News: T.I., Lil Wayne & Beyonce Lead 2009 BET Awards, Jamie Foxx To Host

Written by Cyrus Langhorne
Wed, 13 May 2009 12:30:00

Grammy-winning artists T.I., Beyonce, Lil Wayne and more have been announced as nominee leaders for next month's 2009 BET Awards in California.

The threesome will join other star-studded nominees for the annual ceremony.

Beyonce and T.I. are tied with five nominations each with Beyonce in the running for the Best Female R&B Artist and Video of The Year. T.I. is vying for Best Collaboration while Lil Wayne, T-Pain and Keri Hilson follow close behind with four nominations a piece. Among the other multiple nominees are Kanye West, Keyshia Cole, Jamie Foxx, Rihanna, M.I.A, Day 26, Common, The Dream, Trina, Lil Mama, Angela Bassett, Idris Elba, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Cheryl Ford, Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings, Benny Boom, Gil Green, Chris Robinson and Hype Williams. (Fox Business)

BET President Stephen Hill has weighed in on the upcoming event.

"Quite frankly, no one will be ready for what's coming this year," he said in a statement. "First of all, triple-threat Jamie Foxx is hosting as well as performing the number one hit of the year. Plus, how great is it that true BET fans will be able to vote on who gets all of the awards? The BET Awards is a celebration of culture and a gathering of family. You will not want to miss the BET Awards '09!" (Statement)

The yearly showcase features a variety of categories.

Nominees have been announced in the following sections: "Best Male/Female R&B Artist," "Best Group," "Best New Collaboration," "Best Male/Female Hip-Hop Artist," "Video of the Year," "Video Director of the Year," "Best Actor/Actress," "Male/Female Athlete of the Year" and the "BET J Award."

Despite leading this year's awards show, Tip is expected to begin a 366 day prison sentence by May 19

A year after pleading guilty to federal weapons charges, rapper T.I. was sentenced yesterday to one year and a day in prison. T.I., 28, had faced a maximum of 10 years. He was arrested in 2007 when he tried to buy machine guns and silencers. His sentence also includes a $100,000 fine. (Washington Post)

The 2009 BET Awards is scheduled to take place Sunday, June 28 in Los Angeles.

News: Canibus Emerges W/ Message To Former Rival, "I Wish LL Cool J Would Man Up"

Written by Cyrus Langhorne
Wed, 13 May 2009 12:10:00

As tensions continue to rise with the popularity of rap beefs, Canibus has emerged into the spotlight to make peace with his one-time rap nemesis LL Cool J.

Expressing the importance of mainstream rappers joining forces, the former Wyclef Jean associate broke down why artists should aim to unite more often.

"I just wish that today Cool J would man up and do some music with me," he said in an interview. "All the A-List artists need to do a collaboration album with each other. All these homegrown MCs have now is media worldwide over-saturation with beef and wars on wax that spill over into an artist's personal life. It's time for all of us who carry the weight of failing hip-hop on our shoulders to unite on an album and give the people a united community to respect...I've responded to my criticism by making more and more music of exceptionally greater value every four quarters over the years. I'm getting better. This is definitely poetry delivered with the passion of battle." (Boston Herald)

Canibus' "2nd Round KO" was a direct diss record towards LL from over a decade ago.
The first single form his forthcoming solo debut, "2nd Round K.O." features Canibus tearing into LL Cool J's reputation between shouts of encouragement from boxing legend Mike Tyson. In the song, Canibus outlines LL's past battles with Ice-T, Kool Moe Dee and Jay-Z, saying that "99 percent of [his] fans wear high heels," while threatening to battle LL "live in front of the cameras on your own sitcom/ I'll let you kick a verse, f*ck it, I'll let you kick them all/ I'll even wait for the studio audience to applaud/ Now watch me rip the tatt from your arm/ Kick you in the groin, stick you for your Vanguard award." (VH1)

The rapper also struck a cord with Eminem around 2002, which prompted Slim Shady to respond on The Eminem Show's "Square Dance."

"Dr. Dre, wants to square with me," Em raps. "Nasty Nas, wants to square dance with me/X to the Z, wants to square dance with me/Busta Rhymes, wants to square dance with me/Cana-b*tch won't square dance with me/Fan-a-b*tch, won't square dance with me/Canada-bis, don't want no parts of me." ("Square Dance")

He also spent a brief amount of time in the United States army.

One would have thought his lyrics on the song "Draft Me'' from the album 'C' True Hollywood Stories were just a clever concept to speak his mind on the war America was facing. It has been confirmed that Canibus recently graduated from Ft. Knox, Tennessee's U.S. Military Academy and is currently a cavalry scout/ reconnaissance specialist in the army as of March 2003. Canibus has not issued a comment on his decision. As far music goes he is planned to drop Rip The Jacker later on this year. (Six Shot)

His high-profile career went underground shortly after his battles with LL and feud with Em.
As a result, when he finally did return with his follow-up album, 2000 B.C. (2000), few noticed, it came and went generally unheard, and Canibus returned to the underground after parting ways with Universal. He continued to record albums and release them on the independent circuit (including 2002's Mic Club, 2003's Rip the Jacker, and 2005's Mind Control); furthermore, he retained a small base of fans as well, yet his days as the next-big-thing had clearly come and gone, as they similarly had for so many other talented rappers. (All Music)

News: The Game Talks Rick Ross Alliance, "It Ain't Got Nothing To Do W/ 50 Cent"

Written by Cyrus Langhorne
Wed, 13 May 2009 11:30:00

Former G-Unit member The Game recently spoke on his affiliation with Rick Ross and what his partnership with the "Boss" represents.

Speaking via a phone interview, the rapper said he has not chosen sides.

"Me and Rick, it ain't got nothing to do with 50 and all that sh*t," Game explained. "I ain't even on 50 like that anymore. That's why when he put out his little diss song, he left me out. If you see now, when 50 talk, when he do his sh*t, he leave me outta that 'cause he know. He know my rap is crazy. I ain't pick no sides in the Rick Ross/50 beef. I mean like me, I'm about hip-hop these days. So you know, Rick Ross is my n*gga, 50 used to be my n*gga. I ain't even mad at him no more. So who knows what that relationship will turn out to be or it might be dead until the end of time. But I ain't closing out nothing 'cause the green dollar set me on a whole 'nother path." (MTV)

Ross recently had a song leaked reportedly called "Head of Florida" which puts down Fif while bigging up Game.

"Walkin' in water, covered in ice," Ross rapped. "I f*cks pianos, I rape the drums/I kiss the mic, hits make me come/Bricks make me come from the tip of my tongue/Baby girl drippin' like the clip from my gun/I am the truth, brand new coupe/Running place take you straight back to Martin Luther roots...Held as a Boss, nailed to the cross/Rose from the dead...No need for all black, I can be in all peach and wack me a Curtis Jack...Governor of Florida, one terms' twice/I f*cks with Game, me and Blood the same/I became his fan when he threw away the chain." ("Head of Florida")

Aside from appearing on Ross' "Mafia Music" remix, Game recently dissed G-Unit at a concert earlier this year.

"Put this sh*t on World Star Hip Hop," he told an audience. "Eh yo, pull out your motherf*cing cameras and press record on them b*tches and upload this sh*t to World Star n*gga. It's f*ck G-Unit and that's what the f*ck it's gonna be 'til the day I go out...I don't give a f*ck what that n*gga going through with Rick Ross, I ain't Rick Ross. I'm the motherf*cking king." (Black Wall Street)

He also revealed his admiration for Fif's marketing skills in a recent interview.

Nobody can stop my shine, you can't do nothin' about me man," Game said about 50. "'300 Bars' solidifed the death of them n*ggas man and we been f*cking stomping on they graves ever since. Like I said years ago on SmackDVD, Young Buck was getting out, next is Lloyd Banks...I ain't talked to 50 in like three, four years. I don't know man, let homie get his money. He got his G-Unit sh*ts I be hearing in the club sometimes. Those la-di da-di sh*ts. They b*tches be dancing, the n*ggas be partying, if the beat is hot I'll dance. 50, get your money n*gga, I ain't hating...I got
ThisIzGame, everything that n*gga do I'm on that n*gga head. Whatever he do, he can come with 50RunsTheWorld I'm coming out with GameRunsTheWorld. I'm on that n*gga's a** man.

[G-Unit's music] is straight a**. You seen like Deelishis a** and Buffy a**, that sh*t is a** music.

That's what them n*ggas should call it, a** music." (SmackDVD)