Young Jeezy Interview On Mixtape Monday "Im The King Of The Mixtape, Hand Down! I Am The Streets"

Kanye Laughs Off Amy Winehouse

Walking disaster Amy Winehouse performed at the Glastonbury Music Festival and aside from getting into it with a fan, she also took a dig at Kanye West. The British singer called ‘Ye a “cunt” during one of her songs, apparently a swipe at his late arrival at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. West, however, laughed off the remark on his blog. “Amy Winehouse hates me! Now I’ve really made it!”

Young Jeezy Titles New LP The Recession

First Young Jeezy motivated, then he inspired. But now? Times are hard, so the Atlanta trapper appropriately titled his upcoming album, The Recession. “I told [John McCain] the hood was fucked up and he was like, ‘How you doing?’” Jeezy told Mixtape Monday, explaining meeting the AZ. senator after performing with Usher on SNL. “Real talk. The know entertainers, so they shake your hand, ‘I’m your friend.’ But my mama is about to have surgery that I gotta pay for out my pocket because she can’t get insurance. I dont really feel McCain. It ain’t just because Barack is black; he can make change. Just like Bush equals recession, Barack equals progression.” Jeezy’s new album is due in August.

Jay-Z Strikes Back At Indie Rockers

Over the weekend Jay-Z headlined the Glastonbury Festival, which initially cause the ire of some indie-music fans since the show is usually devoted to a less mainstream sound. But Hov not only received a huge ovation at the England-based festival, he also drew a few laughs for his intro. Singer Noel Gallagher of Oasis grumbled Glastonbury “is no place for hip-hop” when asked about Jay’s appearance. The Brooklyn rapper, however, didn’t let his comments slide as he showed up on stage with a guitar and took a swipe at Gallagher while performing over Oasis’ hit “Wonderwall.”

Nas Inks Deal With Fila

Nas usually isn’t one for picking great endorsement deals. Willie Esco? 310 Motoring for kicks? But the Queens rapper might be smartening up. Nas recently inked a deal with Fila Footwear to serve as a spokesman for Italian-founded company. “My best friend Ill Will and I loved Fila,” Nas explained. “It represented prestige and everything that was cool to us [when we were younger]. When Will passed, we buried him in a black Fila sweat suit, so doing a deal with them has a lot of significance for me.”

DMX Busted In Miami For Trying To Buy Cocaine and Marijuna

DMX was arrested again, this time, yesterday in Miami for allegedly attempting to buy cocaine and marijuana, TMZ is reporting.
According to the gossip Web site, X approached an undercover officer and handed him $45 for a combination of the drugs.
The former New York rapper was just busted earlier this week in the Sunshine State for driving with without a valid driver’s license.
The arrests continue what’s become a patter now for X. Last month he was arrested two times in Arizona, once for speeding and days later he was nabbed for animal cruelty and drug charges. He plead not guilty to the charges and is due in court in July.

Jay-Z Performing "Wonderwall" Live At Glastonbury!

Jay-Z Pre Interview Before His Performance At Glastonbury 2008 "Speaks On Jiggas's New Glasses"

Lupe Fiasco Glastonbury Performance (06.27)

Jay-Z To Buy Yankees Share

First the Nets, now the Yankees? Hov recently revealed to Time Out London that he could possibly buy a share in the most decorated franchise in sports history. “Someone told me yesterday that someone else had a piece of the New York Yankees,” Jigga told Time Out. “‘We wanna talk to you, yadda yadda yadda.’ I mean, I love the Yankees so I’m in the middle of following that through, but sometimes it comes to be something and sometimes it comes to be nothing.”

Clipse Ink Deal With Koch To Release Re-Up Album

Pusha T and Malice of Clipse have signed on the dotted line with Koch Records to release the Re-Up Gang album, due August 5th on the indie powerhouse label. “We put out the “We Got It 4 Cheap” series on our own for the streets and that helped keep us visible and build the Re-Up name as an entity,” Pusha said in a statement. “This time our manager got with Koch to put together an official album with new music and let Koch Records do what they do best.” The first single from the project, “Fast Life,” produced by Scott Storch, is set to be released next week

Rick Ross Denies Engagement To Foxy Brown

Speculation swarmed that Foxy Brown was set to announce at the BET Awards that she and Rick Ross were engaged. It didn’t happen. The reason?

According to Rick Ross, he’s already hitched.

“The engagement is speculation,” Ross told MTV News. “I’m married to the money.”

The two rappers were featured on the cover of gossip rag Hip-Hop Weekly with a story allegedly the two were a couple and Foxy was reportedly moving to Miami to be closer to Ross. Photos of the two surfaced online, however, it was unclear in which circumstances the pictures were taken. Neither party has confirmed the relationship.

Ross also didn’t deny the relationship when asked by MTV News.

For Foxy Brown it would be another high-profile relationship with a musical artist. The Brooklyn lyricist, in the past, has dated Dogg Pound rapper Kurupt, to whom she was engaged to, and Spragga Benz. Foxy recently parted ways with Def Jam–Ross’ recording home–and is working on her next ablum

Kanye & Young Jeezy performing live @ the 2008 BET Awards show

Lil Wayne And Plies Still Top 5 On The Billboard 200

Lil Wayne is still the hip-hop king, but he’s been dethroned from the top of the Billboard 200 charts. Coldplay debuted at number one with their latest album Viva La Vida, which sold over 700,000 copies in its first week.

Weezy’s numbers dropped by close to 70 percent, but the Cash Money star still moved an impressive amount in his second week. After selling over one million copies of Tha Carter III in its first week of release, Wayne followed it up by pushing 308,505 copes of TC3 during its second week.

Plies continues to do well. The Florida rapper sold just over 67,000 copies of his sophomore set, Definition of Real. The album currently stands at number five overall on the charts.

2 Pistols, who has a hit on his hands with “She Got It” featuring T-Pain, made his debut on the charts. His album, Death Before Dishonor, however, only managed to move 15,764 copies.

Texas’ TMI Boyz received an unexpected bump. The group moved just over 18,000 copies of their album, Grindin’ For A Purpose. The amount marked a rare sales increase of 109 percent for the group’s album in its second week of release

Shaq Freestyle (Kobe Diss)

Foxy Brown To Announce Engagement To Rick Ross At BET Awards?

Foxy Brown and Rick Ross, recently rumored to be a couple, will apparently announce their engagement tonight at the BET Awards, according to Hip-Hop Weekly.

The rap gossip rag is reporting the pair are “head over heals” for each other and now plans to not only go public with their relationship, but also reveal their plans to wed.

There is no word as to whether or not they plan to hold a press conference or if the two will announce word of their engagement during any BET Awards-related activities.

The former label mates have been seen in pictures recently on the Web, however, it remains unclear if the photos are nothing more than just the two in studio sessions. According to the rumors, Brown will be relocating to Miami to be closer to Ross. The Brooklyn lyricist is already apparently close to the Miami rapper’s mother and the two share a relationship

Mims Wins Ringtone Of The Year At ASCAP Awards

New York rapper Mims took home the top ringtone honor last night for his hit single, “This Is Why I’m Hot,”at the ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Awards in Los Angeles.

The song sold over 1 million copies digitally and powered Mims’ debut album, Music Is My Savior, to sell over 300,000 units. “This Is Why I’m Hot” made its debut at number one on the Billboard Hot Songs chart after selling over 140, 000 downloads. The track also made it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, jumping from number 32 to the top spot in one week.

Other big ASCAP winners included Timbaland, who won the coveted Songwriter of the Year award, and Fabolous (”Make Me Better”) and Robin Thicke (”Lost Without U”), who scored Best Rap Song and Best R&B song, respectively.

Timbaland produced Loso’s big hit featuring Ne-Yo, and also manned the boards for Omarion’s “Ice Box” and Justin Timberlake’s “My Love” featuring T.I. and “Until the End of Time.”

A number of hip-hop songs were recognized, including “Make It Rain” by Fat Joe featuring Lil Wayne, “Shawty” by Plies featuring T-Pain, and “Throw Some D’s” by Rich Boy featuring Polow Da Don.

New Edition was honored with the ASCAP Golden Note Award that recognized their 25 years in music. The awards were hosted by R&B crooner Johnta Austin and held in the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The Rhythm and Soul Music Awards honor the best in hip-hop, R&B, and gospel music from the year 2007

Shawty Lo ft. Birdman, Rick Ross, Jim Jones - Foolish Remix

Remy Ma Victim Sues Rapper, Universal Records, And Bar That Served Her Drinks

Makeda Barnes-Joseph filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit in a Bronx court today against Remy Ma, Universal Music Group, Sure Shot Recordings, and The Pizza Bar, the Manhattan establishment where she and the rapper were partying before the Barnes-Joseph was shot. The court documents are available to view at TMZ.com.

The suit claims UMG and Sure Shot created and marketed an image for Remy Ma that promotes her as “anti-social, violent, physically aggressive and intimidating, anti-authoritarian, confrontational, disrespectful and at times, being engaged in criminal and illegal conduct without regard to the consequences thereof to said personae and to the general public and specifically, to [Barnes-Joseph].”

The bar where the two spent time before the shooting is also named in the lawsuit. Legal reps for Barnes-Joseph allege employees of The Pizza Bar served alcoholic beverages to Remy Ma “became visibly intoxicated” and contributed to her later actions.

On July 14, 2007, Remy Ma was accused of shooting Barnes-Joseph after the two left the birthday party of a mutual friend. The former Terror Squad star alleged Barnes-Joseph stole money from her and confronted her friend. After a brief scuffle, Remy Ma shot Barnes-Joseph in the stomach and hurried off. The rapper was later arrested and charged.

The case went to trial and Remy Ma was eventually convicted in March of this year. She was sentenced to eight year in prison after prosecutor argued the rapper’s motives and attempted to secure her in prison for up to 13 years.

Barnes-Joseph was hospitalized after the shooting and is seeking up to $10 million for pain and suffering stemming from the incident

Crowd Throws Bottles at Lil Wayne in London

50 Cent Confused By Lil Wayne’s Large Sales Numbers

50 Cent’s had bill opening sales weeks. For all of his albums. But the G-Unit CEO said he can’t understand just exactly how Lil Wayne managed to sell all those units of Tha Carter III. Fif didn’t openly say there was any funny business involved. He basically said, though, he has no idea how it happened. “I’m really confused,” he told Angie Martinez yesterday. “Usher [for example] had a number one record, a number one across the board. And then Wayne comes and does those [album sales] numbers, and it’s phenomenal I don’t understand what the connection is. What audience is going to purchase that? But somebody went out and got ‘em.”

50 Cent Says Young Buck Owes Him $200,000

50 Cent appeared on Angie Martinez’s Hot 97 show yesterday and spoke about Young Buck and their recent back and forth.
“People don’t actually see,” Fif said. “Within the situation, I was trying to be as humble as possible. Buck is really impulsive and when you add addiction….”
Fif went on to say Buck currently owes him $200, 000. Buck has been saying in interviews that he is due royalties, however, the Southern rapper had tax problems that he needed help to take care of.
The infamous phone conversation between 50 and Buck that leaked online and revealed the scale of their rift has been up for debate between the parties.
In his dis track, “The Taped Conversation,” Buck said the phone call was over a year old. Blue Williams, who is now managing Buck’s career, said the audio was doctored. Williams told XXLmag.com that he has been overseeing Young Buck’s career for a month now since the rapper’s last blow up with 50 Cent.
In the interview with Martinez, however, Fif said the taped phone conversation was just three months old.
The G-Unit head also talked about Buck’s impulsive actions: He noted how the Tennessee artist was pining to talk to Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine, how Buck reached out to The Game, and a phone call 50 received from Buck at a Cadillac dealership looking to purchase a car, as examples of odd behavior.
“I would have never put [the call] out if he wasn’t out in the middle of the show saying eff me and I created him,” 50 said.
“I’m not gonna respond on record to Young Buck,” he later added. “If he knew how to rap before he met me maybe. Before he met me no one knew who he was, period.”

Kanye West To Headline Global Nike Running Event

Kanye West is a busy man these days. He’s crisscrossing the country on his “Glow in the Dark” tour with N*E*R*D, Lupe Fiasco, and Rihanna. And in between he’s making stops at festivals both small and large like Bonnaroo and Hot 97’s Summer Jam.
Now, the Chicago lyricist is set to headline yet another stage. West is scheduled to perform in Los Angeles August 31 as a part of the Nike+Human Race, a simultaneous jaunt taking place in 25 separate cities.
Kelly Rowland will perform in Paris and Moby wil take the stage in London.
West will perform at the L.A. Coliseum and bring to a close a day of 10K races, ranging from Europe, Asian, and North and South America.
“This race is bringing together hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world to run and listen to some great music while serving a higher cause,” West said in a statement. “And I’m excited to perform in L.A. as part of the grand finale.”
For more information log onto www.NikePlus.com.

Young Jeezy Arrested In Atlanta On Reckless Driving, Suspicion Of DUI

Young Jeezy was arrested early this morning (June 18) on suspicion of reckless driving, TMZ is reporting.
According to the gossip Web site, police arrested the rapper in Atlanta and he was later jailed and brought up on a number of charges. Driving Under the Influence, speeding, and no proof of insurance were among the charges Jeezy was hit with.
The rapper was accosted on Atlanta’s Buford Highway in a white Corvette. Sources told TMZ that Jeezy blames a car wash for loosening his temporary license plate. At press time it was unknown whether the additional passenger in the car was also charged.
Jeezy was released on bail later this morning and is due back in court July 17.
Earlier in the weeek, the Def Jam star was implicated in a major cocaine-trafficking case involving members of the Black Mafia Family, also known as BMF.
The rapper was not charged with a crime but a witness for the prosecution told the court that Jeezy received multiple kilos of cocaine from the infamous Atlanta-based outfit.
The government witness, Ralph Simms, testified he previously worked for BMF and was responsible for unloading drugs from the crew’s car. Simms was indicted last year in a case in Los Angeles and began cooperating with officials. He has told jurors he hopes his assistance will result in a reduced sentence.
Reps for Young Jeezy had no comments regarding the BMF implication.
The rapper has long acknowledged his ties to BMF and the group’s leader “Big Meech.” In several songs Jeezy has shouted him out most notable in the remix to Rick Ross’ hit “Hustlin’.

T.I. Refuses To Take 50 Cent’s Bait, Says G-Unit Rapper’s Comments Not Like Him

50 Cent struck first, but don’t expect T.I. to strike back at all. For now, at least.
The Atlanta rapper is taking the high road. On a new G-Unit record previewed for media members in New York last week, Fif questioned how Tip received little jail time for the 2007 gun charges he was hit with.“Nowadays this rap shit ain’t adding up/How niggas get caught with 10 machine guns, only get 12 months?”
T.I., however, already embroiled in a feud with Shawty Lo refused to take the bait.
When question about 50’s attack by SOHH, Tip declined to comment. The Grand Hustle CEO said it wasn’t like the G-Unit head to strike out in song without saying something in person first.
Tip was arrested in October of 2007 hours before the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. The rapper was charged with felony gun possession and faced up to 10 years in prison. In March of this year, though, a U.S. District Judge signed off on a plead deal that would see T.I. face a year in prison.
T.I. has a history of felony charges and many believed his latest run in with the law would have resulted in a hefty sentence. But when he struck a deal that netted him a relatively easier sentence many were surprised. Comments were made about the power of his legal team and also questions arose whether or not the rapper cooperated with authorities.
The rapper hasn’t spoken at length regarding the situation but has since admitted his mistake. “I was running with guns and not God,” he explained to MTV News.
The rapper was also ordered to perform 1,500 hours of community service in addition to his upcoming jail time. The community service is to consist of speaking to youth groups across the country. Ten days ago, Tip, along with The Wire actor Anwon Glover and former mayor Marion Barry, spoke at a Washington D.C. area Boys & Girls Club.

Lil Wayne’s The New SoundScan King, Moves “A Milli” And Debuts At No. 1

He rapped about it (“A Milli”) and now he’s living it.
Lil Wayne moved 1,007,706 copies of Tha Carter III last week to become the first artist to crack that barrier in a single week of sales since 50 Cent. The G-Unit head topped that mark in 2005 with the release of his sophomore set, The Massacre.
Weezy’s opening numbers easily make the rapper the top seller of 2008 so far. Previously Mariah Carey and Usher netted slightly fewer than 500,000 for each of their respective albums. Last year, during his epic SoundScan battle with 50 Cent, Kanye West moved 957,000 copies of Graduation to become king.
But now Lil Wayne mans the throne. His highly anticipated Tha Carter III was released June 10, but the project leaked causing concerns regarding his sales tallies. Like most eagerly awaited rap albums TC3 found itself on the Web and in the streets before its proper release date.
Remarks, however, that the Cash Money star made about DJs caused a firestorm and resulted in several jocks leaking the rapper’s album with no regard. Wayne later dismissed his controversial comments. The rapper appeared on DJ Drama’s Shade 45 show and explained he only meant his harsh words for The Empire, not all DJs.
The Empire later spoke with XXLmag.com and revealed the records he receives and puts out on mixtapes—to the dismay of Wayne and his producers—he obtains from someone close to the rapper.
A week prior to Wayne’s June 10 release date, the rapper’s album made a debut at number 171 on the charts. The album moved a number of copies ahead of its actual proper date. Next up for Wayne is “Tha Carter III tour,” which kicks off June 27.

Swizz Beatz Announces New Album, Alicia Keys Remix

You know what it is….Swizz Beatz is embarking on his next album, tentatively titled Life After the Party. The multi-platinum producer has his hand in a number of projects already, but expects to release the LP in October. In the meantime, the recently separated and pending divorced star has been in the studio with G-Unit, T.I., and Alicia Keys for the remix to the singer’s “Teenage Love” track. “I used the Slick Rick “Teenage Love” on it,” Swizz said. “Then I had your man LL do the old-school [”I Need Love”] flow.” [MTV News]

Do I Hear Wedding Bells...

Jay and Bey are already married, and Pap and Rem have plans to (or did they already manage to somehow?), and next up could be Nelly and Ashanti. The singer cleared up rumors that she and the St. Lunatic are already engaged. But she also added that her and the “Country Grammar” star would be hitched “definitely in the future.” [People]

Game Feels Pain Of Album Delays

“Game’s Pain” is the name of the first single, but it could also be the rapper’s sentiments right about now. The Game’s forthcoming album, L.A.X., has been pushed back, again. Now, the Compton rapper’s third set will be released July 22. Originally, the project was slated for a June 24 date before being bumped back to July 8 and then its final date. In addition to Keyshia Cole appearing on the first single, other guests include Lil Wayne, Common, Ne-Yo, and Busta Rhymes. [Billboard]

“F**k G-Unit!!”

While performing at a show over the weekend, former G-Unit member Young Buck shouted out, “F**k G-Unit!” then went on to explain his beef with Bugs Monkey:
“When I made the statement, ‘I ain’t never seen a royalty check,’ I didn’t say that sh** saying that the n**** 50 done took money from me or none of that ol’ sh**. I said it ’cause it’s real n****. When I say sh**, I mean the sh**. He took it a different way. I guess the n**** felt like I’m airing out family business or whatever.
He didn’t stop his rant there however. Buck continued on, letting 50 know his money can’t save him when he hits “rock bottom.
‘The n**** outta control … he feel like he got a whole lot until the n**** hit rock bottom and he got to crawl his ass back up,” explained Buck. “The different between me and a motherf***in’ 50 Cent is that I can hit the gutter n****. I can get back in the streets … on some real n**** sh** I can get right back out here — where all my people reside — and get money. I guarantee he couldn’t go back to his and do the same.’”

There’s no love lost between these two cats. Watch Young Buck’s entire drunken tirade...

It Should Come As No Surprise That…

Young Jeezy has been accused of being knee deep in yay related dealings:
On Thursday a witness who testified in the federal cocaine-conspiracy case against alleged Black Mafia Family associate, Fleming “Ill” Daniels, implicated [Young Jeezy], claiming he received kilos of cocaine from criminal organization BMF. The allegations were brought forth by BMF member named Ralph “Ralphie” Simms. He testified that his duties included unloading massive kilos of cocaine at BMF’s stash houses. One incident, in 2004, Simms said he was ordered by high-ranking BMF members Chad “J-Bo” Brown and Martez “Tito” Byrth to set aside multi-kilo cocaine “shipments” for two customers. When asked who those customers were Jeezy was named.
The Snowman may have to face the heat this time if the feds manage get a hold of him.

Fashionably Late

Word is Kanye pissed off a whole lot of fans last night:

“West was supposed to start his gig at Bonnaroo at 2:45 a.m. yesterday morning, and when he didn’t show up until 4:25, the crowd got on him, chanting ‘Kanye sucks’ and throwing glow sticks on stage. The delay, according to reports, was caused by K’s big stage set, which took a while to throw up after Pearl Jam’s appearance. As it happens, a lot of fans just couldn’t keep it up for Kanye – and ended up asleep in their sleeping bags.”

This type of ish is starting to be a recurring theme for buddy boy. But seriously, this cat must have some bona fide loyal fans if they were willing to wait around ’til the break of dawn to see him perform.

And speaking of Kanye: Our suspicions were true. According to a casual statement made by the NY Post, Kanye is in fact dating Selita Ebanks. We wish ‘em the best of luck ’cause with Lil Miss Fo’head’s track record, they’ll need it.

Tupac Shakur Remembered On His Birthday By Many

He’s remembered for his tragic death more than his fulfilled life. But today marks what would have been Tupac Shakur’s 37th birthday. Hip-hop historian Davey D takes a minute to remember the life of this Outlaw.

50 Cent Co-signs Shawty Lo

50 Cent unexpectedly had some sharp words for T.I. on “You So Tough,” a new G-Unit track that was previewed to media members last week in New York. Now the rapper, in an interview with Mixtape Monday, gives props to Shawty Lo, who has been at odds with Tip for months. Is L-O gonna be Young Buck’s replacement?

R.Kelly Aquitted Of Child Pornography Charges

Embattled R&B singer R.Kelly was found not guilty on all counts of child pornography, the Associated Press is reporting.Kelly was charged with 14 counts of child pornography and could have faced up to 15 years in prison.A jury, however, found the singer not guilty, six years after he first came under fire when a sex tape was discovered by a Chicago newspaper.The infamous tape allegedly featured Kelly performing lewd sexual acts with an underage female. Various witness identified the singer, the teen girl, and the location the sex tape was filmed when it was screened in the court room. But now Kelly is free from all legal burdens surrounding the tape.The alleged victim at the center of the controversy is now 23-years-old, but had long claimed she was not the purported woman on the tape. Relatives of the woman testified in court that it was her, as did neighbors. At the time the tape was recorded, prosecutors pushed she could have been as young as 13. But in the end it was not enough.A second woman, who prosecutors trotted out as their star witness, took the stand in an emotional testimony and revealed she engaged in sexual activities together with Kelly and the underage woman. But Kelly’s defense dismissed the notions and argued the man on the tape did not have a large mole on his back as did the singer.Kelly’s camp argued for some time that the tape was digitally altered and he was not a participant in the act. They claimed computer-aided technology was used to distort the singer’s image and the tape was a conspiracy against Kelly. At one point Kelly’s brother was also alleged to have been the man on the tape.The jury only took two days to deliberate to reach their verdict. Along with the mole on the singer’s back, another key issue was the motive of Lisa Van Allen, the star witness. The defense accused Van Allen of attempted to export upwards of $30, 000 from Kelly in order to not testify.

Jay-Z Lands At No. 7 On Forbes “Celebrity 100,” Kanye and 50 Don’t Make Top 25

And the winner is…Hov.

Jay-Z landed at number seven on the Forbes ”Celebrity 100,” the magazine announced yesterday.

The rapper raked in $82 million last year in a number of deals, including inking a deal with Live Nation to release his future albums and to partner with the Brooklyn lyricist for touring.

Will Smith was the only other rapper to crack the top 25. The former Fresh Prince pulled in $80 million last year. Jay’s new wife, Beyonce, along with Justin Timberlake, faired well, too, landing at numbers four and 12, respectively.

The list was compiled by a combination of income earnings, Web mentions, press mentions, and TV mentions. Oprah Winfrey landed at number one on the list.

Kanye West and 50 Cent, who engaged in a SoundScan showdown last year ranked just out of reach of the top 25 behind baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez and comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

Fif came in at number 26, while West was number 27. Last year the Queens rapper landed at number 32. ‘Ye failed to make the list in 2007.

The G-Unit CEO pulled in a healthy amount of dollars through all his various ventures, with $150 million. West brought home $30 million, but along with Hov, the Chicago rapper landed in the top 10 list for Web mentions to secure his ranking.

Diddy landed at number 33 with $35 million, Jennifer Lopez came in at 54 with $7 million, and Alicia Keys placed at 65 with $7 million, to round out the urban acts

50 Cent Strikes Out Against T.I. On New G-Unit Track

50 Cent’s back it. The G-Unit top dog has set his aim on T.I. now. Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo previewed tracks from the new G-Unit album last night in New York, sans Fif who was filming a movie, and one track in particular raised eyebrows. On “You So Tough,” Fif locks in on Tip and spits: “Nowadays this rap shit ain’t adding up/ How niggas get caught with 10 machine guns, only get 12 months?” Expect to hear Shawty Lo on the remix!

Another Day, Another Lawsuit

Hovvy Hov is being accused of robbing another man’s rhyme style:

“Former heavyweight boxer Mitchell Rose is planning to file an $88 million dollar copyright lawsuit against Jay-Z in Brooklyn Federal Court. According to Rose, he gave Jay-Z his demo tape on March 12, 2001, following a bout between William Joppy and Felix Trinidad.

He was shocked to discover that Jay-Z allegedly stole his style of rhyming, delivery and even certain lyrics. ‘He took the style and the delivery,’ Rose told [said]. ‘He’s using it on the regular, now Lil’ Kim is using it. All I want is justice. Jay-Z knows what I am talking about.’”

This should be interesting: Rhyme style analysis in court. $88 million is a pretty steep fee. This cat says he wants justice, but it’s obvious he just wants to get paid.

Young Jeezy To Release The Prime Minister Mixtape June 14

Da Snowman knows how to sell a few things or two. And now Young Jeezy is set to take his hustle to the Web. The Def Jam star announced the launch of USDA2Day.com. The site will blog and serve as a social networking hub for all things Jeezy and CTE related. The first project to be promoted will be Blood Raw’s debut solo project, My Life The True Story, due June 17. The site will also host Jeezy’s new mixtape, The Prime Minister, available for download beginning June 14.

Nas Sets July 15 Date For Untitled Album

Nas’s long-delayed follow-up LP to Hip-Hop Is Dead finally has a solid release date. The Queensbridge rapper’s Untitled album will see the light of day July 15, it was announced today.
The project had long been set to be called, first, Nigga, before Nas incited a number of Civil Rights leaders by changing it to the more controversial Nigger. Def Jam executives L.A. Reid and, at the time, Jay-Z, supported Nas’s creative rights, saying an artists as profound as the QB poet would deliver thought-provoking work. Reverend Al Sharpton, however, among others, weren’t convicted a project with such an inflammatory title could be considered art.
Nas eventually relented and scrapped the album title altogether. New Def Jam head honcho Shakim Stewart told XXLmag.com previously that despite the title switch the content is very much intended as originally conceived.
Green Lantern partnered with Nas recently to put out The Nigger Tape, a mixtape union that previews the rapper’s album. Rik Cordero also collaborated with Nas for the video to his “Be A Nigger Too.” Both projects, along with the Untitled album’s cover, seem to strongly convey’s Nas’s message.
“It’s important to me that this album gets to the fans,” Nas said in a statement. “It’s been a long time coming. I want my fans to know that creatively and lyrically, they can expect the same content and the same messages. It’s that important. The streets have been waiting for a long time. The people will always know what the real title of this album is and what to call it.”
Polow Da Don produced the first single, “Hero.” Other collaborators include Busta Rhymes and Mark Ronson (”Fried Chicken”), Cool & Dre, DJ Toomp (”N.I.G.G.E.R.”), stic.man, Jay Electronica, and Stargate.

Lil Wayne Debuts At No. 171 On SoundScan Already?

Lil Wayne is probably platinum in the ‘hood by now thanks to Chuck T who leaked the Cash Money rapper’s album last week in response to his comments about mixtape DJ's.
But it looks like Tha Carter III is still projected to sell well despite bootlegging and being leaked online. Industry trade Web site Hits Daily Double is predicting the album to debut at number one.
In fact, Tha Carter III actually landed on the Billboard charts. The album was released just yesterday, however, according to SoundScan, the LP already sits at number 171 on the Top 200. Last week the album moved just over 4,000 units.
Wayne’s first single from Tha Carter III, “Lollipop,” has been ruling the charts. The Static Major-assited ‘tune is number 1 on the Hot 100 singles chart for the fourth week.
Just last week Usher scored the second highest first week sales of 2008 with 433,000 copies sold in the U.S. Mariah Carey has the biggest opening week this year with 463,000.
Lil Wayne is expected to top over 500,000 copies his first week and should earn the King of 2008 sales title. Entertainment Weekly spoke with an executive at Universal, recording home to Lil Wayne, and is reporting Tha Carter III is projected to sell between 850,000 to 950,000 copies in its first week. First day sales were on par with Kanye West’s Graduation, which came in at just under one million units sold first week.

Scott Storch Owes Half-A-Million In Property Tax, Judge Orders Him To Report To Court

Financial and legal woes continue to plague multi-platinum producer Scott Storch.
The one-time go to musician for stars ranging from Beyonce to Dr. Dre owes over half-a-million dollars in back property tax and is facing child support and paternity suits in Florida.
According to the Miami Herald, a County Circuit Judge has ordered Storch to be brought into custody by “writ of bodily attachment,” meaning cops can commandeer him and hold him until he posts a bond.
Currently, that would amount to $46,000, the amount he owes in back child support to the mother of his two-year-old son; $30,000 for four months support and $16,000 for a pre-arranged college fund.
Another woman is suing Storch in a paternity lawsuit claiming the producer is the “natural father” of her 16-year-old son. Storch had voluntarily sent the woman, Vanessa Bellido, money but then stopped. The woman and her son were evicted from their home last month and have since moved into her parent’s home. A car Storch provided for the teen boy was also repossessed.
Storch made headlines with his legal troubles initially when it was reported he was selling his multi-million dollar yacht to cover bills. The producer put up the yacht for auction on eBay. Prior to that the New York Post broke a story on the producer being behind on property tax.
It seems Storch still hasn’t recovered. According to the Herald, the producer owes $294, 492.50 in property tax from 2006 and an additional $217, 346. 66 from last year.

Remy Ma Set To Release New Mixtape, BlasRemy

Incarcerated rap queen Remy Ma is set to release a new mixtape titled BlasRemy, hosted by DJ Bedtyme.
The 17-track collection features the former Terror Squad star collaborating with Papoose, Jackie-O, Shawnna, Jae Millz, and Chingy. The mixtape is available at her Web site, RemyMa.com.
“If,” released last week, was the first offering from BlasRemy and the new freestyle to “Drink ‘N My 2 Step” is the latest.
Remy Ma was sentenced to eight years in prison last month after a New York judge found her guilty on a number of charges stemming from a 2007 shooting.
During closing arguments Remy spoke before the judge and said : “I’m not a hardcore anything, I have feelings. I’m a wife, mother, daughter, a big sister.”
The short speech may have gained her leniency; prosecutors were pushing for a 13-year sentence.
The rapper’s legal team has initiated an appeal process.

Nas: World Premiere “Be A N***er Too”

Check out the World Premiere of Nas’ video “Be A N***er Too.” This one truly speaks for itself.

Is Weezy Slippin’??

Word is, some folks really aren’t feeling Lil Wayne’s new CD. Here’s what one critic had to say about “Tha Carter III”:

“Wayne attempts live up to his own hype, but falls short. The disc is a frustratingly uneven effort that’s filled safe songs aimed at commercial radio and a few quirky cuts that feature Wayne’s bizarre sense of humor and inflated opinion of his rap skills. It’s obvious that Wayne’s rap ambition is more dependent on radio play than true experimentation.”

It may be too soon to cast judgement, but it’s possible that Weezy Baby is loosing his grip. Discuss…

Missy Makes a Comeback

Missy Elliot talks about her new album and the future of Hip-Hop in the upcoming edition of Billboard Magazine:

Billboard:What are your thoughts on the current state of Hip-Hop?

“Well, if anyone knows me, they’d know I try not to listen to the radio or watch TV. I’ve been doing that since my very first album. I think you can be easily influenced by other music, and before you know it you start doing records that sound like someone else just because you think it’s music that’s working. I hear a lot of great songs. And then I hear some that aren’t so original and creative. Back in the day artists had their own styles. You couldn’t say Heavy D sounded like Rakim, or Salt-N-Pepa sounded like MC Lyte, or Big Daddy Kane sounded like Erick Sermon. These days, people try to follow a formula because they see it’s worked for others. But that keeps them from being original and creative, (or) at least not as original and creative as it used to be before.”

Not that we disagree with ole girl, but we’re curious as to the originality of her new jawn, “Block Party” that’s set to drop in August. Time will tell…

DJ Drama To Release West Coast Mixtapes, Working On Gangsta Grillz Follow-Up Album

He made his bones below the Mason-Dixon line, but DJ Drama is heading to Hollywood with his next series of mixtapes. Ok, more like Los Angeles.
“I got a trifecta of West Coast tapes coming,” Drama told Phresh Juice,“I got Snoop Dogg’s tape, Tha Dogg Pound, and Terrace Martin.
“I figured if I go to the West Coast, I might as well come heavy, I might as well come strong, and who better to introduce me than the OGs,” he continued. “I’ma go with the veterans and then help introduce Terrace Martin to the scene.”
The Aphilliates top man said the idea for the Cali mixtape series started when he and the DPG announced they would collaborate on a mixtape. Then Snoop wanted to do an individual project, which Drama said would be titled The City Is In Good Hands. Then the idea to break a new artist came to mind. “He’s incredible,” the DJ said of Martin.
In addition to his West Coast work, Drama said he just began working on the follow-up to his major label debut, Gangsta Grillz: The Album. The Atlantic-backed project was released December 2007 and has sold around 200,000 units since. The Atlanta-based DJ was happy with the numbers, but thinks he can gain greater success with a more rounded single.
“Feds Takin’ Pictures” and “5000 Ones” were Drana’s two singles.
“For me and Atlantic, we both came to the understanding on what we did wrong last time and this is what we can do better,” Drama explained. “If we were able to push that many units strictly off of the brand that I created just imagine what we can do once we have that hit record, once the video is in rotation and once things are everywhere.
“I realize what I’m capable of doing and once we get that record, and get radio and TV on our side, we’re ready to go,” he added. “Other than that, I think my album was highly received. If you look at the climate today, I think I did quite good without a hit record or a video on television everyday.”
Drama is looking to release his sophomore album this December.
He’s also working on a number of AMG projects with La The Darkman and protege Willie The Kid. The latter is set to release an independent mixtape album through Asylum Records.

T.I. Scores Three-Picture Deal With Screen Gems

T.I.’s recent legal trouble apparently hasn’t tarnished his big screen cachet. According to Variety, the Atlanta rapper has just signed a deal with Screen Gems to star in three movies.
First up, Bone Deep, a drama in which Tip will share screen time with Idris Elba and Academy Award-nominee Matt Dillon. The film follows bank robbers who make a big score before being pulled into one last heist by a newly paroled accomplice. Tip is also scheduled to star in Boulevard, a drama presently in development. Details have yet to be revealed on the third picture.
T.I. made his acting debut in the Chris Robinson-directed ATL back in 2006 and had a brief role in last year’s American Gangster. He will have to squeeze his movie obligations into a scheduled already packed with 1,000 hours of community service he must perform leading up to his one-year prison sentence. The community work will be documented in a six-episode reality series on MTV

Usher “Stands” At Number One On Billboard Charts With New Album

Usher’s new album is titled Here I Stand and the Atlanta star’s foresight could have been any better as he easily stands atop the Billboard album charts.
The singer sold 442,930 copies of his latest album, powered by his Polow Da Don-produced hit “Love in this Club,” featuring Young Jeezy.

Saigon To Sign With Jay-Z?

He has more album delays under his belt than Top 10 hits, but Saigon is still trudging along hoping to release his long-anticipated debut album, The Great Story Never Told.
The New York lyricist told MTV News’ “Mixtape Monday” that he’s set a September 30th release date for the album. Now he just needs to find a label home to actually put the album out.
Could Jay-Z’s new Roc Nation company be a potential home for the Yardfather?
“Rumors are gonna be rumors,” he said. “[But] you can’t fight the rumors. Just Blaze and Jay-Z are good friends. It’s gonna be big. Where we go is gonna be big. It’s gonna make history.”
According to Sai, within the next month or so he’ll make that big announcement.
In the meantime, the rapper is promoting his latest single “Believe It.” The Just Blaze-backed track actually features the producer on the song, credited at Red 5.
The enhanced vocals on the track were originally intended for T-Pain, but Saigon said the at the time the singer was still on the rise and was more pricier than the camp thought he was worth.
“We actually referenced the hook for T-Pain,” Sai explained. “This is when T-Pain was still coming up. He tried to charge us 100 grand. So I was like, ‘Yo, you sound good on it to Just Blaze. Just keep the song with your voice on it. This was before the Auto-Tune mania.”
Whether Saigon inks a deal with Jay-Z remains to be seen but the two MCs are partnering one way or another. Sai will join Jay on tour, along with a separate outing with Rick Ross, this summer. A video for “Gotta Belive” is scheduled to go into production soon.

DJ's leaking Lil' Wayne album (very angry email inside)

While there were a lot of DJ's angry at Lil' Wayne for his anti-mixtape DJ rant, some are taking action by sending email blasts containing links to download the rapper's upcoming album Tha Carter III, which is scheduled to drop June 10.

One DJ had this to say in an email:

"I SEE THE BITCHASSNESS OF A LOT OF MIXTAPE DJS RIGHT NOW AND IT SUMS UP A LOT OF WHAT I ALREADY THOUGHT AND HAVE BEEN SAYING SINCE DAY ONE....YALL NIGGAS AREN'T REAL!! SINCE DJ'S LOVE TO TALK SHIT ABOUT EACH OTHER AND BASH EACH OTHER FOR NO REASON BUT ARE SCARED AS HELL TO STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES WHEN SOMEONE TALKS SHIT ABOUT THE GROUP AS A COLLECTIVE I FIGURE I'LL DO WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING SINCE DAY ONE AND THATS STANDING ON MY OWN! I'LL BE DAMNED IF I LET ANY NIGGA GET AWAY WITH SAYING F**K ME WITHOUT HIM FACING SOME TYPE OF REPRECUSSIONS! INCLUDING LIL' WAYNE!!! I GAVE HIM A PASS WHEN HE KISSED ANOTHER MAN BECAUSE THAT S**T DIDN'T EFFECT ME,

BUT HE'S NOT SLIDING ON THIS ONE!

LIL WAYNE SAID F*CK MIXTAPE DJS!

SO NOW IM ABOUT TO SHOW THAT BOY THE MEANING OF BOOTLEG!

FREE CARTER 3 DOWNLOAD!"

Kanye West Explains 3 Versions of 'Flashing Lights' Video

As you may know, 3 different versions of the 'Flashing Lights' video have surfaced, here's what Kanye has to say:

"I shot 3 vids for 'Flashing Lights' cuz I ain't like the first 2,"."I loved the 3rd one that I released with Spike [Jonze] and hit the world with that. I actually had Sam Speigal, Spike's brother and co-orchestrater of THE TOUR MUSIC, do a remix 2 the scary one 2 make the music fit. I planned 2 put it on a DVD later this year. No rants here just an explanation of why y'all getting those other vids rt now that I ain't approve and why I ain't finna post neither on my blog. So I hope whoever leaked them got the shine they was looking 4 cause that's all they'll get now. And I know that's incorrect english but that's how I talk when I want 2. Oh and I've just been 2 busy 2 get at the New York Times for all that his Ego BLAH BLAH BLAH bullsh-- so stay tuned. For fun, I want yall 2 read this whole post in the Grandma's Boy JP robot voice LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!"

50 Cent's Long Island house burnt to ground, fire deemed 'suspicious'

A raging fire tore through a home in Dix Hills, Long Island, owned by 50 Cent, burning the house to the ground.

Six people inside of the house, including 50's ex -girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins, and their 10-year-old son, Marquise, were sent to the hospital, according to Newsday.

"I would say there is a strong -- a strong, strong -- possibility that it is suspicious," Dix Hills Fire Department Chief Larry Feld said.

When asked what prompted the suspicions, Dix responded:

"The rapid movement of the fire. The volume of the fire . . . It was engulfed. The home was totally gutted."

The home, which was purchased by 50 in 2007, is currently in the middle of a lawsuit between him and Tomkins. Last month 50 attempted to evict Tomkins from the home unless she coughed up $4,500 a month in rent. Tomkins in turn filed a breach of contract suit against 50, claiming he had promised to put all or some of the home in her name.