0 Woman Featured On "Marvins Room" Files Lawsuit Against Drake

Looks like someone took the "I'm just saying you can do better" lyrics a little to literal. Ericka Lee, the woman who is featured throughout Drake's hit song "Marvin's Room", has filed suit against the rapper seeking co-writer credit for the 2011 hit single.

According to Billboard, Lee is the alleged ex-girlfriend of the Toronto rap-star who allegedly acknowledged Lee's "significant role" in the creation of "Marvin Room" through a series of text-messages.

According to Lee, after her relationship with Drake ended and the song was released things quickly got sour and although Drake eventually offered Lee "4-5%" of the songs publishing royalties in addition to a $50,000 payout, Lee responded with a lawsuit seeking co-writer credit and "damages and disgorgement of profits on allegations of breach of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment". -

0 Jay-Z Becomes An Investor & Spokeperson For Duracell Powermat

Jay-Z continues to make major moves in 2012. For his latest venture Jay-Z has signed on as an equity investor and official spokesperson for Duracell's Powermat. Here's what Jya0z had to say about the deal in a recent press release:

"I believe in the future of wireless energy and I believe that Duracell Powermat is the company to bring on the revolution," ... "I'm partnering with Duracell Powermat because they're providing the solutions for the future."

In addition, Ran Poliakine, CEO of Powermat Technologies, also spoke on Jay-z's addition to Powermat:

“Jay-Z is power personified. He inspires millions of people all over the world on a daily basis with his music and his story,”...“There is no better face or voice that can move people to adopt a new paradigm in power delivery.”

Do you think Jay-Z will be the first hip-hop artist to reach Billionaire Status?

0 Drake Fires Management Company "Hip Hop Since 1978"

 Ouch! After his Sophomore album has almost reached platinum status in less than a month since it's release, The New York Post released an article stating that Drake had been "cleaning house" firing his booking agency "International Creative Management" and his management company "Hip Hop Since 1978" which consists of Gee Roberson, Al Branch, Kyambo Joshua and Cortez Bryant (who is also friend and manger to Lil Wayne). Reportedly the split was part of Drake's latest efforts to take back his career after a conflict between Drake's Canadian management and Hip Hop Since 1978 led the young rap star to feel as if there were "too many hands in his pockets" and that he was "being pulled into too many different directions". -

0 Slim Thug Speaks On His New Book "How To Survive In A Recession" (Video)

If your anything like me you probably thought @slimthugga was joking when he rapped about writing a book on surviving a recession in his 2008 hit "I Run" featuring Yelawolf, but it looks like it is finally coming to fruition as Thugga is in the final stages of finishing his first novel which seeks to offer financial advice to the urban community.

0 Jay-Z Signs Jahil Beats To Roc Nation (Video)

Update: Brought back to the top with footage of the festivities*  

If you listen to enough mix tapes your bound to hear the "Jahil Beats, Holla At Me" tag signalling that the fourth coming production was from Philly's own @JahilBeats. While Jahil has produced for the likes of Chris Brown, Tyga, Jae Millz and Rick Ross, his most notable work can be seen with fellow Philly native Meek Mill's career, in was Jahil was instrumental (no pun intended) in jump starting. Now his hard work has finally paid off as Jay-Z signs him to his Roc Nation imprint, Congrats!

0 Would You "Like" To Help 50 Cent Feed 1 Million Hungry Children?

 @50cent has taken his mission to feed 1 Billion hungry children to the next level. In his latest campaign, Fiddy's company  "Street King" is seeking to provide 1 million meals to underfed and undernourished children in 1 week! All you have to do log into you Facebook page, Click Here and hit the "Like" button. For every 1 "Like", 1 meal will be provided for to a child in need the next 7 Days. Good job Fifty!!

0 J. Cole's "Cole World" Sells 217,324 Copies It's First Week

Everyday is a star is born eh? J. Cole has a lot to smile about these days as HDD is reporting that J. Cole's debut LP: Cole World: The Sideline Story Sold an impressive 217,324 copies it's first week. That's quite a feat considering the album did not receive a strong push from the record label. Also Cole's the album didn't have a huge chart topping single like his peers Wiz Khalifa and Big Sean, yet he still managed to best their first week sales. Clap for em'!!

0 Syl Johnson To Sue Jay-Z & Kanye West For Uncleared Sample On "The Joy"

Talk about "throwing rocks at The Throne". Allegedly "The Joy" off of Watch The Throne's Deluxe Edition features an uncleared sample from Syl Johnson's "Different Strokes". According to Johnson's reps, sample clearance negotiations originally occurred for "The Joy" to appear on Kanye's "Dark Fantasy" album, but were stalled for undisclosed reasons. Upon hearing "Watch The Throne", The Numero Group (the label who owns rights to the record) sent a out statement and a tweet alluding to impending legal action.

0 Dr. Dre And Jimmy Iovine Sell Majority Ownership Of "Beats Electronics" for $300 Million

Take what the Forbes figured then figure more. Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine recently sold 51% of their "Beats Electronics" franchise (which produces the popular "Beats By Dr. Dre" headphones) to touch screen cell phone development company HTC. HTC plans to incorporate "Beats" technology into their mobile devices and boost the overall sound quality they can offer. Expect to start seeing "Beat Electronics" in new mobile devices this coming fall.

Click Here to read more on Dr. Dre's new deal.

0 Jay-Z Forms Partnership With Pharrell's Billionaire Boys Club

Jay-Z and Pharell weren't "Frontin" when they released "So Ambitious" off of Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 LP back in 2009, the duo have formed a partnership to develop the Billionaire Boys Club Clothing (BBC) Line. While the current details of the deal are sketchy, it will be interesting to see how this turns out as BBC has always been a high end clothing line and Jay-Z fashion ventures such as Rocawear have remained in department stores at relatively inexpensive prices. Jay-Z recently confirmed the deal via Twitter.

1 Editorial: The 10 Mixtape Commandments (The Official Guide To Launching A Successful Mixtape Campaign)

The 10 Mixtape Commandments

By Alfred Ashu

The mixtape has become one of the most powerful tools in a musician’s arsenal; it has plucked artists like 50 Cent and Drake from obscurity to the top of the Billboard Charts, re-birthed the career of Chris Brown and helped a slew of others to remain relevant. The mixtape is now one of music’s most championed forms of releasing music as it allows the artist to create and release music that they have a passion for sans the pressure from label executives to deliver bubbly pop records. Every year hundreds of artists (both signed and unsigned) release mixtapes in hopes of revitalizing their careers or duplicating the success of 50 Cent, Drake, Wiz Khalifa or J. Cole, but most mixtapes fall under the radar do to poorly conducted campaigns. Here is the definitive guide to making sure your next mixtape doesn’t go unnoticed!

1. Specific Release Time & Date

Having a specific release date and time makes your mixtape release eventful and builds anticipation. Rather than saying ‘the mixtape drops tomorrow or next week’ assigning your mixtape a more specific release of say, Friday at 7pm, will likely garner much more attention.
2. Standout Cover Art

if your cover art resembles that of the late 90’s Cash Money releases, it may repel potential listeners because unfortunately in rap we do judge albums by their covers.

3. Strategically Leak Songs

"For me it's like being on the street -- you hustling,"..."You come out and you know its a thousand people on the block doing their thing. You gotta get in where you fit in. I might come out with a couple of extra jams just to get my name out -- like, yo, give a couple of fiends something for free, just to let 'em know. 'It's over here. Taste that. Taste that! Taste that and let me know how you feel. Get back at me.' I think that's the same rules that apply to the mixtape situation. – Raekwon

4. Add Visual Support

Shooting Music Videos can be a great source of reciprocal promotion, not only music videos, but mixtape trailers and behind the scenes in the studio footage will also help to spread awareness for your project. You might be surprised at how many artists gain new fans simply because of an accidental YouTube click.

"You got to bump your head sometimes. I realized that with “The Warm Up” I should have did more visuals….just because I realize the importance of that now, the visual aspect and how much fans want to see that," – J. Cole (On The Importance of Visual Support)

5. Be Original (Minimize Cover Songs)

Unless you’re a well respected lyricist i.e. Lil Wayne, Fabolous, J. Cole etc. people don’t want to hear a whole album of freestyles, plus it minimizes your projects replay value. Using original tracks will allow your music to be promoted through radio stations and iTunes and add a little extra cash in your pocket. Be sure to give the listeners good, quality tracks as an artist will only be considered as hot as his latest project.

"I think that when creating a mixtape, you have to approach it with a selfless mind-set,"... "A mixtape can't be the songs that don't make your album, or songs that aren't good enough to make your album make your mixtape -- unless you're that good. There aren't that many people that are that good. I'm not that good. That mixtape [So Far Gone] is me working my hardest. It wasn't 'Oh, here are the songs I'm going to give away to you 'cause I have better songs coming.' A mixtape has become an album." – Drake

6. Enlist Guest Established Rappers/Producers

A Mixtape is a great way to legally release that hot joint that you couldn’t put on your album due to clearance issues. If you’re already well established, you can use guest features to break your new talent. Features are a great way to get another person’s fans to give your Mixtape a listen. Maybach Music emcee Wale most noticeably used this strategy with his “Back to the Feature” mixtape.
7. Utilize Endorsements

Having your project hosted/sponsored by a big name DJ or Website can do wonders for your projects awareness. If DJ Drama or 2DopeBoyz put their seal of approval on your project, more people are likely to listen and more outlets will push your mixtape.

8. Embrace The Power of Social Media

Do the hash tags #Fanofafan or #Kushandorangejuice ring a bell? If so, it’s probably because they spent a day or two as trending topics on Twitter in lieu of mixtape releases from Wiz Khalifa and Chris Brown/Tyga adding fuel to their already highly buzzed releases.

“A lot of artists try to get things to trend just for the fact of doing it and having that happen. I feel like when it happens, it’s supposed to be organic. Our little motto is “Taylor Gang or Die” and three or four days before I dropped the tape, that started trending on its own. I was like, ‘Cool, it’s getting to be that time.’ So that’s why when I did #kushandorangejuice, people latched straight onto it…and it spread like wildfire. You got to use your powers [on Twitter] wisely. You got to build up your powers. A year ago, I probably had like 5,000 followers on Twitter and I couldn’t have done nothing like this”. – Wiz Khalifa

9. Respect The Commodity Of Time

Although all these tips can be very effective, using them all at once will defeat the purpose. Timing is essential and at certain times, certain techniques will be more effective then others.

10. Don’t Charge…..Yet

Lil Kim came under a lot of a bit of fire back in February when she announced that she would be charging $9.99 for her “Black Friday” mixtape. It may be difficult to convince fans to spend money on a mixtape, when they are barely willing to spend it on albums. Where an artist will make their money lies in the subsequent shows, features and singles released in light our increased buzz.

0 Man Confesses To 1994 Robbery/Shooting of Tupac Shakur On Orders From Jimmy Henchmen

On the eve before what would have been Tupac Shakur's 40th birthday, a man named Dexter Issac released a statement to AllHipHop confessing to the 1994 robbery and shooting of Tupac Shakur at Quad Studios. Issac (who is currently serving a life sentence on other robbery and murder charges) claims to have been hired by James Rosemond AKA "Jimmy Henchmen". Below is a couple excerpts from the letter:

“In 1994, James Rosemond hired me to rob [Tupac] Shakur at the Quad Studio... He gave me $2,500 plus all the jewelry I took, except for one ring which he wanted for himself....Now I'm not going to talk about my friend Biggie's death or 2Pac's death, but I would like to give their mother's some closure. It's about time that someone did, and I will do so at a different time. Jimmy, you and Puffy come off all innocent-like, but as the saying goes: You can fool some people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all of the time" -

And the rabbit hole deepens.....

0 Kanye Debuts New "Air Yeezy 2" @ Coachella

Kanye West shocked audience members at this years Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival when he came out rocking "The Air Yeezy 2" , the sequel to his uber-successful sneaker collaboration with Nike that had fans sleeping outside for days in 2009 in hopes of grasping a pair. Arguably, no other sneaker outside of the Jordan Brand has been able to amass such a strong following. I personally need to see some more colorways before I'm impressed.


Props Ctothejl for the Pics

0 Ice Cube To Direct & Star In New Disney Film

Yep, you read the title correctly. Ice Cube is currently in the pre-production stages of his new film, "Chrome and Paint" which according to Deadline, will “[use] the subculture of tricked out Mercedes, BMW and Low Rider cars to frame a drama about the temptation to place materialism above all else.” Originally, the film was supposed to be a gritty R rated depiction of the LA car culture in the same vain as "Boyz in The Hood", but since it has been picked up by Disney, revisions to the script are currently being made to make it PG-13.

0 Jay-Z Launches New Lifestyle Blog

So much for that whole "I don't do too much blogging" thing, Jay-Z has become the latest hip-hop artist to join the likes of 50 Cent, Fabolous, and Kanye West in launching a lifestyle website. The site affectionately deemed LifeAndTimes covers everything from music to fashion, technology and sports. Although I'm highly doubtful Jay will be doing much writing himself, it is said that he will work closely with the writers to develop content. I'm curious to see where this goes Thisis50.Com was definitely a game changer for 50 Cent.

0 Review: “Empire State Of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner To Corner Office”

   By Alfred Ashu

If Jay-Z’s collective body of work was “Food For Thought” as he stated on the intro to his ‘Dynasty’ album, author and Forbes staff writer Zack O’Malley Greenburg does this dishes in his literary debut “Empire State Of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner To Corner Office”. Greenburg uses his extensive resources (perhaps garnered as the crafter of the famous “Hip-Hop Forbes” list) to unravel the business acumen Jay-Z has used to catapult himself to financial prosperity.

“Empire State of Mind” provides an in-depth look at Jay-Z’s earliest hustling days in Maryland to the inner workings of his biggest business dealings as told by those closest to him. In addition, “Empire” debunks a lot of common misconceptions regarding Jay-Z, such as why the song “Brooklyn’s Finest” featuring hip-hop legend Notorious B.I.G almost didn’t happen, the true originator of the ‘no pen, no pad’ songwriting method and Jay-Z’s first interactions with Tupac Shakur prior to the birth of Jay-Z’s career.

“Empire State of Mind” is a great read for rap fans and aspiring entrepreneurs who too wish to move “from street corner to corner office”. You can purchase your copy of “Empire State of Mind” by Clicking Here

1 Flying With Da Fishes Interviews Malice (of The Clipse)

|Photo Courtesy of Gary C. Knapp (Virginian Plot)|

I recently got the chance to catch-up with Malice (of The Clipse) we got to discuss a plethora of things including his new book "Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind and Naked" and why he chose to self publish it, religion vs. music, his managers 32 year prison sentence, what the future holds for Clipse and Malice also offers some advice for aspiring hustlers. You can order order you copy of Malice's new book by Clicking Here and you can also listen to the raw audio for this interview by Clicking Here.

FWDF: What’s going man? Thanks for taking the taking the time out to talk to us. How is everything?

Malice: Everything’s cool. I ain’t complaining.

FWDF: Okay, you just released your first book entitled “Wretched, Pitiful, Poor Blind, and Naked” yet you avoided the typical rapper turned author cliches; you didn’t hire a ghost writer, or use your rap career as the books main selling point and you also published it independently what made you approach this book so differently from other authors?

Malice: Wow! I appreciate you recognizing that first off. I really appreciate that. Basically, I have a story to tell, which you know is in the book WPPBAN and I guess with my rap career, one of the things my brother and [I] have learned is to go ahead, do it and get it done. We have waited for labels to get things popping and then they drag they feet & this that and the third. I reached out to a couple of major publishers and they loved the book, actually, they just wanted to put their insight in it, [but] that’s not genuine and it wasn’t coming from me, the things that they wanted done. I think my fans will appreciate getting to really know what I have to say without it being polished or fabricated and glossed all up. [So] I just went ahead; I started my own publishing company (Thor10 Publishing) and I said let me go ahead and fund it myself and I did it.

Click On "Continue Entry" To Read The Full Interview

FWDF: In “Wretched” you mention feeling like as a group, Clipse is constantly trying to reclaim its past glory, but then you also say you’re not really motivated to work hard. Do you think this is a possible feat since ‘glory’ and ‘hard work’ usually go hand-in-hand?

Malice: Well, I think it depends on how you work and what the content of your work consists of. I think that if there is no substance to what you’re doing, then it’s like chasing the wind and you will work hard all day and there will be no glory in anything your doing. However, if there is something that has meaning to it, something that’s going to help humanity, teach somebody something, uplift somebody’s spirit etc. I don’t think you have to work as hard to do that, but I think otherwise, it can become chasing the wind. You can make a million dollars and you can spend a million dollars and you ain’t got nowhere. 

FWDF: Also, throughout the book you talk about losing your way and growing closer to God throughout your career. How has your relationship with God affected you musically? Do you feel more inclined to rap about certain things and less about others?

Malice: As far as my relationship with God, I do have a very personal relationship with God and I don’t have to attribute that to my music. I don’t want to be preachy to anyone as far as what I believe. I take a firm stand in my faith will let anyone know about my faith as I have always done from the beginning. In all of our Clipse albums, I have always made reference to my faith, always. Any Clipse fan will tell you that… I do happen to love to make music, I love hip-hop and I do love to rap, [but] it doesn’t necessarily mean that your going to see me on gospel tracks or become a Christian rapper and nothing is wrong with that I’m just saying that I don’t think I would do those avenues a good service, that’s not what I’m known for...My relationship with God is first and foremost in my life and really, I don’t have to coincide it with music at all.

FWDF: You have revealed plans to release a “Wretched, Pitiful” Movie. How is that going to differ from the book and do you have a projected release date?

Malice: No I don’t. I don’t want to give away a release date that is something that we have been working on and are currently working on. It’s going to really go hand-in-hand with the book. I think when you add visuals to it, people can really get more of a feel [for the story]. I tried to paint the best picture I could as far as writing the book. Visuals always just add a little bit more because you don’t have to think as much and its right there before you.

FWDF: You’re also planning on releasing another book entitled “32”; could you give us a brief synopsis on that?

Malice: 32 is basically the life of my good friend and manager Antony Gonzalez, who is currently serving a 32 year sentence right now. We talk daily and he feels compelled to tell his story and open up a lot of eyes as far as the youth. We don’t think anyone has done it better than we’ve done it as far as hustling and you always hear ‘you gon’ either end up dead or in jail’. I always heard that and believed it, but I just never believed that anything would happen to my friends or people that I knew. I don’t know why, that was just foolish. When it went down, I was in a whole different world it was all surreal to me. I think it was a wake-up to everyone around us friends, family our community and if we could stop someone from going that same route… cause it was fun, games and giggles until it went down and If you had to ask Anthony right know if it was all worth it I know that he would give you a resounding ‘no’.

FWDF: Given, that you survived your own days in the game and have successfully launched a clothing line, record label, film and Book Company, what tips would you give to aspiring hustlers looking to venture into similar avenues?

Malice: It’s about having direction. It’s about having purpose. It’s about not running on that treadmill, just running but getting nowhere. I personally believe, and these are MY personal beliefs, that #1 you have to have God first in anything in order to have a guideline for you rules and regulations and your own personal do’s and don’ts. [Also], when you make money and you’re being prosperous, I think you should help someone who’s trying, if you can [and you are] blessed enough. I think those kinds of things don’t go unnoticed. I think it brings a whole bunch of good to you and you will flourish more when you give more.

FWDF: What does the future hold for Clipse as a group, since you and Pusha-T seem to be establishing yourselves in different aspects of entertainment?

Malice: I think that’s always been the great thing about the Clipse. I think that what the fans know us for; Pusha [has] the more showy, kind of brash, kind of swaggerific style. I think in my verses, my perspective is deep. I guess me having a family and kids, I always think deep and I always speak about things that I think matter. I like to say Pusha gives you want, I give you what you need.

FWDF: Malice, thanks for taking the time to chop it up with us. Do you have any last words?

Malice: Thanks for all the support on the book and I thank your site as well for taking a interest in the interview. I hope sharing my life with you, inspired you in some kind of way and if not, it’s cool. Like I said, I’m not trying to make anyone think like I think. I’m just telling my story. -