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.

Rick Ross willing to work with Sha Money XL

Recently, Sha Money XL was hired to help rebuild Def Jam after many of its stars left. One of the first moves Sha Money has planned is to bring G-Unit Records over to Def Jam. Rick Ross has been signed to Def Jam South since 2005 and he has had problems with G-Unit since 2008. Lloyd Banks bragged of how they were going to run Rick Ross out of Def Jam.

However, Sha Money XL was talking a different game when he spoke of his role with Def Jam. He said he was brought in to help the label make money. Sha Money plans to have everybody on the label doing their part. No one will be doing less than their potential while he is at Def Jam. Because of that, Sha Money does not want any problems with Rick Ross.

Sha Money XL said there is no reason he cannot be friends with both Rick Ross and 50 Cent. Recently, Rick Ross heard the statement made by Sha Money. When Ross responded, he said he completely agrees with Sha Money. His issue was never with Sha Money to begin with. His feud started with 50 Cent, but the rest of G-Unit, sans Sha Money, jumped into the issue. Rick Ross said when it comes to the money, he is more than willing to work with Sha Money XL at Def Jam.

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:

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Lil' Kim signs with Roc Nation

Last year, Lil' Kim attempted to revive her career and she nearly landed herself a hit. During the early spring of 2009, she united with T-Pain and Charlie Wilson for the single, "Download." The song was a favorite among fans, but could not land any traction with the Billboard Hot 100. The song was supposed to be the lead single of her fifth studio album, Vintage.

Atlantic Records decided to push the album back in time for Lil' Kim to record some more tracks for the album. Still due before the end of 2009, her label scrapped the album. Upset with the lack of support and promotion from Atlantic Records, Lil' Kim left the only label she has ever known. For the entire year of 2010, Lil' Kim has been a free agent.

On the other side, there is Jay-Z, who left his longtime label, in which he created at Roc-A-Fella Records. The time came for more money and he had sold his label to Def Jam. As a result, he was under contract like everyone else and he could no longer move the label. Because of this, when he struck his deal with Live Nation, Jay-Z announced the formation of Roc Nation. While he remained with Roc-A-Fella Records, he stopped any executive work with the label to focus on Roc Nation.

While working on The Blueprint 3, Jay-Z paid Def Jam $5 million to let him leave the label before his contract expired and for the rights to his music. Jay-Z landed a distribution deal for himself at Atlantic Records and a distribution deal for the overall label with Sony Records. Quickly, he would sign J. Cole, his protege since 2007. Now, Jay-Z has pinned the future of Roc Nation upon the shoulders of Cole, but he has tried to place a strong supporting cast around him. Throughout his career as a record label owner, Jay-Z has promised to let struggling stars release their albums with little struggle.

Making this promise to Lil' Kim, she quickly ended her relationship with Atlantic Records and headed over to the Roc Nation created by Jay-Z. Not only is she signed to the new label, but Lil' Kim wants Jay-Z to be the executive producer of her next album. It is unclear if Vintage will be the title of the next album Lil' Kim releases. She is expected to make an official announcement sometime later in the week about her status with the label.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Diggy Simmons does not want Uncle Russell in his career

In the Simmons family everybody has to work. When "Run's House" first premiered in 2005, Rev Run was trying to prepare his children for the real world. Often this real world led his children into the office of their uncle, Russell Simmons. Any time any of Run's children had an idea, they took it directly to Uncle Russell.

Usually when they come to him for help, Russell Simmons would tell them there was nothing he could do. In one episode, he told Vanessa and Angela when he was coming up, he had no Uncle Russell. He was trying to inspire the girls to do things on their own. When Diggy came to him with the idea of a clothing line, he gave a similar speech.

It remains to be determined if Vanessa and Angela learned the moral of the story Russell told them. Diggy, on the other hand, went out and got his. The new face of Atlantic Records, Diggy's video is all over the internet. On the verge of becoming a rap star, Diggy does not want any help from Uncle Russ.

Diggy Simmons recently said he, like his uncle, got to where he is at by himself. Because of this, he does not want his uncle hovering over him and holding his hand. Diggy said if he wanted Russell Simmons by his side, he could have easily signed with one of his record labels. But, he did not because he wanted to separate himself from the Simmons name. Despite Russell Simmons selling Def Jam years ago, he still works with the label and they distribute releases from his new labels. The top competitor to Def Jam is Atlantic Records, the home of Diggy Simmons.

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.

Nas talks New York Anthems

Early in his career, Nas solidified himself with his single, "NY State of Mind." The song was one of the first anthems dedicated to being from New York City. Some people credit this song as the reason for Nas being a legend. In the time since he released "NY State of Mind," there have been many more hits honoring the city.

In 2004, Ja Rule was able to revive his career with his hit, "New York." For a short time, the entire New York hip hop scene was united behind this song. With features from Fat Joe and Jadakiss, the song gained significant airplay. Then, the video featured the top artists and producers from New York in the past decade.

As production was wrapping up on The Blueprint 3, Jay-Z announced he was working on a new single. The song, "Empire State of Mind," was a play off of Nas' "NY State of Mind" and was to feature Nas. But, when the song came out, Alicia Keys was revealed as the lone guest.

Still, the nice melody and the beat of the song, coupled with Jay-Z's lyrics led to the single rising to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in November 2009. Being the first number one single in Jay-Z's career, his legacy was finally cemented, but Nas was missing. Later, he spoke on not being on the song, saying he and Jay-Z agreed to take the song in another direction. There were rumors of Nas jumping on a remix, which was to feature multiple New York rappers. This never came to be, but Nas recently spoke on the song.

He gave the song its co-sign and he admitted "Empire State of Mind" is likely to be the greatest out of all of the New York anthems. Nas meant, all-time, not only the hip hop anthems.

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.

Diddy delcares himself the Baddest Man in Hip Hop

Diddy will be the first person to admit he is not the best rapper in the game. During his short reign as "Puff Daddy," Diddy often reflected a lot of the praise to the real lyricists in the game. He said he tries to make music the people enjoy. But, when it came to putting down hard lyrics, he was not that guy.

Last Train to Paris is to be the final album from Diddy. After all, he only entered the actual music-making as a hobby. But, following the death of Biggie, someone had to carry Bad Boy. In time, though, his label has become as renowned as Def Jam. The success of Bad Boy has made Diddy into an international businessman.

Because the hip hop game has made him into one of the wealthiest men in the world, Diddy has delared himself in charge of the rap game. He said it, himself, he is running the rap game. It may not be his music, or his label, but Diddy is the only person Rick Ross listens to. Right, now, the game is run by Rick Ross.

With Diddy's influence over the top rappers in the game, such as Rick Ross, he does, in a way, run the rap game.

Mystikal and Lloyd join forces for Comeback

Ten years ago, Mystikal was just beginning to hit his stride. The rapper had been a member of the No Limit crew. In his time with No Limit, Mystikal had a few minor hits. But, when he decided to leave No Limit, he really became a big star.

In 2000, Mystikal released his highly-successful album, Let's Get Ready. The album featured two hits, "Shake Ya Ass" and "Danger (Been So Long)." For a small amount of time, Mystikal was one of the most-popular rappers in the game.

The next year, Mystikal released the follow-up, Tarantula. Much like his previous album, it was highly successful and it featured his hit, "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin Me Against The Wall)." Mystikal had plans of releasing another album in 2002.

However, right as he began recording, Mystikal was brought up on criminal charges. These charges resulted in the rapper going to prison. Late last year, after six years in prison, Mystikal was released and he is determined to stage a comeback. When Mystikal recorded his latest single, "Set Me Free," with fellow native of New Orleans, Lloyd, he brought himself one step closer to landing this comeback. When speaking of the music video, Mystikal said the video will make all of New Orleans happy.

Mystikal said the stars are aligning in 2010 and he is going to make this year bigger than what 2000 was for him. He described "Set Me Free" are more than a song, but rather the reality of his life and the lives of many other people he knows.

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.

Timbaland to be honored at VH1 Hip Hop Honors: The Dirty South

For the past few years, Timbaland has been less of a presence in the hip hop community. Instead, Timbo has been producing more alternative music. It is more common to see Timbaland with the likes of Justin Timberlake, as opposed to a rapper. He even shut down his longtime hip hop Beat Club label in favor of his new label, Moseley Music Group.

In 2003, Timbaland announced his retirement from the hip hop game. It was assumed he had retired from music, but Tim only retired from hip hop beats. From time-to-time, he does create hip hop beats, but not on the level he used to. Despite what the past seven years have been for him, Timbaland established himself as a force long ago. For seven years before this, he was hip hop.

For the first time, VH1 has dedicated a Hip Hop Honors to one region of music. Given all of the accomplishments, VH1 has decided to give the world the VH1 Hip Hop Honors: The Dirty South. In the past, Timbaland has produced for the likes of 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, Ja Rule, Ginuwine, Missy Elliott, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, and many more. His music operation is based out of his childhood home in Virginia.

The ceremony is hosted by comedian Craig Robinson and it will air on June 7, 2010 at 9:00 pm.

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

Diggy Simmons -" What They Been Waiting For" OFFICIAL VIDEO

The official video for Diggy Simmons' single, "What They Been Waiting For."

Tony Yayo was "hurt" after Interscope dropped him

Last summer, Tony Yayo revealed that he had left Interscope Records because he did not like the way they were treating him. Even with what he said, most people felt that Yayo had been dropped by the label. His debut album was released at the height of G-Unit's run and it barely went gold. The people were not feeling Yayo and nothing he did worked.

Now, on his own, 50 Cent kept him on G-Unit and he soon devised a plan to return G-Unit Records to the independent scene. The first album on G-Unit independent was to be Yayo's. But, recently, 50 has been talking with Def Jam about a distribution deal. Tony Yayo has bragged about the new G-Unit movement, but he may have just been hiding his pain.

Finally, Tony Yayo has opened up about what happened with his former home at Interscope Records. Tony Yayo said that they were discussing his long-awaited second album for three years. However, as the album was pushed back again, the executives were honest with him. They admitted that they did not care for his music and he would be better off without them. Yayo spoke on how he felt after this happened to him and he said that he had never been more hurt in his life.

With Interscope Records, Tony Yayo felt like he was on top after years of being at the bottom. But, as soon as he was able to taste the top of the game, he was returned right back to the bottom. He said Interscope had given him advance money for his second album. While he enjoyed the money, Yayo knows he did not work for it because his album never came out. Tony Yayo said he was hurt because of what happened and still says that he did not deserve the money they let him walk with.

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.

Nicki Minaj is the King of New York

Hip hop pundits around the nation have been looking for the next artist to step up and lead the rap game. Because New York is where rap music originated, most people feel that this artist has to come from the area. In the past, other areas in America have dominated the rap game for only years at the time. From the late 1980s right into the mid-1990s, the West Coast dominated rap music.

However, in 1994, The Notorious B.I.G. emerged in the game with the New York-based record label, Bad Boy Records. With the strong promotion led by label head, Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, Bad Boy Records quickly took over the game. Many people credited Biggie with the resurgence of New York hip hop. He was quickly crowned as the king of the New York hip hop scene and the best rapper in the game.

Following his untimely death, Jay-Z quickly stepped into the role and he create the first true hip hop dynasty. Through his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records, Jay-Z released an album every year that was filled with hit singles and platinum albums. He even had to defend his crown and his feud with Nas was the challenge. On a lyrical level, Jay-Z lost a close battle, but his popularity overwhelmed Nas.

Feeling as if he had done everything that he could for the rap game, Jay-Z made the decision to retire and he handed down his legacy to Memphis Bleek. However, Bleek did not have the same relationship with the fans that Jay-Z had. That is the reason that Memphis Bleek has yet to release a successful album. Instead, Southern hip hop was finally able to take over the game, while New York fell far behind.

There has been a long search to find that New York rapper that could build a legacy to rival that of Jay-Z’s. In 2007, there were some people who pinned these hopes upon Mims of Manhattan, but he proved to be nothing past his one hit. The following year, Maino emerged with his hit and the successful album in 2009. Maino has made the promise to release an album every year and to build his own dynasty.

With all of these New York rappers out here making promises, there is one rapper that is being overlooked while dominating the game. Nicki Minaj, a native of New York, has not made any promises. Instead, she is doing what Jay-Z tried to do before he created Roc-A-Fella Records; she got herself a record deal. The only reason that Jay-Z created his label was because there was no label willing to sign him.

Talk is surrounding the future of New York hip hop and no one is paying attention to Nicki Minaj as she is performing on songs by everyone. Her verses on singles by Ludacris and Usher helped to kick off the summer of 2010. With her album set to come out before the end of the year, Nicki Minaj is sitting on top of the game. In part, due to her Young Money status, she is one of the top three rappers out as far as popularity goes.

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.

50 Cent and G-Unit could possibly Head to Def Jam

During his time at Interscope Records, 50 Cent built quite a roster for his sub-label, G-Unit Records. The label was home to 50 Cent, the G-Unit group, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, The Game, Tony Yayo, Spider Loc, Olivia, Mobb Deep, M.O.P., and 40 Glocc. However, following this, the label began to fall apart. An internal feud between 50 Cent and The Game led to one of the quickest downfalls in hip hop history.

50 Cent attempted to move G-Unit Records on past The Game feud, but this new movement was not met with much success. In 2006, 50 Cent had planned to release his third studio album, but he wanted to release albums from Lloyd Banks and Young Buck first to make his comeback even bigger. However, Banks’ album ended up flopping and Young Buck did not have a proper lead-in. This threw everything off and Buck and 50 did not release albums until 2007.

It would be in 2007 when it was revealed just how broken up G-Unit Records was. 50 Cent soon revealed that he was holding Young Buck in the same position that he held The Game in two years prior. Then, just in time for the spring of 2008, Buck revealed that he and 50 Cent had been feuding ever since 2006. Soon, he and The Game ended their feud and promised to collaborate with each other.

50 Cent decided to punish Young Buck by freezing him on the label. Buck cannot leave the label until he completes and releases a new album. Ever since 2008, Young Buck has been trying to leave G-Unit Records and release an album, but 50 Cent will not let him. With no way out, all that Young Buck can do is sit there and wait. The treatment that 50 Cent has been giving to Buck was being given to him by Interscope Records.

The only difference between 50 Cent and Young Buck is that 50 Cent was at the end of his contract with Interscope Records. When he first signed with Interscope Records, 50 was signed to a four-album deal. After they mishandled his Curtis album, 50 Cent made his intention to leave the label public after the release of his fourth studio album. Many hoped that he would have a change of heart, but after Before I Self Destruct failed, there was no turning back.

During the summer of 2009, 50 Cent began dismantling G-Unit Records when he allowed his business partner, Sha Money XL to leave the label. Throughout the year, 50 Cent taunted Rick Ross by saying that he would move his label to Def Jam to become their new CEO. Soon, he would allow Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo to leave Interscope Records. By the time 50 Cent released Before I Self Destruct, he was the only G-Unit artist on Interscope.

Frustrated with the way that he had been treated by Interscope Records, 50 Cent said that he was going to find an independent label to distribute G-Unit releases. As it currently stands, every artist signed to G-Unit Records has no other label they are signed to. Sha Money XL recently landed a spot with Def Jam, which is looking to rebuild. 50 Cent is looking for a label to actually promote their artists, which he credits Def Jam for doing with Kanye West.

Sha Money XL recently rejoined G-Unit Records and he is helping 50 Cent to add more artists to the depleted roster. Aside from trying to rebuild G-Unit Records and Def Jam, Sha Money XL wants to unite the two. Recently, Sha Money XL admitted that he is working hard to convince his partner, 50 Cent, to move G-Unit Records over to Def Jam as opposed to taking the independent route.

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