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MTV Argues Fabolous During Hottest MCs

Posted 11/1/10 6:38 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 on October 24, but there are parts you didn't see. For every B.o.B mention, there was another MC that someone felt deserved to a slot on the Hottest roundup but didn't make it. So now, 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, Gucci Mane and Wiz Khalifa, and Monday belongs to Brooklyn's mixtape monster Fabolous. Lights out.

"Fab made the list last year, I voted for him to get on this list this year," said MTV News' Shaheem Reid, beginning the debate. "I thought Fab had arguably the mixtape of the year with Funeral Service, him and Rick Ross, and that Albert Anastasia mixtape, battled it out for mixtape of the year. Fab created a whole movement on the underground, he has 'Lights Out' right now and 'Body Ya.' "

"He was one of my favorite "Mixtape Daily" segments that me and Rahman did," Reid continued. "We went out to the funeral home in Harlem, we made a whole movie and that's what he did with his mixtape. He carried the momentum from the Loso's Way album last year. Usually Fab'll put an album out, he'll go on tour and then he'll just chill for a minute and then he comes back out with another album. But he knew that he had a lot of momentum so he kept the streets hot by shooting viral videos." Read More...

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RapFix Remembers Shakir Stewart

Posted 11/1/10 5:40 pm EST by in Music News

It is with a heavy heart that, following the anniversary of Jam Master Jay's death on October 30, we here at RapFix take time to remember the late Shakir Stewart.

In addition to serving as the Executive Vice President of Def Jam Records and right-hand man to Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman Antonio "L.A." Reid, Stewart was a friend to many through out the entertainment industry. He passed on November 1, 2008.

A native of Oakland, California, Stewart was appointed executive vice president in June 2008, which he called his dream job. A graduate of Atlanta's Morehouse College, he previously worked at Hitco Music Publishing, to which he signed Beyoncé, according to Billboard.com. He was an A&R consultant at LaFace Records from 2000 to 2004 and signed Ciara to the label. Read More...

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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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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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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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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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Nicki Minaj Just Wants Her Mother 'To Be Mommy'

Posted 10/28/10 8:00 pm EST by in RapFix Live

By Hillary Crosley with reporting by Sway Calloway

Even if you're an international hip-hop star, you're still somebody's child.

Nicki Minaj stopped by "RapFix Live" with our own Sway today and talked about her relationship with her mother.

"When I was growing up I was really really close with my mother," shared the Nickster. "I talk with her about everything that's going on in life, and it's still like that now."

And while she calls her mother a buddy, to her elder sibling, the MC was of an annoying little sister.

"I had an older brother and he was quiet. He could sit in front of a TV and watch cartoons or play video games for hours but I could never sit for hours," recalled Nicki. "I wanted attention so bad from my older brother that I would rather him hitting me or us fight than us not communicating. So I would do crazy things and I know, sooner or later, he's gonna punch me. Then I'm going to fight him and then when I start crying I'll go to my mother. It was chaotic but it was all love." Read More...

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Check Out Nicki Minaj's 'RapFix Live' Photo Gallery

Posted 10/28/10 7:20 pm EST by in RapFix Live

Today, Nicki Minaj appeared on "RapFix Live" and answered questions you, the fans, tweeted to @MTVRapFix with the hashtag #hottestmcs and #rapfixlive and uploaded to your.mtv.com. Questions began rolling in last Friday as Barbies submitted queries to us—we see you JeanelleB and we love your video questions!—throughout the week for their chance to connect with the Nickster. Make sure you check out our photo gallery of Nicki on "RapFix Live" for more Barbie.

While we usually shoot "RapFix Live" with Sway live and direct here on RapFix and MTV.com, we filmed this week's show last night. But don't worry, we'll get back to our roots with a live show soon.

To celebrate her Hottest MCs in the Game rank and penchant for entertaining faces, we figured today would be a great opportunity to chat with Nicki Minaj and her multiple personalities, including Roman Zolanski and Barbie themselves. We admit ... Roman might've scared Sway a bit when she appeared but the two ultimately got along fine. She even told us that her mother, Martha, would be appearing on Pink Friday, along with Slim Shady, er, Eminem. Yes, Nicki Minaj will be rapping alongside Detorit's own Eminem! We're excited too but not at all surprised. Read More...

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