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

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

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.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Drake almost strikes gold in First Week

It has been a long time since a rapper has come into the hip hop game as a star. The people have rallied around Drake as he has proven he is more than a pop rapper. From the start, he was working with the big names in the game. With his Thank Me Later album right around the corner, many rappers gave their predictions about how well it would sell.

T.I. was the first rapper to give his opinion, saying he felt the album would sell 50,000 copies in its first week. Game, however, went out on a limb and said the album would sell gold in its first week. When the Young Money boss, Lil Wayne, was asked how much the album would sell, he said the album better go platinum in week one. Of course, he said this because Drake is his product.

While T.I. is a well-respected member of the hip hop community, his prediction was off. Lil Wayne knew he was asking a lot, but Drake did outsell his last two albums in the first week. Game's prediction was the closest, as Drake sold a little over 442,000 copies in his first week. While he did not quite strike gold in his first week, he will by the time the second week album sales come in.

Thank Me Later is currently in stores across the nation, having been released on June 15, 2010.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

T.I. discusses retirement

In the wake of Ja Rule speaking about older rappers in the game, some of the current stars have given their opinions on what they plan to do when they age. Outside of the Young Money movement and Rick Ross, T.I. is the hottest rapper in the game. What he has to say about the rap game grasps the attention of everyone.

The statement made by Ja Rule has made its way across the internet and other rappers are giving their opinion. T.I. has become the latest rapper to speak on aging in the game. He has the highest level of respect for Jay-Z, but T.I. said he cannot be an old rapper. As he gets older, T.I. will record a retirement album and end his career.

Outside of the rap game, T.I. has opened several business ventures to keep himself fed. For the past few years, T.I. has poured his energy into his clothing line and his Grand Hustle label. When he reaches a certain age, T.I. will give up his position in the game to focus solely on running his businesses. Like many other rappers, he learned there is a lot more to the game than being a thug, he buttoned up like Diddy and Jay-Z.

King Uncaged will be released on August 17 through Grand Hustle and Atlantic Records.

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.

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.

Ja Rule talks about Jay-Z and Age in Hip Hop

Four years ago, Nas created worldwide discussion about the hip hop community when he said Hip Hop Is Dead. In the years since the discussion began, some have said people like him are killing it. Ten years ago, the biggest names in rap were Jay-Z, Nas, and Eminem. In today's times, they are no longer the headliners, but they are taking up space.

There is often talk of who will inherit the crown of king of New York from Jay-Z. The only male rapper to make much noise since the initial retirement of Jay-Z has been Maino. He said hip hop will never be able to truly grow because of the old rappers. Most of the older rappers are unwilling to move to the side so new ones can emerge. He cited his own problems as a result of this.

Discussion about where rap is going and how the veterans fit in is always there. Recently, Ja Rule, rap's biggest star ten years ago, gave his opinion. He said rap music will continue to grow, but people like Jay-Z will always be there. In a few years, someone else may come along and gain steam, but hip hop will never fall out of love with Jay-Z. Because of everything Jay-Z has done, Ja Rule said he does not see his man falling off.

Rule argued hip hop is not a fad, as it will continue to grow. He said the game will always run off of youth because the business is targeting young people. But, thirty years from now, Ja Rule sees himself still listening to hip hop. This is much like how artists of other genres still listen to music. Regardless of what is going on in the world, music will still remain prominent. Until something better comes along to replace it, hip hop is still the best way for people to express themselves. As long as there are problems, which there will be in life, people will express themselves, so hip hop will be here.

J. Cole - "Who Dat" OFFICIAL VIDEO

Monday, June 21, 2010

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.

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.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Jay-Z's secret concert Shut Down by Mayor Bloomberg

For the past few weeks, Jay-Z and the Roc Nation team have been planning a secret concert in New York. The only problem with planning a secret is the idea of someone finding out. This upcoming Monday, Jay has a scheduled appearance with television personality, David Letterman.

Following his appearance and interview with Letterman, Jay-Z was going to give a surprise performance on the street. But, soon the plan was revealed to the public. After a recent Drake performance in New York City turned violent, the city stepped in.

With Jay-Z being a bigger New York star, there is a bigger risk, one Mayor Bloomberg is not willing to take. Because of this, he decided to stop the secret concert before it started. Jay-Z boasted of his relationship with the mayor. Both are insanely rich and do business together.

However, this time around politics are involved and Mayor Bloomberg cannot negotiate with that.

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.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Ja Rule worried about Upcoming Trial

Ever since his fall from grace, Ja Rule has wanted a return to the top of the charts more than anything else. Three years ago, he thought he had put himself in the right position to win. Instead, he found his album shelved by Universal Records. For over a year, he and Irv Gotti have been regrouping. They have now set up shop with Atlantic Records.

For the past year, the biggest thing on Ja Rule's mind has been his comeback album. After ending his feud with DMX, Ja Rule has big plans for this upcoming album. He has titled it after his 1999 debut album, Venni Vetti Vecci. However, the new version of the album will be dubbed Venni Vetti Vecci 2010.

All that has been on Ja's mind for the past few months has been this album, but he currently finds himself in the fight of his life. Once, he saw what life could be like without Irv Gotti. Now, he is getting a firsthand look of what life could be like without himself. In 2007, Ja picked up a gun charge with Lil Wayne.

Possibly facing four years in prison, Ja Rule is very worried about what could go wrong.

Tony Yayo says Rick Ross will never be Biggie

It was only a matter of time before someone from G-Unit spoke about the relationship between Diddy and Rick Ross. Some have started to compare Ross to the late Notorious B.I.G. because of his style. Diddy, the man who handled Biggie's business, has taken the same role with Rick Ross. Along the way, he has compared Ross to his late friend.

50 Cent used to often brag of how he ended careers. Tony Yayo compared him to LL Cool J. But, last year, Rick Ross baited 50 into a feud and won. Despite not being in the good graces of 50 Cent, Rick Ross has still been able to sell records. Ross remains one of the hottest rappers in the game. The main reason for all of this success is because Diddy has been in his corner.

Not too long ago, 50 Cent had issues with Diddy. Their feud had gotten so far out of hand that 50 Cent threatened to tell of Diddy's involvement in Biggie's death. The hip hop community stepped in before things got too out of hand. Even after ending the feud, a lot of animosity remains between the two moguls. Their issues stem from years ago and 50 Cent never got over being fired by Diddy at Bad Boy.

More recently, 50 Cent said Diddy is not the great artist everyone hypes him up to be. 50 Cent said there was only one hot album from Diddy and it came when he was Puff Daddy. But, in the time since then, he has not had good music. 50 Cent advised the people not to purchase Last Train From Paris because the music was trash. Only days after 50 Cent attacked Diddy for his music, Tony Yayo has attacked him for his constant comparisons of Rick Ross and Biggie. Yayo said no matter how hard Diddy tries, Ross will never end up being Biggie.

Biggie was a big-time drug dealer before he made it big as a rapper. Rick Ross, on the other hand, was a big time police officer who adapted the life of a drug dealer after he began rapping. Because of this, Yayo knows for a fact Rick Ross will never be anything like The Notorious B.I.G.

Album Preview: Fat Joe - "The Darkside, Vol. 1"

Track Listing:

1. "Intro"
2. "Valley of Death"
3. "I Am Crack"
4. "Kilo" featuring Clipse and Cam'ron
5. "Rappers are in Danger"
6. "Slow Down (Ha Ha)" featuring Young Jeezy
7. "If It Ain't About Money featuring Trey Songz
8. "No Problems" featuring Rico Love
9. "How Did We Get Here" featuring R. Kelly
10. "Money Over Bitches" featuring T.A. and Too $hort

11. "Heavenly Father" featuring Lil Wayne
12. "I'm Gone"

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Album Review: Drake - "Thank Me Later"

Only a few months ago, there were doubts about the rapper, Drake. Last year, he was out promoting his mixtape, So Far Gone. Some hip hop critics dubbed it the album of the year. Drake recorded the mixtape by himself and it got him signed to Young Money. Instead of rushing into an album, Lil Wayne promoted Drake with the rest of the crew.

Good things come to those who wait. On the lead single from Thank Me Later, "Over," Drake said he wanted to keep Young Money going. It is safe to say Young Money is in great hands with Drake. He worked with anyone who would take him when he first began rapping. In time, he became the focus.

Drake went from hoping to work with anyone to everybody wanting to work with him. Despite moving to the top of the game at a rapid pace, Drake did not forget the people who helped him when no one else would. Instead of using his collaboration with Swizz Beatz as the lead single, Drake used the Boi-1da-produced, "Over." Because the song came from Drake, it became a hit.

But, the album proves how versatile Drake actually is. When speaking of his lyrical ability, Drake said he knows he is a good rapper, but he wants to be great. Outside of rapping, in general, Drake is actually a pretty good singer, too. His second single, "Find Your Love," proves this. Drake shows he can do a little bit of everything on his debut album. Most rappers team up with singers to perform the hooks of their songs, but all Drake has to do is change the tone of his voice. Not too many rappers sing their own hooks and sound good doing it. 50 Cent said he is like a good-singing version of Ja Rule.

When speaking of influences, Drake said he has looked at the people who were on top of the game before him and he benefits from having Lil Wayne in his corner. The main reason Drake is sitting on top of the game is because of everything Lil Wayne has done for him. Lil Wayne spoke true words on the third single from Thank Me Later, "Miss Me." There are few albums which can be listened to in its entirety without a single track being skipped over. Thank Me Later is one of those few albums which can be played without skipping a single second. On each song, Drake comes with a different style.

Despite coming with a different style on each track, Drake comes off in a strong manner. If his rhymes are not legendary, his singing is comparable to Usher. His performance on Thank Me Later is captivating as he tells his story of pain, rising, and triumph all over unique beats. Listening to the album will force people to laugh, cry, part, and dance. From track-to-track, Drake is able to change things up and the people will not miss a beat. Even as great as the album is, after listening to it, Drake feels as if he could have done better on the album. It is already the best hip hop album of 2010.

There may have been doubts about Drake at the start of his career, but there is no one who feels Drake cannot make it in the rap game. No, he is no longer the black kid in the wheelchair on "Degrassi." Instead, the man once known for his role on the teen soap is a Canadian rapper with a New Orleans accent dominating the game. A day cannot go by without a Drake song being played on the radio. The good thing about this is there are so many to choose from. Thank Me Later is a must-buy and Hip Hop Vibe gives it ten out of ten discs.

Eminem nearly dissed Lil Wayne and Kanye West

Recently, Eminem revealed some relatively shocking news to the public. With his album expected to come out next Monday, he has opened up about a few of the album tracks. On the track, "Talkin' 2 Myself," Em revealed he came close to dissing his partners in rhyme, Lil Wayne and Kanye West.

The rise of Lil Wayne and Kanye West took place during the five-year hiatus from Eminem. At the time, Eminem felt as if he could take on any rapper in the game. For years, he remained one of the hottest rappers out. But, while he was gone, Wayne and Kanye took over.

Eminem knew the rhymes would have been hot enough, but he ultimately chose not to diss the rappers. Looking back on the situation, Eminem said it would have been career suicide. But, he almost ended up feuding with Lil Wayne. While Wayne was recording Tha Carter IIII, he called out Em.

Lil Wayne said he wanted to record a track with Eminem more than anything else. He said he reached out to the Detroit rapper several times. But, Eminem did not respond to any of his messages. Sensing he would not respond to a friendly message, Lil Wayne said he may record a diss record to get his attention. Even then, he admitted Eminem would defeat him in a rap war. However, Weezy felt it would have been great for the hip hop community. The feud never happened, but it almost did.

Instead of these rappers sending out diss records, they have become the best of friends and they all came together for the Drake single, "Forever." Eminem was featured on Drake's debut album, Thank Me Later, which was released on Lil Wayne's Young Money label. Lil Wayne is featured on Eminem's Recovery and Em had a feature on Wayne's Rebirth on the "Drop The World" single. Eminem will release Recovery on June 21, 2010 on Shady Records and Interscope.

Recently

Monday, June 14, 2010

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.

Jadakiss calls out Lil' Kim

Former associate of Lil' Kim, Jadakiss, has become the latest person to speak on her feud with Nicki Minaj. Jadakiss was entering the game around the same time as Lil' Kim. Due to their affiliation, the two have worked together multiple times. Lil' Kim collaborated with The L.O.X. on "Money, Power, Respect."

Over the years, Jadakiss has become good friends with Lil' Kim and it was expected of him to side with her. But, Jadakiss has been watching the entire situation unfold. From what he sees, there is a jealous Lil' Kim who is angling to knock Nicki Minaj off her game. Jadakiss does not stand for this.

Recently, Lil' Kim said she has been upset with Nicki Minaj for over a year. In Jada's opinion, he thinks her beef with Nicki is pointless. If she had an issue with Minaj a year ago, she should have said something then. Jadakiss, like the rest of the hip hop world, feels Lil' Kim waited to diss her while she was hot.

Jadakiss went on to say he does not fault Lil' Kim for speaking her mind about the new sensation. He just feels she should have said something when she was first upset with Nicki Minaj. In his mind, he feels there is no need for her to be upset now. Nicki Minaj has been copying Lil' Kim's style ever since her first mixtape and nothing was said by Lil' Kim. But, now Nicki Minaj is hot and Kim is upset all of a sudden. He feels she is trying to diss Nicki Minaj for the attention, but he still credits her as the Queen Bee.

While Lil' Kim feels Nicki Minaj has not paid homage, Jadakiss says she does not have to. Instead, Jada feels her style does it for her. Everything from her rhymes to her outfits screams Lil' Kim. He said the feud should be great for record sales, which is great for hip hop. Jadakiss does not support random beef, but he said it would be a great way for Lil' Kim to land a comeback. If Lil' Kim loses the feud, it would be a great way for the newcomer, Nicki Minaj to come into the game. Few rappers enter the game defeating a legend.

Ludacris goes gold with "Battle of the Sexes"

Ludacris had almost fallen out of love with the rap game after the release of Release Therapy. His name was being called for film roles and television roles. In some ways, Ludacris felt he had outgrown the rap game. There was a time when he released an album every year because he was hungry. He released that album because he felt obligated.

In 2008, Ludacris released Theater of the Mind and again seemed bored with recording music. He announced he would record a sequel to the album and release it in 2009. But, Luda announced the album would be his final release. Aside from a new solo album, Ludacris announced a collaboration album with Shawnna. Battle of the Sexes had been talked about since 2007.

Two years after the initial announcement, Ludacris began working on his part of the album. When it was Shawnna's turn to record music for the album, she declined. For the past few months, she had been talking with T-Pain's Nappy Boy Music about a new record deal. Upset, Ludacris allowed her to leave the label and he removed her from the album. Battle of the Sexes became his seventh studio album and Ludacris fell back in love with the rap game. In many ways, he reverted back to his trademark style.

The album featured two chart-topping singles with "How Low," the lead, and "My Chick Bad." Ludacris collaborated with many of the top females in the game. His list of collaborators includes Nicki Minaj, Lil' Kim, and Monica. These female artists were brought in to fill the void Shawnna left on the album. The album becomes the eighth-consecutive album from Ludacris to certify gold. Additionally, the album is his seventh solo album to go gold. To date, Ludacris has yet to have an album not certify. Ludacris joins Lil Wayne as the only other rapper to release an album in 2010 and have it certify gold.

Drake already focused on Next Album

Tomorrow, Drake's long-awaited debut album, Thank Me Later finally hits stores. It is hard to believe Drake has yet to officially debut in the game. He has been releasing mixtapes since late 2007. Last year, his So Far Gone mixtape sounded a lot like a studio album. Some people still think the mixtape was an album.

While So Far Gone was not an album, it did enough to gain the attention of major record labels. Universal Motown was obsessed with signing Drake. However, Drake was not interested in signing with the label. Fearing Drake would sign elsewhere, they had Lil Wayne sign him to his Universal imprint Young Money.

For the past few months, Drake has been working on his debut album. His months of hard work are finally about to pay off, but Drake is looking at the future. He is already planning his sophomore album and he has major plans for it. Drake said hip hop is all about moments and he thinks this may be a great title for his album. Rappers who were popular a few years ago are obsessed with their past, their moment, Drake is trying to live his.

However, before he releases his next album, Drake is going to return to the mixtape game to improve his lyrical ability. While Drake is considered to be a great rapper by many, in his opinion, he is not a great rapper and he wants to be great. Drake is confident in his ability as he says he feels he is good. But, good is not his personal best. Drake feels his personal best could actually be the best in the overall game. The only thing he wants is to be better than what he is at the moment.

T.I. - "King Uncaged" trailer and Album Cover

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.

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.

Diddy has to wait Even Longer for the "Last Train"

Following the release of Press Play, Diddy began working on a new album. Outside of running his businesses, Diddy was recording the second We Invented The Remix album. The release date for the album was supposed to be on December 18, 2007. However, the release date came and went.

Towards the end of 2008, Diddy announced he was preparing to begin working on a concept album. In April 2009, Diddy announced he was retiring from the game. With everything going on, Diddy wanted to develop a reliable star for Bad Boy. The artist he chose to lead the next generation of Bad Boy Records was Red Cafe.

Diddy put Red Cafe to work on his debut album and he began recording an album called Last Train to Paris. Initially, the album was supposed to be released during the fall of 2009. In September 2009, an official statement came from Diddy. He announced he had opened a new distribution deal with Atlantic Records.

Because of this new deal, Last Train to Paris was pushed back to April 2010. Diddy tried to release new singles from the album, but they were not well-received by the fans. This led to the album being pushed back to an indefinite release date. With no release date and no pressure, Diddy went into the studio and recorded when he felt like it. The product of his no pressure approach was the single, "Angels," with Dirty Money. The song gained a bit of radio play and the Rick Ross-assisted remix became a minor hit.

The album has been set for a June release date, but it was pushed back to a July date. From the July release date, Last Train to Paris is currently set for a September 20, 2010 release date. The album was initially planned for release in September 2009. Last Train to Paris will be released through Bad Boy Records with distribution from Interscope Records.

Friday, June 11, 2010

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.

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.

Lil Wayne expects Drake to go Diamond

Everyone has been talking about Drake ever since he released his mixtape, So Far Gone. The mixtape was credited by many as the best album of 2009. Because his mixtape was classic, the fans could not wait until he released an album. In only a few days, the debut album from Drake will be released.

T.I. and other rappers have predicted how many copies the album will sell. Despite being popular, T.I. does not feel the album will make a major impact during its first week. He predicted the album to sell 50,000 copies in its first week. Lil Wayne, the man Drake calls boss, has other ideas.

Lil Wayne spoke from behind bars about Thank Me Later and what he expected from the album. Wayne predicted it to be one of the best albums of the year. From a commercial standpoint, Wayne said he felt the album would sell 2 million copies in its first week. In the end, Wayne wants the album to go diamond.

Drake will release Thank Me Later on June 15, 2010 on Young Money/Cash Money/Universal.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Fat Joe sides with Lil' Kim over Nicki Minaj

The recent war of words from Lil' Kim to Nicki Minaj have had the entire rap world talking. Everyone knows Lil' Kim as the queen bee of the rap game. Had it not been for Lil' Kim, not too many people would take femcees as serious as they do. But, it has been a while since new music came from Lil' Kim. During her time off, Nicki Minaj has been holding things down.

Apparently, this has not been good enough for Lil' Kim and she feels as if she has been robbed. Kim has been dissing Nicki Minaj for over a week. Nicki Minaj said she has no time to help these washed-up stars rebuild their careers. Lil' Kim said all she wants from Nicki is for her to pay homage. Drake said Nicki Minaj should not pay Lil' Kim anything with the way she has been acting.

Fat Joe is good friends with Lil' Kim and he was there for her during her feud with 50 Cent. However, he has also been good friends with Lil Wayne and supports Drake. Most would think he would stay out of this feud, but Fat Joe has decided to stand beside Lil' Kim once again. He said she is exactly right when it comes to Nicki Minaj. Fat Joe feels Nicki Minaj has capitalized off of Lil' Kim and he also feels as if she should pay homage to Lil' Kim.

However, Fat Joe does not have any plans of coming out with a diss record of his own for Nicki Minaj. He worked with Lil' Kim on his 2009 album Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E. 2). Fat Joe plans to release his next album, The Darkside Vol. 1 on July 13, 2010.

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.

50 Cent says Diddy's music sucks

50 Cent has never been a fan of Diddy. After 50 Cent was shot, he was dropped by Columbia Records. Once Columbia dropped him, all record companies turned their backs. However, Bad Boy Records hired him as a songwriter. Diddy was a major fan of 50 Cent and he wrote a few hits for the label. But, when Diddy realized 50 Cent brought a weapon to work, he decided to let him go.

Among the people he took aim at when he returned in 2003 was the head of Bad Boy Records. He did not do it in a major way, he was able to keep his feelings hidden. 50 Cent performed on the Bad Boys II soundtrack and took the stage with Diddy. However, he took a cheap shot at Diddy on "The Realest," in which he said he does not dance around like Diddy.

Their issues came to a head when 50 Cent tried to sign Mase even though he was under contract with Bad Boy. Diddy blocked the move and he threatened to sue. Because of this, 50 Cent soon released multiple records which took aim at Diddy. Soon, other rappers stepped in because their feud had gotten a little too serious when 50 Cent brought The Notorious B.I.G. into it. The two would publicly end their feud on national television through MTV.

Diddy is currently preparing to release his final studio album, Last Train to Paris. The album is expected to come out before the end of the summer. Because this is his last album, Diddy has decided to change things up. Instead of rapping, on this album, Diddy has decided to sing. Diddy has yet to have a major hit off of the album and 50 Cent said it is because his new music sucks. He said this comment has nothing to do with their past issues, but it has to do with the fact his music sucks. His comments may have been true, but there are not too many people bumping "Do You Think About Me?"

Kanye West to perform at 2010 BET Awards

After last year, it was a wonder if any other awards ceremony would invite Kanye West to attend. But, if there was any awards show that would welcome Kanye West, it would be the BET Awards. BET gave Kanye West a chance when no other music video channels would. Also, BET is for the black audience and they show the black artists.

Because of his actions last September, all of the other media outlets have given up on Kanye West. However, BET has not and they want to prove Kanye West is still good. Not only have they invited Kanye West to attend the awards ceremony, but they also want him to perform. West has not performed at an awards show since 2008 at the Video Music Awards.

Kanye West will join Rick Ross, Drake, DJ Khaled, Fabolous, Diddy, Dirty Money, Nicki Minaj, and Trey Songz. Kanye will be performing the lead single from Good Ass Job, "Power." The album is planned for release sometime in September of this year.

Ja Rule faces major Prison Time

In July 2007, Ja Rule was hard at work on his comeback album, The Mirror. Things were going well for Rule as he had a popular song on the radio. He went with a formula that could not go wrong. The song featured a verse from Lil Wayne. Poised to make a long rise up the charts, Ja Rule and Lil Wayne filmed the video on the streets of New York.

Often, Ja Rule speaks of this night and he says it was one of the best nights of his life. But, there is one part he would love to forget about and it was the part about him spending the night in jail. Both he and his collaborator were caught with guns and drugs. Wayne is currently serving his prison sentence and will be out next year. Ja Rule, Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, and Remy Ma were at court together.

Each of the rappers who have gone before the judge ended up losing their case. Ja Rule is the last rapper to go and he has pleaded 'not guilty.' Rule has hired the same lawyer who represented Lil Wayne and she is determined to have a different outcome for this rapper than what she had with the first one. Rule goes to trial on August 18 and if he is found guilty, he could spend up to four years behind bars.

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.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Young Money has fallen in Love

Before Lil Wayne went to prison, he told Drake it would be up to him to keep Young Money afloat. On his debut single, Drake promised he would make sure the Young Money ship never sank. Wayne has been behind bars for two months and three of the hottest singles on the radio are from his artists, Drake and Nicki Minaj.

Following his hit, "Over," Drake showed off his R&B side with his single, "Find Your Love." The second single released from the album, it has become quite a hit. Despite it being very popular, the video caused a bit of uproar in Jamaica, the place it was filmed. Even with the negative press, the song has been rising the charts.

With "Find Your Love" taking over the summer radio waves, Nicki Minaj has gotten into the action. Recently, she released another single from her untitled debut album and it is titled "Your Love." The song speaks of Minaj finding love and has a similar concept to Drake's. The song has had basically no promotion, but has already reached as high as number seven on the US Rap Charts. However, the song has yet to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

Regardless of where the song is charting, the song is charting. Turn on the radio and one of these two songs by the flagship artists of Young Money will be playing. Lil Wayne has been behind bars for two months. As he was leaving, Wayne wanted to "Drop the World." Young Money followed suit, but after being "On Fire," the two foot soldiers of the crew have fallen in love.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

Lil Wayne and Drake team up for New Album

Last year, with the addition of Drake to his rapidly-growing Young Money empire, Lil Wayne proved the critics wrong, again. First, no one thought he would ever become the focal point of hip hop. Wayne left the game, came back, then took it over. Then, no one thought he could ever lead a successful crew of his own.

Enter Drake. Ever since Drake signed to the label, the rest has been history. At this early stage in his career, Drake has been forced to lead the crew. Last year, Wayne was found guilty of a gun charge he picked up in 2007. Wayne was sentenced to one year of prison in the state of New York.

There is great chemistry between Lil Wayne and Drake, but the fans have not had a chance to hear much from them. Wayne was featured on "Successful" and "Forever," but he shared time with Trey Songz, Kanye West, and Eminem. But, on the mixtape songs they recorded together, there is an undeniable chemistry between the two rappers. Because of this chemistry and the fact of the two rappers hardly being heard together on one track with no other artists, Lil Wayne has decided to record an album with Drake.

For the remainder of 2010, Lil Wayne will be behind prison, but he will be marketing his album from behind bars. Recently, he released the video for "Knockout" featuring Nicki Minaj and it should soon be on television. When he returns from prison, Lil Wayne will be working on Tha Carter IV. The album should be completed and released before the end of 2011. Following the release of Tha Carter IV, Lil Wayne will begin working with Drake on a collaboration album. For over fifteen tracks, the two rappers will trade verses with a few solo songs in between.

Drake confirmed this album earlier today. The album is tentatively slated for a late 2011 release date.

Drake hits back at Lil' Kim

Unlike most rappers in the game, Drake tries to be non-confrontational. Ever since Young Money was founded, one thing Lil Wayne does not tolerate is beef. His aim is to build relationships with anyone willing to create. Seeing where his crew is in the game, this has paid off very well for him.

Drake's name has come up a few times when underground rappers mention him. But, Drake sees through this and does not respond. By responding, he puts them into the game and the other rapper feeds off of him. This is not the type of game he likes to play.

Much like Drake, Nicki Minaj also loves to stay free of drama. But, ever since she signed with Young Money, female rappers have been trying to diss her. Lil' Kim has been the most-recent female rapper dissing Nicki Minaj. Kim feels her style has been taken by Nicki Minaj.

Last week, Lil' Kim performed at a concert in Queens, New York announcing her comeback. Last month, it was revealed that Jay-Z's Roc Nation had signed Lil' Kim. She had planned to release her comeback album last summer, but Atlantic Records pushed it back. Following a dispute with Atlantic, she left the label. Since she has been working this out, Nicki Minaj has been bringing the art of femcee back. Feeling as though homage should be paid by Minaj, Lil' Kim dissed her on stage.

Yesterday, Lil' Kim explained the diss, saying she did not hate Nicki Minaj. Instead, all she wants is for the rising star to acknowledge where she got her style from. Drake has watched the situation play out and he has decided to stand by his label mate. Initially, he said he could not diss Lil' Kim because of the impact she has made on the game. But, because of the way she has been acting, Drake said she does not deserve homage from anyone. Growing up, he was a fan of Lil' Kim, but he no longer has respect for her.

Not only does Drake not have respect for Lil' Kim, but he also has no respect for the people who went on stage and made fun of Nicki Minaj. Despite his feeling of disdain for Lil' Kim, Drake said he has no plans of recording a diss record. However, he does expect to hear one from Lil' Kim in the near future.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Eminem is the latest rapper to suffer from Album Leak

The albums released over the span of the last two and a half years have suffered a tough rate. Weeks before the actual release, these albums are leaked to the internet. Last year, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and 50 Cent suffered this fate. While this did not do much to hurt the sales of Jay-Z and Lil Wayne, 50 Cent's sales dropped dramatically.

Recently, Young Money star, Drake dealt with his entire debut album being leaked to the internet. While they did not act as if this upset them, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne were upset about what happened. Drake, on the other hand, has decided to roll with the punches. For years, he has released free music and this is no different to him.

Because of his popularity, most rappers feel the leak will not hurt his overall record sales. Such rappers as Game and T.I. feel he will eventually sell 1 million copies off of this album. Eminem has been a major supporter of Drake and he felt bad when his album was leaked to the internet. Now, Em finds himself in the same position as Drake. He is not the star he used to be, but he still sells a lot of records when he does release albums.

For the past two years, Eminem has released an album, but his latest, Recovery, has suffered from a leak in its entirety. Eminem has had to record the album twice, as it was initally Relapse 2, but the label forced him to move on. Eminem recorded this new album for months and it has been leaked right before its release date.

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.

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.

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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