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Nicki Minaj Raps 'Roman's Revenge' on 'RapFix Live'

Posted 10/31/10 8:12 pm EST by in Music News, RapFix Live

By Hillary Crosley with additional reporting by Sway Calloway and Mawuse Ziegbe

Recently, Busta Rhymes gave props to Nicki Minaj for "bringing character back to the game." Today, with the leak of her Pink Friday track "Roman's Revenge," the Nickster proved the LONS veteran right and even referenced him through her voracious character Roman Zolanski.

Nicki Minaj broke the news of her Eminem collaboration on our own "RapFix Live," explaining that she'd recorded a song with the often-violent Slim Shady and today (October 31) "Roman's Revenge" hit the web.

"We went out on a whim and put it in the air like, 'It'd be great if he would collaborate with us,' " Minaj told Sway. "I remember I kept talking about it, and I thought, 'It can't hurt.' I sent him one record, and he didn't love it. He didn't say, 'I don't love it'; he just said, 'Can you send me something that's a little more me?' I sent him an e-mail and thanked him for that, just having enough respect. Sometimes people don't respond. He had the respect, at least, to treat me like a peer." Read More...

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Run DMC's DMC Remembers Jam Master Jay, Accepts Award For Charity Work

Posted 10/30/10 7:00 am EST by in Music News

By Hillary Crosley with reporting by Rahman Dukes

Today (October 30), we celebrate the life of Run DMC's Jam Master Jay, who passed way eight years ago. Recently his partner-in-rhyme DMC received the Champion Award for his charity work with foster children from the nonprofit group, Children's Rights. In respect of this day of mourning, RapFix also asked the legend for a fond memory of his friend Jam Master Jay.

"Something that I always have to sit back and laugh at is this, he traveled with the X-Box thing," remembers DMC. "So we're on tour, on a bus for 12 hours. Where's Jay? He's in the back [playing video games]. We check in, get to the hotel room, even if you sleep on the tour bus, you're tired, you want to go to your room. We check in at 830 in the morning and by 8:45, Jay's up in his room playing the video games."

"Now this is the funny thing, all day we know everybody has to be in the lobby by 11:30," continued DMC. "11:30 comes, me, Run, Smith, Ray and Eric are downstairs—where's Jay? Go up to Jay's room, what's he doing? [Playing] with the X-Box thing, he was an X-Box fiend."

As for DMC's work with the foster child advocacy group Children's Rights, he takes the struggle personally. Read More...

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Panasonic Ends Production of SL-1200 Turntables

Posted 10/29/10 7:30 pm EST by in Music News

By Alvin Blanco

The Technics SL-1200 turntable is dead. Long live the Technics SL-1200 turntable.

Actually, the iconic turntable of choice for DJs, both professional and amateur, for almost four decades isn’t completely gone. Gizmodo is now reporting that Panasonic, owner of the Technics brand, is only ceasing production of the SL-1200MK6 model while others will still be available.

DJs can breathe a sigh of relief, but this isn’t the first time that rumors swirled, saying that the beloved wheels of steel were knocking on death’s door. Just last year there was talk of their demise.

Over the years companies like Vestax and Gemini, and many more, tried in vain to create turntables that matched the specification of the Technics 1200—mainly its direct drive motor with big time torque and a tank like exterior—and while some did, none could match the devotion DJs had to the original. Read More...

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MTV Argues Wiz Khalifa During Hottest MCs

Posted 10/29/10 5:30 pm EST by in Hottest Mcs in the Game 2010

You think you know, but you have no idea.

Sure, the MTV Brain Trust announced the final 2010 list for the Hottest MCs in the Game last Sunday (October 24), but there are parts you didn't see. For every Lil Wayne mention, there was another MC that someone felt deserved to a slot on the Hottest roundup but didn't make it. So this week, we're serving up the bubble list, comprised of MCs some of the Brain Trust thought earned a Hottest spot but didn't garner enough votes.

We began with Lloyd Banks and Gucci Mane, and Friday belongs to Pittsburgh's Wiz Khalifa. Push to start.

"Wiz clearly has a huge Twitter game, when he dropped [the mixtape] Kush & Orange Juice he was a google trend for about three days and no one really knew who the dude was," said MTV News' Steven Roberts. "Once he dropped it, people got to see what Wiz was about. He had these sold out shows and if you look at his peers, the J.Cole's and the other freshmen, he's selling out tours and these guys can probably barely sell out tours by themselves."

"We had our Hottest Breakthrough MC competition this year, which was voted on by the fans, and he came in #1 thanks to Taylor gang," said Sean Lee. Read More...

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Soulja Boy Remembers Run DMC's Jam Master Jay

Posted 10/29/10 4:25 pm EST by in Music News

By Hillary Crosley with reporting by Matt Elias

Tomorrow (October 30) marks the eighth anniversary of hip-hop icon Jam Master Jay's passing, however we here at RapFix are celebrating the life of the Run DMC pioneer today. In remembrance, we talked with Soulja Boy about the legend's influence.

Born Jason Mizell, Jam Master Jay was fatally shot inside a  Queens, NY studio on October 30, 2002. He is survived by his wife and three sons.

For more than 20 years, Jam Master Jay, Run (Joseph Simmons) and DMC (Darryl McDaniels) touched the lives of multitudes of fans who include their peers and associates in the music industry. Their brash b-boy style introduced hip-hop to the MTV audience with classic clips such as "Rock Box," "King of Rock" and "Walk This Way," which also resuscitated Aerosmith's careers.

"That's Run-DMC's mission," DMC said in a 1988 interview. "Let everyone know this is music. It's the most exciting form, the most educational, the most vivid and visual." Read More...

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J.Cole Says Debut LP May Drop In December

Posted 10/29/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music News

By D.L. Chandler

Fayettevile, North Carolina MC J. Cole is hoping to change his city's perception.

The small town MC—with big city friends like Jay-Z—aims to alter his hometown’s notoriety by employing a relentless work ethic. From heavy touring and recording to releasing an as-yet-untitled mixtape and the new feather in the young Roc Nation artist’s cap: production, he's hustling. With the debut of his album on the way, which some think will be called Cole World but the MC himself denies, his fans are eager for more of what the Southern gentleman has in store.

“The album… it could be in December, it could be in January," Cole explained to New York's Hot 97 radio DJ Funkmaster Flex. "I’m not sure. It all depends. I always say I want the most people to want my album to come out. I don’t wanna come out and do low numbers and just have my fans pleased. I want to reach the masses."

Elsewhere, J.Cole projected that some fans would divide their allegiance between his upcoming mixtape and his first full-length album. Read More...

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Nelly And 7 More MCs Who Should Appear on ESPN

Posted 10/29/10 12:35 pm EST by in List Mania

By Chris Yuscavage

When it comes to sports, Nelly knows how to hold a conversation.

So yesterday, ESPN invited the St. Louis rapper to their Bristol, Conn. studios again (this is Nelly's third appearance on the show by our count) to appear on their morning show, "First Take." He debated with ESPN's Jemele Hill and Skip Bayless about a host of different sports-related topics during the show's popular "1st and 10" segment and then fielded questions from the pair about his music.

This isn't the first time ESPN's invited a rapper to their set to talk sports, though. The Worldwide Leader in Sports hosted Lil Wayne last year when he appeared on "First Take" as well as the network's nightly show, "Around the Horn." Wale has been a featured guest on "First Take" and gone head-to-head with Bayless. Bow Wow has done it, too. And recently, even MC Hammer got in on the action by visiting the "First Take" set to talk about his affiliation with a new MMA organization and do a little debating of his own.

Clearly, ESPN's not afraid to invite rappers to battle on their network. So, we say: Why stop at these guys? If they're looking to continue to showcase rappers on the network, we've got a few that we'd love to hear talk sports. Yo, ESPN: Can you please let these guys get into the game?

The Rapper: Master P
His Qualifications: P signed signed with the Charlotte Hornets briefly during the 1998-99 NBA season, had a preseason contract with the NBA's Toronto Raptors in 1999 and played in both the CBA and ABA during the early 2000s. Oh, and who can forget when he signed big-time NFL prospect Ricky Williams to his short-lived No Limit Sports Management? Read More...

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Kid Cudi Admits He's 'Over Rapping'

Posted 10/29/10 11:30 am EST by in Music News

By Hillary Crosley with reporting by Steven Roberts

It's no secret that Ohio's own Kid Cudi is more partial to a note than a verse. From Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 album to the soundtrack for Kanye West's "Runaway" film, Cudi has proven his knack for nailing the nexus of hip-hop and singing, while maintaining rap's ethos.

However, with the release date of his sophomore album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager on the way on November 9, the G.O.O.D. Music MC says his days of spitting may be coming to a close.

"I'm just over rapping, I don't get any fulfillment out of it anymore," Kid Cudi told MTV News. "I just don't get fulfillment out of writing a 16, that's why you never really hear me on Kanye joints like that. Well, for two reason; he's f---ing dope, and I'm not gon' be rapping on 'Ye records and getting bodied all the time. Number two, I'm just not passionate about it. I'm more passionate when he be like 'Yo Cudi, come up with a hook or something.' He asks me to put verses down and sh-- but I try to procrastinate or disappear or something." Read More...

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Drake To Waka Flocka: 10 Rap-Inspired Halloween Costumes

Posted 10/29/10 9:00 am EST by in List Mania

By Chris Yuscavage

You waited until the last minute again, didn't you?

Obviously, you didn't learn a thing after you threw together that lame Lady Gaga costume last Halloween and looked like half of the other people at the club. You didn't even have to foresight to fork over $5.99 (plus shipping and handling!) for the Waka Flocka Flame mask that's been up on the Warner Bros. Records site for almost a month now—just in case you forgot to put together a Halloween costume. Darn it!

No worries. If you're a rap fan, putting together a half-decent costume at the last minute has become an annual ritual. From the time you threw on the same outfit you were wearing earlier in the day—backwards— and went out as Kris Kross (yikes!) to the time bleached your hair, threw on a white T-shirt and went out as Eminem (double yikes!), rap fans know how to come up with clever Halloween outfits on the fly.

So if you're still struggling to land on the perfect costume this year, look no further than your favorite rapper. And if that doesn't help? Well, check out these 10 rap-inspired Halloween costumes that RapFix hatched. It's our treat to you.

The Rapper: Nicki Minaj
The Materials You'll Need To Look Like Her: A colorful wig, some glitter and a revealing outfit
The Reaction You'll Get: "WOW!" OK, not really. If we had to guess, 98.7% of all girls are going as Nicki this year, so your costume isn't gonna be super original. But thanks to the simple nature of the costume, no one will know that you didn't even realize it was almost Halloween until Saturday afternoon. Just be prepared to defend yourself—people love to hate on Nicki. Read More...

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Nicki Minaj Explains The Origin Of Her 'Barbies'

Posted 10/29/10 7:00 am EST by in RapFix Live

By Hillary Crosley with reporting by Sway Calloway

Like Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang fan club, Nicki Minaj has named herself and those who love her. The 'Barbies' are the MC's legion of fans that know all of her lyrics, hang on her every rhyme and adore her every high-heeled boot. Sway asked Nicki how the term came about during her chat on "RapFix Live" yesterday (October 28) here on RapFix.

"It was just one of those things that ... I think all girls say it," said Nicki of the term. "They call themselves a particular Barbie, like black Barbie or Korean Barbie. I don't know ... Barbie's been such a staple in our culture that as women, no matter what color you are, it's almost like there's always a Barbie that you can relate to, especially when they made Barbie's that went to work, [and so on]."

As for when Nicki herself adopted the term for her fans, she said it was a happy accident.

"I just said one day, you know I have a Nicktionary, it's my own little terms and phrases, and one day I said, instead of saying 'bye' I said 'It's Barbie bitch,' " she recalled. "I could just imagine a Barbie becoming like a Chuckee and you think it's all cute but the head starts spinning or something crazy and the kids just took that and ran with it" Read More...

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