May 4, 2024

About the author  ⁄ Rob Markman

Riff Raff Drops Neon Icon Today: Here Are The Four Songs You Gotta Hear

by 4 mins ago

Riff Raff is as polarizing a figure as you’ll get in music today, and the Tuesday (June 24) release of his Mad Decent debut, Neon Icon, will do little to change that. Over the course of 15 free-wheeling tracks, Jody Highroller rhymes irreverently, tossing rap paradigms out the window for something more suited to his off-beat tastes.

If you aren’t already a Riff Raff fan, it’s doubtful that Neon Icon will change mind; but to dismiss him totally isn’t the answer. Chances are Riff’s die hards already scooped up the album, but if you haven’t yet, then give these four tracks a spin first.

“Introducing the Icon”
We’re not saying Riff Raff is the second-coming of Eazy-E — that would be crazy, right? Still we couldn’t help but think of the late Eric Wright while listening to this one.

“Versace Python”
We stopped by for the song title, but stayed for the dream-like, Bone Thugs-inspired melody.

“Maybe You Love Me”
Are Mike Posner and Jody Highroller the 2014 answer to R. Kelly and Jay Z’s Best of Both Worlds? Maybe, maybe not, but don’t surprised if this song ends up a radio staple.

“How to Be the Man” (Houston Remix)
Riff Raff couldn’t miss with this one. DJ Mustard, plus Slim Thug and Paul Wall? Sign us up!

Mentally been many places, but I'm Brooklyn's own. Hip-hop gives me life! @RobMarkman
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World Cup Star Clint Dempsey¹s New Goal? To Drop A Rap Album

by 1 hour ago

Team USA soccer captain Clint Dempsey isn’t done making headlines. After scoring a goal 32 seconds into Monday’s match versus Ghana, he’s ready to take his talents off the field and into the studio.

On Wednesday (June 18), the Wall Street Journal reported that Dempsey will drop his debut rap album under the moniker Deuce. The album is titled The Redux and was recorded in two weeks during the off-season. The LP will be released with Dempsey’s rapping partner XO in the coming months.

The album’s first single, “It’s Poppin’,” finds the sports star spitting about his come up, but this isn’t first first try at the mic. In 2007 dropped a video for his song “Don’t Tread” and has always been a avid rap fan — particularly of the iconic duo UGK.

“‘One Day’…is another one I can identify with, because I lost my sister at a young age; she was 16, when I was 12,” the 31-year-old said of the popular UGK track in a recent interview. “After she passed away, going back and listening to that CD, you can connect with it a little bit more and it has more meaning to you.”

Mentally been many places, but I'm Brooklyn's own. Hip-hop gives me life! @RobMarkman
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Watch A Young J. Cole Challenge Jay Z In This Never-Before-Seen Clip

by 06/13/14

J. Cole has come along way. The Fayetteville, North Carolina MC made his mark with The Come Up mixtape in 2007, but it wasn’t until his 2009 mixtape The Warm Up that Cole officially arrived.

On Sunday, The Warm Up will turn five years old and to celebrate Cole sat down with MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway for “RapFix Presents: J. Cole’s The Warm Up – 5 Years Later,” a 30-minute special that will air on MTV Jams at 7:30 p.m. ET and re-air at 11:30 p.m. ET.

During the show Cole took a trip down memory lane and spoke on his mindset while recording his breakout project. He was just as confident then as he is now. For the special, MTV News unearthed some vintage Cole footage where he jokingly issued a challenged to Jay Z.

“Jay Z I got a few projects I’d like to get you on, if you’re not scared,” said a young Cole in footage that dates back to January 2009, months before Cole dropped his now-revered tape.

Looking back on it now all the rapper can do is laugh. “I was bugging,” he said in reaction to watching back the footage.

Of course the challenge was all in good fun and Cole and his Roc Nation boss have a great relationship these days. “Now it’s an actual relationship,” he said of his friendship with Hov. “I feel like I know him a lot better.”

“RapFix Presents: J. Cole’s The Warm Up – 5 Years Later” airs on MTV ...

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Ice Cube Wants Dr. Dre To Make New Tracks For N.W.A. Biopic

by 06/10/14

With reporting by Josh Horowitz

N.W.A has given us some unforgettable tracks, and if Ice Cube has his way, the World’s Most Dangerous Group may bless fans with some more new music on the soundtrack for the upcoming “Straight Outta Compton” biopic.

“I’m trying to convince [Dr.] Dre that we should do some new tracks for the movie,” Ice Cube told MTV News correspondent Josh Horowitz last week in Los Angeles when he sat to talk about the upcoming “22 Jump Street.”

Though Cube is busy promoting “Jump Street,” he is about to dive into the F Gary Gray-directed flick shortly. “It’s in very good shape. ‘Straight Outta Compton’ will be shot in August. So we have a director Gary Gray, he’s our director. We have a cast that’s going to be announced in the next week or two, so [it's] full-steam ahead,” he said.

There have been reports that Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr. will play his dad in the film, but the casting has not been confirmed by Cube or Universal. Cube did tell MTV News that the cast will consist of all unknown actors and confirmed that they will be shooting in L.A.

“I’m totally involved, I’m engulfed in it. This is our legacy, you can’t play with this, there’s no cutting corners,” he said. “I’m fully engulfed in that movie, very anal about it. It gotta be right.”

Mentally been many places, but I'm Brooklyn's own. Hip-hop ...

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The Actor Who Played Biggie In ‘Notorious’ Arrested After Domestic Dispute

by 06/10/14

Most fans remember Jamal “Gravy” Woolard from his role as the Notorious B.I.G. in the 2009 movie “Notorious,” and now the Brooklyn native is back in the news — but not for anything positive.

On Monday, TMZ reported that Woolard was arrested in Gwinnett County, GA for an alleged domestic violence incident. The 38-year-old rapper and actor was taken into custody after his 15-year-old stepson made a call to police. He is now being charged with battery, cruelty to children, and assault.

Prior to playing Big, Woolard dropped a number of mixtapes and was building a buzzing rap career. In April 2006 he was shot outside of New York City’s Hot 97 radio station and later had his music banned from the station.

Things got tough for Woolard, but started to look up after he landed the much-celebrated “Notorious” role. He’s been mostly quiet since then, however.

Mentally been many places, but I'm Brooklyn's own. Hip-hop gives me life! @RobMarkman
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Happy Birthday, Iggy Azalea: We Got You The Fanciest Gifts We Could Find

by 06/07/14

Iggy Azalea has plenty to celebrate. Not only did the Australian-born rapstress turn 24 on Saturday (June 7), she has made her mark on the scene in a major way this year.

She scored her first No. 1 Billboard hit with “Fancy” and tied a record set by the Beatles when she nabbed the No.2 spot as a feature on Ariana Grande’s “Problem” single.

The I-G-G-Y has given us so much, so we wanted to give her a little something back to celebrate. It may not be as fancy as she’s used to, but it’s the thought that counts.

1. 13 Pac Albums

It’s no secret Iggy is a huge Tupac fan, so why not get her ‘Pac’s entire discography. From his 1991 debut 2Pacalypse Now to his latest posthumous release Pac’s Life, plus his Thug Life and Still I Rise group albums.

2. “Clueless: Whatever! Edition” On Blu-ray

Iggy and Charli XCX looked like they had a great time filming their “Fancy” music video. The clip was based off of one of Azalea’s favorite movies “Clueless,” so getting her the classic film on Blu-ray is a no-brainer.

3. Another No.1 Record

One No.1 is nice, but a second will really set Iggy up nicely. If we’d have to guess, we’d say “Black Widow” featuring Rita Ora is the next to take the top spot. Someone cut the cut.

4. Nick Young USC Jersey

Ig is crazy in love with Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young. While we sure she has his current gold and purple jersey, Ms. Swaggy P ...

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Cali Swag District Member JayAre Dead

by Rob Markman 06/07/14 Cali Swag District rapper JayAre passed away on Friday (June 6). Rising California rapper Cobe Obeah broke the news on Twitter, earlier today. According to a source who spoke to MTV News, JayAre (born Cheron Childs) suf... ...

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Tupac Makes Us Remember Why We Love Him In This Previously Unheard 1995 Phone Call

by 06/06/14

Tupac Shakur continues to fascinate us. Even 18 years after his untimely death, the prolific Pac is still as captivating as ever.

These days, fans clamor around the plethora of unreleased musical material from the rapper, but earlier this week we were treated to a previously unheard phone conversation. On the call Pac discussed his 1994 Quad Studios shooting, plans to write a book with the late Maya Angelou and his now-classic 1996 album All Eyez On Me.

The conversation was with reformed gang banger Sanyika Shakur, who was known in the street as Kody “Monster” Scott, and was published to YouTube on June 3.

“This was me and Tupac’s first conversation. This was October 18th 1995,” read a message credited to Sanyika, that was posted to the Tupac Facts YouTube page. “I had just gotten out of Pelican a month before, and Pac had been out a couple of days. We did not know we were being recorded. My wife pressed record on the answering machine and unbeknown to either of us, caught some bomb ass history.”

Mentally been many places, but I'm Brooklyn's own. Hip-hop gives me life! @RobMarkman
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50 Cent To Be Investigated After Slowbucks Summer Jam Robbery

by 06/05/14

It’s been one heck of a week for 50 Cent. The veteran MC released his first album in almost five years, reunited his G-Unit crew and performed at Hot 97 Summer Jam, while another man got robbed for his chain just a few feet away. Now that man is launching an investigation against Fif and other unnamed parties.

Slow, one half of the clothing company and “urban brand” Slowbucks, was robbed of his jewelry while standing on the same stage that 50 Cent and Fabolous performed on at the concert in New Jersey on Sunday night.

In an interview with Hot 97, Fif claimed that he was unaware of the the robbery and didn’t see anything.

On Thursday (June 5), Slow held a press conference in New York City to speak on the incident with his civil investigator, John P. Bostany.

“If you look at the videos, every single one, whether he’s the one picking up the chain or not is irrelevant,” Bostany is quoted as saying by AllHipHop.com. “His body is facing what’s going on and the he turns around, in the middle of it all, and faces the crowd.”

According to Bostany, the robbery was a deliberate attempt to tarnish the Slowbucks brand. “They know he is the founder of Slowbucks, the #1 urban brand on the rise today. They want to hurt that brand and they are trying to hurt that brand we are going to put and end to that,” he said. “We’re here, I’m a trademark attorney, ...

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Girl Talk And Freeway’s ‘Tolerated’ Video Is Even Better With Their Hilarious Commentary

by 06/05/14

We must admit that when Girl Talk and Freeway first announced plans to get together for a collaborative project, we didn’t really know what to expect.

Not only is the Broken Ankles EP a great top to bottom listen, but the Pennsylvania duo gave us some eye-popping visuals as well. Watch as the newly-formed duo break down their blood-soaked video for “Tolerated.”

Mentally been many places, but I'm Brooklyn's own. Hip-hop gives me life! @RobMarkman
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