With T.I., fans have come to expect that anyway.

But, after being behind bars seven months, the people are curious to hear what T.I. has to say. He plans to release King Uncaged towards the end of summer.

Armageddon prepares Debut Album

Despite rumors of a feud between Armageddon and Fat Joe, he remains on the Terror Squad roster. Two years ago, multiple artists that used to be on Terror Squad lashed out at Fat Joe. It was during this time that Armageddon supposedly left the label.

In the past, Armageddon complained about not having an album out. Fat Joe has said multiple times that his Terror Squad artists are lazy. He said all that they had to do was get into the studio and record music. Most people said Fat Joe was selfish.

Throughout his career, he has made moves that primarily benefited himself. However, his latest move was one that helped out everyone. Fat Joe finally landed an exclusive distribution deal with E1 Music for Terror Squad.

With the deal in place, Fat Joe has gotten down to business when it concerns his new album, The Dark Side, and he is trying to establish the other artists on Terror Squad. The first artist signed to Terror Squad, aside from Fat Joe and Big Pun was Armageddon. Not only has he been the longest-tenured artist on the label, but he has also proven to be the most-loyal, too.

Armageddon is currently working on his debut album, The Journal, which he proclaimed will be the album of the year. Before he can even get established, Geddy is toying with the idea of possibly changing the title of the album to The Journal: Vol 1 The Rebirth. On the album, he has recorded with Fat Joe and N.O.R.E. He has worked with such producers as Doo Wop.

Currently, he is out promoting the first single off of the album, "It's Over." The song is actually a remix to an older song that he created. However, this single will begin his push into the mainstream. He said that he had not spoken with Fat Joe in a while before the two worked together in Miami. Because of the chemistry that they had, Fat Joe decided to allow him to begin his debut album.

Now, Geddy says that he has reconnected with hip hop and he is ready to release The Journal.

Memphis Bleek to focus on Himself

Throughout his career, Memphis Bleek has been known as the sidekick of Jay-Z. Each move that Jay-Z has made has been witnessed by Bleek. Their relationship goes back a lot longer than their time in the music industry. Jay-Z spent his youth as a hustler on the New York streets and he gave Bleek a chance to work beside him.

Jay-Z maintained his street mentality as he took over the music industry with Roc-A-Fella Records. In a matter of years, Jay-Z took his $100,000 and turned it into $50 million by 2001. More business deals were closed and Jay-Z became the multimillionaire that he is today. Meanwhile, Memphis Bleek remains around the $50 million mark.

In the past, Bleek said that he would never leave Jay-Z's side because of all that he has done for him. Despite this loyalty, Jay is a part of the opposition. Memphis Bleek has set up a deal for his Get Low label and Jay-Z now has his Roc Nation label. J. Cole is now his sidekick even though Bleek still tours with Jay-Z. However, as his new album nears, Memphis Bleek's focus is becoming the king of New York.

During Jay-Z's heyday, he was considered by many to be the rap king of New York. Even the members of his team were relatively popular. His music dominated the charts and every album was met with praise and a platinum plaque. Throughout this time, Memphis Bleek was considered the number two man. When Jay-Z retired, he stepped aside for Bleek to become the king of New York. It was then that Memphis Bleek signed some artists to Get Low Records and released M.A.D.E.

Apparently, it was not Memphis Bleek's time because the album flopped. In addition to that album bombing, his next album, 534, also had low sales and one notable single. Now that he is own his own, Bleek is confident that he will take the rap game. He has been working on The Process for years and it is set to come out before the end of this year. Bleek released the first single, "Still Ill," early in the year and it became a minor hit for the rapper.

Following the release of his album, Memphis Bleek plans to shift his focus to adding artist to his Get Low label. Once he adds more artists to his label, Memphis Bleek wants to release another album that will shine his light onto them. Bleek has a plan to make him into an equal to Jay-Z, Diddy, and 50 Cent. Memphis Bleek hopes to be to the 2010s what Jay-Z was to the late 1990s and the 2000s. In the past, he said that he did not want to rival Jay-Z. Despite those statements, Jay-Z has often told him to go for what he wants.

Taking heed to Jigga's advice and the chance to become an icon, Memphis Bleek plans to begin focusing more on himself, as opposed to Jay-Z to make himself into the biggest rap act on the planet. With the current state that hip hop is in, someone needs to step up and assume leadership.

Ja Rule sets November date for Album Release

Six years since the release of his last album, the hip hop world has moved on past Ja Rule. Despite the fact that everyone has seemingly forgotten about him, Ja Rule is still planning a comeback. This comeback was originally set for 2007. However, label politics kept this from happening.

Ja Rule has been through a lot and he and Murder Inc. now have a deal with Atlantic Records. Unlike his time with Universal Records, Rule is not exactly a Murder Inc. artist. Instead, he will represent the label and his own Mpire label also is established with Atlantic. With strong relationships with the executives, he is good to go.

Most of the executives with Atlantic Records, such as Lyor Cohen, know Ja Rule from his time at Def Jam. It was a no-brainer for he and Irv Gotti to establish a deal with the label. For the past few years, he has been releasing singles for the internet. However, now, he is releasing songs for his new album.

Back in business, Ja Rule has released a new single that may end up on Venni Vetti Vecci 2010. His new single, "Strong," has become quite a hit. In the song, he takes a few shots at his detractors, but he now seems focused on his music. On his past albums, Rule appeared to be caught up in the 50 Cent feud. Now, Rule appears to be past the issue. Irv Gotti is trying to push the single to radio. Ja Rule plans to make his upcoming album the best one of 2010.

Venni Vetti Vecci will be released sometime in November 2010 on Atlantic Records with Ja Rule and Irv Gotti serving as the executive producer for the album.

Bow Wow pushed back to 2011

Last year, Bow Wow released New Jack City, Pi. II, his "final" album. Following the lukewarm reception to the album, Bow Wow decided that he could not go out like that. In response, he began working on another album. Soon, he began talking with longtime friend, Lil Wayne.

The result of their talk ended up with Bow Wow being added to the Young Money roster. Despite already being a star, a movement has been taking place with Young Money. The first order of action was to release Wayne's music. Following Wayne is Drake, then Nicki Minaj.

Drake has his album right around the corner, while Nicki Minaj wants to release her album in the fall. Meanwhile, Bow Wow was set to release his album right before Christmas. However, the leak of his first single, "Cuff Ur Chick," featuring Fabolous and Drake, has led to a push-back.

Bow Wow had initially planned to release his album right before the end of the year. With his album being pushed back, Bow Wow will have to release his album sometime in 2011. This will give him time to tie up all of the loose ends with his music. Still, Bow Wow would have preferred to have released his album before the end of this year. Bow Wow wants to release an album every year, but because of the mix-up with his single, he has become the first Young Money artist, aside from Lil Wayne to suffer a major push-back.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Game and Dr. Dre, Reunited and it Feels so Good

Five years ago, Game finally released his debut album, which put the West Coast back on top after a long hiatus. With the help of 50 Cent and G-Unit Records, Game was the king of L.A., but a feud with 50 Cent ended this run. After only releasing one album, Game and 50 Cent were feuding. Despite Game’s record sales, 50 Cent was the biggest commodity.

50 Cent had helped keep Aftermath Entertainment from falling off during the summer of 2003 as he was the only artist to release an album. Unlike other filler artists, he did not simply release an album that went gold. 50 Cent released an album that went platinum eleven times over, making him into the biggest rapper in the game. Even though Game had been on the label longer, he could not improve upon that.

With no truce in sight, Dr. Dre had to decide between 50 Cent or Game. Given all of the accomplishments made by 50 Cent, Dr. Dre opted to keep 50 Cent. Keeping 50 Cent meant getting rid of Game. Once Game was dropped from both G-Unit Records and Aftermath, 50 Cent bragged that Game would never have a hit again. This would serve as inspiration for Game as he began creating his second album.

It was on his Doctor’s Advocate album that it was revealed exactly how bad Game was affected after being ousted from the Aftermath stable. In the time since that album, Game has been considered to be unstable, at best.

Lauryn Hill is one of the Best, Male or Female

Often, when black music is discussed, the name of Lauryn Hill is brought up. She has been credited as one of the best to ever create music. Long before she ever was the legend that she is thought of today, Hill was a raised in New Jersey under the guidance of soul music. Being raised under the influence of soul music made her into the unique artist that she is.

Lauryn Hill had the luck of meeting Wyclef Jean soon after she decided that the music industry was the right place for her to be. Together with Wyclef and Pras, the Fugees were created. Made popular because of their unique sound, they soon took over the game. Initially, Lauryn Hill was known for her melodic voice as she was a great singer. Soon, she expanded her talents.

Early on, everyone knew that Lauryn Hill was a great singer. But, not too many people know what level she was on when it came to rapping. It was not until the Fugees released their debut album that it was revealed how great Hill was. But, when speaking of rappers, Lauryn Hill is often left out. Of all of the albums to come out, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill ranks up there with Illmatic or Reasonable Doubt.

It has not been until recently that anyone has even discussed Lauryn Hill. When people speak of the skills of Lauryn Hill in a sense of lyrical abilities, they say that she is great for a female. But, she could rap circles around some of the great rappers in the 1990s. Plus, looking at the rappers of today, nine out of ten of them could not last against Lauryn Hill.

Even with all of these facts evident, Lauryn Hill is referred to as a great rapper, overall, and then the best female rapper. Lauryn Hill is one of the best rappers, period. She is a lock for the top twenty emcees of all-time.

Rick Ross talks about Robbery

Recently, Rick Ross has been involved in rumors. Ever since the release of Trilla, Ross’ name has been a popular one to spread in rumors. However, it was not until the 50 Cent feud that using the name of Rick Ross became extremely popular. Now, as he is one of the biggest rappers in the game who parties with the A-list stars, people deem Ross as a target. Out on business in Los Angeles, rumors have been spreading about Rick Ross being robbed.

G-Unit Records’ artist, 40 Glocc threatened Rick Ross when his feud with boss-man, 50 Cent, became public. Because he is from the West Coast, 40 Glocc said that Rick Ross was not welcome in Los Angeles. Rick Ross has portrayed the role of the “boss” since before his debut album. Upon hearing the threats made by 40 Glocc, Rick Ross laughed them off. After all, his alliance with Game has been in effect for over three years.

Despite Rick Ross being the primary target of 50 Cent over the past few months, not too many disses have been exchanged between the two. Lately, it has been Lloyd Banks doing the talking and he has had any responses. Detractors of Rick Ross recently took the time to try and take away from his time in California. Two thugs from the Los Angeles area, who claim to know 40 Glocc, claimed to have robbed Rick Ross while he was in Los Angeles.

Before these rumors can even gain credibility, Rick Ross has come out to set the record straight. First, he argues that he was never around anyone from the G-Unit crew to get robbed. Also, each time that he travels outside of Miami, Ross has a strong security detail of 5 or more guards. On top of all of that, because of his close relationships with both Game and Snoop Dogg, no one messes with him when he goes out West.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Game pushes "The R.E.D. Album" back, rethinks Jay-Z feud

For a year and a half, Game has been gearing up for the release of his fourth studio album, The R.E.D. Album. Initially, Game had planned to release this album during the fall of 2009. However, as soon as he completed the album, he and Dr. Dre reunited. Because of this, the album was pushed back to have Dr. Dre's work featured on it.

The December release date for the album was pushed back until February, but when February came, the album did not. Given the hectic schedule that Dr. Dre operates under, he could not do too much for the album. In an effort to keep the project going, Dre called upon Pharrell to help out. This led to the album being pushed back until March.

Obviously March and April went by without any releases. But, Game announced that his album would arrive on June 15. Eminem has been trying to secure a release date for Recovery since it was still Relapse 2. Now that he has recorded some tracks that Interscope likes, they have decided to release his album on June 15.

Despite now being on the same label as Eminem, Game knows that will not help him sell records, so he decided to push his album back to avoid low record sales. In his career, all three of Game's albums have been platinum successes. However, in this rough economic climate, people are only going to purchase a few luxury items and when it comes to rap, Eminem is more valuable than Game. Over time, this fact may change, but as it stands, that is not the case.

Last summer, Game was gearing up to release The R.E.D. Album and he was upset with Jay-Z for some reason. Game spent most of last season on tour and he managed to diss Jay-Z at every stop that he made around the world. What he was hoping for was a response from Jay-Z. Game incorrectly predicted that he would be dissed on The Blueprint 3. He said that Jay-Z would dedicate an entire track to dissing him, but the only thing that Game got was a message from Hov saying that he was not going to talk about him.

When Shyne was released from prison and sent to Belize, Game was among the first rappers to reach out to him. During their conversations, Game informed Shyne of his multiple feuds. He said that Shyne advised him to forget about the multiple feuds and concentrate on his music. Later, when his longtime rival, 50 Cent, started feuding with Jay-Z, Game said that he was glad he decided against feuding with him. Then, he briefly sided with Jay-Z over 50 Cent.

Now, with his album coming sometime in the next few months, Game has made a promise to never go against Nas. In the past, Nas had a high-profile feud with Jay-Z, but the two rappers have been allies for the past five years. The rappers appear to be among the best of friends and it has to be a strain on Nas to be friends with both Game and Jay-Z with Game dissing him the way that he does. Perhaps out of respect for Nas, Game has decided not to diss Jay-Z on his forever upcoming album, The R.E.D. Album.

Game will release The R.E.D. Album on June 29, 2010 on Black Wall Street, Star Trak, Aftermath, and Interscope Records.

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