Bow Wow On Rihanna And Chris Brown Situation: 'They Need Space'

'I wish them the best,' rapper says of the two.

Bow Wow knows all too well the scrutiny that the media can put on a young high-profile couple, after his very public relationship with Ciara. He explained to MTV News that when he first heard about the alleged incident between Chris Brown and Rihanna, he thought it was a rumor.

"The first thing that came to mind was that it was a story," Bow Wow said, before explaining that you really can't believe everything you read on blogs and various Web sites. "I've been in the game for a long time. I've been in a high-profile relationship before, so I understand. I think that the best thing that needs to happen for the both of them is that they just need the space."

He added that people should take both artists' feelings into consideration.

"You got so many people that want to say this and say that. You have a publicist. She has a publicist. It's tough, because to you, this is my 'wifey' and I'm her 'dude,' but to the public they are superstars."

He went on to say that this situation is no different than that of any other normal couple, and the two involved should get the respect that they deserve.

"My momma always told me that it's best that if it ain't your business, stay out of it — so I wish them the best. I hope that they bounce back and get back to what we know them for doing, and that's putting out good music."

He has not had the chance to speak to either party, but thinks that another opinion is the last thing either artist probably wants right now.

"He probably don't want to hear that, right ... she probably doesn't want to hear that either. Her birthday just passed," he continued. "You just really have to let them live."

source: MTV

Ne-Yo Spoke With Rihanna About Altercation

Singer says Rihanna is 'fine,' but the leaked photo 'hurt me to my heart.'


When Ne-Yo found out about the allegations of violence between Chris Brown and Rihanna, he knew he couldn't get the story from a third party. Concerned for both his friends, the singer wanted to speak to them personally.

On Monday afternoon (February 23), a still-stunned Ne-Yo offered his thoughts.

"I wanted to talk to them before I made a comment," he said about the much-publicized incident that occurred several hours before the Grammy Awards on February 8. Brown turned himself in to police during the awards show and was booked on suspicion of making criminal threats and released. "I spoke to Rihanna. She says she's fine. She didn't go into detail about what happened. I understand it's a painful situation; I didn't push."

Like so many of Rihanna's fans, friends and family members, Ne-Yo said he was grief-stricken after viewing the recently leaked photo of a bruised and apparently battered Rihanna shortly after her altercation with Brown.

"I saw the picture," he said solemnly. "That just really — that hurt me to my heart, man. Again, I still don't know what happened, 'cause I haven't had the opportunity to talk to Chris yet. But to take it to that level really hurt my heart. All I can say is, I'm praying for both of them. They're both in my prayers. I haven't had a chance to talk to Chris yet. I just wanna sit down and talk to that dude and just explain if he doesn't understand: 'That's not something that's excusable, bruh. You have to get a little smarter about whatever it is going on in your relationship. You have to get a little smarter about how you handle certain situations.' "

source: MTV

Rick Ross Vows To Outsell 50 Cent

Rick Ross says if you judge him on making music, then his 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin'.

"That's for sport," Ross said about his dis raps aimed at 50. The Miami monster said his underground records won't overshadow the hits on his album. "My freestyles as you could hear them, 'Kiss My Pinky Ring,' I do them in 20 minutes and put them out there. Those crumble empires. People listening to how potent the music is. That's all this really is for me. I'm not really excited yet. All this is a platform for me to show people how talented I am. How much better of a lyricist I am. So if [50] sold 10 [million], my next album should sell 12."

All the extra aside, Ross is spitting on all the Deeper Than Rap records that have leaked so far. The album is sounding like it will definitely be one of the premier offerings of 2009. "On Top of the World" came out Friday, and a week before that, he dropped "Cigar Music."

" 'Cigar Music,' that song is, after you release a song like 'Mafia Music,' it's like playing chess," he said. "Once you clean the table, once you make your moves, once you're satisfied with your result, once you understand the opponent, at some point you gotta sit back and fire up your cigar. That's what I did that record for. It's the calm after the storm. It's timeless music and a preview to let than fans know how much my music has matured. Shout-out to Bink [who produced the track]. I think it's a record that can be appreciated by people who really love clean music."

Deeper Than Rap has guest spots from Nas, Mary J. Blige and Lil Wayne, and last week on "106 & Park," Kanye West revealed he will be featured on "Maybach Music 2."

Source: MTV

Top 10 RnB and HipHop Music | February 2009

1. Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain "Blame It"
2. Keri Hilson "Turnin Me On"
3. Beyonce "Diva"
4. The Dream "Rockin' That Thang"
5. Ne-Yo "She Got Her Own"
6. Kanye West "Heartless"
7. Bobby Valentino "Beep"
8. Jamie Foxx "Just Like Me"
9. Beyonce "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
10. Ne-Yo "Mad"

Rihanna Breaks Her Silence

In the wake of TMZ photo, singer makes first public statement since alleged altercation with Chris Brown.

On Friday (February 20), Rihanna made her first public statement since her alleged altercation with Chris Brown.

"At the request of the authorities, Rihanna is not commenting about the incident involving Chris Brown," reads a statement from her representatives. "She wants to assure her fans that she remains strong, is doing well, and deeply appreciates the outpouring of support she has received during this difficult time."

The statement comes after a photo, apparently showing the singer shortly after the alleged altercation, was published by TMZ on Thursday night. The photo, evidently leaked by a source within the Los Angeles Police Department, prompted an internal investigation by the LAPD.

The timing of the leak is especially unfortunate, since Friday is Rihanna's 21st birthday.

Also on Friday, People.com and OK! magazine's Web site published a photo of the singer in a car in Los Angeles on Thursday night, reportedly on her way to an airport.

A week after the alleged incident, Brown released a statement, saying he was "sorry and saddened ... over what transpired" and was "seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones, and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person.

"Much of what has been speculated or reported on blogs and/or reported in the media is wrong," Brown's statement continued. "While I would like to be able to talk about this more, until the legal issues are resolved, this is all I can say."

Rihanna's father spoke with media outlets about the photo leak on Friday, calling it "sloppy work on [the LAPD's] part."

source by MTV News Staff

Rihanna Photo Leak Being Investigated By LAPD

Los Angeles police consider possible leak involving photo of singer posted by TMZ 'serious misconduct.'

The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an internal investigation and filed a personnel complaint after a photo leaked late Thursday of a person who is apparently Rihanna, following an alleged altercation with Chris Brown on Grammy weekend.

"The unauthorized release of a domestic-violence photograph immediately generated an internal investigation," an LAPD spokesman said in statement about the photo, which appeared on TMZ. "The Los Angeles Police Department Media Relations Section began receiving numerous inquiries about the release of a photograph associated with a domestic violence incident that occurred on February 8, 2009, involving entertainer Chris Brown."

Although it does not officially confirm that the woman in the photo is Rihanna, the statement continues, "The photograph appeared on an entertainment website. The photograph has the appearance of one taken during an official Domestic Violence investigation."

According to CNN, the chief investigator in the case said that the department has had tried to guard against leaks. Detective Deshon Andrews told CNN that he has been keeping the case file guarded and no copies had been made of the original photos and documents.

"The Los Angeles Police Department takes seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence," the LAPD asserted in the statement. "A violation of this type is considered serious misconduct, with penalties up to and including termination."

Earlier Thursday, People magazine reported that a relative of Rihanna's, whom it did not identify, said that Brown "flew so far under everyone's radar that we just didn't think he was that [abusive] type." The relative added that the news came as a surprise because "he was always looking after her needs, making sure she was happy.

source by: MTV

2pac Biopic At Center Of Legal Battle

A legal turf war has broken out between production company Morgan Creek and the estate of Tupac Shakur.

Morgan Creek has sued Amaru Entertainment, the company run by Afeni Shakur, the late rapper's mother and executor, alleging in a Los Angeles Superior Court filing that the company has backed out of an agreement to sell his life rights for a film adaptation.

Negotiations between Morgan Creek and Amaru began in November for life rights that would form the basis of the untitled project. According to the complaint, a written contract was in place for life rights, with Morgan Creek claiming that Amaru is "refus(ing) to honor and perform a contract of a production of the film based on the life of Tupac Shakur." The company seeks damages and other relief...

But late Wednesday, Amaru's lawyers denied the existence of a deal. "There is no agreement with Morgan Creek, there never was, and there never will be," said Amaru attorney Skip Miller, adding that the court filing is an attempt to force his client's hand.

Miller said negotiations for a biopic on the controversial rapper were underway at several studios and that Morgan Creek attempted to sabotage those talks with threats of litigation. "They have scared away Paramount, Fox and others, and we are going to sue them and recover millions (in damages)," Miller said.
Morgan Creek and lawyer Patricia Glaser declined comment.

The timeline laid out in the company's complaint presents a complicated series of events, but the key moment came in December, when Morgan Creek said it requested a term sheet from Amaru and was given a counterproposal that "set forth, in meticulous detail, the precise comprehensive terms, including material terms, that (Amaru) required to enter into a contract for the project."

Those familiar with the case said that negotiations broke down in January, after Fox Searchlight released "Notorious," a biopic about Shakur rival Biggie Smalls. The movie underperformed at the boxoffice, and a rift between the parties developed shortly after.

Shakur, who has sold more albums worldwide than any other hip-hop artist, led a colorful, made-for-Hollywood life. The New York-born, Oakland-raised rapper was a prolific artist at the dawn of the gangsta rap era and was charged with and incarcerated for a number of crimes. He also sold millions of records based partly on his experiences, including chart-toppers "Me Against the World" and "All Eyez on Me" and several posthumously released albums.

Shakur died after a 1996 shooting that likely was the result of an East Coast-West Coast rap feud. He acted in a number of Hollywood roles, including the romantic drama "Poetic Justice" and the basketball drama "Above the Rim." His music has appeared in countless pics, including "8 Mile," "Friday After Next" and "Blood Diamond."

Over the years a number of scripts have gone into development on the rapper's life, with none gaining traction. A documentary, "Tupac: Resurrection," made $8 million for Paramount in 2003, and Sylvester Stallone was at one point developing a project about Shakur's death and the subsequent killing of Smalls, aka the Notorious B.I.G.

Other hip-hop tales in development include "Tougher Than Leather," the story of '80s hip-hop pioneers Run-D.M.C., which "Notorious" scribe Cheo Hodari Coker is attached to write for Davis Entertainment.

Life rights and collaboration with an executor are not always necessary with a public figure like Shakur, though they would be essential if the filmmakers hope to include music, as they would in this case.

Source: Billboard

Maino’s Debut Pushed Back To May

Brooklyn rapper Maino’s upcoming Atlantic Records debut has been pushed back yet again.

The album, If Tommorrow Comes…was originally supposed to drop last year but was later pushed to this month and then March. It is now slated for a May release date...

The disc will include Maino’s hit single “Hi Hater” as well as his latest single “All The Above” which was produced by Just Blaze and features T-Pain. Along with Blaze, Swizz Beatz and Dangerous LLC have also been tapped to provide beats for the project.

In related news the BK MC has released his first book on his new company Hustle Hard publishing. Gangsta’s Don’t Die, which was written by Mouse, will come out on March 1 and is available on Amazon.com.

Source: XXL

Big Pun Remembered, New Documentary on the Way

Today (February 7) marks the 9 year anniversary of the sudden and premature passing of Christopher Rios, better known to the world as Big Pun.

After enduring a rough childhood growing up in the Bronx, Pun sought refuge in rhyming to deal with his mother's drug addiction and an abusive step father. By the late 80s, he had met lifelong friends Cuban Link, Triple Seis, and Prospect. Together, they formed a music click coined the Full a Clips Crew...

During this time, Pun would be known to fellow local emcees by his first stage name, Big Moon Dawg. Years of work paid off in 1995 when Pun met fellow Bronx rapper Fat Joe.

Impressed to find such a raw talent in his own borough, Joe featured Pun extensively on what many consider his best LP, Jealous One's Envy.

After building a strong buzz with underground hits such as "You Ain't a Killer," Pun dropped his seminal 1998 debut Capital Punishment.

Celebrated for its varied displays of lyricism, flows ("The Dream Shatterer," "Beware") and powered by the hit single "Still Not A Player," the album became the first platinum album ever from a Latino emcee.

Also, the LP scored a Grammy nomination for 1998's Hip-Hop Album of the Year.

Pun's stardom was short-lived, as the Bronx native could not gain control over his weight issues, even after ballooning to over 500 pounds and several attempted interventions from family and friends.

On February 7, 2000, Pun succumbed to a fatal heart attack at the age of 28.

Since his death, two posthumous albums (Yeeeah Baby, Endangered Species) and a controversial documentary (Still Not a Player) from his widow Liza Rios have been released.

Sometime this year, Pun's life will receive further examination with a new documentary entitled Big Pun: The Legacy.

The tribute project was originally announced last summer, but was delayed over post-production and distribution issues.

The film is reported to contain never before seen interviews and performances from Pun.

Additionally, the documentary features reflections from industry colleagues who Pun inspired personally or through his music, such as the Wu-Tang Clan, DMX, Snoop Dogg, Chuck D, Rosie Perez, Mobb Deep, and Cypress Hill.

At press time, a release date has not been set for the film. This year, Big Pun would have celebrated his 38th birthday.

Source: Allhiphop.com

It's Lil Wayne Vs. T.I.: Grammy Predictions For Best Rap Album

Most predict one of the Southern lyricists will beat out fellow nominees Jay-Z, Nas and Lupe Fiasco.

The battle for this year's Best Rap Album at the 51st Grammy Awards looks like it's gonna be between two men: Lil Wayne and T.I.

Each is up for the honor — Wayne for Tha Carter III and Tip for Paper Trail. Jay-Z's American Gangster, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool and Nas' Untitled project round out the field. But most of the experts MTV News spoke to last week predicted one of the Southern lyricists will emerge victorious on Sunday. (The battle is a rematch of the 2007 Hottest MCs debate.)

"It's a sure thing [Lil Wayne will] take all the rap awards he's nominated for this year," Entertainment Weekly music critic Leah Greenblatt announced.

XXL magazine's Bonsu Thompson agreed. "Wayne might have the easiest victory throughout the entire Grammys," Thompson explained. "Whether it's in the recording booth or onstage, there's no competition. He sold a million copies in one week."

Tha Carter III was heralded for Wayne's lyrical brilliance. On freewheeling tracks from "A Milli" to his first #1 hit "Lollipop," the New Orleans rapper soared over expectations. The list of accolades and accomplishments he received for the album are impressive: the biggest-selling LP in any genre in 2008, wins at the American Music Awards and the VMAs, and soon a triple-platinum certification. By all accounts, Wayne has had as successful a year as any rapper in history.

So has T.I., arguably.

"I think that T.I. should win, because he has a solid album, a huge presence and a great story," Hot 97 news director Minya Oh (a.k.a. Miss Info) told MTV News last week.

The Atlanta-based artist overcame a federal arrest in 2007 that threatened to derail his career and released his most well-rounded album to date.

Paper Trail featured two #1 songs — "Whatever You Like" and "Live Your Life," which featured Rihanna. Both numbers rocketed up the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the rapper's songs actually replacing each other at the top. In addition to the singles, Tip also revealed an introspective side of himself that he only hinted at on past projects.

"With so much struggle going on, he wanted to speak from the heart and put real thought into it, go into more details," longtime Tip collaborator DJ Toomp explained. "Sometimes you can go in the booth and just spit. And you may cover something but not get the gist of everything. But he said, 'Let me put my pen to work.' "

New York titans Jay-Z and Nas were also lauded for their recent projects, but critics don't think either album has the legs to keep pace in this category.

"I think Nas' album was nominated 'cause of the message," Thompson told MTV News. "It was more of a political or social stance from an MC rather than the body of his work. Nas may [actually] have the least chance of winning [Best Rap Album].

"I love what he attempted to do, but I think he fell a little short, content-wise," Thompson added. "The message was stronger than the music."

As for Jay, his second post-retirement album was a return to his earlier hustler mentality. The album, like Nas' album, made its debut at #1, but ultimately, while American Gangster helped Jay-Z regain his form, overall, Thompson felt it didn't stack up to the competition.

"Jay-Z really impressed a lot of people with American Gangster, but there can only be one winner and I think he's gonna fall short because of that," Thompson said.

Lupe Fiasco is the least-decorated rapper in the field, but the Chicago MC struck a chord with critics who offered praise for the brainy artist's album.

source: www.mtv.com

50 Cent Warns Rick Ross

The beef between 50 Cent and Rick Ross continues to brew as Fif has taken to his website to weigh in on Ross’ interview with Angela Yee yesterday.

As XXLmag.com reported yesterday, the Miami Boss spoke to Yee on her Lip Service radio show on Shade 45, saying 50’s diss song was “garbage” and that the actual beef started during last year’s BET Awards. “When I finally got the opportunity to bump into him, I actually intended on having words with him,” Ross revealed. “But he kinda disappointed me, so, I kept it moving...”

In the video which hit thisis50.com this morning, the G-Unit honcho warned the Def Jam rapper of taunting him. “She asked him where it came from and he said from the BET Awards,” he said. “Now I ain’t never had a conversation with these niggas - I know your name; I seen your videos, other than that we don’t got no business together - we ain’t got no reason to be talking to each other. So niggas think it’s an opportunity to create energy or excitement for the actual release of your record. And I understand it, it may be more attention that you usually get, but it’ll be the kind of attention that when it goes away, you go away, completely, like there’s nothing else left for your ass, you’re completed, done.” [Watch Below]

“Your company, the system, might actually feel like it’s a good idea for the moment until they realize that I won’t stop,” he continued. “There’s nobody in control of me, like I do what I wanna do. So I’m deciding to fuck your life up, Rick Ross, I’m gonna fuck your life up for fun. This is not new, I do this all the time. I got a list of niggas that [I] fucked up. I’ma fuck your shit up cause I know, I could already see from here, from where I’m at, that this nigga’s a fraud.”

From there the hip-hop mogul added Ross’ associate, DJ Khaled, in to the equation, while also threatening to go to Ross’ house. “I seen Khaled, I remember seeing Khaled, I ain’t see Rick Ross at all,” he said of the BET Awards. “[Ross] told me he gave me a pass. Well don’t give me a pass. I don’t deserve passes. I’ma fucked up nigga, you should do something to me. You understand what I’m saying. Niggas is sending mixed messages. Well know that I got your address, if we go there we’ll be on your door step Ricky, and we can make it the way its supposed to be.”

Source: XXL