Rap Radar

Prematurely released earlier this month, Mr. West’s return has new art and an iTunes release tmw. Remember it’s OK to support our culture.

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Update: Cop here.

YN picks up where he left off and speaks on Drake and hip-hop’s new crop of talent. The conversation changes to our possible partnership with Power 105.1 FM and tentative mixtape. So much in store.

Ricky combs the streets of Miami for the visual to track six off the Albert Anastasia EP. Anymore people in that Ferrari coupe would definitely qualify as a fire hazard.

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Before Freddie signed to DECON, here’s his feature in the Summer issue of FADER. Str8 Killa No Filla drops July 29th.

Weezy can breathe a lil’ easy. Today, an Arizona court sentenced him to three years probation for his 2008 drug possession charge. Last week, Wayne plead guilty to the charge via video feed. His probation will begin following his release from Rikers Island later this year. Victory!

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Rozay returns the favor and indulges into the life with the remix of Ne-Yo’s current single. Let’s toast it up.

Image: Complex

Last week, Black Eyed Peas lead MC had his Bentley burglarized for 10K of jewels and goods. Well will didn’t take that lyin’ down. Cooperating with the law, he used his iPad built-in tracking system to locate the jackers whereabouts. And guess what? It worked. He got most of his shit back and the crook is currently on the run but close to be captured. Celebrity justice, son.

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Jermaine told Terrence and Rocsi last week that he’s looking to release his untitled debut within the next four months. Backstage at the BET Awards this past weekend, he tells Jenny Boom Boom at the 3:56 mark, that it should be out on Oct. 26th or before then. Let your shit bubble quietly and then you blow?

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Unfortunately, Banner still won’t get the opportunity to record with Andre Benjamin on Death of A Popstar. But it’s all good in the hood. David says he communicates with him regularly and gives his reaction to Dre approving his verse on the original version of Erykah Badu’s “Jump In The Air (Stay There)”.

He and 9th Wonder then reveal that Ludacris, Marsha Ambrosius, Erykah Badu, Big Reemo and Anthony Hamilton are amongst the features on Death Of A Popstar.

Apparently, Dres of Black Sheep wasn’t privy to the rapping hamsters in Kia’s latest ad campaign. D-R-E-S shares his thoughts with VIBE on the group’s song being used and how he’s expecting some royalties to come along with it.

“The Choice is Yours” is in a new Kia commercial and some other classic hip-hop songs have been getting commercial revivals too. What’s up with the resurgence of golden era hip-hop in advertising?
I think it’s reflective of a time period of a certain level where it was good feelings. Certain songs just represent a good feeling and I think “The Choice is Yours” is one of those that was so fortunate to have that life. There are songs that⎯like with when Obama won⎯you knew where you were and what you were doing and “The Choice is Yours” is like that. I didn’t have any time to do any form of huge promotion globally so at this time that I got an album coming out, it’s such a blessing that so many people are turning their heads to notice, wow Black Sheep, what’s Dres up to? But it kind of goes to the walk of an artist especially from my era⎯everything was kinda young and this Kia commercial, I didn’t even have anything to do with it.

So you didn’t even know it was going to happen?
I wasn’t even contacted. I have yet to receive payment on it but don’t get it twisted, I will. I’ve been talking to Kia for the past week or two so certain things might be done moving forward in maximizing what we’re trying to do. But Universal, the record label, was basically the ones that signed off on it and gave them permission to use my likeness so that’s a different story that might wind up having a life of itself as well. I wouldn’t say that the label did everything that they were supposed to do but that goes to us being young artists and not understanding some of the things that we were signing. I would say to the artists today⎯and this is 20 years later⎯that I’m not the administrator of some of the things that I should be especially so far down the road. But God moves in mysterious ways and I see it as a blessing at the end of the day.