Drake samples Dead Prez in "Over"

The past few years have consisted of finding a new rapper to inherit the throne. Many people have assumed that it was up to them to take that spot. The most-notable rapper to claim king was Lil Wayne. To boost the effort, he went out and found a crew.

Drake was one of the first rappers to join Young Money and he is now a bigger star than Wayne. Now, when most people speak of the future of hip hop, they speak of Drake. His debut album, Thank Me Later, is right around the corner. Drake has made it because his lyrics are now quoted.

When fans start quoting rapper's lyrics, the hip hop heads jump in and read the lyrics. Drake's single, "Over," has become the first hit of the summer. Now, the lyrics have been analyzed. It turns out that a few of the lyrics in the hit have been sampled.

The line "one thing 'bout music, when it hits you, you feel no pain" is a direct quote from Dead Prez off of their 2000 hit, "Bigger Than Hip Hop."

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Jeezy gets Pushed Back

Recently, Jeezy has been making a lot of news. First, he changed his name from Young Jeezy to simply Jeezy. Later, he said that it was time for hip hop to move past Tupac and Biggie. When asked about the best rapper to lead the shift, he suggested himself. With all of the buzz, Def Jam quickly gave him a release date.

Dating back to early 2009, Jeezy has been working on a new album. Last summer, it was revealed to be Thug Motivation 103. Jeezy had wanted to promote the album last year, but Def Jam was hesitant after his last album did not do very well. He felt that releasing a new single would rebuild his buzz. Jeezy was never given a chance and was forced to wait until this year.

This year, Jeezy has been pushed around by Def Jam. But, after releasing a single and making waves, he earned a release date. Jeezy was placed one week after the releases from Game and Drake on June 22. However, because he has yet to dominate the radio the way that he used to, Def Jam has given him a little more time to get things right. Thug Motivation 103 is currently slated to be released sometime in July of this year.

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Tupac to Return with New Album

Rumors are currently circulating around the West Coast that the legendary Tupac Shakur will be returning to the game. In 2006, his album, Pac's Life, was released. It was said to be the final album released from the deceased rapper. However, there are now rumors that Death Row Records may put out a new album in his name.

As many fans of the slain rapper already know, he has recorded music to last until the end of time. Right after his death, many people questioned if he was still alive. Tupac was dedicated to his work and he was always writing and recording. A lot of people find it hard to believe that he worked that hard, so they felt he was still living.

However, after fourteen years, it has become clear that Tupac is not going to come back. The only way that fans get to hear any new music is through releases of old material. Tupac Shakur is dead and has been dead since 1996. However, his first album in four years will be released sometime in the second half of 2010.

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Glasses Malone ready for Ice Cube feud

Last month, Ice Cube landed himself in hot water when he revealed the title of his latest album. Paying homage to the legacy that he helped to build, he titled his album, I Am The West. In the time since Death Row Records fell apart, the West Coast has struggled to gain footing. But, recently a new movement has been taking place.

One of the leaders of this new movement is Jay Rock, a native of Los Angeles. He took offense to the new title of Ice Cube's album and was willing to feud with Cube. The response that Cube gave him was not what Jay Rock expected and he began dissing the legend. Game soon stepped into the fray. Glasses Malone has now jumped in.

For the past week, Malone has had some choice words for both Game and Ice Cube. Recently, he spoke and he said that he is ready for war with Ice Cube. Glasses said that he respects the history that comes with Ice Cube, but that Ice Cube has to respect that people like him are a part of the future. Right now, he has no diss record for Cube, he simply wants Ice Cube to stop with all of the disses when he grew up admiring him.

Despite how he grew up, Glasses Malone is willing to fight to solidify his position in the rap game. If that means going against a legend, Glasses will go against a legend. He said that what Ice Cube is doing is not for the West Coast and it is not for hip hop. Instead, he said that Cube is on a Hollywood promotional run that will only benefit himself. He said that a feud with Ice Cube would not be person. Acknowledging that the original hip hop beefs were only for fun and in the spirit of competition, he could never have any personal problems with Ice Cube.

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Nas cannot catch a Break

The past few months have been tough on Nas. His seemingly happy marriage to Kelis fell apart and he owes her a lot of money in back child support. Because two years have passed since he last released an album, Nas is trying to rebuild his buzz. It is in him to return to the game, but he needs some money because Kelis has plans of milking him dry.

Before he returns with a solo album, Nas wants to come through with his promise of an album with Damian Marley. The duo have talked about a collaboration album for three years. However, it was not until last year that they became serious about recording togehter. As the year went on, more and more tracks came.

Now, with the album around the corner, Nas and Damian Marley are hitting the road. Right when they are getting things underway, there are police officers that are prepared to protest their show. It is not just Nas and Damian Marley that are being protested. Instead, the Palm Beach police are protesting the entire Spring Fest taking place.

Despite not going at Nas directly, this has the potential to be a major blow for the rapper who has been on a steady decline since "Ether."

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Shyne explains his New Style

Before he went to prison, Shyne was one of the fastest-rising rappers in the game. He was signed to Bad Boy right after the end of the Mase era. Shyne needed a label and the Bad Boy label needed an actual "bad boy." For one album, the Shyne/Bad Boy relationship was a strong one.

Months after the release of his self-titled debut album, Shyne was sent off to prison. For the past eight years, he has been an inmate in New York. Because of good behavior, he was let out early. At the start of 2009, it was announced that he would come out on October 6.

Shyne had planned to jump right back into the music, but he found himself deported. Once he got his stuff straight, Shyne went back to recording music. For the past ten years, Shyne has had the same flow. Now that he is out, he wants to capture attention and change his flow.

Because of everything that he has gone through, Shyne has decided to change his style. He said that the man he was on his previous two albums will not be returning. With a new style, Shyne hopes to finally rid himself of the jailbird image. Many people associate Shyne and his old style with his prison sentence. The new Shyne style has received mostly negative reviews. Following his diss aimed at 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks went on to tease the new style that Shyne is trying to promote.

Shyne feels that this new style will make him more marketable and he can finally move past his Bad Boy and prison image.

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Game has no Competition from Drake

Nearly two years have passed since Game last released an album. At the time, he was still looking to establish himself outside of Dr. Dre. While L.A.X. was not acclaimed, it helped to solidify Game as a solo act. But, after the album, Game kept a low profile and Drake took over the hip hop game.

Over the course of the past few months, Drake has become one of the most popular rappers in the game. Meanwhile, such rappers as Game have become afterthoughts. Ever since last fall, Game has been trying to release The R.E.D. Album. As fate would have it, the album will not come until June.

Ironically, Game's album will be released on the same day as the debut album from Drake. Many people believe that Thank Me Later has the ability to outsell Game. Despite being away from the game for a little while, Game is not worried about competiton from Drake.

Game recently spoke on the so-called challenge from Drake and said that there was "no competition" between the two rappers. He is confident that his album will sell more copies than Thank Me Later.

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T.I. draws Tupac comparisons on New Album

Ever since 2006, T.I. has been compared to Tupac. A lot of those comparisons come from his recording on the Pac's Life album. Other comparisons have come from the emotion that he puts into his music. Not too many rappers display the passion that T.I. does.

Most of this passion comes from the death of his friend and partner, Philant. His death is what feuled a lot of the material on T.I. vs. T.I.P. and Paper Trail. Now, with the release of his next album, King Unleashed, around the corner, T.I. is opening up. He said this album will complete the series.

T.I. has compared this album to Tupac's 1996 classic, All Eyez on Me. He said that his story started in 2007 and it is set to end with this album. Following the release of this album, he begins the next phase of his career.

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Game warns Alchemist over "400 Bars"

Last week, Game released his long-awaited sequel to "400 Bars and Runnin'" diss track. His first diss track was released in 2005 as a diss to 50 Cent and G-Unit. Last year, as Game prepared for the release of The R.E.D. Album, he promised that another record would come.

Finally, the record came out las week, but it was not met with the acclaim of his original song. In the song, he sends more disses to G-Unit and he seems to take on Ice Cube's war. For the past few months, Ice Cube has been feuding with newcomer Jay Rock.

Now that the song is out, the people are responding to it. One of the first people, aside from Jay Rock, to mention the song was Alchemist. Alchemist said that the song was long and boring through Twitter. He advised Game that less is actually more in the case of this song.

After reading his response, Game responded to Alchemist, saying that he does not want to get his teeth knocked out. He responded to Alchemist calling the song a snooze, saying that he can make him snooze for real.

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Nicki Minaj is carrying Young Money

Last year, Drake officially signed with Young Money and many people predicted him to become the future of the label. His mixtape release, last year's So Far Gone, had more success than most albums that were released in 2009. With the buzz that he had, it appeared as if he were ready to take over the game.

Once it was revealed that Lil Wayne would be in prison for a year, it appeared that Drake would begin his run a little early. After all, if he could have an enormous buzz based off of the mixtape, imagine what he could do with an album. Most people viewed Young Money as Lil Wayne first, Drake second, and Nicki Minaj a distant third.

However, recently, that has not been the case. Drake is still one of the hottest rapers in the game. Despite his incredible run, Nicki Minaj is a little more popular than Drizzy. She has been called upon by Ludacris and Usher. Both of their songs have become hits and they both credit the verse from Nicki Minaj as the culprit.

Nicki Minaj does not have an album coming anytime soon, but it is her music that is getting the most airplay on radio stations. Drake is still dominating with "Over," but he is not dominating the way that Nicki is with music on other artists' albums. Promotion for her album is not set to begin until late in the summer. Meanwhile, promotion for Drake's album is currently in gear. Despite this fact, it is Nicki Minaj that has the most buzz, right now, and with her album around the corner, she may outsell Drake.

When the Young Money name is mentioned, a lot of people still say Drake, but the dominant artist in the crew happens to be Nicki Minaj. Her untitled debut album will be released sometime before the end of this year around the fall season.

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Hip Hop Vibe makes Big Moves

In an effort to reach a broader audience, a lot of changes have taken place at Hip Hop Vibe. Readers will still be able to enjoy their latest news and rumors from right here, but now we have a lot more to offer. From this point on, readers can call Hip Hop Vibe home. A social networking community has been added to the website and now the readers can have their say. Any rumors or news tips that any of the readers have can be submitted through the discussion forum.

Most importantly, all of the hip hop heads out there have a space just for them to connect with people like them in this new community. On this site, debate, argue, and enjoy what we now have to offer. This forum will be overviewed by Hip Hop Vibe, so if the content is good enough, it may end up making the front page of Hip Hop Vibe. In addition to the social networking site, Hip Hop Vibe is also expanding to finally have the "Weekly Wrap Up," and a new emphasis on video.

Every day, Hip Hop Vibe will select from the latest videos, the top video of the day, which will be decided by the fans. Also, an official contact for Hip Hop Vibe has been set up and we will be checking it daily, so please continue to come to the site. Everything that is currently Hip Hop Vibe will remain Hip Hop Vibe, only now, there is an emphasis on other aspects of hop hop. Remember, if any of the discussions on the forum are popular enough, they may end up making the front page of Hip Hop Vibe.

Before the end of this month, an online store will also be created for the website. In doing all of this, we plan on moving ahead to become one of the top online destinations for the hip hop community.

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J. Cole speaks on Nas Comparisons

Two of the most-hyped 2010 debuts are the releases from Drake and J. Cole. For the first time in hip hop history, the two biggest rising stars in the game are not from the key cities. Drake is from Toronto, Canada and J. Cole is from Fayetteville, NC.

Natural in hip hop, a friendly rivalry is brewing between the two rising stars. Because of his Young Money connection, Drake has become the early winner of the competition. Despite a friendly rivalry in place between the two rappers, they are actually friends.

Often, the two rappers are asked about each other and this time was Drake's turn. Drake said that he felt that J. Cole could be the next Nas. Ironically, Drake said that his album is inspired by Illmatic. But, J. Cole recently responded to Drake's comment.

While J. Cole admitted that he was flattered by the comments that Drake made, he said that it is a little too early in the game for that type of comparison. J. Cole said that it could come in time, but right now it is too soon for anyone to create any comparisons between him and Nas.

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Ice Cube denies Dr. Dre feud, wants Collaboration

In his latest return to rap, Ice Cube has caused quite a stir within the industry. Right after his issues with the New West had died down, Cube released the new single from his album. The song in question is called "Drink The Kool-Aid." In the song, it appears that he is going at a lot of artists.

There were suggestions that the song contained a diss to his former rhyming partner, Dr. Dre. Once the song found its way back to Dre, he questioned Cube about it. In a recent talk with MTV, Cube spoke about the song. He said that Dr. Dre did ask him about the song, but he said it was not a diss to anyone.

Instead, Ice Cube said that the song was style and grace. Cube said that the internet was full of roaches because he told Dr. Dre that he would never diss him. He said that the relationship between himself and Dr. Dre is very strong. Their relationship is so strong that he has called upon Dre to help him out with his new album.

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Jeezy talks about Rap Takeover

With Lil Wayne behind bars, many rappers are trying to step up to the plate and fill his shoes. Among those artists is Jeezy, who feels that he can remove hip hop from the post-Biggie/Tupac era. For starters, he announced that he was going to change his name from Young Jeezy to simply Jeezy.

Many people had taken offense to what Jeezy said about hip hop needing to move past Tupac and Biggie. Recently, when speaking on his new album, Jeezy said that it is time to move past the deceased legends. Even when he first said it, Jeezy tried to clear up his comments.

Not taking back what he said, Jeezy said that he is going to prove his critics wrong. While he has a strong commercial following, Jeezy is not critically-acclaimed. On his last album, his commercial following was not all that strong, either. But, he plans to change all of this on his next release.

Jeezy plans to release Thug Motivation 103 sometime this summer.

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Game plans to Heat up the Summer with "R.E.D."

Last year, Game spoke of his upcoming album, The R.E.D. Album. Initially, the album was supposed to be released last fall. The album had been completed and Game was boasting about the content of it. But, right before he was able to release the album, he and Dr. Dre reunited.

The former duo had reunited for Dr. Dre's Detox album, but their chemistry quickly spilled over into The R.E.D. Album. Glad to have Dr. Dre back in his corner, Game quickly agreed to have his album pushed back. Dr. Dre soon had to hand the project over to Pharrell.

Game and Pharrell became fast friends and this led to Game being signed to his label. Once Dr. Dre returned, Game joined a joint-venture between Star Trak and Aftermath. The album was pushed back from a December release to a February release. Soon, the album was pushed back again to a March release. However, the March 23 date came and went without an album from Game.

With questions beginning to rise about his new album, Game announced that The R.E.D. Album will likely be released before the end of the summer.

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Lil Wayne DOES have a Prison Job

Last week, news broke about Lil Wayne holding a job behind bars with the suicide watch team. It was said that Toya Carter had confirmed this news. Many people wrote this off as just a rumor because Wayne was another prisoner. When news made its way back to Toya, she was furious.

Toya Carter adamantley denied ever telling anyone that Wayne had a job with the prison. She said that he did not have a job with the prison. Because of their close friendship, she said that she was tired of the media creating stories about her friend. One thing was clear and that was Toya Carter not telling anyone about Wayne.

While Toya may have not known about Lil Wayne's job on suicide watch, Wayne did have a job with the prison. Even after Toya's rant about being lied on, it turned out that she was the one not telling the truth. Likely unintentional, it turns out that Wayne does have a job on suicide watch with the prison system.

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Shyne returns with "Messiah" single

After a six-year hiatus from the game, Shyne is finally ready to return with a new album. The past year for Shyne has been a wild one. Last year was the year that Shyne finally came out of prison. Just as the festivities came underway, it was revealed that Shyne was not a legal citizen of the United States. In the end, he was deported.

Not counting his legal troubles, Shyne's name has been in rumors ever since his release date was revealed. Initially, it was said that he was going to sign with Murder Inc. Last summer, it was said that Jay-Z had signed him to Roc Nation. Then, Game said that he had signed him to his label. Before any more rumors came up, Shyne revealed that he was signed to Def Jam.

Finally having a label to call home, Shyne is ready to focus on the music again. Still, with no title for his long-awaited album, next week Shyne will release the lead single of his new album. The new single, entitled "Messiah," will be released before the end of next week. Around this time, Shyne should announce the album title and the release date.

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50 Cent negotiating with Atlantic Records?

Recently, 50 Cent has taken G-Unit Records away from Interscope in order to find another channel of distribution. Initially, 50 Cent said that he would find a distributing label before the albums came out. With the albums set to come out shortly, he needs a distributing label.

Ever since the beginning, 50 Cent said that he would likely find an exclusive distribution deal with an independent label. But, the G-Unit brand is still a profitable machine. There are plenty of major record labels that are willing to sign 50 Cent and G-Unit.

Because of the fact that he knows how to negotiate, 50 Cent would actually fare better with a major record label. Following the loss of Diddy and his Bad Boy machine, Atlantic Records needs a new major label. Since Diddy moved to Interscope after 50 Cent made plans to leave, 50 Cent may move over to Atlantic Records.

There is a possible match made in heaven between 50 Cent, G-Unit, and Atlantic Records.

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Mims ready for New Album and Major Collaborations

Mims was written off by critics as a pop rapper after the release of his debut album, Music Is My Savior. There were not too many people that were confident in his lyrical skills. However, after the release of his sophomore album, Guilt, everyone was convinced. Despite proving himself, Mims' album did not even sell 50,000 copies.

Sensing that the game is changing, Mims is considering leaving his longtime recording home of Capitol Records in exchange for an independent label. For his next album, Mims plans to bridge the gap between his first and second albums. Now that he has proved he belongs in the game, Mims wants to sell records.

Earlier this year, Mims surprised the entire rap game when he appeared alongside KRS-One and Redman on "How to Emcee 2010." The song was by Mims and he said that he is considering making it the lead single from his new album. For this new album, Mims plans to work with all of the movers and shakers of the hip hop game.

Mims feels that if he can continue to lyricism of Guilt and mix it in with some popular artists that he could possibly become the new star that hip hop is longing for.

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Ludacris hands DTP down to Lil Scrappy

Before the release of Battle of the Sexes, Ludacris had fallen out of love with the rap game. Having been in the game for nine years, Ludacris felt that he had done all that he could do. That was his reason for signing Lil Scrappy to DTP.

Lil Scrappy had been the star of Lil Jon's BME Entertainment. Early in his career, Scrappy created a few hits. But, because he was not properly promoted, Lil Scrappy fizzled away. He almost signed with G-Unit Records, but 50 Cent had his hands full.

In the end, Lil Scrappy needed DTP and DTP needed Lil Scrappy. Earlier this week, Ludacris set up the 2010 releases for his label. Having released his album early, Luda has plans of releasing Ludaversal in November. But, the marquee release from DTP will be from Lil Scrappy this year.

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Lil Wayne has no Prison Job

Yesterday, Lil Wayne was revealed to have earned a job within the New York State Prison System. It was said that his ex-wife, Toya Carter, had confirmed that he was holding a job behind bars. She reportedly said that Wayne was working with suicide watch from behind bars.

The job that Lil Wayne received behind bars had the entire hip hop community buzzing. There was the question of how Wayne ended up with the job. Some detractors said that special treatment was involved. Because of the job that Wayne had received, that was a believable story.

Now, the story has been proven to be just that, a story. Toya Carter, the ex-wife of Lil Wayne has angrily responded to the rumors. She is not upset because of the fact that this is Wayne they are talking about. Instead, Toya is angry because there are sources out there saying that she started the rumor.

Toya Carter said that Lil Wayne does not currently hold a job with the New York State Prison System. She said that what angers her the most is that her name was tied into the rumor.

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Big Boi gets a Release Date

For the past two years, Big Boi has been rumored to be working on a solo album. Towards the end of 2007, Big Boi announced that he would release an album during the summer of 2008. Supposedly, the lead single was supposed to be released on New Year's Eve.

However, 2008 went by and the new album never came. During the summer of 2009, it was revealed that Big Boi had signed with Def Jam. The man who originally signed him, L.A. Reid, was now an executive with the label. Because things had changed at Jive, Big Boi was ready for a reunion.

There has not been a set release date for this album. For the most part, the only thing that Big Boi could confirm is that the album would come out before the end of the year. However, now, Big Boi has been informed that Def Jam will be releasing his album in July 2010.

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Lost Boyz prepare comeback Album

Having been eleven years since their last release, the Lost Boyz are back in the studio. Being led by Mr. Cheeks, the group has been hailed as one of the more legendary groups in the history of hip hop.

Not only are the Lost Boyz working on a new album, they have also added two new members to the group. The group, which already consisted of Mr. Cheeks and Pretty Lou, has added Dramatic Da DJ and Black Smoke to the crew.

The new version of the Lost Boyz have been in the studio and they plan to release an album before the end of this year. They are currently signed to Universal Records. The new, untitled, album will be released under Universal.

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WC stands by Ice Cube

No stranger to controversy, Ice Cube has stirred up tons of it back home in California. In the golden era of gangsta rap, Cube was the frontman for everything gangsta. Originally a member of NWA, Cube engaged in a high-profile feud with them and won. After defeating his old partners, the throne was his. The only problem was that he did not want it.

Ever since the West was officially Ice Cube's he has become one of the top creators in Hollywood. For six years, Cube focused solely on making movies. But, in 2006, he released an album with the promise to release one every other year. In 2008, he made good on that promise and released a popular album. Like clockwork, Ice Cube has prepared his next album.

Unlike his other albums, on this one, he has proclaimed to be the West coast hip hop movement. Ever since the demise of Death Row, there have not been many rappers to represent the West. Snoop Dogg had been the only one, but there were attempts from Xzibit and Knoc-Turn' Al. However, the only Dr. Dre product to make it in the West has been Game. For the most part, it has been him and Snoop Dogg running the show and then Ice Cube releases his album.

However, the I Am The West title has the newcomers out West ready to pounce on Cube. The main person ready for war is Jay Rock. Like Ice Cube, he is from Compton, but he said that he does not want any problems with anyone. Both rappers continue to diss each other, but both rappers maintain that they do not want to feud with each other, or anyone else for that matter. Most of the young rappers have sided with Jay Rock over the legend, but the old school remains loyal. WC, a member of Cube's Westside Connection has sided with Ice Cube. This comes even after rumors that the crew was feuding with each other.

When push comes to shove, people know who their real friends are.

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Dr. Dre to release "Under Pressure" Next Week

New music will be coming from Dr. Dre for the first time in eleven years. The news has come as a shock to many people within the hip hop community. By releasing a new single, Dr. Dre is letting the people know that Detox is coming. Originally slated for a 2001 release, the album has faced a decade of delays. Despite all of the delays and the collaboration changes, Jay-Z has remained on the list.

Each year, when rumors of the album become rampant, Jay-Z speaks on his work on the album. Many people had come to assume that Jay was only fueling those rumors. Recently, talk of Detox has hit a new and unexpected peak. As usual, Jay-Z emerged and he spoke about his work on the album. However, this time, Dr. Dre also spoke on the collaboration and he said that the album would be coming soon.

Not only did Dr. Dre give information about the new album, he also gave a timeframe for the release of his first single in ten years. Dre said that "Under Pressure" will be released before the end of next week. He said to expect Detox to be released before the end of this year.

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T.I. "In the Zone" on New Album

Hoping to gain some ground on the time that he missed because of his prison sentence, T.I. has become a studio rat. Upon his early release from prison into a Halfway House, T.I. reunited with his family. Two weeks ago, he was released from the Halfway House. Now that he is back to living a regular life, T.I. has gotten back to work on a new album.

Earlier this year, T.I. returned with the first single since he was released from prison. The song was properly titled, "I'm Back." Initially, rumors stated that an album from T.I. was not likely to happen until next year. Being the type of artist that he is, T.I. wanted to return to the game as fast as he could. Now that he is out from behind bars, he did not want to waste any time.

Having worked on the album ever since January, T.I. has a lot of material ready to be released. The-Dream recently listened to the music off of this new album. He said that T.I. has always been a great rapper, but he is on an entirely different level with this new album. Dream described T.I. as being "in the zone" with his new music. In his opinion, there is not a song that T.I. has recorded that is not great. Currently, the new album from T.I. is expected to be released in August.

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Redman discusses Def Jam issues

Over the course of his solo career, Redman has been signed to Def Jam. Until recently, he has had nothing but good times on the label. It was during his time with Def Jam that he came to know Method Man. The bond between the two rappers led to their tag-team duo, which they refer to as Method Man & Redman. Together, they have created multiple hits.

The most recent of their hits was their 2009 album, Blackout 2. But, that album came after multiple delays from Def Jam. It is no secret that the label has changed since its heyday of the late 1990s. Early in the 2000s, Def Jam shocked the world when Jay-Z was named CEO of the entire operation. During this time, a lot of Def Jam artists expressed their displeasure with the new boss.

Redman never publicly spoke out against Jay-Z, but he was not pleased when the label hired another rapper to be the boss. Before the era of Jay-Z, Redman and the other rappers on the label had no trouble putting music out. However, in the time since Jay-Z gave up the role, it is still hard for artists not named Rick Ross or Rihanna to put any music out. For the past two years, Redman had been trying to release his next solo album, Reggie. But, the label has been seemingly working against him.

With everything going on, a lot of people felt that Redman was preparing to leave Def Jam. While he did not deny any friction with the label, Red has revealed that he has no plans of leaving anytime soon. Instead, he plans to stay around and release his album. There is no set release date, but Reggie will be coming out sometime this summer.

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What if Tupac Shakur had never Died: 50 Cent

Perhaps more than any other musical figure, there has not been another rapper influenced by Tupac as much as 50 Cent without ever knowing him. The same people who helped Tupac make hits have helped 50 Cent make hits. Early in the career of 50 Cent, some people tried to compare him to Tupac. While he was flattered, 50 Cent denied those comparisons.

However, in a lot of his early music, 50 Cent referenced Tupac. In fact, he built his feud with Ja Rule on his similarities to Tupac Shakur. Ja had risen to become a star in 2002. Because he was the biggest star in the game, Ja Rule was looking to become a legend. Known for his braids, the rapper shaved his head bald and he bulked up. In addition to going bald and building a muscular frame, Rule got many tattoos all over his body.

On his 2002 album, The Last Temptation, Ja Rule began to rap as if he and Tupac knew each other and he said that if Tupac were still alive that they would both be taking on such people as 50 Cent. During his feud with DMX, he even got heated and said that he was the reincarnated version of Tupac. It was statements like these, not his constant singing, that laid the groundwork for his demise. This is what turned the fans off and they needed someone to represent them. 50 Cent marketed himself as a hardcore rapper, much like Tupac, but not trying to be him. Instead, 50 Cent showed himself as a rapper who had respect for Shakur. He used the Ja Rule imitations against Ja Rule and became a star.

But, if Tupac Shakur had never died, Ja Rule never would have had the feeling that he could become the reincarnated version of Shakur. Instead, Rule would have stayed the course of his Venni Vetti Vecci album and there would have been no basis for attack from 50 Cent. So, all of the accomplishments, and the hit records, from 50 Cent may have never happened if Tupac Shakur had never died.

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Jae Millz explains New Jersey arrest

Last week, Jae Millz attempted to prove that he had no hard feelings with XXL. He was headed to a New Jersey concert promoted by the magazine. The magazine was holding a concert for the rappers featured on their Freshmen 2010 cover. Despite not being featured on the cover, Jae Millz decided to perform, anyway. Being from Harlem, he was in store for an hour-long drive.

However, before he could make it to the concert, it was revealed that Jae Millz had been arrested. It was said that he was pulled over by the police. Upon being pulled over, Jae Millz was caught driving without a license. But, many people wondered why the police would stop Millz out of all of the people on the highway. The Young Money rapper has provided more insight to what actually happened.

Jae Millz said that the reason that he was pulled over was because he was speeding. Not only was he speeding, but the rapper was also on the phone. Both of those offenses have become very serious crimes because of the high car accident rate across the nation. Then, this was added to the fact that he made an illegal turn. When he was asked for his license and registration and he had no license, Millz had the chance to spend time behind bars.

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Fabolous denies Real Feud with Jim Jones

For the past few days, Fabolous and Jim Jones have been sending disses back and forth through Twitter. Both rappers are known for saying whatever is on their mind. Until recently, many assumed that they were friends. Their feud began when Jones accused Fab of stealing his style in the new "Body Ya" video.

In the time since Jim Jones made those comments, Fabolous has been letting him have it. He has been making fun of everything that made Jim Jones into a star. In the past, Fabolous was viewed as a supporter of Jim Jones. That appeared to change, especially when Fab teased Jones for "We Fly High" and "Pop Champagne."

Even after teasing him for his only claim to fame, Fabolous is denying that anything was actually going on. He said that Jim Jones was playing and so was he. Fabolous does not want to get into a feud with Dipset over something this small. Fab said that all that he did was defend himself and that he does not want things to get out of hand.

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AZ prepares New Album, "Doe or Die 2"

Fifteen years ago, AZ came into the game with his critically-acclaimed album, Doe or Die. That album was the closest that he ever came to achieving mainstream success. The albums that AZ has released since have been commercial failures and received mixed critical reviews. But, he is hoping that all of that will soon come to an end.

Recently, a wave has hit New York rappers. Jay-Z was the first rapper to create this trend. Being away from the game for two years, Jay released The Blueprint 3. Just like that, he regained his entire fan base and then some. Similarly, Raekwon released the sequel to his critically-acclaimed debut album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.

AZ is now joining this party. While he has long given up on becoming a rap star, he is looking to regain his prominence. For the sequel to his 1995 debut album, AZ is teaming up with the current big names. Still, he will retain his style from his first album. AZ hopes that will provide an incredible mixture that could lead to success.

Expected to be released this summer, AZ will also be reuniting with Nas, his former collaborator from earlier in his career.

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Drake completes "Thank Me Later"

Last year, when Drake released So Far Gone, there were many who thought that it was an album. Drake would boast about this. But, even as he was releasing material from the mixtape, he was promoting Thank Me Later. Once people realized that So Far Gone was just a mixtape, they assumed that his album would come in 2009.

While Drake did not release an album in 2009, he was the biggest rap act of the year. Most of the talk about Drake surrounded his new album. There was a lot of hype that was around The Blueprint 3, but no one talked about that album as much as they talked about this one. Drake spoke of the first single for four months before it was even released.

Last month, however, "Over" was released and it has become the anthem of spring 2010. Aside from the lead single, Drake spoke of "Light It Up" and a collaboration with Eminem. When Drake spoke of the album, he said that he wanted it to be one of those critically-acclaimed debut albums, much like the debuts from Jay-Z and Nas. Drake has provided a lot of talk.

Now, he is ready to put that talk into action as Drake has completed Thank Me Later. The only thing that he has left to do is release it and he plans to do that soon. Initially scheduled for a June release, Drake has the rare joy of his album being pushed up for release on May 25, 2010. The album will be released on Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Motown.

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Remy Ma may be Released Early

Towards the end of 2007, Remy Ma was a part of the hip hop show that took place at a New York City courtroom. On November 4, 2007, the courtroom was hosting Busta Rhymes, Ja Rule, Lil Wayne, and Remy Ma at the same time. Ironically, all four of the rappers would end up losing their respective cases.

The first rapper of the bunch to be sentenced was Remy Ma. She was sentenced to eight years of prison after picking up an assault charge. Not only was she behind bars, but the entire female rap game was, too, because she was it. However, Nicki Minaj has recently emerged as the future of the female rap game.

According to Papoose, Nicki will soon have company. Two years ago, just as Remy Ma began her prison stint, Papoose married her. In a recent interview with VIBE, Papoose revealed that Remy Ma may be released sooner than previously thought. He could not provide much information, but he said that things are looking good.

Papoose said that if things continue the way that they are going, she will be out very soon. If she loses her repeal, Remy Ma will remain in prison for four more years. She will not come out until September 2014.

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Jadakiss talks Underground Album

As he prepares for the release of his next album, Jadakiss first had to reintroduce himself to the streets. Before the release of The Last Kiss he did this and had successful results. Now that the formula worked, before the release of each album, Jadakiss will release a mixtape. This also holds fans over as he waits for a release date.

The mixtape from Jadakiss, Champ Is Here 3, is the second mixtape release of the year. So far, 2010 has been a slow year for hip hop because last year, almost every artist had a mixtape out. This was not limited to just rappers, either, even R&B artists had mixtapes out. But, this year, things have been slow.

Jadakiss has realized this and he said that he put his mixtape out so that he could fill that void. He said that the inspiration for this new mixtape was because of his fans. The promotional has already started, but Jadakiss will not release the mixtape until next month.

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Jae Millz misses XXL Freshmen Concert with Cam'ron and Vado

Despite his public issues with XXL and their Freshmen 2010 cover, Jae Millz was going to make peace. He had planned to join Cam'ron and Vado in a performance sponsored by the magazine. The concert was held in New Jersey and Jae Millz was going to drive there to begin the performance.

Still living in Harlem, New York, it was only a two-hour drive for him to arrive in New Jersey. But, as soon as he got out of the state, Millz was stopped by the police. In what was a routine traffic check ended with the rapper behind bars. For two hours, Jae Millz was in jail because of driving without a license.

Jae Millz told the story earlier today through Nicki Minaj's Ustream channel and on Twitter. He said that the officers even got a little smart with him. When he told them that he was a rapper, they jokingly asked if he was Juelz Santana. He said that they also made fun of his attire.

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Young Buck shuns G-Unit, contemplates Roc Nation

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the feud between Young Buck and G-Unit Records. Their feud had been going on for a year, prior to, but things went public in 2008. In the time since the feud began, Young Buck has become one of the most-vocal critics of 50 Cent.

Last year, Young Buck decided to stop dissing 50 Cent and start trying to get on his good side. Buck felt that if he played nice with the boss of the Unit that he would get released from the label. The plan to play nice with 50 Cent backfired and Buck found himself the target on "So Disrespectful."

Ever since the New Year came in, Young Buck has been sending multiple disses towards 50 Cent and G-Unit. There was a time, last year, when it appeared as if a truce could be reached. Young Buck has shut down any chance of a truce with 50 Cent. Finally off of the G-Unit label, Buck said that he proved he can get money without them.

Last year, when Beanie Sigel began feuding with Jay-Z, the entire hip hop world looked at him as being ungrateful. But, when Young Buck began feuding with 50 Cent, many people sided with him. Because of this and Beanie Sigel aligning with 50, people saw him as disrespectful. Even though both Beanie and 50 said that they teamed up to rattle Jay-Z, there is a chance that he could still end up on G-Unit. Young Buck has a response if that does happen. He said that it would not take much for him to sign with Roc Nation.

While Young Buck would sign with Roc Nation, his primary focus is getting out of the deal with G-Unit. He no longer counts himself as a G-Unit artist, but legally, he is still signed to the label. Buck is hoping to negotiate a deal with 50 Cent that would allow him to get his cut, while he signed to his Cashville label and set up a distribution deal. Being the type of person that he is, 50 Cent is likely to keep Young Buck in his contract with G-Unit Records for the next ten years.

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