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Rap Duo Vicious Cycle Win 'Get In The Game' Pick On 'RapFix Live'

Posted 11/30/10 6:39 pm EST by in RapFix Live

By D.L. Chandler

The Texas-based female MC duo Vicious Cycle may not be a household name but the ladies are enjoying a much higher profile, thanks to the "RapFix Live" segment, "Get In The Game." During the show, MTV News' own Sway chooses an up-and-coming rapper to showcase and asks the "RapFix Live" guest of the week for their opinion on the new MCs.

During the G.O.O.D. Music edition of "RapFix Live," featuring Pusha T of The Clipse, Big Sean and CyHi The Prynce, Sway chose Vicious Cycle's "You People" clip for the "Get In The Game" segment. In response, Pusha, RapFix's sitting judge for the week, gave the women glowing praise.

"As you can see, they are lyrical. They're spitters," said Push.

When Vicious Cycle's Neeky Devro heard the Virginia native's words, her reaction was physical, to say the least.

"I literally dropped to the floor," she said. Read More...

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DJ Premier Talks Kanye West's 'Mama's Boyfriend'

Posted 11/30/10 5:59 pm EST by in Music News

Like Kanye West's Graduation, DJ Premier also contributed to the Chicago MC-cum-producer My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. West's fifth LP hit shelves on November 22 and leads the first week sales tally between the G.O.O.D. Music rapper, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna, according to the forecasting website Hits Daily Double.

"I actually submitted tracks that Kanye accepted and he kept updating his album, that’s just how he is ... but we never cut vocals to my track," said DJ Premier.

According to Primo, West didn't use his initial track but called the Gang Starr producer at the last minute for his special talents.

"He wanted me for a couple of tracks for the album he's doing with Jay," said Premier of Watch The Throne. "And then all of a sudden, literally the day before he turned in [My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy], I got an email from his manager Don like 'Yo,'Ye needs to holler at you' and Kanye said 'I need some scratches right now but, it has to be right now. Read More...

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Jay-Z's 'Decoded' + 8 More of 'Oprah's Favorite (Rap) Things'

Posted 11/30/10 4:28 pm EST by in List Mania

By Chris Yuscavage

Oprah likes a lot of stuff.

From Netflix memberships to Nike "Free run +" sneakers and Sony's latest 3D television, O spared no expense recently giving her audience members items that appeared on her annual "Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things" list. And nestled amongst all those things? A copy of Jay-Z's latest book, "Decoded." Despite the differences of opinion that they have shared in the past, it seems Oprah's now a Hov fan.

Good for him ... and for her. After all, "Decoded" could actually help open some eyes to the true meaning behind some of the biggest rap songs of the last decade. However, we wish Oprah could have been a little more open-minded and thrown a few more rap-related items into the mix. We know she's not a huge fan of hip-hop (just ask Ludacris!) but her endorsement would mean a lot.

RapFix figures Oprah probably just doesn't know about a lot of rap-related products so we compiled a list to help her out. Can we get a cosign, Op'?

The Product: Monster Cable's Diddybeats headphones
Why Oprah Would Love It: Just when you think Diddy's officially done everything, he goes and drops another product that you don't necessarily need but will probably still buy. Kinda like Oprah herself, right? Read More...

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Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday Vs. Lil' Kim's Hardcore

Posted 11/30/10 1:41 pm EST by in Music News

By Kathy Iandoli

On November 22, Nicki Minaj released her debut album Pink Friday, complimented by her long-awaited response to Lil' Kim's verbal jabs.

“She just really jumped out the window,” Nicki said during the Hot 97 interview, regarding Kim's previous comments. “You gotta be careful when you pick fights. That’s what I’ve learned in this business; you just never know. I think people get me mistaken for a real Barbie. They forget where I’m from, and if I have to revert back, I can and I will. So don’t play with me.”

Lil' Kim was less than kind when talking about Nicki as well, threatening to "erase her social security number" and kill her career with "her catalog." Then on November 25, the Queen Bee released "Black Friday," a reaction to Minaj's "Roman's Revenge," where Kim calls Barbie a "Kim clone clown."

So, when Pink Friday hit shelves, fans naturally began to compare Kim's 1996 debut LP Hardcore to Minaj's first effort since #teamminaj and #teamkim are already taking sides. To clarify, RapFix does not take sides, only facilitate the discussion. In accordance, here are five things that each album has that the other may not and vice versa. Think the RapFix list is fair? Are there a few missing pointers for either album? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Five Things Hardcore Has That Pink Friday Lacks

1. Notorious B.I.G.

Any album that has the soul of Notorious B.I.G. whispering through its tracks is a classic. Rap fans lost Biggie too soon, and Hardcore arrived just as the MC hit the brink of super stardom with Kim as his protégé. Not to mention, Biggie co-wrote many of the songs on Hardcore, so those are his words with Kim’s delivery. What a combo! Read More...

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Soulja Boy Tell'em To Appear on 'RapFix Live' This Thursday

Posted 11/30/10 12:06 pm EST by in RapFix Live

On Thursday (December 2), Soulja Boy Tell'em will stop by "RapFix Live" to talk about his third album, The DeAndre Way. The show will stream live here on RapFix as well as MTV.com at 4 p.m. ET.

This will be the Atlanta rapper's second appearance on the "RapFix Live" couch and the sit down chat with MTV News' Sway follows Soulja's November XXL cover with friend and mentor, 50 Cent.

"When I talk to dudes like 50 Cent, when we working on songs or other business outside of the music industry, there's always things that you can learn," he told MTV News. "You always think that you know it all, but you don't. When I'm around 50, he just likes to ramble. He can go on and talk. He can talk and talk and talk. And it's so good for me, because I just listen and I soak it all up. And I take it and I put my own twist on it." Read More...

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Joe Budden Settles Just Blaze Beef, Explains 'Stuck In The Moment' Origin

Posted 11/30/10 10:33 am EST by in Mixtape Daily

By Alvin Blanco

Joe Budden is always amidst some controversy, often inadvertently. The New Jersey rapper just released his latest mixtape, Mood Muzik 4, and like clockwork there was some confusion that needed to be resolved.
Upon Mood Muzik 4’s release, Just Blaze took to Twitter to chastise Joe Budden about using one of his beats for the song “Stuck In The Moment”—without permission. Budden told MTV News that he was unaware that the song’s instrumental was even produced by Just Blaze.

“When we were creating the Slaughterhouse album I got a beat from Emile; real talented guy, I love him,” Joe Budden said. “I recorded to it right there on the spot. I planned on using it for The Great Escape but that didn’t happen at the time. So I said let me put this out on Mood Muzik 4. I love the record, I’d love for the fans to hear it.” Read More...

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Jay-Z's 'Decoded' + 10 More Rap Memoirs For Your Christmas List

Posted 11/29/10 2:15 pm EST by in List Mania

By Chris Yuscavage

Have you read the good news yet? Probably not if you're like most rap fans out there with their heads still stuck in Jay-Z's new book, "Decoded."

The book came in at no. 3 on the New York Times Best Sellers list for hardcover, non-fiction books — right behind George W. Bush's memoir, "Decision Points." Not a bad look for Hov, whose decision to talk to everyone from Howard Stern to Hot 97 when his book dropped clearly paid off in a big way.

And just like just about everything Jay does, expect this to start a trend. Last week Chicago rapper Common announced that he will also be releasing a memoir, "One Day It'll All Make Sense," sometime next spring. The Roots drummer Questlove is reportedly working on a book set to drop in 2011 called "Mommy, What's A Questlove?" And another book about Jay-Z's life, "Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office," is already slated to hit stores next March.

But here at RapFix, we'd like to point out that, if you just finished reading "Decoded," there are also plenty of other rap memoirs that are also worth your time. If you loved Hov's book, try throwing one of these selections onto your Christmas list. You won't be disappointed.

The Book: "The Way I Am"
The Author: Eminem (with Sacha Jenkins)
Why You'll Love It: There's plenty of stories to read here, but there's also a handful of things in Slim Shady's book that make it more of a coffee table book than a memoir. From the never-before-seen flicks to the rap lyric sheets to a collection of personal drawings, "The Way I Am" showcases the way one of hip-hop's favorite MCs really is: complicated. Read More...

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Nicki Minaj's 'My Time Now': Experts React

Posted 11/29/10 1:01 pm EST by in Music News

By Alvin Blanco

Nicki Minaj gave viewers a glimpse into her private world with “My Time Now,” a one-hour documentary that followed Minaj on the road to the release of her debut album Pink Friday and aired for the first time on Sunday (November 28).

“ 'My Time Now’ helped justify all of Nicki’s antics and really helped to humanize the Barbie,” says Mike Yi, Assistant Music Editor of Vibe.com. “People who weren’t really sure of her artistry and the different characteristics can see that it’s 100% who she really is. She’s not just doing this to sell records.”

The documentary offered a behind the scenes look at Minaj, as she penned the lyrics to “Roman’s Revenge,” her lyrical stab at Lil' Kim along with Barbie's preparation for her MTV Video Music Awards performance. The cameras also captured Nicki's reunion with family in her home country of Trinidad, a private moment fans would not usually witness. Read More...

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10 Reasons Dr. Dre Is Finally Ready to Drop Detox

Posted 11/29/10 10:43 am EST by in List Mania

By Chris Yuscavage

Yeah, yeah, we've all been fooled by Dr. Dre before.

It seems like every few months or so for the last ten years, a new Dr. Dre song hits the Internet. Rap fans begin clamoring about how it must be the good Doctor's new single. A rumor starts and suddenly everyone thinks Dre's long-awaited, much-talked-about, oft-delayed Detox album is coming. And then ... nothing.

Well, listen up, folks: Detox is dropping. For real this time. And not just because RapFix says so. But because Dre said as much when he jumped onto the cover of the December's XXL and told the world definitively that the LP will drop early next year. He's even got a street single, "Kush," featuring Snoop Dogg and Akon, making the rounds on the Internet (and iTunes!) and a Joseph Kahn-directed music video in the works. And, you know what? We believe him this time. Why, you ask? Well, to help show you, we came up with a list of 10 reasons why we think Dre is actually serious this time when he says he's dropping Detox. Here's why it's time to start believing the hype.

1. There are no more Eminem albums to hide behind

A couple of years ago, it sounded like Detox was really going to drop. It was finished, according to several artists who had worked closely with Dre, and it reportedly sounded great. Then, Slim Shady jumped back into the picture and Dre put everything on hold in order to work with his protege. But now that Relapse and Recovery are both in the bag, Dre's got no other major projects to impede his progress. Read More...

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Watch Nicki Minaj's 'My Time Now' Doc Now!

Posted 11/29/10 12:13 am EST by in Music News

Missed Nicki Minaj's "My Time Now" documentary on MTV on Sunday (November 28)? Don't worry, RapFix has you covered. We've got the entire show right here in this post for you, Barbies — and those simply curious — to watch as many times as you like.

Produced by much of the same team behind Minaj's Young Money labelmate Drake's June documentary, "Better Than Good Enough," the film follows the bewigged mic-ripper as she crafts her hotly anticipated album, which dropped on Monday. The curtains are pulled back on the "Right Thru Me" lyricist's hectic lifestyle as she closes in on the November 22 drop date, giving fans a rare glimpse of the Trinidadian-born, Queens MC born Onika Miraj as she grapples with her past and faces her promising future. Read More...

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