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Jay-Z Verses RapFix Needs 'Decoded'

Posted 11/15/10 5:20 pm EST by in Music News

Jay-Z's highly-anticipated book "Decoded," co-authored by the legendary Dream Hampton, hits shelves Tuesday (November 16). In celebration, we here at RapFix figured we'd weigh in with Hov verses we'd like see explained.

From Jayson Rodriguez: Jay-Z's "4 Da Fam"

This is one of my favorite Hov verses for the sheer range of lyrical excellence. At one point, Jay is so braggadocios as he chin checks haters for trying to shorten his reign—threading pop culture and world history references together—so effortlessly it's like he's tying shoelaces.

"I don't think you truly ready for this dynasty thing, you thinking Blake Carrington, I'm thinking more like Ming," raps Hov. Then he slips in one line that's so utterly personal, that he's rarely spoken about since. "Plus I'm having a child, which is more frightening." Read More...

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Trick Daddy Debuts 'Magic City' Memoir: A RapFix Exclusive

Posted 11/15/10 4:20 pm EST by in Music News

Before Rick Ross, Trick Daddy held the title of the King of Miami.

Now the rapper, born Maurice Young, will release a memoir, entitled "Magic City: Trials Of A Native Son," detailing his life growing up steps away from South Florida's most popular strip. With the help of author Peter Bailey, the book hits shelves on November 16 and Trick's given RapFix an exclusive excerpt from the first chapter, "Born A Thug."

"My life began with Pork-n-Beans.

I’m not talking about the canned food that most residents in Anyhood, USA, have in their cupboards. Not the soppy stuff sitting next to the Kool-Aid and ramen, staples of a diet built on hard knocks.

History cats say the name came about because the only meal residents in Liberty Square Houses could afford was pork-n-beans. The idea isn’t that far-fetched. My family’s cupboard was stocked with the cuisine. But the origins stemmed from the stench that came from a local store that cooked the sloppy mess.

It stunk up the entire projects. Then younger folks coined the name on whatever color your front door was. Apartments with blue doors were called Blueberries. Those with green doors were Green Machine. Mines had maroon doors, called Pork-n-Beans. Read More...

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Experts Discuss Jay Electronica Joining Roc Nation

Posted 11/15/10 3:00 pm EST by in Music News

By Erika Ramirez

For hip-hop fans, Jay Electontrica’s announcement that he'd joined Jay-Z's Roc Nation on Friday (November 12) was a day of celebration—exception for one man.

“Damn it hurts in a whole other way when someone you felt and I mean really felt was your Friend, Betrays you. It hurts when [I] Breathe,” Diddy tweeted on Saturday.

Jay Electronica's underground buzz caught Diddy’s attention in 2009. Rumors of a Bad Boy deal started to spread as Diddy stopped through Electronica's performances, added adlibs to “Exhibit C” and was reportedly in the studio with the New Orleans MC. The pair even went in on a 48 hour fast together. But all of those friendly rumors withered on Friday and Diddy seemed to be the last to know. The announcement was such a surprise that Erykah Badu, mother to Jay Elec's daughter Mars, even tweeted to Diddy personally.

"@iamdiddy I’m sorry." Badu wrote. Read More...

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Kanye West + 7 More Rapper Music Days

Posted 11/15/10 12:32 pm EST by in List Mania

By Chris Yuscavage

Mood Muzik Mondays? Wu Wednesdays? Blue Fridays? And now, Timbo Thursdays?!?

Call us crazy, but we think it's pretty clear Kanye West kicked off quite the trend back in August when he debuted his G.O.O.D. Friday music promotion by pledging to deliver one new song every Friday until the release of his forthcoming album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Now, rather than release mixtapes, there are a ton of other artists who are also choosing to release individual songs once a week to keep themselves relevant.

Since we already keep a separate calendar to separate our music days, we got to thinking: 'Why stop there?' Surely, there are other artists out there who could take advantage of Kanye's original idea by releasing music on a specific day each week. So we sat down and came up with seven new music days for artists not currently participating in the process. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?

MINAJ MONDAYS
For: Nicki Minaj
How It Could Benefit Her: Well, briefly. Nicki's album comes out next week so she doesn't have much time to capitalize on this concept. But judging by all the buzz surrounding her latest leak, "Roman's Revenge," featuring Eminem and the snippets of her LP Pink Friday, we're guessing two Minaj Mondays would probably be more valuable than a year's worth of ... someone else's days. Read More...

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Lil Wayne Has A New 'A Milli'?: RapFix Dissects The Orignal

Posted 11/15/10 10:30 am EST by in Music News

By Hillary Crosley, with reporting by Jayson Rodriguez

On Sunday (November 14), the dreams of many RapFix fans were realized—Lil Wayne was in the studio recording new music.

"Nino Brown aka @liltunechi Got His First Song Since Rikers Coming To Yall Soon," Scoob tweeted. "Just Think A 2010 Version Of A Milli," he tweeted. "But On [Steroids]."

A new "A Milli"? On steroids? Since the Young Money Cash Money captain is moving onto a fresh version of his classic track, RapFix figured it'd be a great time to reflect on the architect of one of Lil Wayne's most popular tracks. So popular in fact that the video for the song is literally the rapper walking through ... the set of another video.

Earlier this year, Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, the producer behind "A Milli," sat down with MTV News and reflected on his hottest beat to-date. Read More...

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Saigon's Greatest Story Never Told: A RapFix Review

Posted 11/12/10 7:29 pm EST by in Music News

By Rahman Dukes

For years rapper Saigon promised to reclaim New York's rap crown. Instead, the MC was hampered by label politics, but not anymore.

Sai, a Brooklyn-to-Spring Valley, New York transplant, was working diligently on his debut album The Greatest Story Never Told with super producer Just Blaze, and has been for the last several years. He and Just have ultimately cooked up, what some say, is the Big Apple’s follow-up to Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready To Die. And despite his numerous major label setbacks, Saigon has remained humble, knowing his day would come. Now The Greatest Story Never Told has arrived and RapFix took a listen.

Nestled in a New York studio, the MC recently unveiled his trying story to a select group, saying the LP is slated to hit shelves in February 2011—just in time for Black History Month. Read More...

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Experts React To Kanye West's 'Today' Show Cancellation

Posted 11/12/10 6:24 pm EST by in Music News

By Alvin Blanco

After Kanye West tweeted his disdain for his pre-taped interview with the "Today" show's Matt Lauer days prior, the world finally saw Kanye's exchange with Lauer on Thursday (November 11) and, to some, it did not disappoint.

The interview began well enough, with Lauer asking West how he felt about the former president's feelings about his “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” comment. In response, Kanye said he empathized with Bush regarding being called a racist, and then Lauer played an interview clip of the former president and asked West to “Just look at him” to see the anguish in his face. At this point West said, “I didn’t need you guys to show me the tape in order to prompt my emotion to what I’m going to say.”

And this is where the interview went downhill.

Other incidents include West asking people offstage to keep quiet and displaying frustration at the clip of him interrupting Taylor Swift’s speech during the VMAs playing while he answered a question. Awkward. Then on Friday 'Ye canceled his upcoming "Today" show concert, citing Lauer again.

So who is to blame? Read More...

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50 Cent To Game: Who's The Best (Current & Former) G-Unit MC?

Posted 11/12/10 2:45 pm EST by in Poll, RapFix Live

By Hillary Crosley, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway

Last night, during "RapFix Live" Sway asked Lloyd Banks whether he'd work with G-Unit's former member, The Game ... and then Game tweeted 50 Cent about collaborating. Coincidence?

"@50cent All it take is "ONE PHONE CALL" !," Game tweeted. "U call me, I call BUCK, tell Banks holla at Yayo & dat puts HIP HOP @ OUR MERCY ! #UknowUcdisN---A."

But Lloyd Banks called shenanigans on a G-Unit reunion.

"I can't honestly take that situation seriously," Banks said, and Fif agreed. Read More...

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Akon Says 'Hold My Hand' With Michael Jackson Is 'Beautiful'

Posted 11/12/10 2:10 pm EST by in Music News

By Hillary Crosley, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway

T-Pain's not the only MC to work with the late Michael Jackson. According to the tracklisting for the  icon's forthcoming posthumous LP Michael, 50 Cent and Akon also made the cut. MTV News' Sway talked to Akon about working with the King of Pop.

"Just to be in the same room [with him], I felt like everything I wanted to achieve in life had already been achieved," Akon told MTV News "That's how incredible that aura [is]. We about to shake the world up, man ... You know how you be with somebody and you can't even explain [the feeling]?

"I used to always sit and wonder, 'How does somebody sell so many records and dominate a whole business genre to a point where nobody can't be a part of that without associating [with him]?' " he continued. "The way he thinks ... some artists think regional, some think national, I was thinking international, 'til I met him. He thinks planet. It's on another level." Read More...

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Lloyd Banks Talks Kanye West, Fabolous, Swizz Beatz On 'Start It Up'

Posted 11/12/10 1:06 pm EST by in Music News, RapFix Live

By Hillary Crosley, with reporting by Sway Calloway

There are a few street records moving rap radio's needle and Lloyd Banks' "Start It Up" is definitely one. Banks stopped by "RapFix Live" on Thursday (November 11) and talked to Sway about how the track, featuring Kanye West, Fabolous and Swizz Beatz, came together.

"A lot of good things happened in crunch time [of finishing my record The Hunger For More 2], I got to complete the 'Start It Up' record," said Banks. "Me and Fab linked up in the studio and I got a call that Kanye was in the studio not too far from where I was, so I went over there with the portions that we had for the record and he played me what he had. It was a 32 bar verse."

During the show, Banks also previewed clips from his upcoming HFM2 documentary, where he and Fabolous are depicted in a studio recording "Start It Up." Full disclosure; next to J.Cole and Drake's "In The Morning," we find "Start It Up" incredibly hard to stop playing. Read More...

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