Manchester Football Club Owner, Sheikh Monsour Paid Jay-Z and Kanye West $6 Million To Perform At Daughter's Sweet 16 Party

I think that it is great that  rappers can make so much money from branding themselves so good. Regardless of how good Jay-Z and Kanye West are with the musical craft, it definitely isn't just the flows that got them this BIG FAT CHECK.  Three million dollars a piece...$6million for them both to perform at a party, which can't last more than a couple of hours. You know the kid really isn't want to hear their lyrics, but the fact that Kanye West, and Jay-Z (a.k.a Beyonce's Husband) is at her party...



Do you remember your Sweet 16? Mine was spent in my basement. And we're pretty positive even the blingest bash on My Super Sweet 16 couldn't compete with this one. How about paying $6 million for Jay-Z and Kanye West (aka The Throne) to perform at your birthday bash? That's how much Manchester Football Club owner, Sheikh Mansour, paid for the pair to fly out to Dubai so his niece and her guests could Watch the Throne. Yeezy and Jay, who are nominated for a combined 10 awards at the 2012 Grammys--including Best Rap Album for their WTT collaboration and Best Rap Song for "Otis"--performed both their collaborations and a few of their respective solo hits at the pricey Sweet 16 party. (RapFix)



20 years ago, i don't know which rapper would have been able to command this much to appear at a kid's birthday party. Last year December, Rick Ross made a detour to perform a similar fit but for a Nigerian family. He had been at a Nigerian concert when he was approached by a father who proposed a deal that he fly Rick Ross off to another state in Nigeria from where he was performing to go and perform for his kid's 10 year old party for $100,000 ...i thought that was big, but this one with Jay and Kanye blew me away.

TM103 At Number 1: Rap Albums On Billboard Chart

Young Jeezy chose the perfect time to drop his album...little competition, and a holiday season. And his fans backed him all the way. TM 103: Hustler's Ambition has succeeded in being the highest selling rap album this week...it sold 233,000 copies after a week in stores. I think that is really impressive for a gangsta rap album. Right now, if you are not jay, kanye, eminem, t.i or a member of cash money records, it is hard to sell above 200k first week. So, i say congratulations to Young jeezy and all his fans that made this happen.


Drake's Take Care album sold 131,000 copies this week...that's 20k more than what he sold last week. I knew he was going to have an increase in sales this week. He is now at a total of 1,175,000 copies total. And i am sure he would be at 1.5 mill by end of Jan 2012.



Common's The Dreamer/The Believer sold 69,000 copies in its first week in stores. I predicted it would sell between 60-120k first week, so i am onpoint with that prediction. Lil Wayne sold 56,000 copies of his Carter 4 album this week, and is now at a total of 1,882,000 copies sold.



Snoop and Whiz Khalifa's Mac & Devin Go To High School Soundtrack sold 20,000 copies this week, to now total at 59,000 copies. The Roots moved 18,000 copies of their Undun album this week, and are now at a total of 84,000 copies.



Roscoe Dash's J.U.I.C.E album sold 9,500 copies in its first week out. Childish Gambino's Camp sold 8,700 copies this week, and is now at a total of 92,000 copies sold so far.

Bow Wow Reveals Guest Appearances on Underrated

Bow Wow has been off the scene for a while now, but he hit twitter recently to let fans know the guest appearances on his upcoming album...Undarrated. Incase you didn't know, he is now signed under Cash Money Records. It seems everyone is on cash money thisdays. I wish him luck, and i hope he can successfully make that transition to adulthood. He was depressed earlier this year cause he wasn't as successful as he once was. But what he needs to understand is that he is now grown, and people want to see that in his music...he is nolonger the little adorable kid that can rap.




@BowWow
Bow Wow Underrated Album: Lil Wayne Jadakiss Busta Rhymes Talib Kweli Meek Mill Lloyd Banks Chris Brown & Musiq Soulchild *BONUS" TRK Boys II Men "
Dec 23 via EchofonFavoriteRetweetReply






I think that's a lovely line-up of rappers right there. Jadakiss...Talib Kweli. I really can't imagine Bow Wow with Talib, but i would love to here the outcome. The album drops next year. Watch out for it.

Red Cafe Names His Top 5 Hottest Rappers

I remember hearing Red Cafe for the first time on a DJ Whoo Kid mixtape back in my second year in college...i think that was 2003. For someone i had never heard of, i liked him instantly. I started telling people about him, but i didn't here from him in later years. He started buzzing again a couple of years back...and then he signed with Bad Boy Records. Diddy has promised to drop his album next year...2012. Anyway, he was recently asked who he considers the hottest 5 rappers in hip hop right now, and his answer is below-



"Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Drake, Fabolous, and a toss up between Andre 3000 and Kanye," Cafe said in an interview. "I've been a fan of hip-hop from the early days. Hip-hop was just putting words together and having fun. Then rappers like Nas who rapped about the neighborhood and things that we were going through. And Biggie Smalls. I got a story too. My stories are interesting. I did it for fun and then people started getting interested. Now if your music is being appreciated, people want you to continue because it helps them get through their days." (Global Grind)



It's his list, so i can't judge it, but if i were to, i would pick Kanye and not Andre 3000. Right now, Kanye is hotter than Andre. Personally, i think Andre 3000 gets away with so many B.S. Of cos i know he is lyrical, but he made a full r&b album, but no one complains about that. But they keep giving Drake a tough time. Anyway, that's just my opinion.


If i am to name the top 5 hottest in the rap game right now, i would say- Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, and The Throne (Jay and Kanye west)...i wish i could squeeze Big Sean in there too.

Merry Xmas

Merry Xmas to you all my readers...this is the time of the year when i get to really relax. I am a very awkward guy; when everyone goes right, i always go left. So, while everyone went out or did something grand today, i just stayed home and relaxed my nerves. Just ate some good food and caught some good sleep. Life is good.



I don't like moving with the crowd, so i did it my way. I finally downloaded Kendrick Lamar's Section.80, and have been playing it all day on my phone. I think i kinda can compare him to Lupe Fiasco. One thing i can say though is that he is not your regular west coast rapper. I definitely have become a fan of his. I was sleeping on him all year long.



And, although this is a rap blog, i am also really feeling that new Rihanna album...Talk That Talk. I got it a couple of days ago, and i think she keeps getting better. A very lovely album if you would ask me.



So, this is the end of the year, and the people closing the year big in the rap category are Drake, Kanye & Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Common, Big Sean, Wale...and maybe Nicki minaj. Nicki dropped a new diss track (stupid hoe) directed at Lil Kim  a couple of days ago. I downloaded and have heard it...i am going to delete as soon as my phone is charged. The song...what can i say about it? She had some pointers against kim, but she took the retarded flow that she and Wayne use and raised it up X10 to the point where it got annoying.


Anyway, that's that...it's 4 days to my birthday, and 7 days to the end of the year, and i am feeling good right now. I still can't believe we have come to the end of the year. I am glad i was able to accomplish a lot of things...i can look back and pat myself on the back.


I wish all a merry xmas...at least the remainder of it, and a happy new year.

Drake and Common Beef

At this point, they haven't taken it to the point where they are making back and forth diss tracks at each other, but it is clear that there is beef between Common and Drake. It all started when Common released a new single from his The Dreamer/The Believer album, "Sweet", which had some lines that people say was directed at Drake. And Common later admitted the fact in a couple of interviews.



Presently, everybody seem to be dissing everybody, but what i don't like is that they don't take it anywhere. I am not talking violence, i just want to hear some really great rap battle songs. You know...like when Canibus went at LL Cool J...or even the Game and G-Unit beef era...although that was too one-sided. Anyway, i would have loved if Young Jeezy and Rick Ross made some songs to back up all their beef...or Big Sean replying Ludacris's "Badaboom" diss.



All that happens now is just talk talk talk...a couple of interviews, and then the whole thing dies. I don't know where this Common and Drake issue is coming from. It could be from some personal thing, that got dragged on wax. Below is what Common said about the "Sweet"...

"Hey, he opened his mouth and said some things. So if he wants it, that's what he wants, all that subliminal, you can do that too. But you might want to say that now," he said. "I mean, the verse is about me, but when you hear some stuff on the chorus, it's like you can't help but think about dude, and that's what he felt. So at the end of the day, he fit in that category. He already embraced it, so wear it." ("Sway in the Morning")

Common also appeared on "106 and Park" to discuss the issue...

"I look at it as hip-hop. He felt, obviously, what I said in 'Sweet,' he must have felt he was one of the people being addressed, so he decided to say what he had to say and I said, 'Hey, we can keep it on a hip-hop level' because I think he's a good artist. He's a talented guy, so, but if I'm saying, 'Yo, look we're in the ring, and you want to get in the ring,' then we just need to get in the ring. And I'm talking about on the mic, aight? [laughs] ... [Could I go back into battling?] Yeah, because I love hip-hop, I love the culture of hip-hop." ("106 & Park")

I don't know if this is good for Common or not, cos Drake and his friend, "40", who is also his producer, have been taking shots at Common on a subliminal level. Drake was in Vegas recently, and he went directly at Common-


In a recent performance in Las Vegas, Drake reportedly increased tensions by addressing Common on stage. "I might sing, but I ain't no bitch." said the Toronto rapper. "If Common got something to say, say it to my face." Will Drizzy have to catch a body like that? A ridiculous situation indeed. (The Silver Tongue Online)

He is definitely calling Common a bitch for not coming direct to say what was on his mind. But it gets worse...40 goes in harder on Common. Read his tweets below-

"@common, I remember being called a b*tch in grade 9 cause I had your cd. Good thing I also had 456 by kool g rap on me. Now that's real ;)," he tweeted December 20th.

"After [1997's] "one day it'll all make sense" came out I spent months arguing weather or not @common was hip hop. Everyone was saying it was too rnb."

"I'm not dissing, just facts. I love common. I also love swv and John b."

"@QtipTheAbstract, never! Common is in my top 5 always has been. Hes also been brave enough to be different. I respect that as well. #irony" (40's Twitter)

I'm sure you caught all the indirect disses in those tweets...hmm! Below are some lyrics from the song that caused the tension-


Yeah, man, y’all niggas man, you soft muthfuckers
Yeah my man, muthafcker
Then come around my crib
You know where I’m from
Some hoes ass niggas
Singing all around me man, la la la
You aint muthaf-cking Frank Sinatra
Uh, lil bitch
Yeah, this the raw right here
Yeah this the raw right here nigga
Sweet muthafuckas
Sweet ass bitch muthafucka

You know man, you should know where I come from
You should know who I am nigga
You should never wanna go against me
You know man, you too soft for that man
I be seeing you man, I see it in your eyes man
You aint the type of nigga to go against me
You get in my presence you gon’ feel like a little hoe
You aint a man yet, you tryna be somebody else
Man, be yourself man, you come around my crib, you get your shit took
Huh, wherever you go, you probably be overseas in Europe and get yo shit took
You’s a hoe, you know you sweet
Aint nothing you can do man, people see that man
Broads be seeing you sweet
Done wit’ you muthafuckas, it’s over for you
It’s over for you? It’s over, sweet muthafucka

I think it is clear that he is talking to Drake, but i still believe there is something behind this that we don't know. I don't believe Common would just pick on Drake for no apparent reason.

First Week Sales Projections Of Common's The Dreamer/The Believer

Common's The Dreamer/The Believer dropped two days ago, and according to HITS Daily Double, it has been projected to sell between 55-65k first week. I predicted it would sell between 60-120k first week. so i am onpoint. Read more below-





Windy City hip-hop icon Common's Think Common/Warner Bros. bow, The Dreamer/The Believer, looks headed for first-week sales of between 55-65k. His last album, 2008's Universal Mind Control, on G.O.O.D./Geffen, debuted with 82k.
 



Common has always sold within this range, so this is another successful album for him. When you don't attach any kind of gimmick to your music, it is always hard to sell big...but i think he is cool with this sales. It's a great album, and he now has more songs to perform on tour.

Top 10 Rap Songs On The Billboard Chart

Below are the top 10 rap songs on the billboard for this week-



10. That Way- Wale feat Jerimih and Rick Ross

9.  Can't Get Enough- J.Cole feat Trey Songz

8.  Sexy And I know It- LMFAO

7.  She Will- Lil Wayne feat Drake

6.  Lotus Flower Bomb- Wale feat Miguel

5.  Make me Proud- Drake feat Nicki Minaj

4.  Work Out- J.Cole

3.  Headlines- Drake

2.  Dance- Big Sean feat Nicki Minaj

1.  Niggas In Paris- Jay-Z and Kanye West



So that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is a picture of what the general public is listening to in the rap genre at the moment. I have all the tracks on my phone except the song at the number 8 position...i don't even consider it rap music.

First Week Sales Projections Of Young Jeezy's TM103 Album

I think i was way off on the earlier first week predictions i did for this album. That was back in September anyway, before the release date was pushed back to December. The album has seen many delays...but it is here now, and in grand style. Young Jeezy's TM103 is projected to sell between 200-222k in its first week. I think that's really impressive. Really, i thought the highest it would sell would be 150k. I think this means Gangstar Rap is not totally dead.


Read the breakdown from hitsdailydoubl.com-

Nevertheless, Def Jam/IDJ's Young Jeezy album, Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition, hits fourth, looks set for an impressive first week sales number of between 200-225k, based on one-day reports from those retailers who took time out from making fun of Newt Gingrich's double chin to respond. The South Carolina-born rapper's previous album, The Recession, debuted with nearly 260k upon its release in Sept. 2008.

I congratulate Young Jeezy and all his fans that made this possible. I definitely didn't see this coming. There is a medium i use in checking what range an album would sell...i thought i had gotten a hang on it, but i guess fans make magic happen.

Rap Albums On Billboard Chart

Drake is still the highest selling rapper on the Billboard chart for this week. His sophomore album, Take Care sold 77,000 copies this week, and is now at a total of 1,044,000.


Snoop and Whiz Khalifa's Mac & Devin Go To High School soundtrack debuts on the chart this week, and sold 39,000 copies after 7 days in stores. Lil Wayne's Carter 4 move 29,000 units this week, to now total at 1,826,000.


Jay-Z and Kanye West's collabo album, Watch The Throne sold 22,000 copies this week, to now total at 1,166,000. The Roots Undun album sold 18,000 copies and now stand at total of 67,000 copies sold.


J.Cole's Cole World is now at total of 463,000, after selling 14,000 copies this week. Wale's Ambition album sold 13,000 copies this week, to now total at 293,000 copies so far.

5th Week Sales Of Drake's Take Care Album

Drake has been on the chart for 5 full weeks now, and Take Care sold 77,000 copies this week. I think that is almost the same amount he sold last week. And i think he would probably sell more next week cos of the holiday season. Take Care is now at a total of 1, 044, 000 copies sold so far.



Platinum in 5 weeks and still selling heavy...i think that's cool. He would probably be at 1.5 mill sold by the end of January. Just remember i said that.

DJ Premiere Speaks On Collaborative Album With Nas

There has been talks for a while now about a collabo album with DJ Premiere lacing all the beats, and Nas doing his thing. I think i first heard about it in 2006, after Nas's Hip Hop Is Dead Album dropped. The news has been on and off since then. But you can't really count on someone like Nas to be ontime. I wont say he is lazy, but if he is not in the zone, he is not doing it. But once he gets in the right spirit, it would be done in a flash...like the collab he did with Damian Marley (Distant Relatives)...i think that album was a masterpiece.


Below is what DJ Premiere had to say about the project-



"[With] Nas, it's always fun to work with him because we have a formula and vibe that already works. It's not difficult. It's like seeing a long lost cousin like, 'D*mn, I ain't seen you in years. Let's get back to what we used to do.' I submitted some tracks, so hopefully those will work, but if not, he and I are still going to do the Nas/Premier album," he said. "But he has other albums that come before, but we're still going to do it, we've spoken about it." (Hard Knock TV)



Premiere and Nas have always been good together...They have a long history together...from the first Nas album (1994), Illmatic, to 2nd Childhood on Stillmatic (2001)...i think that was the last track they did together. But between Illmatic and Stillmatic, Premiere produced tracks on all 5 albums...more than one track in some cases. I think one of my personal nas/premiere favorites has to be Nas Is Like from the I Am album...Magical!



Let's hope this happens. Nas is currently working on his 10th album, and he is scheduled to work on the collabo album with Common after that. I think the album is to be titled Nas.Com. By then, 2012 would probably be coming to an end...lol!

Somaya Reece Names Her Top 5 Dead Or Alive

"Love & Hip Hop" cast member, Somaya Reece names her top 5 dead or alive...that is, the top five rappers dead or alive she considers to be the best. I think it is an interesting list. Check it out below-

• Big Pun. He really paved the way. What he did for us Latins was such a big thing. So he's always going to be one of the best. Not only did he rap amazing rhymes, it's just what he was able to break culturally was such a big deal. You can't argue with that. Big Pun was so amazing and is still so amazing to me.
• Crooked I. You know I love Crooked I. He's my boy. He's a really good friend of mine. Crooked is just ridiculous when he raps. I really love Crooked. I've known Crooked for a long time and he's really good.
• Talib Kweli. I have to put Talib Kweli in there. That's a no-brainer.
• Lauryn Hill. If we can name girls, then I'm going to say Lauryn Hill. How could you not put her in your Top 5? She was so empowering [to] girls. She was empowering to children too. Lauryn stood up for women in her music.
• MC Lyte. I have to make sure and name MC Lyte for sure. She is a hip-hop pioneer. I grew up listening to a lot of MC Lyte because one of my sisters was so obsessed with her. It was so funny. She didn't even speak good English but she knew all of MC Lyte's songs. I really want to include Nas, Eminem and Tupac but they're in the Hall of Fame!
  
  
  
  I think the only name i dispute on her list would have to be Crooked I. Crooked hasn't put in much work to be on that list, but i guess it is a personal thing, so she has the rights to name anyone she wants. Although he has a couple of mixtapes, he has just one solo album, and one collaborative album with the Slaughterhouse crew. But i do like the names she added at the end. It shows she knows quality rap music, and not just about the "people's choice".
  
  Personally, i think Big Pun is so underrated. Not to offend anyone, but i would pick him over Biggie any day. I have the two biggie albums at home, but i rarely listen to them. Really, maybe it is just about the kind of person i am. I just have to hear that depth when i listen to a rapper...i easily get tired of  just braggadocios rap. Even if i like that kind of rap, it must come with something else...a little creativity...a little story telling...a little flipping of flow on the track...that kind of thing.

Top Selling Rap Singles Worldwide

It is very had for a rap song to make intentional acclaim if it doesn't have a little pop to it. I think that's what Cash Money has mastered, but there are still some artists that manage to do get some international attention to the point that they compete with the Coldplay's and the Rihanna's. I have put together the top selling rap singles in the global category this week.


5. Headlines. Drake's Headline single is at the number 5 position with 62,000 copies sold this week, and is at a global total of somewhere around 300k sold.


4. Dance (A$$). Big Sean's Dance track...the one with Nicki Minaj debuts on the global charts this week with 63,000 copies. Thanks to a little help from Nicki.


3.  Young Wild & Free- This is the track from Snoop, Whiz Khalifa and Bruno Mars, off the soundtrack to the movie (Mac & Devin Go To High school) Snoop and Khalifa did together. It sold 88,000 copies this week and totals at 269,000 copies sold worldwide.



2.  Niggas In Paris-  Jay-Z and Kanye West do it big with their Niggas In Paris single, off their joint album- Watch The Throne. The single sold 91,000 copies this week to now total at 239,000 globally.


1.  Good Feeling- Even Eminem doesn't come close to this dude when it comes to number of singles sold. I'm talking of Flo Rida. His "Low" single still is the highest selling song ever...in the digital category...selling over 6 million copies as a stand alone track. Anyway, he sold 266,000 copies this week, and now total of 1,617, copies globally. WOW!

Mac Miller Comments on Possibility of Signing With A Major Label

After Mac Miller's Blue Slide Park topped the Billboard chart at number 1back in November, selling 144,000 copies in its first week, independently, people started wondering how he did it. Most people that sell that much do it with a major label machine behind them. And these unknown white rapper did it all by himself, with the support of an independent label (Rostrum), and his twitter and facebook fans. I think that's incredible. Instead of settling for a dollar on each of his CDs sold if he was on a major, he would be making like 6 dollars on each CD on an indie. I think that is really cool for someone just starting out.


Even established acts don't normally want to take the risk of lower promotions with an indie label...the Majors put bigger budgets behind their artists albums. Now, he is beeing questioned if he would consider going the Major way-


“So my whole thing is, I’m more into keeping independent because I’m more into working with people who I know very well,” he said. “But if I reach a point where there’s things I can’t do, which we haven’t reached that point yet, but if I ever reach a point where there’s something I can’t do and I need some help with a major, who knows. I’m not anti-major, like I hate the majors. I’m not that type of person.”



I wish him all the best in his career. I still haven't heard his album, so i can't say what stuff he is made off. But, for pulling off that stunt by himself, i think he might be hear for a while. It shows he really believes in his skill...i keep telling people- TALENT IS NEVER ENOUGH.

Is Kim Dead

Is kim dead? Or, is Lil Kim Dead? Nope! Lil Kim is alive and healthy, and working on her new album. She hasn't really said anything about the allegations that have been flying all around the internet yet,  but the real issue was that the of North Korean Leader, Kim Jong The Second who passed over the weekend, and people misinterpreted the news as the rapper, Lil Kim being dead.




If you ask me, i would say the CIA got the guy. Call it conspiracy theory all you want, but i have seen to many movies, and read to many books to think his death was out of natural causes. He has been a threat to the west for a while now, and all of a sudden....Sorry, back to the real purpose of this post. Yeah, Lil Kim is still alive.  But, personally, i think people were teasing her with that being dead story. More like they were implying that her career was dead. I am a big fan of Kim's music, so i wont support that. But, i do have to admit that Nicki Minaj has the head female rap category on lock down right now. But you have to look at it this way. Kim has been doing her thing for 15 years, and still is relevant, so for her to even still be around is a big achievement.


This is Nicki's time...but Kim is not Dead. Anyway, read more on the news below-

Questions such as: "Is Lil Kim dead??" and "Lil Kim's dead? Is there any truth to this?" Yes, in the wake of the passing of Kim Jong Il, some Twitter users seemingly believe that the female rapper Lil' Kim had died instead. BuzzFeed has compiled a list of 25 such people. For the record, she did not. But we should have expected this sort of thing. Of course, a visit to a search engine could have cleared up any confusion, as it did for this person: "I searched online. You guys are wrong. Lil Kim's alive." Other Twitter users began referring to Kim Jong Il as Lil' Kim on the social network site, perhaps because of his size or as a sign of disrespect. (Mother Jones once compared the two figures.) (The Washington Post)

The Lil Kim death confusion reportedly stemmed from cultural critic N'Gai Croal.

Croal tweeted "RIP, Lil' Kim" after news of Jong Il's death emerged, prompting countless other to spread the rumor that the Brooklyn female rapper famous for "Lady Marmalade" had died. However, they must have missed the part where Croal tweeted an article announcing the death of Jong Il with the suspected flub. Shortly after, Lil' Kim became a trending topic on Twitter and other social media Web sites, with fans wondering if Kim had died. (International Business Times)

Kreayshawn Speaks On Debut album

Kreayshawn is the female rapper i thought was going to give Nicki Minaj a run for her money, but she has been silent since her smash hit- "Gucci Gucci" became cold. I thought she was going to follow that up with another, then start talking about her upcoming album...building anticipation, but i guess she had other plans. But i liked her creativity on the gucci gucci songs, and i hope she would keep improving and doing more stuff in the future.


Anyway, it appears she has been working on her album, and she has come forward to alert people on what to expect on it-


“A lot of it is like different genres and forces, from Brazilian-type music to Indian freestyle to techno-type music," she said. "There’s everything."

Kreayshawn confirmed that her White Girl Mob partner V-Nasty will be on several cuts, but would not reveal further guest appearances. With mixtapes and possibly a TV show in the works, Kreay is making sure that she’s more careful about her career.


That's not too much news from her, but enough to know what to expect from her in the near future. I just hope she wont get herself into more troubles like the one with Rick Ross earlier this year.

Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj Claim The Number 1 & 2 Spots Respectively

Yeah, i think Young Money artists were on their grind all through 2011, and they are getting recognized for their hard work. Billboard.com has crowned Lil Wayne the number one artist in the r&b/hip hop category for the year, and Nicki Minaj follows at second place. I don't think anyone can argue with this. For one, Lil Wayne had the highest selling rap album of the year, and he just cashed in $47 million from his North American Tour. Nicki on the other hand dropped single after single from her Pink Friday debut this year, and they were all smash hits.

You can call Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj label mates, mentor and protégée, or employer and employee. Or you can call them the top two R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of 2011. Lil Wayne claims the No. 1 spot on the Artist ranking thanks to his No. 1 R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year, "Tha Carter IV," along with four No. 1s and 24 chart entries on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs during 2011. The Barbie Doll finishes a close second to Wayne among Top Artists as the breakthrough success of her debut set "Pink Friday," a six-week No. 1 on Top R&B Albums, and six top 10s on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, including the No. 1 "Moment 4 Life," featuring Drake, raised her profile to the superstar level this year. She also finished second to Lil Wayne on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums list as "Pink Friday" takes the No. 2 spot behind "Tha Carter IV." (Billboard)

Nicki Minaj also went ahead to claim the crown of the top rap artist...that's billboard's standards though.

Nicki Minaj came second on the poll, largely due to the success of her debut 'Pink Friday', which spent six weeks at the top of the charts and produced a further six Top 10 singles. Minaj was also named the Top Rap artist by Billboard, beating Lil Wayne, Drake and Kanye West. Chris Brown, Miguel and Wiz Khalifa also featured highly in the end-of-year list. (NME)

Well, i can't front, they worked their butts off. And the majority of music listeners of this generation seem to LOVE them, so you got to give it to them. They are the winning team right now. In the last 8 months or so, T-Pain, Busta Rhymes and Mystikal signed deals with Cash Money Records. I think they are going to crush 2012..YMCMB!!!

Muna

Muna is a Nigerian female rapper, and former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria Winner. She became popular in 2007 when she won the yearly pageant. She had always been into music and decided to use her recently acquired popularity to catapult herself into the Nigerian Music scene. Her real name is Munachi Abii, and she was raised in Port-Harcourt, but her roots are from Owerri. She was also into modelling, but she has shifted her focus to rapping at the moment.


She has featured on songs like Waje's So Inspired, and Micheal Ward's Pop Sugar song. She is presently working on her debut album, and is signed to Ayo Shonaiya's RMG Management Company. She has released two singles off the yet titled album- I Feel Real and killer Queen.




Muna has shown the public that she is more than just a beautiful face, as she demolishes every track she is featured on. From Suspect's I No Send You, to Waje's So Inspired. Although her singles have not been successful as the songs she was featured on, it is clear that she is passionate about rapping, and can only get better. I wouldn't say she is super-lyrical, but her delivery is always onpoint.

Diggy Simmons Names His Top 5 Hottest Albums Of 2011

I was actually working on compiling what i feel are the top 10 rap albums of 2011, and i came across this article where young rapper, Diggy Simmons names His Top 5 Hottest Albums of 2011, and i decided to share it here. In case you didn't know, Diggy is Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons son. His father was a member of the legendary 80s rap group, Run. DMC, and brother of Def Jam co-founder, Russell Simmons. His list actually has two albums that would appear on the list i am compiling.

Check out his list below-

"My top five albums of the year, one would definitely be, of course, Watch the Throne," Diggy revealed in an interview. "These are all out of order. That would probably be number one anyway, if I was doing them in order. I was excited about that since they announced it [in August 2010]. Those are my two favorite hip-hop artists. ... 21 by Adele was a great album that came out this year. I hope that her voice gets better. She's so talented. Section 80 by Kendrick Lamar. That was just a great classic album in general. ... 4 by Beyonce was a dope album as well. There's a lot of cuts on there that I like -- and Take Care by Drake. There's some great cuts on there too. So it's just been a great year for music in general. I'm happy that music is just coming back around and there's just a whole lot of different sounds and every genre has something special in itself so I'm happy." (Rap-Up TV)


I think he has taste for his age...he is only 16.

Young Berg Comments on Maino and Trick Trick Altercations

Young berg, at one time got synonymous with being beat down or having your chain stolen. Berg was beat up at Trick Trick's club in 09, and then received a beat down by Maino sometime later. He also got his chain stolen by a British rapper in 2010. I am glad he took some time off, went underground for a while, making some side money by writing for other artist. In case you don't know who he is, Ray J featured him on his 2008 hit, Sexy Can I.


He has come forward to speak on his past issues and controversies, and i think i like the way he explained them-


“I was like 30 deep. I went in the club and I went to the back because I had the number one record at the time,” he said, stating that he wanted a free bottle. “[The co-owner] come back and he said, ‘My partner Trick Trick said ain’t no love for you on those bottles.’ I was like, your partner? Hold on. So now we’re in Trick Trick’s club, I come to find out, the same club that I didn’t want to go to and perform. Now, I’m in the club.

“I’m like 5’6, 150 pounds. I come out there and the whole club security surrounds me. They whooped my ass through the club, the security,” he continued. “[My entourage] was all around us and they was getting they ass whooped too!”

He also spoke on his altercation with Maino-

“I was in Arizona and just took the L with the [Atlanta] chain. I went to Maino - I was in a club, Jazmine Sullivan’s album release party or something - and I was wasted. I was wasted. I was on stage and I don’t ‘even remember, I was tongue-kissing big girls right in front. What I was told, because I blacked out at that point, and I stepped to Maino and I came at him like, ‘I heard you’ve been talking crazy’ or something like that. I threw the drink down and the scuffle began,” he said. “I took that L in Detroit on the strength of someone in my entourage and I heard Maino was talking crazy.”


Personally, i think he handled it maturely. Now that he has told people how it went down, not hiding anything, regardless of how embarrassing the incidences were, there wont be much talk about the issue again. He can go back to building his music career. 

Nas Speaks on 10th Album

We are at the end of 2011, and still no new album from Nas. Initially, there was talks of his 10th album dropping before the end of the year. It was tentatively titled "Life Is Good". He even dropped the lead single, Nasty sometime mid year, and the Vidoe hit MTV in October. I guess it didn't create the kind of buzz he hoped for. I like the song as a Nas fan, but dropping a single with no hook...just rap all through....i think when you do that you are only banking on the fan-base you have built over the years to buy the album.



The news out now is that the album would drop next year. I think it might drop like 2nd quarter. Anyway, below is Nas's update on the album-


"I'm coming out with an album next year. I'm getting my music ready and working on it constantly. There's no theme to it. Each song is about something totally different than the last. It's about regular life," Nas said in an interview. "Writing is good for you. If you don't use it, you lose it. It's good to work yourself and try yourself and see what you come up with. [My dad being a musician inspired me.] Yeah, definitely. But I was usually inspired by Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5 and Run DMC. Those guys really spoke to me. Miles Davis too. I really like jazz. It's smooth. (Miami Herald)

Mystikal Signing With Cash Money

Brian "Baby" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams just keep expending their Cash Money empire. First it was Cash Money Millionaires; now it is Cash Money Billioniares. I guess they have rights for that claim. They have Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Drake, T-Pain, Busta Rhymes, Dj Khaled, and they  justcurre signed Mystikal to the label. A coupe of new rap listners might not know who Mystikal is, so i would try to carry out a little, very short history lesson.



Back in the mid-late 90s, No-Limit Records (founded by Master P) was a movement, just like Cash Money is right now, and Mystikal was signed under them. Mystikal is known for hits like Danger and Shake It Fast, which were club bangers back in 2000. He has a fast style of rapping, with a little howling and shouting like how James Brown does every now and then. He also doesn't rap fast continously, but purses every now and then. He went to jail in 2005, and got out in 2010.

Okay, so the news is that he has been signed to Cash Money Records, and i think it is a great move. I know Baby and Slim always allow artists they sign their own creative approach to whatever they do without getting in the way. And the other good part about them is that they would push you to your limit, till you start performing at a creative level you never thought was possible. And i think that is great for any artist. I think Mystikal just hit a jackpot.

Below is what Mystikal said about the signing-

"It was actually materializing for a while now," Mystikal tells VIBE, adding that, "the conversation started when I was going through my incarceration. And those conversations continued once I came home. The right things happened and the right kind of deal was made. What I got from Wayne was don't be to astounded by what you are seeing because this is nothing. Let's go make history. That's a young dude telling me that. Coming from him and given the big things he's doing right now, that was right on for me. ... Even Ray Charles could see what was happening over at Cash Money [laughs]. The minute I went over there and stepped my foot in the studio I knew it was real. I never thought I would go from No Limit to Cash Money. It was like God was leading me. Imagine what I can do over here." (VIBE)

He officially announced his signing to Cash Money Records on December 13...

"It has been a truly long time since I have felt like a rapper and with this signing, and partnership, Birdman and Slim have given me my life as a rapper back. I am ready to go. I am going to put my red Superman drawers, cape and boots on and go! This is a huge moment for me and I am truly excited to be with Cash Money Records." (Statement)

And Birdman himself had some words to say about the move-

"It's perfect timing for him and for us to be able to work with him," continues Baby. "We're just excited. I didn't even look at the past. I didn't think about what we went through. That shit's so far behind us. We're trying to provide for the team and the family. I think he's a special talent like a Busta Rhymes or a Drake or a Wayne. He can't be duplicated. His style is original. We gonna put out some visuals on him, his album is coming in May and we gonna roll." (XXL Mag)

First Week Sales Prediction of Common's The Dreamer/The Believer

The Dreamer/The Believer is Common's 9th album in his 19 year career. I bet some people don't know he has been here for that long. His first album, "Can I Borrow A Dollar", dropped in 1992, via Relativity Records. Another thing people don't know about common is that his first three albums ("Can I borrow a dollar?", "resurrection", and "one day it'll all make sense") were heavily produced by none other than NO.ID. Okay, enough of the history lesson, i came to give a first week prediction of Common's The Dreemer/The Believer album.





Common has never been an artist to sell millions. He has never sold a million copies with any album, but that doesn't take away the fact that he is a legend in Hip Hop. He is a damn good rapper, and it is great that he is still around in 2011. Probably the highest selling first week debut of his career would be 2007's Finding Forever which sold 155,000 copies first week, which later earned him a Gold Plague. I would say The Dreamer/The Believer would sell between 60-120k first week.


The album drops in 4 days time...December 20 to be precise.

Is Ice Prince Better Than MI

Do you like the fact that i used a pic from when Ice Prince was still hungry? lol! Anyway, I was chilling with some of my friends yesterday, and this argument came up. I don't really consider it an argument, cos we just laughed it off. Apparently, one of my friends that's closer to the younger generation...teenagers, said most of them had concluded that Ice Prince was a better rapper than MI. I am not a big MI fan perse, but i know and listen to him enough to know that he is way better than Ice Prince.



I can say what would bring up this judgment in the first place is the fact that Ice Prince is currently all over the place. He is the hottest rapper out. Remember i said "hottest", i didn't say best. What that really means is that he is the wave for now. Of cos, i don't dispute the fact that he CAN RAP. But when it comes to a well rounded craft, MI beats him out. When you listen to an Ice Prince verse, you appreciate the metaphors (which MI has mastered), and the way he rides the beat. But, you can't really count on hearing a well crafted story, or a style switch between verses. Most times, Ice Prince uses the same repetitive rhyme pattern. Of cos, if you don't know too much about rap, you wont understand all that i'm saying.









If you are not just about a good beat and a nice voice on it...if you really listen, you would know that MI has more quality rhymes than Ice Prince.  What i mean is that when it comes to the total package- wordplay, delivery, story telling, voicing, lyrics patterning....MI is better than Ice Prince. And if you take your time to listen to Ice Prince critically like i did, you would notice that he burrowed a little of his style from MI...and a little from Drake...just a little from Drake...that dragging of last words in a verse, that's Drake's thing. Or should i say, that was Drake's thing, cos Drake nolonger does that.


This dones't take anything away from Ice Prince. I think he is a cool rapper, for the section of the population he carters for. Personally, i think his "Superstar" single is a success. For him to make a song better than "Oleku" is a job well done by him. And yes, i do believe the Superstar song is better than oleku. Oleku had a banging beat, a great chorus, nice flow, with okay verses...which were kind of monotonuos. But on superstar, he didn't have the luxury of a great hook...just an okay one. So, he had to make up for it with his delivery and lyrics, and he did okay...he did great.


With all that said, i think Ice Price is a good rapper, but MI is better than him.

Rap Songs On The Billboard Chart

Below are the top 10 rap songs on the Billboard Chart-




10. Good Feeling- Flo Rida

9.  That Way- Wale feat Jeremih and Rick Ross

8.  Sexy And I know- LMFAO

7.  Lotus Flower Bomb- Wale feat Miguel

6.  Make Me Proud- Drake feat Nicki Minaj

5.  She Will- Lil Wayne feat Drake

4.  Work Out- J.Cole

3.  Dance (A$$)- Big Sean feat Nicki Minaj

2.  Headlines- Drake

1.  Niggas In Paris- Kanye West and Jay-Z



The Throne; Jay-Z and Kanye West are still at the top...for three straight weeks now. Generally, the top ten is just a mix of G.O.O.D Music, Roc Nation, MMG and Young Money. And i am wondering what that LMFAO song is doing on the chart. No disrespect, but i don't consider their style Rap. I think i can still go with Flo Rida's style.

Crooked I Speaks On Religeon

Slaughterhouse member, Crooked I was asked about his religeon belief in a current interview, and what he said interested me, so i decided to share it here. Really, i totally agree with him-


You know what it is, bro? To be honest with you, organized religion, a lot of it is straight up B.S. and even in The Bible it tells you to not follow man. You’ve got organized religion and you can take for instance the Crusades and killing people so they’ll bow down to your religion. Take a Klansman who has no problem lynching a minority and then going to church on Sunday. There’s a stain on religion. If you really study it, there’s a stain on religion. A lot of people misinterpret it. A lot of people have killed in the name of God. So, as a person out here in the world, trying to figure out what’s my purpose or why I’m here, I don’t blame a person if they don’t believe. That’s because a lot of these men, a lot of churches or even with the Radical Islam factor, it’s hard to believe in anything. With the way that certain religions are represented, it’s hard to believe in anything. So, I don’t blame a person who is Atheist or Agnostic or on the fence. Me, personally? Yeah, I believe in God, straight up and down. But, I wouldn’t judge somebody who didn’t because in this world, it’s so crazy. Sometimes you wonder how a four year old can just get molested repeatedly or how can somebody just kill a senior citizen over five dollars or other crazy things that go on in this world. So, I can understand that way of thinking, even if it’s not my own.


I always like to ask devoted christians about what they believe in, and within my inquiry, i find out that they really don't understand christianity, they just understand what their Pastor has told them. They really don't study the Bible or anything like that. If you say you are a christian, it means you are a follower of christ. If you say that, how can you kill another man in the name of religeon when what Christ majorly preached about was to love your neighbour? Howcan you pray for the death of your enemy when Christ was totally against that? 


Personally, i believe in God because i communicate with him everyday, and i do not need a pastor or priest to tell me what to do when i can connect directly with God. There are so many false prophets out there that deceive all the gullible people.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West...Dating?

There has been rumours flying around, off and on since last year that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are dating, but no one knows how true these stories are. Kim is freshly divorced, after her marriage to Kris Humpries which lasted for just 72days. They were married in August, and divorced on the last day of Ocotber. Now, the rumors of her dating Kanye has emerged again after they spotted together at a recent event.

Read some news on the issue below-

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian only had eyes for each other Tuesday night. A source who attended billionaire Ron Burkle's after-party for Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Watch the Throne" concert in Los Angeles tells us the hip-hop artist and the reality star looked like they wanted to do much more than just talk at the exclusive soiree. "Kanye was eating Kim up like she was a piece of cake," says the source. "He was all over her -- caressing her head, touching her waist." "I think he was dying to kiss her, but there were too many people in the room," the insider adds. (New York Daily News)


Hmm! This is interesting or don't you think? I know they had something going earlier this year, but i think it was just physical. I know that cos Kim's sister, Khloe said something related to that in a short video...or interview, i can't remember what it was earlier this year. Check out it out below-


Kim Kardashian has opened up about her rumoured romance with Kanye West - insisting she is just 'having a lot of fun'. The 30-year-old has recently been spotted out with US rapper West, 33, but while she remained coy about their romance, her sister Khloe, 26, had a lot to say about it. Speaking at the People's Choice Awards on Wednesday, Kim told US entertainment show Extra: "I think I've just been having a lot of fun." Khloe added: "That's because they're boning!" Kim replied: "That came out of Khloe's mouth, not mine!" (Music Rooms)


What i feel is that they had an old flame, and they are trying to rekindle it. Two Thumbs Up to them. I judge not. But personally, if you would ask me, i think they would make a perfect couple. They are both into the whole Hollywood lifestyle thing, but also have very emotional parts...i think they would mesh well. What do you think?