Lebron James played “Hypeman” to Drake the other night in Cleveland at a show sponsored by Z107.9. Drake brought Lebron out on stage midway through the show before telling the crowd “See me and Lebron, we have something mutually in common. We both love women… a lot. We are both mature individuals but I feel like if we were the type to trick on a girl, this would be the song we’d sing to her”. He then went into Fabolous’s “Throw It In The Bag” while Lebron jumped around the stage and threw in an occasional “Hey”.
Jay Electronica is one of Hip-Hop’s dopest emcee’s. He represents Real Hip-Hop, which is like an endangered species right now; as far as that gutter gutter (sound). And Rick Ross has always been one of my favorite emcee’s since he started. We have many things in common from different styles to how we hear the music. We have a certain chemistry and friendship. It’s really organic. I think that he is a brand that should be bigger than he is now. We’ve already started being involved in his management to help make it happen for him.
(May 26th) Power 105.1 presented their Power Live concert with G-unit rapper Lloyd Banks to a packed house at New York City’s B.B. King Blues Club. But before the Boy Wonder could take the stage, the opening acts had to get through the tough New York crowd.
First up to bat was new Roc Nation artist Range. The hip-hop audience was unkind to the R&B singer, booing him off the stage. DJ Clue took the spotlight next, introducing his latest protégé, Young Dose. Surprisingly the Atlanta artist got a good reaction from concert goers, especially during his performance of “Where They Do That At”.
A little after midnight, Lloyd Banks finally burst onto the stage. Blu Hefner came out spitting tracks from his first mixtape, Money in the Bank. Reminding fans that’s he’s still “The Punchline King,” the Queens rapper then aptly jumped into more of his lyric heavy, earlier material.
Banks then took fans back to The Hunger For More era, by performing “I’m So Fly,” “Ain’t No Click” and “Warrior,” followed by, “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” “Poppin Them Things,” and “I Smell Pussy” off of G-unit’s Beg For Mercy album. He then brought out rap partner Tony Yayo to help him with fan favorites “Straight Outta Southside.” “Rider Part 2” and “Put Them Up.”
Saving the best for last, Banks closed out his set with his smash single, “Beamer, Benz or Bentley.”
Next up for Banks, Yayo and crew leader 50 Cent is their Invitation Tour, hitting stops throughout the U.S. The first stop is in Detroit’s Chene Part this Saturday. —Donovan Moore
Shocking images of 50 Cent’s dramatic weight loss hit the internet today (May 26) via his own Thisis50.com website. 50 dropped the weight for a role in the upcoming film Things Fall Apart in which he plays a football player who’s been diagnosed with cancer. He lost over 50 pounds to get into character. Over a period of nine weeks the G-Unit general stuck to a strict liquid diet and a three-hour-a-day treadmill walk regimen to drop down to 160 pounds. “I was starving,” he told Thisis50.com, “I’ve been eating. I’ll be back in shape in no time!” According to IMDB.com the Queens MC will star alongside Ray Liotta, Mario Van Peebles (who’s also the director) and Lynn Whitfield in the film, coming out next year. —Brooklyne Gipson
Before marrying his boo Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz is headed back to court to deal with his ex-wife Mashonda. The superproducer’s former flame filed legal papers in Manhattan’s Supreme Court claiming SB owes her $344,000 in missed payments, reports the New York Post.
Mashonda’s lawyer, Bernard Clair, told the Post that it’s disturbing that Beatz has yet to pay his client, when there are rumors that he gave Alicia Keys a seven carat engagement ring and the new couple are moving into a multi-million dollar penthouse in New York City.
Mashonda thinks that her Ruff Ryder producer is cheating her of money she deserves. “I so much wanted both of us to get on with our lives and maintain our respect for one another, but he now shows that his priorities and sense of responsibility are screwed up,” she said.
Meanwhile Swizzy disputed Mashonda’s allegations, saying her figures are “inaccurate” and “overblown” and he has gone “above and beyond” to provide for her and their son Kasseem, Jr., even going against the judge and his lawyer’s suggestions.
“I gave over what the judge was recommending to give,” he told the Post. “I gave her $700,000 up front, because I thought $200,000 wasn’t enough for what she wanted to do. I still get spit in my face for it.”
Swizz and Mashonda are scheduled to go to court next month.
The wife of former drug dealer Frank Lucas was arrested Wednesday (May 19th) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after she allegedly sold 2 kilograms of cocaine to an informant at a hotel.
Julianna Farrait, 70, was being recorded on May 11th, when she told the informant that she had two kilos of cocaine for sale and that another contact had an additional eight kilos to be unloaded.
Farrait set up a second meeting in the Isla Verde and attempted to sell the two kilos to the informant. After the transaction, DEA agents raided the hotel room and took the woman into custody.
Agents had been tracking Farrait since February of 2009, according to reports.
Farrait is married to Frank Lucas, the heroin dealer whose life was portrayed by Oscar-Award winning actor, Denzel Washington in the 2007 flick American Gangster.
Ironically, Farrait was played by Puerto Rican actress Lymari Nadal
Farrait served 5 years in prison after being arrested in 1975, for her role in Lucas’ heroin operation.
Lucas was sentenced to 40 years in prison, but was released 1991.
Marion “Suge” Knight’s lawyer has denied reports that the 45-year-old mogul pointed a gun at a man during an argument Wednesday (May 19th) in Los Angeles.
Knight was arrested in Gardena by a group of LAPD officers from the Homicide & Robbery Division just after 12:00 AM Thursday morning.
The former head of Death Row Records allegedly pointed a gun at him in Los Angeles during the altercation.
Knight was on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and driving with a suspended license. He was released after posting $60,000 in bail.
“He’s innocent, 100 percent,” Marc Brumer told CNN. “Suge Knight is a businessman. He is not a person who would carry a gun or flash a gun at anybody. That’s not Suge Knight.”
Brumer noted that police never found the alleged weapon when they arrested Knight, who cooperated with authorities.
“There are a lot of people that hate (Knight) and are jealous of what he has obtained in his life,” Brumer said of a motive for the latest accusations levied at Knight.
According to Brumer, Knight is looking to return to the music industry as the head of his own record label.
“He’s working with new artists, starting a record label, looking into sports management companies,” Brumer said. “He’s really an icon in the music industry, and really looked up to in the African-American community. “He’s a bright man. He wouldn’t carry a gun on him. That’s not him.”
Diddy stalled hopping on his Last Train to Paris to spend a little time with XXL. The hip-hop mogul appears in XXL magazine’s upcoming June issue and it’s his very first time being featured on the publication’s cover.
In the comprehensive interview written by Thomas Golianopoulos, Puff gives insight into his ubersuccessful business mind, his new album, Last Train to Paris and he reflects on his grind to the top to become hip-hop’s number one mogul.
He also looks back at his overall impact on the industry and culture. “I am the champion of hip-hop” Diddy says in the story. “Hands down, undisputed, I’m the undisputed heavyweight champion of hip-hop. We are going to have to deal with those facts. There is nobody that can fuck with me with what I do, which is getting busy. We are going across the board, as an entrepreneur, innovator, motivator. Who was there first? Who traveled to Europe first? The first. The first. The first. The first. I was the first.”
In addition to the P. Diddy story, the June issue features an in-depth reported piece on the untimely death of rap legend Guru of Gang Starr. Speaking with family members, friends, his former group mate DJ Premier and close friend/business partner Solar, XXL tries to make sense of the beloved lyricist’s final days, while also exploring the mystery behind his last days.
XXL’s June issue will be in stores nationwide on June 1, 2010. The May issue, which features Young Money artists Drake and Nicki Minaj, is on stands now.
VH1 has announced that super producer Timbaland will be honored during the seventh annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors: The Dirty South special airing next month.
Timbaland, a native of Norfolk, Virginia, will be recognized for his many contributions to Hip-Hop in the form of hit records by artists like Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Jay-Z, Gnarls Barkley, Missy Elliot and numerous others.
In addition to releasing his own albums, the rapper/producer records mostly out of his studio in Virginia, where he also runs his label, Mosley Music Group.
The 2010 VH1 Hip Hop Honors: The Dirty South, will be hosted by actor/comedian Craig Robinson (The Office, Last Comic Standing).
The special will air on VH1 on Monday, June 7th at 9:00 PM.
