Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch announce the release date for the upcoming "Wu-Block" album.(wu tang na kundi la jadakiss waungana)
Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch have announced the release date for the upcoming Wu-Tang Clan and D-Block album Wu-Block.

During a video announcement, Ghost and Sheek revealed that the LP will drop on October 9th. "Tonight's the last night. We going in, finish this shit off, finish the skits off, make sure everything sounds right so we can give it to y'all motherfuckers on a platter," said Ghost. "Coming October 9th, that's a set date right now, with the 9th of October."

"We been working extra, extra hard on this shit. We up here at E1, we about to get this shit popping, man," added Louch.The crew is currently on tour in support of the album, with plans to continue its 22-date tour at Tempe, Arizona's Club Red. Check the tour dates here, and watch the release date announcement below

Juvenile was arrested for engaging in a fight at a hotel.(juvinile akamatwa baada ya varangati hotelini)

Juvenile was arrested last night at a Miami, Florida hotel for engaging in a fight.

According to TMZ, Juvie, whose real name is Terius Gray, performed with Lil Wayne at LIV nightclub earlier that evening. Around 7 a.m., he was involved in a fight that spilled outside to the front of the hotel.

Security told police that the brawlers were "creating a threat to life and property as well as the overall safety of the patrons inside." The Miami Beach police department arrived at the scene and took Juvenile to jail, where he is still in custody.

2 Chainz comments on the predicted first week numbers for "Based On A T.R.U. Story," speaks on working with Kanye West. (azungumzia kufanya kolabo na kanye west)
Just days after the release of his Def Jam debut, Based On A T.R.U. Story, Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz appeared on Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club to discuss album numbers, working with Kanye West, and a number of other topics during the live interview.

With first week numbers for Based On A T.R.U. Story to possibly top 130,000, the rapper didn’t seem terribly impressed when informed of the prediction.

“I’m looking at it like I worked my ass off,” 2 Chainz explained. “It’s not about the record. I’m not even in tune with what the charts are doing. When it first happens I get geeked and then I go back to work. I just know I’ve done, just this year alone, I’ve done two tours with two people I feel like are major artists with diverse fan bases…I’m just looking at what I did on my own prior to doing tours. Just going around kissing babies, shaking hands, and just really trying to figure out the connection with the fans. So will I be disappointed if I only do one-something? No, but at the same time I just got high expectations for myself.”

Though some may have been caught off guard by the pairing of 2 Chainz and Chicago rapper Kanye West, 2 Chainz explained that in actuality the two emcees have more in common than most people think. While they do boast several similarities, the rapper did reveal that when it came to strip club vernacular he and West weren’t quite on the same page.
 “We have more things in common than a lot of people I think even realize,” said 2 Chainz in a video posted on RapRadar.com. “He comes from a more backpack kind of environment so to speak…And then you know me I try to keep it quality street music. I try to have something about the trap maybe one or two lines about a stripper. So even when doing the song Birthday Song it was like we was just trying to cross worlds because I was trying to explain to him the booty clubs and just some things.”

2 Chainz’ Based On A T.R.U. Story was released on Tuesday, August 14 via Def Jam Records

Eminem brought out a few surprise guests during his show overseas.(eminem atoa suprise kwa mashabiki wa kijapani)
Eminem brought out surprise guests Dr. Dre and Royce Da 5'9 during his performance at Tokyo, Japan's QVC Marine Field earlier today.
 Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch announce the release date for the upcoming "Wu-Block" album.

Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch have announced the release date for the upcoming Wu-Tang Clan and D-Block album Wu-Block.

During a video announcement, Ghost and Sheek revealed that the LP will drop on October 9th. "Tonight's the last night. We going in, finish this shit off, finish the skits off, make sure everything sounds right so we can give it to y'all motherfuckers on a platter," said Ghost. "Coming October 9th, that's a set date right now, with the 9th of October."
 "We been working extra, extra hard on this shit. We up here at E1, we about to get this shit popping, man," added Louch.

DJ Drama hints at a major collaboration Lil Wayne has planned for their upcoming "Dedication 4" mixtape.
Even though he's got his own album Quality Street Music due out this September 18, DJ Drama's not letting that sidetrack his mixtape work. Now, in a recent interview with the LA Leakers, Drama talks about his upcoming Dedication 4 mixtape with Lil Wayne.

Drama said that he's excited to hear what Weezy has in store for the fourth installment of their acclaimed mixtape series. He said that Wayne's in a comfortable position as an emcee these days, but he's still pushing himself to top his previous efforts. Drama also hinted that Wayne has a big collaboration with one of the many artists that recently appeared at Drake's OVO Festival.

"I'm expecting greatness [with Dedication 4]," he said. "I think Wayne is in a space where he's comfortable, but at the same time where he's very competitive, even with himself and his work before. I think Dedication means a lot to him, as it does to me, so I really expect top quality bars from Mixtape Weezy."

"I'ma tell you this: I went to the OVO Festival the other day…the Drake concert in Toronto, he has it every year, lots of special guests. Rick Ross was there, Meek Mill was there, Nicki Minaj was there, Snoop was there, The Weeknd was there, A$AP Rocky was there…I did have a conversation with somebody that was there, and they did confirm they will be on Dedication 4. There's a lot of names, so it's on you."

DJ Khaled talks about working with DJ Premier on his upcoming Nas and Scarface-assisted cut "Hip Hop." 
Many fans were surprised to learn that DJ Khaled had enlisted the legendary DJ Premier for a song titled "Hip Hop" featuring Scarface and Nas on his upcoming Kiss the Ring LP. Now, in a recent behind the scenes video, the Cash Money DJ discusses the highly anticipated collaboration.
 
Khaled said that it was actually Nas who helped to secure an appearance from Premo on the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League-produced cut. He added that it's been a dream of his to one day be able to sit down with the Gang Starr producer and talk music, let alone make it together.

"This record is gonna speak for itself - it's serious," Khaled exclaimed. "I hit Nas and I was like, 'Yo, we can't do nothing to the record, there's only one thing we can do now - I need you to ask Premier [to scratch on it], and Nas hit me back like, 'Yo I'm loving the idea'…DJ Premier, DJ Khaled, Kiss the Ring…first of all, we're in a room with so much Hip Hop in it…to be honest with you, it's been a dream of mine just to even talk music with him, beside being a fan and respecting a don, a legend. I know all his records. This is a big moment, and the record we're about to work on is probably going to something that's going to be talked about for a long time."
Memphis Bleek and Benzino stop by MTV's "RapFix Live."

Memphis Bleek and Benzino are guests on MTV's "RapFix Live," which is currently in progress.

Benzino is in the house to talk about his stint on "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta." The former publisher of The Source and now Hip-Hop Weekly will discuss his relaitonship with singer Karlie Redd that's shown on the VH1 series. Bleek will reminisce about his early days with Roc-A-Fella Records as well as his new projects.

Ice Cube says his upcoming album will be "Hip Hop for the soul."Ice Cube is currently at work on the follow-up album to 2010's I Am the West, claiming that he's "65 percent finished" with recording the project. During an interview with Red Bull USA, the West Coast veteran says that the LP will be "Hip Hop for the soul," explaining that he's focusing on more than just rhyming and that he's trying to make a cohesive album.

“I’m pretty deep into it, I’m about 65 percent finished with it. It’ll be out next year, you know, and it’s hardcore Hip Hop," he said. "It’s street knowledge, it’s talking about what’s going on in the hood, but it’s talking about what’s going on in the political arena. It’s what I always try to give. Much more than just rhyming. Mostly, it’s Hip Hop for the soul. That’s what I’m trying to deliver."

As for the upcoming Friday film, Cube said that the script is nearing completion. He also acknowledged the younger generation coming up in the West, praising them for how "creative" they are and that it's a "beautiful thing."

“The script is almost finished, I got a meeting with New Line on Monday or Tuesday, to talk about the next step,” he said. “You gotta get that script tight before you can take the next step. It’s beautiful because the West Coast, we’ve always been trying to prove ourselves to the Hip Hop nation, that we was much more than bitches, hoes, gangstas, guns… We’ve been trying to show that we’re very creative on the West Coast, but we got caught in a style that worked, a formula that worked, and it kind of got oversaturated in a way. But the dudes on the West are showing how creative they are. It’s good that the hip Hop community is starting to acknowledge it and getting their shine, and that’s a beautiful thing."
Curren$y also discusses why Max B is his favorite rapper and how he impacted his career.
Curren$y had been making headlines the past few weeks detailing his ever-growing list of upcoming projects. Now, in a recent interview with AllHipHop, Spitta Andretti discussed his plans for his next solo release through Warner Music.
 
Although Spitta kept mostly tight-lipped about the project, he did reveal that his sophomore release through Warner will be titled Immaculary. He went to say that the album will follow in the same vein as The Stoned immaculate, but will not be a carbon-copy rehash.

"Immaculary - that's what it's gonna be [titled]," he said. "It'll be like The Stoned Immaculate, but it won't be Stoned Immaculate. It is though - it's Immaculary. It's gonna be tight."

Curren$y also addressed the possible issue of over-saturating his Jet Life brand with the bevy of impedning projects. He said that he feels it isn't a problem for his fans, explaining that his own favorite rapper Max B followed the same career trajectory prior to his incarceration.

"No [I don't feel I'm over-saturating the market] because Max B was my favorite, and Max B had so much music and I never was like, sad 'cus there was a [new] Max B record on the Internet," he said. "[I was never like,] 'I don't want to download another one' - I would always do it. I feel like for people that are into my shit, it must be pretty tight for me to keep doing that. I like weed; it'd be tight if the weed man came to my house and was like, 'I know I just brought you an ounce, but here's another one' - 'Nah dawg, please I don't want all of this.' I'm gonna use it eventually; they gonna listen to this shit, so it's no problem."
Common also says that he wishes he was on G.O.O.D. Music's "Mercy." 
Common hit the mark with his 2005 solo album Be that featured production solely from Kanye West and J Dilla. During an interview with Complex, the Chicago, Illinois rapper said that he hopes to record a follow up to the LP with West, explaining that it's about timing but that it could yield classic material.

"Yes. You know, when the time is right, I would love to get together [with Kanye] on some more music. It would be an act of passion, it would be a creative project. It would be fun instead of, “I ain’t gotta do it, he ain’t gotta do it.” It’s not like we had to do it then or when we first did it, but it’d be a fun thing for us to do," he said. "No matter where you go, you get reminded and you’re like, 'I got into this because I love making music, I love Hip Hop, and I love being creative.' Being able to work together with Kanye would be one of those experiences for me. How with No I.D. I had an experience like, 'This is what I do. This is Hip Hop.'"

He also touched on how he wishes he could have been on "Mercy." While explaining what it was like to contribute to G.O.O.D. Music's Cruel Summer compilation, Com said that he was too busy to participate. "To be honest, I’ve been in the studio and I was doing some recording, but it was mostly me, Big Sean, Cyhi, Pusha, and Teyana in there. For me, it was fun to just be able to rock with them and cats is smoking, cats is doing what they do, having fun more than anything. Just figuring it out. I can remember Big Sean being like, 'You should get on this' talking about 'Mercy.' I wanted to get on that. I wish I would’ve gotten on it," he said. "I was working, doing something. Eventually the record, it got done quicker than I could get my verse out. They put it out and it was banging."
Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Beanie Sigel explains taking time away from music and overcoming initial fears of returning to prison.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Beanie Sigel has one gold album to his credit—his 2000 debut, The Truth. Additionally, Beans has made visits to the Billboard magazine Hot 100 singles chart as a soloist and a member of the now-defunct Roc-a-fella family. But in the latest of his series of Man To Man interviews with Hip-Hop Summit Action Network chairman and co-founder Benjamin Chavis, Beanie emphasized his album tracks as opposed to singles designed to cater to radio and drive sales. In particular, he singled out a song entitled “The Children Are The Future,” as well as past offerings such as “Dear Self” “Nothing Like It,” “Feel It In The Air” and “Mom Praying.”

“It’s basically me talking to myself,” Beanie explained. “Just checking myself, like wait a minute. Let me assess myself. What am I doing? I make those type of records…that’s the type of records and songs that I want people to remember me by.”
Beans also talked about his upcoming two-year prison sentence for a failure to pay previous taxes. Sigel must report by September 12, 2012.

“At one point, I was scared,” Beans added. “But I ain’t scared to say I’m scared. I took a time out from the music, and just wanted to be normal again…just with the family and everything. I asked myself a lot about the music I do—the music that means something to me that I record—is a thing a lot of people don’t get when they listen to me.”

The full interview, which also features Chavis’ thoughts on how Beanie Sigel fits into the current Hip Hop scene and what he calls “strong winds blowing trying to take the United States backwards,” can be seen below.
DJ Quik names a few emcees coming out of the West Coast that he's currently enjoying.
West Coast veteran DJ Quik recently took some time to talk with CamCaponeNews about the new crop of emcees from around his way making noise. During the interview, Quik named Dom Kennedy, Kendrick Lamar, Buddy, Game and more as some of his favorite new rappers, explaining that he was ahead of the curve in knowing a few before they popped off.
 
“I like Odd Future. Tyler, The Creator, Earl… it’s a wild little movement. I like it. Again, Problem, a great songwriter from Compton. Dom Kennedy, again… Jay Rock, the Black Hippys. Jay Rock introduced me to Kendrick Lamar, maybe three, four years ago, 2007. I put Kendrick Lamar on an EA Sports game. I knew he was going to be bigger. I’m glad Dr. Dre took to him like he did. He deserves it. Game is still relevant to me. A$AP Rocky… They know what they’re doing. They’re not copying no one, they’re taking it in their own direction. Buddy, Pharrell Williams Star Trak, Buddy.”

He also said that he would never get in the way of their success or bad mouth them. Quik explained that he recognizes the need for older emcees to let the younger generation rock. “You got to give ‘em the platform. Who am I to stand in the way and do it? You gotta let the kids have it. There are no second shows in American culture. Hit it, beat it. Move to the next. That’s how it works.”

BJ The Chicago Kid inks a deal with the legendary record label.(chicago waleta kifaa kipya aiitwa BJ The Chicago Kid)

 
Chicago Kid has inked a deal with Motown.
Breaking the news on Twitter (via FSD), the Chicago, Illinois native thanked his hometown after performing a show, also stating that he signed to the label.
 “Chicago Thank Yall For An Incredible Show 2nite!!! Thank Yall For You Patience w/me over the yrs… Time well served. Motown Baby,” he wrote.
 The R&B singer most recently released his debut album P I N E a P P L E N O W- L a T E R S last month.
 

Mystikal has been released from prison after serving more than two months behind bars.(Mystical atoka jela baada ya miezi miwili)Rapper Mystikal has been ordered back to prison for a three-month bid on account of probation violation.
 
According to The Advocate, state District Judge Tony Marabella tacked on the sentencing because he violated his five-year probation in an extortion case when he was arrested in February on a misdemeanor charge of domestic abuse battery.
 
Mystikal was released from state prison in 2010 after serving a six-year term for sexual battery and extortion.
 
The judge has given him a nine-day credit on his three-month sentencing for the time he was detained following his February 22nd arrest. He will report to prison on May 14th.
 
[April 17]
 
UPDATE: Mystikal has checked into a Louisiana prison this morning where he will serve an 81-day sentence. He was originally handed a 90-day sentence for probation violation, but was credited with nine days after he was detained in jail for a February arrest. He is expected to be released in early August.
 
[May 14]
 
UPDATE #2: After serving more than two months in prison, Mystikal has been released from the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail in Louisiana earlier this morning. He was initially sentenced to 81 days behind bars for domestic abuse, which violated his probation

The artist formerly known as Mos Def will star opposite Mark Ruffalo in the Judd Apatow-produced film(Mos Def aendeleza fani ya uigizaji).
 Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, has joined the cast of Can a Song Save Your Life?, a music-themed drama that co-stars Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green.
 
The film, directed by John Carney, is currently in production and features a cast including Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo and Hailee Steinfeld. According to THR, it “follows Knightley’s character who moves to New York to pursue her dreams of a singing career but finds herself all alone when she’s dumped by her boyfriend (Levine). A down-on-his luck record producer (Ruffalo) finds her singing in a local bar, and the two realize they may be each other’s last chance to turn their lives around.”
 
In the film, Mos Def will star as Ruffalo’s longtime business partner. Anthony Bregman is producing the film alongside Tobin Armbrust, while Judd Apatow is executive producing.

Eminem announced that he has started working on a new album.(Eminem Apakua Album Mpya)
He also discussed 50 Cent's business skills and Slaughterhouse's lyrical techniques. As the head of Shady Records, Eminem has had to do more than just rap. His work has allowed him to include himself in one of the year's most anticipated projects, Slaughterhouse's Shady Records debut, welcome to: Our House, due August 28. This won't be the first time Em sees himself working extensively with other emcees behind the scenes. One of his most successful endeavors in that regard lies with 50 Cent. Recently, Slim spoke on 50, Slaughter and how he's managed to begin working on his new solo album while trying to balance it all.
 
“I actually started my album," he told Channel 955 in Detroit. "But I haven’t fully went in yet because I’ve been finishing up this Slaughterhouse record. I've kind of been really hands-on with this album for the past year. This has kinda been a pet project for me. I've kind of been executive producing, producing, co-producing, mixing—very hands-on with it and just really involved. We’re actually finishing up today. We’re handing the album in today."
 
Eminem did not offer an estimated release date for his project. He noted that he has "fun" listening to what emcees on his Shady roster do, adding that he's enjoyed the technical work he's heard from Slaughter and Yelawolf.
 
However, he also had time to look back at his work with 50 Cent.
 
“Ever since we started making music with Fif, it was always like a mutual respect thing and we became friends outside of the music," Shady shared. "50 is very big on the business aspects of his career. I would consider him a smart businessman. Not saying that I’m not, but I don’t get into as much of the technical aspect in the business sense. I have no idea what’s going on—ever. I don’t even know where I’m at right now.”

Raekwon waxes nostalgic about the original release of "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..."(azungumzia  ukweli wa album yake ya mwanzo)
Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is regarded not only as one of the best Wu-Tang Clan releases to date, but also one of Hip Hops premier albums.
On the 17-year anniversary of the album's release, Rae recalled his state of mind while dropping the "Purple Tape" in an interview with MTV News.
"When I made that album I had so many visions for it; I was a super-visionary," explained Rae. "I would try to create everything to prove to the world, to prove to my company that this album is classic; it's ahead of its time."


Raekwon shared the satisfaction he felt from having his convictions vindicated. "I remember a lot of times people didn't understand that I was a dreamer on the level that I was with this project. And to be able to know that it attacked the world in the great way that it did and that it's legendary, all I can remember is telling people 'I told you so, I told you so.' ... I told them then it was a classic."
During the interview, Raekwon revealed that his next album would drop before 2014, and that he was intending to release Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. III. "I know that, at the end of the day, people are paying attention to the Three, and my thing is when I give them the Three, I wanna give you the Three and I'm gonna give it to you at the level you can respect it," explained the Wu-Tang vet. "I just want people to be open and understanding that he is concerned with us wanting to have Three, and at the same times, he gonna do other things to impress the masses as well."
Pusha T recalls Kanye West praising his new album,says it reminds him of Hell(kanye west anena juu ya album ya pusha t)
Since signing with G.O.O.D. Music in 2011, fans have been anticipating Pusha T's debut LP from the house of Kanye West. Now, in a recent interview with MTV, the Clipse alum recalls the Chicago super producer's reactions to his impending debut Devil's Advocate.


Pusha T said that Kanye's initial response to his album, whose name is taken from the 1997 Al Pacino film, positive, comparing it to a vision of Hell. He went to say to describe his anticipated project, saying that "the streets will be happy" with its sound.


"When it's over, he says, 'Yo, you know that if you die and hear your music, you know you ended up in hell, right?' " he says. "I don't know how to take that. Is that a good thing to say or a bad thing to say...he was like, 'Damn you painted some hell of a picture in this joint,' I was like, 'Well I guess the streets will be happy.'"


"Devil's Advocate is a very dark movie, but at the same time, visually the album is based off of that because I speak about the harsh realities of street life but there's a lot of glitz and glamour that comes along with that. If you just look at it at face value, you might think, 'It sounds a bit like he's glorifying [street life],' but when you get tuned into the record, you realize that you get both sides of it."
Talib Kweli rattles off a list of features to expect on his upcoming album.(ataja watakao feature kwenye album yake)
Talib Kweli is putting the wheels in motion for his upcoming album Prisoner of Consciousness. During an interview with Sermon's Domain, the Brooklyn, New York rapper revealed that his LP is slated to drop in October and that guests including RZA, Curren$y, Miguel, Kendrick Lamar and Busta Rhymes are expected to make the final cut.

"Shit, let’s see, we got Miguel and Melanie [Fiona] and Kendrick and Curren$y, my man Rubix, Sara Jorge, Maino, Busta Rhymes, RZA… This album has more features than any album I’ve ever put out, but I don’t want that to take away from the fact that this is my album. I’ve always been into features, I’ve always been into collaborations – with Mos Def, with Hi-Tek, with Madlib, with Res – I always do a new group. But this album, I really wanted to… Eardrum had a lot of features too, but that had a lot more songs on it than this album.


Kweli, who is also prepping the release of his mixtape Attack the Block, said that Prisoner of Consciousness will convey a shift in the way that he approaches writing. "Maybe experimenting might have been the wrong word for me to use, but just a different direction. Songs that are more focused on life and what people are going through, and dealing with the social conditions in that way as opposed to speaking directly to the social conditions. That’s what I’m really trying to do with this album."