You may know Nicki Minaj as that girl with the curvaceous frame that’s been touring with Lil’ Wayne. Maybe you’ve listened to one of her three mixtapes. If so, you’ve probably got an image of who you think she is: a potty-mouthed MC using sex to sell herself to the masses. Look harder, homie. The 24-year-old Queens, New York native may possess a gorgeous face and a body you could get lost in, but she’s got more up her sleeve than diamond bracelets. With females not even part of the rap conversation these days, she’s trying to make some noise and some loot. And we think she has just the right moneymaker to do it.
Complex: When people think of Nicki Minaj they envision stilettos, bustiers, and maybe a lollipop…
Nicki Minaj: This is the thing: I like being sexy when it’s time to do a show, but to be honest, I hate wearing high heels, and I hate wearing anything tight. People do get taken aback when they see me in person because I’m in the jeans and the little slippers. I think it’s cute when they see me transform, they see me go into my machine and come out as Nicki Minaj.
Complex: How do you transform for that special someone?
Nicki Minaj: Thigh-high boots or some real crazy pumps, some thongs, and curly hair, that’s it. [Laughs.] Nothing else—nothing less, nothing more.
Complex: What is it about curly hair that makes you feel sexy?
Nicki Minaj: I feel like I’m a girl. The curly hair gives the impression that like, “Oh, I’m well-behaved,” but I take the trench coat off and boom! It doesn’t have to be too curly; it just looks like I did my hair.
Complex: So is romancing and seduction part of your repertoire when it comes to the bedroom?
Nicki Minaj: I don’t like romancing and I don’t like seduction. It’s corny to me. I like role-playing, but that’s not one of my characters. [Laughs.]
Complex: With all the touring you’ve been doing, do you have time for a boyfriend?
Nicki Minaj: I have no dating life, I can only hope and wish and imagine and fantasize. They demand too much. In life there’s always going to be one thing that takes precedence, and when you’re as hungry as I am you have tunnel vision. So I can’t really cater to a dude right now—I love them and I think they’re cute, but I can’t do what they want me to do for them right now.
Complex: Sounds like you need a vacation.
Nicki Minaj: I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii. I really want to go there and just lay on the beach. Then, also, I could have the other rap girls feed me fruit—since they don’t have anything to do right now! [Laughs.] Strawberries, grapes, watermelon, and pineapple. I so know that part is going to make the interview.
Kevin Brereton (born February 20, 1972), better known by his stage name k-os (pronounced /ˈkeɪ.ɒs/ “chaos”), is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. His given name may also be cited as Kheaven, a spelling he later adopted.
The alias “k-os” (spelled with a lower case “k”) is an acronym for “Knowledge of Self,” although in a later interview he also said that it used to stand for “Kheaven’s Original Sound.” When said thoroughly, it can say “chaos”. His music incorporates a wide variety of music genres including rap, funk, rock, and reggae. The lyrics frequently focus on promoting a “positive message” while at times expressing criticism of mainstream hip hop culture’s obsession with money, fame and glorification of violence.[1] A musician as well as a producer, k-os has written and produced nearly every part of all four of his albums. k-os usually performs with a live band, something that is uncommon in the hip hop genre. He sometimes plays guitar and keyboard both during live performances and in the studio.[2]
k-os received his first musical exposure with the single “Musical Essence”, released in 1993. After the release of his second single “Rise Like the Sun” in 1996, he withdrew from the industry because he was dissatisfied with his musical style. He reappeared briefly in 1999 and released his debut album Exit in 2002. The album received positive reviews but sold relatively few copies. He released his second album Joyful Rebellion in 2004, which received platinum status in Canada. A third album, Atlantis: Hymns for Disco, was released in 2006 and also went platinum. His most recent album, Yes!, was released in 2009.
This is the Trailer for the new Mixtape DVD – A Thing of the Seasons – Available for free download at www.mixtapeevolution.com
The latest installment of the (unofficial) Heartbreak Drake mixtape series dropped today and included two previously unheard songs, and the remix to money to blow from the motivation 3 mixtape
Here is The rest of that old school degrassi unscripted drake episode
Young Money, baby! The Young Money album is slated for November 24, as is Lil Wayne’s Rebirth LP, according to a source in his camp.
No doubt about it, the New Orleans Fireman is loaded. Rap’s most popular mic king just kicked off Young Money Presents: The America’s Most Wanted Music Festival, and one of Weezy’s main goals on the tour is to make sure his Young Money artists get shine. While you know all about Drake (he’s a Fire Starter alum), Nicki Minaj and newest member Omarion, we thought we’d put you onto game about the rest of the clique.
“Gudda, he’s got this aggression about him,” Wayne told us about the artist who’s been with him the longest. Gudda Gudda has been riding with Wayne since he was a teenager on Cash Money.
“What people don’t know, Gudda started rapping several years ago,” Weezy added. “He started rapping because I said, ‘I like your look. You should rap.’ I wrote his first rap for him, and I never written another rap for him ever since that day I told him he should be a rapper.”
Representing the younger faction are Lil Twist, who’s on the tour riding his Segway scooter around, and Lil Chuckee, who uses his feet to cover ground backstage.
(No doubt wayne is high as hell in the above clip from the Carter 3 Documentary Released at Sundance)
“His energy, he’s a pure entertainer,” Weezy said of Chuckee. Wayne is also a fan of Chuck’s swag. “I know that kid is gonna make it. It’s like in sports when you got that Kobe Bryant. You don’t know what to do with him, whether to play him the guard, center, small forward — you just know we’re gonna win with him.”
Rounding out the clique are mostly names you’ve heard of: Mack Maine, Tyga, Jae Millz, D. Woods’ sister Shanell (also known as SNL) and T-Streets.
“He’s more like my brother,” Wayne said of Streets. “He’s been with me since Gudda. He’s like my protector. Anybody wanna play games, T-Streets is right there. So I make sure T-Streets is on everything I do, always around.”
So in with the new out with the old as we saw the golden age of hip hop (80’s Run Dmc, NWA, LL Cool J, Beatie Boys, Big Daddy Kane Rakim, Eric B, Slick Rick, Grand Master Flash KRS One) era come to an end at the arrival of the platinum age (Snoop, Tupac, Jay-z, Wu-Tang, Biggie, Eminem, Common, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Redman, Outkast, ) era .
Golden Era
Platinum Era
Run Dmc & Beastie Boys Producer Rick Rubin with Jay-z in the Studio
Golden and Platinum Era Mashup
The New Wave
We are now witnessing the end of the platinum era of Hip Hop as most of the key players are now going on into their 40s and only a very few are still relevant and active (Jay-z, Eminem, Andree 3000) with the rest slated for rapper pensions. With the end of this era comes the new generation kicking the door down to take it all. XXL magazine recently put their top 10 rap rookies on the three different covers for their December issue. I don’t know about some of these guys, they are all dope, but usually XXL is wrong on their “upcoming rookie” picks. So i have crossed out the suspect ones and replaced them with my own rookies who didn’t make the list last year. As well as some of the new gen rappers who arn’t nessisary so rookie but are still post platinum era.
Here’s their top 10 rookies (in no particular order).
Wale
B.o.B
Charles Hamilton
Asher Roth Cory GunzDrake BluWiz Khalifa Mickey FactzJ.Cole Ace HoodXv
Currenc$y
Kid Cudi
+ The Kid Daytona, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Big Sean, The Clipse, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross,Lil Wayne, T.I
Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986) is a Canadian actor and recording artist. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks, the basketball star that became physically disabled after he was shot by a classmate on Degrassi: The Next Generation. As a rapper, he performs under the mononymDrake, and is often billed as the new version of The Fresh Prince.Drake continued to recognize a close affiliation with Lil Wayne‘s Young Money Entertainment,[2] before officially signing with the record label in June, 2009. His first studio album, Thank Me Later, is expected to be released on the label in late 2009.
Asher Roth – Falling
off his 2009 studio Album: Asleep in the Bread Aisle
Bobby Ray Simmons (born November 15, 1988), also simply known as B.o.B or Bobby Ray, is an American hip hop musician from Decatur, Georgia. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle and Atlantic Records. In December 2008, he appeared on the cover of XXL magazine along with Asher Roth, Charles Hamilton, and Wale as “Hip-Hop’s Class of ’09”.In October 2008, B.o.B was featured on the cover of Vibe along with some of these same young musicians and was similarly identified as promising young talent. He has described his influences as “80’s music, techno, rock, funk, even du wop…”
His debut album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray, is expected to be released in 2009 under T.I.’s record label Grand Hustle.
Charles Hamilton – Imagination
off the 2008 mixtape: XXL Freshman 10
“This Perfect Life” is the debut studio album by AmericanrapperCharles Hamilton. It will be the first album distributed by a major record label for free download on Charles Hamilton’s own website, there will also be a physical copy that can be purchased in stores that will include a DVD of animated videos to help the listener get a better feel for the music.
Wale – New Soul
off the 2009 mixtape: Back to the Feature
Olubowale Victor Akintimehin better known by his stage name Wale (pronounced wah-lay) is an American hip hop artist. He rose to prominence in 2006, when his song “Dig Dug (Shake It)” became popular in Washington, D.C.. As of 2009, Wale has released five critically acclaimed mixtapes with his first album, Attention: Deficit set to be released on September 22, 2009.
As a teenager, he was signed to Master P‘s No Limit Records until 2005, when he signed with Lil Wayne‘s Young Money Entertainment, where he remained until late 2007. While still at Young Money, Curren$y created Fly Society with skateboarder Terry Kennedy, first as a clothing company, then expanding to release music. After releasing a series of mixtapes, he released his debut solo album, This Ain’t No Mixtape, in 2009.
Speaker Tv Blog 