our 20 favorite albums of the 2000's

20. "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" - Outkast
19."Kala" - M.I.A.
18."King" - T.I.
17."God Son" - Nas
16. "Future sex/love sounds - Justin Timberlake
15."I am...Sasha Fierce" Beyonce
14. "Fishscale" - Ghostface killah
13. "Stillmatic" -Nas
12."Late Registration" -Kanye West
11. "Tha Carter 2" -Lil Wayne
10. "Lord Willin" - The Clipse
9. "The Fix" - Scarface
8. "Attention Deficit" -Wale
7. "BP3" -Jay-Z
6. "The college dropout" -Kanye West
5. "Black Album" -Jay-Z
4. "Food and liquor" -Lupe Fiasco
3. 808's and heartbreak" - Kanye West
2. Graduation - Kanye West.
1. Blueprint - Jay-Z
Yeah, yeah, yeah... We know. A LOT of Ye' and Jay-Z! ( In fact, every Kanye West album is on our list) this was pure hip-hop and r&b) Blueprint was the favorite amongst the people who helped compile this list! It got 7 first place votes. Lupe's "Food and Liquor" suprised me, bc I personally liked "The Cool" a lot better. Idk. An up and down decade for music, but I like what's coming up, I think hip-hop is making a turn for the better. And oh yeah... My favorite hip-hop album of thisd decade was...(Drum roll!) "Be" -Common.

the LIST

Alright... We hope you love it!

Our favorite songs this year
7. "Run this town" Jay-Z ft. Rihanna and Kanye West
6. "Ego" Beyonce ft. Kanye West
5. "Chillin" Wale ft. Lady Gaga
4. "Popular Demand" Clipse ft. Cam'ron
3. " Love come down" Diddy and Dirty Money
2. "Every girl" Young Money
1. "Empire state of Mind" Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys

Our favorite albums/mixtape
7. So Far gone -Drake
6.The Burrrprint -Gucci Mane
5. Till the Casket drops -Clipse
4.Ready -Trey Songz
3.Back to the feature -Wale
2. Attention Deficit -Wale
1. BP3 - Jay-Z

Our favorite artists
7. Lady Gaga
6. Beyonce
5. Kanye West
4. Kid Cudi
3. Jay-Z
2. Drake
1. Wale

Overall 2009 was a great year for hip-hop and our site. Next year, we hope to focus on more indie acts, and getting there music to you guys. We've enjoyed doing this, and we hope to continue doing it. All love, and Happy holidays. - MandM

Mindless Souls presents...Young Free

What up! We (Mindless Souls) wanted to do something a different... See, we put up all of these celebrity posts, and blogs, and statements etc... This is a hip-hop site, and what better way to show our appreciation for the genre by following an up and comer in the biz. This is a six-part series... Ladies and Gents... Young Free.



Mindless Souls what it look like?!?!? I feel like a news reporter or something! As I'm emailing you my post, I'm on my laptop looking for "The Carter" Documentary. Idk why I'm doing this, but I wanna see how different niggas do this shit. I had a big show like 3 nights ago, and I freestyled my whole set. Like, no background vocals, nada. Why? I blame it on the drugs, and the party life. I've recorded about 3 mixtapes worth of music in the last 2 weeks. Thanksgiving eve, like 9 songs, I went to bed @ 630, and I was back up @ 9. This is the life I want... Girls come snd go. A nigga like myself just record my nigga. Typical people wouldn't comprehend that hunger. Like, I feel like I'm the BEST rapper alive sometimes. I think that's why I couldn't fuck with Black Sunday. I felt like I was light years ahead of niggas. I got with B and elevated. He's Cortez 2 my Wayne. Lol. We are really elsewhere. That's nothing against J-rip or whoever, but I'm a fucking different specie than them niggas. They ain't friends of mines. They competition to me. Them niggas frozen food, and thet need me to heat em up. I like Privy. Like, I like his hunger. I like Madison Jay, snyp, Bonez, and I think that's where it stops. I look @ Raleigh and laugh. Fuck with me. The radio station is wack, the artists don't have an outlet. Ooh well. What can you do? My brand is growing as we speak, eeerybody want me to do their venue, or songs, and I luv the luv. It's cool. Mark and Money showed me luv way back. And I appreciate it. A! I'm tired of typing! I luv yall. -FRee-O dec 2nd 2thousand9

DAMN

One of my favorite Rappers was at a rec carpet straight twisted....

VIBE is BACK...

50 going in on Jigga with Rolling Stone

When Rolling Stone caught up with 50 Cent for a Close-Up in our current issue (dated December 10, 2009), the Queens MC was having some of his signature tattoos lasered off his arms to benefit his budding acting career while musing on the leak of his latest disc, Before I Self Destruct. Fiddy also chatted about his new collaboration with Philly rapper Beanie Sigel and mouthed off about another New York legend with a major 2009 LP: Jay-Z.

"I Go Off," your single with Beanie Sigel, recently came out. There's a lot of speculation that he's going to be in G-Unit. Is that going to happen?
There's a strong possibility we're going to be doing it. We're starting with this song, and the deal structure between me and him is a complete 50 percent profit split. It's not like an artist deal, like you get 50 percent of everything. For me to deal with Beanie, I'd have to explore the possibility of doing that the entire project, because I wouldn't want to force him to make commercial music, where he can make decent money — a lot of money — without selling a lot of records, and just let it be what it is. That's the details, the difference between doing a deal with that artist and other artists.

And he has a lot to say about the way he was treated on Roc-A-Fella.
If he writes those things, you should expect it to be all on the record.

When he came out of jail, you offered him $800,000 to sign, but Jay-Z blocked it?
He would have definitely got the 800,000 at that point, because I had just did the Mobb Deep and M.O.P. deals, and at that point, there was a lot more physical cash available. The music business was in a different state. When you say 800,000 now, it ain't going to be that now, just because of the way things are. What the expectations are for return on actual CD sales — I still have to get the money from Interscope, and it has to be deemed a legitimate deal, they're not going to just put money in the bag.

Were you saying Jay had the deal going the wrong way by not letting him take that opportunity?
I think he was saying, "Roc la familia, we family, it's the Roc-A-Fella gang," and then using traditional business tactics. See what I'm saying? At the same time, we had them in a space where they were feeling like they were family, and they didn't have to pay attention to everything. He didn't have their interests in mind, he was just doing what he had to do for himself.

Is Beanie talking about Jay?
I think when you hear it, you'll understand it. He has some stuff he has to get off his chest. You have to actually hear it, I don't want to blow it.

His last single was all about what Jay said about him. Has it changed the way you feel about Jay at all?
With Jay-Z, I don't know him personally. I don't think they do, either. They just had stronger access with him.Who?
As far as artists he works with. I think he completely has his best interests in mind. When you commit to working with other artists — I have to be passionate about it. Of course, you want to make money, so you only commit to the things that you're excited about, that you feel you have the chemistry with or has something there, but after you get past that point, it should be something that you actually want to see win. I tried to collaborate with him on the Freeway project ? What I did was Freeway went out and found his publishing deal, and we started the album, and Jay did "Big Spender" and I did "Take You to the Top," and when it came time to put the record out, he didn't want to shoot his video, so I'm like, "Why am I going to shoot mine? I'm not shooting it. It's on your label." He has a king complex, he thinks he's fucking Jesus, you know what I mean? This J-Hova shit.

Is that something you'd put on a record?
You have to say something ? I don't really have a passion for this guy. We're compared to each other, because we're both in hip-hop, it would be me, him and Puffy. When they make those comparisons, they compare me to guys who have been here 10 and 15 years longer than me. Can you not see the significance of me being able to make the same deals that they're able to make in 10 years less than they have?

You have no personal beef with him, nothing to jump in on?
I'm just watching him. He said something one time I didn't like, those little things, subliminal things — for me, that's the punk way to do things.

He said something about, "I'm about a dollar."
That was a long time ago, that was '99. That didn't matter. There are little things in his records, he would make reference to things, and it would just be a question mark, but when he was in the U.K., he was talking on the radio, and the guy must have made him feel like he was a punk, because he had to point out that he's not afraid of 50 Cent. "Nobody's afraid of 50 Cent," or whatever he said, but he should have been addressing the guys who made him feel like that, because his approach and presentation has made him so approachable that Lil Mama's on the stage [uninvited at the 2009 VMAs]. He made himself like that. When you wear glasses, when you wear Urkel glasses, what do you associate those glasses with? Intelligence. There's certain things that connect to the man — don't hit a guy with four eyes, right? That's the message he's putting out when he's walking around with these glasses and stuff like that on, and you know he's making himself look safer so he can get in the spot on the Beyoncé path.

It seems he'll have to respond, and he might throw you in there.
I'd love for him to say something he's not supposed to say about me. The difference is the last guy he competed with was Nas, and he lost. Nas just didn't keep his business intact, and later had to submit and sign under him, so we couldn't acknowledge that he beat him when they had to compete. I think he got a phobia from that. You know what the most vulnerable space for an artist is? Confusion. So if you think you're the hottest rapper or the hottest artist, whenever you're losing and everybody knows it, that could be a confusion point for you, right? That's what he went through at that time. We don't know what happens in the future, but we know the facts.

SMH... okay

I was excited when I heard my man Jim Jones signed with Columbia/Sony... I guess it didn't go as planned....

XXLMag.com has learned that Dipset Capo Jim Jones has left Columbia Records and recently signed a deal to release his next solo studio album on E1 Music, formerly known as Koch Records. According to the contract, the Harlem rapper will also drop a mixtape vie E1 as well.

Jones has a long history with the E1. Along with releasing a handful of records on the imprint, last January he was appointed vice president of urban A&R.

“Jim Jones put Koch on the map,” label prez Alan Grunblatt said in a prior statement. “He truly knows what it takes to make a hit record. I am thrilled to be working with him for many years to come.”

Jones’ as-yet-untitled new album is set to hit shelves in spring 2010.

Jay-Z piece in Gotham Magazine

When Jay-Z enters the 50th birthday celebration of music magnate Lyor Cohen, his friend and mentor, he's wearing black from head to toe and his signature Tom Ford sunglasses. His demonstrative wife, Beyonce Knowles, is with him. There's no need for him to check out the scene because the entire scene descends upon him, and it's clear it's something he's used to.

"I don't dislike anything about myself," he says. "I know this sounds a little arrogant but I really accept what God has given me. I've got a short temper but I work on controlling it. I can say inappropriate things because I believe them to be true and sometimes that can be hurtful to others. But I think in the long run it is more helpful."

In the midst of one of the most successful hip-hop careers in history, Jay-Z, who turns 40 next month, has a lot to be thankful for. He was born Shawn Carter in 1969 and grew up in the Marcy Houses project of Brooklyn as "Jazzy." He was abandoned by his father at 11, shot his older brother for stealing at 12 and sold crack at 13. It wasn't until he released his first album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996 on his label Roc-a-Fella Records that the then 26-year old left drug dealing, gangs and poverty behind. "[Making music] is a gift from God," he says. "I put it to the side for so long because it was so easy. It took me a while to really know it was my true calling. I wanted to tell my story."

He's told that story through 11 solo albums, the latest being September's The Blueprint 3—the third in his Blueprint trilogy, which includes 2001's The Blueprint and The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse in 2002. While The Blueprint was a soulful return to his musical roots, The Blueprint 2 had him collaborating with artists who make the music he loves—rock (Lenny Kravitz), R&B (Faith Evans) and reggae (Sean Paul). He calls the third installment a "new classic" for the next generation. On the track "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-tune)," for example, over a clarinet-heavy rework of Steam's 1969 classic "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye," he raps: "You rappers singing too much/Get back to rap/You T-Pain'n too much."

The main thread throughout the album is New York City. Heard in songs as literal as "Empire State of Mind" ("One hand in the air for the big city/Street lights, big dreams all looking pretty/No place in the world that can compare"), the nods to NYC abound—but it wasn't intentional. "I listen to 'A Star is Born' and 'Thank You' and hear New York City in every hook," he says. "I guess I was just really centered with my birthplace while I was making the record because it wasn't a conscious thing at all. New York is alive, real people, it never shuts down, the honesty of it, the variety of it. It makes you look forward to every single season. When it gets too hot, you look forward to fall. When it's fall, you look forward to seeing the snow. It's just the most beautiful place in the world to me."

"Jay has a great sense of curiosity and deep appreciation," says Cohen, who has a cameo in the "D.O.A." video. "His curiosity allows him to take risks. He is also totally brilliant, and good people finish first."

When selecting artists to collaborate with on the album, he listened to the arrangements for inspiration. "When I heard the piano licks on 'Empire,' I immediately thought of Alicia Keys [who performs on the song] playing the piano," he says. "The vocal range, how it sounds, just fit her so perfectly. It's not me looking at the Billboard and trying to find out who's hot at the moment to collaborate with. I pretty much try to find the person that fits the song best."

Would anybody say no to Jay-Z? "MGMT turned me down," he admits.

Along with music, Jay-Z has proven that his business understanding is similarly acute. He became president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings at 35, shortly after he officially retired from recording. "It was unprecedented at the time," he explains. "All the signs were saying you've done what you can do as an artist, now you must show a different side that can ascend to executive positions and be successful at it. This is the thing that took care of me and my family's situation."

"He's incredibly smart and passionate about what he wants and doesn't want to settle," says Neil Cole, CEO of Iconix Brand Group, which, in 2007, bought Rocawear—the urban clothing line that Jay-Z started with Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke 10 years ago—for $204 million. "Being an icon of music and fashion [he] knows where America's youth is going."

Jay-Z remains creative director of Rocawear and majority owner of Roc Apparel, Rocawear's men's licensee. He's a part owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets (the team is rumored to be moving to his home borough of Brooklyn). And when not dining at his favorite neighborhood boite, Nobu ("three or four times a week"), he's at gastropub The Spotted Pig in the West Village or the sports bar 40/40 Club (he owns stakes in both).

But it all seems to come back to the music. When he came out of "retirement" in 2006, "It went down pretty well," he notes modestly. In the years since, he's released the album Kingdom Come, signed a $150 million partnership with Live Nation, created the sound track to Ridley Scott's 2007 film American Gangster and completed the third Blueprint. His Roc Nation entertainment company recently launched another music label, StarRoc, with Norwegian-based StarGate. And he’s got a greatest-hits album coming out soon. It’s all due to an incredible drive that he attributes to his mother. “She always told me that the amount of work you put into it is what you get out of it,” he says.

Friends, family and privacy matter most at this point in Jay-Z's life. He's a mentor to artists like Rihanna and Kanye West. The most important thing on the horizon seems to be a plan to have children with Knowles, whom he wed on the roof of their Tribeca building last year. He keeps his perspective by remaining close with his family, all of whom work with him in some capacity. (His mother runs a scholarship program he developed.) He even made good with his estranged father before his death.

"Making music is art," he continues. "It doesn't change who you are as a person. It doesn't mean you're entitled or you're above the law. You still treat people as human beings. It doesn't change the laws of the universe. Life has a balance and for every action there is a reaction. So if you put negative energy in, negative energy comes back to you. You have to live your life within the laws of the universe and I haven't lost sight of that.

"You have to be close with your foundation and the people who know you best because they've known you for so long that they can see the changes in you,' he continues. "Fame is such a deadly drug that you can't see the changes because you are so consumed by it. You need a close-knit group of friends and family to make sure you stay grounded."

When asked what else he'd like to accomplish, he replies, "Go to the moon."

Completely grounded? Maybe not. But he just might do it.

by CRISTINA GREEVEN CUOMO
photographs, RANKIN/ICON INTERNATIONAL

Who had the better album????

Over the course of past few days I’ve been reading projections on what Wale’s debut, Attention: Deficit, is going to do. Needless to say, the “guesstimation” is about 28,000 in his first week. We really won’t know until next Wednesday but if those figures hold true that really sucks because Wale made a really good album.

In fact, I told y’all that a few months back when I reviewed the album. Since no one had heard it way back in September when the review dropped everyone kept hitting me with the exact same question: “Is it really that good?”

(Yes!).

I don’t blame anyone for doubting that Wale could’ve made a good album, because, honestly, I went into the listening session with the same concerns. I didn’t expect much so I was pleasantly surprised to hear good music (“Beautiful Bliss”), unique topics (“90210”), dope production (“Mirrors”), catchy hooks (“Pretty Girls”) and actual substance (“Diary”). Yeah, he has a tendency to say, “My name’s Wale” a heck of a lot but Attention: Deficit is a solid album.

Problem is with all the push back and delays I didn’t even know the album was dropping last week. Yeah, I know, career fail blah blah but I already heard the album back in like August so it wasn’t like I was anxiously waiting for the link to pop up online BestBuy to open last Tuesday morning. That doesn’t mean I don’t want the kid to win. Because I hate to see great projects go unnoticed while bullshit rises to the top of the charts.

Not that first week or total sales have any real effect on the actual quality of an album, I pray that these estimates are way off. I mean, that can’t be true, right? Think about it: Wale has had some pretty good looks. He was on the front cover of XXL’s 2009 Freshmen issue (among other mags); he had house band duties during the MTV VMA Awards, which must have increased his national visibility; he performed on most of the late night talk shows including Jimmy Fallon with the Roots; he has a couple songs in rotation, he landed opening act duties for Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 tour; and he actually delivered a good album.

What else does Wale have to do to succeed? Nothing actually. He did his part. The fans (read you & me) just have to.

Now I also had the pleasure of reviewing Kid Cudi’s album, which most of y’all defecated on (Oh, well). Despite popular belief, I still think Cudi made a good album. Personally, I like depressing music but that’s just me. I totally understand why most people didn’t care for the Cleveland kid’s kick-off disc, because even I’ll admit that it wasn’t the album I was expecting.

While in Wale’s case it was a welcome surprise, Cudi’s was more of a head-scratching surprise. It was way more singing than I had expected, but the more I listened to the album the more it grew on me.

Despite the glum overtones, there are joints that knocked (IMHO) like “Simple As…,” “Heart of a Lion (Kid Cudi Theme Music),” “Enter Galactic (Love Connection, Pt. 1)” and, of course, “Make Her Say.” Now I understand that the aforementioned tracks may not be up the alley (pause) of the diehard rap purist, but if you on some chill out shit these tracks would do the trick.

But, hey, I’m the same guy that liked Kanye’s last album (remember this) so maybe my tastes are just a tad different than most.

Still, if Cudi’s album was so “bad” why did he sell over 104,000 units in his first week, while Wale is only “projected” to sell a mere 28,000? Sure, Cudi has only managed to tally up an additional 90K since his release in September; but based on public opinion I’m sure most will say Wale made the better album. If that’s the case, it’s a shame that more people don’t support what they actually like. (No, shots at the Man on the Moon).

But I’m getting ahead of myself, as the final numbers for Wale won’t be out til next week. Like I said earlier, it doesn’t matter whether or not he sells 28K or 128K in his first week or 101st. I’ll paraphrase Cudi’s Mid Western brethren Common, “Black music is Black music and it’s all… Good.”

Who do you think made the better debut—Cudi or Wale? Did Cudi deliver the album you expected? What about Wale—did he surprise you with this record? Why do you think Wale is projected to sell so low?

Speak your piece… —Anslem Samuel

Pretty Girls...

Wayne's WORLD!!!!!

The wait is ova. No, not that one. After months of delays and rescheduled street dates, Lil Wayne's new album, Rebirth, finally has an official release date. According to Billboard.com, the disc long rumored to be Wayne's "rock" album will drop on December 15.

The album will come on the heels of his just-released No Ceilings mixtape. And while there has been some confusion about just how much actual rocking Wayne will do on it— he does appear on the new Weezer album — the rapper recently told Billboard that he does indeed bang his head on Rebirth.

"Yes, the album is still rock," he said. "I play guitar on 80 percent of the songs, and there's a lot of rock influences and rock beats. I also have Travis Barker on the album. But I don't want people to think I'm trying to do something I can't do. Don't think you're going to put on the album and hear me screaming and singing.

"When I said I was doing a rock album, it was about doing a freedom thing," he continued. "This album isn't hip-hop. When I do my Carter albums, I know I've got to rap, I know I've got to spit. I know the words I've got to say and the subjects I've got to talk about. I also know the things I shouldn't say, the things I shouldn't talk about. There's none of those limits on this album. I say what I want, how I want. That's what this album is: a freedom album."

Wayne has suggested that he might release Rebirth and the Young Money crew album as a double disc. Because a few of the songs from Wayne's album have leaked online during the past few months, he said he went back to the lab to cook up some new songs to throw off fans who thought they knew what he was up to.

"I had to add new cuts, because a lot of things leaked, making people think they had an idea of what I was doing with Rebirth and what it would sound like," he said. "And I hated that, because I never want anybody to think they know what I'm doing until I present it. So what I did was make it totally different. I flipped it."

In addition to protégé Drake, the album is slated to include guest spots from members of Fall Out Boy and Lenny Kravitz. It's unknown if Rebirth will be the last full-length album Wayne will release before he is scheduled to go to prison in New York for at least eight months after pleading guilty to a felony charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon.

A spokesperson for Wayne did not return requests for comment at press time for confirmation that the Young Money album, We Are Young Money, will be packaged with Rebirth.

PLEASE COP THIS MAN'S ALBUM!!!!!

More from The Beans and Jigga Saga

So Siegel is down with 50 now... go figure.

50 Cent’s efforts to support former Roc-a-Fella Records artist Beanie Sigel seem to have resulted in a deal to bring the Broad Street Bully to G-Unit Records.



Both artists confirmed the move during a private screening of 50’s directorial debut, Before I Self Destruct on Tuesday evening (November 3) in Philadelphia.



The presentation was hosted by Power 99 (WUSL-FM), which allowed fans the opportunity to win tickets to the screening .



Sigel joined 50 towards the end of an on-air interview with “The Hot Boyz” Mikey Dredd and Uncle O, leading to a candid ten minute conversation.



During the interview, 50 and Beans revealed that “Beans is coming to G-Unit,” with no additional details as to how soon the new partnership might yield an album or single.



The interview also presented a chance for Sigel to respond to Jay-Z’s reaction to “Average Cat.”



“People think that I’m just speaking out because I’m in the position that I am and I ain’t put no music out. Let’s go to Jay-Z’s rebuttal about the complaints of Beanie Sigel: the two Bentleys that I obtained, Jay-Z had nothing to do with that. That was a car from Damon Dash and from Kareem Burke.”



He goes on to explain that the car was given to him after a conversation between Dame and others revealed that Dash was in fact the owner and driver of the Bentley, at which point he no longer wanted to be seen driving the vehicle.



The other Bentley was given to him as a birthday present by Burkes, leaving him to pay the remaining balance on the car note.



“So, Beanie Sigel was driving around to Bentleys and had to pay $5100 a month. It’s not like you helped me attain all this wealth and gave me the two Bentleys. You didn’t give me a record label. It only cost a couple hundred dollars to search the name ‘State Property Records,’ nobody owned it; I think I paid another couple hundred dollars and I patented the LLC. So my record label only cost me $750, to say on a piece of paper that I own State Property Records, LLC. I did that on my own, you didn’t give me that. And what artists was on that label?”



Beans reveals that he was only a 20% partner in the State Property clothing line, with Jay-Z, Dame Dash and their Rocawear partners owning the rest.



Sigel had presented the idea to Dash as their relationship drew strength based on the rift between Jay and Dame, he says.



Even though he revealed that Damon Dash allegedly went behind his back and sabotaged State Property’s clothing product, Sigel admonished Jay-Z for what he refers to as continued unnecessary jabs at a man he’s clearly defeated.



“Take me out, Dame and Biggs were your mans from day one. If he [Dame] was messing up the money y’all should’ve been able to straighten that out. Whatever the gripe, you took everything from him already,” Sigel argued. “You took the clothing line, the record label, he has nothing. Now he’s going through financial difficulties. Then he loses his wife and gets a divorce. You feel that comfortable on a record to say ‘Lucky Lefty, kiss the wife goodnight for me.?’ You already killed the man, he’s dead already! Now you’re going to stand over top of him and urinate on him and stomp on him? You can do that? I got something to say about that."



On whether to expect more diss records, Sigel made it clear he would continue to go at Jay lyrically until he gets a response, and predicted he has the skill set to emerge vuictorious.



“He's a crumb. I’m putting my foot on his neck ‘til he responds. Please make a record, ‘cause a week been out dog,” he taunted.



“Not taking nothing from Jay as an artist. All I’m saying is I ain’t gotta jog to keep up with him. Watch what I do next,” Beans “said as he did the signature G Unit stuttering proclamation.

Jigga's Response....

"He has a lot to complain about," Jay jokingly said during a press conference. "Not me. Well Beanie Sigel at the time, and you can look it up if you like, just to be honest, was driving two Bentleys, I don't know how. It's impossible to drive two cars at one time with his mama in the sticks and selling 800,000 records. I don't know what more you can do for somebody at that point. What people choose to do when they attain that type of success, you know, at some point you have to look in the mirror and look at yourself. Beanie Sigel had a record deal, a record label, and a clothing line. And never went platinum, ever. I don't know in the history of rap has anyone done so much with so little. I don't know what more you can do for a person at that point. But a record deal, that's normal. A record label and a clothing line, so, if that's not pushing a person, sh*t. Thank-you."

the WIFE has some new pics up!!!

DAMN....

Bol's point of view

My favorite blog on the internet...

Five things that occurred to me while listening to Beanie Sigel’s Jay-Z dis record.

With all due respect, past and present, and without further to do:

1) Beanie Sigel is just broke, right?

The first thing I thought, when I saw on Twitter a few minutes ago (I slept in) that Beanie Sigel put out a Jay-Z dis record, is that Beanie Sigel must be broke, looking for a handout. Like Jaz-O, Damon Dash, etc. This was before I even got to the part where he started talking about how doesn’t want to sit on Jay-Z’s lap, because Santa Clause isn’t real, let alone is he black. But it hadn’t occurred to me until just now that “What We Talkin’ About” from the Blueprint 3 must be all about the bums he had to let go, when he left Def Jam for Live Nation. When he said he wasn’t talking about Game, Jaz, etc., he meant it. He was really talking about Sigel and the rest of those guys from Philly. Remember they all supposedly got let go on the same day, via courier? Jay-Z knew better than to call them into his office and explain to them that their services wouldn’t be needed.

2) We don’t believe you. You need more people.

Beanie Sigel claims he’s been the fly on the wall in the Def Jam building for so long that he could expose Jay-Z. He even has information that could make Beyonce look at him differently. Oh, really? I took the line about Beyonce to mean that he’s either seen Jay-Z banging other broads, or maybe he’s even seen him banging other guys. Maybe one day he accidentally walked in on one of Jay’s heated phone conversations with that guy from the Kansas City Chiefs with whom he shares an apartment, who, I’ve been informed, was recently suspended from the NFL for calling someone a Christopher Street boy - Christopher Street being the street in New York where all of the fruits hang out. How would he know? Also, where is this apartment he shares with Jay-Z located?

3) Stop snitching, Jay-Z.

Presumably, Beanie Sigel wants Jay to cut him a check, before he lets the world - and, by extension, Beyonce - know what he accidentally saw. But he’s gonna come right out and tell us that Jay called the cops on him. Maybe he saw where Jay cut a check to the Pigs in a Blanket Foundation, to make it alright for him to exploit the victims of 9/11 to help promote his new album, and he figured that informing people that Jay doesn’t just call the cops when he wants to give them money wouldn’t cause sufficient. I’m not as familiar with the code of the street, but it could be that Jay-Z has priced himself out of the stop snitching policy. It sounds like Beanie Sigel may have been coming to visit Jay during the recording of Blueprint 3, and Jay may have thought he was coming to rob him. Which is certainly understandable.

4) What does he want from Jay-Z, anyway?

Beanie Sigel claims that when he got of the joint (which time? - zing!), he went to see Jay to request out of his deal with Rocafella, to go somewhere else where he could make some real money. Jay spent some time playing with a tennis ball, which is how he made all of his important business decisions, then decided that no, Beanie Sigel had to stick with Rocafella. Which begs the question: where was Beanie Sigel about to go where he could make more money than he did when he was on Rocafella, and how come he can’t just go there now, since he’s been let go from Rocafella? He should just admit he wants Jay-Z to cut him a check. He thinks him and his crew from Philly were responsible for a lot of Jay’s swag/street cred in the late ’90s - early ’00s, and now he’s had all of this success, and they should be able to share in it. It’s not even that bad of a point. It’s too bad our public schools aren’t the sites of socialist indoctrination Glenn Beck says they are.

5) Sigel may have spent too much time in the joint.

Things got kinda homoerotic towards the end there, didn’t they? (Nullus.) Maybe one of the reasons Sigel keeps claiming he doesn’t want any money from Jay is that what he really wants is a hug. Those lines about how this isn’t an invitation to dis Jay-Z, it’s just him taking his brother in the yard for five minutes, cuz he’s got a knot in his chest that needs to be loosened, and how only real friends leave footprints on your heart, and Jay-Z’s is starting to fade in the sand, sound less like a dis record and more like a love letter from a jilted teh ghey guy to his ex. Remember that video where Beanie Sigel was trying to shove his tongue down Peedi Crakk’s ear? I’m just saying.

.....

FREE

The official DEATH of the DYNASTY

Hip-hop fans' heartbreak: One of the greatest dynasties in rap history, Roc-A-Fella, is having its dirty laundry thrown onto the street by the Broad Street Bully. Beanie Sigel is giving the world a very sobering take on his split from Jay-Z in a song called "What You Talkin Bout (I Ain't Your Average Cat)."

"I'm a grown-ass man, I don't sit on n---as' laps/ I ain't looking for no gifts out of Santa Claus' sack," he raps. Sig dropped those same lines during the Powerhouse Concert last Friday in Philadelphia when he came out as Jadakiss' guest. The words were obviously a response to Jay's lines on "What We Talkin' About" off of The Blueprint 3.

Still, fans were confused about Beans' intentions. Sigel was quiet until Thursday night, when his new song dropped.

"How it feel to get exposed?" Sigs rhymes. "Don't you feel naked?/ I was a fly on the wall, sh-- I witnessed/ I can say sh-- that will make B look at you different."

Beanie goes on to say that Jay-Z called the police to get him out of the recent Powerhouse concert in Philadelphia.

" 'F' you two and 'F' Bleek three," Beans says. The song ends with the once-loyal Roc-A-Fella sergeant-at-arms saying that he brought the "fellas to Roc-A-Fella." He gave the label street cred. He fought all the battles: Nas, Jadakiss and the Diplomats.

Friday morning (October 30), Sigel called up Philadelphia radio station 100.3 and spoke with Charlamagne Tha God about how hard he used to ride for Jay and how Hov disappointed him.

"I backed all his plays without even asking him. Jadakiss is not no walk in no park. Nas is not no walk in no park. These are dudes that could have ended my career," he said, referring to former Roc-A-Fella rhyme wars that have long since been buried.

Beanie got into the heart of his falling-out with Jay during his interview with Charlamagne, saying that he hasn't spoken to Jay in more than two years.

"I'm not really dissing Jay," Sigel explained. "It's certain parts in there where my emotions. ... It's an emotional record for me. When I listened to The Blueprint 3, I heard a lot of shots directed towards people.

"I feel he gave out a lot of pairs of shoes on that album," Beanie added. "I felt my feet was meant for a couple of them."

Beanie specifically mentioned the line "I heated up the Roc already, why can't y'all get hot already?" from "Already Home."

"I understand Jay, you at a certain place in your career where everyone can't go," Sigel said. "You don't need Beanie Sigel in the building with a pre-perception that 'this crazy dude might do anything.' ... We taint his image, State Property and the place that he's at."

Sigel also told Charlamagne that neither Jay-Z nor Dame Dash were fair when it came to paying State Property during their time on Roc-A-Fella Records.

"I love the way 50 [Cent] did with his dawgs," he said. "If you look at it, them dudes got more money and more bread than anybody in State Property 'cause 50 made sure of that. 50 went on tour and paid them, not [telling] them 'it was a good look for them to be on the tour' and things like that. True story, I'm sitting on house arrest and the Young Gunz call my phone 'cause Jay-Z is only paying them $1200 a show and they had to split it."

The Jigga Man Explaining his current tour

Notorious B.I.G. had a classic line about, let's just say, mingling at Penn State in "It's All About the Benjamins." Earlier this month, Jay-Z finally got to hit the campus, reaching the students in a slightly more appropriate manner. Most of Hov's current tour stops are at higher-learning institutions because that gives him the chance to perform for new audiences, he said.

"This one, I wanted to gear specifically to colleges," Jay explained on Monday at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, where he was promoting the "DJ Hero: Renegade Edition" video game. "I wanted to get out and see a lot of the kids. Like playing Penn State — I never played Penn State or UCLA. I wanted to do something different. I'm always trying to reach people that I'm not typically in front of. Just like with 'DJ Hero.' It's like another thing to bring the music in front of the widest audience possible. A lot of times, people judge hip-hip and have never been to a live show or experienced hip-hop. How do you have an opinion of it unless you've sat through a concert or seen someone perform? We're all different. We're all individuals."

Jay is already mapping out yet another tour for the top of the year. J. Cole, N.E.R.D. and Wale are his openers this time around, but he says that his friend and collaborator Young Jeezy may be on the bill for the next jaunt.

"Yeah, that's a possibility," Jay affirmed. "Young Jizzle. I got a great relationship with him. I think he's one of those guys that's gonna be here for a minute. People are interested in what he has to say. It's not about a song, although he makes great songs. It's more about what he has to say or what he has to offer: Music that is sustainable, which is great and will be around forever."

MY FAVORITE RAP GROUP....

Fresh off of listening to The Clipse new mix-tape "Got Snow".... I had to post this piece from the November issue of XXL. Please go buy it, It's 25 Def Jam Issue

It’s a cool evening in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, and the Clipse have just arrived at MacArthur Center Mall. After a long day filled with photo shoots and driving around town, the sibling duo of Malice and Pusha T cuts into Kincaid’s Fish, Chop & Steakhouse for a few drinks—none of the alcoholic variety.

Malice, who’s nursing a migraine, orders a cup of Earl Grey tea with honey and lemon, while younger brother Pusha opts for his favorite Kincaid’s beverage, strawberry lemonade. Their divergent drink selections are representative of the group’s career. Hot and cold. Bittersweet.

Over the course of the past 11 years, the Clipse have had the distinct displeasure of calling several labels home. They were originally signed to Elektra Records, in 1998, but got dropped after their debut single, “The Funeral,” failed to catch on commercially. Four years later, the duo inked a deal with Arista Records, which then got absorbed by Jive Records in 2004. After an extended and public battle with whom Pusha T describes as “them crackas” that weren’t playing fair at Jive, the brothers were finally released to join the Columbia Records roster in 2007.

By the time all the label logistics were settled and they had found a new home, the Clipse had released only two official albums. Talent certainly wasn’t the issue. In addition to being praised by hip-hop purists and critics alike for their crisp lyricism, undiluted crack rap and classic mixtapes, Malice and Pusha earned a platinum plaque for their 2002 debut, Lord Willin’, and a classic, XXL rating from this magazine for their 2006 opus, Hell Hath No Fury. Despite the critically acclaimed LPs, the Clipse always seem to find themselves in the midst of label drama, but somehow they’ve managed to keep a positive outlook.

“Anybody else that went through the red tape that we went through, they would of fell out to the wayside,” says Malice, 36. “I say this because I see it and believe it. It’s about having the product. You can’t always control what happens within the label, but if you—and this should serve as a lesson to anybody that does this—if you keep your craft right and do what it is that you’re supposed to do, fans will keep you around. It don’t matter what’s going on. We was gone for four years, and fans was still asking about us, and it’s because we have that integrity with our music every time.”

Finally aligned with a label that they can see eye to eye with, the Clipse have spent the past two years crafting their latest offering, Til the Casket Drops. Set for release this November via their Columbia-distributed Re-Up Gang Records, the album is a potent mix of raw street records (“Kinda Like a Big Deal,” featuring Kanye West), cocksure cuts (“Back by Popular Demand,” featuring Cam’ron), inspirational darts (“Champion”), radio-ready singles (“I’m Good,” featuring Pharrell Williams) and 100 percent reality raps (“Doorman”).

“The energy around this album feels more like Lord Willin’ than Hell Hath No Fury,” explains Pusha, 31. “Hell Hath No Fury was a real dark, linear album. [It was] awesome, amazing, classic, but, at the same time, it was really angry… It was just handcuffs on that Hell Hath No Fury album. Lyrically, I think it was a beast. Beats, we feel it was a beast. But it was like it honed into a certain individual. We went directly for the purists’ neck with that album, and we got that, period. But Til the Casket Drops let us expand creatively.” —Anslem Samuel

For more of the Me ‘N’ My article, make sure to pick up XXL’s November issue on newsstands now

This Guy really went in on Hov....

On August 11, 2004, Jay-Z became minority-owner of the New Jersey Nets. With a measly 1.47% to his name, it made no sense why more successful, majority-owners like real estate developer Bruce Ratner included Jay-Z in the dream team that acquired the Nets. Then, as with everything else, truth crushed to earth began to rise. The reason(s) why this famous Brooklynite was chosen started surfacing. Shortly after, Ratner presented his plan to relocate the Nets from East Rutherford, New Jersey, to Brooklyn, New York. And who better to use as the public face for this transaction than the Brooklyn-born Jigga man himself. (Plus, he, and only he, could help put King James in a Nets Jersey!)


So, when Jay-Z took Oprah on a tour around his old neighborhood a couple months back, and some Hip-Hop observers couldn’t keep from salivating over, as they saw it, how far Hip-Hop had come, a few of us were forced to admire from a distance—and with a sense of suspicion. One or two questions had to be answered, we figured:


Why would Oprah want to tour Brooklyn?


What’s in it for Oprah?


What’s in it for Jay-Z?


Who really orchestrated this event?


What connection does this ostensibly spontaneous, Hallmark moment have with the ongoing public relations campaign, geared in full-throttle mode, to convince Brooklyn residents that the demolition of sacred, public property is, in fact, in their interest (!), and that protesting the ambitious, $4 billion, 8-million square feet Atlantic Yards Project (AYP) would cause more harm than good?


With the recent onslaught of lawsuits filed against Forest City Ratner Companies, the developing firm at the helm of AYP (most expensive in history), it’s no more secret what role Jay-Z would be asked to play—even as the community pushes back harder and further on what it considers grotesque misuse of eminent domain laws, to serve the indifferent interests of capricious corporations.


Among the many groups against this proposal stands Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB), a coalition consisting of 21 community organizations. One of the reasons DDDB is firmly against Ratner’s plans is that at least $1.6 million of the anticipated (though likely to be much higher) $4 billion would be plunged from the public’s purse.


Of the few promises made to Brooklyn residents, most important seemed to be the thousands of units in public housing—to compensate those who would be modestly asked (stick-up fashion) to give up their homes for a sports complex. But, according to BrooklynSpeaks, an advocacy group wary of the proposal, “two thirds of the units in the development will be sold or rented at market rate, and 60% of the affordable units would only be affordable to families making in excess of the Brooklyn median income, which is $35,000.” So, rather than help assuage the crisis of affordable housing, it could “actually accelerate the gentrification and displacement that is already in progress.”


Residents also fear that the plan, expected to include a basketball arena (Barclays Center) with 16 office and residential towers, would only bring more congestion to an already-congested town, clogging up what’s left of Brooklyn’s arteries.


The issue of public housing, however, seems to envelope all other concerns. In 2008, when Bruce Ratner revealed new designs for the Atlantic Yards Project, he again underscored the guarantee of “over 2,250 affordable housing units among the total 6,400 residences at full build-out.” At the time, protesters feared that “given the credit crunch, increased construction costs and the downturn in the real estate market, Forest City will not retain certain key aspects of the project it has promised to deliver.” That was May last year.


Well, a few days ago, The Brooklyn Paper, a community journal, fully corroborated their concerns: “State development officials are drafting a new deal with Bruce Ratner that will give the Atlantic Yards developer a loophole out of the project’s main selling point: thousands of units of affordable housing.” It revealed that new clauses were clandestinely inserted into a Sept. 17 lease proposal which frees Forest City from providing the 2,250 units of affordable housing promised. The provision essentially absolved Ratner from independently, as once agreed, including the housing plans, subjecting it, instead, “to governmental authorities making available … affordable housing subsidies.”


As one who lives in a city where the local library board promised community members last year that the only branch the Black community could call its own was safe from any budget-balancing plans—come what may!—and then proceeded to close it in June this year, I understand wholeheartedly the sense of shock and betrayal Brooklyn folks are starting to feel.


In response to these attempts of everyday folks lifting their voice in courageous chorus against highway robbery, ACORN’s chief organizer said in a statement: “We are, of course, disappointed by the delays brought about by endless litigation, [but] we remain confident that, at the end of the day, Atlantic Yards will mean thousands of new units of affordable rent regulated housing and new home ownership opportunities for working families.”


ACORN, which has partnered with Forest City to ensure the building of affordable living arrangements (thus barring it “from saying anything negative about the project”), is not the only lackey stored in Bruce Ratner’s basement—only to be let out when protesters, especially the Black ones, refuse to lie down, hands tied, and be molested by private firms. Rev. Al Sharpton, Roberta Flack, Jason Kidd and Vince Carter all reside in the basement.


The tragic reality of unkept promises concerning provision of substitute living accommodations in matters of athletic exhibitions is nothing new. Just ask South Africans, or Vancouverians, or Chicagoans. And now: Brooklynites.


On July 28, 2009, BrooklynSpeaks sent a letter to the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), the agency responsible for approval of property development, expressing concern that the ESDC was prepared to give AYP the go-ahead “without further environmental review… that would allow the public to fully evaluate the new design and phasing of the project.” The letter, which was signed by 17 elected officials, also worried about 7 major “adverse environmental impacts” a project of such magnitude might, and is most likely to, cause.


Two months later, the ESDC gave Forest City the green light, in the name of “thousands of jobs and opportunities for economic growth to downtown Brooklyn”—the same farcical excuse Chicago, a city in the Red, used to sell its unsuccessful bid to bring the Olympics home. Community groups promised, and accordingly delivered, more lawsuits appealing the decision.


Since announcing four years ago, Bruce Ratner’s proposals haven’t escaped enormous setbacks. At every junction, it seems, something seemingly serendipitous has emerged to validate even further the beliefs many residents share that the ground is shifting underneath them—that the wool is being pulled over their eyes. The opposition has grown rapidly, leaving even supporters like New York’s 57th District Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries “highly critical” of its handling—and, more importantly, the hubristic stance taken by Ratner and co. toward those most likely to be affected by it: poor folk. And now, it appears all but inevitable that the Nets would be moving to Newark in preparation for its 2011-2012 Brooklyn debut.


Make no mistake: This is “Negro Removal,” to borrow James Baldwin’s term, presented as “Urban Renewal.” This is nothing but a rehearsal of that classic show avaricious corporations put on whenever resident groups begin taking a stand against gentrification and graft.


But what influence would Jay-Z have on the protesters who refuse to eat the bread crumbs being provided them by Forest City. Would Jay-Z be a shill for Ratner? Would he be asked to restrain his people from raising hell? And what consequences would his participation in this land grab bear on Hip-Hop—itself a product of resistance and grassroots struggle?


Judging from past confessions, Jay-Z believes, to quote Canibus, “the movement in any direction is progression.”


“When I have [a] conversation with Oprah or Bill Maher, Idea represent the culture,” he said recently, referring to TV appearances with both well-known media moguls.


But is he really representing the culture of Hip-Hop, or himself—alongside his corporate interests?


There’s a reason A Tribe Called Quest legend Q-Tip recently blasted New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg in a series of “Tweets.” He wrote, one after the other:


NYC Don't let Bloomberg turn the city into the office for rich folk and kick out the middle class/poor folk.


How [B]loomberg deals with homeless in nyc http://bit.ly/ht6TL


Don't vote for [B]loomberg if Broken Heart love your quality of life


Don't vote for [B]loomberg if u are a humanitarian.


Referring to the Mayor’s constitution-bending bid for a third-term, he opined: “[Bloomberg’s] manipulation of the law to enable him to run for a 3rd term is an act of Tyranny!”


Q-Tip couldn’t have been more precise in his excoriation of the billionaire Mayor, whose many policies have undermined the lives of poor people—especially Black and Brown ones. The money-minded, cash-centered approaches Mayor Bloomberg addresses his city’s problems with have at their core a universal blight: The humiliation and dehumanization of poor folk. From paying indigent adults to behave mannerly, to rewarding their kids financially for good grades (Commodifying Education), the good Mayor seems to think involvement of money in any matter turns water into wine.


And this is with whom Jay-Z can be seen pallin’ around.


It explains the shameless contempt for young, admiring fans.


It also explains why the Jay-z-endorsed Ace of Spades liquor brand was recently ranked no. 1—worldwide. He wasn’t wrong back in 2001: “I am a hustler, baby; I’ll sell water to a well.” And he isn’t wrong now: “World can’t hold me; too much ambition.”


This ambition, while admirable, can also account for the smugness and sheer egocentrism his last record had no shortage of.


So, we know not all headway into the mainstream means well for Hip-Hop. But that’s the price of the ticket. And as KRS-One put it recently, “you gotta decide which god you’re going to serve. Are you going to serve the Corporate God, or the Cultural God?”


That applies to Jay-Z.


It also applies to Brooklyn natives like Talib Kweli, Mos Def, The GZA, and Papoose, who’ve all managed to maintain a unique musical sound equipped with socially constructive undertones. Until now, the silence has been deafening.


There has been little to no noise—not even a mumbling word!—from any of these esteemed MCs. Perhaps that’s the Jay-Z effect already at work.


Well, how ironic is it that Hip-Hop came to be out of a struggle against land-exploitation, and now, Hip-Hop artists are being advised to remain silent, even as their former neighborhoods are torn apart, leveled, and ravaged, to make room for commercial complexes?


For what does it profit a culture to gain mainstream legitimacy but lose every sector of its soul?


Tolu Olorunda is a social commentator and a columnist for BlackCommentator.com. He can be reached at: Tolu.Olorunda@gmail.com.

BREAKING NEWS....

Lil Wayne is headed to the big house.

The troubled rapper pleaded guilty to felony gun possession charges Thursday, agreeing to spend a year behind bars.

Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, 27, was hit with a slew of charges after a loaded 9-mm. gun was discovered in his tour bus two years ago.

He pleaded guilty to attempted possession of a weapon in the second degree, sparing him a possible 3 1/2-to-7-year prison sentence.

The surprise plea came in the middle of what was expected to be a lengthy pre-trial hearing.

"Yes, sir," Carter, wearing black jeans and a white T-shirt under a blue, fur-lined coat, said when asked if he was ready to plea.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon called it "a greatly reduced sentence."

Carter, who is out on bail, left the court with a heavily blinged-out entourage.

He will be sentenced in February.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/10/22/2009-10-22_lil_wayne_to_big_house_rapper_pleads_guilty_to_attempted_gun_possession_expects_.html#ixzz0UgCRNzP1

The Mindless Souls Year Awards!!!!!

That's right!!!! We're presenting our Awards for Artist! This is based on our opinions... so DEAL WITH IT BITCH!

The Rookie of The Year....
Drake
Wale
Kid Cudi
Nikki Minaj

And our WINNER is...
DRAKE
Reason: Hands down Drizzy Drake had the biggest impact on the Charts, and Hip-Hop. Kid Cudi was the runner up with Wale at a close second. I mean Drake did it all this year, with out dropping a fucking album! I mean you can't deny this dude right now. We included Nikki Minaj, because she is trending towards that plateau as well. This was the hardest decision we made doing this. Because all 4 artists really made their mark this year.

Song of the year
"Best I ever Had" Drake
"Every Girl" Young Money All Stars
"D.O.A." Jay-Z
Day and Nite" Kid Cudi
" 5 star chick" YO GOTTI
"Chillin" Wale ft Lady GAGA

And our winner is...
"DOA" by Jay-Z. I mean, what song had the whole world talking? T-Pain dissin'? this was the perfect song to get everybody ready for Hovito's return to the throne. The lyrics, production, and Jay's swagg made this the song of the year for me.
Definitely made me miss the big homie!

Mix-tape of the year
"Back to the feature" Wale
"WAR Angel LP" 50 Cent
"The Warm-Up" J.Cole
"So Far gone" Drake

And our winner is...
"So far gone". I don't really think there is a valid argument here. I mean this is also a candidate for album of the year for us. This dude delivered on every way of being able to. There was R&B, lyrics, singles, collaborations. He had all of the above, and it was free, which makes it more better! Drake really did his thing in our eyes, and I think he will be here for years to come.

Producer of the year
Kanye West -BP3

Favorite Summer Song
"Best I ever Had" Drake

Album of the Year
"Relapse" Eminem
"Blueprint 3" Jay-Z
"Only built for Cuban Linx" Raekwon
"So far gone" Drake
"Man on the moon" The End of Day Kid Cudi

And our winner is...
BP3. This was a masterpiece. This was what Rap music needed. Jay murdered this shit on all facets of murdering. From The first song, to the very last, Hov came with it. I know this will upset some, but at the end of the day, no major retail hip-hop album competed with BP3. Sorry. MY OPINION. MY SITE. lol

Artist of the year
Gucci Mane
Jay-Z
Kid Cudi
Lil Wayne
Wale
Drake

We went with...
Jay. This was a very hard decision for us, Mark wanted to go with Jay, I wanted to go with Drake, one of our people wanted to go with Wale. 7 people contributed, and Jay got 2 votes, Cudi got one, Wayne got 1, Wale got 2, Drake got 1. I think the end all factor with Wale was his album not being released before this post. I think dude is dope, and I'm a fan, but Jay did it this year, and truly deserves the number one spot. Gucci Mane made the list off of pure impact.

At the end of the day, We wanted to let u guys know where we were headed with our music. We strive to bring you the most diverse, and edgy news as possible. Whether its fashion, music, shit sports, whatever! Spread the word about the site, and follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/mindlesssouls. We can also be reached at mindlesssoulsblog@gmail.com. WE will be doing indy artists for the next two months, so please reach out if you are interested!

The List...

In Honor of Def Jam, we at Mindless Souls have decided to list our list of hip-hop record labels and crews in order. We hope you all enjoy our list, and feel free to agree or disagree. MM

15.Dungeon Family - With Outkast, Organized Noise, and Goodie Mob under it's helm, I know a a lot of people would of listed them higher. But shit, wait until you see the rest of this list before you jump down my throat!!!! There catalog gets them here to me.
14.The Diplomats- I know... As far as selling records, they probably shouldn't be on this list. But with that said.... Dipset had one of the biggest street movements in hip-hop history. Jim Jones, Killa Cam, Juelz, and the boys had the streets on lock for a good 3-4 year period.
13. Terror Squad Ent- With 2 platinum albums from Big Pun, and Fat Joe still carrying the TS Flag well into the new Dumbed down era of hip-hop, I don't think there's an argument here. Plus, "Lean Back" was huge commercially.
12. So So Def Records- Mr. Dupri built an empire with the likes of Da Brat, Kris Kross, Jagged Edge, And Bow Wow. A lot of commercial success from this label.
11.Rap-A-Lot Records - Geto Boys, Scarface. The Premier, ground breaking Southern label.
10. No Limit Records- Master P is one brilliant bastard. This mutha fucker had the rap game on lock in the late 90's. Had mutha fuckas going stupid off that New Orleans shit. Rediculous!!!
9. Boogie Down Productions- Yeah!!!! I know none of y'all young mofos will no nothing about the bdp. Scott La Rock (rip), KRS-One. "The Bridge is Over", go do some research niggas!!!
8. Murder Inc Records- I could just tie this in with Def Jam, but they deserve shine. Irv Gotti was a genius, and they had hits for a long ass time.... ride until...
7. G-Unit Records- Came. This nigga 50 changed the whole game. G-Unit had shit on smash for a good 3 years.
6.Aftermath Records- If we talking platinum success, Aftermath is top 3. straight up. There Catalog will run circles around niggas. 50 Cent, Game, Eminem, Dr. Dre... need I say more?
5. Bad Boy Records- Now... This is where niggas gonna break my balls. Bad Boy at 5??? Yes. Let me explain. @ classics, and at least 10 platinum albums to date, but with Big getting killed, Shyne, Mase, G-Dep, shit everybody left Bad Boy with a bad taste in their mouth. That clearly affected positioning on this list.
4. Ruff Ryders- Eve, DMX, The Lox. This mutha fuckas had shit on fucking fire!!!! Platinum hit after platinum hit, and X went platinum plus everytime out.
3. Death Row Records- 2Pac, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Tha Dogg Pound, even Hammer wack ass called Death Row home. Undeniable, until the untimely death of Pac sent the Row spiraling down.
2. Roc-A-Fella Records- What? Kanye, Jay, Beanie Siegel, The Young Guns. ok. THe first two names kept the flag waving. but.... here's why they ranked so high. Impact. Shit, I could of just said Jay, and Kanye. There impact on the culture was undeniable, everybody was throwing up the ROC at one point, and still are.
1. Def Jam Records- Teh pioneering rap label. Still standing tall to this day with the likes of Kanye West, Rick Ross, Fab, and Young Jeezy. The greatest hip-hop label of all time.

Ok- No Ruthless Records, no Cash Money. Ruthless dismantled quickly, and Cash Money is still proving us wrong. Definitely deserved to make the list, but who would of not made it????
13.

Def Jam...

They were simply bigger and deffer than any other label in rap history and, as a result, Def Jam Records was recognized on Tuesday during VH1's "Hip Hop Honors."

The seminal label was the night's sole honoree, a first in the event's six-year history. In the past, a class of MCs were inducted each year, from Big Daddy Kane to A Tribe Called Quest. The rap film "Wild Style" is the only other non-lyrical entrant.

The honor was the latest recognition for Def Jam as the label has been celebrating its 25-year anniversary all year long, which also included landing the cover of the latest issue of XXL.

Rick Ross, Method Man and Redman, Ghostface, ?uestlove of the Roots and Scarface grace the front cover and inside Def Jam rap alumni recall some of their fondest memories from the House that Russell Built.

"Me and [Jay-Z] were choppin' it up, and I kinda told him that it was frustrating being on Interscope, because we're used to the label being in proximity of Philadelphia," ?uestlove said of President Carter signing the Roots to Def Jam. "He says, 'OK, I'll see what I can do about the situation.' I say, 'What do you mean?' He's like, 'Can I trust you? I'm about to make a move.'

"He basically said, 'Hold off on that,' " the drummer added. "'I'ma get you your convenience back.' I guess he was saying he was 'bout to take over the label [as Def Jam president]."

Fabolous talks about the family feel of the label, Warren G shares a story about former president Lyor Cohen visiting his home as he tried to recruit the West Coast star and Scarface remembers meeting LL Cool J when the he was an upstart in 1989 and then having the legendary rapper appear at his own Def Jam album party years later.

"I was probably, like, 18 years old, on the phone with my mom, like, 'Mama, I'm in New York,' " Face explained. "Then LL come by and I'm like, 'Cool J, what's up, man? Talk to my mama.' That was the first time I came to the city. I was such a f---ing fan of Cool J. For him to be there the first time I came here, and for him to be there when I signed [to Def Jam] — man, it was a dream of mine."

The November issue is chock-full of Def Jam info, from a complete label discography to an interview with founder Rick Rubin.

The highlight of the package, undoubtedly, was the interview conducted with Lyor Cohen, Russell Simmons and Kevin Liles. The contrast between the cool Cohen and the animated Simmons that brought to life the energy that helped to launch the label into the stratosphere was existent. Case in point, when Cohen is asked about the beginnings of his career:

"I could talk about Lyor better than he can," Simmons chimed in.

Simmons then explained how the now Warner Music chief used to be treated poorly during his job as Andre Harrell's secretary.

"No, excuse me," Cohen cut back in. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I do," Simmons shot back. "Andre had Lyor working hard as hell."

"I didn't even know Andre at that time," Cohen said. "Wrong. Wrong, wrong. You have a really bad memory."

Damn Yeezy....

Lay another flower on the grave of celebrity clothing lines.

Kanye West's Pastelle brand has been canceled before even officially hitting store racks. The label had been in the works since 2006, but started gaining momentum last year when Kanye was seen wearing pieces to various red-carpet functions.

Images from the purported look book hit the web yesterday, but today the bomb dropped that the line won't be released now or ever.

Of the line, Kanye had said, "Just getting the right designs. It's a gift and a curse. You've got all eyes on you, so if you deliver something great, it's gonna get held as, 'Oh, it's supposed to be great.' And even if it's good or it's OK or something, it's gonna get bashed. There were phases where I could just do the bear on a Polo and it would've made $100 million. At a certain point. But I always say I was a designer before I was a rapper, and I really wanted to get into design. So then, trying to start designing and goin' with my girl down to the fashion district and stuff, and looking at fabrics and stuff like that, I'm like, 'Oh, shit. This is real.' I've learned so much about materials and fabrics and applications and sequence and shiny fabrics and fits and all type of shit..."

If you can't live without a bit of Kanye fashion in your life, there are always those kicks he designed for Louis Vuitton last season... --Adrien Field

DETOX+DRE+JIGGA????

Songs that leaked from Dr. Dre's Detox recording sessions earlier this year revealed that Nas and R. Kelly are among the artists in consideration to appear on the long-awaited opus. And T.I., Lil Wayne and Drake are among the MCs believed to be ghost-writing for the album. But if Dre gets his way, a certain renowned Brooklyn rhymesmith will be pulling double-duty on Detox, both writing and delivering a guest verse.

"Well, actually, Jay-Z's just been in the studio doing some writing," Dre told MTV News on Friday while promoting his new Beats by Dr. Dre/ HP notebook collaboration. "Hopefully I'll get him to perform on the record. Jay, come holler!"

Detox is the follow-up to Dre's 2001 album and will complete the trilogy that began with 1992's The Chronic.

In May, a snippet of a Detox track was released on a Dr. Pepper commercial that features Dre. The song, tentatively titled "Sh-- Popped Off," features production similar to a track that leaked in February with Tip referring Dre.'s vocals. "It's the D.R. ... Made the West side worldwide, no PR/ Gangsta-rap God, I'm the end-all, be-all/ California love from the Bloods to the C-Dogs." Earlier this month, Dre told ABC News he'd like to finally put the finishing touches on Detox by the end of this year in time for a 2010 release. "Hopefully, I'll get it done at the end of this year, and we can hear it next year," the normally press-shy producer said.

The KING... worked With the ....KING???

In the new issue of NME Jay-Z pays tribute to fallen legend Michael Jackson, and in doing so he revealed a piece of music history that until now was unknown.

Aparrently Jiggaman has collaborated with MJ in more occasions than fans were aware of. According to the Brooklyn rapper, Jackson sang on “Girls, Girls, Girls” on the original Blueprint album. “He was on my song ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’, singing these background vocals and I didn’t even put his name on it,” Jay wrote.

Hov linked up with the King of Pop on the song “You Rock My World” as well and also brought him onstage during 2001’s Summer Jam. “He played a concert with me in New York, which was great,” Jay continued. “He got up and he walked out and the place went mental, guys were just grabbing their hats and throwing them like, “Aiiiiiiiiiieeeeee!”

Hova has an interesting take on Michael’s death. “I try to look for the meaning in things that happen, and it was a tragedy that Michael Jackson passed away, especially for his kids,” he said. “But on the other side, I think it gave Michael a chance to be celebrated for the genius he was without all the other stuff in the way, and I don’t know if that would ever have happened had he been alive.” –Elan Mancini

NOW... This is what the FUCK I'm talking ABOUT!!!!

and it's on the WAY!!!!

Peep your girl Lady GAGA on MTV Boiling Points from 2005

I smell BEEF!!!!

LOSO, hip-hop's current Twitter king, started tweeting Tuesday morning (October 6) about Saturday's ThisIs50 Music Festival, during which the G-Unit united with some of their past foes, such as D-Block and the Diplomats.

"It's interesting to see 50 Cent unite with NY artists when he's one of the reasons NY hip hop became so isolated & crumbled.. Do u agree NY??" Fab said in his first tweet.

He followed up, pondering, "I wonder if this is a law in the '50th Law of Power' book? I guess it was a good show for New York.. But if you asked 50 a few years ago if he ever saw himself on stage with any of them, he would've said HELL NO!"

In another set of tweets, Fab made it clear his intention was not to dis 50, but to think aloud. "At 50's peak, his grind was unmatched, image was bulletproof, music was ignorantly motivational & catchy, even classic. Most never have that. ... So don't think I'm takin' shots at 50.. Just that NY show had me a lil' puzzled.. But I love NY so I couldn't knock it if I wanted to."

50 responded via his ThisIs50.com Web site, and he didn't take too kindly to Loso's words.

"Reading what Fab said about me on Twitter was disappointing," he said in a statement. "I have extended myself to Fab personally to allow him to expand himself as an international touring artist. I thought we were friends, but that's cool."

Fif also included an excerpt from his aforementioned book, "The 50th Law of Power." "Law #2: Never put too much trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies. Be wary of friends — they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them."

50 ended with a joke: "Am I 50 Cent or am I Machiavelli? Dammmm!!!"

ONCE YOU GO WHITE....

GOOD MORNING!!!!

In MY opinion... This is the BADDEST WOMAN on EARTH