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50 Cent‘s not the only rapper pulling Twitter stunts out his ass this week.  Besties and Young Money mates Drake and Nicki Minaj have joined in on the circus and Twitter foolery.

Their latest marriage claims when you read on… Read the full story

Wiz Khalifa declined to align his budding stardom with two of the biggest names in Hip-Hop, Rick Ross and Drake.

The Pittsburgh native, who was already signed to Atlantic Records, said that he still would have continued to decline signing with Ross.

“I would’ve kept doing what I was doing till I found something huge [outside of Maybach Music]. I’m all about standing behind my own brand instead of putting myself up under somebody else’s,” he told VIBE.com. “[Success] might take a little bit longer and take more work, but in the end it pays off because I can stand right up there with my peers and have respect.”

Earlier this month, Drake offered Khalifa an opportunity to tour, but Khalifa passed on the “Lightdreams and Nightmares” tour.

“I never really had too many cosigns…or no one let me know that I was on their radar, so for me, all of this is cool and lets me know that I need to keep doing what I’m doing,” he said. “But I’m not too focused on that. I don’t do what I do just to get recognition from everybody. That’s just extra to me.”

Khalifa will soon embark on his own Waken Baken tour.

Hate is the new love.

Recently, the hate levels have risen faster than a wave in a Tsunami.

Why do the fans hate their own artists so badly? I don’t have all the answers, but I sure have a lot of observations. This strand of hate isn’t new, but it sure is pervasive as an epic epidemic. The hate in Hip-Hop began as external forces sought to extinguish rap. Then, as Hip-Hop music grew, there was an attempt to police itself. Acts like Too Short, The Luniz and later B.I.G. would call this “player hating,” because the haters were attempting to stop people from getting paid. These days, thanks to the internet, there’s a unique hate being spewed and I don’t mean “I just don’t like that person’s music.” I mean hate.

So, bear with me as I talk about Drake, a case study in this editorial. Just try to read this, because there is a message afterward that you may find more engaging. Fight through the hate.

I’ve seen the venomous loathing of Drake. Some people have valid remarks, but more often that not, the critiques are tarnished with unproductive comments. When he gave me his Top 5 Dead or Alive and started to mention actor Leonardo DiCaprio, I tried to warn him about the backlash that would result.  (He knew too.) I’ve never been particularly fond of dude’s singing and clearly that material is for the ladies. Anybody with iTunes can adjust to that. As I hear it, when he flows, most current commercial rappers can’t see him. I mean, come on. Listen to the radio and you will know exactly what I mean. Joints like “9 Am Freestyle” are proof that he’s listening to the fans and proof that he can cater to whoever he wants, especially in a free environment like the internet. So Far Gone and Comeback Season – which were released before the wave of hate – are pretty much proof of his appeal to a broad spectrum.

As we continue, let us discuss Jay-Z, “real” Hip-Hop head. If you hate him, again..try to fight through it. There is a greater point at the end of this editorial that speaks to you.

There are the OG’s like Jay-Z, surviving the rigors of Hip-Hop for decades and they are not exempt from the hate. It seems like every other song Jay does is fending off  haters (“Haters” with Kanye is the first song that comes to mind.). But it doesn’t stop with these pop phenoms, it goes down well into the underground. Murs is one of the dopest artists in the underground and yet after reading comments on him, you would think he was Jay-Z. Hate.

Day in and day out, fans proclaim to hate everybody in some form or another. Obviously, not everybody but the loudest voices are those of the verbose hater. They hate B.o.B. and Drake for changing up. They hate on Jay-Z for not willingly giving up the crown. They hate Murs for not being more mainstream. They hate Soulja Boy for being wack lyrically. Nicki Minaj is too expressive and cartoonish. Rick Ross makes great music, but he was a C.O. I mean, the lists and the reasons go on and on and on endlessly.

But, here is a question: who do you love? I ask again…who do you love? WHO DO YOU LOVE?

Keep the answer to yourself for now.

Here is why hate is the new love.

Everybody you hate, you actually support his or her ascension. Everybody you say you love, they stay down with us close to home. They don’t sell as many records as the subjects of hate. Everybody was raving over Slaughterhouse last year and then they sold a paltry18,000 units their first week. Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Drake, Lil Wayne are bigger than ever. Meanwhile, Big Boi, who has unquestionably one of the best albums of the year, sells under 65,000. He’s also one of our Hip-Hop heroes – an artistic, lyrical genius and one half of Outkast. Do you hate or love him?

Since coming in the game as a fan, my people have supported The Roots, Redman, Master P. Public Enemy, Jay-Z, Snoop, Dr. Dre, Mobb Deep…the list is literally endless. I mean ENDLESS. We’d buy a TAPE ‘til it popped. Then buy a CD ‘til it scratched. Then buy another CD. Now, I buy at least two copies of my favorite rappers, clean and regular versions (LOL). But, when you talk about supporting, I am a fan of HIP-HOP so I can shout out Jean Grae (Dopes Femcee Ever!), my homey Murs, B. Rossi (one of our new Breeding Ground artists), Bun B (Classic!), Joe Budden (waiting for MM4), Talib (Don’t Sweat Bloggers!), Mitchy Slick (Triggeration Station), TiRon (MSTRD is crazy), Ras Kass (A.D.I.D.A.S. is a comeback indeed), Black Milk (Interview is coming)…the list remains endless.

So, again I ask. Who do you love? One of Lil B’s fans beat him up a few weeks ago. Then in the strangest move ever, he went back and apologized in a viral video, all the while expressing his love of dude. Really? So, is this the way you show adoration for somebody in Hip-Hop these days? Beat them up or dis them nonstop?  Now, Lil B is an even bigger star than before the beatdown. Strange.

If you look at the average hater, you notice they inadvertently support the ones they hate. They clearly listen to every song, they comment on every article and I would go so far as to say they probably buy/listen to the music in secrecy. They follow the online crowd even though their identities are generally shrouded in mystery. And when it’s all said and done, the artists you claim to love stay suffering. They don’t even get comments.

I love to champion the artists that are able to play the numbers game. This is a business and somebody has to go out there and sell units to convince these “shirts” that Hip-Hop is the viable, vibrant art form we know it is. We know these artists are dope even if they flop. So, I also champion the artists that aren’t able to play the numbers game the  way Drake and Jay-Z do.

Have you ever seen an unknown rapper talk endlessly about their haters?

They not only talk about them, they make songs about haters they don’t really have. Why is this?

It is simple. Hate is the new love and these people want all the hate they can muster, because it is a sign of your success in this era. These people don’t even have haters, but long for them like Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. longed for unity among the races. Somewhere, Willie Lynch is laughing hysterically.

This hate is killing our Hip-Hop community. In the 90’s, everybody hated MC Hammer. In 2010, Rick Ross is “MC Hammer” (by his own admission). But, they didn’t stop MC Hammer in the 90’s. He overcame that and remains as active as ever. So, now everybody hates Rick Ross in 2010…how does that set him up?

Don’t answer that.

Just answer this:

Who do you love?

Who do you love?

Who do you love?

The Next Part On “Hate Is The New Love” Goes To The Artists.

This song goes pretty hard. Tell us what you think?

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Last night (Aug. 19), Drake took to UStream to speak on his upcoming Light Dreams and Nightmares tour. During the broadcast, Drizzy said he wanted Wiz Khalifa to join him and Clipse on their national outing next month. XXLMag.com just got off the phone with the Pittsburgh MC, who says, though he’s honored, he respectfully declines, due to his own solo Waken Baken tour kicking off at the same time.

“Just the fact of cuz even extending his hand and me being on his radar is tight, to me,” he said. “It just lets me know that I’m doin’ what I need to be doin’ as far as stayin’ relevant and stayin’ poppin’. But I think to keep me poppin’ and keep me relevant I gotta stay buildin’ on top of what I’m doin’ and what I been doin’. No disrespect to cuz or anybody Read the full story

(AllHipHop News) Forbes has dropped its annual list of the top money makers in Hip-Hop music and rap mogul Jay-Z has topped the list for a second straight year.

According to the report, Jay-Z, born Sean Carter, raked in $63 million over the past 12 months.

He will pay the government about $22 million, more than any other artist earned on the entire list, excluding Sean “Diddy” Combs, the #2 earner with $30 million.

“We put together this list by applying the same rigorous methodology we apply to our research for the Forbes 400, the Celeb 100 and other specials,” Forbes writer Zack O’Malley Greenburg told AllHipHop.com.

Greenburg, who is also penning a business-focused biography on Jay-Z told AllHipHop.com that information was gathered “concrete data” provided by companies like Billboard, Pollstar, Niesen Soundscan, the Recording Industry Association of America.

Additionally, Forbes conducted its own investigative research through interviews with executives, lawyers, media buyers, label executives and various artists.

“This year’s rankings show that Hip-Hop’s most financially successful artists continue Read the full story

Lil Wayne called in to New York’s Hot 97 radio station Tuesday evening (August 3) from Rikers Island to talk about his time behind bars, hopeful collaborations and his upcoming EP, I’m Not a Human Being, due in September. 

Wayne started his sentence on gun charges in March and is scheduled for release in November. “I’m calling you from Rikers Island right now, unfortunately,” Lil Wayne said over a crackling phone line to Hot 97′s Funkmaster Flex. 

Wayne went on to remind listeners and fans how to reach him while he’s locked up. 

“All you have to do is go on my website WeezyThanxYou.com, and I think all of my information is on there where you can write to me, and I get my mail every day,” he said. “I read as much as I can and I respond, and if you want to hear me respond, all you have to do is check back on that same website, and I have a great lady named Karen Civil that puts up my responses, she puts up updates, everything is on there. Some people might faint when they see their name on there, and they be like, ‘Oh my God!’ It’s a great thing.” 

He also shared what he’s been listening to — and not listening to — during his jail time. “I’ll be very honest, Flex: I don’t listen to no music. All I listen to all day, if I am listening to anything, is sports. And that ain’t because of nothing, just the simple fact that I’ve never listened to anyone else’s music but my own, and since I’m not able to do that up in here, I don’t listen to anything. I don’t listen to nothing but my thoughts.” 

Wayne has at least checked out Eminem’s latest album, Relapse, which he’s featured on. “Em is him, and he’s back in a major way,” he said. ” … As far as Eminem the dude, he’s a great dude. He’s been keeping up with me since I’ve been in here, and I appreciate his support.” 

The rapper later said he’s “a sports fanatic” who “played football and baseball, and I played football more than baseball, but I never was any good, so it’s nothing to speak about. I just have a great knowledge of the game.” 

Wayne had a few thoughts about dream collaborations upon his release. “I’ve been saying to myself that I really want to do a song with either Andre 3000 or I really like my man Tech N9ne from the West Coast,” he said. “Other than that, I’ve been trying to do a song with this little dude Weezy; he’s stupid.” 

Wayne said he stays scarce when it comes to keeping up with Young Money stars Drake and Nicki Minaj. “I call Drake at least once a week, but I actually call three or four times a week, but he only picks up for me once a week,” the MC said with a laugh. 

As for calls to Minaj, he jokingly said, “That being my future wife, we talk every night. Nah, the same goes for her. I don’t like to bother them in the midst of what they’re doing, because I know they have a whole lot on their plate every single day. That’s my thing with everybody. They be like, ‘Why haven’t you called me?’ But it’s because I don’t want to bother. Put in this position, I just feel like every time I pick up the phone to dial a number, I feel like I’m a bother, because I’m in jail. I don’t have nothing else to do but talk to you, and that might not be what you want to do at the time. I don’t know if that’s just a conscious thing, but … I always feel like I’m bothering. I call Mack Maine every single day, and I know I get on his nerves, but he answers every single time.” 

Wayne went on to describe a typical day in Rikers. “I wake up around 12 noon, I jump on the phone, call Mack, call family, call my mother, call my kids — you know I got a lot of kids to call,” he said with a dry laugh. “After that, once I start reading that fan mail, literally, I could read it all day, every day because it’s so much. That fan mail knocks off like four, five hours of the day. And then I do dinner — whatever that may be in here — I jump on the phone again, and after that, I’m through.” 

As for what he’s learned from his stint in prison, the MC said he’ll “definitely move more carefully. I’ll definitely take heed to my situation and my status. I mean, when I ask myself … everybody says that you’re here for a reason, and I promise you, Flex, I try to find out that reason every day. I search for it. But I think when I get out, that’ll be the only time I’ll really know the answer. Every day I look for that reason.” 

As for Wayne’s upcoming EP, it’s on the way. “Yes, it’s gonna drop before Carter IV, only on the Internet,” Wayne said. “This is stuff that I recorded right before I came here.” 

As the jail phone beeped its warning that Wayne’s interview was coming to a close, the MC thanked all his fans for their support. “I don’t want the phone to hang up on us, so I want to say thank you to all my fans, and I love you, Flex, for giving me this opportunity,” he said. “I appreciate what you’re doing, Flex. Keep doing it.” 

What do you think about Lil Wayne’s comments from prison? Let us know in the comments.

TORONTO — Sporting an October’s Very Own varsity jacket, black t-shirt, fatigue pants and a pair of black Air Jordan sneakers, Drake looked every bit the part of collegiate jock during his OVO Festival performance Sunday night (August 1).

The homecoming star basked in the adoration of the local audience, which cheered every line Drake either spit or sang, from his springy breakout “Best I Ever Had” to the hardened Thank Me Later number “Up All Night.”

It was quite a showing for the upstart MC; the show doubled as the inaugural OVO Festival and the last leg of his Away From Home Tour, which he launched this past spring.

But like a respectful freshman type, Drake made sure to welcome the upperclassmen — who threatened to steal the show — to his Caribana-tinged party.

Drizzy brought the capacity crowd to its feet when he invited both Jay-Z and Eminem to the proceedings as the two legendary artists joined the So Far Gone artist for back-to-back performances to close out his show.

“I want this s— forever,” Drake said after introducing Bun B to the crowd and acknowledging the UGK veteran who helped open the concert.

The blaring horns of “Forever” then boomed through the Molson Amphitheatre speakers and Drake kick-started the all-star posse cut.

“Last name, ever, first name, greatest,” he rapped. “Like a sprained ankle, boy, I ain’t nothing to play with.”

Drake was without Kanye West, who didn’t appear, and Lil Wayne, who is currently incarcerated.

But Eminem, the song’s other key cog, was present and he caused the crowd to shriek when he appeared onstage. Decked out in black from head to toe, Slim Shady’s time was brief, but the Detroit superstar made every second count. “There they go/ Packing stadiums as Shady spits his flow,” Em rapped. “Nuts they go/ Macadamian they go, so ballistic, whoa/ We can make them look like bozos/ He’s wondering if he should spit this flow/ F— no, go for broke/ His cup just runneth over/ Oh no.”

The Drizzy/Shady summit proved to be piercing as the pair drew the loudest cheers of the night.

Rick Ross (“B.M.F. [Blowing Money Fast]“), Fabolous (“Throw It in the Bag”), Young Jeezy (“Unforgettable”) and Kardinal Offishall (“‘Ol Time Killin’ “) all joined the Toronto rapper onstage throughout the festivities.

Moments after Eminem left the stage, though, Drake was joined by yet another heavyweight: Jay-Z.

Drake teased the crowd prior to Hov’s appearance as his DJ blasted Kanye West’s “Power,” leading many in the venue to assume ‘Ye would appear from backstage.

But after a brief delay, the iconic Brooklyn superstar arrived onstage; in front of him, thousands of “Roc diamonds” shaped by audience members’ hands made Jay-Z feel right at home.

“I wanna pay respect to the people that inspired me that couldn’t be here,” Drake yelled as “Power” silenced.

“Play something else,” he said calmly, then Andre 3000′s “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)” verse rang through the sound system.

After working the crowd up into a frenzy, Drake stopped the music once again to address the audience.

“Gimme something from a man who’s inspired me more than anybody else in my f—ing life, I’d say,” he said before “Public Service Announcement (Interlude)” powered throughout the Toronto sky.

And then, just like that, Jay-Z surprised the sold-out audience with a rumbling rendition of “Run This Town.”

“I want you to give them the anthem they deserve tonight,” Drake said.

The decibel levels easily pushed past safety settings as the speakers thundered with rattling bass.

Drake closed things out on his own with a stirring rendition of his first single, “Over.”

The lyrics were prescient; prior to the show, Drake had explained to MTV News how last year he was surprised to learn tickets to his show were being scalped.

A year later and his meteoric ascent is nearly complete, with him having brought a bevy of stars to his hometown.

“I swear it feels like the last few nights we been everywhere and back/ But I just can’t remember it all,” Drake rapped over the triumphant strings. “What am I doing, what am I doing/ Oh, yeah, that’s right, I’m doing me.”

Then, speaking to the crowd, Drake said his final goodbye: “I love this city with my entire life,” he told the audience as it roared its approval.

Don’t Sleep: Necessary Notables

Feature Presentation: Trill OG

Headliner: Bun B

Key Collaborations: “It’s Been a Pleasure” and “Put It Down” (featuring Drake), “Right Now” (featuring Pimp C, Tupac Shakur and Trey Songz) and “Just Like That” (featuring Young Jeezy)

Essential Info: There’s no need for deliberations — two songs into listening to this LP, it’s clear Bun B hasn’t let up on this third installment of his Trill series (Trill and II Trill were the first two). Bun delivers articulate and adamant verses with a host of great current MCs as well as some late legends; Pimp C and Tupac make surprising appearances on “Right Now.” Bun’s album ends with the Drake collaboration “It’s Been a Pleasure,” on which the Port Arthur Godfather reflects on his life and career. The UGK co-founder says fans shouldn’t be confused by his introspection or the song’s title, however. He’s not signing off anytime soon.

“It was meant not just for the album, but really just looking back at life,” Bun said. “Like, you never know how long you’re gonna be here. I plan on being here for a long while, but I don’t have a final say on that sh–. So with that being said, to sum up everything up to this point, we had some ups and some downs, we had some real rough times. But we’re still here, and I don’t think I would really change anything at this point, because it really has been a pleasure doing what I do and being out there with the people. I just wanna continue with it. I ain’t done with it. But in case I don’t get to say anything else beyond this point, I just wanna let the people know it’s been a pleasure.”

When asked what has been his most pleasurable career moment thus far, Bun said it’s too early to answer.

“I don’t know, because my solo career is still dawning,” he explained. “I look at the [LL] Cool J’s out there and the Hov’s, and they got the 10-albums-and-running type of situation. And people like Short Dog, who I think is on album 20 by now. So as a solo artist, I’m still kind of young in this game, but I have made some major steps. So maybe we’ll call me a late prodigy on the solo side. But we had some good moments.

“Trill was definitely a rough album but a fun album to put together,” he continued. “II Trill was a little bit different circumstances, dealing with the [death of Pimp C]. I’m not really sure that I gave that album everything I could. I don’t think I had everything to give to that album at the time. It was still a great album; we made great music. I mean, we could do that in our sleep. But I’m not trying to do it in my sleep. I’m trying to be eyes wide open, fully focused. And I think we came back and accomplished that on Trill OG.“