Diddy Selling New Jersey Mansion For $13.5 Million

Hip-Hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is selling his opulent, Alpine, New Jersey mansion for $13.5 million.

The New York Post reports that Combs has put the 12,000 square-foot, Colonial style home up for sale, after paying $6 million for the residence in 2004.

Combs originally lived in the house with his longtime girlfriend, Kim Porter and their son Christian.

According to The Post, the mansion is being put up for sale because Combs and Porter spend more time in Los Angeles.

But the rap mogul will not be without a roof over his head after the sale of his New Jersey mansion.

In addition to his mansion in Los Angeles, Combs has residences in Miami, New York and Atlanta.

As for Porter, Combs purchased her a $5 million, 9,655-square-foot, six bedroom, mansion in Toluca Lake, California last year.

Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music Lands Worldwide Deal With Island Def Jam

Rapper Kanye West continues his business affiliation with the Island Def Jam Music Group, as his imprint G.O.O.D. Music has inked a worldwide, long-term deal with the major label.

The first release under the new agreement will be Big Sean's highly anticipated debut, Finally Famous, which features the award-winning hit single “My Last,” featuring R&B singer Chris Brown.

"G.O.O.D. Music is an exciting new chapter in the long and successful association of Kanye West and Island Def Jam," said Island Def Jam's current CEO, Barry Weiss, who left Jive to take over as CEO at the label in March of 2007.

"As a recording artist and a producer over the past eight years, there is no one who has made a greater impression on the game than Kanye," Weiss said. "We look forward to working closely with the new and established artists that he will be bringing to G.O.O.D. Music, which is already off to an impressive start with Big Sean."

Kanye West has been labeled “an integral core" artist on the Island Def Jam Music Group, having sold over 20 million records since his debut in 2004, with the critically acclaimed album The College Dropout.

According to Steve Bartels, President and CEO of Island Def Jam Music Group, the investment into Kanye West's label is based on his proven success as a hit maker.

"Kanye's genius has been proven time and time again on records and onstage," said Bartels of the 14-time Grammy Award winning rapper/producer. "He not only pours it out for himself, but he has made the difference with his presence on innumerable projects with other artists who are indebted to him.

Big Sean's debut album Finally Famous is due in stores on June 28th via G.O.O.D. Music/Island Def Jam Music Group.

Drake To Release "Take Care” Single In Two Weeks, Discusses Album

Drizzy also reveals that The Weeknd will appear on several tracks on the LP.

After releasing “Marvin’s Room” and “Trust Issues” over the past few weeks, Drake is gearing up to drop the first official single off his sophomore set Take Care. Speaking with The Fader, the Young Money rapper explained that the album features The Weeknd on several tracks and that the single will arrive shortly.

“The single’s dropping a week-and-a-half, two weeks. It’ll be fun. It’s going to be a blast,” he said. “It’s great. I’m really excited about it. Just trying out different things, different sounds, different flows... We’re all in a really great place in our lives just as a team, the team’s coming together. 40’s doing really well. We’ve got new editions. We have this affiliation with The Weeknd. It’s really great. He’s on the album a bunch. I’m excited about it just for the people to hear the evolution of the music.”

He also touched on being considered “emo,” agreeing with the assessment. “I only really know how to do one thing. I don’t know how to make generic songs about the struggle and things that aren’t about me, I just know how to make songs that are about me,” he continued. “If I make a song that’s emo or emotional, then I guess yeah, I’m going to stick to that. I make songs about my life, because if you want me to be honest with you, that’s the best way I know how. The things I’ve experienced and the things I’ve lived. That’s what I like to do.”

As for the amount of singing and rapping fans can expect on the next LP, he remained mum. “When I sing, they tell me to rap, and when I rap, they tell me they want to hear more melodies. You can’t please everybody all the time,” he said. “I’m just having fun making music, I feel like I know what it’s like to drive around at night in Toronto and think about life. I just make music for those kids who are doing that right now, just driving around reflecting on life who want to help the people around them. Just that kind of thing.”

Buju Banton Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison On Drug Charges

Reggae star Buju Banton was convicted on Tuesday in a Florida court on drug charges. He now faces up to 15 years in prison, stemming from three of four federal counts.

"Obviously, we are all upset and disappointed and emotional," said Banton's lawyer, David Markus, after the jury spent 11 hours deliberating the verdict. "The only person who seems to be okay is Buju. He told us he was happy that he fought, knowing he was innocent."

In 2009, the singer was arrested during a Drug Enforcement Agency sting operation after police claimed he tried to buy cocaine from undercover officials. Banton went to trial for the matter but the case was declared a mistrial when the jury failed to reach a verdict.

"Our life and destiny are sometimes pre-destined and no matter where this journey takes me, remember I fought the good fight," said Banton in a statement. "It was a great man that said 'my head is bloody but still unbowed.' I love you all, thank you for your support."

Buju Banton's contributions both politically and musically have been celebrated today in Jamaica, where radio stations continuously played his music. He also won a Grammy this past month for his album Before Dawn. Although he will likely make bail before his sentencing, it is not clear when the sentencing is scheduled.

Rick Ross Gets a New Face Tatoo

It looks like Rick Ross has joined Gucci Mane, Game and Yung LA in the regrettable face tattoo club thanks to his love of vintage eyewear.

Rick Ross has apparently taken his love of expensive and vintage eyewear to another level after recently getting the Cazal logo tattooed under his left eye. Ross reportedly owns a huge collection of the designer frames, which were made popular by artists such as Darryl “DMC” McDaniels made Carl Zalloni’s signature eyewear famous during the 80’s and 90’s.

J. Cole Preps Solo Debut "Cole World: The Sideline Story," Due September 27th

J. Cole has revealed that he has finished recording his Roc Nation debut and plans to put out the album in “three months,” or in September. Taking a break from performing at the Bonnaroo Arts & Music Festival, the Fayetteville, North Carolina rapper explained that he’s not excited about having to wait to put out the album.

“The only thing I’m not looking forward to about the album... I just finished the album last week,” he said. “It’s weird. It didn’t feel like it because I’ve got to wait three months for it to actually come out. I’m used to putting out a mixtape I’ve been working on for a year and instantly see the response. I can instantly follow everybody’s response to all the songs.”

With the instant responses from releasing mixtapes, J. Cole isn’t content with sitting back. “With this album, when you gotta release it commercially, I gotta sit around and wait and see what people think,” he continued. “I know it’s incredible, but I probably won’t really feel it until that two-week period when an album usually leaks and I see the responses, or the day it drops and I see the responses. I’m excited, but the real excitement comes when the people hear it.

40 Things Tupac Shakur Would Have Done By 40

June 16, 2011 marks what would have been the 40^th birthday of rap’s late, great fallen son, Tupac Amaru Shakur. His short but polarizing life – mixed with brilliant music and acting, personal triumphs and tragedies, and mysteries yet to be unraveled – is still fodder for media hounds and fans across the globe even today.

Some speculate that the ensuing rumors and beefs may have led to both Tupac’s Vegas murder in September 1996 and Notorious B.I.G.’s L.A. murder the following March. Truth is, we may never know the full story.

All told, Tupac is a real-life persona who lived his life to the fullest. His name is nearly always listed among the Top Rappers Dead or Alive by just about everyone, and he left behind a catalog of thoughtful, controversial, raunchy, and political albums that will live on for generations to come.

On this bittersweet Hip-Hop born day, AllHipHop.com pauses to celebrate Tupac’s life and to imagine – in both a funny and nostalgic way – what he might have accomplished had he lived to see age 40:

1) Tupac would have made peace with all of his enemies had he lived to 40. He was already doing this with groups in the east like Duck Down and Busta Rhymes, and he even reportedly made peace with Nas before he was gunned down in Vegas.

2) Perhaps, Tupac would have returned to his East Coast origins and aligned with Nas and one of the Marley sons to form a supergroup.

3) There was strong evidence that 'Pac was going to move into some form of community activism had he lived.

4) ‘Pac probably would have started a revolution somewhere.

5) Tupac would have been a strong advocate for education equality, specifically targeting kids growing up in the inner city, as he understood the advantages of being in the know.

6) Tupac would have started a foundation geared towards drug rehabilitation, ex-offender reentry, and/or fatherhood given his experience growing up with a drug-addicted mother and absent father. He understood the implication on children and the overall family unit. Tupac loved the kids!

7) He would have received an NAACP Award or Nobel Peace Prize for having contributed to stop the violence campaigns across urban areas of the United States.

8) Tupac would have fully revived the Black Panther movement with the Thug Life movement, and they would have made social progress with respect to bettering race relations through understanding all cultures.

9) Tupac would have made a life-changing, international pilgrimage, returning after his experiences to record some of his best work ever and then retire.

10) Tupac would have lobbied on Capitol Hill for civil rights for ex-felons. Heck, why shouldn’t ex-cons carry guns?

11) Tupac would have endorsed a push for arts education funding for schools that are missing it, and boy dancers would still be cool.

12) While he once rapped "I Get Around," 'Pac would have undoubtedly settled down with a wife and a family had he lived. He was engaged to Quincy Jones' daughter Kidada.

13) Tupac would have no less than two kids by now and be looking to give up the "Thug Life" at around 40.

14) OR, Tupac would have never married.

15) He would have definitely left Death Row Records, and probably the record industry period, to pursue entertainment in Hollywood as an actor. There's great evidence that he could have even worked with his old friend Jada Pinkett.

16) Tupac would have released a catalog of over 1,000 original songs by his 40^th birthday – sealing his place as the hardest working, “Most Recorded Rapper” in Hip-Hop history.

17) ‘Pac would have denounced most new school representations of his image or music – such as Soulja Boy in “Juice” and “Tupac Back” by Meek Mill.

18) Conversely, Tupac would still be willing to get in the studio with today’s progressive MCs who rose after him…like Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Killer Mike, J Cole, and the likes of Young Jeezy, who rep a different side of the streets.

19) Tupac would have started his own label to further develop the talent he surrounded himself with once he decided to put the mic down (if he ever would have done such a thing, considering Jay-Z is still running things at age 41).

20) He would have recorded a collaboration album with Notorious B.I.G., produced almost entirely by Dr. Dre and DJ Premier. Diddy would have tried to get an Exec. Producer credit (mostly wishful thinking).

21) ‘Pac's new beefs would have been Will Smith (because of Jada), 50 Cent (just because 50 would have dissed him first), and The Game since he wouldn't have gotten the attention from Dr. Dre. Game would subsequently start a West Coast beef with ‘Pac.

22) He would have developed The Outlawz as a bigger group and found three more artists or groups similar to the likes of Jay-Z/Kanye. He definitely would have ushered in a crop of new artists.

23) Tupac would have released a collaborative album featuring all West Coast legends, including but not limited to Snoop, Dre, DPG, Nate Dogg, E-40, and Warren G etc.

24) Tupac would have outsold and surpassed your friendly mogul/rapper on the Forbes list, and most of them wouldn't be nearly as huge as he is now.

25) He would have had the biggest world tour in the Hip-Hop industry. With his catalog in music and still being in the Top Five Selling Rappers of All Time, he would have been doing world tours bigger than Eminem and Jay-Z.

26) Tupac would have started producing music. And he would have kept a harder sound going in rap these days. Dudes are soft nowadays compared to ‘Pac.

27) He would have been the originator of "artists with a clothing line" (pre-Roc-A-Wear, Play Clothes, Sean John, etc.).

28) Tupac might have even created a line of fashionable, non-gang colored headband/jersey combinations.

29) Tupac would have created a special school in Baltimore for pregnant teens a la “Brenda’s Got a Baby.”

30) Tupac would have been great, old comrades with Biggie – who quite possibly would have still lived if Tupac had never been shot that first time.

31) OR, Tupac would've helped to solve Biggie's murder considering they were not actually intertwined with each other. We mustn't forget, they were friends before enemies.

32) He would have tamed his wild tongue by now, accepting several offers to speak in university classrooms and on panels with O.G.’s like Cornel West.

33) Tupac would have run for some governmental office. He was a wordsmith with a conscience and ultimately wanted to help his community thrive. Shoot – he would have been no worse than some of these scandalous dudes in office today.

34) Tupac would have had a political show. He was very politically savvy and had the platform to speak to the current politic environment and its impact on the common man. Maybe he would've beat Bill O'Reilly to the punch with “The Shakur Factor.”

35) He would have starred in countless films – likely written, and directed some as well...possibly even been nominated for an Oscar, whether it be for acting, writing, directing, or creating original music scores.

36) Tupac would have received an Oscar for his role in a Hip-Hop inspired movie similar to “Get Rich or Die Trying,” “8 Mile ,” and “Hustle and Flow.”

37) He would have become a consistent NY Times Bestselling author (novels, poetry, autobiography).

38) As an example, ‘Pac would have finished his first book. The nature of it would have been autobiographical, and it would go into all the details of his split from Death Row, his mysterious persona, and his beef with Biggie.

39) Tupac would have partial ownership of an NBA or NFL team, and if it was an NFL team, L.A. would have a football team again.

40) Tupac would likely have gone to jail again or have been arrested. We’re thinking the IRS would have come after him, too. He was too volatile a character at times and too polarizing to have not gotten into more trouble.

Rappers React To Dallas Maverick's Victory | Birdman Loses $2 Mil

A number of rappers have weighed in on tonight's NBA championship finals, which saw the Dallas Mavericks defeat the Miami Heat.

The Miami Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in game six of the NBA finals, winning the game 105-95.

For Dallas rapper Dorrough, the victory, which was the first championship title for the Mav's in franchise history, was a longtime coming.

"I been a Mavs fan since a kid even when we were the sorriest team in the NBA, to see my hometeam win the NBA Finals is epic! The world should be playing my 'Mavs Anthem' All Week!!," a proud Dorrough explained to AllHipHop.com.

"We have always been proud to be from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex," Play-N-Skillz told AllHipHop.com in an exclusive statement.

"Today I am honored to say I represent Dallas, Texas and am playing 'WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS' from my ipod! Congrats Dallas Mavericks," Play added.

"Never underestimate the heart of a champ... D-Town stay down," Tum Tum told AllHipHop.com in a statement about the victory.

DJ Khaled remained loyal to his home team, despite the disappointing loss.

"Big up miami heat amazing team Miami-Dade county 305! Every great team has a great story!

LL Cool J appeared to support the Mavericks, since Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd are expected to retire.

"Jason Kidd got his ring…The Heat are young & they have plenty of time…Nothing to be ashamed of..Great series."

Jim Jones was obviously rooting for the Mavericks, based on the tweets he sent out about LeBron James.

"I'ts over for labronda, I bet u he cry like a girl at the end…told u he crying already," Jim Jones tweeted.

Bryan "Birdman" Williams' Twitter remained quiet as of press time, after the Cash Money Records CEO lost a $2 million bet on the Miami Heat.

MTV Movie Awards Spikes Sales for Lupe Fiasco

After performing this past weekend live at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles, rapper Lupe Fiasco (@lupefiasco) saw a large increase in awareness, website traffic, and most importantly, album sales.

The spike in sales can be attributed to this year's ceremony being the most watched MTV Movie Awards since 2004, with over 4.5 million viewers.

Lupe Fiasco performed “Out of My Head” with Trey Songz (@treysongz), and “The Show Goes On," both, of which are off his current album Lasers.

It did not take long for the album to jump from #60 to #25 on the Billboard Top 200. The rapper also has the #1 Rap album in the nation.

"This performance came at the perfect time for Lupe," Atlantic Records’ David Saslow said. Just as 'The Show Goes On' hits #1 at radio, & we begin the campaign on 'Out Of My Head' with Trey, the Movie Awards comes in with a sledgehammer! Lupe Fiasco is having an incredible summer with his third album, Lasers. Many thanks to MTV."

“The Show Goes On” moved from #18 to #11 on the singles charts both “Out of My Head” and “Words I Never Said” had significant jumps on the Hip-Hop chart as well.

Kanye West Signs Dbanj & Don Jazzy To G.O.O.D Music Label

American multiple awards winning artist and producer, Kanye West has today finalized his interest to sign one of Nigeria’s biggest hip-hop artistes, Dapo Oyebanjo popularly known as D’Banj & Don Jazzy to his Good Music Entertainment, a production, management and record label outfit. “GOOD” is an acronym for “Getting Out Our Dreams”.

Speaking to D’Banj’s manager, Sunday Are of List Entertainment, he confirmed that there have been talks recently but D’Banj officially signed the contract today. “Yes there have been discussions between the two parties lately. They have been exchanging contracts but now the wait is over, he said.

Sources also revealed that Kanye is interested in working with Don Jazzy. We heard he wants him to produce a song on the collaboration album he is working on with Jay Z.

John Legend and Common were the first to sign to the management and production company. Their albums “Get Lifted and Be” (both executive-produced by West) were both critically acclaimed and combined were nominated for 7 Grammy Award nominations. “Get Lifted” had three nominations and “Be” had four.

As if Mo-Hitts wasn’t big enough already. They are setting trends, and that’s just the fact.

Jay-Z Makes Personal Chef The New Executive Chef Of 40/40 Club

Jay-Z fans can now eat some of his favorite dishes as Jay's personal chef has become the new Executive Chef of the 40/40 Club in Manhattan.

It will reportedly cost $10 million to renovate the 40/40 Club in Manhattan and Jay-Z has been an integral part of this change. Jay has been such an important part of this renovation that he has also appointed his personal chef, Mike Shand, the new Executive Chef of the club.

Chef Mike Shand is now in charge of the menu. He landed the position after being Jay's personal chef for years. In a recent interview with TMZ, a representative for Shand spoke about why Jigga selected him.

"[Jay-Z] knew that Mike would be able to improve upon the current menu in ways that had the Jay-Z seal of approval because many are dishes that he eats himself on a daily basis," the rep noted.

Eminem Sues Audi AG For Copying Chrysler 200 Advertisement

Eminem's Eight Mile Style LLC, the publisher that handles Eminem's copyrights, has filed a Law suit against Audi AG in Germany's Hamburg Regional Court for making an unauthorized use of his smash "Lose Yourself" in its new 2012 Audi A6 Avant commercial and using elements similar to his Chrysler 200 advertisement.

Seeking a cease-and-desist order against the company, Eight Mile Style additionally sued for damages against Audi, which has only aired the commercial in Europe. "We believe Audi not only used 'Lose Yourself' to sell their product without permission, but their spot actually feels inspired by elements of Chrysler’s commercial campaign," said Joel Martin, spokesperson for Eight Mile Style.

Eminem's Chrysler 200 commercial, part of the "Imported From Detroit" campaign, originally aired during the Super Bowl. He was credited with helping Chrysler Group LLC post its first profitable quarter since it filed for bankruptcy two years ago, helping the corporation increase its net revenues by 35 percent.

Jay-Z on What Makes Classic Track

A great song doesn't attempt to be anything — it just is.

When you hear a great song, you can think of where you were when you first heard it, the sounds, the smells. It takes the emotions of a moment and holds it for years to come. It transcends time. A great song has all the key elements — melody; emotion; a strong statement that becomes part of the lexicon; and great production. Think of "Bohemian Rhapsody," by Queen. That song had everything — different melodies, opera, R&B, rock — and it explored all of those different genres in an authentic way, where it felt natural.

When I'm writing a song that I know is going to work, it's a feeling of euphoria. It's how a basketball player must feel when he starts hitting every shot, when you're in that zone. As soon as you start, you get that magic feeling, an extra feeling. Songs like that come out in five minutes; if I work on them more than, say, 20 minutes, they're probably not going to work.

When I was starting out, I was just trying to tell stories. I wasn't thinking about melodies. Then I started to marry storytelling with every­thing I was learning from all these other great records: the great writers like Babyface and Lionel Richie; Rakim's technique and syncopation; Dre's whole package on the Chronic albums; Quincy Jones, the greatest producer of all time; Rick Rubin, who's not too far behind because of all his genre-jumping.

Technology has caused the songwriting process to lose some of the magic. A lot of times now, people working on a song aren't in the same room. Imagine if Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones hadn't been in the same room! Those records would have been totally different. I've had times when I changed one word because of something that somebody said in the studio, and it changed the whole song. It's so important to have other people in the room, vibing, saying, "No, this part is good, put that there."

I spend a lot of time fighting myself to stay out of the way of a great song. It's hard for me to leave a song alone, in its natural state. I want it to have that mass appeal, but once I start trying to push it too far, you can feel that something isn't right. When you can hear what a writer is trying to do, it's like watching a dancer and seeing him counting his steps. Music is emotional — if you're singing that you're in love with somebody but it doesn't really feel like you are, people can tell.

Some of my best songs aren't the biggest ones. A song like "Can I Live" is so full of emotion to me — it was better than "Hard Knock Life" or "Empire State of Mind," but it lacked that accessibility. ­Michael Jackson's Off the Wall album may not have been bigger than Thriller, but the songs had better melodies.

But when a phrase gets stuck in your head like a great melody and becomes part of everyday culture, that's when it can become something great. When your music signifies a time in the culture or continues on in everyday life, like "Say It Loud — I'm Black and I'm Proud" or "A Change Is Gonna Come." Or when something like "Bling Bling" even makes it into the dictionary. Then you know you've done your job.

Nas Reveals Name Of New Album: 'Life Is Good'

Queensbridge, New York rap star Nas has announced the title of his new upcoming solo album.

The rapper took to Twitter early this morning (May 28th), to reveal the name of the album, which is titled Life is Good.

In published reports, the 37-year-old rapper said Life is Good will feature production from a variety of new producers, as well as veteran Salaam Remi and other notable producers.

Nas' last official studio album was 2008's Untitled release, which topped Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart.

Tracklist Revealed For Eminem & Royce Da 5'9's "Hell: The Sequel" EP

It has been announced that Detroit, Michigan emcees Eminem and Royce Da 5'9 will revive their late '90s duo Bad Meets Evil. RapRadar.com has reported that Em and one of his longtime friends and Shady Records artist (by way of Slaughterhouse) Royce are planning an EP to release on June 14.

The group, which had been rumored to be working on a similar project over 12 years ago, has reunited recently, and begun working on songs such as "Echo" and "Writer's Block" .

Eminem said the following in a released statement, "Royce and I started hanging out again and inevitably that led us back into the studio. At first we were just seeing where it went without any real goal in mind, but the songs started to come together crazy, so here we are."

Production will be reportedly handled by Havoc of Mobb Deep, Mr. Porter, Bangladesh and DJ Khalil.

has unveiled the tracklist for the upcoming EP.

1. Welcome 2 Hell (Produced by Havoc)
2. Fastlane (Produced by Supa Dups)
3. The Reunion (Produced by Sid Roams)
4. Above the Law (Produced by Mr. Porter)
5. I’m On Everything Feat. Mike Epps (Produced by Mr. Porter)
6. A Kiss (Produced by Bangladesh)
7. Lighters Feat. Bruno Mars (Produced by Eminem, The SmeeZingtons & Battle Roy)
8. Take from Me (Produced by Mr. Porter)
9. Loud Noises Feat. Slaughterhouse (Produced by Mr. Porter)

Lil Wayne "Unplugs" For MTV

On June 12, MTV will continue its popular “Unplugged” musical series in which artists are taken out of their normal realm and perform their hits acoustically. It's been 10 years since Jay-Z performed the last rap Unplugged concert and who better than to break the decade-long drought than the man that MTV proclaimed “the Hottest MC in the game” back in 2007. Lil Wayne took the stage on May 13 at Sony Studios in Culver City, CA backed by a live band and singer Shannell to perform some of his classic and present day hits. With past legendary rap acts such as LL Cool J, A Tribe Called Quest and the aforementioned Jay-Z, Lil Wayne had some big shoes to fill and it was interesting to see if he would be able to pull it off.

The first thing I noticed was that the stage setting was different this time around. Most Unplugged events have a relaxed personal setting, however, Lil Wayne's set-up was more like a rock concert by having the audience surround the stage at all sides. That made me wonder right there if this was going to be a true acoustic performance. The crowd was urged to yell and scream but something told me that this racially-mixed young crowd needed no such urging as they were eagerly anticipating one of the most popular artists of their generation. Both inclinations were proved correct as the bands electric guitar roared loud and Lil Wayne walked through the crowd on to the stage to the delight of screaming and jumping fans to open up with “3-Peat.”

Lil Wayne electrified like a true rock-star as he powered his way through energetic performances of “Mr. Carter,” “Let The Beat Build,” “Shoot Me Down,” and a Drake-less “Miss Me.” The highlight of the first set was an explosive rock version of “A Milli” which would've been a great B-Side remix back in the day of 12” single releases. Wayne then takes a breather to thank the crowd for coming out and then asks, “How many have been rocking with me since I was a little one?” As the crowd responds, Wayne takes them back to 2005 with “Fireman,” “Money On My Mind,” and a heart-felt “Hustler Musik.”

The first guest of the night was Titi Boi of the Atlanta group “Playaz Circle.” The two performed “Duffle Bag Boy” and afterward Wayne addressed the crowd again. “A few months ago I was in a dark place that I don't like to really shed light on,” he told the audience. “Everyone always asks, 'How was it?' I figured I'd find a way to answer that question.” And with that Wayne broke in to his own version of the classic “Hail Mary” song by 2Pac. While the chorus is kept the same, Lil Wayne uses his own verses to discuss his trails and tribulations. Shannell who had been low-key singing backup all night joins Wayne for “Prom Queen” and while she looked stunning, she had to vocally force out the chorus a few times throughout the song. Then in true “Wayne Cobain” fashion, Lil Wayne grabs an electric guitar for “She Left Me Brokenhearted,” surprisingly plays a few riffs, and then goes right in to an Eminem-less version of “Drop The World.” Wayne then addresses the crowd again.“If you're in a relationship make some noise. If you're having trouble in your relationship make some noise. And If you're single like me make some noise” which led to the song “Single” and sent every girl in the building screaming.

The mood at this point had mellowed a bit as Lil Wayne and Shannell perform “Mrs. Officer.” Acoustic guitars replace the electric ones and served as proof that Wayne could really pull this off in true Unplugged fashion. Up to this point although I was very entertained, I couldn't help but think that he had been allowed to cheat by going electric. The song was the smoothest of the night and it made me wonder what the entire concert would've sounded like acoustically. Wayne then finished this set with a nice acoustic/electric mix of “Lollipop.”

The surprise of the night was a new song called “Nightmares of the Bottom” off of his upcoming album. Led by a piano and booming percussion's Wayne spit lines like, “Only God can Judge me, I don't need no Jury” and “Don't call me sir, call me survivor.” All of this led to the finale' which can only be the song that everybody had been waiting to hear all night. Yes, you guessed it, “6'7'.” With the energy back in full force Lil Wayne has the crowd rocking and even teases a stage dive. Then as soon as he says, “Tell em kiss my a**, call it kiss and tell” Cory Gunz rushes the stage out of nowhere and spazzes out on the mic. Gunz adapts his flow to match the rock vibe and just like he did on the single, he steals the show on this live performance. Cory Gunz has all of the makings to be the next star and it was if Lil Wayne was passing the baton to the youngster as his verse closed the show. With the crowd satisfied Wayne addressed his audience for the last time before leaving the stage and said, “Number one, I believe in God. Number two, I ain't sh*t without you. And number three, I ain't sh*t without you.” I would've loved to have seen more true acoustic performances but this was still a very solid show. Even in the rock n roll setting, Lil Wayne looked very natural, energetic and had the crowd in the palms of hands - proving why he is one of the premier artists of our day.

Don't miss this show when it airs on June 12.

Lil Wayne Lands 5 BET Award Nominations.

Rapper Lil Wayne leads all Hip-Hop artists in nominations for this year's BET Awards, which are slated to take place June 26th at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Lil Wayne is up for five awards, including Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, Best Collaboration, Video of the Year and the Coca-Cola Viewer's Choice Award.

R&B singer Chris Brown leads all the nominees of any genre, landing six nominations, while Kanye, Rihanna and Drake landed four nods from the network.

This year's BET Awards will be hosted by comedian Kevin Hart.

“When we asked folks who should host this year’s BET Awards online, in the streets, among other celebs and throughout social media, one name came back to us loud and clear: Kevin Hart,” said Stephen Hill, BET’s president of music programming and specials. “He is blue flame right now and we are looking forward to working with him on the show,” stated Hill.

A number of musicians, actors and actresses and sports stars will appear at this year's BET Awards, which will recognize their accomplishments in over 20 categories.

The BET Awards will air live on BET on June 26th, at 8:00PM EST.

Cali Swag District's M-Bone Shot Dead, Sources

One of the members of hit rap group Cali Swag District died last night, according to group member, C-Smoove.

While details have not been revealed yet, C-Smoove took to his Twitter account where he posted a message eulogizing Cali Swag District's M-Bone.

"Ma life changed drastically in the. Blink of an eye rip bone," C-Smoove tweeted earlier this morning (May 16th).

Sources with AllHipHop.com said that M-Bone was actually shot Sunday night, reportedly as an innocent victim in a random drive-by shooting.

That account has not been publicly confirmed by the group or authorities.

M-bone, born Montae Walker, was part of Cali Swag District, which hit big with the single "Teach Me How to Dougie."

Cali Swag District features group members Yung, JayAre and C-Smoove.

They are planning to release their debut album The Kick Back, which has been delayed several times, despite the phenomenal success of "Teach Me How to Dougie."

The group recently parted ways with their label, Capitol.

Kanye's New Scarves Hit Stores Today

Kanye West's new line of upscale scarves landed in stores (May 9th), in partnership with Paris-based design house, M/M (Paris).

The rapper/producer created five different limited editions of the scarves, which are all based on the cover of his hit album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which was designed by artist George Condo.

Kanye only designed 100 of each of the five scarves, which are named: the "Power," the "Phoenix," the "Face," the "Ballerina" and the "Priest."

The images are printed on silk ties, set in gold lettering.

"During the creative process, M/M (Paris) created a series of hand drawn ornamented frames to adorn the Condo paintings," M/M said in a statement. "The design team decided to use the most striking combinations of the paintings and the frames, and transform them into silk scarves."

Kanye West's scarves will only be sold at French boutique Colette and through M/M (Paris) 's official website, at a cost of $364 dollars.

Rick Ross & Maybach Music Listening Session

Last night in NYC Maybach Music Group held a listening session at HK for their upcoming album Self Made Vol 1. which hits stores on May 24^th. On the album, Rick Ross, Wale, Meek Mill and Pill are joined by MMG R&B signee Teedra Moses, J.Cole, Jadakiss, CyHi the Prynce, French Montana and many more.

“Self Made Vol 1.” Official track listing below.

1. Selfmade – Wale, Meek Mill, Pill, Rick Ross, & Teedra Moses

2. Tupac Back – Meek Mill feat. Rick Ross

3. 600 Benz – Wale feat. Rick Ross & Jadakiss

4. Pacman – Pill feat. Rick Ross

5. By Any Means – Wale, Meek Mill, Pill, & Rick Ross

6. Fitted Cap – Wale, Meek Mill, & Rick Ross feat. J. Cole

7. Rise – Pill, Wale, & Teedra Moses feat. CyHi the Prynce & Curren$y

8. That Way – Wale feat. Jeremih & Rick Ross

9. Ima Boss – Meek Mill feat. Rick Ross

10. Don’t Let Me Go – Pill feat. Gunplay

11. Pandemonium – Meek Mill feat. Wale & Rick Ross

12. Play Your Part – Wale feat. Meek Mill & Rick Ross

13. Ridin’ On Dat Pole – Pill
1

14. Big Bank – Pill, Meek Mill, Torch, & Rick Ross feat. French Montana

15. Running Rebels – Wale feat. Meek Mill & Teedra Moses

Rappers React To Breaking News Of Osama Bin Laden's Death

A variety of rappers reacted to the breaking news that al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden has been killed.

United States President Barack Obama hosted a press conference from the White House tonight (May 1st), revealing that Osama Bin Laden had been killed today in a compound in Abbottābad, Pakistan during a firefight.

"Tonight I can report to the American people and the world the United States has conducted an operation that has killed Osama Bin Laden," President Barack Obama said. "Today, at my direction, the U.S. launched a targeted operation against that compound. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed."

The news quickly became a trending topic on Twitter, where a number of rappers commented on the bombshell news, which comes almost 10 years after the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.

"Osama dead!?!" Lupe Fiasco tweeted. "Afghan operation done now!?? Now kill wack schools and US imperialism."

"USA is at it again, number one in the rankings of killing championships. Stealing the gold in the murder Olympics and the crowd goes wild!" Public Enemy rapper Chuck D. tweeted.

Chamillionaire was in the recording studio when the news broke.

"I'm watching CNN just like y'all except I'm in the studio waiting. I just burned like 2 songs worth of time for the announcement."

Black Eyed Peas' frontman will.I.am was traveling abroad when he heard the breaking news of Osama Bin Laden's death.

"I'm in Korea right now watching CNN and I just heard Osama Bin Laden is dead," will.I.am tweeted.

Rap mogul Jermaine Dupri said may need a little more convincing regarding the death of Osama Bin Laden.

"They are saying Bin Laden is dead, I need to see the body," Jermaine Dupri tweeted.

While Bin Laden's death will be viewed as a victory in the war on terror, experts believe that al-Qaeda's ideology, and active cells, still pose a threat to security throughout the world.

"So I just landed and heard this Bin Laden news," Just Blaze tweeted. "That's cool and all but I feel like this is only gonna rile them al-Qaeda boys up crazy…Like 'Oh you just killed the boss? OK check this out. We's blown up evvvvverything! Hide ya kids hide ya wife!"

Slaughterhouse member/veteran Detroit MC Royce da 5'9 was cavalier about the news.

"Don't nobody care about no Bin Laden death," Royce tweeted.

Lil Wayne Headlines Summer Jam

A number of popular rap stars have been announced as the headlining acts for Hot 97's upcoming Summer Jam 2011 concert. Over 50,000 fans are expected to fill the New Meadowlands Stadium to see Lil Wayne, Drake, Birdman, Rick Ross, Fabolous, Dipset, Wiz Khalifa, Chris Brown, Wacka Flocka and Lloyd Banks perform during the annual concert. Once again, this year's event is sponsored by Boost Mobile. “Boost Mobile is thrilled to launch it is eighth consecutive year as the HOT 97 Summer Jam 2011 presenting sponsor,” said Steve Gaffney, VP Lifestyle Marketing for Boost Mobile. “Both Boost and HOT 97 embrace the power of music and have strong ties with the New York market. Every year we look forward to being a part of this iconic event and we anticipate another impressive lineup!” Tickets for the 2011 Summer Jam start at $45 for general admission and go as high as $200 for VIP access.

Mariah & Nick Proud Parents Of Newborn Twins

R&B singer Mariah Carey and rapper Nick Cannon are now the proud parents of twins, the married couple announced today (April 30th).

The couple's twins were born at 12:07PM EST, on April 30th, the third anniversary of Mariah and Nick's wedding.

Their daughter was born first, weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces, while the boy followed, weighing 5 pounds, 6 ounces.

"Congratulations to Mariah & Nick on the birth of #dembabies!!," a statement posted on Mariah's Twitter page said. "Born, April 30th at 12:07pm ET. Mommy, Daddy & #dembabies are all doing fine!"

"My wife just gave me the most incredible anniversary gift ever in life! I won't ever be able to top this!" tweeted Nick Cannonof his babies, who haven't been named as of press time.

A variety of rappers and artists congratulated the new parents, including Rev. Run, Alyssa Milano, Jermaine Dupri and Nicki Minaj.

"Congratulations Mariah & Nick!!!!!!!!!," Mariah Carey tweeted. "The twins have finally landed on earth!!! Yaaayyyyy!!!!!"

Attorney Generals In 17 States Call For Ban On Snoop's 'Blast' Drink

The Attorney Generals of 17 states in the U.S. are calling on Pabst Brewing Company to decrease the alcohol content of Blast by Colt 45, a new controversial drink endorsed by rapper Snoop Dogg.

Illinois' Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the drink promotes abuse and "binge drinking" amongst young people, due to the packaging, flavors and the inclusion of Snoop as a spokesman for the drink.

The AG's believe Pabst Brewing Company is purposely marketing the drink to underaged children, although reps for Pabst maintain that Blast by Colt 45 strictly for those over the legal drinking age of 21.

“Alcohol abuse among young people is a serious and alarming epidemic,” Illinois' Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement. “A product like this only serves to glamorize alcohol abuse and promote binge drinking, threatening the safety of those consuming it.”

According to Madigan, a single can of Blast is equivalent to almost five servings of alcohol.

Timbaland Lands 75-Track Deal With Sony's Extreme Music

Timbaland has teamed with Sony/ATV Music Publishing's Extreme Music to produce 75 new tracks for the Production Music Library.

Extreme Music is a Music Production house that provides background music for professional music users and music supervisors in need of material for their productions.

Under the new deal, Timbaland and Mike "Daddy" Evans will create the brand new tracks exclusively for Extreme Music, which places music in hit TV shows and movies like "30 Rock," "Glee," "Entourage," "Avatar," "Inception" and others.

Last week, Extreme Music announced a similar deal with rapper Xzibit, who will provide 40 new tracks in a compilation titled Urban Ammo 2.

Other acts on Extreme Music's roster include Hans Zimmer, Quincy Jones, Snoop Dogg, Junkie XL and Paul Oakenfold.

Weezy's Carter IV album tracklist leaked

Lil Wayne’s much anticipated album titled “ Carter IV is set to be released soon. The whole world awaits to listen to the much talked about album. Word has it that Weezy has put a lot of time and effort on the album and its set to bust and shatter records. However, the album though not yet released has found its way to the internet..the track list that is.

C heck out the Carter IV official track list below.

1. Tune This

2. Team Player (Feat. Birdman)

3. Fore Play

4. They Love Me (Feat. Drake & Nicki Minaj)

5. John (If I Die Today) (Feat. Rick Ross)

6. No Competition

7. Holy Grail (History) (Feat. Kanye West)

8. Carter Cash (Feat. Jay-Z)

9. 6 Foot 7 Foot (Feat. Corey Gunz)

10. Play My Game (Feat. Tech N9ne)

11. Anne (Feat. Swizz Beatz)

12. Street Life 13. Hard Talk (Feat. Bon Iver & Game)

14. Fall From Grace (Feat. Eminem)

15. Brain Dead (Feat. Gucci Mane)

16. No Trust

17. Maybe She Will (Feat. Drake & Rick Ross)

18. My Legacy

I can't wait to have a listen!

FBI Says Eazy-E, Tupac Victims of Jewish Defense League Extortion Attempts

New documents released by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) confirm longtime allegations that the Jewish Defense League (JDL) attempted to extort rappers Eazy-E and Tupac Shakur.

The FBI released the documents in response to various Freedom of Information requests for the documents, which until this point had been unreleased.

The new documents claim that members associated with the JDL, which has been labeled a right-wing hate organization, targeted Eazy-E, Tupac Shakur and others with an unsophisticated scheme to dupe the rappers out of cash.

According to the FBI documents, unnamed members of the group would call the rappers and make death threats.

"Subjects then intercede by contacting the victims and offering protection for a fee," the notes read. "The victim and their family are taken to a 'safe haven,' usually a private estate, and are protected by gun-toting body guards associated with the Jewish Defense League."

Former Ruthless Records executive Jerry Heller implied that Eazy-E had respect for JDL in his autobiography, "Ruthless."

According to Heller, Ruthless Records hired Israeli bodyguards to protect the business from Marion "Suge" Knight, who was also allegedly threatening Eazy-E with violence, after Dr. Dre left the record label around 1990.

In "Ruthless," Jerry Heller claimed that Eazy-E liked the JDL so much, that he planned on doing a movie on the organization.

During one office visit Suge Knight allegedly paid to Ruthless Records in the Fall of 1990, Knight warned Heller and Eazy-E to get new bodyguards.

Heller said he hired an Israeli named Mike Klein to head up Ruthless Records' security, since he had a "background in the Israeli security forces."

"The effect was immediate and extreme," according to Jerry Heller. "Somehow, the Suge Knight camp had Klein checked out and realized they were now dealing with a Mossad motherf**ker who didn't fool around. Suge vanished. His crew vanished. An uneasy calm descended."

According to the FBI, after Eazy-E died from complications related to being infected with the AIDS virus, the death threats continued until at least 1996, against Eazy-E's wife and family.

The JDL, which has been labeled a domestic terrorist organization, tried the same tactics with Tupac Shakur, but their efforts allegedly failed.