Eminem Talks Lil Wayne, Hip-Hop’s Future

By Ismael AbduSalaam

With his highly anticipated Relapse album less than a month away, Detroit superstar Eminem is continuing to open up about his feelings on today’s top stars and the direction of Hip-Hop culture.

For the past year, Lil Wayne has pleaded in the media for Eminem to end his sabbatical with a all-star, joint collaboration.

In a recent interview on Shade 45, Eminem expressed his willingness to make the song a reality despite Wayne’s tenuous relationship with his Shady/Aftermath superstar 50 Cent.

“I would. There hasn’t necessarily been a time for me to really get out there and do collaborations lately because I’ve been so locked down in the studio,” Eminem explained. “I’m open for whatever. There are a lot of artists in the game that I respect, especially right now.”

In gauging Hip-Hop’s health in 2009, the Detroit emcee argued that the culture is showing signs of life and growth after being mired in years of mediocrity.

“For awhile it seemed that Hip-Hop was not really in a good place,” Eminem stated. “For a good three to four years it just seemed that all anybody really cared about was having a dope beat [and] a good hook. There was no substance. It seems to be coming back with artists like Lil Wayne and T.I. I like Kanye a lot, too. And especially because I’m back.”

Eminem’s latest single “We Made You,” is the rapper’s second Top 10 Billboard single this year following the Dr. Dre and 50 Cent collaboration “Crack a Bottle.”

Eminem’ sixth studio LP Relapse is currently set for a May 15 release.

Eminem Relapse Album Cover Released

Released today, the above image is said to be the official cover for Eminem's Relapse album. The work is a collage, made of prescription pills. Going along with the theme, Eminem's government name appears again on this album, with "Prescribed by Dr. Dre" also included on the bottle-sized label.

According to this edition, the album, as promised, will release May 19, 2009 on Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records.

Check out Eminem's single "We Made You" [click to view] [click to listen].

The CEO of Philadelphia's Take Down Records gets life, DVD used in prosecution.

According to AllHipHop.com, Ace Capone, CEO of Philadelphia-based label Take Down Records has been sentenced to life plus 55 years.

In 2005, Capone was arrested and accused of being behind a $25 million drug ring. According to police, Capone’s drug ring extended to four different states including Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland.

During his trial, prosecutors accused Capone of trafficking over two tons of powdered cocaine and close to a half-ton of crack in a span of about eight years. And according to prosecutors, he was able to cover up his trafficking though side businesses that included a day care center, a water ice stand, and his label Take Down Records.

Ironically, prosecutors used a Take Down Records DVD as evidence during the trial. In the DVD Capone plays a notorious drug kingpin who is deep in his city’s drug trade.

The DVD, on top of the $500,000 in cash, 10 guns, and 450 grams of cocaine found in Capone’s home assisted greatly in prosecutors winning the case.

"You never respect life, or the value of it, until it's taken away," Judge R. Barclay Surrick explained to Capone.

When sentenced to life and 55 years in prison, a reportedly teary-eyed Capone explained that he “…never thought it would come to this."

T.I. Informant Bodyguard Sentenced to One Year

AllHipHop.com has confirmed that Corey Williams, former bodyguard to Hip-Hop star T.I., has been sentenced to one year and a day in federal prison for his role in last year’s machine gun/silencer scandal.

According to the Smoking Gun, Williams entered into a plea deal for his role in purchasing illegal firearms for T.I., real name Clifford Harris.

In court records, Williams revealed that he started working for T.I. in July 2007.

Soon after, Williams’ previously clean record allowed him to purchase weapons for T.I., who is barred from obtaining any due to his previous criminal convictions.

The arrangement was discovered by ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) authorities when Williams attempted to purchase a machine gun without registering the weapon, which is required by federal law.

Upon his arrest, Williams agreed to wear a wire during face-to-face meetings with T.I., which led to the rapper’s arrest on felony weapons charges.

Although no charges were filed, Williams also implicated T.I. protégé Alfamega in the conspiracy.

T.I. faced up to 10 years in prison for the charges, but was able to secure a unique deal that allowed him to perform 1000 hours of community service to at-risk youth.

In the past year, T.I. successfully completed the requirement by speaking at over 70 schools and community centers, and filming the MTV reality series Road to Redemption.

T.I. received the same one year sentence as his former bodyguard under his plea deal, and will start serving his sentence sometime next month.
Pending good behavior, the Atlanta native can be eligible for release within 10 months.

Corey Williams has already started his jail term.

Angelina Jolie Voted Most Beautiful Woman In The World

Hollywood siren Angelina Jolie has been named the Most Beautiful Woman in the World, beating supermodel Gisele Bundchen to the top spot in a new Vanity Fair poll.
The Wanted star was by far the most popular celebrity, garnering 58 per cent of the vote compared to newlywed Bundchen's nine per cent and third-placed Halle Berry with four per cent.

Brazilian stunner Bundchen, who recently married American footballer Tom Brady, wasn't the only one of actor Leonardo DiCaprio's lovers to make the list - current girlfriend Bar Refaeli tied for fourth place with Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Connelly with three per cent each.

Other celebrities to make the countdown include Beyonce Knowles, Slumdog Millionaire actress Freida Pinto, Kerry Washington and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Exclusive Cover Eminem Punishes XXL

On His Drug Addiction
“I wasn’t really mentally. I wasn’t ready to give up drugs. I didn’t really think I had a problem. Basically, I went in, and I came out. I relapsed, and I spent the next three years struggling with it. Also, at that time, I felt like I wanted to pull back, because my drug problem had got so bad. I felt like, Maybe if I take a break, maybe this will help. I started to get into the producer role more…I can still be out there with my music, like with the Re-Up album, but I don’t have to be in the spotlight the whole time.”

On Proof’s Death
“Everyone felt his loss, from his kids, to his wife, to everyone. But, for some reason, in hindsight, the way I felt was almost like it happened to just me…Maybe at the time I was a little bit selfish with it. I think it kind of hit me so hard. It just blindsided me. I just went into such a dark place that, with everything, the drugs, my thoughts, everything. And the more drugs I consumed, and it was all depressants I was taking, the more depressed I became, the more self-loathing I became…By the way, I’m just now at the point where I’m better talking about it. It took me so long to get out of that place where I couldn’t even speak about it without crying or wanting to cry…Proof was the anchor. He was everything to D12. And not just the group-for me, personally, he was everything.”

On T.I., Lil Wayne & Hip-Hop
“I stayed up on the music, and obviously I watch TV and saw what was going on. And without naming any name, it just felt like hip-hop was going downhill. And it seemed like kinda fast. You know, in them three years, it was like everybody just cares about the hook and the beat; nobody really cares about substance. But with this new T.I. album, with this new Lil Wayne album of recent, it seems like things are looking a lot better now. You can appreciate Lil Wayne using different words to rhyme and actually rhyming words that you know. Or T.I., where you hear shit and you’re like Whoa, ah, I wish I would have thought of that! You know what I mean? Or you hear all the compound-syllable rhyming and all that. It just seems like now the craft is getting cared about more

Beyonce, Jay-Z Earn Combined $162 Million In 2008

Britney Spears brought in just $2.25 mil, according to Parade magazine's celeb-earnings list.

Talk all you want about how Beyoncé's husband rakes in the bucks, but Mrs. Sean Carter is doing just fine on her own, thank you very much. As part of Parade magazine's annual "What People Earn" issue, it's revealed that Beyoncé banked a remarkable $80 million in 2008, just $2 million less than Jay-Z.

Also included in the random sampling of celebrities in the issue was funnyman Will Ferrell, who made $31 million last year, edging out actress Jennifer Aniston, who took in a not-too-shabby $27 million. It was also a good year for Ferrell's former "Saturday Night Live" castmate Tina Fey, who was paid $4.6 million for her work in movies and as the creator/star of "30 Rock."

And though she's now in the midst of a career-reviving tour and has a hit album on her hands with Circus, Britney Spears was not yet ramping up her earning potential yet in 2008, during which she took home a modest sum (for her) of $2.25 million. Banking twice that much was country pop sensation Taylor Swift, who brought in $5.5 million.

It was clearly a good year for actor/director/screenwriter Tyler Perry. The "Madea" franchise mastermind amassed an amazing $125 million with his hit movies, plays and various other entertainment ventures.

Proving that crime doesn't pay, the impeached Illinois Governor Rob Blagojevich — who allegedly attempted to sell the Senate seat once occupied by President Obama — made $177,400 (at least that we know of). Another governor who chafed under the harsh spotlight in 2008 — and who was seriously lampooned in the new Eminem video — former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin took home the not-too-blue-collar sum of $125,000.

That sum was a bit more than one of the country's newly minted heroes, airline pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who safely landed a plane on the Hudson River in New York. He earned a modest $100,000 last year.

Frankly, all of these celebs combined couldn't hold a candle to the biggest celebrity earner of the bunch: iconic doll Barbie, who amassed $3.3 billion in her 49th year.

One-time (supposed) Madonna boyfriend Alex Rodriguez had a perfectly good year, with a $34 million paycheck from the Yankees and various endorsements. But that didn't hold a candle to golf deity Tiger Woods, who made $110 million during a year he mostly spent rehabbing from knee surgery.

Other celebs on the list were TV host Kelly Ripa ($8 million), actor Patrick Dempsey ($3.5 million), billionaire New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ($1!), racecar driver Danica Patrick ($7 million) and radio host Rush Limbaugh ($38 million).

Source: MTV

Kanye West To Release Energy Drink

GURU Beverage Company announced they will be working on a new, organic energy drink with Kanye West via press release today. The company, which touts itself for "being built on principles of wellness, health, performance, authenticity and living life to the fullest," states an ad campaign involving West will be unveiled within the next six weeks.

"I express myself through music, fashion, art and design and that's why I am excited to collaborate with GURU; because the brand values what I value, and I can put what inspires me into this new product," West stated in the press release.

In addition to the currently unnamed new product, GURU announced Kanye has become an equity partner in the company. Terms of the deal were not announced, but some in the business community compare the move to 50 Cent's deal with Glacéau for their Vitamin Water brand [click to read].

"We are thrilled to be able to collaborate in the development of a new GURU product with Kanye West, whose talent and creativity embody GURU's philosophy of finding your inner genius, nurturing it and helping it bloom," added GURU Co-founder Ray Jolicoeur. "GURU reflects the health and creative sensibility of today's consumer who is searching for a drink that reflects who they are and how they live."

In addition to his venture with GURU, West also has deals in place with Louis Vuitton [click to read], Nike [click to read] and Travelocity.com [click to read].

The Game’s Black Wall Street Apparel Hits Europe

Whether The Game [click to read] decides to hang up the microphone or not, the Compton rapper will certainly keep busy with his Black Wall Street clothing line. Previously a brand limited to his own friends and crew, The Game has recently made the apparel available to people through his official BWS Europe site.

Tasiri Hixon, president of Black Wall Street, explained the decision to start The Game’s apparel line overseas. “We at BWS have been creating clothing items since Game and BWS began the climb to worldwide notoriety and popularity. Now we are taking steps forward to really take the clothing and make it a complete apparel line that will carve out a niche place in the marketplace,” he said in a press release.

With plans to spread the brand, Hixon foresees BWS clothing making its way to clothing stores in the states, much like Rocawear and Sean John. “We are still gearing up to launch domestically soon and it will be in retail stores and online stores soon.”

Fans can check out bwseurope.com for more information concerning the available BWS apparel, as well as prices. The Game is currently wrapping up his nationwide L.A.X. tour.

50 Cent Denies Offering Rick Ross Money To End Beef

In a videotaped interview between 50 Cent and radio personality Big Boy, the G-Unit leader took the time to deny Rick Ross' claim that a 50 Cent employee offered Ross $500,000 to end their beef.

"I saw that [video clip] on YouTube," said Fif, smiling. "He made that up — I don't think anybody interpreted that as if it was true. People looked at that like, 'Huh? ... How much more of a fool can you make of yourself?' People look at it like, now you can't take anything from him serious."

50 pointed out that paying to end a feud would not by typical of his character, and that he enjoys beefing.

"I competed with them just to keep the culture active," he said. "Ask me: Do I need [to beef with] a Rick Ross? I don't have a release date right now."

In the interview, 50 also predicted that Ross' upcoming album, Deeper Than Rap, would not be commercially successful.

"People are paying more attention to me and Rick Ross feuding than his actual records. His sales will reflect that."

Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent Double Down At The Palms

As Eminem fans impatiently await the arrival of the upcoming album, Relapse, the rapper is actively making his presence known. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Em and fellow rappers Dr. Dre and 50 Cent [click to read] just finished a three-week stay at The Palms in Las Vegas filming a music video and putting down tracks in the studio.

The video, reportedly for Em’s upcoming single, “We Made You,” also featured Palms owner and business mogul George Maloof.

“We [shot the video] in the casino playing blackjack,” said Maloof. “I actually dressed up as a dealer and it was kind of [like the] scene from Rain Man. I dealt cards to the three guys, to Dr. Dre and Eminem and 50 Cent.”

Before the three rap giants wrapped up the video shoot, they hit the studio, in what Maloof called one of the loudest recording sessions he’d ever heard.

“I think it’s the only time that we’ve had anybody in our studio where you could actually hear the sound through the walls,” he said. “The room…is four rooms in one. It’s like, impossible to hear through the walls—except for those guys.”

Although Maloof said the trio held noisy studio sessions, he also said that they were very focused.

A clip of the video will premiere April 7 on MTV at 6 a.m. and every hour afterwards. Relapse is reportedly set to drop on May 19.

Kanye West Unveils $200 Nikes, Fat Joe Plans $35 Sneaker

For some time now, Nike has held fans at the edge of their seats in anticipation of their Air Yeezy's, a shoe to be released in a partnership with Kanye West. As the release date gets closer, it seems fans will be lining up outside of some Footlocker locations for these sneakers.

“Nike is such an important brand to me,” Kanye said in a statement released last month on Nikepedia. “Whether you are on the court, in the street, in the club, at school, Nike represents excellence, the standard in design. Growing up, we looked forward to the release of new Nike’s the way we would an album by our favorite artist. So the opportunity to collaborate on a design with Mark Smith and Nike Design has been a dream come true, and a great experience.”

Nike had West try these shoes on during concerts and used his feedback to improve the durability and performance of the shoe. Now, fans can try them on as they will hit select stores Saturday April 4. The price is said to be above $200 and will only be avialble in a Zen Gray colorway for now. Later this year, Nike will release two more colorways.

In related news, Fat Joe is also working on a shoe. His sneakers, made to help those struggling in the rough economic climate, will sell at $35, reportedly. No finalized release date has been set for these shoes, however.

T.I. Says How He'll Spend Time Before Going To Prison

With T.I.'s impending jail sentence of one year and a day [click to read] approaching in under two months, the rapper has revealed how he wants to spend his time.

In an interview with MTV News, T.I. explained that he hasn't had enough family time.“I work so much, so I’d just like the time to kick it with them,” he said in the interview. “The kids, the old lady, my cousins, my brother, just with my family. Maybe take a vacation, maybe something for Mother’s Day. I don’t know, man. I might be able to make one more birthday party.”

Tip continued on the topic of family, explaining how his absence, which could be shortened to ten months, would affect his family.

“Well, you know we still got more work to do,” he explained. “At the end of the day I’m not going to be gone long enough to have any long-lasting effects. Of course, the initial emotion will be one of somber grief. But by the time they get over it, I’ll be getting home. Compared to how bad it could have been, I think I made out all right.”

T.I. is expected to report to jail on May 19.

Lil Wayne Explains His Direction For Rebirth

With “Prom Queen” and the album version of “Hot Revolver” [click to read] out, Lil Wayne’s Rebirth is on track to hit stores June 16th.

While some critics see the guitar and Auto-Tune singing as a Rock facade created by the New Orleans rapper, Wayne tells Rolling Stone magazine that the transition occurred because of his evolution as a person. “The Rock shit just comes from what my life is now…I’ve grown into this person.”

With his 2008 album Tha Carter III selling over a million copies in the first week, Wayne has become the quintessential Hip Hop superstar of today. With that accomplished, Wayne explains that he realized a calling to branch out of his musical box. “I just got — I’m not going to say ‘so good’ at what I was doing, but it became such a regularity for me that I got tired of it. And then I said, ‘You know what? I’m not going to rap on this one.’”

Repeating similar words that Baby told VIBE magazine recently [click to read], Wayne has set his expectations higher for Rebirth as an artist. “I don’t want to be the best rapper in the world. Not now…I want to be the best. Period. Now. My favorite rapper hasn’t done what I’m doing.”

Fans can check out the full Rolling Stone interview with Lil Wayne in their new issue, which hits newsstands this week.