Will Smith buys stake in Philadelphia 76ers

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

While the NBA does not seem to have reached any agreement, business moves are still being made. When the NBA does return, one of the league's oldest franchises will have new owners. The Philadelphia 76ers, a charter franchise of the NBA, recently gained a couple of new part-owners.

The Philadelphia 76ers were up for sale, last season. Multimillionaire, Joshua Harris, led an investment team, which included Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Being from Philadelphia, Will Smith grew up being a fan of the Sixers. Now, things have come full circle for him, as he is now an owner of the team.

Ever since Willow Smith signed to Roc Nation, Will Smith has been working with Jay-Z. Already known for his business acumen, Smith has followed in Jay-Z's footsteps. Jay-Z has been a minority owner of the relocating New Jersey Nets for nearly seven years. Now, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith will own an undisclosed percentage of the Sixers.

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The Rise of J. Cole, over the years

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

The world is just getting to know J. Cole, but the hip hop world has been well aware of Jermaine for over three years. While hip hop fans may know a bit about J. Cole, few know the overall story. J. Cole, while from the South, does not fit the stereotypical mold of being a rapper from the South.

Since the age of fourteen, J. Cole has been rapping. While he grew up in a tough city, J. Cole kept his head in the books. This led to him going to St. John's University on an academic scholarship. During this time, J. Cole often displayed his raps and songs. Upon graduating, he released his debut mixtape.

His debut mixtape, The Come Up, gained acclaim for the single, "Lights Please." The song helped establish J. Cole as an artst and it eventually was heard by Jay-Z. At the time, Jay-Z was preparing to leave his longtime home, Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam, for his new label, Roc Nation. One clause in his contract with Def Jam was Jay-Z having to leave his Roc-A-Fella artists behind.

Needing to start fresh, Jay-Z was looking for fresh talent, so he signed J. Cole in 2008. Jay-Z spent most of 2008 establishing his Roc Nation label. In 2009, Jay-Z started working on The Blueprint 3. J. Cole decided to keep himself hot and he released his second mixtape, The Warm Up. The mixtape also contained "Lights Please" and was met with more critical acclaim than most of the albums released in 2009. After releasing two successful mixtapes, many fans were wondering when J. Cole's debut album would be released.

J. Cole promised fans his debut album would be released in 2010. Before the summer, J. Cole released a single, "Who Dat." The song received massive radio play in his native, North Carolina. "Who Dat" also did well in other markets, but no album release date was scheduled. With Roc Nation shifting their focus to the young daughter of Will Smith, Willow Smith, J. Cole released another mixtape. Friday Night Lights was also met with a strong critical reaction, but no album came.

Despite not having an album out, J. Cole's mixtapes were doing very well and he had songs in radio rotation, even music videos. Aside from his own work, many mainstream artists were featuring J. Cole on their albums. While the collaborations and mixtapes were nice, fans still patiently waited on J. Cole to release his debut album. During the summer of 2011, J. Cole said his album would be released on September 27 and not a day later.

But, with no music being released, many were beginning to give up on J. Cole. It was then when J. Cole prepared to release Cole World: The Sideline Story. Now, J. Cole is one of the biggest names in overall entertainment. With his album not even a month old, J. Cole is already working on his second album. Much like his mentor, Jay-Z, J. Cole intends to release a new album every year. On the mixtape level, J. Cole managed to give fans a new release every other year, with his singles keeping the fans entertained.

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Will Smith to return to Rap

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Many forget Will Smith actually began his career as a rapper. Hailing from Philadelphia, he rose the ranks of the rap game. In 1991, his career received a major boost with "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." The show was a legendary classic and helped Will Smith make the jump from the small screen to the big screen.

For nearly twenty years, Will Smith has been one of Hollywood's leading men. While he has dominated the movies and even executive produced a sitcom, music has been on the backburner. Last year, he got back into the game when his daughter, Willow Smith, landed a record deal with Roc Nation.

Perhaps all of the recording with Willow got to Will. He has decided to dust off his mic and release a comeback album. Smith last released an album in 2005, Lost & Found. The album produced his crossover hit, "Switch." The song was a major hit and the album was successful. However, following the release of the album, Will Smith went back to the movies.

On his next album, Will Smith says he is working with Ashanti, T.I., and he said Mario invited him to record on his mixtape. For Will Smith, the invites are lining up rather quickly. Will Smith is also working on a new movie, High School, with Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa.

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J. Cole completes his Debut Album

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Three years of anticipation are seemingly over. In 2008, J. Cole was the first artist signed to Roc Nation. After years of running the powerhouse Roc-A-Fella Records, Jay-Z left the label he built for a new venture. From this venture, Roc Nation was born and Jay-Z began signing artists.

J. Cole was hailed by many as the second coming of Nas. With the marketing power of Jay-Z behind him, he was expected to become one of the big faces of hip hop. But, fate intervened and J. Cole was forced to wait on his new music. It was not until 2010 when he released his first single, "Who Dat."

While the song was a hit in North Carolina, it failed to garner much buzz and was not promoted. As a result, J. Cole was placed on the backburner in favor of Willow Smith. Her song, "Whip my Hair," became a hit and J. Cole was nearly forgotten. After years of delays, J. Cole has now completed his debut album.

The album will be released sometime in September of this year.

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J. Cole denies rift with Jay-Z

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Fans and J. Cole, alike, thought his debut album would have been here by now. In 2008, J. Cole was the first artist signed to the Roc Nation label, Jay-Z's new venture. Music from J. Cole was released in 2009, leading many to think and album was coming.

Late in the spring of 2010, J. Cole released "Who Dat," supposedly the first single from his album. During the summer, an official video was released. The video was not only shared on the internet, but it also got play on BET and MTV. Still, no album came.

J. Cole talked about the delays of his album and how he has remained patient. During the fall of 2010, Roc Nation signed the daughter of Will Smith, Willow Smith. Roc Nation then began promoting her more than J. Cole. His album, however, was still scheduled to be released before her debut album.

Last month, there were rumors of Jay-Z growing impatient with J. Cole not putting an album together. The early rumors suggested J. Cole was waiting on Jay-Z for his release. Regardless of what the issue was, the first official single, "Disgusting," was released to the radio. Now, with his song gaining traction, J. Cole has decided to address the rumors about him and Jay-Z. He said their relationship is great and always has been before questioning why people would even believe those rumors.

J. Cole's debut album still lacks a solid release date.

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J. Cole to release Roc Nation debut

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Ever since he signed with Roc Nation, the hip hop media has been pitting J. Cole against Drake. When Jay-Z launched his new company, he chose J. Cole as the first artist. This puts all kinds of pressure on new artists, as J. Cole. But, he promised to live up to the pressure.

In 2009, J. Cole was supposed to make the jump from being a mixtape rapper to being the face of Roc Nation. However, his debut was pushed back for Jay-Z's comeback album, The Blueprint 3. J. Cole was rescheduled for 2010 and prepared his album with the "Who Dat?" single.

Before the end of 2010, J. Cole had seemingly been pushed to the backburner for Willow Smith. She built incredible buzz with her "Whip My Hair" single. Jay-Z announced she would definitely be releasing her album before the end of 2011. However, he said J. Cole's album would still be coming first.

Over the past few months, J. Cole has been talking about his new music. Jay-Z has expressed interest in working with Cole on his debut album. While open to working with Jay-Z, J. Cole said he has to step his lyrical game up. Right now, J. Cole does not feel as if he is good enough to have Jay-Z perform on one of his tracks. This comes after his verse on Jay-Z's "A Star is Born." J. Cole is working as hard as he can and he intends to release his debut album sometime this year.

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J. Cole is motivated by Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Wiz Khalifa's success

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

In 2008, Jay-Z made a power move when he left Def Jam to form a new super-label, Roc Nation. He surprised the world when he signed Fayetteville, NC rapper, J. Cole, and made him the focal point of the label. Many expected him to fill the label up with established stars.

Early on, it appeared as if J. Cole was going to be on the fast track to success. Things took off quickly for J. Cole, while other mixtape rappers, such as Drake and Nicki Minaj were still waiting. J. Cole received his big break on "A Star is Born" and gained a national following.

Jay-Z announced J. Cole's album would follow in October, but the day came and went without an album. Later, J. Cole was set up with a 2010 release date. Meanwhile, Drake had become the face of Young Money and hip hop, while Nicki Minaj landed high-profile collaborations with major artists.

During the summer of 2010, J. Cole landed a minor hit with "Who Dat." Meanwhile, Wiz Khalifa had received the green light from Atlantic Records to begin recording his album. Before J. Cole event got to hit the studio good, Wiz Khalifa had a national tour and a hit single. J. Cole soon found himself overlooked when Roc Nation added Willow Smith to the roster and focused all of the energy on her. Smith's debut album is set to be released before J. Cole's now.

Despite being overlooked, J. Cole remains calm. Coming into the game, he knew it would not be easy for him to get where he wanted to be. Instead of being upset by watching Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Wiz Khalifa, he looks at them as inspiration for where he wants to be. J. Cole said their success has inspired him so much on his debut album. Their level of success is where J. Cole has motivated himself to be when he finally does release Cole World.

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Will Jay-Z release a New Album in 2011?

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

In recent years, Jay-Z has been spending more time running his businesses than making music. Despite being considered one of the best rappers of all-time, Jay-Z said he was a businessman. Coming from the Brooklyn projects, Jay-Z had one of two ways to make a better life for himself.

Jay-Z spent most of his early adult years trying one way to build the life he always wanted. After spending eight years in the "crack game," he decided to enter the rap game. Lucky for Jay-Z, the fans fell in love with him. Many people looked towards Jay-Z for inspiration, as he pulled himself to the top.

From 1996 until 2003, Jay-Z released an album each year. Along the way, he made other stars through Roc-A-Fella Records. During this time, Jay-Z also branched out into clothing and film ventures. Even though he was the biggest face of the entire company, Jay-Z ran things behind the scenes the best that he knew how. But, following the release of his 2003 album, Jay-Z decided to hang the mic up for good.

In 2006, Jay-Z returned to the rap game and it was almost as if he had never left. His flow was a little different and he boasted more about his cash than usual. With the economy heading down in a fast motion, many fans were turned off by some of Jay-Z's lyrics. He would turn things around one year later with the release of American Gangster. After watching the Denzel Washington film, Jay-Z was inspired to record an album based upon his own life in the streets.

Following the release of his critically-acclaimed album, Jay-Z took some time off to reorganize his business ventures. In 2009, he returned with another critically-acclaimed album, The Blueprint 3. Last year, Jay-Z experienced all kinds of success. Jay-Z is mostly behind the scenes with most of his work. Roc Nation is his new company and the label manages and promotes some of the biggest names. Willow Smith, Rihanna, and J. Cole all released music for the label in 2010.

While Roc Nation has been doing well and Rocawear has been a steady brand for years, Jay-Z returns to check in on the rap game every now and again. This year, Jay-Z is already in the studio as he and Kanye West are recording Watch the Throne. Even after reaching the top of the mountain, Jay-Z still feels as if he has something to prove to the people who thinks he has nothing left in the tank.

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J. Cole lands Trey Songz collaboration

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

In 2008, when he was hand-picked by Jay-Z as the first artist on Roc Nation, J. Cole was excited. After Jay-Z finished his business with Def Jam, J. Cole was sure he would be recording his album. However, things did not work out that way.

Instead, J. Cole found himself helping Jay-Z with his comeback, The Blueprint 3. The album went on to become the highest-rated album of 2009. His verse on the song, "A Star is Born," would stick out. After the release of "Light's Please," fans thought J. Cole's album was on the way.

However, it was announced that J. Cole's album would be released in the summer of 2010. In the spring, J. Cole provided an anthem, "Who Dat." A video was filmed for the song, but still no release date was set for the album, which he titled Cole World. Before long, the fall was approaching and Jay-Z was making plans for Willow Smith and her debut album.

J. Cole was signed in 2008 and told he was the flagship artist of the new label. Despite what he was told, he has been on the backburner most of the way. Currently, his debut album, Cole World, is slated for release sometime in 2011. In preparation for this album, J. Cole has decided to record a single that will be undeniable. He is teaming up with R&B fan favorite, Trey Songz, who is also the face of Rocawear's ad campaign for 2010/2011, a hopeful win-win.

While he is eager for people to hear his second collaboration with Trey Songz, J. Cole said he does not want to give a release date. J. Cole does not want to end up letting the fans down again.

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Willow Smith talks "Parents Just Don't Understand" remake

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

In the final few months of 2010, Willow Smith turned the whole world on its ear. She is the child of Will and Jada Smith and she is making her own mark. Smith came out with the single, "Whip My Hair," and created an anthem. Now, she has to put together an album to house the anthem.

The set release date for Willow Smith's debut album is 2011 and she is making preparations. Despite her goal of topping her father's success, many believe Willow is only a one-hit-wonder. Willow wants to people to think whatever they want to about her. She has major plans.

In an effort to avoid falling into the one-hit-wonder trap, Smith has discussed remaking Will Smith's hit "Parents Just Don't Understand." When he released the song, Will Smith did not have children, now he finds himself being a parent and his own child saying he does not understand. That part may hurt, but seeing his child shine more than makes up for it.

Nothing is set in stone, but Willow Smith would like to remake the song and put it on her upcoming album. If completed, the song would likely become a single sometime in the spring or summer of 2011.

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J. Cole pegs Debut Album for December release

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Late last year, J. Cole's single, "Lights Please," gained him national attention. After his verse on Jay-Z's "A Star is Born," interest in Cole was at an all-time high. When "Lights Please" was released, Roc Nation said his debut album would come early in 2010.

For a brief moment, J. Cole was just as popular as Drake and some thought Cole would be more successful in 2010. After both rappers were pushed back, it appeared as if they would receive the "Saigon treatment." But, Drake dropped in June and took over the game while J. Cole waited.

Early in the summer of 2010, J. Cole heated up the streets with his anthem, "Who Dat?" The song gained traction and an album was expected to soon follow. But, the summer came and went without a J. Cole release. Now, with the year almost over, nothing has come from J. Cole. If he does not soon get an album out, J. Cole may miss his turn because the label is focusing on Willow Smith.

Months have passed since J. Cole has had any news about his debut album, Cole World. Recently, however, the rapper said his debut album may finally see the light of day this December. The album will be released on Roc Nation through Columbia Records.

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