Author: hhns

Bruno Mars, A$AP Rocky, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis among the variety of artists to receive nominations for the 2013 BET Awards.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

Toronto crooner/rapper Drake may have found himself with only a handful of nominations during last year’s annual BET Awards, but with the announcement of this year’s nominees, Drake now leads the pack with a grand total of 12 nominations. The rapper is followed closely by both Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz who each received eight nominations.

According to HotNewHipHop.com, the Young Money artist received nominations for Best Collaboration, Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Video Of The Year, and also received nods in nine other categories.

Among those joining Drake in the celebrated Best Male Hip Hop Artist category are A$AP Rocky, Future, Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz.

A number of non-Hip Hop acts were also present on the nominees list. Among those artists were Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, and Elle Varner.

The 2013 BET Awards will air live on June 30. The full list of BET Awards nominees can be found below.

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Beyoncé
Tamar Braxton
Alicia Keys
Rihanna
Elle Varner

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Chris Brown
Bruno Mars
Miguel
Justin Timberlake
Usher

Best Group
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Mary Mary
Mindless Behavior
Slaughterhouse
The Throne (Kanye West & Jay-Z)

Best Collaboration
2 Chainz f/ Drake – “No Lie”
A$AP Rocky f/ Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar – “Problems”
French Montana f/ Rick Ross, Drake and Lil Wayne – “Pop That”
Kendrick Lamar f/ Drake – “Poetic Justice”
Justin Timberlake f/ Jay-Z – “Suit & Tie”
Kanye West f/ Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz – “Mercy”

Best Male Hip Hop Artist
2 Chainz
A$AP Rocky
Drake
Future
Kendrick Lamar

Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Azealia Banks
Eve
Nicki Minaj
Rasheeda
Rye Rye

Video of the Year
2 Chainz f/ Drake – “No Lie”
A$AP Rocky f/ Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar – “Problems”
Drake – “Started From The Bottom”
Drake f/ Lil Wayne – “HYFR”
Kendrick Lamar f/ Drake – “Poetic Justice”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis f/ Wanz – “Thrift Shop”
Miguel – “Adorn”
Rihanna – “Diamonds”
Justin Timberlake f/ Jay-Z – “Suit & Tie”
Kanye West f/ Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz – “Mercy”

Video Director of the Year
A$AP Rocky & Sam Lecca
Benny Boom
Director X
Dre Films
Hype Williams

Best New Artist
Azealia Banks
Joey Bada$$
Kendrick Lamar
Trinidad Jame$
The Weeknd

Best Gospel Artist
Deitrick Haddon
Lecrae
Tamela Mann
Mary Mary
Marvin Sapp

Best Actress
Angela Bassett
Halle Berry
Taraji P. Henson
Gabrielle Union
Kerry Washington

Best Actor
Don Cheadle
Common
Jamie Foxx
Samuel L. Jackson
Denzel Washington

YoungStars Award
Gabrielle Douglas
Jacob Latimore
Keke Palmer
Jaden Smith
Quvenzhané Wallis

Best Movie
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap
Sparkle
Think Like A Man

Subway Sportswoman of the Year
Gabrielle Douglas
Brittney Griner
Candace Parker
Serena Williams
Venus Williams

Subway Sportsman of the Year
Victor Cruz
Kevin Durant
Robert Griffin III
LeBron James
Ray Lewis

Coca-Cola Viewers Choice Award
A$AP Rocky f/ Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar – “Problems”
Drake – “Started From The Bottom”
Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
Miguel – “Adorn”
Rihanna – “Diamonds”
Justin Timberlake f/ Jay-Z – “Suit & Tie”

Centric Award
Tamar Braxton – “Love and War”
Fantasia – “Lose To Win”
Miguel – “Adorn”
Nas – “Daughters”
Charlie Wilson – “My Love Is All I Have”

Best International Act: Africa
2Face Idibia (Nigeria)
Toya Delazy (South Africa)
Donald (South Africa)
Ice Prince (Nigeria)
R2Bees (Ghana)
Radio and Weasel (Uganda)

Best International Act: UK
Marsha Ambrosius
Estelle
Labrinth
Rita Ora
Emeli Sandé
Wiley

 

[/expand]

Ol Dirty Bastard and Eazy-E’s spirits will return to the stage at Rock The Bells this year, AllHipHop has learned.

The pair of Hip-Hop legends will have holograms performing this year at the 10-year anniversary of the rap festival.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

Eazy-E will perform virtually with Bone Thugs-In-Harmony and ODB will rock with Wu Tang. Organizers said Eazy never blessed the Rock The Bells stage and ODB only did once.

Also, the “holograms” are approved by Eazy-E’s wife Tomica Wright and Ol Dirty’s mother, Cherry Jones.

Tupac’s Coachella appearance inspired the new virtual performances at Rock The Bells, organizers admitted.

For more on the tour and line-up, read below.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA
SAN MANUEL AMPHITHEATER
SEPTEMBER 7-8

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA
SHORELINE AMPHITHEATER
SEPTEMBER 14-15

WASHINGTON, DC
FESTIVAL GROUNDS @ RFK
SEPTEMBER 28-29

RUTHERFORD, NJ
MEADOWLANDS RACETRACK
OCTOBER 4-5

Below is the entire line-up of Rock The Bells, 2013:

Big Krit
Black Hippy
BODEGA BAMZ
Bone Thugs N Harmony
Brother Ali
Chase and Status
Common
Currensy
Danny Brown
DILATED PEOPLES
Dizzy Wright
Dom Kennedy
E-40 & Too Short
Earl Sweatshirt
Flatbush Zombies
Hit-Boy
Hopsin
Immortal Technique
Jhene Aiko
Juicy J
Jurassic 5
Kid Cudi
LeCrae
Mimosa
Prof
Rakim
Snow Tha Product
Supernatural
Talib Kweli
Tech N9ne
Tyler the Creator
Wu-Tang Clan

[/expand]

Chief Keef has been ordered to pay the mother of his daughter $2,600 a month in child support according to TMZ. The court ruled that Keef must also pay $500 for day care and $10,400 in back child support. There is another hearing set for next month to finalize the settlement.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

Keef fathered his child at the age of 15 with an unnamed teenage girl. There have been conflicting reports about the young women’s age. TMZ originally reported that the girl is still currently in middle school making her between the ages of 13-15, but journalist Mark Konkol, who covers Chief Keef for DNAInfo Chicago, laterreported that the mother is the same age as Keef.

Court documents apparently showed that the 17-year-old makes $13,000 a month, but Keef’s income could be getting a boost after some big business moves he has made recently. Last week he teamed up with Gucci Mane’s Bricksquad 1017, and yesterdayComplex posted pictures of the “I Don’t Like” rapper’s new “Beats By Keef” headphones that could be available soon.

Check out the photos of the “Beats By Keef” below.

The Houston rapper also says you wouldn’t know where you were if you listened to New York radio with your eyes closed.

Scarface has seen a dramatic change. Though he said that New Yorkers are still trendsetters, the Texas Rap icon said that New Yorkers are now “following the trend[s]” in Rap.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

This stands are a marked difference from when Scarface and his group The Geto Boys were attending New York music industry events in the early 1990s as they were trying to break into and garner respect in the then-genre-leading Big Apple Rap market. “From back then when I started, from going to the New Music Seminar and getting booed, to coming out here fuckin’ in front of everybody’s line when I walk up. ‘Face.’ I would have never thought that,” Scarface told The Combat Jack Show. “To be shut out by the backpackers. ‘We don’t want to hear that shit up here,’ to hearing 2 Chainz on the radio out here, I’m like, ‘Whoa.'”

In the last decade-plus, the New York Rap market has become much more accepting of Rap from other regions than it was in the 1980s and 1990s, in part because New York rappers started regularly collaborating with rappers and producers from other regions in the late 1990s. Noreaga used the then-emerging Virginia beat team The Neptunes to produce his 1998 hit “Superthug.” The Queens rapper also appeared on the song “Fire Water” from Mississippi Rap duo Crooked Lettaz Grey Skies album a year later. David Banner was one-half of Crooked Lettaz. Jay-Z also worked extensively with The Neptunes and fellow Virginia beatsmith Timbaland starting in the late 1990s, paving the way for NY rappers who are more regionally neutral, such as Nicki Minaj and A$AP Rocky

Scarface, who along with Ice Cube and fellow Geto Boys member Bushwick Bill became one of the first non-New York artists to work with a New York act when he appeared on Kool G. Rap & D.J. Polo’s “Two To The Head” in 1992, also discussed how shocked he was that rappers from other regions now dominate New York radio. “If you get in the car, close the door, turn the radio on and close your eyes,” he said to Combat Jack and DP, “you’d think you’re somewhere else.”

 

[/expand]

While in New York City recently Waka Flocka Flame spoke about his lack of interest in Hip-Hop, his philanthropic work, and his move into television and film.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

“I’m not a Hip-Hop fan,” says Waka. “I can’t even tell you where Hip-Hop started. God’s honest truth.” The 26-year-old went on to share that he is more interested in exploring other genres like EDM.

Outside of music, Waka revealed he is working on a show for Cartoon Network and a few movie deals. He is also focused on a several community-based projects.

One of his charitable ventures has hit a snag. The Atlanta-based rapper said he is having trouble getting approval to build a YMCA in his neighborhood.

Watch the interview below.

Wiz Khalifa addresses fads in Hip Hop, comments on the sense of “togetherness” marijuana brings about.

Throughout the years, Hip Hop has touched on a number of controversial topics including gun violence, drug use, and even religion. Despite the array of subjects the genre touches on, one rapper in particular feels that a line should be drawn between rap and religion.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

While speaking with AlLindstrom.com, Pittsburgh rapperWiz Khalifa shared his thoughts on religion in rap and spoke on the topic being just another fad in Hip Hop.

“This is just me personally, I don’t like how much people play with religion in rap,” Wiz revealed. “You know what I’m saying? I feel like that’s a fad that a lot of people came into and they don’t really understand really what they’re saying or doing. So, they’re playing into that because it’s popular, it’s cool, but it’s not really what the shit’s about. So, when you talk about religious stuff and you talk about rap culture. Religion is religion and rap culture is rap culture.”

Later in the interview, the Taylor Gang spitter spoke on the popularity of Molly and party culture in today’s Hip Hop before sharing the reason why he’s drawn to marijuana.

“As far as like drugs, Molly, and partying, of course the next drug is gonna be the next cool thing. Whatever’s popping that’s what people talk about, but I feel like there’s people who really do it and are experienced in it and they’re not even rappers…With pot for me, the appeal to it is the togetherness of it. Cause when you first get weed—the first thing you do is share it. You hit it, you pass it. That’s what weed is based on. It’s based on sharing.”

During the interview, Wiz also shared a few details on his upcoming wedding with longtime girlfriend Amber Rose.

[/expand]

Jerry Heller claims that Eazy-E wanted to kill Suge Knight. “I should have let him kill him,” Heller says. “I would have done the world a favor.”

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

According to Ruthless Records co-founder Jerry Heller,Eazy-E wanted to kill Suge Knight. Heller recently revealed this in a radio interview, claiming that Eazy wanted to kill Knight and that he feels he “should have let him” do it.

In an interview with Prezident Bejda of The Murder Master Music Show, Heller explained how this conversation took place.

“Eazy said, ‘You know this guy Suge Knight?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He says, ‘Well, I’m gonna kill him!’ He said, ‘This guy is gonna be a problem and I think I should kill him.’ I said, ‘Let me think this thing through. First of all, we’re doing $10 million a month with six employees. We don’t even have a typewriter in the office. We’re the most successful start-up record company in the history of the music business and you want to kill this guy? That just doesn’t make any sense to me.'”

Heller then explained that he regrets talking Eazy out of it.

“You know something? I should have let him kill him. You know? I would have done the world a favor. He would have done it for sure by himself. He always rolled by himself and he was fearless…I think that he was going to go do it. I took him seriously.”

“He was right and I was wrong,” he later added. “I shouldn’t have talked him out of it. Ruthless would probably still be around. Dr. Dre and Ice Cube would probably still be with Ruthless. It would have been an empire.”

The full interview can be heard below.

Heller co-founded Ruthless Records with Eazy-E and managed N.W.A. but was later dissed by former members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. Eazy’s daughter, E.B. Wright, is now working on a documentary about her father’s life. Her doc will feature interviews with Eazy’s friends and colleagues. Another documentary, Ruthless Memories, is also being worked on. That film will feature an interview with Jerry Heller.

[/expand]

Dame Dash is close to being evicted from his Carmel, New York home and is in mountains of debt.

The once very rich Dame Dash is now fighting to keep a roof over his head, losing more than just power in the rap industry.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

According to NY Daily News, Dash claims that his mounting debt has once again reached the footsteps of his home and faces imminent eviction from a rented mansion in suburban Carmel, New York.

In a 5-page report Dash filed on Tuesday the former Roc-A-Fella Records head claims, “I am currently several months behind in paying my personal bills,” he wrote. “For instance, I am currently over $100,000 behind in rent for the only home in which I live and at risk of being evicted.”

Dame Dash lost a pair of multimillion-dollar Tribeca lofts to foreclosure in 2010, which included $7.3 million left on massive mortgages.

A 2004 split with his former wife Rachel Roy smacked Dash with a $20 million windfall and eventually left the 42-year-old facing hard financial times.

Court records also show that Dash lost numerous lawsuits filed by landlords, fashion designer Charlotte Ronson and a celebrity bodyguard firm.

According to Dash’s court filing, he faces possible criminal prosecution for not paying his New Jersey taxes. Documents show Dash also owes more than $2 million in state taxes to New York, and he admits to owing federal income taxes as well.

 

[/expand]

Kanye West launches into an expletive-filled tirade after being followed by paparazzi in Beverly Hills.

Over the past few weeks, rapper Kanye West and girlfriend Kim Kardashian have found themselves constantly followed by paparazzi, and earlier today Kanye appeared to reach a boiling point as he verbally assaulted members of the paparazzi outside of a Beverly Hills restaurant.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

While walking head down alongside his girlfriend, the G.O.O.D. Music rapper appeared to have walked directly into a street sign. Although actual footage of Kanye’s minor accident was not caught on videotape, a small thud can be heard.

A separate video shows Kanye verbally assaulting one paparazzo as he yells, “Don’t take a fucking ‘nother photo man! Don’t take another fucking photo man! Don’t take no photos! Stop it! All of you mothafuckers stop it, man.”

This week’s incident serves as the latest addition to a handful of altercations the Chi-Town emcee has had with the paparazzi. Back in 2008, Kanye and his manager were hit with misdemeanor charges following an incident that resulted in a cameraman’s equipment being smashed at L.A.X. airport.

Kanye joins a growing list of artists who have had their differences with the paparazzi in the past. Among them are Jay-Z and Chris Brown, the latter of which crashed his car at the top of the year while trying to evade the media.

Video of Kanye’s run-in with the paparazzi can be found below (via NahRight).

The much talked about feud between Lil Wayne and Trick Daddy is over according to Birdman. The Cash Money boss appeared on MTV’s RapFix Live this week and said that he spoke with Trick recently and settled the problems between the two rappers.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

“I saw Trick Monday in [King of Diamonds] and we had a talk and it was all love,” said Birdman. “That’s dead meat.”

Reports of a brewing beef between Wayne and Trick began circulating in February after Wayne went on a rant dissing Miami Heat players at a show during NBA All-Star weekend.

Trick Daddy, a Miami native, addressed Wayne’s comments in an interview saying, “I don’t care who be offended by what I say. I rep my city and want nobody disrespecting… When they lease is up they can leave.”

Then last month a reported altercation involving some of Trick’s associates and Wayne took place at King of Diamonds. The incident allegedly led to Wayne leaving the strip club early.

Just this week Trick spoke with TMZ and told the website he was open to speaking with Wayne, but he did throw in a last warning shot directed at the Young Money leader.

“If I [wanted to start sh*t with Lil Wayne] he would have been in the hospital for a different reason than a seizure,” Trick is quoted as saying.

Apparently, the sit-down did take place with Birdman and now everything is resolved.

In the interview, Baby also went on to talk about the recent controversy over Rick Ross’ lyrics in Rocko’s “U.O.E.N.O.” that led to the Miami rapper losing his deal with Reebok.

“I don’t think he meant no harm to nobody. He just was rapping,” said Baby. “I don’t think he did nothing wrong.”

[/expand]

Nicki Minaj was surprised by the friction she had with one of her own idols on the hit television program.

Nicki Minaj’s run on “American Idol” has been filled with tense moments. The Queens rapper said she’s extremely disappointed that much of the conflict was with one of her own idols, fellow judge Mariah Carey.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

 

“Imagine someone that you loved your whole life, imagine you meeting them and then all of the sudden feeling like you did something horrible to them, but you just don’t know what you did,” Minaj said during an interview with Ryan Seacrest. “That’s what my relationship with Mariah is and that’s what it’s been from the beginning. I just really thought that we were friends.”

Minaj and Mariah Carey collaborated on the remix to Mariah’s “Up Out My Face” single in 2010 before pairing on “Idol,” leading Minaj to believe that their relationship on the television show would be fun-filled.

“I came in to do ‘Idol’ really in my heart thinking that we were going to be the most fun judges of all time,” Minaj said during the interview. “I was like, ‘I love Mariah. We’re going to be so good together ’cause we’re both funny. We’re crazy. We have a past relationship.'”

But the rift with Mariah wasn’t her only surprise on “Idol.” Minaj told Seacrest that she did not expect to have such strong chemistry with Keith Urban, a country singer. Minaj also said that one of the main reasons she did “American Idol” was because of the support of and bond with her fans.

Minaj seemed interested in returning to “Idol,” which debuted in 2002. “That’s the million dollar question,” she told Seacrest. But none of the judges, including original talent evaluator Randy Jackson, are set to return to the hit program for another season, according to multiple reports.

 

[/expand]

50 Cent states that today’s Hip Hop music is now “Pop music,” commends Eminem for his songwriting skills.

As part of an interview series for SXSW, Queens rapper50 Cent kept it relatively candid as he spoke on the state of Hip Hop and music in general. The G-Unit rapper even revealed that as far as sales are concerned, he’ll never top the success of his debut album Get Rich Or Die Tryin’.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

Despite the severe decline in album sales across various genres, 50 Cent spoke on accepting this new musical climate and elaborated on the feeling he gets when making new music.

“Newsflash, I’ll never sell 13 million records again,” said 50 Cent. “I’ll never sell 10 million records again. I don’t think anybody’s gonna do it. It’s a different business. It’s a different thing and I’m cool with that. I’m making music because I love it and it’s why I’m here. There’s nothing that can actually compare when it’s right. What it feels like when it’s right. When the music is just dead right and it’s like ‘woo’ that energy that’s there…that’s some special kind of high that you get addicted to and you’ll chase it for the rest of your actual career.”

Fellow rapper Eminem was also brought up during the conversation as 50 Cent touched on the lack of rappers who are also able to song write and pointed out Em as an artist who has in fact succeeded in taking on songwriting.

“I think the best rappers are like battling each other. They come up with the wittiest lines—[the] coolest ways to insult a person you ever heard in your life,” 50 Cent explained. “But they can’t write a song to save they life…Em is one of the guys from that platform that made it to that point. [He’s] that strong of a writer. He means more to music culture than people give him credit for. Because Hip Hop culture is a black art form, it’s a black music. When they have a figure or you have someone that’s from a different ethnicity come in and he does it as well, if not better than everybody in it—it loses its color. And that’s why Hip Hop music is now Pop music…You gotta be careful or you’ll get your ass handed to you on a track man. He’ll get to you.”

The full interview with 50 Cent can be found below.

 

[/expand]

Fabolous says that Plaxico Burress wrongfully dry-snitched on him and Street Fam. He reminds fans that his music has never been about “tough guy” tactics.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

Def Jam Records star Fabolous appeared on Power 105’s Breakfast Club show this week. The Brooklyn, New York native addressed a number of issues, including a time when his hometown appearances required extensive security detail by NYPD. “They was just hatin’—they just said I brought out the whole New York City, and a lot of bad energy and stuff like that.” Fab added that it was never his intentions. “I can’t wager or figure who comes out when I have an event so they took it in their hands to monitor and stuff like that, I guess. I used to couldn’t get into my own birthday parties.”

Charlamagne and Angela Yee asked Fab about his 2006 shooting, which surrounded that era. “I think I got shot by mistaken identity or somethin’.” He further addressed his affiliates and record label, Street Family (a/k/a Street Fam), which has included artists such as Red Cafe, Paul Cain, Broadway and Freck Billionaire. Referring to the reputation of his affiliates, Fab deduced, “All that other stuff, I just heard—you just heard a lot of things. Of course I’m gonna be very generic with stuff that crimes are being said…I even had a lil’ issue with Plaxico [Burress],” said Fab of the former New York Giants Wide Receiver who famously shot himself with a gun hidden in his pocket. “‘Cause one time he had went to a newspaper, sayin’ the reason that he carried a gun and shot his-self was ”cause Fab and the Street Fam was robbin’ athletes and stuff. I was just like, ‘Whoa.’ It was a throw-under-the-bus situation.” Fab was upset with the former now, who is currently with the Pittsburgh Steelers. “I don’t know why [Plaxico Burress] chose to throw our names or make me any kind affiliation with that.” He touted, “It was a dry-snitch-type situation.”

As to why Street Fam as an organization has such a speckled reputation, Fab explained. “We was kinda just gettin’ a bad rap, I think. Once things started happening—or you know how the streets talk; they just say lil’ things.” However, the artist touring with Pusha T also stated that his music is far from violent. “At the same time, I was never—that’s not what I do. I don’t even advertise that in my music. I don’t try to be a tough guy in my music or anything. My peoples in the streets are my peoples in the streets, and that’s what that do. And that’s what they don’t do. Whatever.”

Watch the full interview below:

[/expand]

Was Jay Laying the Woody to an Underage Fox Boogie?

Remember Foxy Brown? Well she’s made some shocking allegations about Jay Z that will blow your mind! Now, many music insiders are calling the 90′s female rapper crazy…but we’re leaving it to you to decide.

Buss this…

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

Foxy Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, has revealed that her ticket to rap success came at a price — and that it all happened while she was underage. She says the man who put her on to the rap game, Jay Z (then 27-years-old), took her virginity when she was just 15-years-old — adding Hova (who she says has a ‘horse dick’) funded her shopping trips and pampering at hair and nail salons while she was still in high school…all to get into her panties!

But that’s not all!!! Foxy claims Jay Z is an undercover tranny chaser. She says she learned that after a tranny began calling and harassing her, not long after Jay Z gave her gonorrhea. WTF?!?! Foxy says one of her sex sessions with Jay Z was all caught on tape. That’s when Foxy says she and Jay weren’t alone. Their company was the real “Wanda” from In Living Color…Mr. Jamie Foxx. According to Foxy, Jay Z signed her to “multiple gag orders for where she, Jamie and Jay engaged in a threesome” and that not long after the incident the tape was ironically robbed from her home. Foxy insists Jay Z had everything to do with that robbery.

Wait…there’s more!!!

Besides alleging that Jay Z chases tranny’s, Foxy says there was one constant man in Hova’s life. According to Foxy, Jay Z and Larry Johnson were ‘fuck buddies.’ This doesn’t seem so far fetched given the fact that Jay once shared an apartment with the NBA baller who once repped Rocawear.

During her no holds barred account of her experience with Jay Z, Foxy was reported to clearly display a strong disliking for Jay’s wife, Beyonce.

Here’s what Foxy had to say about Mrs. Hova:

“Now he is with Beyonce…Fuck that halitosis-infected heffa.”

If true, this is beyond sad. Know why? Because we’re talking about a victim here…not just a victim of an STD, but a then teen who fell victim to statutory rape. If you recall Jay Z blacklisted R Kelly after the singer was accused of child molestation. If Foxy’s allegations are true, how is Hova any different?

What are your thoughts about this?

[/expand]

LOS       ANGELES – Hip-hop may need a checkup.

The culture that in the 1990s lost its brightest stars to gun violence has in  recent years seen a series of notable rappers die of drug- and health-related  causes. Since 2011, hip-pop pioneer Heavy D, singer and rap chorus specialist Nate Dogg and New York rapper Tim  Dog all died of ailments in their 40s. Kris  Kross rapper Chris Kelly was found dead  last week in Atlanta of a suspected drug overdose at 34.

[expand title=”More MBiz” tag=”h2″]

Some of the genre’s elder statesmen say they’re worried about the culture’s  focus on youth, current emphasis on freewheeling partying and “you only live  once” ethos, as popularized by Drake’s 2011 hit “The Motto.”

“Hip-hop being a lifestyle culture … a part of American culture, you have to  be mindful that somebody is going to grow old, age,” said rap pioneer Melle Mel. “At some point somebody has to realize that hip-hop has to learn how to grow up.  It’s way too juvenile, and it’s been that way for too long.”

The 51-year-old rapper, who memorably warned in 1982’s “The Message” about  urban youth who “lived so fast and died so young,” said he suffers chronic  bronchitis from being around marijuana and cigarette smoke when he was  performing. Of course, heavy drug use in hip-hop or rock is hardly new: Cowboy  of his Furious Five group died in 1989 “basically from getting high,” Melle Mel  said.

“It’s not really worth it to literally party yourself to death. It’s like  committing suicide,” he added. “You have to choose between what makes you feel  good and what makes you think you feel good.”

Other influential rappers who’ve died in their 30s in the last decade include  Southern rap pioneer Pimp C and Wu-Tang Clan’s Ol Dirty Bastard, both from drug  overdose.

As some of the genre’s more well-known figures hit their late 30s and 40s,  they’ve figured out ways to keep up appearances in public while also keeping  their health. 50 Cent said he rarely drinks alcohol anymore. That “bottle full  of bub” he’s holding in nightclubs nowadays isn’t what you think.

“I want to live a good long healthy life. So I’m health-conscious,” the  37-year-old rapper-actor said. “You never see me drink. If you did see me with a  bottle, it had ginger ale in it.”

Though he’s still a heavy marijuana smoker, Snoop Dogg said he stopped drinking alcohol at  clubs six years ago after suspecting that a woman put the sedative Rohypnol — widely known as a “date-rape drug” — in one of his drinks.

“I used to drink alcohol as a fashion statement. If you in the club, they  bringing you bottles, bringing you drinks. And you’re just drinking because  you’re drinking. I don’t do that anymore. I drink water or cranberry juice,” he  said. “I’m not cheap. I just don’t want to do this to my body anymore. I want to  survive.”

Snoop, 41, said his focus on health comes  from his desire to remain competitive and relevant to a genre that’s largely  focused on youth.

“Because when we perform, we don’t have as much energy,” he said. “So now  we’ve got to get up and work out, do push-ups or jumping jacks, or whatever  we’ve got to do to keep ourselves looking good and feeling good. Because one  thing about an old man — he don’t ever want to feel like he old. So to me that’s  my personal push is to be able to compete with the youngsters and to be able to  dance with them so to speak. … Because when they welcome you into their world as  far as being on a song, you’re not old. You’re accepted.”

For producer and rapper RZA, hip-hop’s emphasis on youth stems from an urban  culture that since the ‘80s has had trouble planning for the future.

“They said we should be dead or in jail by the age of 25. And I think we live  like that,” the 43-year-old Wu-Tang Clan founder said. “But what happens when  you make it past 25? What happens when you make it to 30? What happens when you  make it to 40? Are you prepared for life now?”

[/expand]