Drake's New Rugged Look

Drake has a new look; he is keeping a beared, and curly afro. I had been guessing he was trying to pull a jay-z stunt, and just change his outlook completely. Talking about rappers changing their looks, i remember when BOW WOW first dropped, and he could not wait to grow. And then, between his 2nd and third albums, he gained some dramatic height, and was as tall as Jay-D. But the thing is that he has remained at that height since then. Drake is just a year older than bow wow, but he could pass as his uncle...lol! Okay, i am exaggerating a little, but bow wow has a problem right now...even though he has dropped the "lil" from his name, people still look at him as a kid.

Anyway, back to the drake story, read more on it below-

Nicki Minaj then asked Drake about the beard-and-curly-hair look he's been rocking lately, and he revealed that it was for a film role. In January, it was reported that the former "Degrassi: The Next Generation" star was joining the cast of "Arbitrage," which is set to star Susan Sarandon and Al Pacino. However, Drake relayed that he has "decided to work on my album instead of doing that particular film." (MTV)

Who's Hot, And Who's Not

I got to know from you guys- who is hot in hiphop right now, and who is not? There is a lot of talk about rick ross being the hottest right now, and i think i can buy that, but i want to hear from you guys. Please, remember that i said HOT, not the most lyrical or the person who has sold the most rap albums, but just plain simple- who's hot.

I know people will still get me wrong and start mentioning eminem, and jay-z and them. When last did you hear a song from those guys on the radio? And when was the last time they featured on someone else's track and made an impression. I just want to know who you think is hot right now.

I would like to mention some other people that are on the scene and making waves. Nicki Minaj still has her buzz from last year, although i can't say it is on the level it was last year. Maybe lil kim was right- maybe she is just a burning match. But, i think otherwise, because she is very versatile, and skilled.

Lil Wayne? I still don't get that his 6 foot 7 foot song- i think it is not hot  enough to be an album single- and the first single at that. But he is still moving units from his EP I Am Not A Human Being, so that gives you an idea that people are still waiting on new material from him.

Drake? I don't know...i guess he is just aight right now. But i do believe he still has a lot to give.

Whiz Khalifa is definitely hot right now, and his album just dropped- Rolling Papers. I haven't gotten it yet, so i can not rate it. I am going to know how much it did in its first week in stores today. But already, estimations don't put him above the first week of lasers.

Yeah, that takes me to LUPE FIASCO. Lupe is not the type to jump on so many songs, because of his style, but he is doing pretty good. The official first single off the album (LASERS) "The Show Goes On" has already been certified GOLD; that means it has sold 500,000 copies as a single. I think that is pretty good. So, as for this year, Lupe Fiasco still has the highest selling rap album- that is for rap albums that dropped this year.

Yeah, you got to mention the guy who put lupe on- Kanye West. Kanye still has the buzz from last year, but i was really thinking he was going to own the first quarter of this year with that ALL OF THE LIGHTS track. That track is a banger, and i thought it would performance better than it is doing so far.

Wale is also hot, and a lot of people are complaining about his move to Rick Ross's Maybach Music imprint. Me, i think it is a smart move. He signed with the label this year, and he is already everywhere...i am just happy he is not going to end up like J.Cole. Cole has a lot of talent, but i guess jay-z does not have his time, because seriously, he is meant to have dropped his album by now. I guess the Roc Nation is not going to be as strong as jay planned it to be.

I got to mention my man GAME, even though he is more or less bubbling under the radar. He has been dropping dope mixtapes for the last 24 months or so, but i think we need an album from him, so he needs to work on that. He was widely complemented on the dopeness of his last mixtape- Purp and Patron, which was a double cd mixtape. I downloaded it and i got to say it was beyond what i expected from game. But, i think he needs to focus more on getting his album out.

Okay, those are all the artist i recognize...artist that made my radar, pls feel free to add yours. Thank you.

Shyne Comments on Drake's Success

Okay, i am glad i am reading something positive from shyne- he currently said drake has serious potential to go down in history of rap. After all the rick ross bashing, i think it is uplifting to read this.

Read more below-
"I think the Drake kid has serious potential to go down in the history of rap," Shyne explained in an interview. "I definitely get inspired. He's not really a rapper. He's a musician, you dig? He sings and he makes great music. I'm inspired by what he does...Most of the people I interact with are honest people. They are who they are. Drake is a kid that says 'Listen, I'm not from the streets. I'm just making good music.' Kanye's a dude that doesn't try to be anything other than who he is. [Lil] Wayne is really off the block...All the kids I respect and admire are truthful people. I like the kid Lupe Fiasco. I think he's extraordinary. I'm really about truth, man. If you're being honest and you have integrity, I'm all for you." (Superstar Radio)

Hmm! I still feel some tension there...like he is indirectly going at rick ross for being a Correctional Officer.

Drake Remembers His Past Internet Dorminance

If you know the story of how the now Young Money rapper got into the game, you would know that it all happened through the internet- from dropping a "mixtape that sounded like an album", to getting signed by Lil Wayne, all was through the power of the internet.

Below is his reflections on the issue:

"Initially, I think I just didn't know what would happen," Drake recalls. "I was this rapper with a little bit of buzz, the internet was taking over, and I didn't know the power of the internet at that point. The true power of social networking and the things we are so emmersed in now. There wasn't an artist that had been 100% birthed from that outlet and I think to be discovered on MySpace, how I was found, and for it to somehow reach Wayne's ears and for him to feel so confident about it and call me and to release a mixtape on the internet again and have a record somehow go #1 off a mixtape using the internet as a tool. It was all amazing because it was all a first, I can't remember that happening in my day. Even if you think of 50 [Cent], [Kanye West], and [Young] Jeezy, I remember having hard copies of all of those tapes. I remember it being more about the radio." (Global Grind)


"So I had my #1 hit off of a mixtape which was unheard of and now, I look at Deuces, a Grammy nominated record off of a Mixtape, that was on the internet, that's happening now, consistently. It's crazy for all of that to translate to an amazing career and accolades, but it's crazy for that to reach as far as the Grammy's. I don't know how to put it any other way. It's really from 40s apartment to the internet to the Grammy awards. That's the chain of events as far as my music making. I still record at 40's apartment, I'm in Torono right now recording in his apartment. From 40's apartment to some mastering studio to the radio to the world on the internet to the Grammy Awards. It's mind-blowing. That's the journey I can explain." (Global Grind)

A-Z Thinks Rap Veterans Need To Fall Back and Give J.Cole And Drake The Spotlight

A-Z, an old rapper himself; a rap veteran who dropped his debut album (DOE OR DIE) in 1995,  thinks the other rap veterans need to step aside and give chance to the new cats to get the kind of fame and credibility the old rappers have been enjoying for a long time now.

Below is what he had to say;

"Listen, Drake is kicking it and his flow is what's needed," AZ said in an interview with Mikey T The Movie Star. "You got the Wiz Khalifa, you got the J. Cole, you got a couple of cats that are laying it down and they're trying to keep [hip-hop] alive. You gotta give somebody a chance. You know what I'm saying? The old cats can't do it forever. You know what I mean? Those [new artists] that are out, I appreciate it."

Well, i think he has a point. I think Jay-Z needs to retire for real, and busta rhymes, and the other rap vets. They need to allow these new breeds like j.cole and them create their own legacy without them in it. I know the rappers that were kicking in the late 80's(big daddy kane, rakim...) went of for a while, and that was when we had Biggie, Tupac, Nas, and Jay-z, Busta Rhymes and the likes come on the scene. I think the majority of rap listeners are teens and tweens; so, i think their peers need to be allowed to serve that demograph with what they want.

I Think Drake is a Better Singer Than Rapper

I am not a HUGE drake fan, but i got his album, and i have heard his mixtape(so far gone), and i have taken time to analyse all the collaborations that he has done; and i think he is a better singer than rapper. Don't get me wrong, i think he is a good rapper and i like when he came into the HIPHOP game; when the south were dominating the game, and he and a couple of other rappers have changed the game. Right now in hiphop, it is Drake, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Jay-z(when he drops another album), T.I(if he can stay out of jail), Eminem, Kanye West, Rick Ross; and the REST. The rest being a couple of others that can still hold there own, but don't  have that much Muscle when it comes to album sales.

So, back to what i came to talk about; what really prompted this is fact that i just read an article online where it was said that Sade Adu turned down collaborative approaches/advances from Rap artist like Jay-Z and Drake. Sade said the fact that she hates going out of her element is the reason she turned down the advances.
Below is what drake said about the turn down:

"That's great. Her brand is always protected. That's why," Drake said of her comments in an interview. "Other people's visuals, other people's songs, stepping outside your zone can jeopardize your brand. It can bring you down as opposed to bring you up. I personally feel we could have done something amazing. But I don't think she really knows who I am, really, my genre of music. I put it out there. It was more of a hopeful thing. It was a very early stage where I was at when I said that I was hoping. One day. Maybe after this album comes out. I'm very influenced by her. She does something that I do. She doesn't do too much with harmonies, and she keeps her vocals very clean. Single vocals. Haunting melodies. I'm influenced by her a lot. One day." (MTV)

If you took time to listen to Drake's Debut album; Thank me Later, you would know he was highly influenced by Shade. I think he said it above, so i do not have to stress it, but you would know where he is coming from for wanting to work with shade.

I think he is great when he does his singing; in fact, i think he is phenominal. I still blast Find Your Love, and i am not tired of it. I think it even gets better with time. I think he is in the league of Kanye West, Kid Cudi and them, they like to be very experimental, but you know they know their Music, so they can't go wrong.

I heard Rick Ross's Aston Martin music for the first time about 2 weeks ago, and i fell in love with the song instantly because of Drake's part. Drake and Chrisette Michelle had a nice blend on that song, and i think it was Great.

Talking about his singing, when you hear him on hooks of songs like MONEY TO BLOW, and Forever, you know the kid was born to do what he is doing.

I think he is a good rapper too, because he always makes a lot of sense and he got some skill, but i think he is WEIGHHH better at singing than he is at rapping.

what's up right now in hiphop

Yeah, what's up right now in hiphop...eminem is killing the charts with his latest album, RECOVERY. I think it is wonderful that eminem dropped another album a year after RELAPSE. If i may say, recovery is what relapse should have been. I remember hearing the first single off relapse and i was wondering what eminem was still doing releasing a corny ass single like WE MADE YOU. Come on! You are a grown ass man. So when i saw the video for NOT AFRAID, i knew he was on track.

The album has sold like 1.5 million copies nationally, and 3 mill globally. It is a great album; if you don't have it yet, make sure you go out and get it at any chance you get. A lot of slipping and switching of skills on this one. And a lot of emotions being poured in the tracks.

What else is up, DRAKE'S album finally came out and hmmmm!!! I just have to say that THANK ME LATER is not doing the kind of numbers that i thought it would do. And i am sure they spent so much on that album, and it would take a while to recoup. It is at about 800k after about 6 weeks. Come on! I thought LIL WAYNE said it would sell 2 mill in it's first week.

Next up is KANYE WEST. He is about to dropped his album; back to rap, no more singing. Let's see how this one goes. I think i am looking out for T.I's KING UNCHAINED(I HOPE I GOT THE TITLE). I think it would be a nce album.

Lastly, GAME dropped his new mixtape, BRAKELIGHTS, yesterday. You should get that to, he put a lot into it.

drake talks about sick mom

Drake is talking about cancelling his European tour because of his sick mom. I feel for him, because, through some of his lyrics, it has shown that he drew a lot of inspiration from her; like she really helped him in becoming who he really is. A lot of tuff/gangstar type rappers (tupac,nas...) have made song about the role of their mom's in their life, so if a rapper like drake wants to talk about his mom, and her health it is more than okay.

I am just saying this because i read comments of some bloggers that are saying he is bringing up the case now, because his album is not doing so good, so he is using this story to distract people from the criticism that he is anticipating. I don't think that is the case, but nothing is impossible in this world, i wouldn't think he would take it that far though, just for his career.

I would like to analyse his sales so far; his "thank me album" debuted last week with 447,000 copies, and has sold and then 157,000 copies this week; i think the sales is not looking too good. Maybe if he had sold like 230k this week, it would have been good. The rate he is going, he might struggle to reach platinum. He has sold a total of 604k copies, and the way sales do, he is going to keep dropping, and in like 6 weeks, he would be at like 850k, and selling like 50k a week...well, maybe he would go platinum, but double platinum would be hard to achieve; and it is funny that LIL WAYNE thought the "thank me later" album would sell 2 million in its first week.

Well, i wish him well, with his album and his mom; check out his album here Thank Me Later [Explicit]


Below is what DRAKE had to say about the issue:
"Despite my best hopes, it is apparent that my mother will need surgery earlier than anticipated. In light of this news, I have made the difficult decision to cancel my European tour in order to support her during her recovery, just as she supported me through the years. I cannot thank my European fans enough and look forward to performing abroad soon. I ask everyone to please respect my family's privacy during this time." (Statement)

DRAKE INTERVIEW

I stumbled upon this DRAKE interview from allhiphop.com, and i thought you guys should read it.

AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about your rise to success and having the biggest opening week for a Hip-Hop artist in 2010?

Drake: First of all, I’m humbled by everything. It hasn’t really set in. It hasn’t really registered. You know, we don’t do too much celebrating, but I’m just thinking about the next win..the next win. You know, like Kobe Bryant says. I don’t know what a ring feels like. Until I get the ring, I’m never satisfied. I’m very humbled, very honored by the response of what we’ve done thus far, but – in my mind - we could do a lot better. I’m just working towards that.

AllHipHop.com: Why do you say that? Why do you say you feel you could do a lot better? You’ve done quite a bit…

Drake: I just listen back on my own music. I think I could spit better verses, better hooks, better selections. As far as music goes, all around, you know? Make better videos, although “Find Your Love” is one of my favorite videos. It is a great video, but you know, come up with a better marketing plan. Mostly musically though, I just feel I can do better. I think I can rap a lot better than I’m rapping right now. If I could make better over all music for the world to sing so…you know. That’s just how I feel.  You know, the people around me say I’m too hard on myself, but that’s how I’ve always been.

AllHipHop.com: Are you pleased with your album, Thank Me Later?

Drake: I’m pleased with it for certain reasons. I’m pleased with it overall, on a whole as a body of work. I think that there are some great moments in there. I think it’s very reflective of where I’m at in my life. I think it’s the perfect soundtrack for this particular summer. I think it’s an overall good album. I don’t think by any means that it’s the best that I could do though only because I feel like I learned so much about my life in the period while I was making my album. And not only that, because of the schedule, I was just under duress making the album. It was very hectic. It was a lot of time constraints. Or I couldn’t be in the same place as 40 (his friend and producer Noah "40" Shebib) and Boi 1 Da.  They had a demand prior to the album coming out, which is a rare thing. I think with a clear head and a little more time, and a different mindset, I can make a good album.     

AllHipHop.com: How, if at all does the pressure affect the creative process? 

Drake:  It’s never the pressure that affected the creative process, more than it was the time.  It was the time.  Recording on tour busses at 9AM is just not the ideal situation to finish your album, but maybe it is, maybe I wouldn’t have had those great moments on the album like I did if it wasn’t for that situation.  At the same time I just feel like everyone works better when they are rested, when their heads are clear.  It was more the time constraint that affected me more so than this weight on my shoulders or this pressure that everyone assumed would occur. I didn’t really necessarily feel this first album pressure.  I feel like we have longevity in this game, so I wasn’t really too worried about that.  I just wanted to make some great music.  I love seeing people react to my music.  Its like a drug, one of the strongest drugs ever in my opinion.  (Whispers “not that I’m doing drugs”) I just love that feeling. Putting out a feeling and having it really be the one is more addicting than anything in my life now. 

AllHipHop.com:  Let me ask you this. I appreciate your music, but I will admit I am not a die-hard type of fan like some fans that you have.  So I am a little mystified at some of the critics that think there is a different Drake from now to So Far Gone to other earlier work.  Do you feel like addressing some of the critics or are they just unaware of how you have evolved in the process of your mixtapes, to the EP to now? 

Drake:  Well I think the thing is that people get confused between the music and moment.  I think that’s the biggest thing that causes people to say, “Oh, Drake has changed.” The music that’s on Thank Me Later is very eclectic and is a unique brand of music and it is still our sound.  We went with a very unconventional creative method.  I think the reason that people hold So Far Gone in such high regard is because it was their first time hearing that sound.  First of all the sound the way it came out was very accessible, which to a lot of people that was an innovative approach.  And then not only that, a lot of people that had never heard me rap, and a lot of people had never heard 40’s (Noah “40” Shebib) production, or they had never heard the music we chose to flip.  It was very much the moment, you know, and it was something new, and I think that is always more exciting.  I think that as you gradually become more and more familiar with someone they become less and less exciting, they can still make great music, but the music and the moment is what people get confused.  I still believe strongly in Thank Me Later as an album.

AllHipHop.com: I noticed the Jay-Z verse on “Light Up,” where he cautions you on people that try to lure you into distracting beefs. The next week or so, there’s this “thing” with Lil Kim. How true did that verse ring for you?

Drake: Yeah I think the main thing for me was – and the reason I lashed out in that situation – was, because it wasn’t about me. And there are a lot of stupid things that other of rappers are going to try and rope me into. But at the end of the day, unfortunately, that’s not what pushes my buttons. You can say anything to me and I will not react to it. And even in that specific situation [with Lil  Kim] when things start getting said about me, it lost its thrill. You know what I mean? My biggest thing was I don’t like when you talk about people I love. People that I know for a fact are working very hard and are very respectful people. I don’t like that. That pushes my buttons more than anything you can say about me. It was wrong for ever saying anything in regards to that situation and, as you can see, I left it alone. Its over at this point. You know, I’m not going to give somebody a “look” off that. The fact is, I see Nicki pay a lot of respect to a lot of emcees in the game and she’s just working hard, doing her thing. Other individuals who aren’t relevant get jealous.  

AllHipHop.com: I feel you. Can we see a collaboration, between you and Rihanna? She put it out there and I know you rapped about it. You think we’ll see that in the future?

Drake: You said she put it out there?

[Rihanna told told E!: “Right now I’m listening to Drake, Jay-Z, Kings Of Leon, Ke$ha. He’s really, really talented, and I think he’s one of the illest lyricists out there right now, so I would love to work with him.”]

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, that she would love to work with you.

Drake: (pausing, seemingly shocked) When was that?

AllHipHop.com:  (laughing) Uh, yesterday?  

Drake: Really?

AllHipHop.com: Yeah!

Drake: That’s exciting news. (laughs) Yeah, yeah…I love her very much. She’s a great person and a great artist. I would be honored.  We actually did a song together and it just never came out. But, uh…it would be great to have something out there. It would be cool.

AllHipHop.com: We’ll…make it happen! We put it on Twitter and a bunch of people replied requesting to see you and Rihanna do a song.

Drake: We’ll make it happen. I’m sure.

AllHipHop.com: I was mystified at some of the comments and I recently put on Twitter the question, because somebody told me, “Drake’s not Hip-Hop” and I was baffled, because I feel like, in your lane, you represent lyricism. Especially with…

Drake: Sorry to chime in so soon, but I think the biggest thing is like it all depends on what is your perception of Hip-Hop. Like, if your perception of Hip-Hop is not being that successful, still being the underdog, being seen as hungry, in turn picking music that’s not commercially appealing… If that’s your definition of Hip-Hop, then you’re right…I’m not Hip-Hop.  I think that is the definition of Hip-Hop to a lot of people.

But I think if your definition of Hip-Hop is utilizing every opportunity to showcase a lyrical talent, making great music and making music that’s not complete sell-out like dance music or going too too pop, I think that I keep it Hip-Hop. I never doubt myself in that regard. I think a lot of people feel Hip-Hop, in their eyes, is not shiny. Its dull and gritty and its not about doing Jay Leno or getting nominated for Grammys or a lot of things that have come my way over the years. Like that stuff its too shiny, that’s when you’re too far gone.

AllHipHop.com: Which is more important to you, So Far Gone or Thank Me Later?

Drake:  They both are important for different reasons.  You know So Far Gone is what got me here.  A lot of people were like if you had added “Best I Ever Had”  to this album then it would have been crazy. But it never could have and it just happened the way it happened it just not possible.  And Thank Me Later I guess we will see how important it is. If I do win some awards and if I do break some records this year, then it will be important in its own right.  It’s also a great thing to get off my back. It was a solid body of work and it had an incredible first week and we did some great things.  It was a pretty epic rollout and I think this is the bar that we keep raising.  Next album who knows, I think maybe next album we can do the release concert in Dubai and I will jump off a building and land into the back of a drophead Phantom.

AllHipHop.com: On Twitter they want to know if you really want to marry Nicki Minaj.

Drake:  (Laughs) She’s an unbelievable woman. I don’t know. It’s too early to tell…. (laughs) I love Nicki, really I just be messing with Nicki.  I like to embarrass Nicki a little bit since we are on a public forum… no really I just like to make her blush.

AllHipHop.com:  When are you going to put out your R&B mixtape?

Drake: Whenever 40 wants to start making some R&B beats.  He’s right next to me so if he has something good, then we are one step closer.

rap albums on billboard top 200 charts

As was expected, and predicted, DRAKE's debut album, "thank me later", is at the top of the charts this week. The album sold 447,000 copies, after one week in stores. I think they are great numbers, but as he said on his song, "you're the best", i could sell a blank disc; yeah, he could have sold a blank disc with all the buzz he had going for him.

The next rapper in line after drake this week is b.o.b, with 20,000 copies sold. That brings his total sales, for his "the adventures of bobby ray to 249,000 copies. Southern rapper, PLIES, also moved 20,000 copies this week; his second week in stores with his "goonaffiliated" album, which is now at 76,000 copies.

Other notable mentions on the chart this week are "ludacris's" BATTLE OF THE SEXES, and NAS and DAMIAN MARLEY's "distant relatives", which bought sold 11,000 copies individually this week. Luda is at 462,000 copies, and nas and damian are at 125,000 copies of their revolutionary album.

Let's wait and see what eminem does next week. I have personally heard the album, RECOVERY, and i think it is fire. It started off a bit ehh, but by the 4th track, it is a roller coaster ride till the end.

lil kim replies drake

You know that LIL KIM and "nicki minaj" have been going back and fort for about two weeks now, and their beef have got some people commenting. DRAKE was one of those people and you know which side he would take; of course with his YOUNG MONEY label mate, but I think he should have just minded his own business, because it is really between TWO FEMALES, why would you get caught up in the squabble between two females...anyway, below is what lil kim had to say to drake:

"I used to really like Drake...for him to have the audacity to disrespect me? He's gonna shout me out, when Ray J's the one who said it? How b*tchy do you look right now? You look like a straight p*ssy...You came at me, and I'm the f*king female... I didn't even know [Ray J] was gonna do this sh*t....when he was on stage and he said what he said, I had no choice but to back him..." (Miss Info TV)

I think she kinda has a point, because it was really RAY J that brought up the nicki issue, but even if it wasn't ray j that brought up the issue, i think drake didn't have to get caught up in that shit. I think maybe he is just talking because his album is about to drop and he wants to get some media attention. Anyway, what ever he gets from his comment, he should be ready to deal with it.

drake, fat joe and 50 cent weigh on the nicki minaj and lil kim beef

In the last week or so, there has been a lot of direct and subliminal disses from both LIL KIM and "nicki minaj" towards themselves, which started off when lil kim felt the list nicki minaj could do after stealing her whole style was to at least pay homage. I am not too sure, but I think I read some time ago that nicki credited lil kim as being one of the artist that influenced her; maybe I read wrongly.

So, the dissing has been going back and fort for the last 10 days or so, and a lot of people have weighed in on the matter.

Nicki's label mate, DRAKE had this to say:

"I just feel Lil Kim is a 'G' in the game, I feel like you're part of an era that's classic, that we'll never forget as young kids, me and Nicki, so it's like, you don't have to do that," Drake told television personality DJ Envy. "You don't have to get on stage and announce your presence and tell people to pay homage. That's a given and I watched Nicki pay homage to her time and time again and I just didn't respect it at all and whoever else was on stage with her, I don't respect that. You're just wearing your heart on your sleeve, you're showing that you're upset. And to me, nobody's done that to me yet and you know, but I would never expect Jay or Ye to get on stage and be like, 'Yo, pay homage to me! You need to respect me!' They know, they command my respect. They know their music and talent and that just signs that you're losing it, like, that's just how I felt and I really did take that personally. It bothered me and I really don't get too caught up with the Twitter, Internet stuff, but I did see it and I was like, 'You're supposed to be a 'G' and that just wasn't 'G' to me at all." ("Sucker Free")

I think I understand what drake is trying to say, that kim is bigger than that, but I have to correct him there though, when he compares the situation with if jay-z and kanye west would go up and ask him to pay homage- well, the difference with that and nicki minaj's case is that he didn't steal anybody's style, but it is clear that nicki minaj was influenced by lil kim, and her not confirming it, and then running with the whole lil kim swag when lil kim is still alive, and planning to drop a new album, now, that is a problem.

Let's read what controversial rapper, 50CENT have to say in the whole matter:

"I just feel Lil Kim is a 'G' in the game, I feel like you're part of an era that's classic, that we'll never forget as young kids, me and Nicki, so it's like, you don't have to do that," Drake told television personality DJ Envy. "You don't have to get on stage and announce your presence and tell people to pay homage. That's a given and I watched Nicki pay homage to her time and time again and I just didn't respect it at all and whoever else was on stage with her, I don't respect that. You're just wearing your heart on your sleeve, you're showing that you're upset. And to me, nobody's done that to me yet and you know, but I would never expect Jay or Ye to get on stage and be like, 'Yo, pay homage to me! You need to respect me!' They know, they command my respect. They know their music and talent and that just signs that you're losing it, like, that's just how I felt and I really did take that personally. It bothered me and I really don't get too caught up with the Twitter, Internet stuff, but I did see it and I was like, 'You're supposed to be a 'G' and that just wasn't 'G' to me at all." ("Sucker Free")

I think for the first time, I am seeing a point to what 50 cent has to say; I think he makes a point there. You know how lil kim can get with all her BIGGIE campaign, and for P.DIDDY, to now compare RICK ROSS to BIG, and then want to manage nicki, wow! I know how kim would feel about it.

Now, let's read what FAT JOE had to say about the matter;

"I think she's super dope," Joey Crack said about Minaj. "I think she's sexy, she's doing her thing. She's killing them, fly fashion, she's got it all, you know what I'm saying? It's like, sky's the limit. Yeah, Nicki Minaj needs to pay homage, she needs to say, 'Yo, Kim is dope.' What's wrong with that? 'Yo, Kim is dope, she's the sh*t.' I'm a fan, I've been in the game for f*cking 17 years and I still say KRS-One is my idol. I still say LL Cool J is my idol. It's nothing wrong with saying 'Yo, Kim is the sh*t.' Everybody knows that Lil Kim is the sh*t. She's a real b*tch, a living legend, down with Notorious B.I.G., why wouldn't she big her up?" (Vlad TV)

That's fat joe right there trying to be extra diplomatic, but getting his point across. Even though he is friends with YOUNG MONEY/CASH MONEY C.E.O, he has to get his point along.

To end this, I would just like to push my point across; i don't think nicki would ever pay homage, because, right now, she has all the fame, and it is getting to her head, and she would feel she is disappointing her fans if she did that; her ego wouldn't even allow her to do that right now. But what I have to say is that, in a lyrically battle, lil kim would show nicki minaj who the baddest bitch is.

what new rap albums are you waiting on

Yeah, what is popping people? I would really like to get comments up on here; i know at least, 30-40 people view this page daily (thanks to statcounter.com, i know that for sure), so i am wondering why people don't always leave comments. Anyway, i am cool as long as y'all keep coming back.

Anyway, i wanted to talk about new albums that are dropping soon; "drake's" THANK ME LATER album is dropping soon, J.COLE's album, i can't remember the name, is also dropping soon; the collabo album of my man "nas" and damian marley is dropping next week, make sure you go out and cop that, support real hip hop. DISTANT RELATIVES, the album by nas and damian marley, is dropping next week, may 17th. Yeah, that is one album i have been waiting on for a while now. I have heard a lot of singles from the album, and i think it is going to be a great one.

Another album i am looking forward to getting on my computer is GAME'S "red" album. You all know i am a game fan, so that is a must for me. I think you are going to hear another type of game on this album, but nothing short of a classic(okay, maybe i am blowing game's horn too much, but i am sure the album would be good). The album is dropping on june 29th; mark your calendars and make sure you go out and get it.

Another album dropping on that day would be "diddy's" LAST TRAIN TO PARIS. I respect the fact that diddy has held up his on for so long, more than15 years in the game; for that alone, i would cop the album. But bullshit asides, i like the kind of music he has been making lately, with his "dirty money" clique, giving us that 90's feel again. I feel you should mark your calendar for that one too.

As i said, i would really appreciate comments from you, my readers, and the followers i have.

J.COLE TURNS DOWN DRAKE'S NAS COMPARISON: GUESS HE WOULD RATHER BE COMPARED WITH JAY-Z

A couple of days, DRAKE compared J.COLE (member of JAY-Z's ROC NATION imprint) to nas, and i guess cole has other plans. He started off his response (in a recent interview) giving props to nas, saying it was too early to be compared to the rap veteran, but that wasn't the only reason he declined the comparison.


"Comparisons are natural," Cole said in an interview. "But in this particular instance, and no disrespect to [Drake's] opinion, because that's how he feels, but I feel like it's too early. You can't call things like that, that early. You can't say I'm Nas because, look, Nas was in the game for 16 years. What if I'm not here next year? What if you're not here next year? I don't think you can say stuff like that this early, but I understand what people are saying. At his status right now, he's the most talked-about guy in the game. The Nas comparison is like, 'He gets a little bit beyond the surface,' but I feel like when it comes to those comparisons, it's way to early. And you never know, 10 years from now, I could be Jay." (MTV)

Well, from reading that, you can deduce that he would rather be compared to jay than nas; just like many other new acts on the scene. Although they acknowledge nas's skills and creativity on the mic, they would rather be associated with jay's financial status.

 Below is drake's initial comment on j.cole...
"I'm at the starting line," Drake said in an interview. "Those guys are at home, putting on their tracksuits, getting ready to make their attack. When J. Cole gets it super-right, I think he's gonna have a place as a Nas-type character who really stands for hip-hop, but still makes ill records that everybody f*cks with." (Complex)


Well, all said and done, it is just cool that the two of them would pay homage to the real legends of hip hop.

A LOOK AT THE BILLBOARD CHARTS.

Looking at the billboard charts for this week, JAY-Z is still waxing strong with his 11th studio album, BLUEPRINT 3. He moves 43,000 copies this week, bringing his total to 1,159,000. I think those are good numbers in just about two months in stores. I hope he makes it to 2 million copies.

The next notable rapper on the charts is DRAKE, with his SO FAR GONE EP, which droped some weeks ago. The album moves 17,000 this week, bringing the total to 197,000 copies. That is not bad for an album that was being given away for free on the internet a couple of months ago, exclusive of a couple of new tracks, every other song on the album has been heard before, just repackaged.

KID CUDI, KANYE WEST'S protege is the next notable act on the charts. He moved 8,900 copies of his debut album, MAN ON THE MOON:END OF DAYS, this week. This brings his total to 183,000 copies so far.

EMINEM is still waxing strong with his 5th album, RELAPSE, which moves 8,500 copies this week. Bringing his total to 1,490,000. This is good numbers considering the climate of hip hop right now. But if it were to be compared to his previous albums, then it would be tagged a flop. You can't compare this any of his other albums, in respect to sales.

ROYCE DA 5'9 rides on the recent buzz of his rap group, SLAUGHTER HOUSE (HIM, JOE BUDDEN, JOEL ORTITZ, and CROOKED 1), and drops a solo album. Knowing royce, and his lyrical capabilities, i know he would not disappoint, but the hip hop listeners don't seem to be feeling him. His album moves a slopy 4,600 in its debut week.

CORMEGA COMMENTS ON DRAKE.

I read an interview of queens rapper, CORMEGA, where he was asked what he felt about DRAKE., and he said he didn't like the fact that drake is/was a rich kid just taking rap as a hobby. He said he does not like the idea of someone who already had money, and never went through any hardship before getting a deal, or didn't see rap as a way out like other hood rappers, but just as a fun thing to do.

Now, if i may buttress more on what cormega was trying to say, he was trying to say that drake talks all the tough guy lyrics in some of his songs(not all), but never really had it that bad. Hell, drake was acting(since 2001) in a tv show for about 8 years before the rap thing. So he was already caked up, and had a lot of money to throw around.

Although i do not fully agree with cormega, i can ride with him on some of the issues he is trying to pass across, and i feel his pain. I do believe drake is talented with the word-play, and he does have crazy punch lines to go with nice stories, but you can not deny the fact that he got a lot of backing from top shorts at record labels. There were a lot of favors from radio stations, playing his songs constantly, and also the media putting his name out there, and a lot of boost from LIL WAYNE, and all that. As NAS said, he was a breath of fresh air, and people always need that new "ish". So when the top shorts heard him, it was only a matter of time before he got signed.

I think the era we are in now, gives little or no recognition to the real talented street rappers, or the old school rappers, that have kept to the tradition of old hip hop, when it was not about the gimmicks. There was a time when it was about how nice you were on the mic, that is what got a lot of the 90's rappers signed; rappers like MOBB DEEP, TUPAC, JAY-Z, NAS, BIGGIE, BIG PUN, AZ, and so on. These rappers could actually rock a crowd with their freestyles on the streets. When you do not have any hot beats to back you up, and you do not have any catchy hook, and you had to impress your listeners by what you were actually saying, by spitting punchlines, and intellectual rhymes, rhymes that would live people in awe, that is the time in which cormega belonged.

And now, even the street rappers that do get buzz, and get signed, are the ones that are not to intelligent. The ones that just talk about their street experience, and because everybody likes to hear violent/gangster stories they buy into them. But the average AFRICAN AMERICAN should be off that by now. We should not keep portraying ourselves as project niggas, that kill each other and spend all their money on what the white man makes, from the cars, to the big chains, to watches(get the white man richer)......and then, get broke before the second album drops. I can remember a nas song where he says "real millionaires spend millions on paintings"(assets). He also said he was guilty of that kind of black man mentality in the past, and regrets his actions now. Why spend your money on "liabilities", when you can buy into "assets"

I do not think hip hop is dead, i just think it has evolved. I was a teenager when all the biggies, and the nas's where blowing up, and that is what was hot, i do not think we can expect that to be the case for ever. What the teenagers of now want to listen to is the drake's, and the lil wayne's, and the kanye's(i love kanye's mujsic by the way), so we should let them enjoy their time. I do believe that drake is a perfect blend though. He is a perfect "sit on the fence" artist. He has the ladies listening, and also people that love rap listen, because you can not deny that the kid can rock the mic to an extent. I kinda prefer listening to his rap verses than wayne's. While wayne pays all the attention to dropping the most metaphors and similes in a verse, drake drops punch line, and metaphors too, but he is actually talking about something as well. Think about it, wayne never really has a subject matter, he just mumbles on and blinds the mind of people with all the similes and metaphors like "I'm in so much ice, they call me skate wayne", and a lot and lot of stuff like that. I think wayne's last good album was CARTER 2, and if you have not heard it, then go get it. He was nice on that "like father like son" album with BABY too, but asides that, he is all about the similes and metaphors now.

Back to drake, he should keep doing what he do, but never ever disrespect the for-runners of this rap game as he rises to the top. He does look like a humble kid though.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHATS.

Yeah! Another week has ended, in the album chat world, and we would be looking at rap albums that made it on the chart.

Jay was number last week, and he is number one this week. He debuted last week with his latest album, blueprint 3, which sold a total of 476,100 thousand copies. And this week, he moves a total of 298,000, bringing him to a total of 774,000 copies sold in just two weeks in stores.

Kid cudi, kanye west's protege, and rapper, debuts on the chats this week with his debut album, "man on the moon", which sold over 104,000 copies. Not bad for a new comme. He would probably do better with the next album.

The other notable rapper on the charts is drake, with the re-release of his ground breaking mixtape/album/ep, "so far gone. H moved a total of 74,000 copies. Not bad for a re-release.

BOW WOW SIGNS WITH CASH-MONEY RECORDS.

BOW WOW just confirmed via his twitter page that he has signed a deal with cashmoney records. Home to two of the most celebrated hiphop acts in the game right now, drake and lil wayne.
Bow wow got into the music industry at a tender age of 13, under j.d's so-so def record label. He has released 6 albums since his 'beware of dog' debut in 2000, that sold over 3million copies worldwide.
His most recent effort, 'new jack city2' dropped earlier this year and is still yet to cross the 20Θ,000 mark sales. The must dissapointing record sales of any of his solo albums since his debut. This most likely prompted his decisiom to inc a deal with cashmoney.
With the right mechanics, i feel he can be relevant again.

NAS COMMENTS ON DRAKE AND GIVES SCARFACE PROPS.

Newcomer rapper, drake has everybody talking. Jamie foxx compared him with ll cool j, as he makes songs for the ladies. Jay-z already has him on blue print 3. Rihanna is supposedly in love with him.
Here is what nas has to say about him:

'I'm listening to drake and always, scarface.' Nas revealed in an interview. 'Drake is new. He's here to show anybody who questions him that he'll get at you. He's like fresh water right now on dry land. Scarface is the realist rapper. He's the most musically serious, besides kanye, right now. What scarface says in his rhymes is real. You can't get away from wayne right now, so that's what i'm listening to. I'm waiting on dr dre's album.'

Drake is signed to young money records(lil waynes label) with distribution from universal records.