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.”