Author: hhns

Jay-Z has launched Roc Nation Sports, a full-service sports management company and has signed Yankees star Robinson Cano as its first client.

Roc Nation Sports will be led by the rapper with Juan Perez serving as president. They have partnered with CAA Sports, a division of Creative Artists Agency to co-represent the All-Star second baseman.

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“Because of my love of sports, it was a natural progression to form a company where we can help top athletes in various sports the same way we have been helping artists in the music industry for years,” Jay-Z said.

Twitter/@RobinsonCano

Robinson Cano and Jay-Z at the contract signing today.

Cano is a member of the Yankees’ 2009 World Series championship team, a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and two-time Gold Glove Award winner.

“At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors both on and off the field,” said Cano. “I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports and CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short- and long-term goals. I am making this important decision now so I can keep my focus on helping the Yankees succeed in 2013, while minimizing any distractions for me and my teammates.”

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Yesterday (April 1) the world learned more about the budding relationship between iconic West Coast rapper Snoop Lion (formerly Snoop Dogg) and Martha Stewart, home decor queen.

While the two have been rumored to hang out, Martha Stewart told the Today Show that the two have recently gotten together to bake brownies.

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In a portion of the show called Take 3: Two Truths and A Lie, Martha surprised viewers about their developing relationship in the kitchen.

“Yeah, I hang out with Snoop, like… he has time for me. We like to bake brownies together,” Martha told the Today Show.

As you can imagine, Snoop adds his special touch to the recipe by including his favorite ingredient and past time.

“They are green, they’re green actually” Martha Stewart explained.

Check the dialogue and video below from the Today Show:

Natalie Morales: We know how you and the snoop are tight.
Willie Geist: Do you hang out a lot?
Martha Stewart: Oh yeah, I hang out with Snoop, [like] he has time for me. We, uh, like to bake brownies together.
Willie Geist: I bet you do.
Natalie Morales: What’s in those brownies?
Martha Stewart: They’re green, they’re green actually.
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Despite a report on Monday that rapper Flavor Flav‘s fiancée, Liz Trujillo, was hospitalized due to a drug overdose, a source close to Flav tells omg! that “nothing could be further from the truth.”

TMZ reported Monday afternoon that Trujillo, 39, who is the mother of one of Flav’s kids, suffered an accidental overdose due to painkillers while filming the VH1 show, “Couple’s Therapy.” Their report came via “a honcho on the show,” who told them that she was “acting strange” and “took too many pills.” A VH1 rep later told E! News that Trujillo was hospitalized due a “suspected overdose,” and was taken to the hospital as a precaution and was later doing fine.

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TMZ updated their story a few hours later with a statement from Flav’s rep that also denied there being any truth to their initial report.

omg!’s source claims that the real fault is with the show’s producers, whom the source claims exhausted both Flav and Trujillo by maintaining a rigorous shooting schedule, which kept the couple up all night. “She was rightfully exhausted. The producers preyed upon the opportunity to make drama and created April foolery of their own,” the source says.

The source adds, “Liz went to the hospital and was evaluated and released immediately with a clean bill of health. There were no drugs involved, period. Flav and Liz are being cooped up in a house in Chatsworth [California]. They’re literally under lock and key and the watchful eye of dozens of cameras and producers and their housemates. It’s a shame that a producer would gin up such an outrageously false claim at the expense of Liz, her family, and an already overburdened hospital staff. One should always be suspicious when the call to TMZ is placed simultaneously with the call to 911. In response to the claim that drugs were a factor — nothing could be further from the truth.”

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Chris Brown thinks it would look bad on Drake’s part to respond to his “R.I.P.” remix diss.

The Chris Brown and Drake beef has taken another strange turn, with Brown claiming that it would be ill-advised for Drizzy to respond to the singer’s recent diss track.

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Earlier this week, Brown rhymed on Young Jeezy’s “R.I.P.” remix, spitting bars that questioned Drake’s sexuality.

Despite the fact that he rapped on the track, Chris Brown says Drake shouldn’t respond…because Breezy is a singer.

“You can’t take me serious, I’m not a rapper.” said Brown on Shade 45’s “Sway in the Morning.”“…’Cause, I know aint nothing finna happen so I say whatever I want. Rebuttals is gonna be stupid, I’m not a rapper. So you’re gonna be stupid rapping back to a singer, but I’ma keep coming nigga, I don’t care.”

“It’s okay, I aim for the top,” added Brown of throwing shots at Drake.

Watch the interview below, as well as a freestyle:

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Naijiel Hale is a high school defensive back prospect and the son of late rapper Nate Dogg, aka Nathaniel Hale. It appears that Naijiel is going to continue the trend of legendary rappers’ sons playing college ball at top-tier schools, as he reportedly received his first Division-1 scholarship offer on Tuesday.

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According to Greg Biggins of FOX Sports (via @ScottEnyeart), Hale landed an offer from Boise State. If he accepts, that means he could have an opportunity to wear one of the sickest helmets in the country.

As you likely know, Nate Dogg died back in 2011 from complications due to multiple strokes. Now, we’re left wondering how long it will take for Jim Mora to get UCLA involved in recruiting Hale. Mora seems to love recruiting the sons of famous rappers and entertainers, as P. Diddy’s son Justin Combs has already committed to UCLAand Snoop Dog’s son Cordell Broadus has received interest from the Bruins and other teams.

Don’t ask me what the correlation is between rappers and talented football players, but three times in the past year or so can’t be a coincidence.

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Snoop Lion refers to his first battle with Kurupt as “some magical shit,” says it lasted 45 minutes.

During the newest episode of Snoop Lion’s web series, Double G News Network (GGN), the rapper revisited the past with help from fellow emcee Kurupt. Together the two former Death Row Records artists spoke on their first time meeting, battling other emcees, and the numerous rap names they went through before choosing a final name.

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According to Kurupt, battling with rappers years ago was so intense that Death Row Records founder Suge Knight was willing to hand out label deals to any artist able to beat Kurupt.

“I remember Death Row was giving out deals if you could serve Kurupt,” the rapper revealed. “Remember we was out of town? Three niggas came up and these other two niggas. ‘Nigga if you can serve Kurupt, you can get a deal.’”

“Suge Knight was notorious for that,” Snoop added.

Minutes before ending his latest episode of GGN with a fitting freestyle from Kurupt, Snoop spoke on his first encounter with the rapper, which happened to be a nearly 45-minute long battle he referred to as “some magical shit.”

“So, when I bumped into you, I know I was fresh out of jail. I was turning to the Dogg,” Snoop explained. “I had the brim on with the all black and gray coat. And I’m watching you serve all my homies…I’m laying up against the wall like a Chinese karate movie nigga. This nigga cutting everybody. He just dropping all the homies…We going at it like 45 minutes strong nigga. Whoever make it out of us two, nigga it’s our responsibility to put us back together again cause this is some magical shit.”

The full GGN episode can be seen below.

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Taylor Gang leader Wiz Khalifa is apparently looking for $1 million from a concert promotion company that “damaged his reputation” according to TMZ.

Wiz was scheduled to perform at George Mason University in Fairfax County, Virgina on December 6th of last year, but Wiz claims that It’s My Party Inc., the company who booked him for the show, cancelled the concert at the last moment.

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In the lawsuit, the new father states that It’s My Party was to pay him $85,000 and a portion of the profits from the event. Wiz believes he is also owed damages because the late cancellation hurt his credibility.

TMZ reports that It’s My Party says the reason the show was shut down was because they had difficulty selling the $45 tickets to fill up the 7,000 seat Patriot Center.

The company also claims that they never signed a contract with Wiz, so they are not legally required to pay the rap star.

The GMU show was the closing date of Wiz’s 36-city “The 2050 Tour” which also featured his Taylor Gang crew members Juicy J, Chevy Woods, and Lola Monroe.
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Drake leaves a publishing deal at BMI for a new home at ASCAP.

Reports this morning confirm that Drake has left a BMI publishing deal for new home, ASCAP. Billboard.com exclusively learned from ASCAP’s VP of Rhythm & Soul Membership, Nicole George-Middleton that the Toronto, Ontario native is the publishing company’s newest high-profile recruit.

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“For me, a big part of making music is getting the opportunity to work with people I love, trust and respect,” Drake said in a statement. “As an organization run by music creators, ASCAP represents a whole community of kindred spirits. Joining ASCAP was just a natural choice for me because I know my music is in the best possible hands.”

Drake’s first album with ASCAP will be the upcoming, Nothing Was The Same, the emcee/singer’s third studio release. His current single and video, “Started From The Bottom,” is currently in rotation.

Other ASCAP execution reactions to Drake’s signing, are featured in the Billboard story.

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Over the last several months several high-profile shootings involving rappers have taken place in the Miami area. Last October buzzing rapper Bizzle was shot and killed in Liberty City. In February another rising MIA emcee, Young Scrilla, took a bullet to thigh during a video shoot in Overtown. Then there was the well publicized January drive-by shooting involving MMG head Rick Ross in Fort Lauderdale.

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The most recent rapper to become a victim of gun violence in South Florida is 20-year-old Kenneth Casilla also known by his rap name Nu Money of Rich Mafia.

Casilla was shot and killed last week in an apartment complex parking lot in Little Haiti.

“He was in a car with somebody he knows and another guy in the back, and my son gets shot and nobody else gets shot,” Kenneth’s mother, Yvette Casilla, told NY1.

Kenneth was originally from Brooklyn, New York, but the young emcee moved to Miami to further his career in music. His mother says that she believes Kenneth was shot because of envy.

“He wasn’t involved in anything,” said Yvette Casilla. “But jealousy, yeah.”

This was very similar to comments made by Young Scrilla’s mother after her son was shot. Quantrel Scott told Miami’s Local 10 that “jealous people” were to blame in Scrilla’s shooting.

Yvette Casilla believes that her son’s murderer is from New York. Miami-Dade police have not identified a motive for Casilla’s killing, and so far no suspects have been named.

A vigil has been created outside of Kenneth’s Brooklyn apartment.

“They took my son. Why?” Yvette Casilla asked. “What did my son do to them to kill him like that?”

No evidence has been presented to suggest that any of these recent shootings are related.

Watch Nu Money’s video for “The Ride (Freestyle)” below.

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Curtis Young talks “Cali Spring” tour and giving newer artists an opportunity to prove themselves.

Like his father, noted producer/rapper Dr. Dre, Curtis Young currently has a lot on his plate musically. Young, previously known by his Hood Surgeon stage name, has just begun his eight-city tour titled the “Cali Spring” tour and with the tour he’s hoping to give various up-and-comer’s the opportunity to perform in front of industry executives and music tastemakers.

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Billboard.com recently caught up with Young during a tour stop last week and spoke to the musician about the reason behind starting the tour.

“A lot of new talent don’t get to prove themselves,” Young revealed. “I think it’s cool to have things like this because it gives them a chance to give it all their might.”

Young also spoke briefly on his father Dr. Dre and Seeds Of Hip Hop, the upcoming reality show that will star Young and a handful of other children of iconic Hip Hop stars.

“It’s about us stepping out our father’s shadows,” said Young. “I think [stepping out of my father’s shadow is] easy for me. I had to get past the part of knowing Dre’s my pops. Once I got past that point, it was easy. To everybody else [he’s] Dr. Dre, but [he’s] Andre Young to me.”

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Lil Wayne has confessed to the reason he’s had so many seizures. The rapper says he’s an epileptic.

On Thursday, Wayne conducted an interview with Power 106 in Los Angeles and admitted that he’s suffered with the ailment for years, including a recent scare he says he “could’ve died.”

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In the interview, the rappers says that he’s simply overworking himself and exacerbating the condotion, which he’s suffered from for years.

I Am Not a Human Being II was released this week and the New Orleans native will start touring in July with Future and T.I.

The epilepsy revelation refutes the assertion from many that the seizures were brought on by codeine or “sizzurp.”

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Timbaland is accused of ripping off an insurance company for $1.8 million, a new report says.

The rapper has been legally sparring with American Home Assurance Company over a Jacob & Co, which is adorned with 30 carats of diamonds.

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The insurance company is refusing to pay the rapper/producing, claiming he’s lying to get paid, according to recent legal documents.

News and gossip site TMZ laid out the lawsuit, seen below.

But in new legal docs … A.H.A.C. claims it doesn’t owe Timbaland a dime — claiming he’s been as slippery as a seal, lying like a rug. The insurance company claims:

 

— Timbaland bought the watch for $900,000 but insured it for TWICE the purchase price.
— Timbaland reported the watch stolen … but 4 months later claimed his daughter misplaced it.
— Everyone involved told a different story … the wife implicated another female, the assistant implicated the maid, the maid only copped to sleeping with Timbaland’s brother-in-law and the brother-in-law refused to cooperate. No one ever mentioned the daughter losing the watch, like Timbaland belatedly claimed.

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“Freeway” Ricky Ross has vowed to continue to battle for his own name, after his most recent defeat in court.

Last Wednesday (March 21), a judge rejected “Freeway” Ricky’s claims that Warner Bros. stole his name and likeness, to boost the career of rapper Rick Ross born William Leonard Roberts II.

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The latest ruling upheld previous Judges’ rulings that “Freeway” Ricky, who was released from prison in 2009, waited too long to file his lawsuit.

Under California law, publicity rights claims have to be made within the first two years of the publication of the objectionable material.

“We feel good about our case. This is classic republication as to all defendants there was consistently new music, management decisions and product made,” Freeway Ricky Ross told The Hollywood Reporter. “The statute of limitations was never meant to be used to hide defendant actively infringing with new decisions and campaigns.”

Similar rulings were issued against the former drug kingpin in November of 2010 and in August of 2012.

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Tyga says that his “Hit ‘Em Up” track from “Hotel California” is not a remake, but the song with unreleased Tupac vocals may share some qualities with ‘Pac’s own controversial B-side.

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One of the more surprising features from Tyga’s Hotel California tracklist may be an inclusion of Tupac. The iconic Rap figure has now been dead over 16 years, but has had his unreleased vocals appear on numerous albums in that time, ranging from Ja Rule’s Pain Is Love to Freddie Foxxx’s Crazy Like A Foxxx to Bun B’s Trill O.G.

Even more curiously, Tyga’s Tupac-featuring song, “Hit ‘Em Up,” shares its name with ‘Pac’s 1996 diss track with The Outlawz. The song, released as a Death Row Records single B-side to “How Do U Want It?,” attacked The Notorious B.I.G., Lil’ Kim, Faith Evans, Diddy, Mobb Deep, and Chino XL, among others.

For Tyga, who was six years old when Tupac was murdered in a 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, his song has its own importance. “I got the vocals, and I just didn’t know what to do with ’em,” Tyga told MTV News recently. He had initially intended to get fellow YMCMB star Nicki Minaj on the song, but instead went with Jadakiss. “I was done with the song, and I had came across some [Tupac] vocals from a friend. I was like, ‘Man, this would be dope.’ But I didn’t really know how to use it properly. When people hear it, they’re gonna think it’s real clever,” Tyga believes. “They’re gonna really respect it.”

MTV pressed the Los Angeles, California native about the significance of the title. “A lot of people think it’s a remake of ‘Hit ‘Em Up,’ which is his song. It’s not a remake; it’s an original,” he said. However, the song may share a trait with its questionable namesake. Tyga implied to use such a title, an artist is saying, “You ain’t dissin’ nobody, but you lettin’ it be known [that] you don’t rock with certain people.”

Lil Wanye opened up about his health scares, revealing that his seizures are a result of epilepsy. Weezy called into L.A.’s Power 106 radio station to speak with DJ Felli Fell, and announced that he is suffering from the neurological disorder.

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“The bad news is I’m an epileptic. I’m prone to seizures,” he said. “This isn’t my first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh seizure.

After suffering a few seizures in a short span of time, speculation that the cause was drug related began to swirl. The New Orleans native has a well documented–although not often spoken about–addiction to codeine, which can cause seizures and epilepsy, and shouldn’t be consumed by people with sleep apnea (of which he previously suffered from) but according to the YMCMB leader, the rumors are just that. “I’ve had a bunch of seizures, ya’ll just never hear about them. But this time it got real bad ’cause I had three of them in a row and on the third one, my heart rate went down to like 30 percent. Basically, I could’ve died, so that is why it was so serious.

“I have people around me. I actually have [seizures] so much they already know what to do. They already know how to handle it. Certain times I don’t even go to the hospital, but this time, it was real bad because it was three in a row, and I’ve never had three back to back like that.

“The third one was so bad and I live in the hills in L.A. So the reason why it was bad was that I live all the way at the top, so you know how hard it is getting down those hills. That was what was so scary about it.”

Wayne also responded to TMZ posting that he was being read his final rights. While the likes of Mack Maine, and T.I. went on an anti-TMZ Twitter rampage, the father of four was less upset about the whole thing. “That’s what they do. I can’t be upset at that. I get upset at my kids when they do things that I tell them not to do. I can’t be upset at TMZ for doing what they do.”

The rapper further proved that there are no hard feeling with TMZ, by sending the website a recording announcing to fans that he was on the mend, and prepping his America’s Most Wanted Music Festival, earlier in the week.

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