November, 2009

For stans of team Game eagerly anticipating R.E.D. season, the delay may very well be worth the wait. As previously reported, Games' R.E.D. album was originally scheduled to be released December 8 but has since been pushed back to an early February release.

Now Hurricane Game is releasing details on the forthcoming release via his @IHateGame twitter. Game tweeted about R.E.D. confirming that he would have an all-star production line up of Dr. Dre and Pharrell. He broke the news to his 85,000 plus followers saying,

"The R.E.D. Album is gonna be classic, that's a promise. Executive produced by Dr. Dre and Pharrell. The music is phenomenal.”

Be on the lookout for Game's “phenomenal” release early in the first quarter of next year.

[SOURCE]

Jay-Z celebrates his first number one single across the country, live at the American Music Awards at L.A.'s Nokia Theater - "Empire State of Mind" with the premier songstress, Alicia Keys. "Women lie, men lie, number's don't lie!"

Eminem plays 'Crack A Bottle' with the now monstrous protege, 50 Cent supporting him. Mediocre performance for the once Slim Shady, 50 drops an unenthusiastic verse. Peep the AMA performance.

For the entire live performances of the AMA's (including J-Lo dropping onto her highly valuable fat ass. Ouch!) [CLICK HERE]

Taken from Complex

Rappers have always been quick to put Kanye West on a song. Early on some probably did it as a means to getting one of his beats. Later, maybe ’cause he was a nice guy. Then, obviously, it was because he was a superstar and selling point. But we always secretly thought a part of it was that these rappers, competitive as they are, just didn’t feel threatened by ‘Ye, lyrically. Take Jay-Z, for example, who just threw out “Run This Town”, the new single off Blueprint 3 featuring none other than Kanye West. Well guess what, Big Homie? Lil bro here fucked around and murdered you on your own shit!

But then, really, should Jay be surprised? We started thinking about all the other times rappers invited Yeezy onto their songs, and we noticed a trend. Every time ‘Ye has a chance to shine next to your favorite rapper he goes in and goes in hard! (Pause) Whether you’re in agreement or disbelief, keep reading to check out Kanye’s 10 Best Scene-Stealing Guest Verses (rap songs only) complete with audio clips and our favorite lines. Apologies to those who got laid out, but stop sleeping on the kid!

Peep the list of fallen:
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Taken from Complex // By Ismael AbduSalaam

As the news spreads of 50 Cent’s apparent steep sales drop for Before I Self Destruct, former protégé turned rival Game has emerged to take the credit.

In a recent interview with Complex.com to promote his forthcoming R.E.D. Album, the Game pointed to his on wax G Unit feud from 2005-2007 as what began his rivals’ “downfall.”

“It’s just Hip-Hop and I think that he’s more bitter towards me then anyone else he’s had drama with because look what I did to his brand. I killed G Unit,” Game told Complex.com. “I killed the clothes, I killed the brand, I killed Tony Yayo, Banks, and Buck at that time. Like I really fucked up a lot of money for that dude. Not only for him but my label, Jimmy Iovine, who at this point, I’m apologetic to.”

The feud was all but finished record-wise until 50 Cent recently aimed a few bars at Game on “So Disrespectful.”

Along with the lyrical taunts (“Game you’ll never be my equal…I’m in a tax bracket you’re never gone see/When you cross me”), the Queens mogul has rebuffed any attempt to reconcile, despite mentor Dr. Dre and Game making amends.

Regarding 50’s stance, the Compton emcee feels the rivalry has run its course and does not make any sense business-wise.

“Me and his beef is old at this point. It’s pure comedy for me at this point. When he says something, I laugh. If I shoot a shot back it’s just a joke at this point,” The Game explained. “Nobody is going to kill each other. Nobody is gonna beat each other’s ass. I’m not gonna do none of that. So we might as well get along. We exist in Hip-Hop…We’re not fucking WWE wrestlers, we’re not boxers man, it’s just Hip-Hop. It’s just make music or don’t make music. It’s not a gang war, like he’s not a Crip and I’m a Blood, and this ain’t fucking ‘85, and I’m not gonna ride through his hood and do a drive by, like it’s not that serious.”

Instead of challenging Jay-Z in the midst of his Before I Self Destruct promotion, The Game advised 50 could switch up his tactics and garner more attention with a reunion project.

“If we said tomorrow Game and 50 are coming out with an album, you know how many motherfucking antennas would go up? We could still sell a million records just off promoting it alone,” he offered. “I mean, I understand the business aspect of it. I understand that you know, he’s got a big ego. I’m just not one with it, I don’t have one. I forgive and forget and that’s life. One day you’re alive and the next day you die. So why spend it bitter and mad at the fuckin’ world, man? I don’t understand it.”

With “Baby By Me” as the current single, 50 Cent’s Before I Self Destruct is projected to sell 160,000 copies and land in Billboard’s Top 5.

At press time, Game’s The R.E.D. Album is slated for a February 2010 release on Interscope.

For the full interview visit www.complex.com

At the Victoria's Secret fashion show, Keri Hilson made bossip pages draping a sexy backless piece over her own, jocking Jay-Z, Dr. Dre and Steve Stout. The right handshake, might just do it. Peep after the jump.

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247HH Wild Tour Story: Method Man and Ghostface Killah from MCM on Vimeo.

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Wale // Drake // KiD CuDi bring in the new class for GQ’s 2009 Man of the Year issue. Single men in the laundromat... According to GQ, these three dudes have come in and murdered Gangsta Hip-Hop. Really??? Hardly Gangsta Killers, peep the pages [CLICK HERE]

GQ: Have you been listening to hip-hop this year/ If not, we’ve got good news: The gangster persona is finally dead, and these are the kids who killed it. One song at a time, they build a new era in which duct-taped kilos, exotic firearms, and freaky girls are out and real life is the focus. That can still mean trumped-up egos and battle raps, but it also means family drama, vicious hangovers, and regular chicks who will make good love to you, then stomp out your heart. (Weed? Weed is always in. ) Wale is as famous for his live shows as for the slick-witted lyricism of his debut Attention Deficit. Kid Cudi is the cut up who scored with the stoner anthem “Day N Nite” and his album Man on the Moon. And then there’s Drake, who found himself turning down multimillion-dollar offers after his single “Best I Ever Had” exploded. (It helps that the girls like Drake. A lot.) Drake’s debut, Thank Me Later, is easily the most anticipated album of 2010.

So what do these underdogs think about being cast as gangster slayers? “The dope boy is going to be a fixture of black culture as long as ‘thug’ is a legitimate option alongside ‘job,’” Drake says. “But I’m not going to rap about how much crack I’ve sold.” Cudi also laughs at the idea of talking tough. “Anybody from Cleveland will tell you I wasn’t in the streets,” he says. “Ask them, They’ll say. ‘Scott was the goofy class clown.’ “

[SOURCE]

Photography: Jonathon Mannion

Taken from [XXLMag.com]
Lyor Cohen is about to pull a power move. “Is Method Man confirmed?” he asks a publicist. Cohen is inquiring about Meth’s participation in VH1’s Hip Hop Honors, which, this year, is dedicated to Def Jam. Method Man is not confirmed. “What’s Method Man’s number?” he demands in his clipped Israeli accent. Cohen is soon dialing the digits. It goes to voice mail.

“Tical, guess who this is?” It’s an album skit come to life.

Cohen, the former president of Island Def Jam, is working the phones because the label is celebrating its 25th anniversary. It’s also why he opened his Upper East Side townhouse to XXL on Rosh Hashanah for this momentous round table. For the first time ever, Cohen, his Def Jam co-founder, Russell Simmons, and former Def Jam president Kevin Liles will sit together and candidly reminisce (and argue) about hip-hop’s most storied record label.

It’s about to get bigger and deffer.

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RAEKWON interviewed for Hiphop.sh // Street Press Australia

21st October, 2009


The word is, New York's seminal rap clique Wu-Tang Clan is slated to perform in Australia in less than two weeks time. That's nine clansmen of the world's hardest group to assemble at Festival hall in Melbourne on the 31st. Amid conflicting reports, Hiphop.sh phoned the Chef to check in on the latest movements of the Shaolin shadow-boxers and open up his new album, the sequel to one of the greatest hiphop albums ever dropped.

Making it happen in Staten, Raekwon is goin' hard promoting Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, the most anticipated hiphop record in years. Debuting 2nd on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, 4th on the Billboard 200 from a lyrical purist recently numbered the 10th greatest emcee ever by the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust becomes just desserts for the cock-sure emcee also known as Corey Woods, a.k.a. Lex Diamonds, a.k.a. Shallah Raekwon.

Did you know you had one of the most anticipated album of the year coming out?

Yeah I know that, I know a lot of people was waitin' on this album right here. It's definitely been requested for a few years now so, I kinda knew everyone was waitin' on this one you know.

Spin Mag said about this album, "contains some of his most rewind-worthy bars in years." Does this pick right up where the first album left us hanging?

That was definitely the point. The plan was definitely to go back down memory lane and give y'all what you've been waitin' for. For no other reason than what hiphop's been missing – that classic Raekwon song. So we made it our business to give it that effect so i'd say it definitely falls in that bracket. I was really matching up my best to put this album together. Where we began this album we ended with the last one, you know. It was kinda like a double-CD that I wanted to make off this album.

You've got the greatest producers ever cutting your beats, what's it like pulling this kind of power to your product? Inspirational?

Oh absolutely, yana'imean. My thing always been, production is so important to me and it's always been my job when I make my music I wanna be able to be influenced by some of the most illest sounds and production alive. Them guys definitely paved a way for a lot of artists. It was an honour to get involved with them. They was working hard because they believed in the first album so much that they kinda knew where I wanted to go and where I needed to be at with this one. So everyone just made it their business to go hard. That was definitely something that I can say was challenging. It was a big thing you know. I just gave it my best, I just gave it my best.

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Interviewed by Rip Nicholson // [email protected]

[SOURCE]

Taken from NahRight.com

As one of the game’s most influential artists, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has the honour of holding down not one but two separate covers of XXL’s special year-end double issue. In the December/January cover story, the G-Unit CEO breaks bread with XXL to talk about his new album Before I Self Destruct, his big year on the Web with his site thisis50.com, his role in hip-hop and much more. Also included is a 10-year anniversary tribute to the making of the record that first brought 50 to the public, “How to Rob.”

Other features in the first-ever Internet Issue are XXL’s list of the 100 Best Hip-Hop Web sites, articles on Snoop Dogg and OJ Da Juiceman, as well as tribute pieces to rap legends ODB and Mac Dre to commemorate the fifth year anniversary of their passing. For the first time ever XXL has two candidates for Eye Candy of the Year, complete with a reader contest to vote for your favorite. But wait, there’s more as XXL reviews the new Gucci Mane album, The State v. Radric Davis.

XXL’s December/January double issue hits newsstands on December 1.

Here’s the trailer for the Jay documentary that will come packaged with Curtis’ Before I Self Destruct CD. What a connection, 50 Cent was once entangled in rumours of being part-reason of JMJ's violent murder. Looong story.

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This is a video of the making of Snoop Dogg's new album, Malice In Wonderland (due out December 8th.) The album cover art uses the artwork from legendary L.A. artists Estevan Oriol and Mr. Cartoon. This includes the photoshoot, rough sketches, and then the finished product.

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Taken from Rapbasement.com:
50 Cent recently talked about his studio relationship with Dr Dre and what he has done for Dre's highly delayed and upcoming "Detox" album. According to the G-Unit leader, Dr Dre used him for a portion of his recording process on the album back in 2007. "I don't even know what's going on with the Detox," Fif admitted. "The last [time] I spoke to Dre, he was actually not mixing my records because he was working on The Detox and then we finally got him to mix the records and you know, I think he's back in here producing records for it but I haven't heard pretty much I think it was five or six songs that he actually recorded but that was a long time ago. He probably has a lot more now but I've been recording for The Detox two years ago."

50 Cent Talks About Working With Dr Dre On His Detox Album - Watch Here:

Dr Dre Talks About The Delay Of His Detox Album - Watch Here:

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In a recent interview for FakeShoreDrive, Tha Doggfather raps about new album, Malice In Wonderland and working on Detox with the one and only Dr. Dre.

By Andrew Barber...

So speaking of Malice In Wonderland, the advance tracklisting (via Wikipedia) has some serious heavy hitters on board for it: Just Blaze, Timbaland, the Neptunes, Rihanna, Polow Da Don, etc. I know you’ve worked with a lot of these people before, but are you going for a new sound?

Actually (that tracklist is bogus). Other than the Neptunes, none of those people are on it. Danja, Nottz, The Dream, Soulja Boy, Scoop Deville, R. Kelly, Brandy, Pharrell, Problem, Terrace Martin, my nephew Nipsey Hussle, Jazmine Sullivan, Teddy Riley. I’ve got sum shit for you and I guarantee it’s gonna bang until the wheels fall off. Classic. Timeless. Great music.

Also on the advance tracklist I see that you have a song with Battlecat and Kokane. Will we be hearing more west coast influenced records from you on this release?

This is definitely a west coast banger and I’ve got more for you too. On December 8th you will be one of the first to hear how we bang. It has its Malice and its got its Wonderland. It's Snoop Dogg! You’ve got to do it, Jack!

Will you return to working with West Coast producers like Meech, LT Hutton, Jelly Roll and others you worked with earlier in the decade?

I'm always open to working with them again. They’re dope and I get down with dope artists. It's a no brainer.

What about the infamous picture of you, The Game and Dr. Dre in the studio supposedly working on Detox, that recently leaked to the internet. Any truth to that? What’s going on there?

It wasn't photoshopped - let's leave it at that. So just be on the lookout!

Are you going to be involved with Detox?

Is it Windy in Chicago???

For the full interview [CLICK HERE]

Posted by Andrew Barber // [SOURCE]

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West coast rap legend, Ice-T talks about how he acquired his name, his come up in the rap game, his wife Coco, and being in the military.

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MTV just reported that Jay and Alicia went and reworked their NY anthem. Part 2 will feature a new verse from Hov and will be features on Ms. Keys’ upcoming album Element of Freedom. No Lil Mama. UPDATE: There’s been a few rumors flying out the web about a possible tour between these two, but nothing was concrete… until now. Looks like Jeezy will be opening up for Hov in the 2010 North American Tour.

Directed by Hype Williams.

[SOURCE]

Making the Yankee cap more famous than the Yankee game, Hovi Baby and Alicia Keys rip it up at the opening world series final at Yankee Stadium.

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Snoop Dogg’s super smokey ‘Wonderland High’ tour stopped through Chicago last night, and also featured on the bill was the always entertaining Method Man and Redman, who brought their high energy act to the Congress Theater. After Meth crowd surfed for the fifth time and Reggie Noble jumped off a 20 foot tall speaker, they winded their set down with a Chicago instrumental….which just so happened to be Lupe Fiasco’s “Kick Push”.

Now, as Meth and Red were saying their goodbye’s with Soundtrakk’s soundtrack playing in the background, a shadowy figure emerged from behind the curtains and stormed the DJ booth. Once he skipped the record and snatched the mic from the DJ, we all knew who was in the house. And seriously, Meth and Red were as stunned and surprised as the crowd.

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Eminem, Black Thought and Mos Def put out some of the most prolific bars to show last year's young cats how it's still done. Timeless, press play!

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