Rap Radar

Never in my years has a project title lived up to its name so much. Nearly two months after its scheduled release, Donnis’ mixtape Fashionably Late is due to arrive June 22nd. In the meantime, check out when he’s coming to a city near you.

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Variety announced that the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul will be playin’ the legendary jazz singer in an upcoming biopic. The $10 million film named Nina will begin shooting in France this September. Good luck, Mary!

Damn Nicki, talk about a missed opportunity. New York radio station Z100 says that Riahnna has sold out the August 12th date of her Last Girl On Earth tour in Nicki Minaj’s hometown. On Wednesday, the rapper pulled out the tour to finish her debut album. Massive fail.

Robin was absent from Alicia Keys’ Freedom tour last night in L.A., but for good reason. The R&B singer and his wife Paula Patton welcomed their first child Julian Fuego. That name’s fire!

The Life Files

On most nights during this tour, Jay just gives the audience a taste of track 8 from his debut album. But in honor of the hometown, Hov went all in on this lyrical masterwork from his early catalogue. Modern-day Jay-Z fans get the fuck out this post.

During Big Sean’s gig at the Wild Hare in Chi Town last night, a disgruntled rapper snatches his mic and shouts “Fuck, Chicago” before getting tossed off stage. All wasn’t lost though. Before the close of the set, Sean managed to perform “Getcha Some” and “Lemonade”.

FSD

Drizzy gives MTV a track by track break down of his mixtape, So Far Gone. He cites “A Night Off” as his favorite song and “Unstoppable” as his favorite performance track.

“Uptown” (featuring Lil Wayne and Bun B). “It was one of the later records,” Drake explained. “That was when I felt like the mixtape was moving a little too slow and it needed some energy. It gave me another chance to really just rap. I love to rap and say witty, clever things that people can say in the club. I like to give people that opportunity. When I heard the beat, I came up with this saying, ‘It’s OK, it’s OK, it’s OK.’ And at the time I wasn’t home, so I was like, ‘You can run and tell my city I’m on.’ It became this chant. Initially that wasn’t even the hook. Wayne had the hook that was part of his verse. That’s why it’s called ‘Uptown.’ He was like, ‘I’m so uptown.’ Then we took that out and made the hook [heard on the mixtape]. Bun getting on there was exciting. Produced by Boi-1da — I thought it was the one. That record means a lot for me.”

“Unstoppable” (featuring Lil Wayne and Santigold). “Me and Oliver were into the Santigold record. ‘Starstruck’ was one of my favorite records. And ‘Unstoppable,’ the beat, it needed to be rapped on by somebody. I always try to do something with Wayne. Everyone has heard Wayne spit, but when Wayne’s put in an awkward situation, he goes off and shines in that atmosphere. So I had given him the beat, and at first he probably heard it and was like, ‘This is weird.’ A month later, I got this verse in my e-mail back. I did my verse and we found a way to edit it together — 40 did his surgery. It became a record that moved. On the So Far Gone Tour it was my favorite record to perform.

“A Night Off” (featuring Lloyd). “ ‘A Night Off’ is my favorite song on the mixtape. It came from just … the song right before it is ‘Ignant Shit’ with Wayne. It was such an exhausting song, rap-wise. We rapped for so long, it was so much to digest. I was like, ‘Man, after you hear that song, it would be so ill to just go into a slow jam.’ At the time it was some girl probably had hit me up like, ‘You never have any time. All I need is for you to take a night off.’ I saw that written on my phone. I was like, ‘A night off. That’s a crazy concept.’ Especially for anybody that works. You could be doing [any job] — to take a night off for somebody means the world. It was sexy and it made women feel special. That’s what I like to do. Lloyd with his higher voice showcased two types of tones. I love that song and girls really like it, which is the best thing in the world.”

“Bria’s Interlude” (featuring Omarion). “I was smitten over this girl from L.A. and I started writing a song about her. A lot of the R&B [I do] is really based off women that come into my life and inspire me to speak to them in song and say what I never would expose on just a talking level.”