Hip Hop mogul Jay-Z has now confirmed reports and rumors that he had signed actor Will Smith's 9-year-old daughter Willow to his new Roc Nation label. Beyond the deal, Jiggaexplained how he met the young singer.
"First off, I heard the record first, before I knew that it was recorded by a nine year-old," Jaysaid in an interview with radio host Ryan Seacrest. "I was like, 'Man, that record is a smash.' -- I went to Japan to do some stuff and they were out there and I met Willow and she walked in and the first thing she said was, 'I'm really nervous,' and I thought that maturity, explaining exactly how she was feeling as she was walking in the room, I knew right there she was a star. I believe in super stars and I believe in big records on super stars...Yes, [I signed her and we plan on helping her] facilitate all her ideas. As you're going to learn today, if you sit with her for a half hour, you'll see, she's just a wealth of information and ideas...She's a child, she has child innocence but she has a refreshing clear vision of what she wants to be...And I imagine that's how Mike [Jackson] was as a kid."
It looks like the "fued" that 50 Cent and Kanye once used to help sales is now over as the G-Unit leader says he may work with Kanye for his new album. “A lot of producers send stuff that’s interesting,” he said. “To me, it inspires me to write with different cadences, see a different style. I don’t want the record to sound like old material. I want it to sound like something new.
“I sat with Swizz [Beatz]; I’mma try to get in with him. Don’t even be surprised if you hear me and Kanye, just talented artists — period. I’mma collaborate and make a monster this time. Ain’t nobody off limits to me in my head. If creatively they have something they feel is something for the project, I’m with it.”
Rapper T.I.'s recent L.A. arrest last week may have messsed up multiple things, including his deal with the body spray company AXE. According to TMZ.com, reps from the company say they are skeptical about its future with the rapper.
T.I.'s ecstasy arrest has caused a serious stink with some of his sponsors -- in fact, TMZ has learned the people behind AXE body spray are considering kicking the rapper to the curb. A rep for AXE tells TMZ they're "troubled by [T.I.'s] arrest" and have been forced into "reviewing our promotional activities" with the rapper. Translation -- it doesn't look good for T.I. So far, T.I. is still featured on the company's website but it smells like that could change at any moment. (TMZ)
Keeping their promise to DJ Clue, rappers Fabolous and Soulja Boy confronted one another during a live radio interview last night (September 8th). According to reports, both artists came to an understanding on the show.
"I thought that he was taking shots at me, when it was just jokes. It was a misunderstanding, a mis-communication," Soulja Boy said on the radio on Wednesday night. "I'm about making money."
Fab spoke on how much buzz their dispute created. "We're not trying to make a LeBronspecial...we smoothed it out and back to the money," he said. "I know people thought it was going to be a [Manny] Pacquiao fight, but we sat down like bosses." During the interview, DJ Clue said that the pair had exchanged information so that there would be no more misunderstandings.
Before it all went down, 50 Cent said the two had to made a truce. "Soulja and fab kicked it they cool now aint no more beef you c*ck suckers have a nice day lol"
Hip Hip vet Bun B recently talked about how he admires new comer Drake and his hunger for success. According to Bun B, he doesn't plan on slowing down.
"[I see] the hunger and the passion for what he's doing," Bun said when asked why he supports him. "It's still all very new to him so he's really trying to embrace as much of it as he can without taking on too much too early. There's just so many great opportunities available for him. He's really just trying to make as much good music as he can. I just try to make sure that he doesn't overwhelm himself. But when I see him, it reminds me of when I was coming in the game and how hungry I was and how ready I was to just attack and be heard and be seen and be known and let people realize my movement and that it's not superficial. It's something real. So I understand that kind of intensity. I see it in his eyes and I remember that look when I used to see the look in my eyes when I looked in the mirror in the morning. I still have that kind of hunger and passion. I think that's why we make the kind of records we make, too."
After over twenty-years in the game, Snoop Dogg continues to make new moves and break barriers, records and other marks years into his career. Now the rapper has set another precedent by becoming the first rapper to be on the "Rock Band" video game.
"I do it all, man," Snoop told MTV News' Sway at last month's Rock the Bells Tour kickoff. "I got some downloadable content with classic songs from Doggystyle, songs like 'Drop It Like It's Hot.' You'll be able to play along to the Snoop Dogg groove in a dramatic fashion, so you can feel like you're a member of the Snoopadelics."
Young Money's own Nicki Minaj recently opened up about her recent, short-lived kind-of-marriage-rumor to fellow rapper Drake why she intentionally wanted to start the rumor.
"No, Drama, don't be silly," Minaj told Drama when asked about expecting kids with Drake. "Drake is just my little brother and I kid with him all the time. That's all. Yes, yes, we were just being crazy and I think we were a little bit bored. I wouldn't say we were bored, but we were being just mischievous. I did another interview and they asked me and I said, everyday I see things written about me that aren't true. So I wanted to kinda give the blogs a little bit of payback and put my own story out. [laughs] I don't date boys, I don't like boys. [laughs] It's true -- I think boys are yucky and that's it. There's nothing more to say."
