Rap Radar

Rain or shine, 50 Cent has a book to promote. And to help push Formula 50, Fif held a few book signings throughout New York and New Jersey and here is a recap from ThisIs50.

Sidebar: 50 talks G-Unit & Floyd with Sirius’ Renada Romain.

Cudi’s back on the cover of Complex for their February/March 2013 issue. The entire story is available to read here. but here are a few highlights below. Issue hits newsstands February 4th.

On antidepressants

I took a trip on antidepressant lane for a little bit. After the WZRD song “Dr. Pill” everyone thought I was talking about molly or ecstasy. But I’m talking about prescription meds. I had just gotten a shrink. I was having an emotional breakdown with this breakup. I kept trying different pills for five months. It fucked me up. They weren’t working. It was every side effect on the bottle. I couldn’t fuck.

On not being on Cruel Summer much

I was a little disappointed. But Kanye had a vision for that. Whatever that vision was didn’t include much of me.

On his father’s burial 

We didn’t have any money when my dad died. I knew we didn’t have much, but goddamn. I didn’t know it was like that. My mom revealed to me that the casket wasn’t sealed tight. She said my father’s not there, like there’s nothing.

On being labeled a deadbeat dad

That’s what bothered me about that shit that came out [on TMZ about the child custody case]. Why the fuck would I be a deadbeat? I was like, “That’s preposterous.” I didn’t fucking have a dad since I was a kid. I couldn’t wait to have a family and pick up where my dad left off, and be there for my kid.

Better dress warm. Showing off his pizazz, Machine Gun Kelly takes the cover of YRB magazine’s upcoming winter issue. Below is the visual to his new track featuring a gang of Cleveland upstarts.

In his chat with GQ, Kendrick Lamar discusses his relationship with Dr. Dre, how he improves his rapping, adapting to the success of good kid, m.A.A.d city and the skits on the album.

GQ: Were those real scenarios?
Kendrick Lamar: All of those were real scenarios. The fact that I took my mother’s car, that was real life. Being in a situation where you’re young and a teenager and you don’t really have respect for authority. You respect them as your mother and father, but sometimes when they lay some rules down, you break them. And that was one of those situations. Taking that car got me in a whole lot of different situations as a teen, that I tell in the stories. That’s what that concept really represents: abusing the authority of losing his Domino’s, losing his jewelry, anything else that he possessed that I felt like taking at the time.

K-Dot also shared his cast preference for the upcoming short-film that will accompany the album.

GQ: Are you going to act in it, star in it, direct it? 
Kendrick Lamar: Directing for sure. I haven’t really thought about starring in it… I can, because it is me and my life.

GQ: Let’s say you weren’t going to star in it and you could have anyone in the world, who would you have play yourself?
Kendrick Lamar: Anyone in the world? It would have to be somebody… there’s one kid on The Wire, Tristan Wilds [who played Mike Lee].

GQ: Who would you have play your mom?
Kendrick Lamar: I probably get Taraji Henson.

GQ: Okay, okay. Sharane?
Kendrick Lamar: I would love to see Rihanna in my movie [laughs]. Looking at this cover right here, man.

I would love to see Rihanna star in my self-directed film too. Ha!

Pretty solid line-up, no? Rolling Stone caps off 2012 with Em, B.I.G., Pac, and Hov on the cover of their latest issue. 50 songs are tough, but who will clock in at number one? Pick up the issue on newsstands next week.

thanks: jana

UPDATE: Peep Ahmir’s intro and list here.

R&B bad boy Chris Brown and G.O.O.D. Music’s Big Sean close out XXL‘s year in the Dec/Jan issue. Cop these mags up like it’s your last on Dec. 4.

Taking the throne for the third annual “Rookie Of The Year” cover of The Source is none other than king Kendrick Lamar. Peep the excerpt below and pick up the issue on December 4.

“We couldn’t believe something we dind’t know about. As a kid, all we seeing is street shit… When you see one of your partners get smoked and that same day you have someone coming to you preaching to you asking you, ‘Do you believe in God?,’ it gives you a [different] outlook.”

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T.I. puts up his dukes on the cover of this week’s Billboard. If you’re looking for trouble, the album arrives on December 18th.

Draped in fur with more than two chainz, Tity Boi is the man of the year on the cover of The Source. The issue hits newsstands December 4, but peep the excerpt and cover shoot below.

“Those who haven’t been through that struggle don’t mind going to the zoo to pet the animals. They don’t wanna live in the zoo, but they don’t mind coming through. I’m someone who can show you around in a cool way where you don’t have to worry about getting eaten up.”

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For all the “It’s Complicated” females out there, Tyrese and the Rev will share their relationship tips in their upcoming book, Manology. The man-ual guide drops on iTunes and Amazon on February 5.

Tyrese Gibson and Rev Run of Run DMC fame have formed a lasting friendship in the unlikeliest of ways. After an unexpected argument—Rev Run insisted that marriage is forever, Tyrese pushed that you could bail when the sex went bad—the oddest of odd couples decided not just to agree to disagree, but to team up and open their debate to a larger audience. Even though they’re at different points in their journey, Rev Run is married with two kids and Tyrese is a single dad still hesitant to settle down, both have been around the block a few times.

Manology presents no-nonsense, easy-to-use, and unconventional love advice for both understanding and handling the man in every woman’s life. Their teachings include: avoiding the MAN-ipulation of a noncommittal male, why 20 percent of a man’s happiness in a relationship is based on fantastic sex, and shutting down a man’s cheating radar. With Rev Run’s humor and goodwill, and Tyrese’s straight talk and sex appeal, Manology speaks to any woman looking to finally take control of her love life and snag the man of her dreams

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