Author: hhns

Virtual Kanye West to battle Nicki Minaj and Lil B clones in “Kanye Quest 3030,” a new RPG with no actual affiliation to the rapper.

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According to Kotaku.com, a video game version of Windy City rapper Kanye West will serve as the protagonist in a newly-released, Japanese role-playing game (RPG) titled “Kanye Quest 3030.” Created by Phenix, “Kanye Quest 3030” is described as “a hip-hop-themed science-fiction 2D roleplaying game starring Kanye West” that’s set in the year 3030.

The game, which is not actually endorsed by West, also features artists such as Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Lil B, Tupac, and the Notorious B.I.G. But unlike West, the other rappers featured in the game are clones who are controlled by a “god-like dictator.”

“Kanye Quest 3030” is far from the first video game to incorporate a rapper or other musician. Beginning in 2003, Def Jam began to release a series of Hip Hop-heavy video games. The first, titled “Def Jam Vendetta” was a wrestling video game, which featured DMX, Joe Budden, Ludacris, and a handful of other artists.

Hip Hop has also been prominent in the soundtracks of various video games including “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” and “NBA 2K13.”

The trailer for “Kanye Quest 3030” can be found below.

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Back in April, Maybach Music Group boss Rick Ross lost his partnership with Reebok after women’s groups protested against a controversial lyric in Ross’ “U.O.N.E.O” verse. While the lost deal reportedly cost the Miami rapper $3-5 million dollars, he’s still attempting to pull something positive from the situation for his MMG crew.

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“I’m in a position where if I never sold another shoe, Rozay good. So it’s really about what the little homies who coming next gonna take away from it,” Ross told MTV.

The connection between corporations and rappers has been tightly scrutinized over the last several months as other high-profile performers with corporate ties like Lil Wayne and Tyler, The Creator have also been criticized for their content.

Several of the MMG roster members have dealt with major companies in recent years. Meek Mill and Rockie Fresh are partnered with Puma, Wale endorses Skullcandy, and Stalley has worked with the Disney owned ESPN Network.

“It most definitely was a learning situation and just for the little homeys, just something for them to take away,” said Ross. “That’s what’s important to me, what they take away from it.”

Ross also spoke briefly on his own relationship with the shoe company that he had to cut ties with.

“As far as myself and Reebok, we got a healthy situation,” added Ross.

The whole MMG team will come together again for the Self Made Vol. 3 album hitting stores on August 6th.

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Macklemore says he felt “invested” in confronting the issue of homophobia in Hip Hop. Dessa comments on Hip Hop having a “lousy track record” when it concerns gay people.

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The issue of homophobia in Hip Hop has become an increasing topic of conservation in the genre, with rap veterans like T.I. and newcomers including Kendrick Lamar expressing their thoughts on the controversial topic.

Seattle emcee Macklemore has become quite well-known for his support of equal rights marriage and recently discussed his passion for the issue as well as the use of homophobia in Hip Hop during an interview with AlLindstrom.com.

“I think that if other artists are compelled to and they feel inspired that they want to speak on an issue then go ahead and do that,” said the “Can’t Hold Us” rapper. “There’s so many issues as an artist that you could take on. There’s so many things that I believe in…I felt personally invested in this issue. I saw forever homophobia used within Hip Hop and used in a way that was getting props…And everyone was cool with that. And to me that was wack. It was something that I wanted to be accountable for myself, hold my community accountable for, and just be real about it. And I think a lot has changed in the last year.”

Another artist, Minneapolis-based singer/rapper Dessa, also recently offered up her thoughts on homophobia in Hip Hop and the treatment of women in rap music.

“I’m one of a whole host of artists, female, male, black, and white, who have some serious qualms with the way gay people and women are portrayed in Hip Hop music. If someone asks I’ll answer honestly. I think we got a lousy track record with the way that we talk about gay people in Hip Hop,” The Doomtree rapstress explained. “And I think we’re talking more and improving our game on women, but we’ve got a long way to go.”

Both interviews can be viewed below.

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Nicki Minaj is expanding her business empire with a new deal Myx Fusions, which has forged a new partnership with the singer/rapper.

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Nicki  will be the face of Myx Fusions’ new, ready to drink Moscato, which is expanding into the United States market. She will be featured in a campaign that includes print, radio, television, off-line events and social media messaging.

Myx Fusions is co-owned by “Love & Hip Hop” executive producer Mona Scott-Young, who is also the Chief Marketing Officer for Myx Fusions.

“Nicki is an innovative trendsetter and has the ability to energize the masses,” Mona Scott-Young told AllHipHop.com in a press release.

“She embodies everything that Myx Fusions represents – style, spontaneity and the desire to push the envelope and inspire change. Both brands are perfectly aligned,” Mona Scott-Young said.

The latest move for Nicki Minaj adds to her growing list of business accomplishments, which includes deals with Mac, adidas and Pepsi.

Nicki Minaj recently announced that she would not be returning as host for the new season of “American Idol,” as she focuses on her acting career.

Nicki is currently in New York City filming “The Other Woman” for 20th Century Fox, opposite Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann.

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Flo Rida reportedly tells his manager he needs to leave Miami Heat game for having a heated exchange with Indiana Pacers’ power forward Jeff Pendergraph.

Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers was a star-studded event in Miami last night (June 3) that was attended by Justin Bieber, David Beckham and Flo Rida. One high profile personality, however, didn’t make it through the game. Flo Rida’s manager Lee “Freezy” Prince was ejected during the game’s fourth quarter.

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The I.M.G./Strong Arm Management representative was asked by officials to leave the game after his quarrel with Indiana Pacers’ Jeff Pendergraph. The Pacers’ power forward had earlier gotten into an altercation with Miami Heat point guard Norris Cole. TNT reporter Craig Sager reported on Prince’s ejection. “[Prince] and Pendergraph had been going back and forth,” Sager said during the broadcast. “He got to be such a distraction that the officials came over and tried to eject him. He wanted to stay put. However, Flo Rida said, ‘You’re my manager, but you’ve got to get out of here now.'”

Other rap celebrities have had problems this year at American Airlines Arena, which is where the Miami Heat play. On February 10, Lil Wayne wrote on Twitter that he was ejected from the arena for rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers during a Lakers/Heat game. A Heat spokesman said that Wayne was not ejected and chose to leave the game, and an NBA spokesperson said that Wayne was not banned from attending NBA events, as the rapper had later claimed.

Flo Rida is best-known for such singles as “Good Feeling” and “Whistle,” as well as “Low.” In 2008, the T-Pain-assisted “Low” was downloaded more than 470,000 times in one week.

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In another effort to become as synonymous with money as the dollar sign, Jay-Z recently inked a deal with Samsung Mobile according to the New York Daily News.

While there is no official word on the details of this deal, it is not far fetched to believe Jay-Z could be soon placing himself in the music streaming business. In March of this year, Universal Music Group signed a two year deal with Samsung for their Kleek music streaming service. A month after this announcement, Jay-Z and Roc Nation signed a partnership with Universal Music Group.

CPO Boss Hogg clears up misconceptions about his originally-reported heart attack.

In April 2010,. CPO Boss Hogg, (aka Lil Nation), suffered what was originally reported as a heart attack. While the West Coast emcee’s daughter confirmed with HipHopDX that Boss Hogg had in fact suffered from an undisclosed respiratory issue, the man himself explained the full story.

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“It wasn’t a heart attack, it was partially congestive heart failure, but the doctors didn’t know what happened,” explained Boss Hogg to DubCNN. “There was a host of things going, my body was, what they called weeping; a whole lot of carbon dioxide had built up in my brain and they didn’t know what that was about, but mostly it was congestive heart failure. A lot of people tend to mix up CHF with a heart attack, but they’re not the same thing. It was going to kill me just the same though! I didn’t realize it, but the doctor told me I was literally on my deathbed.”

The rapper explained that the incident had more than just a physical effect on him. “That event gave me a lot of pause because I actually had dreams that I had died while I was at the hospital, and I didn’t really realize that I hadn’t died. One of the things that went through my head while I was dreaming these things is that I needed to do another album. A lot of people had been trying to get me to do one for years now.”

“So my main focus has been trying to get something out, and mid last year we decided to go ahead and get something cracking,” he continued. “When I was in the hospital they had a lot of tubes down my throat and nose, so when I came out of that my voice had changed and I wasn’t used to using it. It took me a minute to get my voice again on the mic, but we just finished up the album.”

Boss Hogg, who was discovered by N.W.A.’s MC Ren, and has collaborated with Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Xzibit, and Kurupt, revealed that he recorded his new project with the help of former Death Row engineers.

“My brother mixed some of it, my man Dave Aron who’s done a lot of stuff for Death Row; he mixed ‘Picture Me Rollin’ for me and ‘Pac. Barney Rubble, who’s also done a lot of stuff for Death Row, did some mixing on it as well. So, it’s pretty much an in-house project, but it came out pretty tight,” he explained.

Other contributions to the project include production from CMW’s Tha Chill and E-A Ski.

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When Irvington, New Jersey narcotics police officer Maurice Gattison, aka Gat The Great, created the videos for his songs “Temper Like An Alcoholic” and “2 Minutes of Gat” he felt he was just exercising his constitutional right to free speech, but Irvington city officials believe Gattison and three other officers crossed the line. Now all four face being fired for conduct unbecoming a police officer.

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Calls for Gattison, Internal Affairs detective Michael Gardner, and two other unnamed cops to be stripped of the badges began back in March after “Temper Like An Alcoholic” went viral. City council member David Lyons publicly demanded the officers be fired.

“If they lose their jobs, that’s life,” said Lyons. “I think police officers need to take responsibility for their actions and they should have thought about the consequences before they took those actions.”

The videos feature Gattison repeatedly using the word “faggot” and rapping lyrics such as “take this as a lesson before you meet the Smith & Wesson” and “I’m a felon for life. Don’t make me fruit cup your melon tonight.”

“This lyrics that I used in no way did I intend for them to be perceived as homophobic,” expressed Gattison at a press conference in March. “It was basically me adapting to the rap culture and slang use. If you listen to the lyrics there’s now way you can perceive that I’m referring to someone gay.”

Gattison claims that the “felon for life” line was just a sarcastic boast.

A disciplinary proceeding for Gattison and the other officers who appeared in the video is planned to take place by the end of the month.

Deputy Police Chief Dwayne Mitchell brought the internal affairs charges against Gattison, and reportedly the two are close friends. Mitchell saw both videos last year and allowed Gattison to perform at the police department’s Christmas party.

When asked about his relationship with Mitchell, Gattison reportedly laughed and said, “It’s the nature of the beast.”

The 18 year veteran of the force is adamant that his music career does not affect his ability to perform his duties as a police officer and strongly disagrees with anyone who does.

“Anyone who thinks I should be fired is an idiot,” said Gattison.

Watch clips from “Temper Like An Alcoholic” and ”2 Minutes of Gat” in the video below.

UPDATE: Kim was joined by her mother Kris Jenner and sisters Khloe and Kourtney during the doctor’s appointment when the sex of Kim’s baby was revealed.

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Kanye West will appear on the eighth season of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” Khloe Kardashian says during an interview with MTV. The new season launches Sunday (June 2) on E!, though West’s appearance on that episode has not been confirmed.

West will appear, though, in episodes with his pregnant girlfriend Kim Kardashian, Khloe’s sister. “I wouldn’t say [Kanye] is like a main person, fixture on the show, but he’s definitely on because he’s a part of Kim’s life,” Khloe says to MTV of Kanye’s role on the program this season. “But, he’s not on like we are.”

West and Kim are expecting their first child in July. In the first episode of the new season, Kim learns the gender of her baby. Kim is slated to hold her baby shower Sunday in the Los Angeles area, according to rapfix.mtv.com.

West appeared in 2012 on the seventh season of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians.” The rapper-producer caught flak for his appearance on the program. West is also working on his forthcoming album and performed his new track “New Slaves” on “Saturday Night Live” May 20.

(May 31)

UPDATE: It was revealed yesterday (June 2) on the season eight premier of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” that Kanye West and his girlfriend Kim Kardashian are having a girl. “I’m so excited we’re having a girl,” Kim said on the episode. “Who doesn’t want a girl? They’re the best and I know that’s really what Kanye has always wanted. He wanted a little girl.”

Kim was joined by her mother Kris Jenner and sisters Khloe and Kourtney during the doctor’s appointment when the doctor revealed the sex of Kim’s baby. They were all watching the ultrasound together. Kim is due in July.

Kim’s sister Khloe told MTV News that Kanye and Kim made a mutual decision to announce the sex of their child on “Keeping Up With The Kardashians.” “Kim and Kanye, they both mutually agree on obviously what they want to have on the show or not,” Khloe said. “And so I think everyone is curious and wants to know. And we have opened up so much of our lives, so I think it’s only natural. And I’m excited. I’m excited for everyone to find out so I can stop holding in information.”

Jermaine Dupri may have just celebrated the 20th Anniversary of So So Def but he’s at risk of losing some of over a debt.

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In 2010, Dupri took out an $4.8 million loan from SunTrust Bank. He’s since paid more than half of it back but according to a lawsuit brought on by SunTrust the checks stopped coming. Now Dupri is apparently on the hook for $2 million.

In order to pay off the balance Dupri may have to sell copyrights and royalties to the many songs his label owns from artists like Kriss Kross, Da Brat, Bow Wow and Xscape.

This isn’t the first time Dupri has been in the red.  Earlier this year he paid off a $3 million tax lien and had to save his Atlanta mansion from foreclosure twice.

Maybe he could ask his billionaire ex-girlfriend for a solid.

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UPDATE: The rapper’s lawyer says the Atlanta artist will be in rehab at least until his next hearing, which is set for June 16.

Lil Scrappy confirmed on Wednesday (May 29th) that he is headed to rehab.

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After failing a court-ordered drug test a number of weeks ago, the Atlanta rapper addressed his hopes for the experience, and looking at the situation in a positive light.

“It is my hope that my time away from my family and especially my little girl, my daughter, will make me a better man,” said Scrappy, according to WSBTV.com.

The rapper, who stars in “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” was arrested for felony gun and marijuana possession in 2008, and received a three-year probation. He failed the drug test in March, refusing to provide another sample.

Initial reports stated that the urine Scrappy provided was deemed “questionable” because it was “cold to the touch.” Scrappy later turned himself in to the police.

(May 29)

UPDATE: Lil Scrappy voluntarily entered an Atlanta-area rehab facility May 30 and the rapper’s lawyer says the artist will be there until at least June 16, the date of his next hearing, according to TMZ.com. Scrappy’s routine while in rehab includes a 6:30 am wake-up, group therapy, one-on-one therapy, no cell phone or laptop usage and a 10 pm curfew. He reportedly will not be allowed to have visitors for the first two weeks of his stay, either.

Scrappy’s attorney also said that the rapper will be assisted by a mentor while in rehab, according to RumorFix.com.

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Khloe Kardashian tells MTV that West will appear on the show’s eighth season, but that he won’t be “a main person” on the show.

Kanye West will appear on the eighth season of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” Khloe Kardashian says during an interview with MTV. The new season launches Sunday (June 2) on E!, though West’s appearance on that episode has not been confirmed.

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West will appear, though, in episodes with his pregnant girlfriend Kim Kardashian, Khloe’s sister. “I wouldn’t say [Kanye] is like a main person, fixture on the show, but he’s definitely on because he’s a part of Kim’s life,” Khloe says to MTV of Kanye’s role on the program this season. “But, he’s not on like we are.”

West and Kim are expecting their first child in July. In the first episode of the new season, Kim learns the gender of her baby. Kim is slated to hold her baby shower Sunday in the Los Angeles area,according to rapfix.mtv.com.

West appeared in 2012 on the seventh season of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians.” The rapper-producer caught flak for his appearance on the program. West is also working on his forthcoming album and performed his new track “New Slaves” on “Saturday Night Live” May 20.

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Teenage rapper Chief Keef was arrested earlier this week in Northfield, Illinois for driving 110 mph in a 55 mph zone. So far the incident has only been reported in words, but now TMZ has published video of the the Chicago native getting chased down by police.

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The 4-minute clip was recorded by the dashboard camera from the officer’s vehicle. It begins with Keef’s BMW flying past the parked police car and ends with him getting arrested.

Watch the footage of Chief Keef getting pulled over and arreseted below.

50 Cent recently admitted that his feud with fellow New York giant Fat Joe carried on for too long.

The G-Unit General made the revelation to MTV on the red carpet at the screening of Will Smith’s new movie, “After Earth.”

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“Fat Joe, that was interesting. The competitive nature of hip-hop forces us to compete. It was one of those things that it went on longer than it was supposed to with that one,” 50 told MTV.

Fat Joe and 50 Cent publicly ended their feud October of 2012 during the BET Hip-Hop Awards. Both men had close business and personal ties to deceased mogul Chris Lighty, who opposed the beef from the onset.

At the time, 50 tweeted: “BET awards were good last night. The tribute [to Chris Lighty] went good. It’s a must see. @50cent @fatjoe on the sam

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UPDATE: Donald Trump takes to Twitter to dis Mac Miller again, this time about the rapper’s potential album sales.

Donald Trump has threatened legal action against Mac Miller over his gold-certified song “Donald Trump.”

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The business tycoon took to Twitter earlier today to blast the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania rapper, defying earlier statements that he was “proud of him” and that he is the “new Eminem.”

“Little @macmiller, you illegally used my name for your song ‘Donald Trump’ which now has over 75 million hits,” he wrote. “Little @macmiller, I want the money not the plaque you gave me! Little @macmiller, I’m now going to teach you a big boy lesson about lawsuits and finance. You ungrateful dog! Little @macmiller—I have more hair than you do and there’s a slight age difference.”

Trump, known for his Twitter antics, previously praised Mac for the song back in August 2011. “A lot of people are calling me about the Mac Miller rap song. Now, it’s named ‘Donald Trump.’ Maybe you should pay me a lot of money, but it just did over 20 million people, tuning into Mac Miller,” he said. “So in one way, I’m proud of him. I haven’t actually seen the language, it’s a little hard to understand on the song itself. Probably, it’s not the cleanest language you’ve ever heard, but this kid is the new Eminem. Everybody says he’s fantastic. Let’s see what it is. But the ‘Donald Trump’ song just hit over 20 million, that’s not so bad. I’m very proud of him.”

Miller later responded, “I was just excited that I’ve reached a level where someone like that, I’m on their radar. I’m ‘bout to hit him to borrow the jet real quick.”

The rapper is yet to speak on the matter. He recently settled a $10 million lawsuit from Lord Finesse over copyright infringement.

Check the tweets below (via HHW).

Little @MacMiller, you illegally used my name for your song “Donald Trump” which now has over 75 million hits.

Little @MacMiller, I want the money not the plaque you gave me!

Little @MacMiller, I’m now going to teach you a big boy lesson about lawsuits and finance. You ungrateful dog!

Little @MacMiller—I have more hair than you do and there’s a slight age difference.

(January 31)

UPDATE: Donald Trump has thrown a new barb Mac Miller’s way. The Donald sent out a new Tweet today claiming that the rapper-producer’s forthcoming Watching Movies With The Sound Off album won’t be as successful as its predecessor, 2011’s Blue Slide Park.

 

Little Mac Miller’s next album may bomb.He can’t use my name again for sales.

Little Mac Miller’s next album may bomb. He can’t use my name again for sales.

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