Fabolous dissed by BET Awards

Hoping to keep the ball rolling in his career, Fabolous planned to reintroduce himself to the game with his appearance at the 2010 BET Awards. Being nominated for three awards and a planned performance at the show, he was on top of the world.

Despite being listed as a performer, Fabolous discovered he would lose all three nominations. Due to all the work he has put in, this left Fab a little disappointed. Upset, he decided it would be best to skip out on the 2010 BET Awards.

The show had to go on, even if Fabolous was not there, so DJ Khaled stepped in. He performed his hit, "All I Do Is Win" and brought the entire list on with him. Khaled rocked the crowd and Ludacris sent them home.

While Fabolous did not attend the show, he did watch, but he was not pleased. Fabolous was highly upset with DJ Khaled because they performed without him. Fabolous is one of the many artists featured on the "All I Do Is Win" remix.

Because he was left off the performance, Fabolous complained via Twitter of how his phone must have been off or broken. He said this because no one called him to let him know the remix would be performed at the awards show. No one has replied to the statement made by Fabolous, but he is obviously upset with the way the overall night went.

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J. Cole makes "106 & Park" debut

Earlier today, the official video of J. Cole's video, "Who Dat?" premiered to the world. With his video making its world premiere, J. Cole kept with the rap tradition of going over to "106 & Park." Right after his video hit the internet, he headed over to the set of "106 & Park" to speak about his upcoming career.

The rapper sat down with Terrence and Rocsi to discuss the details of his upcoming album. While he has been working since the fall of last year, he still has not recorded with any other artists. No guests have been confirmed for the album, because he wants the album to be a classic. Currently, his video has gained popularity through the internet.

Shot on the streets of Fayetteville, North Carolina, J. Cole has announced to the hip hop world his arrival. Hoping this will be the first of many videos for him, J. Cole has set the release date for his album in October.

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Fat Joe returns to Florida home, releases statement

The past few months for Fat Joe have been horrible, starting with the release of his last album. For years, people say he has been slipping. If this is true, he fell on his last album. But, after becoming a joke in the hip hop world, he decided it was time for redemption.

For the past few months, Fat Joe said he has been working on the best album in hip hop history. He has been busy promoting it and has been around the country. This past weekend, the rapper was in Wisconsin where he was accused of sexual assault.

After the wild weekend, Fat Joe was spotted boarding an airplane in Chicago. Earlier today, the rapper made it back to his Florida home. Upon reaching his destination, he had his representative make a statement. While his people admitted he was questioned by police in Wisconsin, he did nothing wrong.

The woman posed as a fan in order to get close to Fat Joe, real name Joseph Cartagena. She would end up in the car with Fat Joe, but she was coming on to him. After he refused to have sexual relations with her, the woman decided to file charges against him. But, Fat Joe, a married man, proclaims his innocence.

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J. Cole - "Who Dat" OFFICIAL VIDEO

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Eminem reveals Close Relationship with Jay-Z

Most people assume there are only two people in rap which are close to Eminem. The two people he often speaks of, outside of his own crew, are 50 Cent and Dr. Dre. When he first made it big, Eminem recorded for Aftermath, so he saw Dr. Dre on a frequent basis. It did not take long for the two to bond and after going off on his own, Eminem signed 50 Cent and they became close.

One relationship in hip hop, which is often overlooked, is the connection between Eminem and Jay-Z. Eminem began expanding himself in the rap game in 2001. He had already started Shady Records and he produced records. By chance, he met up with Jay-Z and produced "Renegade" for Jay-Z's classic, The Blueprint. Following the success of the song, a partnership was made.

Eminem would go on to also produce "Moment of Clarity" for the rapper on The Black Album. In his raps, Jay-Z often mentions Eminem. Most recently, he rapped about him on "A Star is Born." But, their relationship extends far outside of the rap game. Every time Eminem appears in New York City, he finds his way over to Jay-Z. Not the clubbing type, when he visits New York City, Eminem makes sure to stop by the 40/40. There are never reports of Eminem and Jay-Z because they do not collaborate often. But, when they do connect for new music, it is always classic.

Recently, Eminem spoke on his relationship with Jay-Z and how it has grown. For no reason, sometimes they will call each other and talk. When 50 Cent began dissing Jay-Z, it put Eminem in a very tough position and he decided to stay out of it. There was only one time when he jumped into a feud and it was when Ja Rule mentioned the name of his daughter in a song. After only a year of dissing each other, all of a sudden the disses stopped. Ja Rule was helped early in his career by Jay-Z and is always close with him. Being close to the rival, Eminem, too, Jay-Z helped broker a truce between the two. But, Eminem said he and Jay-Z speak often.

There is also the possibility of Eminem appearing on the top secret new album from Jay-Z.

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Lil Wayne pleads guilty to Arizona gun and drug charges

The bad news for Young Money refuses to stop. For the past two weeks, Drake and Nicki Minaj have been battling Lil' Kim and her frequent disses. No matter how many disses are aimed at the camp, they remain popular on the radio. But, emotionally, they are taking quite a beating. They already suffer because Lil Wayne is away, but he may be gone longer.

Only months after he picked up his gun and drug charges in New York, Lil Wayne picked up identical charges in Arizona. Recently, the rapper was released from prison in Riker's Island. But, the prison release was only for him to attend court in Arizona. In January 2008, the rapper was headed through Yuma, Arizona on tour. His tour bus was stopped by border patrol and they found guns and drugs on him.

Three days ago, June 18, Lil Wayne went to court and gave his plea to the people in attendance. Being honest, Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to all of the charges. The local newspaper said Wayne may have lessened his sentence by pleading guilty. There is still the possibility of the Young Money rapper leaving prison in New York to go to prison in Arizona. But, his legal team is fighting hard to make sure this does not happen.

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Drake says defending Nicki Minaj is second nature

Whether joking or not, Drake revealed he had a long time crush on Nicki Minaj. This is something she denies as her label mate simply talking. But, ever since she has been receiving disses from Lil' Kim, Drake has been defending her. Some people point to his crush as the reason he has decided to take Lil' Kim on.

Drake said his main focus is and will continue to be on the promotion of his new album. But, at the same time, no one disses Young Money and gets away with it. Drake is a non-confrontational rapper, but will defend himself. With the previously mentioned Nicki Minaj being a part of his crew, he defends her, too.

Having seen Nicki Minaj on a daily basis for over a year, Drake has come to love her. Whether it be romantic or family, he loves her. Because he loves her, it becomes second nature for Drake to defend her. Anyone who tries to slight someone Drake cares about will hear from him. Even though he grew up listening to Lil' Kim, she has taken on someone he loves and Drake is here to finish the job.

Because he dissed Lil' Kim to defend Nicki Minaj, she called Drake a little pussy. To Drake, it does not matter as long as Kim knows to leave Young Money out of her mouth.

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Sha Money XL speaks on the State of G-Unit

With all of the beef surrounding G-Unit Records over the years, their other founder has stayed impartial. Even in the midst of the 50 Cent feud with Young Buck, Sha Money XL has worked with both rappers. Recently, he spoke of what could have been with G-Unit and their future with Def Jam.

Sha Money XL said he speaks with 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo on a regular basis. However, he said he speaks with them because they are his frieds. Despite his appearance, Sha Money is not all business all the time. Unlike other people, Sha Money XL was not focused on beef, so he has remained impartial.

Now with Def Jam, Sha Money XL said the first release under the deal will be Banks' The Hunger For More 2. The album will be followed by a new release from Tony Yayo. G-Unit will close the year with a release from 50 Cent. But, at the moment, 50 Cent was out creating films.

When speaking of 50 Cent's filmmaking abilities, Sha Money XL said he was going to be the first true rap filmmaker. Sha Money envisions 50 Cent becoming the next Tyler Perry, as opposed to the ghetto flicks made by Master P. He said before the end of the year, 50 Cent will be back in Forbes because he is working that hard. Tony Yayo made the plea to star in a 50 Cent film and he was hooked up with Benny Boom for a new film. He looks at Game and sees him better of if he were with G-Unit.

Despite the way Game feels about Sha Money, 50 Cent, and G-Unit, Sha credited him as one of the best lyricists in the game today. However, the quality of his music has gone down since his debut album. Had he remained with G-Unit, Sha Money XL feels Game would be controlling the radio right now. There was something about the sound of Game's music with G-Unit. He has remained popular, but the music is different because of a lack of chemistry.

Even though they did not get along, 50 Cent and Game had an undeniable chemistry. Last year, even Game admitted they had great chemistry, the entire crew. He said they could have been the black Beatles' had they fought to stay together. 50 Cent knew this and said it was too late for Game and Young Buck to get back in his good graces.

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Jay-Z compares his longevity to LL Cool J

No rapper has enjoyed a successful career as long as LL Cool J. He came into the game not even eighteen years old and redefined the game. LL Cool J was the first rapper to build a record label from the ground up. He was Def Jam for many years. After Def Jam shifted their focus from LL Cool J, Jay-Z became the focal point of the game.

Coming off his debut album, which did not even sell gold and with no hit singles, Jay-Z was determined to be a star. Only one year younger than LL Cool J, Jay-Z decided to hit the streets. While LL was rapping, Jay was on the streets selling drugs. Both men were very wealthy, but only one was legitimate.

Said to have crossed the million dollar mark in 1988, Jay-Z sought to exit the crack game for the rap game. His first two albums spoke heavily of his past wrongdoings. Over time, Jay-Z was able to cut back on his rawness and tell his story over smooth beats. Slowly, but surely, the fans began to love Jay-Z.

Starting with his third studio album, Vol 2. ... Hard Knock Life, the rap game belonged to Jay-Z. Even before the release of this album, Jay-Z was relatively popular. Each year, from his debut album until his "retirement," Jay-Z released a new album. Every album Jay-Z released was met with positive reviews, featured three hit singles, and ended up going platinum. However, LL Cool J chose to stay away from the game, releasing albums every now and again.

Within every half decade an album has come from LL Cool J and he prides himself on being in the game for over twenty years and only releasing 13 albums. He said he was unlike other rappers who crammed so many albums into only a few years. Jay-Z realized he was hot and the only way to stay hot was to keep himself out there. Each time LL Cool J releases an album, he has to win the fans back over. Jay-Z said this is the downfall for rappers like him.

Jay-Z spoke of how he usually releases a new album every year and has the legendary status of the likes of Biggie and Tupac. In the same breath, in 2010 hip hop, Jay-Z is just as popular as Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne. Meanwhile, LL Cool J is relevant, but he will never dominate the game. He spoke of how LL Cool J was upset when his singles were not popular with the radio. Jay-Z said the reason his record was not popular was because he is a New York rapper making music for the South.

While he never mentioned LL Cool J by name, Jay-Z said the reason rappers like him cannot get back into the game is because they still try to act young. LL Cool J came into the rap game as a teenager, but as he got older, he still tries to market himself to the younger generation. Jay-Z, on the other hand, has allowed his music to mature with his age. He used to rap about selling drugs, but once this was no longer a part of his life, the focus went to rapping about his clothing line. Jay-Z used to also be the biggest womanizer in the game.

However, since he has been in a relationship with Beyonce, Jay-Z has not rapped about sleeping with multiple women. LL Cool J is married with grown children, but he still raps about winning the heart of the girl next door and Jay-Z said he would never re-enter the game this way. Jay-Z suggested LL stop using slang words and rap about the life he lives today. Rolling Stone's interview with Jay-Z comes only days after LL Cool J announced his official return to the rap game.

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Fabolous investigated for Murder of G-Baby

New York rapper, G-Baby, was said to have a longstanding feud with Fabolous. According to G-Baby's mother, their feud was supposed to be resolved. With no more issues, Fabolous offered to hook G-Baby up as his opening act for a local concert. When G-Baby was shot, he was said to be heading over to Fabolous' car, which was parked across from his house. But, as he approached the car, he was shot three times and killed on sight.

Long before he was ever a rapper, Fabolous was on the streets of Brooklyn, New York. Like many other people from the borough, he witnessed crime on a daily basis. With no male figure in his life, Fabolous roamed the streets. Because his family was poor, Fabolous sold drugs for a living. While selling drugs, he made enemies.

G-Baby was signed to Memphis Bleek's Get Low label and tried to run when he realized an attempt on his life was being made. However, as he ran, the gunmen chased him down and killed him. G-Baby has become the second member of the Get Low crew to die this year. Ten people witnessed the killing. It was said the rapper ran in front of Fabolous' van and collapsed to his death. Fabolous' men allegedly had the body moved so Fabolous and his crew could vacate the premises. Currently, Fabolous is under investigation by the NYPD to see if he had a role in the shooting.

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Fat Joe gives his opinion on Jay-Z

Fat Joe and Jay-Z have been two of the most-prominent rappers in the game for years. But, there have been many rumors of the two rappers having problems with each other. For years, they sent subliminal disses back and forth to each other. In 2008, things came to a head when Jay seemingly dissed Fat Joe and DJ Khaled. Soon, Jay-Z came out to deny dissing Fat Joe and Khaled.

The two rappers have never directly addressed each other. Many people explain their feud as a "cold war." However, the rappers mentioned each other for the first time two years ago. Their "cold war" was officially over after they addressed each other. Jay-Z said he had no issues with Fat Joe. In response, Fat Joe said he had no problems with Jay-Z.

Last year, Jay-Z came to the release party for Fat Joe's J.O.S.E., Pt. 2 and the rappers took the stage together. Recently, Joey Crack was asked if anything would come from this. He said the two rappers do not talk with each other. Fat Joe said he has no contact with Jay-Z and no issues with him. However, Fat Joe did say he respected Jay-Z and that he hopes Jay-Z also respects him. But, as far as the two working with each other, he does not see this happening.

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50 Cent ignores disses from Game and Rick Ross

When he first entered the game, 50 Cent was known for starting feuds with other rappers. Before the release of his debut album, 50 Cent was able to end the Murder Inc. run. Even as he has moved on with his career, Murder Inc. has not had much success. After creating issues with Ja Rule, 50 Cent moved on to Fat Joe and Jadakiss.

However, by the time he was ready to release his third album, 50 Cent found himself being the target. 50 Cent was openly challenged by newcomer Mims, although he would take it back. Lil Wayne also opened fire on 50, but he would soon back away, too. The only rappers who challenged 50 openly were Fat Joe and Ja Rule.

50 Cent created a feud with Game five years ago and the two have been trading barbs ever since. Initially, it appeared as if the war had been won by 50 Cent. Game stuck it out and now many people feel as if he is winning the overall feud. He has done something not too many other rappers could in shutting 50 Cent up.

Two years ago, 50 Cent's feud with Terror Squad reached a height and 50 Cent also had issues with the other members of the crew. DJ Khaled had just started the We The Best movement and Rick Ross was in the center of the movement. 50 Cent warned Rick Ross to stay away from Fat Joe and DJ Khaled. At the time, they were his primary targets and he said Ross may end up caught in the crossfire. Rick Ross made it clear he was not punked down by 50 Cent, but remained silent.

Last year, Rick Ross broke this silence and released the first diss track on 50 Cent. Shocked, 50 Cent spent most of 2009 trying to ruin the image of Rick Ross. Through his internet marketing, 50 Cent was able to win the feud with Rick Ross. But, 50 lost miserably where it counted the most. Lyrically, Rick Ross slayed 50 and was declared the winner of the feud. 50 Cent lost a lot of respect from a lot of people when he took a picture with Rick Ross' son. Many saw it as taking things too far.

In the time since the picture leaked to the internet, 50 Cent has left the Rick Ross feud alone. Ever since Game returned to Aftermath Entertainment, 50 Cent has not had much to say. From the outside looking in, these two rappers have gotten the best of 50 Cent. However, 50 argues he has matured and he is no longer baited by Game and Rick Ross. He said he hears their constant disses and he simply ignores them and accepts being the bigger man.

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Cam'ron excited about Dipset reunion

Following his departure from Roc-A-Fella Records, Cam'ron had created the Dipset movement. For a little while, it appeared as if he were going to take over the game. Cam'ron had a strong following with his Killa Season album and he had a great team around him. But, Cam'ron would disappear for no apparent reason in 2007.

Early in the year, he and 50 Cent began feuding and Jim Jones, his partner, and Juelz Santana, his protege, took sides with 50 Cent. Still, they said there were no hard feelings between themselves and Cam'ron. Cam would come out of hiding in 2008 and had nothing good to say about his crew. In 2009, he revealed he spoke with Jim Jones.

This was something Jim Jones denied and Cam'ron soon was glad they were no longer a crew. Initially, he hoped Dipset would reunite, but Jim Jones said this would never happen. Soon, Juelz Santana wanted a reunion, but Cam said he would never reunite with Jones. He said he would, however, record with Satana. But, this was only if he would get himself off of drugs. Juelz Santana denied ever being on drugs and wanted to diss Cam'ron. The only reason he did not was because of the start he got from Cam'ron.

In the end, all of these hard feelings were out of the window when Cam'ron and Jim Jones ended their feud and got back to work. Now, with their album planned for next year, Cam'ron spoke on the reunion with his old crew. He still has plans of breaking his new guys into the game, but there is nothing like the people he came in the game with. Recently, Cam'ron spoke on the project and he said he is excited to be back in the studio with Jim Jones and Juelz Santana.

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Peedi Crakk talks New Album ends beef with Jay-Z

In the mid-2000s, Peedi Crakk signed with State Property/Roc-A-Fella. He would have a fast track to the game by having Jay-Z on his side. For years, Peedi worked under Beanie Sigel and Jay-Z waiting for his time to come. With Roc-A-Fella Records, this time never came. Peedi "crakked" under the pressure and began dissing his boss, Jay-Z.

Soon, Peedi Crakk fought his way off of the label and he said the entire Roc-A-Fella roster had been dropped from Def Jam. For the past three years, he has had nothing but bad things to say about Jay-Z. Last fall, Beanie Sigel said Peedi Crakk was ignorant for going after Jay-Z. Only a month after saying this, Beanie Sigel was also dissing his former mentor.

Peedi Crakk is now over the Roc-A-Fella debaccle and he is ready to start fresh. Recently, he landed a record deal with Amaglam Digital. Finally, he admitted it was his fault his long-awaited debut album, Prince of the Roc, never came out. He said he was never focused on the album and he blew the money for the album on himself. Peedi also admitted he did not leave the label, he was dropped and he lashed out in anger.

Currently, his album is untitled, but he plans to release it before the end of the year on Amaglam Digital.

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"Stan" responds to Eminem

Ten years ago, Eminem released The Marshall Mathers LP and he proved how good of an artist he was. Because he was a white boy trying to rap, a lot of people wrote him off. After hearing his first album, people could not help but like him. However, the album was full of joke songs, so not too many people knew how creative he was.

Eminem said he recorded a lot of those silly songs to draw the fans in. When he realized he had them hooked, Em decided to show the other side of himself. It did not take long for him to prove he was one of the more lyrical rappers in the game. Em quickly showed how good of a storyteller he was. But, he broke a lot of records when he created "Stan."

In 2000, Eminem became the first rapper in hip hop history to take the mind of a crazed fan. He named this fan "Stan" and named the single after him. Stan was a man from overseas who was a major fan of Eminem. There were a lot of similarities between the two men, because Stan grew up the same way Eminem did. Like Eminem, Stan strived to do better and he was making a family with his girlfriend who was carrying his daughter, aside from his own child, he was a father figure to his brother, Matthrew.

Both Stan and Matthew were Eminem fans and Stan would often take him to Eminem concerts. Once, he even got backstage passes to meet Eminem, but his guards rushed him away. During the song, Stan writes multiple letters to Eminem. After each letter, there was no response and Stan got crazier and crazier. Soon, he wanted to have a romantic relationship with Eminem. The relationship with his girlfriend suffered and he became abusive towards her. Before the end of the song, he tied his girlfriend up in a drunken rage and drove them both into the river, but he recorded a tape to Eminem, which made national news.

Eventually, Eminem responded to the letter and he informed Stan to calm down. He said he hoped the response reached him in time. Then, Eminem writes about a story he saw on the news about a man who tied his girlfriend up and drove them both into a river. Before finishing the letter, he realizes the man was Stan. For the past ten years, Stan has become a cultural phenemenon. It is a term used to describe an overly obsessed fan of people and situations.

The story was supposed to have ended ten years ago, but a mystery rapper has come together to record a response to Stan. There is a new rapper coming from the mind of Stan's younger brother, Matthew, who was a bigger fan of Eminem than Stan. He is angry because of the loss of his brother, who killed himself when he was only six years ago. Matthew is writing a letter back to Eminem and he is claiming to have never received the Starter cap Eminem promised Stan he would give to Matthew. According to Matthew, Eminem has yet to reach out to him over ten years.

Matthew has hit back hard in a hard way, speaking of how Eminem's new music sucks and how Eminem has not lived up to any of his promises. Like Stan, Matthew writes Em, but he sends him threats and said his family has yet to get over the death of Stan. The mother blames Matthew for the death and Matthw, in turn, blames Eminem for Stan's death.

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On the Rise: Gudda Gudda

When Lil Wayne began adding members to his Young Money label he wanted his crew to be unlike any other. In the 1990s, Jay-Z was successful because he had an order in which artists released their music. The rotation was set and each year, the rotation ended with a new album from Jay-Z. Jay-Z's formula was very successful, but it was predictable.

Since Jay-Z stepped away, Lil Wayne has risen to take his spot, in some ways. The rap game which used to be ruled by Jay-Z singles now had Lil Wayne running the show. Wayne has based a lot of his attributes on the actions of Jay-Z. But, one thing he is not is predictable. The thing is, no one knows what Wayne will do next and this is why the people love him.

Being on the Young Money team guarantees the rapper their name will get out there. But, there are no free passes on the team as everybody works for their spot. Drake already had the mixtape buzz going for him and Lil Wayne used this popularity to launch his upcoming album. Even before Drake got himself established good, Nicki Minaj began her push and now her album is coming next. The only free pass the other Young Money rappers got was on the collaboration album.

Realizing his destiny is in his own hands, Gudda Gudda has decided to make some noise. From the start, he proved he was a good rapper. Watching Drake and Nicki Minaj put out mixtapes which were as good as albums has inspired Gudda Gudda. In an effort to let the crowd know who he is, Gudda Gudda has now released a new mixtape. Titled Back 2 Guddaville, the mixtape will feature Lil Wayne, Mack Maine, along with Waka Flocka Flame, and many other artists.

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Andre 3000 blocked from Big Boi's album

Big Boi had been trying to convince Jive Records to allow him to release a solo album for three years. In 2003, the label allowed both Big Boi and Andre 3000 to record solo albums, but they were packaged together. The results were positive, but Jive is not sold on separating Outkast even if it is only temporary.

Instead of giving the news to Big Boi straight, Jive Records has put him out there and made him look dumb. For the past two and a half years, Big Boi has spoken of a new album. But, during his time with Jive Records, the label did not let him release new music. Fed up, Big Boi reached a solo deal with Def Jam.

Big Boi will release his debut album, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty on July 6 on Def Jam. With a new label, he is confident his album will sell. However, regardless of the label he records with, Big Boi wants Andre 3000 on his album. There is a chance Jive Records will keep Dre from being on the album.

While Big Boi knows he can be a very big-name star in his own right, he is not comfortable with the idea of recording an album and not featuring Andre 3000 on it. Knowing this, Jive Records stopped a track recorded with Andre 3000 from appearing on the album. After discovering Jivve Records had Andre 300 taken off of his album, Big Boi went straight to the media. He informed the public of just how selfish the label was being towards him. As a result of their wrongdoing, Big Boi was able to have Andre 3000 on his album after all.

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Busta Rhymes added to Diddy's Supreme Team

Diddy has been working hard ever since the ball dropped to assemble another team of rappers for a supergroup. Earlier this year, Diddy announced his latest crew to be named the Supreme Team. The first rapper to join the group was Rick Ross. Diddy had signed Red Cafe, an artist signed to Bad Boy, up from the beginning.

Over the past few months, Diddy has reached out to various rappers and they quickly agreed to join the grop. After Rick Ross joined the group, Fabolous did too. DJ Khaled, another hip hop personality known for uniting rappers, also joined the group. Each member of the group has plans to release an album this year.

Busta Rhymes has been friends with all of these rappers for years and he was waiting to be invited to join the crew. Diddy invited him and it did not take much to convince Busta to join the Supreme Team. The group will collaborate on Busta's E.L.E. 2 and on Red Cafe's debut album.

Currently, there is no album planned for this crew. They will collaborate with other artists as the Supreme Team, but this is more of a business relationship. Diddy is the rumored manager of Rick Ross and he has connected these figures together to create new business deals for them all.

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Jadakiss still working on "Top 5 Dead or Alive"

Following the release of The Last Kiss, many people assumed Jadakiss had released his last album. Five years prior, he had released the critically-acclaimed Kiss of Death. On the previous album, he confronted a lot of issues at the time. Still, he managed to come with several hits.

Jadakiss used his popularity to help Ja Rule land a comeback and their collaboration made news. Even after their collaboration, he was among the top of the headlines. 50 Cent started a feud with the Yonkers rapper becuase of his alliance to Ja Rule. The feud soon involved Jadakiss and his whole crew.

While Jadakiss and D-Block would win the lyrical battle, 50 Cent would be the overall winner. His album would sell five million copies and he forced Interscope Records to push all of their albums back. Because of this, the album Jadakiss had planned for 2005 was delayed until 2006.

Late in 2006, Jadakiss discovered what was going on and began to fight to get off of the label. In 2007, he was released from Interscope Records and he signed with Roc-A-Fella Records. Jay-Z had finally convinced him to come over to the label. But, as soon as he signed with the label, Jay-Z opened a new business venture and left the label. Alone, Jadakiss released The Last Kiss to critical-acclaim. He said that album marked a new beginning in his career. Jadakiss promised to never wait five years to release another album again.

Throughout his career, Jadakiss has never released many albums. But, he said this would soon change and the first album in this new stretch was his 2009 release. He initially planned to release Top 5 Dead or Alive sometime this year. However, the label situation between The L.O.X., Bad Boy, and Ruff Ryders has taken most of his time and attention. During his free time, though, Jadakiss works on this album. He admitted he had passed his deadline to have the album out to the public.

Behind on his work, Jadakiss has been working very hard to get the album out as soon as he could. Despite being behind, Jadakiss still hopes to release Top 5 Dead or Alive before the end of this year. The album will be released on Ruff Ryders Entertainment.

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Jeezy is still Young

A few months ago, news broke of Young Jeezy shortening his name to simply Jeezy. He was credited on Rihanna's "Hard" as simply Jeezy. Even executives from Def Jam had said the rapper changed his name. It was said that most people refer to him by nothing more than Jeezy anyway, so they did it for the fans.

With Thug Motivation 103 coming out before the end of the year, it was said to be the first album from Jeezy. This would not have been the first name change by the rapper. Long before his days with Def Jam, he used to go by the name Lil' J. He would release two albums under this name.

However, when he signed with Bad Boy South with Boyz in da Hood, he was named Young Jeezy. When he signed to Def Jam only months later, he went by Young Jeezy. His past three albums have been released under the Young Jeezy moniker and it is going to be this way for a long time to come.

Young Jeezy said he does not know where this story has come from, but he has no plans of changing his name for anyone. Rihanna was the one who decided to credit him as Jeezy for "Hard," but this does not mean his name is going to change. When Thug Motivation 103 does come out, the album will be the fourth studio album released by Young Jeezy.

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DJ Khaled and 50 Cent may team up for G-Unit South

Ever since he came into the game, DJ Khaled has been an enemy of 50 Cent's. On his debut album, Khaled aligned with many known foes of G-Unit. He has become the flagship artist of Terror Squad, a label owned by Fat Joe. Aside from his relationship with Fat Joe, Khaled is also close to Lil Wayne, Ja Rule, and Rick Ross.

DJ Khaled has strong connections to Southern hip hop and he proved this on his first two albums. For years, Def Jam South has struggled and Ludacris was the only artist. Soon, he was absorbed into the mainstream Def Jam label. Def Jam would soon relieve Scarface of his duties with the label. In 2008, DJ Khaled was offered the job as President of Def Jam South.

During his time as president of the sub-label, DJ Khaled has done wonders for the label. He has added multiple artists to the label and he keeps the artists already on the label relevant. Def Jam has actually relied on its Southern branch for the past few years. Happy with the success of Rick Ross, Def Jam was built upon New York hip hop. The most-popular rapper from New York on the label was Fabolous and he does not sell well.

50 Cent, on the other hand, is a very popular rapper with a label of his own. Adding him to Def Jam would also add ten other artists to the label. For the past few years, 50 has struggled to keep fans, but a lot of the blame has fallen upon Interscope Records. In 2007, 50 Cent made it clear he was not going to re-sign with the label. Last summer, 50 Cent said he would find a distribution deal with an independent record label. But, during the height of his feud with Rick Ross, 50 Cent bragged of how he would head over to Def Jam to become Rick Ross' boss.

Sha Money XL, the co-founder of G-Unit Records, landed a deal as an A&R for Def Jam and the first deal he made was bringing G-Unit over to Def Jam. Right after he left Interscope Records, 50 Cent announced plans to expand his label. A few years ago, 50 Cent attempted to launch G-Unit South through Young Buck, but his feud with Buck derailed those plans. Still, 50 Cent would love to break into the Southern market and he has the perfect opportunity to do so with Def Jam. He has access to DJ Khaled and despite their feud, they could possibly work together to make money.

When he first arrived to Def Jam, Sha Money XL made it clear he was there to make money, not enemies and he offered an olive branch to Rick Ross. Once he heard Sha Money's statement, Rick Ross agreed there would be no trouble for him at Def Jam.

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Raekwon still open to Nas collaboration

The relationship between Nas and Raekwon has been on shaky ground for the past few months. Last year, Raekwon was preparing for the release of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. II and he lined up guest appearances. Among the guest named for the album was Nas. But, when the album was released, Nas was nowhere to be found on it.

Following the release of the album, Raekwon said he had planned for a collaboration with Nas. For unknown reasons, Nas stood him up on the album. Rae said their collaboration could have been legendary. Nas spoke on the album and said it, along with Jay-Z's instant classic, The Blueprint 3, were his favorite albums on the year.

Obviously disappointed, Raekwon said Nas should have let him know he did not want to be on the album. After hearing about his disappointment on various websites, Nas opened up on the situation. He said he did not intentionally leave Raekwon hanging. Instead, Nas was so swamped working with Damian Marley on their Distant Relatives project and the situation with Kelis. With everything going on, he decided to simply take a break.

Before being abandoned by Nas, Raekwon considered the Queens rapper to be one of his best friends in the game. Even though Nas left no warning about not recording for the album, Raekwon did not let it bother their personal relationship. However, their professional relationship took quite a hit. But, with Nas explaining himself, Raekwon easily forgave him on a professional level. Now, working on his next album, Shaolin vs. Wu Tang, Raekwon is open to having Nas featured on the album. Nas admitted he missed out on a golden opportunity on the last Raekwon album and promised to show up if he had a second chance.

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Game talks about 50 Cent

Finally having everything back the way he wanted it, Game has decided to be calm about the movements of 50 Cent. Late last year, 50 Cent responded to all of the disses Game left for him. For a while, the feud was nothing more than Game dissing 50 Cent. But, returning to his hardcore roots, 50 Cent aired Game out on his last album.

Declaring himself free of Dr. Dre and the 50 Cent beef, Game had originally planned to upgrade to a feud with Jay-Z. These plans changed after 50 Cent started a feud with Jay-Z. Game chose the lesser of two evils and sided with Jay-Z. Then, in October, he reunited with Dr. Dre.

In March, Dr. Dre introduced Game to Pharrell and their relationship has been solidified. Out of respect to Pharrell, Game decided to leave the issue with Jay-Z alone. Feeling he has the best album of his career to put together, Game has decided to leave all beef alone for his upcoming record.

Recently, 50 Cent has been in the headlines after he lost a considerable amount of weight. For his role in the new film, Things Fall Apart, 50 Cent has gotten extremely skinny. With his new album on the way, everyone wants to know what Game has to say about 50 Cent. Responding to the questions about 50 Cent, Game said all he saw was a man who lost weight for a role in a film. Game said 50 Cent is working hard to win an award. Game is actually happy for 50 Cent and his movie role.

There is no set date for the release of his fourth studio album, The R.E.D. Album.

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Ja Rule pushes "Venni Vetti Vecci 2010" back

No rapper has a bigger chip on their shoulder than Ja Rule, he feels robbed of what was his. On the verge of being a legend, he was sideswiped by 50 Cent. All of his thunder was stolen and he has been fighting to get it back. It does not matter how hard he tries, Ja Rule cannot seem to win. He hopes all of this will soon change.

Putting the past behind him, Rule plans to make the most-historic comeback in hip hop history. This comeback has been in the plans for the past two years. After The Mirror was shelved, Ja Rule began recording for a new album. Last summer, he announced this album to be named Venni Vetti Vecci 2010. He wanted the album to be released early in 2010.

However, him trying to build his Mpire Records and Irv Gotti's negotiations with Atlantic Records taking longer than expected, the project was held up. Earlier this year, Irv Gotti officially landed a deal with Atlantic Records and Ja Rule is at the center of the deal. Back with the people who helped make him into a star with Def Jam, Rule planned to release Venni Vetti Vecci 2010 before the end of this month. But, with no promotion and no popular music, he has continued to record.

Initially set for a June release date, Ja Rule has decided to wait until August, at least, to release his eighth studio album. The album will come as a release off of Mpire Records, Murder Inc. Records, and Atlantic Records.

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Drake visits Lil Wayne in prison

Ever since Lil Wayne has been in prison, Drake has been carrying Young Money. Drake has been associated with Wayne and the label for years. When he first made the move from "Degrassi" to rap music, many people wrote him off. One person who did not was Lil Wayne. After hearing him rap, he became one of Drake's biggest supporters.

Following the release of So Far Gone, Drake was the most-popular rapper in the game. This was even before the release of his debut album. Many labels lined up and Lyor Cohen had him all but signed to Atlantic Records. Universal, however, wanted him more than any other label. After he slipped through their hands, they used Lil Wayne to sign him.

The plan worked and Wayne spent 2009 formally introducing him to the hip hop world. During their time working together, well before last year, the two have become good friends. In his darkest hour, right before being shipped off to Riker's Island, Lil Wayne said Young Money was now the responsibility of Drake. Wayne said he would have to be the one to lead the team. Initially, Drake's leadership was questioned, but with three hits on the radio and an album expected to sell well, there are no more doubts.

Because of his hectic schedule, Drake has been all over the country and unable to visit his boss. Still, Wayne has been on his mind. In many ways, Drake feels he owes his success to Lil Wayne. Despite not being able to speak with him, Wayne has had a few chances to read about him. After all he has accomplished in such a short time, Lil Wayne is extremely proud of the man he has helped mentor. Coming back to thank him was the man who wants his thanks later. Drake recently visited Lil Wayne in prison and came back with yet another message to fans.

After speaking with Lil Wayne, Drake said Weezy told him to continue to do what he is doing and he will do very well in the game. Aside from giving him props for his string of success, Lil Wayne told Drake to tell the fans he hopes to be free soon. Once he gets out of prison, Lil Wayne wants to release Tha Carter IV.

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50 Cent and G-Unit Records move to Def Jam

Throughout his career, 50 Cent has been a thorn in the side of Def Jam for no real reason. He rose to fame at the expense of Murder Inc., the biggest label under the Def Jam umbrella. After ending their run, 50 soon began a feud with Kanye West and vowed to release an album each time a Def Jam artist did. When LL Cool J began his rant against the label, 50 Cent quickly joined in.

50 Cent blamed his low record sales on Interscope Records' unwillingness to boost his sales. He said the only reason Jay-Z has sold the way he has was because of his time with Def Jam. While he has had mainly negative things to say about the label, he credits them for being loyal to their artists. Last year, during his feud with Rick Ross, 50 Cent bragged of possibly moving to Def Jam to become the CEO.

Last year, as expected, 50 Cent left Interscope Records. Initially, he said he would land a deal with an independent label. However, G-Unit co-founder, Sha Money XL, would soon begin working with Def Jam and he said his primary goal was to have the entire G-Unit Records roster on the label. After this announcement, Lloyd Banks bragged that Rick Ross would have to leave New York City for Miami because he would be run out of the building.

Saying the complete opposite, Sha Money XL said he did not come to Def Jam to have problems with Rick Ross because his goal is to make the entire company profit. Later, when Ross was asked about the statement made by Sha Money, he completely agreed. Earlier today, after months of rumors, the deal was complete and the G-Unit label will have a new home. Under the terms of this deal, the G-Unit group, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, 40 Glocc, Young Buck, Young Hot Rod, Spider Loc, and Mazaradi Fox will all move from Interscope Records over to Def Jam.

Under Def Jam, 50 Cent plans to rebuild his empire and expand it to all-new heights, as he wants to sign more artists to the label.

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Eminem in Europe, promoting "Recovery"

Finally out of Relapse, Eminem is ready to make a full recovery. His initial plan of releasing Relapse 2 was changed by Interscope Records. The material he had for the album was scrapped and Eminem began recording a new album. Because of the legacy he has built in the game, any album Eminem makes will at least go platinum.

Ever since November, there has been discussions of the new album from Eminem. New music from Recovery came towards the end of April. In an effort to promote this new music, Eminem delivered freestyles over the top songs on the radio. He would cover "Over" and "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley."

The song, "Not Afraid," was released on April 30 and it has gone on to top the Billboard Hot 100. With the song blowing up across the nation, the label, Interscope, is trying to get the album out. Now, they have decided to send Eminem to Eurpoe to promote the album overseas. He has a strong following in Europe, so he should sell well.

Eminem is expected to release Recovery on June 22, 2010 through Shady Records and Interscope Records.

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Game pushed back until Late June

Out of all of the albums Game has recorded, the most attention has been placed on the one yet to come. For the most part, Game has only shown one side of himself, as a rapper. He comes off as an angry, bi-polar gangster. Initially, he was a G-Unit soldier, but his hatred of his former crew has taken over. Also, his obsession with Dr. Dre has become apparent.

Each of his albums recorded outside of Aftermath have been littered with G-Unit disses and Dr. Dre pleas. On his sophomore album, he named the album for Dre. He even dedicated a song on the album to his former mentor. Before he would release an album, Game would announce Dr. Dre as the executive producer. But, Dre never had a role on his albums.

Tired of trying to gain his attention, Game decided to move on and start a new phase in his career. The R.E.D. Album is the fourth album from Game and he said it would go down as the best he ever made. His lyrical level will be on an all-time high for this new record. Game had the album slated for release before the end of last year, but when he and Dr. Dre made up, a 2010 release date was selected. The album was pushed back from March until the summer.

Initially, the new release date for The R.E.D. Album was set on June 15, but it was later pushed back one week. Game was looking forward to releasing the album on the same day as Drake, but the label decided to push the album back. The date has been set for June 22, but Interscope Records has decided to push the album back one more time to a June 29, 2010 release date. This is said to be the final delay of The R.E.D. Album, which has been discussed since January of 2009.

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