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Nicki Minaj Talks Skipping Out On XXL's Freshmen '10

Nicki Minaj recently revealed to MTV.com the reason she and fellow Young Money artist Drake decided not to participate in XXL magazine's Freshmen 2010 issue, which highlights up-and-coming talent in the rap game.

"Drake and I, we love XXL," said Minaj on the set of her video for the song "Massive Attack."

"We just shot for XXL. With all due respect, we felt like we kinda had graduated from the freshman class. We felt that XXL missed the mark when they didn't put us on the cover prior to that. They have to pay for that. They can't say, 'Hey, get on the next one.' But we love XXL. That's like a Hip Hop classic. So we said, 'Can we have something just a little bit more catered to us, so that we feel like we have still grown as artists, so we're not at all disrespecting the magazine?' They were cool with that."

Minaj insists that she and Drake were cordial about the request, and that the magazine took no issue with it.

As such, the Freshmen 2010 group consisted of OJ Da Juiceman, Nipsey Hussle, Jay Rock, Pill, Donnis, Fashawn, J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Freddie Gibbs and Big Sean.

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Masta Killa Preps "Live," "Loyalty Is Royalty" & "Soul & Substance"

In advance of the trio of Wu-Tang Clan-related projects set for release during these last two weeks in March, HipHopDX spoke with Masta Killa regarding his Live album that will be sharing the shelves with new releases from fellow Wu-Tang Clan members Inspectah Deck (Manifesto) and Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon (Wu Massacre) as the month comes to a close.     

More lively and jovial in his interview with DX than his signature stoically serious monotone on the mic would suggest him to be, the “spoken word slang” deliverer graciously provided exclusive details on the not one, but two studio albums he is planning to trail the release of Live – his first all-new full-lengths in the nearly four years since the release of 2006’s Made In Brooklyn, the arguably less notable follow-up to Killa’s critically-acclaimed solo debut, 2004’s No Said Date. The last addition to Wu, (introduced to the world via the last verse on “Da Mystery Of Chessboxin’”), also shared with DX his thoughts on Wu-Massacre and the currently in-the-news announcement that former Wu-Tang Records president “Mook” Gibbons is looking to find “The Next 9 Generals.”

HipHopDX: The first most obvious question is why a live album?
Masta Killa: A lot of people still haven’t seen Masta Killa perform solo. This was one of my solo shows from the album No Said Date, and I played it back one night and I listened to the shit and I was really impressed with the sound quality. And I was like, “Damn! I killed the shit like that? I think the people need to hear that. It might encourage them to come out and see a Masta Killa live show. I think they’ll really appreciate that.”   

DX: And you said it was all recorded at one show?
Masta Killa: One show, correct. It was the first show when I first dropped the album [No Said Date]. It was the show at B.B. King’s. I’ve always had the audio recording, but one night I was checking it out and I was like, “Damn! This is…” I have a few live albums that I always love, Parliament Funkadelic that’s a group that gave me – I think a lot of their recordings, the Mothership Connection and all that shit, was live. And I love that album. It’s not on a Mothership Connection level, [Laughs] but on a Hip Hop level I thought the fans could really appreciate it.     

DX: And when can fans next see you live in the flesh? Any upcoming tour plans?
Masta Killa: Yeah, definitely. I have a date of April 8th [that] I’m gonna be on the westside [in Los Angeles]. I forget the exact venue but the date is April 8th and we gonna set it from right there and see where it takes us. I’m not even sure of all the [tour] details yet. We’re still bangin’ it out and trying to put it together, so I’m just gonna go with the flow. But that’s definitely the starting point.  

DX: The second most obvious question I have for you is when we gettin’ the next studio album? It’s going on four years since Made In Brooklyn so I know the fans are starving at this point for a new Masta Killa solo album.
Masta Killa: I appreciate that, family. Loyalty Is Royalty is coming out the oven as we speak, the only thing I gotta do is put the icing on it. So the cake is baked already. But, I kinda wanted to warm it up with the Live On Stage to give the fans like I said the opportunity to hear the live performance. But then the Loyalty Is Royalty album is coming right behind that. So, it’s gonna be a Masta Killa wave right now and I’m coming like the tsunami.  

DX: Loyalty Is Royalty, that’s dope. Is that gonna be like themed out in any way, or is that just a overall concept?
Masta Killa: That’s basically a beautiful principle of life that a lot of people should practice. I’ve heard that title for years and years, that saying, that phrase, so to take the phrase and publicize it to another level of putting [it out there] for an album title I think the exposure of it…just like I said the phrase itself is a statement that can be lived.

DX: We got like a timeframe here, like you think summer, fall?
Masta Killa: I would say…you know what I’m gonna say? No said date. [Laughs] But I’d say definitely by June you should have something though.  

DX: This Nature Sounds again?
Masta Killa: No, Royal Lion Entertainment.

DX: Is that you; is that your company?
Masta Killa: Yes.

DX: You said you’re done, it’s cooked, [so] can we give out like [the] producers and guest lineup yet, or is it too early?
Masta Killa: I didn’t do... With the Made In Brooklyn and the No Said Date I basically gave you classic Wu material as far as having the family involved. I don’t have the family involved as much, but I do have beautiful production from 9th Wonder, P.F. Cuttin’, True Master. And the quality of substance [with] how the lyrics are coming, I think it’s just a beautiful project that I think you’ll really appreciate it.

DX: Yeah if True Master gave you anything on the level of “Queen” we’ll be straight. [Laughs.]
Masta Killa: [Laughs] Yeah, he gave me some smokers, man, he always do. I appreciate that, brother.

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Phife Dawg Talks New LP, Documentary And More

Rap veteran Phife Dawg from the legendary group A Tribe Called Quest is hitting the studio again, preparing his first solo record in 10 years. In a recent interview with okayplayer.com, the New York emcee talked about plans to release the upcoming Songs in the Key of Phife.

Featured on the upcoming album is producers Oh No, Illmind and Tribe member Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Phife is also working with his own production company, Riddim Kids, which includes DJ Rasta Roots and Stat Box, and anticipates working with DJ Scratch and Organized Noise member Rico Wade.

"We’re doing this one track that I’m trying to get Big Boi  from Outkast on as well as Cee-lo on the hook. He can do a verse for me as well because he’s a beast on both ends of the spectrum as you know. I’m looking forward to this track with KRS-One as well. So far so good. Imma also holla at some dude named Q-tip see what’s good and we gonna get it poppin like that," Phife told okayplayer.

Since undergoing a kidney transplant to help his battle with diabetes, Phife has been on the move. Outside of the new album, the '90s heavyweight is working on a talk show and clothing label. “I’m working on my own sports talk show, sports [and] music talk show, working on a pilot for that and I think I’m [going] call it The Fanalyst,” he said. “I’m also working on a clothing line. Well, I’m in a partnership for this clothing line called King Duce and it’s also a record label that I’m partnering with. I’m going to be head of urban music as well of head of urban wear.”

A documentary produced by actor Michael Rapaport, Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, is also set to be released soon chronicling the ups and downs of the legendary crew. "There’s some good times. There’s some bad times. You’re gonna see it all."

When asked when the new LP is slated to drop he replied, “In a perfect world like Keri Hilson would say, I wouldn’t mind it coming out sometime between August and November.”

 

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Big Boi Confirms Def Jam Deal

In July of 2009, OutKast's Big Boi began saying that he wanted to take his Sir Luscious Left Foot solo album to Def Jam, home to L.A. Reid, the record executive responsible for OutKast's discovery and much of their success. Even with various Twitter announcements on spring release dates, it was not until Friday that Big Boi says he officially inked the contract.

"THE INK IS ON THE PAPER!!! "BREAKING NEWS!!!!" It's OFFICIAL! BIG BOI signs SOLO album DEAL with DEF JAM!!! More details to come..." said the Twitter statement.

The announcement came after Big Boi had refuted his summer Def Jam statement, alluding to his Jive Records relationship as "a great situation."

At present, Sir Luscious Left Foot is planned for May release. Big Boi is the latest veteran addition to the label started by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin, after Shyne.

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Max B Granted Appeal For 75 Year Sentence

Yesterday, Max B was granted an appeal for his guilty conviction of a robbery which ended in a fatality. The Harlem rapper, who was sentenced to 75 years in prison, has hired new legal representation according to his manager Jolie O'Shay. "He's gonna try hopefully to go back to trial, or get it a mistrial or get it time served, whatever we can do," she said in an interview with XXL Magazine.

The 2006 robbery, which occurred at a Fort Lee, New Jersey hotel, also involved his then girlfriend, Gina Conway, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison and his stepbrother Kelvin Leerdamn who received a life term plus an additional 35 years.

Prior to being sentenced to prison, Max B had signed a three album deal with Amalgam Digital in 2008 and was slated to release his debut album Vigilante Season which never dropped. He had a successful career through his affiliation with The Diplomats and co-wrote several songs including Jim Jones' "We Fly High".

Max B's manager says that he has high hopes for the appeal.

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