About.com Rap / Hip-Hop

BET Apologizes for Lil Wayne and Drake Performance

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:04:11 +0000

After days of non-stop backlash, BET has apologized for a performance by Lil Wayne, Drake and Young Money Records that involved underage girls during songs "Best I Ever Had" and "Every Girl" at the 2009 BET Awards.

During the Young Money set, a group of young girls, which included Lil Wayne's daughter and her friends, pranced around on stage. The problem is that Weezy's song "Every Girl" contains several explicit sexual references.

In a statement, BET expressed remorse over the performance. "BET Networks deeply regrets the performance by Young Money at the BET AWARDS 09 (featuring Lil Wayne, Drake, Gudda Gudda and Mack Maine). Elements of the performance were unplanned and should not have happened."

Wayne's performance at an award show that was billed as a tribute to Michael Jackson seemed inappropriate. It's good to see BET stepping up and taking responsibility for that.

New Video Alert: Eminem - "Beautiful"

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:47:18 +0000

Eminem has a track record of delivering memorable videos, and Beautiful" is no exception. The video, which was overseen by Anthony Mandler, is visually stimulating and inspiring. "Beautiful" is not my favorite cut on Relapse, but I commend Em for the interesting visuals. Take a look.

Video: Eminem - "Beautiful"

Q-Tip's Kamaal the Abstract Finally Gets A Release Date

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:37:49 +0000

After eight years in label limbo, Q-Tip's 2001 LP Kamaal the Abstract will finally get to see the light of day. The album, which features nine tracks that the Tribe Called Quest frontman produced entirely on his own, will be issued via Battery Records on Sept. 15.

"Q-Tip is a true visionary and ahead of his time," Neil Levine, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Battery Records, said in a press statement. "These songs are more contemporary now than when they were first recorded."

Kamaal the Abstract was originally scheduled for release in 2001, but it was shelved due to a disagreement between Q-Tip and Arista Records.

Q-Tip's most recent work, The Renaissance, topped our Best Albums of 2008 list.

Video: Drake - "Best I Ever Had"

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:12:52 +0000

If you've been anywhere near a radio lately, you've probably come across Drake's monstrous single, "Best I Ever Had." The song, which appears on Drake's So Far Gone mixtape (yes, mixtape), climbed all the way to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, thus setting him up for an intense bidding war. According to various reports, the young Canadian MC/singer decided to sign with Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment. His album, Thank Me Later, is set to drop this fall. Here's the "Best I Ever Had" video, directed by Kanye West.

Video: Drake - "Best I Ever Had"

10 Hip-Hop Classics Inspired by Michael Jackson

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:08:47 +0000

Michael Jackson revolutionized music with his dance moves, thrilled the world with his music videos, and captivated everyone with his eccentricities. He had the unique ability to marry rock, pop, R & B, and hip-hop music, without losing his musical identity. Over the years, hip-hoppers have shown gratitude to the King of Pop through the art of sampling. Here are 10 hip-hop classics that sampled Michael Jackson.

Vibe Magazine Is Dead

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:31:11 +0000

Another day, another music magazine bites the dust. This time, it's the leading hip-hop and R&B magazine Vibe that has fallen victim of a declining print industry.

According to the New York Times, Steve Aaron, chief of the Vibe Media Group, sent a memo to staffers earlier today announcing that Vibe would no longer be in operation. Aaron says that the company tried, for months, to either find new investors or �to restructure the huge debt on our small company.�

WIth Vibe and King gone, and XXL struggling to stay afloat, it's safe to assume that The Source is on suicide watch.

Prodigy Defends His "Beat It" Jacket

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:20:56 +0000

Prodigy of Mobb Deep may be behind bars but that he's not out of the loop. Like most people, P heard about the biggest music loss of the year and he caught the BET Awards, which honored Michael Jackson's legacy.

Prodigy spoke to XXLmag.com about what Jackson meant to him as a child. And yes, he brought up that infamous summer jam saga as proof of his MJ obsession as a child. Proceed to read Prodigy's statement.

From XXLmag.com: One of the remarks Foxx made in particular struck a chord with the Queens rapper. "He said everybody used to dress like Michael Jackson when they was a little kid," Prodigy noted, bringing up the time that Jay-Z exposed a photo of him as a child dressed up like MJ, in order to discredit the MC. "You know I like that part 'cause certain n**gas "Oh yeah Prodigy had the "Beat It" jacket on when he was eight years old, like tryna discredit me like there's something wrong with that. Nah ain't nothing wrong with that and everybody knows and it's sad that Michael Jackson had to die but now everybody's professing, "oh I loved Michael Jackson when I was little too. Oh now it's okay."

"Rest in peace, Michael Jackson," he added. "Cause I damn sure thought I was Michael when I was a little kid. I wanted to be Michael Jackson, I wanted to be a celebrity like Michael. He did a lotta things I ain't agree with later on in life but overall that was a good muthaf*cka right there. That was an excellent person, with his music and what he contributed to the music world. Perfect, excellent."

Bottom line: Prodigy gets the last laugh. I wonder what Jay-Z has to say about this.

Video: Jay-Z - "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:00:55 +0000

BET needed something to help keep the party going after the award show, so what better way to do that than with a premiere of Jay-Z's "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" music video. The clip, directed by , features Jay's friend and NBA superstar LeBron James. Watch "D.O.A." video and let us know if it gets a "yea" or "nay."

Video: Jay-Z - "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"

BET Awards Celebrates Michael Jackson's Legacy

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:59:14 +0000

BET made last-minute changes to the BET Awards plans after learning about Michael Jackson's death. They switched gears and decided to use the show as a vehicle to showcase and celebrate Jackson's legacy.

Throughout the night, hosts and performers paid homage to the late pop icon. Host of the event Jamie Foxx wore a red leather jacket (similar to the one Jackson wore in "Billy Jean") video during his opening monologue and did his best moonwalk to a mix of raucous laughter and applause.

Jay-Z gave shoutout to Jackson during his "D.O.A." performance, and Drake referred to him as "the best we ever had" during his rendition of the hit single "Best I Ever Had" alongside Lil Wayne. Ne-Yo, Ciara, New Edition, and Jamie Foxx all did their best to imitate Jackson during their respective tributes to the King of Pop.

There were little surprises on the award end of the event, Lil Wayne won for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, while M.I.A. won Best Female Hip-Hop. T.I., who's currently incarcerated, snagged the Viewer's Choice award for "Live Your Life," his collaboration with Rihanna (also absent from the show). (See complete list of 2009 BET Award winners).

The show ended with a speech from Janet Jackson, on behalf of the Jackson family. Janet fought through tears to express gratitude to Jackson's fans for their moral support: "My entire family wanted to be here tonight. It was just too painful. To you Michael is an icon. To us Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts."

And that he will.

Hip-Hop Artists React to Michael Jackson's Death

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:01:10 +0000

Shortly after news of Michael Jackson's death rattled the music world, hip-hop luminaries like Ice-T and P. Diddy took to Twitter to express their sadness over the loss. Here's a slice of the hip-hop community's reaction to Jackson's untimely passing:

LL Cool J: I'm devastated by the passing of Michael Jackson; incredibly sad..... He was one of my childhood idols. I salute you King of Pop."

Diddy: "Michael Jackson showed me that you can actually see the beat. He made the music come to life!! He made me believe in magic. I will miss him!"

Ice T: "Rest In Peace Mike. People can say what they want but you were 100% original. WE will always love , miss & remember your GREATNESS."

Ludacris: "If it were not for Micheal Jackson I would not be where or who I am today.His Music and Legacy will live on Forever.Prayers to the fam. R.I.P."

MC Hammer: "I have no words.. I loved Michael Jackson.. RIP."