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

MTV's Hottest MC's in the game right now...

10. Raekwon
9. 50 Cent
8. Fab
7.Jeezy
6. Gucci Mane
5. Rick Ross
4. Kanye West
3. Drake
2. LiL Wayne
1. Jay-Z

* Now, I definitely respect this list, and I saw how it was compiled, and I respect how it was formulated. Here is where I disagree... Kid Cudi..not on the list, Wale, Not on the list. Kanye should of been left off, but overall, this was a pretty solid list. And, the only reason I say Kanye should of been left off, is because his last album was not a hip-hop album. but.. yeah, it is what it is.

This dude still sings??? SMH...

As with shotgun weddings and annulments, an artist's time on a record label can be fleeting. Just two months after R&B singer Omarion signed to Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment in early June came the news that he was leaving to run his own imprint, Starworld Entertainment under EMI Records.

While some initially thought the former B2K frontman was dropped--suspicions that arose after his single, "I Get It In," leaked to the Internet, shortly followed by a tweet from Young Money President Mack Maine stating that Omarion was "no longer with Young Money"--Omarion quickly skirted the rumor in a statement, also denying his involvement in the song's leaking.

"I remember [Mack Maine] tweeting. He didn't say I got dropped. He didn't say anything," Omarion tells VIBE. "I think because I haven't been on the scene for a long time, people sometimes forget my history and forget that I had a career before Young Money. I've been in B2K, I've had a successful solo career, so nobody can 'drop me,' so to speak."

The singer further maintains that he and Wayne remain on good speaking terms despite the sudden departure.

"We spoke and he pretty much was like, 'Do what you wanna do and do your thing,'" says Omarion. "It's no bad blood. It's business."

Since the news of his leaving also came days after Bow Wow announced signing to Cash Money, some speculated friction between the pair, who released a collaborative effort, Face Off, in 2007. Omarion denies any animosity there, too, calling Bow Wow a "good friend."

"Business wise, Young Money and Cash Money are two totally separate entities. Wayne has his group of artists and Cash Money has its group of artists," says O. "It is one big family but Bow Wow, he's under Birdman. That didn't have anything to do with me wanting to be released."

Following B2K's disbandment in 2004, Omarion dropped two solo projects, briefly linking with Timbaland for one of his biggest singles, "Ice Box." More recently, he was featured on "Bria's Interlude" from Young Money rapper Drake's February mixtape, So Far Gone, and popped up on an early version of Young Money's new single, "Bedrock." Now prepping the release of his third solo album, Ollusion, due November 24, Omarion-who turns 25 that month-says he's ready to step out on his own after being under the management of others for much of his career.The whole Young Money situation was a really, really great idea in the beginning," he explains. "But when I really started to think about the history of superstars, you know, they stand alone, including Wayne, Kanye... So when I thought about that I really wanted to pursue, and at that moment I had an opportunity to not only be an entertainer and stand on my own, but be an entrepreneur."

Ollusion features production from King, who co-produced "Icebox," Detail, and Tank, who helmed the Gucci Mane-assisted lead single "I Get It In." A video for the song is being shot next week.

"Sonically it's kinda like passive aggressive. It's definitely sexy like what I gave with 'O,'" Omarion says of the album, adding that the title represents the falseness of the music industry. "A lot of people have to fake a front and pretend and have this persona. They might appear to be fearless but truthfully we all have fears. It's not what you think it is. It's an illusion." --Clover Hope

THE Dude Bol...

Lost in the hoopla re: last week’s Billboard albums chart was the fact that Kid Cudi’s album did so well.

When I saw the results last week, I was more concerned with the fact that the Blueprint 3 continued to do so well, and M.O.P.’s Foundation did so poorly.

The Jay-Z album sold an additional damn near 300,000 more copies, which is more than pretty much any rapper these days could hope to sell their first week out, and enough to land it in the number one spot for the second week in a row. I know the beginning of the fall is a big time of the year for album releases. I wonder if the Blueprint 3 beat out some other, non-rap album that was released.

It’s hard to get an idea how rap album sales compare to album sales overall, from the dumbass album sales rundowns XXL pays some kid to do - not to mention the reports on how much rap albums are projected to sell, the ones where people who work for XXL predict how an album might sell, the videos where random-ass people on the street predict how an album might sell, so on and so forth.

That M.O.P. album, meanwhile, only sold 2,100 copies. I’m not even sure how to go about categorizing such poor album sales. I can’t think of another example of an album by a prominent rap group selling so poorly. Even that Clipse album on Koch Graveyard, where it was just garbage from their last few mixtapes, somehow made even worse, sold more copies than that.

In a widely disseminated update on Twitter last week, I made it a point to compare M.O.P.’s disappointing album sales to the fact that Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon: The End of Day somehow managed to sell 104,000 copies its first week out, i.e. damn near 50 times as many as the M.O.P. The comparison seemed especially fascinating to me, in that I can hardly think of two rap groups that are more diametrically opposed. M.O.P. are old and badass. Kid Cudi is young and suspect. Kid Cudi is like the anti-M.O.P.

I didn’t even realize people were checking for Kid Cudi like that. In the past few weeks, all I’ve heard about on Twitter re: Kid Cudi is how people who stumbled upon a leaked copy of his album were surprised at how much they didn’t like it. And keep in mind, these weren’t aging haters such as myself. These were people you’d think might like a Kid Cudi album.

Then I saw where Cudi deleted both his Twitter and his blog, which was considered by the late, great (er, zombified?) Vibe magazine as one of the best hip-hop blogs evar - probably several spots ahead of my own blog, which I’ve been updating since back when Kid Cudi was having his first homosexual experiences, in middle school. What a waste. Whether or not the harsh criticism of his album and Cudi retreating from the Internets were related, I’m not sure.

I’ll give credit where credit is due - the hype re: Kid Cudi seemed a lot more genuine to me than the hype surrounding a lot of these other beta male rappers. “Day N’ Nite” and “Make Her Say” were both big singles. “Make Her Say,” which is Kanye at his lecherous best, and perhaps a foreshadowing of the incident at this years VMAs, is my shit. And I’m not gonna lie - when I’m on my way home from the BGM and one of those teh ghey techno remixes of “Day N’ Nite” comes on Sirius, I’ll let that shit ride. Kid Cudi supposedly wrote both of the songs people actually like from the last Kanye West album, and he’s featured on the new Jay-Z album.

If you would have told me that Kid Cudi, rather than Drake, had received a groundbreaking $2 million contract, I might have actually believed you. What has Drake really done, by comparison? Before I mentioned that the Kid Cudi album sold way better than the M.O.P. album, I saw where it was projected to sell way better than the retail version of Drake’s So Far Gone. This seemed odd to me, and I said as much on Twitter. A few people responded that the Drake album was just a bowdlerized, $8 version of a free mixtape. Which might be true, but I doubt the people who gave Drake $2 million give a shit. Why did Drake put out a retail version of a mixtape last week, as opposed to an album? It’s not like “Best I Ever Had” is getting any newer. And people are obviously (inexplicably) back buying CDs.

Alas, it looks like last week’s strong album sales could end up being the peak of Kid Cudi’s career, rather than the promising beginning. This week, Man on the Moon slid 13 spots on Billboard’s albums chart, selling about 28,000 copies, i.e. only a little more than a fourth of what he sold last week. So Far Gone: The Version That Has Less Songs and Costs Money outsold it by about 8,000 copies, which was enough to land it in the top 10. Let me guess - the 100,000 people who copped Man on the Moon its first week out hated it, just like the people I follow on Twitter, and they spread the word. Otherwise, who knows how well it would be doing right now. In fact, advance negative word on the Internets may have even hampered those first week sales. Man on the Moon possibly could have even given the two week old Blueprint 3 a run for its money.

It’s not like I give a shit whether or not Kid Cudi album does well. As I stated at the outset, that’s just not my cup of tea. I was much more concerned with how poorly the M.O.P. album sold. But the Kid Cudi album is fascinating to me, in that I can hardly think of a rapper in a better position to blow. What’s happened in the past week or so with Man on the Moon is like what happened with Cudi’s Freshman 10 cohort (and touring partner) Asher Roth earlier this year all over again. They both had the full force of the industry behind them, but they could only ever make but so many people give a shit.

GOOD SHIT FROM XXLMAG.com

let this hit your mind...
Yesterday’s blog had the brightness of an Esham record, which I apologize for; when something’s front-and-center in your head, it’s tough to maneuver around the elephant in the mind. Even though my topic today isn’t necessarily for the laughs, it’s much more pleasant to digest. The mirror is still pointed inward, though, and this time it’s a result of my last XXLMag.com blog week. For those who recall, I put together a couple of regional-specific posts—the first, reminiscing about Pete Rock and Marley Marl’s “Future Flavas” radio show, and the second, a collection of my favorite storytelling rap songs of the weirdly-conceptual kind.

I’d thought both would be immune to the anger of the commenting sect, but then a strange, unexpected thing happened; I was accused of perpetuating an apparent East Coast bias on this site. My first reaction was one of disbelief and self-defense. But then, the more I thought about it, the accusation brought me back to 2004, when Democratic candidate John Kerry lost to George “Dubya” Bush—or, American history’s biggest dumbass—in the presidential election. I’d lied to myself throughout that entire race; here I was, living in New Jersey while working in New York City, both areas predominantly liberal. Of course Kerry was going to wreck shop in the nearby polls. So when Bush started whooping his ass on election night, the U.S. map on CNN covered in red all over the South, I was stunned. Not as much by disappointment, but by the shock of my ignorance. “Shit,” I thought, “I really am NY-centric. To my own narrow-minded fault.”

Which brings me back into the hip-hop side of things. As hard as I try to tell myself it isn’t the case, I really am overly partial to the New York sound. There’s always my love for all things Outkast, Scarface, N.W.A. and Hieroglyphics, but when it comes down to it, I’ll always pick the Skyzoo album over the Lil Boosie disc. People keep telling me to fuck with those new Nipsey Hussle mixtapes (and I do, because the guy can definitely spit), but midway through I can’t resist the compulsion to switch the iTunes over to Apathy’s Wanna Snuggle? (Ap’s from Connecticut, technically, but his sound is truly Eastern-minded; and that new album is serious, for the record).

All of this leaves me to wonder: why can’t I completely embrace a new Gucci Mane song? What is it about the NY sound that works best for me? I love all hip-hop, and my CD collection wouldn’t be over 1,500 deep if I’d only copped albums from my neck of the woods over the last 15 years. In fact, I had MC Ren’s “Behind the Scenes” on repeat for hours yesterday. So I’m not close-minded; I’m just a rap head who’s fortunately self-aware enough to acknowledge his downside.

It’s funny, because my older brother and elder cousin used to bang West Coast records over my head back when I was in grade school. Especially tracks by Above the Law (“Murder Rap” is actually a top 10 all-time song in my book) and Eazy-E. If they’d tried even harder, I could’ve written this asking why I’m a New Yorker who can’t stop bumping Cali music. But, alas, that’s not the case. I was reminded of this problem back in college; I went to St. John’s University, out in Jamaica, Queens. One of my good friends there was from South Central, Los Angeles, and he was full of out-of-town habits that were all foreign to me. For instance, the kid walked slower than an elderly woman nursing a Charlie horse, a stroll that he attributed to the slower LA lifestyle. My fellow Metropolitan area folk, we break out in that speed-walk to compete with local insanity.

The craziest thing about my Cali friend, though? He’d never heard of M.O.P. prior to stepping foot onto the St. John’s campus. That absolutely blew my mind. I specifically remember lying on my bedroom floor back in ‘96, ripping the shrink wrap off of my new Firing Squad CD, and running through that dopeness until it was dinner time. Out on the Left Coast, though, this guy could give two shits. He was, and still is frankly, West Coast biased. And that’s proof that regional preferences go all ways. Maybe it’s because I’m from NY, but I always feel like New Yorkers get the “Open your ears” shouts more than others. I can almost hear John Kerry himself yelling that at me. “That’s essentially why Bush was given another four years to drive us into the ground.”

I could deliberate this for hours, for a neverending series of paragraphs, so I’ll quit while I’m (hopefully) ahead. The question I ask, however, is: for those brave enough to fess up to having one, how can we best explain our regional bias? Is it simply a result of growing up in areas where radio stations favor the local sounds? I reply to that, “Well, I watched Yo! MTV Raps religiously, so I’ve always been exposed to every style.”

Is there even a definitive explanation for this? I’ve long thought not, but what do I know? I’m the same guy who visited Waco, Texas (don’t ask), once and stood in amazement at the first sight of a dude wearing a cowboy hat. “They really wear those out here,” I asked my girl at the time. “Yes,” she shot back, “what’d you think, that those only exist in western movies? You really need to leave the Tri-State more, man.” As my friend from Cali used to say, “Chuuuch!” And, yes, he really did say that. -Matt Barone

WTF is SELLING out in 2009??

The iconic hip hop band was on CNN and spoke about them being labeled sell outs for mainstream gigs, such as being the house band on the Jimmy Fallon show. ?uestlove quelled those rumors as nonsense and insisted that the band is merely being business savy, cashing those late night checks, as well as enjoying keeping fans guessing.


Here is what Questo said to CNN:


"I don't know if selling out is even a factor in 2009. There's being responsible, and there's being businessmen," he said. "My definition of selling out is when your products start sounding crappy and when you phone it in from home. But I don't think there's anything compromised or rushed or ill-timed or misthought about our career decision. As long as the music's funky and true, and our art is still represented, I don't see that at all.”

THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!!

Common is returning to his roots. After linking with The Neptunes for the majority of last year’s dance friendly Universal Mind Control, the Chi-town MC is reuniting with Kanye West and No I.D. for his ninth studio album, The Believer.

During the benefit show for his Common Ground Foundation over the weekend, Com told XXLMag.com that he has already recorded tracks with Kanye and No I.D. for the project, which he expects to hit stores sometime next spring.

No I.D. has been producing songs for the rapper/actor ever since Com first broke out onto the scene in 1992 with Can I Borrow A Dollar? He went on to produce the majority of Common’s next two albums: Resurrection and One Day It’ll All Make Sense.

Along with signing the fellow Chicago resident to his G.O.O.D. Music imprint, Kanye produced the bulk of Com’s highest selling album 2005’s Be, as well as 2007’s Finding Forever.

Common also said he has been in the studio with beatsmith Twilite Tone, who he hasn’t worked with since One Day It’ll All Make Sense. Like I.D. Twilite also produced a lot of songs on Com’s debut.

As previously reported, the rap vet brought out a star studded cast of hip-hop heavyweights at his show last Saturday (September 26). Nas, Ye, De La Soul, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The Roots, Ludacris, Heavy D and Queen Latifah all hit the stage to help Common raise money for his foundation. –Max G with reporting by Slav Kandyba