RapFix › Hillary Crosley

Wiz Khalifa Celebrates 'Black & Yellow' Going Gold With Hometown Concert

Posted 12/17/10 5:20 pm EST by in Music News

By Hillary Crosley, with additional reporting by Jayson Rodriguez

This week has been pretty special for Wiz Khalifa. In addition to learning that his breakout single "Black & Yellow" went Gold and releasing a "G-mix" for the track, the Pittsburgh, PA MC celebrated with a homecoming concert on Thursday (December 16).

On the same day, Wiz's camp released the "Black & Yellow G-Mix" featuring a few of the smokey MC's favorite rappers. Snoop Dogg, Juicy J and T-Pain guest on the track and while the trio of features might seem random, we support Khalifa's creative freedom.

Last month, following his arrest for weed possession, the Kush & OJ MC stopped by our offices to chat about the unlikely producers behind his now Gold-selling single.

"Stargate, they're really musical guys as well, any beat that I got from them was already sequenced so it's stuff that I listen for anyway when I make my music so when we got in the studio, we meshed really well," said Wiz. "It was kinda crazy because, you know, me being a rapper and them being pop, nobody knew where it was gonna go but then it ended up working out perfect." Read More...

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Joe Budden, Saigon And Just Blaze Reunite For 'Bring Me Down'

Posted 12/17/10 12:29 pm EST by in Music News

On Thursday (December 16), a more peaceful Joe Budden stopped by "RapFix Live." The New Jersey native shared that he was willing to put beef aside — with New York MC Saigon that is.

Jumpoff Joe has had quite a few wars of words in the last decade but as he rhymes in his latest single "Follow My Lead," it's the little things in life that are more important him these days.

To prove it, Joe, during his chat with MTV News' Sway, agreed to record with one-time enemy Saigon on a track entitled "Bring Me Down."

"Absolutely," Joe said. "Anytime. 'Bring Me Down,' I love that record."

And late Thursday, the MC along with Saigon, Just Blaze, who's remixing the track, Sway and producer Alchemist hit the studio to make that pledge official. Even New Orleans' Curren$y dropped by as well.

An unfinished cut of "Bring Me Down" is floating around the Internet now, but Just, a long-time champion of Saigon, stepped in to remix the cut. RapFix caught up with Saigon just after Budden announced his interest in collaborating. Read More...

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Kanye West Wins MTV News' Man Of The Year + Our 2010 Recap

Posted 12/17/10 11:54 am EST by in Music News

Let's have a toast!

Not only has MTV News presented the annual Mixtape Daily Year-End Awards this week — capping off our Top Mixtape Producers of 2010 — we've also announced our Men and Women of the Year. On Friday (December 17), Lady Gaga earned #1 Woman of the Year and Kanye West won our #1 Man of the Year.

Though 'Ye didn't garner as many Grammy nominations as Eminem (#2 Man of the Year), do the 'swag walk' with Diddy like Justin Bieber (#3 Man of the Year), dole out 12 months of ubiquity like Drake (#4 Man of the Year), garner a gold debut LP in three weeks like Nicki Minaj (#5 Woman of the Year) or continue his rule from Rikers Island like Lil Wayne (#5 Man of the Year), Kanye had a great year.

The Chicago MC was relatively quiet for the first half of 2010, but his march-worthy single "Power" dropped in May to the delight of the hip-hop and mainstream blogs. West followed the release with a corresponding "moving painting" video for "Power" that was barely more than one minute long and took fans — and detractors — another creative step forward. Read More...

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Kanye West, Swizz Beatz And More Earn Top Mixtape Producers: Mixtape Daily Year-End Awards

Posted 12/17/10 7:00 am EST by in Mixtape Daily

It's Friday (December 16) and we've shared our Top Mixtapes, hosted and mixed by the Top DJs — and maybe featuring our Fire Starter — who might've guested alongside our Top Mixtape MCs. Now RapFix is ending MTV News' annual Mixtape Daily Year-End Awards with a bang and saluting the men behind the boards. These gentlemen craft the beats that make us to bob our heads, screw up our faces and enjoy standing on that couch in that club.

Check out MTVNews.com for the official list as well as the video at the top of this post. Below, we present a round up of snippets from each producer and/or artist's mind, a bit of behind-the-scenes information on each track.

Pusha T on writing "Runaway" with Kanye West, produced by Kanye West:

"I'm writing a verse, and I come back to the table, and it's something that I'm feeling, and he's like, 'Naw, but I need more douche bag.' And I'm like, 'All right, man, c'mon.' So I go back, and he's like, 'Naw, more douche bag!' He's screaming at me 'more douche bag' at this point," Push said during his "RapFix Live" interview Thursday (November 18) about crafting the douche-bag-toasting standout from 'Ye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. "I just really had to, like, take myself out of it a little bit and then put ... the perspective of the guy ... who thinks he can fix it, but he's not being preventative." Read More...

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Joe Budden Announces Saigon Collaboration For 'Bring Me Down'

Posted 12/16/10 8:23 pm EST by in RapFix Live

By Hillary Crosley, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway

As the Lil' Kim vs. Nicki Minaj battle rages on, Joe Budden is taking steps to squash his beef.

The New Jersey MC stopped by "RapFix Live" on Thursday (December 16) and spoke on his past dust-up with rapper Saigon. Budden even agreed to collaborate with the Yardfather on his new song "Bring Me Down."

"Absolutely," Joe said. "Anytime. 'Bring Me Down,' I love that record."

An unfinished copy of the "Bring Me Down" is currently floating around the web, but producer Just Blaze, who's long championed Sai, is in the process of remixing the track. And Joey's verse will no doubt add fuel to the fire. MTV News caught up with Saigon moments after Joe made his announcement. Read More...

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Watch Joe Budden on 'RapFix Live' Now!

Posted 12/16/10 4:03 pm EST by in RapFix Live

It's finally time!

Joe Budden is live on our "RapFix Live" couch to chat with MTV News' Sway beginning at 4 p.m. ET right here on RapFix.mtv.com and MTV.com. Are you ready?

The mixtape MC recently released the latest installment of his mixtape series, Mood Muzik 4 and you can ask the JoeBudden.TV host whatever you like.

Why decide to release so many mixtapes? Who's he dating right now? What's the secret to his lyrical talents — not to mention his flare for dating beautiful women like model Esther Baxter. As for his most recent Mood Muzik 4, Joe ran into friction with producer, and one-time collaborator, Just Blaze and the MC clarified the situation with MTV News' Mixtape Daily team. Read More...

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Lil' Kim Shoots Video For 'Black Friday' Dis At Nicki Minaj

Posted 12/16/10 3:47 pm EST by in Music News

It looks like Lil' Kim is taking her "Black Friday" movement aimed at Nicki Minaj a bit further.

On Thursday (December 16), footage of the Queen B appeared online, where she looks to be filming a clip for the dis song, now entitled "Clap Clap/Black Friday." The track's violent lyrics are aimed at Nicki Minaj and is a response to Barbie's "Roman's Revenge," which features Eminem, where Nicki rhymes "the f--- I look like getting back to a hasbeen?" "Black Friday" initially hit the web on November 26.

The YouTube clip begins with an image of Kim, slickly dressed posing in front of a sports car before showing the words "Lil' Kim Video Shoot Brooklyn, N.Y. December 16th 3 AM" across the screen as the introduction of "Black Friday" plays in the background. Then, through the camera's canted angle, Kim appears standing next to a gentlemen sporting an t-shirt emblazoned with "IRS" along with the Queen B's logo.

"We're live! IRS International rockstars, you already know," Kim said. "Kimmy Blanco p---as." Read More...

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LeBron James Censored From Jay-Z's 'Empire State Of Mind' On Cleveland Radio

Posted 12/16/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music News

By D.L. Chandler

The city of Cleveland certainly knows how to hold a grudge.

Following basketball superstar Lebron James' decision that he'd be "taking his talents" to South Beach and the Miami Heat, in what many Cavalier fans thought was a classless maneuver, a Cleveland radio station decided to take their gripe one step further.

On Jay-Z’s ubiquitous hit "Empire State Of Mind," Ohio's 96.5 KISS FM radio station took aim at the burly now-Miami Heat power forward by editing his name from Jigga's track. The line, "[if] Jeezy’s paying LeBron, I’m paying Dwayne Wade" is now missing the Akron, Ohio native’s famous first name. Host Joel "Java" Murphy curiously explained the rationale behind the decision with Cleveland sports blog WFNY by saying that Lebron’s name is damaging to Cleveland's ears. Read More...

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Rick Ross, Fabolous And More Win Top Mixtape MCs: Mixtape Daily Year-End Awards

Posted 12/16/10 7:00 am EST by in Mixtape Daily

By Hillary Crosley, with reporting by Rahman Dukes, Sway Calloway, Shaheem Reid, Steven Roberts and Paul Cantor

This year, RapFix not only enjoyed our Top Mixtapes, hosted and mixed by the Top DJs — and maybe featuring our Fire Starter — we also relished the underground lyrics that are often too brash for the radio. Instead these MCs are relegated to the streets, which is where we found our Top Mixtape MCs of the Year.

Check out MTVNews.com for the official list as well as the video at the top of this post. Below, we present a round up of what each rapper was thinking when he crafted his standout work this year. Reminisce with us.

Vado on working with Cam'Ron and encouraging the Diplomats reunion:

I was one of the people that influenced him on the Dipset reunion. I told Cam, 'Let’s take over. Yeah my buzz is crazy and yeah we can do this on our own, but at the same time, we want an empire. People love movements and people empires. Let’s build that.' I say 'Ya’ll already capable of doing what ya’ll do, making hits and just going crazy with the trends and everything. So you bring a new member to the table, which does the same, that smell like a takeover to me. Don’t it?' Read More...

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Joe Budden To Appear On 'RapFix Live'

Posted 12/15/10 10:30 am EST by in RapFix Live

On Thursday (December 16), Joe Budden will stop by "RapFix Live" to chat with MTV News' Sway and the MC isn't holding anything back.

The New Jersey native recently released the latest installment of his mixtape series, Mood Muzik 4 and you can ask the JoeBudden.TV host whatever you like. "RapFix Live" will air right here on RapFix.mtv.com at 4 p.m. ET.

"For those that are not familiar, I like to call it one of the best mixtape series ever," Budden said from his New Jersey 'hood. "One came out in maybe 2005, and it was all conceived from information I got from labels basically saying that B-sides were less important than singles, and I just disagreed with that." Read More...

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