Lil Mama on Recent Negative Headlines and Alleged Beef with Nicki Minaj

Harlem-born, Brooklyn-raised Lil Mama came on the scene in the spring of 2007 with her hit single “Lip Gloss.” But after a seemingly quiet two years, the New York femcee made headlines once again when she crashed Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ performance at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Since then, she’s gotten a lot of flack from the critics, but the pint-sized rapper says she isn’t letting the hate stop her.
After a recent interview with New York radio station Power 105′s Breakfast Club crew, during which she addressed why Nicki Minaj is copying her and took a lot of heat about her alleged bad looks and lack of talent, Lil Mama chatted with XXL to clear the air. Keep it poppin’. —Amber McKynzie
You’ve been in the media a lot lately. What do you have going on?
Lil Mama: I just recently released a viral video called “Scrawberry.” Definitely an authentic hip-hop beat. It’s sampled from Special Ed’s “I Got It Made.” I’m about to release a few other joints that I have a few viral videos for. One is “Hustler Girl.” I’m getting a lot of great feedback about “Hustler Girl” because it’s an anthem for women like us – like me and you. We out here, we doing our thing, whether we’re doing magazines, whether we’re doing radio, whether we’re actually a hip-hop artist, or even if you’re just a doctor or lawyer. Whatever you do, you’re hustling, getting your money. The second one is “So Much Money.” [It’s] a dance track. We’ve been getting great response, so the next two records that I’m gonna release are real big.
You’re really getting back into your music. Does this mean you have an album on the way or you’re just putting tracks out?
[I’m] just resurfacing as an artist. I might be putting out a mixtape, and, you know, just getting back on the scene in that way that I want my fans to receive me. I’ve been getting feedback, whether it’s positive energy or negative energy. It’s all been helpful to me in the past few months, and my music is definitely gonna speak for itself. I’m just feeling so blessed.
A lot of people still see you as the “Lip Gloss” girl. How has it been transitioning from a teen sensation to an adult performer?
I think that my fans definitely have grown with me. Every artist has their struggle point. My challenge was to be lyrical and to show people that, Yeah you’re from the streets, you’re rough, but [you can] show people that you can do it without even doing that. Because my music has always been like that, it’s been easy for people to watch me grow. It’s not like I tried to like start cursing [or] try to act like I got this new, grown image. So, I feel like the response is sort of like being in our grandmother’s living room. Some people are gonna have something negative to say, some people are gonna have something positive to say, but they all got something to say because they all care and I love that.

Artist Spotlight: Jay Pitt

J. Pitt is a rare artist, rapping since 4th grade with a close friend, the crew kinda fell off and both split ways. But J. Pitt continued to write and stay heavy in the game, making beats, helping others with music, and battling on sites around the internet.

Check out all the latest music from JAY PITT @ http://www.reverbnation.com/jaypitt

Yung Sean ft Rigo Suave- Bankteller

Another club banger from Rich Squad Music Group's Yung Sean ft Rigo Suave.......Check Out www.richsquadlifestyle.com

Lupe Fiasco To Release DJ Album, Speaks On New Mixtape

Lu reveals that he and his partner will release a DJ album under the name "Soundclash."

Lupe Fiasco previously revealed that he was working on Food & Liquor 2, but he's got a few more projects in the works. Speaking with Examiner (via LupEND), Lu said that he's working on a DJ album with his partner Scott under the name Soundclash and plans to drop a mixtape by the end of the year.
“Me and my partner Scott started a dj collective called Soundclash so we’re working on that album right now and hopefully we’ll have a single out by Halloween and will try and push an album out around that and tour and all that," he said. "There’s a Lupe Fiasco mixtape that’s coming which hopefully we’ll have out before the end of the year and that will hopefully lead up to the next Lupe Fiasco album. And that’s really it, just more touring, touring, touring and music, music, music, music.”
He also spoke on his current favorites in Hip Hop, naming a few veterans and newer artists. "When it comes back to hip hop I still like Nas and Mos Def and even the newer guys like Kendrick Lamar and Kid Cudi who can definitely kind of catch my ear and keep my edge sharp I guess.”

Rick Ross Talks Beef With Young Jeezy, Release Date For Next Album

Rozay talks Jizzle, as well as when you can cop "God Forgives, I Don't."

While Rick Ross' long-running beef with Young Jeezy is certainly not news, the Teflon Don has finally shed light on the contentiousness.
"There was a freestyle done on the BMF track where some things were said, and you know, I attempted to address it like a real G would [by reaching out to him," explained the Bawse in an interview with Funk Flex. "I never got a direct answer. There was some things being said on record that perpetuated that there may be beef. I always did business with homie."
"You gotta understand, when you talk about this street life and being one hundred and being solid, it's certain things that you just bring to a person. That's what I was expecting. And that never happened. However homie feel, that's him. Just all the way being real...we were just at the BET Awards, and I sat in the front row, and he performed. If it's any pressure, handle it right then! ...if we not gonna handle it right then, [it shouldn't be a problem]."
Funk Flex suggested that perhaps Jeezy was envious of Rick Ross' recent success. "But if that's the case," replied Ross, "we label those feminine ways. ...Every man gotta hold his own."
"I can be around a Puff Daddy, who's worth close to a billion dollars, and not feel in no way inferior. ...If anything, that's gonna inspire me. That's gonna motivate me."
Rawse also revealed that upcoming album, God Forgives, I Don't, drops on Def Jam December 13.

BoB Talks T.I. Recording Spree & 2nd Album

 B.o.B recently spoke about T.I.'s recent recording spree, along with details of his second album. During a visit to NYC, Bobby Ray first touched on TIP...

“But he’s recording like Tupac now. The first week he got out he did like 30 songs,” said B.o.B. “Not even exaggerating, ‘bout 30 songs when he got out. The whole first week…I feel like he’s just at a point where he knows what he wants to say so it don’t take a long time to do it.”

     B.o.B later went on to speak about why he always seems to be going through multiple phases in music interests.

“For me I feel like I been going through phases. And I feel like I’mma always go through phases,” he explained. “When I first started the first song I ever released was ‘Cloud 9.’ And that was like a smoker’s anthem. The first whole half of the song I was just singing on it…I  kinda went through that phase. Went through [an] alternative phase where all I wanted to do was make rock music. Now I just feel like rapping. I feel like naturally I’mma sing, throw a melody here and there but I’m in emcee mode now.”

     Before ending his interview, Bobby Ray spoke about a possible release date for his sophomore album,     currently titled "Strange Clouds."

“Man we gonna get that I’mma say [in] March. I’m aiming for early March. I don’t wanna say too much,” said B.o.B.

J. Cole Addresses Jay-Z Vs. Lil Wayne Beef, Says He's Begun Work On Sophomore LP

The Roc Nation rapper speaks on who he thinks is the better rapper: Hov or Weezy.

J. Cole hasn't gotten involved in Jay-Z's on-wax beef with Lil Wayne, and he continues to take the neutral route. Speaking with DJ Absolut, the Roc Nation rapper explained that he doesn't have an opinion on the situation and that it isn't even a big deal.
"I don’t really have too much perspective on that. I don’t think that’s a real thing, like a real issue. I don’t even think they both wake up thinking about that situation," he said. "I don’t think it’s about being the better emcee. They both do two different things. Obviously, they’re both great. Jay-Z’s been greater for a longer time, but they both great."
After nabbing a number one debut with Cole World: The Sideline Story, Cole isn't slowing down, revealing that he's already begun work on his sophomore album and is anticipating producing for other artists. "Man, Cole World: The Sideline Story right now, but I’m already working on album number two. I’m on tour right now, I’m producing for other artists. It’s coming man. I got a long way to go, plan on being here for a long time."

Former Detective Greg Kading Clarifies His Explosive Claims Regarding The Murder Of The Notorious B.I.G.

Exclusive: The cop-turned-author answers every question created by his shocking LA Weekly profile in regards to his investigation into the murder of Biggie Smalls.

On Monday (October 3rd), the LA Weekly published a jaw-dropping article regarding the revelations made by former Los Angeles Police Department detective Greg Kading in his just-released book, Murder Rap: The Untold Story of the Biggie Smalls & Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations.

After a 25-year career in law enforcement, Kading retired in 2010 and began writing his book detailing the three years he investigated the murders of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur from 2006-2009 as part of a joint L.A.P.D./federal task force that set out initially to solve the murder of Biggie Smalls in the wake of his mother Voletta Wallace’s multi-million dollar lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles for allegedly covering up the fact that then on-duty L.A.P.D. officers helped coordinate the shooting of her son outside of the Petersen Automotive Museum in the early hours of March 9, 1997.

Ms. Wallace’s belief that former L.A.P.D. officers (and affiliates of then CEO of Death Row Records, Marion "Suge" Knight) David Mack and Rafael Perez directed the godfather of Mack’s children, Amir Muhammad, in the shooting death of her son stemmed from initial investigating done by former L.A.P.D. detective Russell Poole. But now one of Poole’s successors in investigating the Biggie case, Kading, is claiming that he disproved Poole’s theory, and that rogue police officers were not in fact involved in the murder plot. Kading does however align with Poole in his belief that Suge Knight orchestrated the hit, but believes that Suge’s “go-to guy” for murders was not a cop (and that his hit-man was actually contracted by one of the mothers of Knight’s children, who is identified as “Theresa Swann” in Murder Rap to protect her real identity).       

Yesterday (October 4th), Greg Kading, a Medal of Valor recipient for bravery, spoke with HipHopDX (courtesy of Rare Bird Lit) in a two-part interview, with the first half of Q&A dedicated to his investigation into the murder of Notorious B.I.G. The man who shocked the Hip Hop world by challenging the seemingly solid theory put forth by Russell Poole regarding the murder of Biggie Smalls further raised eyebrows in his discussion with DX by refuting several previously established facts in the case, and even challenged one of the most convincing criminal identifications ever