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Willie The Kid drops new visuals for a heater off of his The Cure 2 mixtape with "Waste Not, Want Not."

Produced by The Alchemist.

Video directed by John Boros Productions

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Prodigy has not stopped for a moment's rest since getting home last March. He's following up Mobb Deep's Black Cocaine EP with his H.N.I.C. 3 Mixtape. The project will be available February 21.

Peep the cover and tracklist courtesy of Complex.

Prodigy H.N.I.C. 3

01. Intro (Redemption Songs) produced by Little People
02. Lay Low ft. French Montana produced by Harry Fraud
03. That's Nasty produced by Sid Roams
04. Extreme produced by Havoc
05. I'm From The Trap ft. French Montana produced by Havoc
06. Make A Hole ft. Havoc and Lady Luck produced by Havoc
07. Great Spitters ft. Cory Gunz produced Havoc
08. They Scared ft. Havoc and Waka Flocka produced by Havoc
09. Slaughterhouse produced by SC
10. Getting Closer ft Havoc and Estelle produced by Justice League
11. Look In My Life produced by Mr. Porter

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Let the debate begin.

New York City is enjoying basketball again since guard Jeremy Lin joined the team. Fans are experiencing "Linsanity" watching the guard light up teams nightly. He's averaged 26.8 points and eight assists in the last five games - all Knicks wins, but is he being overhyped?

One athlete who believes the media is giving Lin too much credit is boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. He took to Twitter to speak about what he considers to be a double standard in the press.

"Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian," Mayweather wrote. "Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise."

Some took offense to Mayweather's tweet and criticized the boxing great. He later attempted to clarify what he meant.

"Other countries get to support/cheer their athletes and everything is fine. As soon as I support Black American athletes, I get criticized." he said. "Wow what a country. I'm speaking my mind on behalf of other NBA players. They are programmed to be politically correct and will be penalized if they speak up. Its OK for ESPN to give their opinion but I say something and everyone questions Floyd Mayweather."

ESPN's First Take debated the issue and seemed to be sort of split in their opinions.

One Western Conference executive, speaking on condition of anonymity told the Los Angeles Times that Lin is going to have a hard time continuing to put up those numbers because most of his big games have occurred without the Knicks two superstars, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire.

“It’s going to be at the forefront of his mind that he has to get the All-Stars involved,” the executive said. “I think he’s a skilled player and a talented player, but I’d be extremely surprised if he could keep up his current pace statistically once you add those guys back into the mix.”

What's your opinion? Is Lin all hype, the real deal or somewhere in between?

ESPN debates Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s comments

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Common was one of the performers at the BET Honors Monday (February 13). The Chi-town MC performed "Believer," one of the standout tracks from his latest album The Dreamer/The Believer.

John Legend was replaced by Anthony Hamilton on the chorus, but the song didn't miss a beat.

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Producers Cookin' Soul bring together two rising stars in Mac Miller and Dutch rapper MC Melodee for an internationally flavored joint entitled "Genius."

The song will appear on Melodee's upcoming collaborative project with Cookin' Soul due to drop later this year.

Video directed by Film Collins.

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Via MTV

The biggest part of Big Sean's rise over the past year has been the unwavering support of his fans. While he's signed to a major label (Def Jam) and one of the brightest stars on Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music imprint, it was those fans mobbing him at the Adidas store in New York and superstar supporters like Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj hopping on his debut album, Finally Famous, that propelled Sean to #9 on MTV News' Hottest MCs in the Game VII — his first appearance on the list.

Big Sean hit the scene out of Detroit's west side as Kanye's newest protégé with 2007's Finally Famous: The Mixtape. For the next three years, he would release two more volumes in the Finally Famous mixtape series — UKNOWBIGSEAN and BIG — and make the coveted XXL Freshmen cover, all the while promising his debut album was coming soon.

That album, however, seemed like it would never see the light of day. Even when Def Jam gave Sean a September 14, 2010, release date, they eventually pushed it back fearing the album wouldn't perform.

"This is an artist who kind of had to fight with his label to get this album out," MTV News producer Steven Roberts said during our Hottest MCs roundtable debate. "I think it was a great thing that as soon as he put out this album, they saw that there was a fanbase there."

The Detroit MC's buzz is very real. He steadily built a huge following that transcended the average Web sensation. He also met the other Hottest criteria by clocking impressive sales numbers, having a sustainable impact on the streets, displaying unique style and spitting some pretty impressive lyrics. Then, of course, there are the intangibles. Sean was able to go into places like Atlanta (a city filled with eccentric rap talent like Travis Porter and Roscoe Dash) and the image-conscious Los Angeles and find out what works for them and make it fit him. He was also able to tag along with another famous fan of his, Wiz Khalifa, to tap into the Pittsburgh MC's sizable Taylor Gang following.

And while Kanye West was in the midst of the creative streak of three lifetimes, Sean's sound further evolved alongside producer No I.D. The two worked together closely on Finally Famous, with I.D.'s tried-and-true formula oddly complementing Sean's ever-changing, still-maturing flow.

"Sean did an amazing thing being on G.O.O.D. Music. How do you shine next to Kanye West who takes all the attention?" MTV News' senior hip-hop writer Rob Markman questioned, citing Yeezy's reclusive nature throughout the year. "We haven't seen Kanye West out there like that, and Sean was out there, so arguably maybe he shines brighter throughout the duration of the year than Kanye West."

With Finally Famous, Sean was able to score four hit records with the viral "I Do It," the Breezy-laced "My Last," a #1 song with 'Ye in "Marvin & Chardonnay" and the percolating ode to the Detroit house scene, the "Dance (A$$)" remix with Nicki Minaj. These tracks could easily be dismissed as products of the label machine, but all of these people — from West to Brown — are fans of Big Sean Don and what he does. They were recruited by Sean or personally reached out to him to collaborate.

It was truly a Cinderella story. "He was like the underdog that made it to the finals," MTV News hip-hop director Rahman Dukes pointed out. "He really did his thing."

But nothing is locked on the Hottest MCs in the Game debate — stick with MTV News all week to find out who winds up in the top 10!

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Ace Hood delivers a new video from his mixtape The Statement 2.

"Dreamer" is produced by The Renegades

Directed by Edgar Esteves.

Tony Yayo has revealed the tracklist for his brand new mixtape El Chapo 2. The project is hosted by Superstar Jay and features guest appearances from Danny Brown, P-Reala, Mike Knox and French Montana.

The project drops at 3 P.M. Eastern. 

Peep the full tracklist below.

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We may finally see Cassie's sophomore cd soon. The Bad Boy Records artist hasn't released an album since 2006, but she's back with a brand new single "King of Hearts."

Nicki Minaj releases a new record that is scheduled to appear on her sophomore album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, which is due out April 3rd.

The track is produced by RedOne

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Kate Upton has been named the cover girl for Sports Illustrated's 2012 Swimsuit Issue. The pic leaked earlier today from a Michigan gas station that got a few early copies according to TMZ.

While we wait for the full photo shoot to come out let's take a look at some of the 19-year old super model's hottest pics.

Enjoy fellas.

*UPDATE*

Kate's full photo shoot is out as is the Swimsuit Edition. Check out some of it below, plus Kate's reaction video to getting the cover

Kate Upton reacts to getting S.I. Swimsuit cover

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New leak off of Maino's upcoming cd The Day After Tomorrow dropping February 28.

You can pre-order it now on iTunes

In what seems like the plot to a Hollywood movie two Americans are still being held in Angola 45 days after being prevented from leaving following a failed New Year's Eve concert appearance by Nas.

As we previously reported, 51-year old Patrick Allocco, CEO of AllGood Concerts and his 22-year old son, also named Patrick have not been allowed to leave Angola until local promoter Henrique "Riquhino" Miguel is paid back the $315,000 he fronted for the failed concert plus an additional $75,000 in expenses.

Nas and Atlanta rapper Jemiah Jai were paid to perform on New Year's Eve in Angola's capital city of Luanda, but neither boarded a plane to the event.

The Allocco's were apprehended by Miguel's goon's when they tried to take a cab to the airport once they realized Nas, who was paid $300,000 wasn't coming. 

Instead of taking them to the airport the taxi driver took them to a supermarket and told them he had someone to meet. Sensing something was wrong the younger Allocco told his dad they should leave according to a new story in the New York Post.

“Dad, this isn’t good,” the son whispered. “Let’s get out of here.”

By the time they hopped out of the cab and tried to get their luggage out of the trunk they were surrounded by 20 of Miguel's men armed with AK-47's.

One of the gunmen reportedly grabbed the younger Allocco and slammed his head on an SUV before shoving both men in the back of a vehicle being driven by Miguel.

“We are going to die,” Allocco’s son said.

The two were taken to a police station and interrogated in Portuguese, which neither of them speak.

“That they’re being held for something that somebody else did is preposterous,” said worried wife and mother Abby Allocco.

Nas has finally returned all of the $300,000 he was advanced, but Jemiah Jai refuses to repay the $15,000 she received.

In the meantime, the Allocco's passports are being held and their money is running out fast. They had $100,000, but $40,000 has been spent on phone calls to the U.S. and other money is being spent simply trying to survive. A hamburger costs $45.

At one point the son was taken by locals to celebrate his pending release, but instead they tied his arms and dragged him through the streets, asking if his dad would pay $10,000 for his release.

He was warned to never leave the hotel again by an employee because he was a target.

The father and son applied for refuge with the U.S. Embassy January 23, but were denied because they were not deemed to be in serious harm.

“We did not find, in this case, that Mr. Allocco met the criteria for refuge. However, we did bring [the son] into the Embassy temporarily,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. “My understanding is we gave him some clothes and some medicine, but we didn’t take him in for refuge."

The Angolan government has also refused to help, leaving these guys in a real bad space.

Alloco told the New York Post his beef is with Nas.

“He put us in real harm, in real possible danger,” Allocco said. “This is the closest thing we came to someone up and running with the money.”

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This track has been floating around for about a year now and Gucci Mane is finally getting ready to drop a video for it. Check out the behind the scenes footage featuring Y.G. Hootie and Frenchie 1017.

Directed by M Vision Films

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Via MTV

Wale's sophomore LP, Ambition, debuted at #2 on the albums chart in November, and the title couldn't have been more appropriate.

The Washington D.C. rapper reinvented himself in 2011, claiming a new space in the hip-hop stratosphere after a sound, but commercially disappointing, debut two years earlier. Wale's tireless work ethic, along with a deal from Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group, were the keys to his success and his #10 slot on MTV News' Hottest MCs in the Game VII list.

After releasing Attention Deficit in 2009, Wale parted ways with Interscope Records and decided to continue on his mixtape grind. In August 2010, he dropped More About Nothing, the second installation of his "Seinfeld"-themed series. And if Wale was putting out feelers for his fanbase, it worked. The mixtape became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter, and pulled in 100,000 downloads in a matter of hours. Fans weren't the only ones paying attention though. Rick Ross, in the midst of constructing his MM Group empire, also took notice.

By February 2011, Wale was officially signed to MMG under the Warner Bros. umbrella. With the release of Maybach Music's Self Made Vol. 1 compilation last summer, Wale demonstrated his ability to deliver bangers on hits like "600 Benz," and from there his star only continued to rise.

"Wale really touched on a broad scale, when it comes to an audience, it's hard to dispute that," said Yomi Desalu, MTV's senior director of music and talent programming strategy.

The criteria to be considered a Hottest MC are based on a combination of impact, buzz, sales, lyrics, swag and the intangibles. Mr. Folarin pretty much touched on them all. He performed with the Maybach crew on shows like "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" finally getting his mainstream shine. With the right support system behind him, Wale began to prep his sophomore album, but he teased it with another excellent mixtape, The Eleven One Theory, in August 2011. In addition to proving that he was still a very talented lyricist, singles like "Bait" reinforced the fact that he'd finally found a sound that would appeal to a wider audience.

By the time November 1 rolled around, Wale had built plenty of anticipation for his second album. Thanks in part to Rick Ross — who demonstrated his uncanny talent for branding in 2011 — #Ambition took on a life of its own in the world of social media, with its inspirational undertones. Lead single "Lotus Flower Bomb," plus the Kid Cudi-assisted "Focused", "Slight Work" (featuring Big Sean) and, of course, the title track "Ambition" (featuring Meek Mill and Ross) struck just the right balance between Wale's sometimes-dense rhymes and radio-friendly numbers.

"Lotus Flower Bomb is a #1 record and Wale's album was very balanced and diverse," MTV Jams' Tuma Basa noted. In the post-release madness, Wale appeared alongside Rick Ross on the cover of Billboard, dropped verses on the Bawse's Rich Forever mixtape and even recruited Chris Brown to direct the visuals for "Slight Work." After shaking off the disappointment of his debut album and surviving the dreaded sophomore slump, things are only looking up for Wale.

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Nicki Minaj is getting a lot of negative attention recently. Her latest video for "Stupid H*e" has nearly 30 million views on youtube but the dislike to like ratio is more than double. The clip has also been banned from BET.

Last night her performance on the Grammys did nothing to quiet her growing number of critics. She showed up at the awards in a scarlet red outfit channeling her "Roman Zolanski" alter ego. She was accompanied by a man dressed up to resembled the pope. That was mild compared to her performance of "Roman Holiday" off of her upcoming album.

The Young Money rapper's performance resembled an exorcism. It started with a confession to a priest, before a short film "The Exorcism Of Roman" was shown. In the clip a mother tells a priest she didn't know where else to turn before he is shown to Roman's room. A possessed Roman retreats to an upper corner of the room and screams his name when asked what it is by the priest before the live performance begins again.

A performance that shows Nicki strapped to a table while dancers in robes gyrate beneath her. After freeing herself from the straps Nicki descends down a flight of stairs before things really go over the top. The exorcism begins complete with levitations and fire.

Catholic League President Bill Donohue issued a statement condemning the performance and Minaj.

Minaj’s performance began on stage with a mock confessional skit. This was followed by a taped video depicting a mock exorcism. With stained glass in the background, she appeared on stage again with choir boys and monks dancing.

Perhaps the most vulgar part was the sexual statement that showed a scantily clad female dancer stretching backwards while an altar boy knelt between her legs in prayer. Finally, “Come All Ye Faithful” was sung while a man posing as a bishop walked on stage; Minaj was shown levitating.

None of this was by accident, and all of it was approved by The Recording Academy, which puts on the Grammys. Whether Minaj is possessed is surely an open question, but what is not in doubt is the irresponsibility of The Recording Academy. Never would they allow an artist to insult Judaism or Islam.

The Hollywood Reporter accused the rapper of being a Lady Gaga rip off.

No Lady Gaga performance at the 2012 Grammys? Bummer. But wanna-be controversial rapper Nicki Minaj was happy do her best Gaga imitation.

 

First she arrived dressed in a Gaga-esque Versace red cloak-cape outfit accompanied by some strange old dude dressed like the Pope but without the necessary papal headgear and ornaments. He was more likely emulating a lower level bishop or something.

Then Nicki went on stage with that same poor guy, who seriously looked like he came from Central Casting, and began “fessing” the lyrics to her new single “Roman Holiday."

It got even more annoying when the show cut to a a pre-taped segment with the same dude doing his best Exorcist routine. (Think vintage SNL: "Your Mother Eats Kitty Litter, Your Mother Sews Socks That Smell"). All the while, Minaj applied more lipstick and sang the lyrics to “I Feel Pretty." Seriously, not making this up.

In case you fell asleep at this point, the show quickly flashed back to the Staples Center stage, adorned with enough stained glass to put Notre Dame and Chartres Cathedral to shame as Minaj was strapped to -- but eventually miraculously escaped -- some kind of of Hammer Studios Bride of Frankenstein table.

There was a lot  of pyrotechniques, popes, choir boys, stained glass and even Minaj elevating. What no speaking in tongues? Wait, maybe that was the rap lyrics. 

 

All of Minaj's sacrilegeous button-pushing is bound to annoy the Christian Right, the moral majority and make a few fleeting headlines. Was that the point?

Ouch! Tell us what you think of Nicki's performance in the comment section below.

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Lloyd Banks performed at the System Dance Club in Long Island, New York Friday February 10th and by all accounts shut it down. One look at his Twitter timeline and you can tell fans left the event happy.

HipHop-N-More was in the building and captured footage of the PLK performing "Shock The World" x "Beamer, Benz or Bentley" and "Start It Up."

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While not yet definitive, a clearer picture of what might have caused singer Whitney Houston's death has emerged. The New York Daily News is reporting that the singer was found submerged under water in her hotel bathtub after falling unconscious during a drug and alcohol induced stupor.

A pharmacy's worth of sedatives and anti-anxiety medications were found in the room, including Valium, Xanax, Lorazepam and another sleeping pill according to the report.

An autopsy was performed on the singer Sunday, but results of toxicology tests won't be known for weeks.

"At this time, her cause of death is deferred pending toxicology and further testing," said Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter. "I know there are reports that she drowned or overdosed. We won't make the final determination until all the tests are in."

TMZ initially reported that Houston had water in her lungs at the time of death adding to speculation she accidentally drowned. But according to their latest report Houston may have died before slipping beneath the water.

Houston's family has reportedly been told by L.A. County Coroner officials that she died from a mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs.

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It was a huge night at the Grammys yesterday (February 12) for Adele. The British singer took home a total of six awards including Best Album for 21, Song of the Year “Rolling in the Deep,” Record of the Year “Rolling in the Deep,” Best Pop Solo Performance “Someone Like You,”, Best Pop Vocal Album for 21 and Best Short Form Music Video “Rolling in the Deep.”

Close behind Adele were the Foo Fighters who took home five awards and Kanye West with four including Best Rap Album for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Bon Iver won in the categories of Best Alternative Album and Best New Artist, beating out J. Cole, Skrillex, Nicki Minaj and The Band Perry.

Chris Brown also had a big night Sunday. The singer won his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. But Cee Lo Green and Melanie Fiona managed to steal some of his thunder with wins for their collaboration "Fool For You." The song earned them both Best R&B Song and Best Traditional R&B Performance.

Corinne Bailey Rae took home an award for Best R&B Performance "Is This Love."

Check out the list of winners in the main categories and red carpet pictures below via MTV. For a complete list of winners go to The Grammys website

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