Nicki Minaj Pulls Double Duty For BET's 'Rip The Runway'

With Lil Wayne scheduled to turn himself in to begin his one-year prison sentence on Tuesday, the rapper's Young Money crew will undoubtedly move into the spotlight as they look to keep their boss' brand burning hot.

Drake is the heir apparent, but YM's lady of rhyme, Nicki Minaj, has proven she's just as capable of being a Weezy ambassador.

On Saturday night, the female MC entertainingly pulled double duty hosting BET's "Rip the Runway" with actor Pooch Hall and performing alongside Ludacris.


BET's Rip The Runway 2010

"Pooch, you haven't even complimented me on my shoes yet," Nicki said, teasing her co-host as the pair introduced the show, set to air March 15 on BET and Centric.

"The Game" actor quickly made amends, christening his counterpart "Sexy Minaj." She certainly earned the praise: Her hot-pink minidress was hugging her curves like a long-lost relative. The dress was one of many outfit changes for Minaj.

Ludacris got the crowd off their feet for the first of many times throughout the night when he kicked things off with his latest single, "My Chick Bad."

"My chick bad, tell me if you seen her," Luda rapped. "She always bring the racket like Venus and Serena."

Minaj stormed onto the stage for the third verse, much to the delight of her fans — there were plenty of Barbiez on-board — in a snake-print bodysuit and pink wig.

"Trash talk to them then I put them in a Hefty," she rhymed. "Running down the court, I'm dunking on them Lisa Leslie."

Along with the "Rip the Runway" performances, new designers' spring and summer lines were presented.

BET's "106 & Park" co-host Rocsi Diaz, Sean John model Miguel Perdomo and artist Amanda Diva were among those strutting down the catwalk.

Upstart MC B.o.B. a.k.a. Bobby Ray performed his first single, "Nothin' on You," as the Tennille White Chicago line was showcased.

Trina was partnered with Haute Couture during her performance.

Newcomer Roscoe Dash and Soulja Boy Tell'em had the rowdiest performance of the night, hands down, with "All the Way Turnt Up."

The song was paired with sporty clothing line Protege and featured a model in high heels frantically dribbling a basketball to the beat of the horn-laden number.

"We alll the waaaay turnt up," Roscoe sang on the chorus as SB darted back and forth across the stage.

A solo turn by Nicki Minaj and performances by Janelle Monáe and Estelle featuring Kardinal Offishall rounded out the proceedings.

Robin Thicke On Sade's Comeback, "Her Voice Has Stayed Amazing"

R&B hitmaker Robin Thicke has shared his thoughts on Sade's Soldier of Love and what her comeback means for their genre.

From Robin's perspective, Sade's ability to stay consistent is evident with not only the new album, but her overall talent.

"I think it always comes down to the artists themselves," he explained in an interview. "It's not that Sade's production or the music is what matters; its when her voice shows up. That's when it becomes Sade. Her voice has stayed amazing, her songwriting is great, but it just comes down to the artist, you know... There's no other genre music that has as much love as R&B, or romance, or vulnerability." (MOG Music Network)

Based on one-day estimates, the singer will likely dominate the sales charts for a third consecutive week.

This year's streak of #1 albums over 100k will continue through the last chart in February, as Sade books another week at the top. Through the first two months in 2009, only two titles sold over 100k: Bruce Springsteen (224k) and The Fray (179k). Hey, it may not be 1999-esque, but it ain't chopped liver either, not here in the early 21st century. Sade (Epic) 125-130k. Black Eyed Peas (Interscope) 50-55k. Lil Wayne (Cash Money/Universal Motown) 35-40k. Rihanna (Def Jam/IDJ) 24-27k.

The singer's album reached gold status after its first seven days in stores earlier this month.

Renowned singer Sade's Solider of Love runs the countdown once again this week remaining at No. 1 with 190,500 sold copies. According to Nielsen Soundscan, the singer's comeback album after a ten-year break has shelled out 693,600 records to date.

Rapper Kanye West recently welcomed her return to the music game and praised her first single, "Soldier of Love."

"THIS IS WHY I STILL HAVE A BLOG...," Kanye wrote December 10. "TO BE A PART OF MOMENTS LIKE THIS... NEW SADE... HOW MUCH BETTER THIS THAN THAN EVERYTHING ELSE?"

The singer's presence has also been welcomed by rappers like Raekwon, who recently dedicated a rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" to her.

"Yo, what's up y'all, this is Raekwon The Chef," he said in a video. "This is dedicated to my peoples, Sade. Yo I love you baby. Dedicated to you, let's go. Over time, I've building my castle of love/Just for two, though you never knew you were my reason, I've gone much too far for you now to say, That I've got to throw my castle away/Over dreams, I have picked out a perfect come true/Though you never knew it was of you I've been dreaming/The sandman has come from too far away/For you to say come back some other day..."

Check out Raekwon's dedication to Sade down below:

Lil Wayne’s Pre-Jail Video: “The Road To Rikers Part 2″

MTV Shows

On Saturday night, Lil Wayne and DJ Scoob Doo sent in a video clip featuring footage they shot that afternoon. Among other things, Wayne said it was time to party before he begins his expected one-year prison term at New York's Rikers Island.

But in fact he was doing the exact opposite. Wayne was back at work, filming several more music videos before his sentencing on gun charges on Tuesday.

"I'm shooting seven videos today," Wayne said in an exclusive new clip, shot in his trailer on the Miami video set.

One of the videos of the night was for the Rebirth track "Runnin'."

"I'mma show y'all the [work] ethic of a true artist," Wayne says in the clip. "You know what I'm talkin' about? Seven videos. I shot 10 in two days before. Now we about to do seven in one night. ['Runnin' '] was one. Next we about to do Drake's song called 'Afrika Boombatta.' "

The New Orleans Fireman then began mulling over his wardrobe for Drake's shoot. He was deciding between one of his brand-new tees promoting his Twitter account, @liltunechi, or a funky interpretation of deceased legend Marilyn Monroe.

"Gotta wear one of my @liltunechi shirts on there," Wayne said. " 'Cause that song is a fun song. So I could wear that. Then again it's Drake, so you might wanna get a little fly for his sh--."

Wayne then pulled out a T-shirt featuring Monroe with tattoos all over her arm.

"Yeah, that's stupid," the Birdman Jr. said of the Monroe shirt. "I might have to rock that."

This latest clip of Wayne starts with the acclaimed performer showing off all the BET Hip-Hop Awards in his house. Later he says he needs more VMAs.

"I got a house full of BET Awards," Wayne said with a grin. "I got one MTV award. MTV, holla atcha boy now. I'm not gonna mess up your function. I'm just gonna come get my award, thank God, thank my 'hood, thank my fam. I ain't gotta perform.

"Give me an award for nothin'," he continued with a chuckle. " 'The award for nothin' goes to Lil Wayne.' That's all I need. MTV award for nothin', man."

Wayne and DJ Scoob Doo are also filming the reality DVD "The Nino Brown Story Part 3." The first two installments are available at DJ Scoob Doo's Web site. Props MTV

Inspirational: Tyler Perry's Powerful Acceptance Speech For NAACP Award!

Jennifer Lopez Plays Rihanna In We Are The World 25 On Saturday Night Live!

Soulja Boy - All Black Everything

Vocals: Baby's Boy "Magnolia Chop" Singing Acapella At Birdman's Birthday Celebration In New Orleans!

Trina's Nude Cell Phone Photos Leak Online! *Warning* Must Be 18yrs Or Older To View + Guy Who Leaked The Pictures Is Making Wild Allegations [Photos]

Dude Talkin On Here Is 2 Funny. LOL

Rapper Big Sean (Kanye West's Artist) Gets The Taylor Swift Treatment: Guy Takes Mic From Big Sean & Says "F*ck Chicago"!

Rocko Confesses "I Grew Up In The Streets. I Ran Them Streets Like Carl Lewis Ran The 200 Meter Dash Back In 1984. I Did That"

Apology To Chris Brown? Rihanna Unreleased Track Hits The Net Called "Goodbye" [Audio]

WTF: Male Fan Jumps On Stage & Kisses Kid Cudi! (The Rapper Lets It Slide)

Nas Reportedly Owes IRS $3.3 Million, Wants To Avoid Kelis Divorce

Rapper Nas has reportedly racked up over $3.3 million that he owes to the IRS and is reportedly trying to save his marriage with estranged wife/R&B singer Kelis.

According to reports, the New York rapper's financial problems have continued to gain momentum since last year.

We told you about the tax lien the IRS slapped on Nas back in October to the tune of $2,584,206.31. Now, according to court docs, Nas' bill has ballooned to a whopping $3,365,671.26. Our sources say Nas doesn't have a clue he's going under financially and doesn't understand he can go to jail if he doesn't pay child support. He was at Sundance recently and raked in $50,000 for a performance, which, we're told, he blew before he blew out of Sundance. Nas has been sending Kelis a flurry of emails, telling her how much he wants her back and where she can fly to hook up with him. Nas -- she has a new boyfriend and has moved on. She really wants that divorce.

He recently pleaded not guilty to contempt of court after Kelis filed paperwork alleging he owes over $200,00 in child and spousal support.

Nas has just pled not guilty to contempt of court, in what has become a bitter divorce case between him and Kelis. In court this AM, Kelis' lawyer alleged Nas owes more than $200,000 in child and spousal support, along with attorney's fees. Kelis' lawyer had filed a contempt motion earlier because her estranged hubby refused to pay up ... today, through Nas' attorney, the rapper pled not guilty. A contempt hearing will be held next month. If convicted, Nas could go to jail.

On a recently leaked unreleased track called "Strong Will Continue," Nas addressed his legal woes with Kelis.

On the track, he makes reference to a 1993 incident where martial arts film star Bruce Lee's son Brandon was killed on set of The Crow. "Twisted and mangled, sort of like Bruce Lee life/Cursed with his son Brandon/ If that's you and me Knight/ I pray our fate's greater." The 36 year-old MC is less than pleased with his reported court-ordered spousal and child support payments of $52,000 per month. "How in the h*ll am I supposed to stay comfy/ When I pay child support, alimony monthly," he raps. And as for rumors that he cheated on his wife, Nas has something to say on that topic as well. "So I've stuck with some married women so fine, cheating while their husband rushing on the 40-yard line/ Wonder if this is what my ex did the whole time."

The two ex-lovers allegedly attempted to reconcile their differences last fall.

During Wednesday's hearing Kelis said that the couple -- who announced their intention to divorce in April after a four-year marriage -- attempted to reconcile in September to no avail. She also reportedly testified that she has been having difficulty earning money because she is a new mother and doesn't have a lot of job options outside of the music business. She told the court that Nas is slated to release two albums in 2010.

Check out Method Man & Redman speaking on Nas' issues with Kelis down below:

Ludacris On "Battle Of The Sexes" Collabos, "I Went Out & Got Women From The Past, Present & Future"

Grammy-winning rapper Ludacris has discussed his motivation for collaborating with a variety of female artists on his Battle of the Sexes album and why women need their voices heard in the rap game.

From Luda's perspective, hip-hop is overruled by men.

"It's such a male-dominated industry that I feel like females need more of a voice, so we wanted to hear more of what the hell they had to say," Luda said in an interview. "With that being said, I went out and got women from the past, the present and the future -- everyone from Lil Kim, Eve, Trina, Nicki Minaj. I got records where I'm talking about women ... and where women are talking back to me."

The project's tracklisting was released earlier this month.

1. "Intro" 2. "How Low" 3. "My Chick Bad" feat. Nicki Minaj 4. "Everybody Drunk" feat. Lil Scrappy 5. "I Do It All Night" 6. "Sex Room" feat. Trey Songz 7. "I Know You Got a Man" feat. Flo Rida 8. "Hey Ho" feat. Lil' Kim and Lil' Fate 9. "Party No Mo'" feat. Gucci Mane 10. "B.O.T.S. Radio" feat. I-20 11. "Can't Live With You" feat. Monica 12. "Feelin' So Sexy" 13. "Tell Me a Secret" feat. Ne-Yo 14. "My Chick Bad (Remix)" feat. Diamond, Trina, and Eve.

He recently explained why the album was pushed up a week ahead of schedule.

"The release date on the new album is officially March 9th, it was March 16th, it's been pushed up a week due to the anticipation, feeling good, Battle of the Sexes, just got picked up on the Black Eyed Peas tour, so we'll be promoting that starting Thursday all the way until the end of April," Luda said in an interview. "So look for Battle of the Sexes on March 9th."

A partial tracklisting for the album was initially revealed during a listening session.

Noting that the tracklisting was subject to change before its tentative March 16 release date, Bridges thanked the crowd for supporting him over the last decade and offered his latest battle footage. 1. "Hey Ho" featuring Lil Kim 2. "Tell Me a Secret" featuring Ne-Yo 3. "My Chick Bad" featuring Nicki Minaj 4. "Got a Man" featuring Flo Rida 5. "Can't Live With You, Can't Live Without You" featuring Monica 6. "How Low" (Remix) featuring Ciara, Pitbull, Rick Ross, Twista 7. "Sex Room" featuring Trey Songz

Battle of the Sexes is scheduled to drop Tuesday, March 9th.

Check out Ludacris speaking on the album down below:

Song Of Da Day

2 Pac - Picture Me Rollin

Lil Wayne’s Pre-Jail Video: “The Road To Rikers Part 1″

MTV Shows

“Three days, y’all — let’s party!” Lil Wayne said on Saturday (February 27). Now that his dental surgery is done, Weezy is expected to begin serving his year in jail on weapons charges Tuesday, but he’s making sure he’s seen and heard before his departure. Of late, Weezy has taken to Twitter (much more on than in a minute) and Ustream to communicate with fans. On Saturday evening, Weezy and his favorite videographer, DJ Scoob Doo, sent MTV News a clip we’re going to call “Nino Brown: The Road to Rikers, Part 1” (as in Rikers Island, the New York jail that Wayne’s heading to).

In the clip, Wayne promises to grant fans a look at what his life is like as he prepares to go to jail.

Shot Saturday afternoon in the guest house of his Miami home, Wayne had the NCAA game of Tennessee vs. Kentucky playing in the background on his big-screen TV.

“This is for my real fans,” Wayne said. “People who wanna know what I be doin’. I’mma let y’all in.”

From there, Wayne, who recently tweeted that he was giving up Twitter, urged his fans to log on and follow him at his page “@liltunechi.”

“I just opened that up,” Weezy said. “I got almost 200,000 followers. I need more followers. I saw Drake had like 400,000 followers. I need more followers than Drake.”

Wayne then gave background on his nickname.

“My nickname is Lil Tune — my grandmother named me that,” he explained. “She’s passed. My grandmother, her name was Mercedes Carter. She named me Lil Tune. We just threw the ‘Chi’ on there. Like Gucci, I say ‘Tunechi!’ ”

The clip ends with Weezy shouting out all his children, their mothers and his own mom.

Wayne will be shooting footage right up until he goes to court on Tuesday — check back with MTV News for more!

Wayne and Scoob Doo recently released the DVD “The Nino Brown Story, Part 2.” It can be found on djscoobdoo.com.

Fabolous Breaks "TINC2" Promise, Pushes Release To Next Month

New York rapper Fabolous has broken his promise of releasing There Is No Competition 2 mixtape last week and said it would drop in early March.

Writing via Twitter, Fab said his delayed underground release was being finalized.

"Hey #TiNc 2 is done & @djdramahas it! No more pushbacks or additions! Drama's at CIAA but will format & release download link Tuesday!," he wrote on Saturday referring to a March 2 release.

Fab recently said the mixtape would come out last week.

"The mixtape is coming at the end of this week," Fab told radio host Angie Martinez. "It was supposed to have came and I gave a date but people have been killing me but I really wanted to make sure I put good material on it and now people started coming. I just got a verse from Nicki Minaj, I got something from Trey Songz, Jadakiss, so I added a couple things and people should just [be patient.] This could possibly have been an album -- but it's over other people's beats, too. Some of it is original joints but some is over, I did 'Say Something,' I did 'All The Way Turnt Up,' I did the Waka Flocka beat, few joints and then a few originals, mixed it up."

He recently explained why his return to the mixtape game was sparked by artists like Cam'ron, Drake and Lil Wayne.

"I had stopped doing the mixtapes because I felt we lost that," he added. "Between DJs slopping together tapes just to make tapes and some artists really just putting two or three [new] songs together and a bunch of old songs and throwing a mixtape out. Certain DJs making unofficial tapes where they are just grabbing leaked stuff or taking stuff and putting it over other beats. I thought the game got saturated, but in '09 and recently at the top of '10, you seen Cam drop joints. Wayne dropped a joint, of course, Drake's mixtape being infamous for being one of the best ones for '09. It put the fuel back in me to do the mixtape thing. I was focused on a whole 'nother agenda. Just having so many shows took my mind off of it."

Last December, Fab explained how he felt mixtapes were not as influential as they once were.

"I guess it's particular artists that they attach to but I had felt even with the most high-class artists, people were getting so used to getting free music that the mixtape game wasn't that influential anymore," he said in an interview. "So when I seen what [Wayne's] No Ceilings did, it let me see that there's still definitely potential there, there's still that market there. I think for me it's definitely there because my albums tend to be a little more mainstream than my mixtapes."

Check out Fabolous speaking on the mixtape down below:

Method Man Apologizes To Waka Flocka Flame! "I Was Way Out Of Context. I Respect That Man. I Aint Got The Right To Say Sh*t About That Man" [Audio]

Waka Flocka On Brisco & Rap Beef! "When You Diss Me. Ima Punch You In Your Sh*t"

Bone Thugs N Harmony: A Day In The Life With [12 Minutes]

LaDainian Tomlinson Gets Real Emotional During Conference About Him Leaving His Football Team!

Menace (Feat. Lil Wayne & Mitchy Slick) - Blood Niggaz

Lil Wayne: Reloaded The Nino Brown Story 2 (1 Minute Promo)

Currensy (Feat. Stalley) - Address

Rick Ross's Baby Mother Is Sueing 50 Cent For Releasing Sex Tape Of Her With Another Guy!

Jay-Z and Bun B Salute Pimp C On BP3 Tour in Houston!

Magnitude 8.8 Earthquake Hits Chile, Ryan Leslie Ready To Lend Support

A magnitude earthquake has hit the country of Chile today and reportedly caused the creation of a destructive tsunami.

While reports are still coming in, the event reportedly happened late Friday (February 26) night.

The huge 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck central Chile early on Saturday generated a tsunami that may have been destructive along the coast near the epicenter, a U.S. agency said. "Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said on its website. "It may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicenter and could also be a threat to more distant coasts."

Deaths have already been reported since the earthquake began.

An earthquake hit central Chile early Saturday measuring 8.8 on Richter Scale and lasted for about one and a half minute and set off a tsunami. Damage could be seen all around but exact extent of damage is still not sure as buildings fell and electricity and phone lines went down. As of now there is report of at least 6 people having been killed said Chile President Michele Bachelet. Speaking from an emergency response center, the President said, "We have had a huge earthquake. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information we will share immediately." The President also asked people to not travel in dark as traffic lights are down.

Further reports suggest the natural disaster could spread.

USGS geophysicist Vicro Sardina said several tsunami waves had made landfall along the Chilean coast; the largest was recorded at 9 feet and came ashore near the quake's epicenter. The earliest estimated arrival for a wave that could affect Hawaii was 11:19 a.m. local time (5:19 p.m. ET).

Following the news, R&B singer/producer Ryan Leslie has sent out his support.

"...heard about the quake in Chile & am ready to devote time, talent, energy to relief efforts. Collectively we can all support one another."

No further details have been released as of now.

DJ Drama Calls Shawnna's DTP Exit A "Bad Move"

Grand Hustle's DJ Drama has shared his thoughts on former Disturbing Tha Peace artist Shawnna parting ways with Ludacris just months before their highly-promoted Battle of the Sexes album was scheduled to drop.

Writing via Twitter, Drama gave his insight as an outsider looking in.

"I normally keep these type of thoughts 2 myself but...#badmove .... Shawwna leavin DTP right b4 Battle of Sexes album. it was perfect setup And i know its proly some sh*t bout Shawwnna/DTP situation i dont know.. & i got mad love for shorty...just my observation."

Reports last December suggested Luda would no longer use Shawanna on his album.

For those of you don't recall, Shawnna chose to diss Luda and the DTP family for T-Pain's Nappy Boy imprint. While details are sketchy at the moment, not really, but I'm afraid to say too much, what is known is that instead of Luda teaming up with the Chicago-native for the co-ed inspired rap album - she's been replaced with a plethora of young and old female MC's. Tenatively, rappers like Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim, Eve and a few others are being tapped for the project, which is set to hit stores in early 2010.

Speaking to a packed concert venue of fans last fall, Shawnna said her main focus was still on getting out her Battle of the Sexes joint album with Luda.

"I know y'all been hearing a lot of sh*t about what's been going on with me and sh*t, right, right," Shawnna told a crowd of fans. "I know y'all been hearing a lot of T-Pain rumors, 'Shawnna ain't f*cking with Luda no more' and all that sh*t. I just want y'all to know that I'm still f*cking with Luda, that's my n*gga 100 percent man. We have Battle of the Sexes coming soon and I'm signing a new deal with T-Pain right there...I'm f*cking with two real good n*ggas in the industry so I can't help but win. But I can't do sh*t without y'all support, you understand?"

Earlier this week, Luda celebrated selling over one million digital copies of the album's single, "How Low."

"This marks my ten years at Def Jam, in the music industry as a successful artist and as you can tell, I'm just as hungry as when 'What's Your Fantasy' came out," Luda explained. "A lot of people were comparing this to 'What's Your Fantasy,' so another ten years, we're gonna keep going and hitting them -- I'm one of those artists that likes to make everybody's job easier and I'll continue to do that no matter how many records I sell, no matter how much success I get, I will continue to stay the same person, a hard-working individual..."

Check out recent Shawnna footage down below:

Bun B Takes UGK Off Asylum, "With Universal [Music], We Are Gonna Use Their Distribution Legs"

UGK's surviving member, Bun B, has decided to take his brand off Asylum Records and release future projects through Universal Music Group imprint Fontana.

According to Bun, he has earned a loyal enough fan base that the move may go relatively unnoticed.

"I work better in the small system. When you're in the big system it's really about breaking you and exposing you and I think I've been able to build a career as far as just associating myself. We're pretty good with that in-house with Rap-A-Lot. But with Universal we are gonna use their distribution legs and promotional chain, because they do have access that we haven't been able to have before. [Asylum] helped me immensely over the last four or five years in my career as far as taking, me, myself and UGK to another level. It's just that the system in house changed. Todd [Moskowitz] got moved up to a higher position and it doesn't give me as much of an opportunity to be hand on hand on a lot of stuff."

Bun recently spoke on putting together a Pimp C solo project called The Naked Soul of Sweet James Jones last fall.

"We're trying to do this with as much respect as possible, you know?" Bun B said. "It's a very unique and genuine situation in itself. I'm not really sure if it's ever really occurred as far as hip-hop goes. We're carrying this one with the kid gloves on. I made a lot of mistakes in my life -- I'll probably make a lot more -- I'm just praying I don't make one right now."
The rapper previously discussed the difficulty he had working on his first group project without Pimp C last year.

"This is the first time I had to do so much on an album," Bun said during a listening session for the album. "I usually would just come to the studio, drop my verse and C would take care of everything else that had to be done with the record."

As of late, Bun put together a Haiti benefit concert in light of the massive earthquake that took place overseas last month.

Bun B has gathered a stellar line-up of Houston artists for a fund raiser event that has been called "Houston For Haiti." The show will take place Monday, January 18 (MLK Day) from 4 to 8 PM at Warehouse Live in Houston. Along with Bun B, Slim Thug, Trae The Truth, ESG, Lil O, Candi Redd, Just Brittany, Corey Moand The Party Boyz have been confirmed to perform, so far. More artist are expected to join the bill. Local athletes including Vince Young of the Tennesse Titans will also make appearances. "We all need to get involved" says Bun B. "Race, color or creed, we are all Haitians right now, and we need to help our brothers and sisters!" Tickets go on sale today at $ 20 and can be purchased through www.warehouselive.com.

Check out a recent Bun B interview down below:

Song Of Da Day

Wiz Khalifa- Say U Will (Freestyle)

Ludacris On "How Low" Reaching A Milli, "We're Gonna Keep Going & Hitting Them" [Video]

Grammy-winning rapper Ludacris has released a statement speaking on the success of his "Get Low" hit single reaching over a million digital downloads.

Speaking to a small media crew, Luda compared his latest smash to the 2000 Back For The First TIme album single, "What's Your Fantasy."

"This marks my ten years at Def Jam, in the music industry as a successful artist and as you can tell, I'm just as hungry as when 'What's Your Fantasy' came out," Luda explained. "A lot of people were comparing this to 'What's Your Fantasy,' so another ten years, we're gonna keep going and hitting them -- I'm one of those artists that likes to make everybody's job easier and I'll continue to do that no matter how many records I sell, no matter how much success I get, I will continue to stay the same person, a hard-working individual..."

Earlier this week, Luda informed his Twitter followers of hitting a million downloads through a photo showing his plaque.

"Just got handed my platinum plaque from def jam," he wrote, for 'How Low'. buy on Itunes so we can take it to 2x plat!"

He also spoke on the song's overall motivation during NBA All-Star Weekend in Dallas.

"Athletes get motivated by songs sometimes," he said in an interview. "That's part of our motivation to make sure we get everybody else motivated. When we get in the studio, we want to make songs that are gonna play at such things as the All-Star game or the Super Bowl. That's my motivation. I'm feeling extremely excited. We pushed it up a week, due to the anticipation. I'm feeling real good about it. We're almost platinum on the digital download singles. Thanks to everybody for buying that 'How Low.' Remixes, more singles to come. It's going down."

The track will be featured on Luda's upcoming Battle of the Sexes album.

"The release date on the new album is officially March 9th, it was March 16th, it's been pushed up a week due to the anticipation, feeling good, Battle of the Sexes, just got picked up on the Black Eyed Peas tour, so we'll be promoting that starting Thursday all the way until the end of April," Luda said in an interview. "So look for Battle of the Sexes on March 9th. Females from the past, present and future. Everybody from Eve, Trina, Lil Kim, Nicki Minaj, I got records talking about women, to women, women talking back to me and at the same time, just great music. I always try to out-do myself and re-invent, this is album number seven."

Battle of the Sexes is scheduled to drop Tuesday, March 9th.

Check out Ludacris speaking on the album down below:

Jim Jones To Cam'ron: "Ain't No Such Thing As Dipset West"

New York rapper Jim Jones has shared his reaction to Cam'ron creating a Dipset West venture and said the move cannot be honored until a reunion takes place with the original Diplomat members.

Writing via Twitter, Jones stressed the importance of making peace with Cam.

"Ain't no such thing as dipset west till they patch in I don't know yall man CAPO said it holla Shouts to west side piru," Jimmy wrote Friday (February 26). "Matter fact ain't no dipset until me cam juelz n zeke get back together n make tht powerful music Thts the Diplomats I know."

Juelz Santana spoke with SOHH last September about Cam's Dipset West.

"I always respected Cam's decisions," Juelz explained. "As far as Dipset, Cam is the boss. He do what he want, but you know, just as much as I can say that, n*gga has to give me my credit too as much as, as far as I've built that whole building though. You architected it but I built the whole building. I put at least 85 percent together, the bricks were geared to Dipset, like I said, Cam was always Cam before anything, ya dig? So when it came to Dipset, I was an artist that put everything on the back and really went forward. But as far as Dipset expanding, Dipset is in my blood. So, it is what it is, I don't know. How I feel about Dipset is how I always feel, with Cam, if that's what he wants to do, expand it, then it is what it is. I don't know them dudes over there to not like them -- I don't know them to say nothing about them. I respect all hustlers, anybody trying to get on in any type of way. So, in that case, it's love. Just rep the name right."

Confirming the reports of Killa branching out westward, Dipset West CEO Omar "Iceman" Sharif announced the rapper's latest associates last August.

"It's your man Iceman and I know y'all heard about it," Ice said in a video. "Dipset West is definitely in the building. This is my artist right here [Stone Starr], Rular Rah [and] T-Money [which make up Fly Boyz]...I know you heard the rumors, I know you heard about Iceman and Cam'ron connected Dipset West and The U.N., it's all true. We about to take over the game, you feel me? Television and music."

Cam recently spoke on The U.N. and explained how he planned to expand the Dipset movement.

"When we started Dipset, it was more than just a crew, it was a movement," Cam wrote in a statement. "The U.N. is a continuation of that movement...Our new roster: Charlie Clips, Byrd Lady, Vado, Fly Boyz, Begetz and Young Hustle were all selected by me and my business partner, Omar 'Iceman' Sharif. He has made his name in the music and film industries brokering and securing multi-million dollar deals, merging hip-hop with Hollywood. His experience is exactly what we need to make strategic connections at the next level...In between films, we'll keep the streets hot with The Gangsta Grillz mixtape and we'll most likely release Vado's album immediately after...Between the films and the music coming soon on U.N. and Dipset West, we gonna keep the 'hood in a frenzy!"

Check out a past Jim Jones interview speaking on Dipset below:

Juelz Santana Fans Busted For Paying $28K B-Day Bash Bill W/ Bogus Credit Card

Two Juelz Santana fans have reportedly been named in a criminal court complaint for using a fake credit card in an attempt to pay for their $2,800 bill at the rapper's New York birthday celebration this week.

Details on the criminals' background and the allegations made against them have been released.

Robsson Depeine and Jeff Sylvain were trying to impress the celebrity crowd Monday night--which included Lil Kim and Snoop Dogg, there for rapper Juelz Santana's birthday--ordering bottles of expensive bubbly--even sending one over to the birthday boy. After ordering 40 bottles of Moet Nectar Rose, and a 9 liter bottle of Veuve Clicquot, the duo asked for a $5,500 twelve liter bottle. Manager Dan Devlin said "That's when one of our managers became suspicious. The purchase was ridiculous and Sylvain introduced a second card with his ID and I knew that's when there was a problem." Originally an AMEX gift card that Sylvain had doctored was holding the tab open.

Attorney Joseph Coluccio has denied his clients' involvement in the situation.

"My Clients were invited to a birthday party. There were several people putting down credit cards and ordering pricey bottles of champagne. There was chaos at the end of the night and the bartender realized that there had been fraudulent transactions. The club couldn't find the real person who gave them the credit card, so my clients were wrongfully identified. It's a joke."

Santana's New York birthday celebration was also the location of a publicized fight.

Rapper Juelz Santana's 27th birthday party turned into a battle royale Monday night when a club goer hopped the divider into the VIP area -- and got the living crap beat out of him while the rapper watched. It's unclear exactly what started the brawl -- but the guy wearing the Rev Run hat definitely did something to piss off the mob waiting in the VIP section at M2 Ultralounge in New York. After a failed attempt to defuse the situation, several men began wailing on the Rev Run-alike until he was on the ground. Somehow, the man emerged from the chaos and was able to leave the club. Rapper Maino can be seen in the melee, but is never actually seen throwing a punch.

While not speaking on the fight, Juelz revealed his post-celebration reactions via Twitter.

"RT @ctega @thejuelzsantana. b day happy b day. boy..... A! Thank you!!," he wrote Tuesday afternoon. "RT @prettyce s/o to @thejuelzsantana for havin m2 rockin lastnite.. A! Another Shout to @mainohustlehard @jimjonescapo@djwebstar for coming out to the party! A! Owww last night the MOVIE was MADE. Once again I had a Blast Thanks for Comin out. NYC stand up A! A! Big Birthday day Shout to My N*gga and photographer @NICKHAZE!"

No further details have been released as of now.

Check out footage from the fight below:

Kid Cudi Avoids Celebrity Status, "I Never Tried To Make Myself Seem Larger Than Life"

Rapper Kid Cudi has tackled the issue of maintaining a celebrity status and why despite his recent work alongside rap stars like Jay-Z and Kanye West, he does not feel the need to flaunt his fame.

From Cudi's perspective, he does not aim for the same limelight.

"I always stop, shake a hand, say 'Whattup,' take a picture if someone wants to take a picture, or sign something," he explained in an interview. "When people follow you, and you can tell when they're following you, and you're going to shop or eat and people are staring, it's the typical thing, but then it's like, 'C'mon, am I really that famous?' You have to ask yourself that. I'm not Justin Timberlake; I'm just this dude and I never tried to make myself seem larger than life...What you see is what you get in my music. I just don't really understand it in my brain, so that's why it's kinda creepy."

Cudi also recently discussed his disinterest in branching out into a fashion or fragrance venture.

"Never," Cudi said about launching his own lines. "I'm a fan of fashion; I want to be the consumer. I know it's cliche for artists to have their own brand and sh*t, but that's too much stress. No colognes, no perfumes, and if I did, it'd probably be, like, eau de Egyptian musk...[In New York], people's style is expressed more through their personality than what's in at the time. You see all different styles in New York, and that's what made me want to stay here. I experienced more in the first six years I was here than I did the whole time I was in Cleveland. It's cool."

Grammy-winning rapper Lupe Fiasco has also said he does not want to achieve the same amount of fame as artists like Jay-Z.

''There's a misunderstanding with my fanbase,'' he said in an interview. ''People [at Warner] feel they know my fans more than I do. They want me to step out of my comfort zone and step into theirs. I don't have necessarily the celebrity success they want me to have but it's more social success and being able to speak at a college about world affairs. That's a success, to me. 'I don't want to be Jay-Z and be worth $400 million and perform on every awards show. It's getting in touch with somebody who needs to improve their self-esteem. As opposed to driving a Bentley and putting some chains on.''

Outside of music, Cudi recently said he wanted to focus on an acting career.

Kid Cudi's first acting gig is for the new HBO series "How to Make It in America." When we caught up with him last night at a screening for the show, we wondered if he'll ever give up music for acting. "I'm trying to evenly balance them out right now, but eventually I want to leave behind music and just do acting," he said. "I only got into the music business to tell my story and inspire some people. I think four albums will do it, and when I'm done with my four, five albums, I'll switch it up. Once the story is told [musically], there's nothing else to say."

Check out recent footage of Kid Cudi below:

Ludacris Defends "Sexting" Tiger Woods Spoof, "I'm Just Bringing To Light What's Really Going On In The World"

Grammy-winning rapper Ludacris has come forward to defend his new Tiger Woods spoof, "Sexting," and said the golf star's family problems represent common mistakes people make throughout the world.

Luda also said he was willing to reach out to Woods.

"If I'm making fun of Tiger Woods, I'm also making fun of myself," Luda said in an interview. "This is what happens," he explained of the inspiration behind the song. "So I'm just bringing to light what's really going on in the world. It's very entertaining. And I do feel as though he may have handled it wrong...I would say, 'Let's go play some golf and talk about it -- I take that back -- I'd say, 'Let's go to the sex-rehab place together and let's discuss it. Let me know where your sex-rehab place is and I'll let you know where mine is. We got some things to get off our chest.'"

Luda's song began to spread online earlier this week.

Produced by the Neptunes, "Sexting" finds Luda satirizing Woods' stay in sex rehab by imagining a conversation with the teacher who's trying to help him get "unhooked on a**". Unfortunately, the beat doesn't provide much of a lift -- sorry to disappoint anyone who was hoping for another "Money Maker". "Hey this is Luda, okay? I need you to do me a 'huge' favor. Um, ca-can you please take your name off of your phone? My girl went through my cell phone and she may be calling you. So if you can please take your name off of that and just have it as a number on the voicemail, okay? You gotta do this for me. Huge. Quickly!"

New York rapper Maino recently released a Woods-based track called "Get Em Tiger" last December.

"I got women in the 'burbs, women in the hood," Maino raps. "Yeah my wifey mad 'cause she knows I'm no good/I'm just a dog, I'd be faithful if I could/But I'm Tiger Woods, yep, I'm Tiger Woods...I need help because I know I got a problem, every bad b*tch I come across, I think I want them/Look at how I roll when I see 'em/Then I'm on 'em, cup full of liquor, pocket full of condoms..."

Despite playing on Woods' name, Maino later said he was merely using the golfer as a metaphor.

"You may think it's about Tiger Woods, but it's really not. It's more about me. ... I used Tiger Woods as a metaphor for me being a cheater. This is the anthem to all men who deal with a lot of women," said Maino, 36. "This is the anthem for us. When I first heard about the situation that Tiger Woods was going through, I said, 'Man, he's getting crucified for the stuff that I do...It couldn't wait - Tiger Woods is fresh in the news right now...It's not me coming to the defense of him. We all men. We all human. All I'm saying is I understand."

Check out Ludacris' "Sexting" song below:

Juvenile Busted On Drug Possession Charge

Hot Boys rapper Juvenile was arrested last night on a drug possession charge after police searched his home and discovered marijuana.

According to reports, the rapper was busted inside his Louisiana home.

St. Bernard - Rapper Juvenile was arrested Thursday evening on a misdemeanor drug charge in St. Bernard Parish. Deputies say the rapper, whose real name is Terius Gray, was arrested along with his producer Leroy Edwards at a home in Arabi.

The arrest was also confirmed by a police spokesperson.

Gray and a man identified by deputies as his producer, Leroy Edwards, were arrested at a home in Arabi around 6 p.m., according to Steve Cannizaro, a sheriff's office spokesman. Cannizaro said the home had been used as a recording studio by Gray. (WWLTV)

Additional reporting suggests a complaint was made regarding the scent of marijuana coming from Juvie's home.

A Sheriff's Office spokesman said someone called the sheriff's drug line to report smelling marijuana smoke at the house. A deputy with the Special Investigations Division went to the house also smelled marijuana when the door was opened, authorities said.

Juvenile reportedly posted bail shortly after his arrest.

Several other people were in the home at the time of the arrests. Juvenile was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Cannizzaro said neither Juvenile nor Edwards was expected to stay in jail overnight.

No further details have been revealed as of now.

Check out a recent SOHH interview with Juvenile down below:

Birdman On Drake's Early Success, "He Got That Swagger & You Can't Deny That"

Cash Money Records co-founder Baby has weighed in on Drake's early success within the rap game and explained why his swag goes unmatched.

From the Birdman's view, Drizzy is in a class of his own.

"He got that swagger and you can't deny that," Birdman said in an interview. "Man, that success of Drake, I saw it happen right in front of my face! I knew he was destined for greatness, but not this fast. Drizzy's coming, ya heard me! He's in the lab right now. The kid is special."

Last December, Baby compared Drake's status to Lil Wayne's.

"Drake is already a superstar," Baby explained in an interview. "That's 20 years from now. Hopefully, he'll be bigger. That's what we're striving for. We ain't tripping. We're working hard for him to be bigger than anyone else. We want the best for him. Now, I don't see any top labels. I look around and see all those people who did it before me. To me, the labels, I don't see no company with constant success with a clique. At some point, there was a lot of people doing this. It used to be crowded. I see a lot of people who have done it, and now don't see them."

Drake recently spoke on his developing rap skills and what content his Thank Me Later debut would offer upon its release this year.

"You can expect the same sound, I'm still going to be telling a story," Drake explained in an interview. "I've got a great story to tell now -- it's been a crazy year. I just want to make it a little bigger, a little more energy. Sonically, I want to advance. I think I've gotten better at rapping since the last one so I'm excited to share it with the world. That's how I come up with songs, I'll sit there and rap to myself. There are people who are phenomenal at freestyling, but I'm a writer."

The rapper has also won the attention of NBA superstar LeBron James.

"Unbelievable recording artist," LeBron said of Drake. "Unbelievable talent. I'm looking forward [to] his first LP. I think we all got So Far Gone and all the mixtapes he's come out with. But he's an unbelievable talent. He's great for everybody, great for music."

Check out a past Birdman interview below:

Yung Berg Stands By Las Vegas Story, "I Wasn't Going To Speak About It Because It Was Lie"

Rapper Yung Berg has remained firm on not being beaten up during a California robbery earlier this week despite reports that cited him as one of the victims.

According to Berg, the only motivation he had to address the reports was due to his family's concern.

"No, I been in Las Vegas," Berg, born Christian Ward, said flatly. "It's crazy to me how one lie from one person when you in the limelight and got this type of shine, one lie could do these type of things. I wasn't going to speak about it because it was lie -- the unfortunate thing is I got a family [that worries]. So my mom start calling me, my dad start calling me, 'Are you hurt? Something wrong with you?' There's nothing wrong with me -- I'm pretty as a newborn baby."

Berg also addressed the situation on a self-recorded video earlier this week.

"It's just not the right publicity, I wish y'all was talking about the album or talking about the motherf*cking mixtape or something like that," Berg said in a self-recorded video. "What you got to know is I am fine, you see me? Jesus hands, I'm good. I'm straight, it's nothing wrong with nobody. I'm still gorgeous, I love you mom, thank you for these good genes -- sh*t happens, people can say anything about you in this game, you a celebrity, you know, so you gotta take the good with the bad...Stop paying attention to bullsh*t...I had to get up on here and let y'all know I'm straight, ain't no bullsh*t in the game, Vegas baby."

Reports claimed he was attacked and robbed last Monday.

Berg -- the guy who rapped on the song "Sexy Can I" -- was violently beaten and robbed at a house in Los Angeles ... TMZ has learned. According to law enforcement sources, Berg -- real name Christian Ward -- was at a house party at around 2:00 AM Monday morning when four suspects entered the home and brandished firearms. We're told the suspects pistol-whipped two people inside the party -- one of whom was Berg. Law enforcement sources say the suspects robbed eight people and made off with $10,000 in cash and jewelry.

The rapper previously made headlines after being assaulted on-camera last year.

Poor Yung Berg can't win for losing. In the video underneath the hood, a heated discussion and small fade is caught, but when Yung Turd attempts to flee into a store to get away...a white boy catches fade with the back of his head.

Check out Yung Berg discussing the situation down below:

Lupe Fiasco Ducks From Jay-Z's Fame, "I Don't Want To Be Worth $400 Million"

Grammy-winning rapper Lupe Fiasco has opened up about his rap image and explained why he does not strive to achieve the same fame as Jay-Z.

In addition to popularity, Fiasco also discussed his loyal following of fans.

''There's a misunderstanding with my fanbase,'' he said in an interview. ''People [at Warner] feel they know my fans more than I do. They want me to step out of my comfort zone and step into theirs. I don't have necessarily the celebrity success they want me to have but it's more social success and being able to speak at a college about world affairs. That's a success, to me. 'I don't want to be Jay-Z and be worth $400 million and perform on every awards show. It's getting in touch with somebody who needs to improve their self-esteem. As opposed to driving a Bentley and putting some chains on.'' (The Age)

Last December, Lupe addressed the perception of "selling out" to fans.

"Hi guys...Lupe Here...," he wrote in a blog posting. "There seems to be a lot...A LOT...of misconception and misguided info floating around the net...so for the sake of clarity and so that everyone (HOPEFULLY) will be on the same page let me reaffirm and debunk some things and just turn down the general noise that is surrounding Lupe Fiasco...thats me...My Third Album is Titled "LASERS" not "WE ARE LASERS" or "LUPE.N.D."...MY NEXT ALBUM IS NOT TITLED "LUPE.N.D."..."LASERS" is NOT my last and final album..."LASERS" does NOT drop in 2009..."LASERS" does NOT HAVE A RELEASE DATE YET..."SOLAR MIDNITE" is NOT a single off of "LASERS"...Nor was it intended to be apart of "LASERS" project..."SOLAR MIDNITE" was exclusively done at the request of the Twilight: New Moon Team to be apart of their film, motion picture soundtrack and as a vehicle to promote the film...NOT TO PROMOTE "LASERS"...I produced "SOLAR MIDNITE" I'm not SELLING OUT by doing a song for NEW MOON...People thought I "SOLD OUT" when I did "Kick, Push"...I LOVE "SOLAR MIDNITE"..."SOLAR MIDNITE" is NOT a HIP-HOP RECORD..." (Lupe Fiasco's Blog)

According to Lupe, he is unsatisfied with the recognition he has received as of late and wants to gain the public's utmost respect for his emcee skills.

"The last six months, it's been like, 'I gotta really, really go out there and show that I'm nicer than all of them,' " Lupe explained in an interview. "It's like, 'All right, so be it. If it takes three more albums to do it, then so be it.' That's what I got left with Atlantic. Three more after Lasers. I'm already done with two. The mixtape is coming Thanksgiving. It'll be another mixtape after that and an album after that. It's really to get that status and lock it in and [and have people] be like, 'Look at this positive dude, the underdog. The positive one who came and murdered all these dudes. And he's there, and he's good.' I'm finnin' to house every single mode and arena I can get into. If y'all had somewhere where it's live performances, I'm finnin to have the best live performances. If it's mixtapes, I'm finnin' to have the best mixtapes. If it's albums again, it's gonna be the best verse. If it's the best dressed, I'm going hard as well." (MTV)

Lupe is most known for entering the rap game around 2006 with close ties to Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Thanks in part to the vocal support of Jay-Z, L.A. Reid signed Fiasco as a solo artist to Arista, but before anything of significance was able to happen (only a promo single and a couple guest appearances were set up), Reid was fired, leaving the MC without a label. Fiasco eventually landed at Atlantic. Preceded by the single "Kick, Push," as well as several mixtapes and an appearance on Kanye West's "Touch the Sky," the album Food & Liquor was set to surface during early 2006, though an unfinished version leaked during the spring, pushing its official release back to September instead. The album earned Fiasco three Grammy nominations. A highly conceptualized follow-up, The Cool, was released in December 2007. (All Music)

Check out a recent Lupe Fiasco interview below:

DJ Khaled Blames Shyne's "Victory" Removal On Hackers, "The Record Got Leaked" [Video]

DJ Khaled has explained why Shyne was taken off of his upcoming album, Victory, and said hackers were largely responsible for the removal.

According to Khaled, the "All My Life" track was released online without authorization.

"He fit me into his schedule and I appreciate it," Khaled said about Shyne. "The thing is, the record got leaked. Some hacker actually leaked it and it messed me up because when they leaked it, the publishers on the production of the track -- came at me and tried to come at me on some legal stuff so I couldn't even use it on my album. That's why I hate these hackers. They ruin surprises -- but at the end of the day, at least the streets got it and we fed the streets."

An updated tracklisting shows that a few of the original guest features were taken off.

The tracklisting for DJ Khaled's Victory album has changed a bit since first being released in December. Amazon has updated the planned tracks for the March 2 album on E1 Entertainment, and for reasons unknown, several high-profile appearances have been removed or altered. While several tracks were added, including aBusta Rhymes vow of support on the intro and Lil Wayne has been added to "Fed Up" pairing him with fellow southern rap titans Rick Ross and Young Jeezy, others have been removed. "All My Life", billed to be Shyne's first new verse since 2004, was removed. Both Kanye West and Jadakiss were also pulled from the track "Victory," which will still include Nas and John Legend. Fat Joe also no longer appears on the album, having been replaced by Ace Hood on "Bring The Money Out."

Shyne's "All My Life" verse landed online earlier this month.

"From the streets of New York, where the streets don't sleep, Shyne get 'em!," Khaled says prior to the rapper's verse. "All my life I've been rolling with the D's and the C's," Shyne raps, "Steady ducking the police, ain't a friend/When they take me ahead, they fill me with lead -- Until it come to an end, I'll be bleeding in bed/I live slowly let you read in the F.E.D.S., Daddy wasn't there but my mama was a gem/But I ain't trippin' though, that's how I kill a flow....."

Khaled recently spoke on his relationship with Shyne.

"Shyne is a good friend of mine, he's just a real dude, you know what I'm saying," Khaled said in an interview. "I kept contact with him when he got out, you know what I'm saying, I reached out to him and he's just a great person. I asked him to be on the album and he was like, 'Yo Khaled, you've been waving the Shyne flag since day one,' you know what I'm saying and he got on it. I know a lot of people holla at him and he's in Belize, he's doing his thing, he's a good brother, a real brother and he definitely repped me to the fullest and I appreciate it man. So shout-out to Shyne, Shyne Po, Shyne what it do?"

Check out DJ Khaled speaking on Shyne's removal down below:

Memphis Bleek Capitalizes Off Blogger Critiques, "It's Fuel For A Guy Like Me"

Former Roc-A-Fella artist Memphis Bleek recently spoke on how serious he takes blogger comments and how the remarks better his craft.

According to Bleek, he uses the comments aimed at him as "fuel" for his pen game.

"I'm not a blogger but I definitely do read the blogs," Bleek said in an interview. "I read the comments. It's fuel for a guy like me because I love to hear what people gotta say. If you look at it, on a percentage scale, 20% of the s**tis real, and 80% of the s**t is bulls**t but that 20% is what matters. Somebody is gonna comment something real that you can take wit' you and put into your craft or your daily routine. Somebody gon' care about you." (All Hip Hop)

Bleek's former labelmate, Freeway, also said he takes note of Internet users' comments.

"When I was doing the whole month of madness -- I would read the comments and I would respond to comments on some of the joints people would be saying this and that and I would respond," Freeway explained in an interview. "But when I first, like, two years ago when I really first started dropping joints on the net, like, people wasn't f*cking with me. N*ggas was like, 'Ah, get the f*ck outta here,' but once I started building up the substance and material and people were seeing that the material was good, slowly but surely they started f*cking with it. The comments used to make me mad but when they be hating, they're Internet thugs so I ain't worried about that." (Vlad TV)

G-Unit leader 50 Cent recently shared his views on the impact an online community has.

"As far as the Internet is concerned, it's so new that the younger kids can take better advantage," Fif explained in an interview. "Soulja Boy is one of the guys that is more open-minded to the Web, and he'll go there immediately...I watched and learned from people like him. From my perspective, what the mixtape circuit was is now a viral video...When I make material and I see it be viewed a million times, I know that I pleased a small demographic that watched it so often that there's a million views. Or a broad demographic of people are drawn to it. I feel good either way... As [the Internet] changes and there's new applications and new things involved with the site, I learn that right away. That makes me comfortable...The kids, the new age group, the new kids are more perceptive of computers. They don't have to have the experience of going to purchase your CD or going to see your movie." (XXL Mag)

Outside of online comments, Bleek said he would be willing to have a sit-down with ex-Roc labelmate Beanie Sigel in light of recent disses made toward him and Jay-Z.

"Could it ever be mended? Jay is gone," Bleek said in an interview. "I could sit down with Beans. You wanna holla with me, he knows how to get in contact with me. I'm out here. Jay's gone. Ain't no time to look back. Where [Jay's] at, no time to look back. If Jay looks back, it's the back of the G5 [jet], luggage. He's gone. We don't need that. Where's the problem? When [all the Roc-A-Fella artists] signed their release paper and went their separate ways, it was no problem. Now it's a problem. Why do you need to talk?" (MTV)

Check out a recent Memphis Bleek interview below:

Cassidy Undresses Amber Rose Dating Rumors, "She Probably Got A Situation With Kanye" [Video]

Philadelphia rapper Cassidy has addressed past rumors of being sexually involved with model Amber Rose while she was dating fellow emcee Kanye West.

According to Cass, the media over-hyped their situation and mistook his "Ego" remix track saying he was going at Ye.

"Nah, that's my homie, you know what I'm saying," Cassidy explained in an interview referring to Amber Rose. "She's from Philly, we knew each other back in the day, actually, when I seen her she was bringing up things in the past that I forgot about because she probably looked a little bit different and things like that. We was at a softball game together, people might have seen that and took it to the next level and said I was smashing her. Like, I got a family, I got a situation, she probably got a situation with Kanye. Kanye was showing me love since the beginning of my career."

On the "Ego" remix, Cass was speculated as speaking on Rose and West.

"I'm an MC yo, slash, CEO, I drop Hip Hop Weekly, I'm The Source, ask Zino," Cassidy raps on the 'Ego' remix. "Eh yo, I f*cked your girl on the d-lo, 'cause I'm that n*gga and I got a bigger ego...I took her from you like D-Bo. "

Rose also addressed the situation via Twitter last year.

West began dating Rose earlier this year (09), but rumours surfaced last week (May 22) alleging the couple had split after the busty blonde was linked to the Hotel star. Rose is furious with the claims and has taken to her Twitter.com page to clear up the Cassidy reports - although she stops short of addressing the state of her romance with West. She writes, "I do NOT know Cassidy personally, I met him for the first and only time at a charity softball game. THAT'S IT! These blogs r ridiculous!"

Aside from rumors, Cass is working on putting his own artists into the rap spotlight.

"Me and Swizz started Full Surface [Records] together, that's my family," Cass said in an interview. "That's why we got a song out right now, we do music together. But I'm just a grown man now, I've been in this industry for over a decade so I'm just matured now, got my own production company, trying to put my artists on, giving another opportunity to get money. The same way Swizz started Full Surface even though he was with Ruff Ryders. Similar situation. I still got love, we still communicate, we still talk, we still do music together."

Check out Cassidy's interview below:

Chris Brown Gives Tiger Woods Another Shot, "I Know My Fans Gave Me A Second Chance"

R&B singer Chris Brown has displayed his support for golfer Tiger Woods in light of recent adultery allegations and the resulting public fallout.

From Brown's perspective, every person should be given a second opportunity in life.

"I know my fans gave me a second chance," he explained in an interview. "I hope he gets back on the field and does his thing, 'cause he is the best at it...Whatever [Woods'] personal life is, and this goes for me and him, his personal life is his personal life. Nobody has the right to place judgment or make any judgment on anybody else's personal life when they're not directly involved with them. I think people have to realize that everybody's human. The good thing is, if you learn from your mistakes, then that's a part of life. I think that's a part of living and learning from mistakes and becoming a better person and growing from situation."

Woods' family conflict has already become the subject of spoofs by rappers including Maino and Ludacris.

Produced by the Neptunes, "Sexting" finds Luda satirizing Woods' stay in sex rehab by imagining a conversation with the teacher who's trying to help him get "unhooked on a**". Unfortunately, the beat doesn't provide much of a lift -- sorry to disappoint anyone who was hoping for another "Money Maker". "Hey this is Luda, okay? I need you to do me a 'huge' favor. Um, ca-can you please take your name off of your phone? My girl went through my cell phone and she may be calling you. So if you can please take your name off of that and just have it as a number on the voicemail, okay? You gotta do this for me. Huge. Quickly!"

Rapper Jim Jones shared his stance on Woods after the golfer publicly apologized to the media and fans last week.

"If I had a billion I woulnt apologize for sh*t," Jones wrote following Tiger's statement on Friday, "especialy not 2 th media my wife kids mayb depends on how my billion make me feel tht day lol."

Last Friday, Woods explained the seriousness behind his situation during a press conference.

"While I have always tried to be private, I have a few things to say. Elin and i have started to work though this. As she has told me, my real apology to her will not be in words but in action, however what we say to each other will be private. I am also aware of the pain I have caused everyone in this room I have let you down and let down my fans, for many my behavior has been a major disappointment, my behavior has caused considerable worry to my business partners ,and everyone involved in my business, but most importantly to the young people we influence, I apologize."

Check out Ludacris' "Sexting" song down below:

Trina Laughs Off Rumors Of Romance W/ Soulja Boy, "No We Weren't Grinding" [Video]

Rapper Trina has denied speculation that she was romantically involved with 19 year-old rapper Soulja Boy Tell Em.

Despite being photographed with the rapper on a jet ski last year, Trina said she has only offered him support with his music.

"Actually I was in Jamaica, I was supposed to perform on the Jamaica, I think it was like the Jamaica Dance Fest or whatever," Trina told radio personality Angela Yee. "And Soulja Boy was supposed to perform on the same show, and I just recorded a record for him which is called 'Like That.' And they were trying to shoot some scenes for his video for that record so it was all fun, we all went out. We were just skiing. We were supposed to do the whole sky diving thing or whatever, and I was just looking up at that balloon like 'I don't think I'm getting up there,' but it was really cool. I got a chance to perform, it rained, we just had a good time...No we weren't grinding, Angie. [laughs]"

Speculation on the two dating began to circulate online last fall.

Are rappers Soulja Boy & Trina trying to tell us something? The two were spotted jet skiing in Jamaica together, looking rather cozy. Not to mention they were spotted backstage at last week's BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. So, the question is...Are they an item or just two really good friends?...

Trina recently joined forces with rap mogul Diddy's Circoc Vodka brand.

"Things are gonna be real big," Diddy said about Trina. "She's an official Ciroc girl...Ciroc is gonna be promoting her album, she's gonna be helping us, we gonna be doing it together. We got a new partnership that we rocking with but most importantly, the record and a video is off the chain...You gonna see us performing the joint live, too. She's gonna have the full-length chinchilla and just be buckey-naked with some stickies on. You know what I'm saying, because the body is thorough. Believe that, she's in the gym!"

Outside of romance rumors, Soulja Boy is working on a new album and book.

HipHopRX.com has learned that Soulja Boy, who we all know as Soulja Boy Tell Em the rapper, will soon be known as Soulja Boy Tell Em the rapper/author as the self-made teen millionaire will soon be releasing his first book. Soulja Boy, born DeAndre Cortez Way on July 28, 1990, has written his first book -- Teenage Millionaire -- on being a teen millionaire. The book "Teenage Millionaire (DeAndre Way)" is set to be released none other than on Soulja Boy's birthday, July 28, 2010.

Check out Trina speaking on Soulja Boy Tell Em below:

Caught Lying? It Of Vh1 Responds To Rape Allegations! (Shows Proof The Female Saying She Sure Will Lie Because His Boy Called Her A Ho) [Audio]

Yo Gotti - Loco

L.A. Reid Visits Shyne In Belize To Revive His Artist!

Waka Flocka Responds To Method Man! "You Disrespected Your Own Kind. Onyx & Wu-Tang Was Krump Music"

40 Cock Hangs Up The Phone On Menace (Of BlackWallStreet)! "Who??? You Got The Wrong Number"

2 Pistols - Flood Tha Block

Kurupt (Feat. Joy Luv & J-Glaze) - All In Time

Jay-Z’s New Album Could Come After Tour

The Blueprint 3 is still paying off for Jay-Z, but the music mogul is already on to the next one.


Mr. Carter tells The Associated Press that he has started thinking about his twelfth studio album. “Maybe after I finish [the 'BP3'] tour I’ll start another album,” he reveals, adding, “Maybe at the end of the year. We’ll see if the inspiration hits me.”

But for now, he’s concentrating on perfecting the second leg of his arena tour. “I’ve been working on my live show for 10 years now, just trying to get it better and better. I used to come out with just a DJ, now I got a band. The production’s gotten bigger and the lighting guy takes off his shoes and he plays to the beat,” he laughs. “The whole thing is being upgraded every single year.”

The Blueprint 3 tour makes its next stop in New Orleans on Thursday with supporting acts Young Jeezy and Trey Songz.