Eminem was crowned the 'Hottest MC' in the game for 2010. Will the Detroit rapper be able to hold onto his crown?
MTV has rolled out it's 25 '2011 Hottest MC List' candidates. That number will be pared down to the top 10.
Next week we'll find out 10-6, with the top five coming on a special roundtable show on Sunday, February 19th at 10:30 p.m. EST on MTV2.
Peep the list below.
MTV ‘2011 Hottest MC List’ Nominees:
2 Chainz 50 Cent Big Sean Common Drake Eminem Fabolous French Montana Jadakiss JAY-Z Jim Jones Kanye West Lil Wayne Lloyd Banks Maino Meek Mill Nas Nicki Minaj Red Café Rick Ross T.I. Wale Wiz Khalifa Yelawolf Young Jeezy
Precious Paris got surprised earlier today when she found out the cover to Smooth Magazine, on which she is featured had leaked.
"The "SmoothMagazine" came out today????" she tweeted.
No worries for G-Unit's Rida Gang member because the fellas are digging the look. Paris will be releasing her debut mixtape on Valentine's Day. The Smooth Magazine with her on the cover is also dropping soon.
Today "Extra" tv host Maria Menounos had to face the music and pay up on the best she lost to fellow host A.J. Calloway. Menounos, a native of Medford, Massachusetts bet Calloway that if the New England Patriots lost she would wear a tiny New York Giants' bikini. If A.J. had lost he would have had to wear a Patriots' cheerleader outfit.
The Giants beat the Patriots 21-17 so Maria had to wear her bikini in the cold New York weather surrounded by Giants fans.
Rapper Rick Ross' career has been fueled by the cocaine dealing he often refers to in his lyrics. In his song "Hustlin'" off of his debut album Port of Miami he rapped that he knew former Panamanian dictator/drug kingpin Manuel Noriega.
"I know Pablo, Noriega.The real Noriega, he owe me a hundred favors," he rapped.
In a subsequent interview with AllHipHop, Ross admitted he didn't actually know Noriega.
AllHipHop.com: What did you mean when you said “Noriega owes me favors”? [Manuel "Manolo" Noriega, the Panamanian military leader who was tried and convicted for drug trafficking. He resides in a Miami federal prison]? What does that mean?
Rick Ross: Noriega owe a hundred favors, you know what I’m sayin’? It’s just like, you know, I kick it with [Pablo] Escobar nephew. He live down here. That’s my n*ggas, you know what I’m sayin’? So I just meant like, you know, real ties with real n*ggas. That’s what that meant. I don’t know Noriega personally, but I know n*ggas who have met Noriega. I know n*ggas who was in federal prison two, three cells down from Noriega. You know what I’m sayin’? And when I talk to them, I let ‘em know you know that’s something I meant to ‘em in the movies. I’m into sh*t like that. So I’m gonna stand to that. That’s all that means.
So began the rapper's mantra of fake it until you make it that has worked for him thus far.
In a just published article titled 'The Sound Of Success: Rick Ross’s Confidence Game,' writer Sasha Frere-Jones of the New Yorker places the blame on the Miami rapper's shoulders for making it acceptable for rappers to embellish what they say in their lyrics to the point that the motto "keeping it real" has all but left the genre.
Check out an excerpt from the article below.
A central motif in contemporary hip-hop is rapping about drug dealing by artists who may not actually sell narcotics. Among others, Jay-Z, Clipse, and Young Jeezy have rhymed about a past or present involvement in the trade on the street. It’s typically impossible to determine whether they are telling the truth about themselves or simply the truth about their environment, and it’s never been clear whether listeners care. The Miami rapper Rick Ross, who is both physically and culturally very large, talks endlessly about extensive work in the cocaine trade. His involvement with drugs remains a mystery, but, in 2008, the Smoking Gun published documents revealing that Ross—who named himself after the Los Angeles drug dealer Freeway Ricky Ross—was once a Florida corrections officer with a perfect attendance record. He has become more popular, critically and commercially, since the revelation, and has modified his stories of drug selling only slightly. So rap fans must be either very poor listeners or fairly sophisticated ones—much more likely the latter.
Ross’s success in mimicking drug lords has brought him the ability to live like one of them. Profiles have documented his large homes, his fleet of cars, his shopping sprees at watch stores, his solicitous entourage and flexible schedule. Ross may represent the final abandonment of hip-hop’s mandate to “keep it real,” a concept that goes by different names now but has not gone away. Perhaps listeners know that this is a version of “Miami Vice,” a show that Ross claims to have been inspired by. The appeal is less some kind of documentary thrill than Ross’s ability to transmit the confidence that comes from blithely running up roaming fees while driving a Rolls-Royce through Samoa.
Frere-Jones's article reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend recently who asked me if I watched reality tv. (I do not). He explained that even though people know shows like "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" are totally scripted and anything but "real" some people can't stop watching them.
Has rap become the new reality tv? And if so is Ross it's leading actor?
To read all of Sasha Frere-Jones' article head over to theNew Yorker.
Machine Gun Kelly and DMX have recently formed both a friendship and working relationship. Mikey T The Movie Star recently caught up with MGK to talk about what fans can expect to hear from their collaborations.
"That's my idol," MGK said. "I'm on DMX's first single. That's like big bro. He got a joint on my album. That's the man, shout out to him."
MGK was asked how he felt about exposing Dark Man X to a whole new generation of hip hop fans.
"All these people are f*cking jabronis, 'Jay-Z is the best rapper alive, Lil Wayne is the best rapper alive' ass motherf*ckers. I f*ck with them don't get me wrong. I'm just saying there are other people--you don't have to say what everyone else says and be like, 'the underground kid that nobody knows is the best rapper alive,'" MGK said. "I just feel like X is unpredictable. You never know what he's going to do. He has a f*cking priceless story. All I'm saying is be different. Dare to be different you b*tches."
A couple of weeks ago Birdman tweeted that he was willing to bet anyone $5 million dollars on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl against the New York Giants.
Stunna said he felt confident because his nephew was Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. A day after the Patriots lost Birdman tweeted nobody would take him up on his bet even though Vibe reported this morning that Sportsbook Brand Manager Dave Mason of BetOnline.com tried to reach out to the Cash Money boss prior to the game to make the bet.
“If Birdman is prepared to put his money where his mouth is, we are prepared to accept his $5 million wager on either the point spread or the money line of Super Bowl XLVI," said Mason.
Of course we now know the Patriots lost the game 21-17.
Less than an hour ago Birdman sent out a tweet claiming that nobody would step up to the plate to accept his offer.
Do you think Stunna is being honest or just doesn't want to admit losing such a large sum of money?
It looks like Janet Jackson's "n*pplegate" is happening all over again.
When M.I.A. threw up a middle finger during her performance with Madonna at halftime of Super Bowl 46, she managed to steal Madge's shine and stir up lots of trouble.
Both the NFL and NBC issued apologies for not blurring the middle finger.
“The NFL hired the talent and produced the halftime show,” NBC spokesman Christopher McCloskey said. “Our system was late to obscure the inappropriate gesture and we apologize to our viewers.”
The NFL also blamed NBC's delay system for not catching the obscene gesture in time.
“The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing, and we apologize to our fans,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said. He also added that M.I.A. didn't display the middle finger during rehearsals, so they had no idea she would do it during the live event.
The Parents Television Council isn't buying the apologies from the NFL and NBC. They blame both organizations for hiring acts who have based their careers "on shock, profanity and titillation."
Tim Winter of the PTC released the following statement:
“NBC fumbled and the NFL lied because a performer known as M.I.A. felt it necessary to flip off millions of families. It is unfortunate that a spectacular sporting event was overshadowed once again by broadcasting the selfish acts of a desperate performer.
“Last week the NFL formally told the PTC – and the American public – that the Super Bowl halftime show would be ‘appropriate.’ Most families would agree that the middle finger aimed directly at them is not appropriate, especially during the most-watched television event of the year.
“The mechanism NBC had in place to catch this type of material completely failed, and the network cannot say it was caught off guard. It has been eight years since the Janet Jackson striptease, and both NBC and the NFL knew full well what might happen. They chose a lineup full of performers who have based their careers on shock, profanity and titillation. Instead of preventing indecent material, they enabled it. M.I.A. used a middle finger shamelessly to bring controversial attention to herself, while effectively telling an audience filled with children, ‘F– you.’
“A simple apology rings hollow after yet another slap in the face to families, especially when NBC has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that it should be allowed to air all manner of indecent material at any time of day, even when children are watching.
“Either the NFL and NBC will take immediate steps to hold those accountable for this offensive material in front of a hundred million Americans, or they will feebly sit back and do nothing. The nation – and the PTC – is watching.”
The Super Bowl was watched by an estimated 110 million viewers. It's a family event and the NFL has gone to great lengths to hire acts they consider to be safe ever since Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" in 2004.
M.I.A. throwing up the middle finger during Super Bowl performance
Gisele Bundchen was in no mood to hear trash talking from New York Giants fans after her husband Tom Brady's New England Patriots team lost to them in the Super Bowl yesterday.
Bundchen was leaving her luxury suite at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis following the 21-17 loss when a fan yelled at her.
“Eli rules!” the fan exclaimed, referring to Giants quarterback Eli Manning. “Eli owns your husband!”
Bundchen didn't reply directly to the fan, but told a friend walking with her the Patriots receivers were to blame for the loss.
“You (have) to catch the ball when you’re supposed to catch the ball,” she said. “My husband cannot (bleeping) throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time.”
Bundchen had to be referring to wide receiver Wes Welker and tight end Aaron Hernadez, both of whom dropped key fourth quarter passes.
After the game Welker seemed to agree with Bundchen.
"It's a play I never drop. Most critical situation and I let the team down," he said. "It comes to the biggest moment of my life and I don't come up with it. It's discouraging."
Wes Welker's critical fourth quarter dropped pass
Giselle Bundchen blames Patriots receivers for loss
Bow Wow has run into some legal trouble in Tennessee that might require he spent a couple of days in jail before it's all cleared up.
TMZ is reporting that the rapper failed to pay a $100,000 tour bus bill from 2009 to a Tennessee company. The company then filed a lawsuit in Georgia where the rapper lives to get the judgement enforced.
He was ordered to show documents regarding the lawsuit. After he failed to do so the tour bus company filed a motion to have the rapper held in contempt.
In October 2011 a Georgia judge granted the motion and ordered the rapper be arrested and held until he produces the documents. According to the report Bow Wow still hasn't responded and will have to keep looking over his shoulder until he does.
Jim Jones and Trav are the latest MC's to take a stab at the "No Church in the Wild" instrumental. The New York duo flip it into a song about the drug game.
50 Cent took over the Bud Light Hotel last night as the headliner of their concert that also featured Lil Jon and Pitbull.
50 was joined onstage at various time throughout his performance by Floyd Mayweather Jr., Tony Yayo, Kidd Kidd, Precious Paris and Governor.
The concert was streamed live by omg Yahoo which was great for fans who would get to see G-Unit perform for the very first time live. The problem with the streaming event was that after showing all of Lil Jon's DJ set and Pitbull's hour plus long performance, Yahoo's stream stopped about 15 minutes into 50's set. There was nothing that suggested that due to time constraints the streaming would be stopped early. But at around 12 AM CST fans were left angry and scratching their heads as a message suddenly appeared saying the event was over.
The concert continued on and we have pics and a brief video clip from the show below
Yahoo caught up with 50 Cent backstage at the Bud Light Hotel in Indianapolis during Super Bowl weekend. They asked him about his proposed $1 million dollar bet with Birdman and some of the outrageous things people say to him on Twitter.
One request by a fan recently was if the New York Giants lose to the New England Patriots, 50 would have to show a nude picture of himself. The young lady said that if they won she would post her breasts and face on the social networking site.
50 said even though he likes to chatter back and forth with fans he has no intentions of considering something like that.
"This is what happens on my Twitter. When people say really crazy things I say 'OK.' I don't say anything else I just say 'OK' so my fans can see the crazy things people say to me," 50 said. "You know because they don't pay attention to what they are saying, they only pay attention to my response. So when I say OK to it they say' '50 said he'll bet to do this.'"
One bet 50 said he would consider is a $1 million dollar bet with Birdman on the Super Bowl if Stunna gives him the three point the Patriots are favored to win by.
"I would do the deal," 50 told Yahoo. "And if I did I'ma take the three points. I aint gonna sit there and play with him. If i lose by two I want my money."
Twenty-one-year-old Chris ‘Trippz’ Michaud can be best described by the heavy hitters as unexpected. Trippz combines raw talent with hypnotic melodies provided by production duo The Young Boyz. Influences include Tycho, Kid Cudi, etc.
Amber Rose is obviously serious about getting her singing career off the ground. Wiz Khalifa's girl releases her second song in as many months. "Loaded" is an uptempo club track.
As part of the week's Super Bowl festivities the NFLPA threw a party and J. Cole was one of the featured performers. Watch as the Grammy nominated artist performs "Dollar and a Dream III" off of his debut album Cole World: A Sideline Story.
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