50 Cent hospitalized for stomach virus
Rap star 50 Cent was admitted to hospital yesterday and alluded via Twitter that he may be undergoing surgery. The G-Unit boss did not reveal why he was hospitalized but hours later DJ Drama revealed to XXL that 50 is suffering from a stomach virus. “First they wanted to keep it quiet, but he’s not a quiet guy,” Drama said. “He should be cool. It’s nothing that serious.”
Despite the untimely ailment, 50 Cent says he is still dropping his Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama, The Lost Tape, on May 22. “I’m in the hospital but my Gangsta Grillz (Lost Tape) is done so it will be out on time” tweeted 50 cent.” I don’t want to go into surgery.” The rapper also tweeted pictures of himself on a hospital bed wearing a sick gown and surrounded by stuffed animals.
50 also jokingly blamed DJ Drama for his illness. “Do not do a Dj Drama Gangsta Grillz. This is all I get. Ain’t this a b***h. I give 15 tracks, [he] gives me this,” the rapper teased.
Rumor: Eminem linked to Wii U
Word is, Eminem is going to be the pitchman for Wii’s upcoming video game console called Wii U. According to GoNintendo, a website that describes itself as “devoted to everything Nintendo;” the superstar rapper will be featured in a video playing a game titled Acid Ghost on Nintendo’s newest console. The video will reportedly premiere at Nintendo’s E3 press conference next month.
Eminem’s camp has yet to respond to the report. If the report is accurate, this will mark the third video game that Eminem has been associated with. In 2009, Em and Jay-Z played spokesmen for a hip hop version of Guitar Hero called DJ Hero. He also appeared in 50 Cent’s 2005 video game, Bulletproof.
Eminem has been relatively quite since releasing his 2010 album Recovery but fans can expect some new music from the superstar rapper soon. Earlier this month, Em ditched his boxing movie Southpaw to direct all his energy into music. “He’s focusing on his music right now, so while he’s doing that, while he’s in that space, he wanted to put this on hold for the time being,” Eminem’s representative, Dennis Dennehy, told The Detroit Free Press.
T.I.’s Trouble Man slated for fall release, premieres “Like That”
T.I.’s highly anticipated eighth solo album finally has a release date. In a recent Q&A with Angie Martinez on Hot 97, the Atlanta rapper revealed that Trouble Man will be available on September 4. During his appearance on Hot 97, T.I. dropped the latest single from the project titled “Like That.”
As reported earlier, Trouble Man will boast appearances from R. Kelly, Andre 3000, Cee Lo, and B.O.B. A day before Trouble Man’s release, T.I. will premiere the second season of his VH1 reality show, T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle.
T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle won’t be the only television show the rapper will appear in this year. T.I. will have a recurring role in the second season of the Starz drama Boss. The rapper will be playing a former gang-banger who has plans to have a career in Chicago’s City Hall. “I play Trey. He’s the former young leader of a section of a gang in the projects looking to work his way up the ranks in the world of politics,” T.I. told the AJC last week. “He pushes some buttons of his own.” The second season of Boss will premiere in August. Listen to T.I.’s “Like That” below:
Drake and Lil B are cooking up “something real big”
Lil B might have just snagged the biggest collaboration of his career thus far. The internet rap sensation recently revealed to Fuse that he has something in the works with Young Money superstar Drake.
“Yeah, we’re about to do something real big. I can’t speak on it too much right now, but Drake is the only artist [Lil B] wants to work with. We’ve talked about doing some production,” said Lil B. “[Drake] wants to do something and we’re gonna make it happen. Something real big, so just look out for it.”
Drake isn’t the only celebrity who is showing Lil B some love. Earlier this year, video vixen Amber Rose revealed that she and boyfriend Wiz Khalifa appreciate the eccentric rapper’s music. Lil B revealed to Fuse that he wants to return the love by having Amber appear on a remix to a song by his cat, Keke. “We wanna get Amber Rose on the remix because Amber showed love for Keke. Shouts out to Amber Rose for that!” said Lil B.
[Fuse]
Big Shug bounces back with I.M. 4-EVA, Gang Starr book
Gang Starr affiliate Big Shug is making his return to the rap industry this summer with a new album titled I.M. 4-EVA. The Boston bred rapper’s latest opus will feature appearances from M.O.P., Fat Joe, Reks, Termanology, Singapore Kane and Slaine.
Production on I.M. 4-EVA is handled by DJ Premier, A Kid Called Quest, Lee Bannon, and Fizzy Womack. The album is slated for release on July 24. On the same day, Big Shug will also drop a book titled The True History of Gang Starr.
The 36 page book will chronicle Shug’s twenty year career and his lengthy association with the Gang Starr crew. The book will also include rare vintage photos and more. Check out the track list for I.M. 4-EVA below:
RM’s top battle rappers (Vote now!)
When the Battle Video Archives forum was formed years ago, it existed merely as a meet-up spot – place for fledgling battle rappers and their hangers-on to talk smack and wax nostalgic – and rarefied zone to discuss what was then a very small, select niche. After the 2007 WRCs and the rise of Grindtime, King of the Dot, and re-birth of Smack, the forum turned into so much more than that. Since 2010, staff have taken different measures to use the community power of the forum and diehard battle fans to serve the scene while keeping things interesting, leading to many pet projects. One of those staff members, “Scrotie”, is attempting to create a definitely representative list of RapMusic’s absolute favorite battle rappers circa 2012. A daunting task to say the least.
Who’s been killing it between 2011 and now? Have your personal rankings changed over the last year or are they the same? Are you more or less biased than our posters? Be sure to sign up and participate in both the voting thread and the discussion thread in the Battle Video Archives forum, and get your voice heard.
OnlyOne putting the “grind” in “grindhouse” on Cult Classic
OnlyOne is grimy. To Sandpeople acolytes and fans, this probably isn’t a revelation, but, if the 18-track Cult Classic tape is your intro to the Portland emcee, then this is a thought that’ll probably go through your mind a lot. In 2009, OnlyOne and fellow Sandpeople group member (and battle rapper) Illmaculate released an Outkast-style double solo album called Police Brutality which, in retrospect, was a savvy move. Both duos complement each other as much as they contrast and, on Cult Classic, those contrasts help give OnlyOne a more singular identity as a solo artist.
Like Cage and a gang of death metal groups before him, OnlyOne intros certain tracks with thematically similar film clips, both making the tape more cohesive and offering a bit of reprieve from an album that’s a solid 18 tracks with nary a skit or interlude in sight. Rap-wise, OnlyOne often has a palpable disdain and a subtle matter-of-fact world-weariness, often coming across like “yes, you’re getting robbed of the drugs I just sold you, but you should know better, stupid”. Robberies, drugs, murder, prison, and souls come up a lot on Cult Classic, but almost endearingly so; like Jesse Pinkman, he’s a worldly scumbag you want to root for, the kind of dude that would ramble in deadpan about hellfire and Sumeria as he kicked your girlfriend for the dope money she owes him. “Follow a Dollar” best sums up what OnlyOne is as a rapper; dope, measured rapping and lurid descriptions of terrible, terrible things sheathed in an air of menace. The John Carpenter sounds flickering throughout the track fit his style to a T, and even when Illmac shows up with a hook or the beats forgo that menace (after all, only one track could be considered dour on here), Only somehow manages to corrupt it like the carrion touch of Death, creating the kind of music that forces you into his world and headspace. Hell, dude could probably rap over Abba’s “Dancing Queen” and make it sound gritty and twisted. (more…)
Lupe Fiasco reveals title of first single from Food and Liquor 2
The ball is finally rolling for Lupe Fiasco’s upcoming album, Food and Liquor 2. The Chicago rapper revealed the cover and title of the first single off of the project via Twitter yesterday. The single is titled “Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free),” and the cover features a black and white version of the American flag. The single will be released on May 22.
Earlier this month, Lupe revealed that Food & Liquor 2 will be a double album and it will heavily inspired by the original. “Food & Liquor 2 is the follow-up, the sequel to my first album Food & Liquor. This is my fourth album, and this is actually a part one and part two, it’s a double album. With this record, I wanted to go back to the essence of what made that record so special, the frame of mind I was in when I did Food & Liquor the first time,” he explained.
“It’s the Lupe Fiasco I want to be, without the industry constraints, without the trying to please the hardcore fans or get the new fans. It’s just what I would do for myself if nobody ever heard it. This is the kind of music I would make. It’s a masterpiece. It’s real f*****g good.”
[Twitter]
Which label is Chief Keef going to sign to?
You cannot speak on the Chicago rap scene this year without mentioning Chief Keef. Prior to being declared as “Hip-hop’s next big thing” by Gawker and having his hit song “I Don’t Like” remixed by Kanye West, the dread-locked teen rap sensation has already gathered a notable following online and in his hometown.
With his stock continually rising, Keef is the coveted prize in an ongoing bidding war between some of rap’s most prominent labels. They see their next star and they want to cash in. So where will Keef end up? Assuming he does want to go the traditional route of signing to a record label. Below is a list of familiar rap labels I see Keef landing at and I analyze whether they could be a good fit for him:
Mac Miller records music with cancer patient
Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller helped make one young fan’s wish come true recently, by sharing studio time to make some music. According to WTAE, Mac Miller recorded music with the 18-year-old fan earlier this week. The fan, Bobby Stewart, who raps under the moniker Yung Ka, is suffering from T-Cell lymphoma, a life threatening cancer.
“To be with Mac is a blessing,” Stewart said. “His lyrics are amazing. Hip hop is my passion. To be able to be with Mac Miller…he is a Pittsburgh legend…Wiz Khalifa shoutout.”
Miller met Stewart as part of a Make-A-Wish Foundation last year and struck a friendship with him. The rapper also granted Stewart’s wish by recording some music with him.”Feeling like your music really does something for the world makes it all worth it, no matter what,” Miller said. “From now on, no matter what happens for the rest of my life, no one can take that away from me.”
Summer rap release dates: The July edition
Summer is basically around the corner and everyone’s favorite season will boast an array of rap albums that hip-hop fans have been highly anticipating. Last week, RapMusic highlighted notable rap albums that will available in June.
This week, we focus on albums that will be wearing out speakers in July. July’s releases include the anticipated debut from Harlem’s own Rocky, the return of a corpulent and classy boss, and the resurrection of “God’s Son.”
Kap Kallous and Vikto Beats release music video for new single “I Get Down”
With the impending release of their upcoming EP, The Martian EP, Kap Kallous and Vikto Beats have released the music video for the track “I Get Down.” On the track, Vikto combines synths and a head-nodding bass line to create a track that gives Kap Kallous room to spit his flow over. The Martian EP is set for release as a free offering on May 22nd from the Kap Kallous website.
Here’s the chance for RapMusic.com readers to get a little taste of what to expect when the new album drops next week. We’ll keep up with this collaboration and hope to bring you more insight and depth into the men who put their heads together to create this work. You can also show your support for “I Get Down” by giving it a thumbs-up at the DJ Booth website.
