Trent Fitzgerald
Nicki Minaj to Embark on Pink Friday Tour This Summer
Attention all Barbz! Nick Minaj has announced dates for her Pink Friday Tour, which starts this summer. This will be her first headlining trek since opening for Lil
Wayne and Britney Spears on their respective tours last year.
Lil Wayne Settles $20 Million ‘Lollipop’ Lawsuit
It’s no secret that rapper Lil Wayne and his music empire, Cash Money/Young Money Records, are knee-deep in lawsuits from producers who claim the label swindled them out of money. However, it look as if Weezy is trying to make amends and resolve some of these court cases.
Tupac Shakur Hologram Bolsters Album Sales
Not only was the Tupac Shakur Hologram a hit at the Coachella Music Festival, it also boosted sales of the late rapper’s posthumous albums. Buoyed by his virtual performance, Tupac’s 1998 album Greatest Hits returned to the Billboard 200 album chart for the first time since 2000.
Kanye West Caught With His Pants Down While On Date With Kim Kardashian
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian‘s relationship continues to be fodder for the tabloids. Last Friday (April 27), while on a date with Kimmy, Yeezy was caught literally with his pants down in front of the tailgating paparazzi.
President Obama Shout-Outs Young Jeezy at White House Correspondents’ Dinner
President Obama poked fun at himself and his constituents at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night (April 28). Besides making light of the Secret Service scandal and the graying of his hair (you are getting old, POTUS!), he gave a shout-out to Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy.
Drake’s Father Explains Why His Son Is So Musically Gifted
Drake‘s knack for making hot beats and rhymes is the result of being a chip off the old block. You see, Drizzy’s dad is Dennis Graham, a former drummer for rock ‘n’ roll piano king Jerry Lee Lewis. So the musical apple didn’t fall so far from the tree.
Wiz Khalifa Flattered by Kanye West Shout-Out on ‘Way Too Cold’
Some people may have been shocked to hear Kanye West shout out Wiz Khalifa on his song ‘Way Too Cold’ (aka ‘Theraflu’). Even Wiz himself was surprised to hear his name on the song. “I took it as he knows I’m a good guy,” he says.
Jay-Z Launches Facebook Game App
We know that Jay-Z doesn’t play games when it comes to his business. That’s why he’s among the wealthiest rap moguls in hip-hop. But if you ever wondered how Jay flips his business deals — there’s an app for that.
Michael Jackson Surgical Mask Auctioning for Over $20,000
If you’re interesting in obtaining some Michael Jackson memorabilia then check this out. A black surgical mask that was allegedly worn by the late pop singer is up for auction, reports TMZ. So far, the bidding has exceeded $20,000 for this one-of-a-kind item.
Wiz Khalifa Credits Diddy for Inspiring Him to Rap
Judging by Wiz Khalifa‘s stoned-out rhymes, you would think that Snoop Dogg was a major influence to him. You would be wrong. In fact, it wasn’t the Doggfather who inspired him to rhyme, it was Diddy. Huh?
Usher, ‘Scream’ – Song Review
After scoring his 12th No. 1 with the ballad ‘Climax,’ Usher takes it to the dance floor with his new single, ‘Scream.’ A worthy successor to his club banger ‘OMG,’ the R&B crooner boasts about his bedroom prowess on the dance-pop track, which was produced by Max Martin and Shellback.
Kanye West Filming Top Secret Project in the Middle East
Despite reports which surfaced that Kanye West was a little slow in getting a secretive movie project off the ground, it looks like everything is on schedule. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Yeezy was in the Middle East last week shooting a music video with fellow G.O.O.D. Music artist Kid Cudi.
Drake Says ‘Take Care’ Follow-Up Will Be More Upbeat
For most people, Drake‘s ‘Take Care’ album was a somber listen about the downsides of fame. In particular, songs like ‘Marvin’s Room’ and the title track were heartbreaking odes about love. In an interview with Billboard, Drizzy says he plans to make the music for his follow-up more upbeat and less moody.
Wiz Khalifa + Taylor Gang Get Patriotic on Source Magazine Cover
There’s no question that Wiz Khalifa is living out the American dream. In just over a year, the Pittsburgh, Pa. rapper has released a gold-selling album (‘Rolling Papers’), secured a chart-topping hit single (‘Black and Yellow’), bought a crib and got engaged to bodacious model Amber Rose. If he’s not living the dream, then tell us who is?
Tupac Hologram Not Going on Tour With Dr. Dre
The Tupac Shakur hologram (aka “Holopac”) made a return engagement at the Coachella Festival Sunday night (April 23), according to MTV News. Reactions have mixed about the virtual Tupac — some were amazed while others were spooked. Tupac hologram’s debut performance last weekend also sparked rumors of a major tour, including holograms of other late artists.
50 Cent Sued Over Soul Sample
50 Cent has been hit with a lawsuit over a sample he used for a 2009 song. According to TMZ, Robert Poindexter, a member of the soul group The Persuaders, accuses Fiddy of copying a snippet from the band’s song ‘Love Gonna Pack up and Walk Out‘ on a song called ‘Redrum.’
Rick Ross Gets Stopped by Police … On a Boat
Rick Ross avoided doing some major jail time thanks to one of his buddies. The Miami rapper was stopped by police last week while cruising on his boat. Yep, you read that correctly, Rozay has a yacht now.
Chris Brown Delays ‘Fortune’ Album Release
Bad news for Team Breezy. Chris Brown has pushed back the release date of his fifth album ‘Fortune’ until the summer. The R&B crooner went on his Twitter page today (April 22) to announce that he will delay its release by two months.
Drake Stumbles Onstage + Recovers With a Backwards Somersault
Performing for thousands of fans can be hazardous, just ask Drake. While performing in Birmingham, England on his Club Paradise Tour, the Canadian rapper tripped onstage during his set. Luckily, the embarrassing moment was captured on video thanks to U.K.’s The Hip-Hop Show who posted the clip on its YouTube channel.
Drake Reveals He’s an Emotional Drunk Texter
Fans familiar with his Internet-fueled hit ‘Marvin’s Room‘ know that Drake doesn’t have a problem drunk-calling his ex-girlfriends and giving them a piece of his mind. However, the 25-year-old rap superstar admits that he’s more of a drunk texter than a drunk dialer.
How the Tupac Shakur Hologram Worked at Coachella
As we previously reported, the virtual Tupac Shakur that performed at the Coachella Music Festival on Sunday (April 15) was a 2-D image and not a hologram, which is in 3-D. Not that it made Tupac’s resurrection any less spectacular. In fact, it was clearly one of the most amazing performances at the three-day festival...
Flo Rida Ordered to Pay $80,000 for No-Show in Australia
We have a good feeling that Flo Rida is not going to like this.
On Friday (April 13), an Australian judge ordered the Miami rapper to pay $80,000 in performance and damage fees for not showing up at the country’s Fat as Butter music festival in October. According to the New York Post, if Flo Rida doesn’t cough up the money his assets in Australia will be frozen.
Wyclef Jean Releases Tribute Song to Trayvon Martin Called ‘Justice (If You’re 17)’
The Trayvon Martin case has gavilinzed the hip-hop community and has spawned several tribute songs in memory of the late teen. Following in the footsteps of Plies, rapper Wyclef Jean released his tribute song ‘Justice (If You’re 17),’ in honor of Martin who was shot and killed by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman on Feb. 26.
Eminem, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg + Others Featured in ‘Something to Nothing: The Art of Rap’ Trailer
Hip-hop started out in the park with just two turntables and a microphone. Now it’s a global art form. A film on the lyricism of hip-hop has been long overdue, which is why it’s great to see that Ice T‘s self-produced documentary ‘Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap‘ will hit theaters this summer.
Nicki Minaj Films Adidas Commercial With Jeremy Scott
After going Pop with Pespi, it looks like Nicki Minaj is kicking it with Adidas. The ‘Starships’ rapper has inked another endorsement deal with the sneaker giant and shot a commercial for it in Brooklyn, N.Y. Nicki went on her Twitter to show off a picture of her in a colorful outfit that she was wearing for the Adidas spot.
Beyonce Writes Letter to Michelle Obama + President Still Thinks Kanye Is a ‘Jacka—’
Undoubtedly, Beyonce loves being a mom to Blue Ivy. So it’s only right that she salutes fellow mom Michelle Obama for her exceptional job at juggling motherhood and managing duties at the White House.
Lil Wayne Working on ‘Devol’ Album Full of Love Songs
We haven’t heard from Lil Wayne in a while but that doesn’t mean that he’s resting on his rap laurels. In fact, the Young Money leader is in the mood for love. During an interview on ‘MTV’s Hip-Hop POV,’ he revealed that he wrote an album’s worth of love songs while he was in prison.
Lil Wayne’s Entourage Accused of Pummeling a Photographer
It looks as if Lil Wayne can’t skateboard in public without being bothered. According to a police report obtained by TMZ, the rapper got into a heated argument with a photographer last week in Miami and Weezy’s friends allegedly intervened with their fists.
Nicki Minaj Is Bootylicious and Fierce in ‘Beez In the Trap’ Video
Nicki Minaj premiered her uncensored video for ‘Beez In the Trap’ on Good Friday (April 6), and holy smokes — it’s a hot one! The rap vixen shows off her, um, assets in the titillating clip with Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz co-signing Minaj’s nursery-rhyme flow.
Kid Reviews Kanye West’s ‘Theraflu’ Song in Hilarious Video
Kanye West‘s new track ‘Theraflu’ has generated thousands of responses, including those from the Theraflu makers, PETA and us. But no one is more enthusiastic about the song than Maxim Bady from the U.K., who joyously reviews it in his YouTube video. “That song is awesome,” he says. “I love the song in 10,000 different ways.”