Lil Wayne I Am Still Music Los Angeles, CA Tour Stop

Lil Wayne I Am Still Music continues to march through the good ol USA. The L.A. stop was delayed by one day because of the L.A. Kings hockey teams' playoff dates. Travis Barker, Rick Ross, Porcelain, Nicki Minaj along with Wayne, all brought their "A" game to the Staples Center on Friday, April 22nd.

L.A. Times concert review:
Live Review: Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj at the Staples Center

Photo links:
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Getty Images

"I Am Still Music" tour dates:
Tue 04/26/11 - Sacramento, CA - Power Balance Pavilion
Wed 04/27/11 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
Thu 04/28/11 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
Fri 04/29/11 - Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome

(video courtesy of jonasfaningoleta, hicksflicks and Rap Up TV)

Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Drake Receive RIAA Award Plaques

Cash Money Records Annual Pre-Grammy Awards Party was held at The Lot on Saturday night in West Hollywood, CA. The whole Cash Money crew was on hand for the festivities.

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Jim Jonsin Settles Lil Wayne 'Lollipop' Royalty Issues

There must be something in the air, earlier in the week the Bangladesh produced track for Lil Wayne “6′ 7″ leaked on the internet. At first something was a muck, since Bangladesh was bent out of shape for not getting paid for his major contribution to Wayne‘s ‘Tha Carter III”, for the ‘A Milli’ track. But it appears that things are peaches and creme between Bangladesh and the Cash Money crew. Also in the creme, producer Jim Jonsin as he states in a interview with the Broward Palm Beach Times. Read below.

We worked out an arrangement. They’re giving me some money now, and will pay the balance in the first or second quarter next year. I never had an issue with Wayne, he and I were cool. It’s just there was some confusion owing to [clearance issues with] a sample from another song I made for him ["I Feel Like Dying"]. There’s never been hard feelings between me and him.

Glad to hear that things are cleared up. We just need to hear from producers Play-N-Skillz if their situation is cleared as well for their song contribution ‘Got Money.’ Either way, it’s all good!

Cash Money Plaque To End All Wall Plaques

Spotted at ozone, courtesy of Derick G.

Drake Requests "Free Weezy" Live At Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival

Above Ground Magazine said this about yesterday's Drake Seattle performance:

Drake came out to a slightly larger crowd than J. Cole, and for the first three tracks, had the crowd in the palm of his hand. With his music made for the big crowd, and a band backing him, Drake was exciting and completely natural…and then his set took a turn for the strange. In addition to his clear infatuation with his big brother Lil Wayne, the crowd heard this name at least 50 times, Drake proceeded to bring an 18 year old girl on stage, and almost gave her the Akon treatment. Dancing with her and kissing her on the neck, the crowd was slightly confused for a few minutes. After this, his performance lacked energy, as he entered into all of his slower songs, which were not performed with the most confidence. Maybe he should have kept it in his pants for a few more tracks.

Photo links:
Film Magic

(video footage courtesy of seattlesarachan)

¡MAYDAY! 'Stuck On An Island' Release Set For Release October 12th

via the press release

October 12 marks the latest release from Miami-based hip-hop collective ¡MAYDAY! entitled Stuck on an Island (¡MAYDAY! Music). Stuck on an Island is the follow-up to 2009’s teaser EP Technology, both of which blaze with an upbeat, tightly wound energy that keeps the listener grooving with its slick production and singing along with its ultra-catchy hooks. The album’s title pays homage to the trials and tribulations the band has faced trying to "escape" Miami. Producer/guitarist Plex Luthor explains: “Miami is paradise, but at the same time the geography has always made us feel like outsiders in the larger pond. We want to get our music to the masses, but sometimes the walls around the port of Miami make it difficult to break out. We want to make sure the world knows musicians from this city can compete culturally with the best of them.”

While Stuck on an Island is only ¡MAYDAY!’s second full-length album, the band has consistently turned out addictive urban alternative tracks that have permeated the local Miami music scene and beyond, grabbing the ear of hip-hip impresario Lil’ Wayne who used the group as his personal band in the videos “Get a Life,” “Da Da Da” and “On Fire.” ¡MAYDAY! also collaborated with Cee-Lo on the hit song "Groundhog Day" from their self-titled debut of which mtvU said, “Like Gorillaz covering Gnarls Barkley, the gospel funk-hop assault of the ¡MAYDAY! single “Groundhog Day” would be enough for most to base a career on.” The music video logged over 2 million hits on YouTube in its first two days and made the band a breakout success story, garnering attention from the New York Times, MTV and URB Magazine. They went on to share stages with Daft Punk, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Method Man, winning over audiences around the country with their high-octane live show.

The dynamic songs Stuck on an Island call to mind a who’s who of alt-hip-hop’s most cutting edge and creative stars like Gnarls Barkley, N*E*R*D or Lupe Fiasco. Tracks like “I’ll Be Gone,” “Picture Perfect,” “No 1’s Looking,” “Worse Case Scenario,” and “Make a Living” form the backbone of an album of diverse styles that always manages to surprise and never ceases to get your head bobbing and your body moving.

The stunning cover art for Stuck on an Island was rendered by Jeff Dekal with creative input from all the members of the band. Using several types of media to give the image a lifelike quality, the scene is meant to depict the band’s feeling of isolation, and the small details - the guitar inputs plugged into Plex Luthor’s arm, and the futuristic shades they all wear - highlight that the band’s distinctive style.

¡MAYDAY! is: guitarist/producer Plex Luthor, MCs Wrekonize (you might remember him from MTV Battles) and BernBiz, bassist/keyboardist Gianni Ca$h, drummer L.T. Hopkins and percussionist Nonymous

Track listing for Stuck on an Island:

01. I’ll Be Gone
02. Stuck on an Island ft. 7King
03. No 1’s Lookin
04. Lost Highway
05. Broads & Freqs
06. Transparent ft. Snave Nair
07. Freak Show
08. Smoke & Mirrors
09. On 2 Somethn ft. Jovi Rockwell
10. Worst Case Scenario ft. The Money Making Jam Boys

More info:
¡MAYDAY! website
¡MAYDAY! Myspace
¡MAYDAY! Twitter

Juvenile & Mannie Fresh Deliver Hometown Tunes Live At The Jazz & Heritage Festival In New Orleans

via The Times-Picayune

Both Juvenile and Mannie Fresh have new albums out from late 2009, but Sunday (May 2) at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage presented by Shell, the rapper and DJ -- who go back almost 15 years as Cash Money Records label mates -- stuck largely to the old school.

It went back even farther than that at the set's opening on the Congo Square "My Louisiana" Stage. DJ Mannie Fresh did not, actually, DJ at all during the set; that was left to Leroy "Precise" Edwards, who produced Juvenile and Mystikal's earliest tracks, and DJ Wop, who's been running with Fresh since the early 80's, spinning at block parties with the New York Incorporated hip-hop crew.

After a verse from "Go DJ," and the Big Tymers' "Still Fly," Fresh invited out rapper Gregory D, with whom he'd put out an album, "D Rules The Nation", in 1987.

"Me and this dude basically started this," Fresh explained, grinning. The larger-than-life Gregory D replied, "I knew Mannie Fresh wasn't gonna come out to the Jazz Fest and not invite Gregory D!"

A bass player slapped his strings as the two performed their 80's local hit "Buck Jump Time," a shout-out to New Orleans projects, local references and in-jokes with a second-line tuba bass line and a syncopated beat. Then Juvie took the stage and fast-forwarded things ever so slightly, with "400 Degreez" (1998) and "Set It Off" (2000).

Juvenile detoured to the present once, with "Gotta Get It," the second single off of last fall's "Cocky And Confident," but for the most part, he and Fresh stuck to their old catalogs, sparring and joking easily as if the stage were their living room.

"This is the greatest hits of Universal Juvie right here," he said. "Did we forget anything, y'all?"

The mood was briefly somber as Juvenile gave shout-outs to two late Cash Money artists who were killed in the 90's, Pimp Daddy and Yella Boy of UNLV. He then performed "Slow Motion," a collaboration with Soulja Slim that became a posthumous hit when Slim was killed before its release in 2003.

The only off-kilter moment was the introduction of So Fresh, a gangly, teenage-looking rap duo from Metairie currently working with Fresh. Gesturing and jumping like an extra-spastic version of the Beastie Boys, they performed a song that seemed to be about being excited to turn 21, so that they could drink Jagermeister and throw up. It was very hard to tell if it was a joke.

Thankfully, their song was as brief as it was confusing, and it was back to back-in-the-day. The closer was the party-pumping "Back That A-- Up" (little attention was paid to language at Congo Square during Juvie's set) seguing into "Drop It Like It's Hot." Even in the light mist of rain and gusting wind, the crowd did as told.

Photo links:
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Film Magic

(Video courtesy of BillyHarrellH20)

Drake Live At The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Concert Recap

As reported by Susan Langenhennig / The Times-Picayune

Drake is a ladies man, no doubt about it.

About 20 minutes into his 6 p.m. close-out set at the 41st annual New Orleans Jazz Fest (Saturday, April 24) presented by Shell, the Canadian-born rapper decided to pluck one lucky woman from the audience to join him on stage for a dance. The heavily female, mostly under-20 crowd responded with what could only be described as Beatles-era shrieking.

"Now ladies, you have to know, if you come up here, anything is liable to happen," he teased as he scanned the faces for volunteers.

Despite all that bluster, the 23-year-old rapper was a perfect gentleman when Jade, the young lady - or should I say girl - who caught his eye was handed up to the platform.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Seventeen," she responded.

At that, he kissed her on both cheeks and forehead and sent her on her way.

When he wasn't romancing the ladies, Drake, born Aubrey Drake Graham, was rocking an R&B-infused rap set. Dressed all in black with spotless white tennis shoes, he perched at the edge of the stage. Launching into "I'm Going In," he gave a shout out to New Orleans (incarcerated) rapper Lil Wayne, calling him "My Big Brother."

For his final song, Drake segued into "Say Something," prompting the crowd to break out in a collective bounce that sent plumes of muddy brown water splashing up in waves, just as the sun began to set.

Photo links:
Film Magic
Wire Image

(video courtesy of stopandhearthemusic)

Drake Live In East Lansing, Michigan State University

Drake performed Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan Wednesday, April 14.

Drake 'The Away From Home Tour' Dates:
April 15 – Rochester Hills, MI – Oakland University
April 16 – Morgantown, WV – West Virginia University
April 21 – Orlando, FL – University Central Florida
April 22 – Greenville, SC – Furman University
April 23 – Nashville, TN - Vanderbilt University (Rites of Spring Fest.)
April 24 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
April 26 – New Orleans, LA – University of Missouri-Kansas City
April 27 – Lexington, KY – University of Kentucky
April 29 – Lowell, MA – University Mass Lowell
April 30 – Syracuse, NY – Private Location
May 1 – Boston, MA – Private Location
May 4 – East Rutherford, NJ – Bamboozle Festival
May 5 – Towson, MD – Holy Cross
May 6 – Cheney, PA – Towson University
May 7 – Ithaca, NY – Private Location
May 8 – Plymouth, NH – Private Location
May 12 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre
May 13 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia

(video courtesy of classof2006kiwi)

Detail - 'Tattoo Foreva' Ft. T-Pain, Lil Wayne & Travis McCoy

Super Producer / Songwriter Detail (Ray J "Sexy Can I"; Akon "I'm So Paid") releases his first single as an artist titled "Tattoo Foreva" from his debut album to be released on KrazyBox / Universal Republic. The track features T-Wayne and Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes. This is the first official feature from supergroup T-Wayne, which is comprised of T-Pain and Lil Wayne. Video to drop soon.

Detail Ft. T-Pain, Lil Wayne & Travis McCoy
Download: "Tattoo Foreva"

Freaknik: The Musical Cartoon Creators Nick Weidenfeld & Carl Jones Interview

via Ozone Magazine

Last night Freaknik: The Musical debuted on Adult Swim with T-Pain voicing the part of Freaknik. A ghost with skin made out of dollar signs who wears an outrageous gold chain with a charm that is a likeness of himself. Surprisingly, this probably isn’t the most outrageous element of the cartoon.

The show will revolve around a four-man rap group that goes by the name Sweet Tea Mobsters. They hail from fictional Sweet Tea, Florida and are on a mission to get to the Freaknik celebration in Atlanta so that they can participate in the Battle of Trillest (think Battle of the Bands for rappers) where the grand prize winner will receive a lifetime supply of money, clothes and hoes.

By now, you’ve probably already formed an opinion about Freaknik: A Musical. Which is fine, that’s what the show creators want you to do, on top of have a good time watching it. Ozone caught up with the shows co-creators, co-writers and co-executive producers of the show Nick Weidenfeld (Head of Development at Adult Swim) and Carl Jones (co-executive producer of The Boondocks) to have them explain the cartoon’s origins and intentions.

Ozone: Start off by telling us where this idea originated from.

Nick: We actually started off working on another cartoon that was more about race and politics and a Return of Freaknik episode was just going to be one of them. It was about a character that embodied spring break and the personification of the best party in the world. Who better than T-Pain to be the voice of the party? As I started to work on that idea, we went away from politics and went to fun. I started working more with Pain and he got more involved in the show. From there I started working with Carl Jones from The Boondocks and decided to create a show around the Freaknik character.

I loved the idea of A Charlie Brown Christmas special and thought it would be funny to have a spring break special. So it’s a road trip about a group of rappers growing up in a town called Sweet Tea, Florida called the Sweet Tea Mobsters. Rick Ross, Cee-Lo, DJ Pooh and T-Pain’s artist Young Cash are the voices. They are a group of struggling rappers that want to get put on. They are hustling hard and they are holding a Battle of the Bands that’s called the Battle of the Trillest and the winner gets a lifetime supply of money, clothes and hoes. They are desperately trying to get from Florida to Atlanta. Along the way they run out of gas and wind up at a white frat party. Then they end up in the trap where they meet Trap Jesus who is played by Lil Wayne. The story is about their struggles to get there and the people they meet who both help and distract them. Tha Bizness produced the music so its real funny and it has some bangers.

Carl: To clear up confusion, a rumor leaked out saying that Lil Wayne is playing Jesus, that’s not true. The character he is playing is like Jesus. We actually went through several name changes. He’s not the Jesus from the Bible, but he represents a Christ-like figure because he has a flock of dudes that always following him, but he runs a trap house. In their journey the Sweet Tea Mobsters wind up on the wrong side of the tracks in a bad neighborhood and Trap Jesus give them…useful tools for their journey.

Ozone: What went into selecting the artists that are doing the voice work on the cartoon?

Nick: When I met T-Pain he was the biggest fan of Adult Swim. Its on his rider that he has to have Cartoon Network. Big Boi had to be apart of it, George Clinton and Bootsy had to be apart of this. Rick Ross has good relationship with Pain and he has great voice for cartoons. Cee-Lo and Lil Jon, we wanted to get as many dudes from Atlanta as possible. We wanted people who made it authentic and with a sense of humor.

Ozone: With some of the potentially offensive elements you’ve named in the cartoon, it would take person with a special sense of humor to take part in this.

Nick: We picked people who wanted people to have fun. There are people who had real fun at Freaknik either performing or participating. A lot of people don’t like it, but a lot of people liked it. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, we’re just trying to say, have a good time.

Carl: The media really put a spin on Freaknik. Anytime when you bring a lot of people together, there’s always an opportunity for things to go wrong. But for the most part people came to have a good time. Even economically, it was beneficial to the community. It was a good experience for the city of Atlanta but I think the racism that still exists in the South is what got it shut down.

Ozone: Are you expecting any backlash from the show, even though you say your intentions are to simply have a good time? You have to know some of the elder statesmen ’s men in our community may have something to say about this. Freaknik was a very racially polarizing event in Atlanta.

Nick: Its going to be a show that is not for the elder statesmen. Its supposed to be funny and fun. If you look up the story about Freaknik: The Musical in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution you’ll see that the headline is a joke saying that Freaknik is back. If you read through the comments, it generates into basically the most terrible, racism with people attacking each other. It quickly snowballs into that. This cartoon is here to celebrate having fun. Obviously bad things happen when you get a ton of people together. The same things can be said about Woodstock and the Puerto Rican day parade. The core of it is supposed to be fun. Matter of fact, the bad guys in the show are the elder statesmen, the Boule. This has been talked about before, there was said to be a group of Black professionals or the Black upper class. We don’t get too deep into that, but we do have a jokey version of it to show that its true that there is a group of people that don’t want kids to have fun and make sure that Freaknik doesn’t exist. The real Freaknik made a lot of money for Black Atlanta, but they might not have supported the business that the government wanted them to. We don’t disregard the other things that revolved around Freaknik. We know people want to watch just to hate on it. Its dealt with on the show.

Carl: When you do something black or urban, we are judged differently. You’ll have Steven Speilberg do a movie with violence and negativity and nothing is said. But we are held to be responsible on a whole ‘nother level. We’re not trying to change the world with a cartoon. We’re just trying to be honest. You got people that are going to be mad. I feel like there is an honesty in what we saying, that’s why it strikes people in a negative way. People shouldn’t get mad at us for putting things on TV, get mad that they exist in our society. We’re giving an honest interpretation of what Freaknik was. If we we’re showing people something that we don’t do, it wouldn’t be a problem, but because we’re putting light on something we actually did, it is. This is a part of who we are, this is a part of our culture. Everybody went to Freanknik to have a good time, it’s about the freedom of expression.

Yo Gotti - 'Women Lie, Men Lie' ft. Lil Wayne (video)

Yo Gotti - Live From The Kitchen on Inevitable/Polo Grounds/J-Records coming soon!

Freaknik: The Cartoon Movie With T-Pain, Lil Wayne Is Coming To A TV Near You

'Freaknik: The Musical' premieres Sunday, March 7 on Cartoon Network (Adult Swim). Check your local listings for air times.

via Los Angeles Times

T-Pain said making the move to animation was easy because he had already been collaborating with the network, including appearing in a live-action version of the hit show “Aqua Teen Hunger Force.” Using Freaknik as the backdrop for the special was one of the ideas brought to him by producers, and it happened to be the most risqué.

"Back in the '90s, Freaknik was Atlanta's version of the ultimate block party. It was Mardi Gras meets spring break, at your crazy cousin's bachelor party, and anything could happen," T-Pain said. "It was just the biggest party of all time. The black version of what people see on MTV."

The Grammy Award-winning rapper and producer voices the ghost of Freaknik’s past, and the little guy even sports a diamond-encrusted chain, pimp cup and oversized shades much like the rapper. The character's hauntings are strictly of the party variety. T-Pain said anywhere the ghost goes, the revelry starts, and “strippers start coming and flying out the air."

Read the full article here:
L.A. Times - T-Pain's animated 'Freaknik': 'Strippers start coming and flying out the air'

Jay-Z, Lil Wayne: More From The Madison Square Garden 2010 BP3 Tour NYC

Here's what another major press outlet, New York Post said about Jay-Z triumphant return to NYC on his BP3 2010 concert tour:

Through the entire concert, Jay paced the stage like an unleashed tiger, while images that illustrated his music flashed overhead on the mock skyscrapers.

The video graphic work during this show was so good, had Z not given as dynamic a performance as he did, he might have been upstaged by his own visuals.

He wasn't.

In fact, his presence conjured the same kind of concert excitement and pure devotion that Sinatra managed to extract form his fans years ago and that Springsteen draws from his army today. As sacrilegious as it may seem, with everyone in Madison Square Garden raising their arms and pressing their hands together to make a diamond shape to praise Jay-Z, it's as if the audience was experiencing the second coming.

In New York, the rapper's hometown, Jay couldn't do any wrong. The early peak was when he belted "Empire State of Mind," which made the house churn.

New York Post - King of NY-Z



And lots to be said about Lil Wayne's guest spot at the Garden:

With a courthouse fire giving Lil Wayne at least another day’s reprieve before going to jail on gun charges, Weezy enjoyed his surprise freedom by making what will likely be his last pre-incarceration live appearance at Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 tour stop in New York City last night. After Jay-Z handed the mike over to his tourmate Young Jeezy about 45 minutes into his set, Jeezy informed the crowd of Weezy’s unexpected situation and brought out Wayne’s Young Money teammate Nikki Minaj, dedicating “Bedrock” to Tha Carter III rapper.

Rolling Stone - Lil Wayne Cameos at Jay-Z Show After Evading Jail One More Day

More fan shot footage below.













(video courtesy of LegendsUnlimited,1SHOT2002, joylorraine505, FRANK2HOT4U & Danared234)

Related:
Jay-Z Hometown Show At Madison Square Garden Concert Recap

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Mar 03 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar 05 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun
Mar 06 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
Mar 07 Norfolk, VA - Scope Arena
Mar 11 Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar 12 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Mar 14 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar 18 Chicago, IL - United Center
Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Jay-Z Hometown Show At Madison Square Garden Concert Recap

via MTV

NEW YORK — There is always palpable exhilaration whenever Jay-Z plays Madison Square Garden. Tuesday night (March 2) was another sold-out show at MSG as Hov's Blueprint 3 Tour arrived in town.

After Trey Songz played up to the ladies with his set, there was a short intermission. Like lightning -- boom! The Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" video began playing on two big screens that hung over the stage, and a 10-minute countdown began perfectly in sync with the classic hip-hop track. Hova chants started several minutes prior to that.



Finally, with no time left on the clock, Jay's music began. He was greeted with a deafening roar of approval. "Feel it coming in the air," Rihanna's recorded voice from "Run This Town" blasted through the arena.

Jay rose from underneath the stage, rolling his head around his shoulders like a young Mike Tyson getting ready for a prize fight. Jay, like Tyson in the '80s, knows he's a dominant force in any ring, any arena, but especially at the Garden, he's unstoppable.

Jay then brought out Memphis Bleek and told his former neighbor in the Marcy Projects he wanted him to see something special. Like a wizard, Jigga waved his hand around the arena and made fans scream.

"I wanna be careful how I phrase this, because it's one of my heroes," Jay said. "Madison Square Garden used to be Run's House. But 'Run's House' is now on MTV. Madison Square Garden is now 'The House That Hov Built.' "

His assertion was backed up with triumphant showings of "On to the Next One," "U Don't Know," "99 Problems" and "Show Me What You Got."

"Empire State of Mind" felt special in the Garden. Jay's performance of the record filled the arena with hometown pride. It's the closest feeling the crowd at the Garden will get to the Knicks winning the championship ... at least until LeBron James signs with the team next year (fingers crossed).



James was in attendance, along with his Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Shaquille O'Neal, Rick Ross, Gwyneth Paltrow, Diddy and Cash Money Records CEO the Birdman. Birdman was on hand to cheer on his "son" Lil Wayne. Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj had the show-stealing moment as part of Young Jeezy's set. The Snowman also brought out Akon.

Jeezy came out about 40 minutes into Jay's show, and the two did "Real as It Gets" from Blueprint 3. After handing Jeezy the keys to MSG for a while, Jay came back and traded rhymes with his Southern partner on the remixes of "Put On" and "My President." Trey Songz came out with Jay as well to help out on "Heart of the City" and "Already Home."

The Blueprint 3 Tour stopped with an "overtime" session that saw Jay take his fans back as far as the Reasonable Doubt days with "Ain't No N---a" and "Can I Live."

"Am I going too far back? This moment is only for us," he added of himself and fans of his first LP.

Hov then brought it up a few years for "Big Pimpin'," with Jay urging everyone to wave whatever they had from rags to bandanas to hats in the air, Carnivale-style.

"I don't take it for granted," Jay said of the fan love. "I appreciate everyone in the building tonight. Thank you, and I hope we return the love tenfold.

The legendary MC then asked to do one more record: "Encore."

Hov is going to be in the Tri-State Area with a few shows during these next two weeks. He plays Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel as well as the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island next week.

Photos:
Getty Images
Rex Features
Miss Info
Patrick McMullan
Metro NY

After party photos:
Getty Images
Wire Image
Film Magic

(video courtesy of mistertroyf)

Jay-Z's BP3 2010 Tour dates:

Mar 03 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar 05 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun
Mar 06 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
Mar 07 Norfolk, VA - Scope Arena
Mar 11 Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar 12 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Mar 14 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar 18 Chicago, IL - United Center
Mar 19 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar 22 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

Lil Wayne & Eminem- ‘Drop the World’ Video Shoot (Making Of)

spotted on Rap-up

Lil Wayne and Eminem cause a riot on set of their explosive video for “Drop the World,” the newest single from Weezy’s rock album Rebirth. The green screen clip was filmed in Castaic, Calif., by director Chris Robinson.

“We just crushed some stuff, burned some stuff, and had an illmatic performance with Wayne and Eminem,” said Robinson.

Erykah Badu Ft. Lil Wayne - 'Jump In The Air'

Erykah Badu - 'New Amerykah Part 2: Return of the Ankh' on Motown/Universal arrives March 30.

Travis Barker Showcases Hip Hop Side On Upcoming Debut Solo Album

via Spinner

Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, RZA, Swizz Beatz, the Game, Beanie Sigel -- this may sound like a list for the 2010 Hip-Hop Summit, but it's not. It's actually a preliminary list of guests for Travis Barker's first solo album.

"I'm not signing or being an MC or anything," the former Blink-182 drummer tells Spinner. "I think over the last five years, when Blink wasn't around, I played a lot by myself or did a whole bunch of stuff with just me -- whether I was playing with T.I. or doing whatever -- it just opened another world for me."

After Blink-182 announced a hiatus in 2004, Barker became a chameleon of sorts. There were a handful of short-lived side-projects, such as alt-rock supergroup +44 with Blink-182 bandmate Mark Hoppus, the Transplants with Rancid's Tim Armstrong and the rap-rock trio Expensive Taste that produced a mixtape with southern rapper Paul Wall.

Barker then set out on the road with Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein as the DJ-rock duo TRV$DJAM, which faced eminent doom a year ago when a their private learjet skidded off a runway killing two members of their entourage and injuring both Goldstein and Barker. Eleven months later DJ AM would overdose on a deadly mixture of prescription painkillers and cocaine. Given the tragedies, it's incredible that Barker still trudges on. Since he's hopped around working with everyone from Slash to Mary J. Blige, and appeared more recently at the Grammys drumming during the Eminem, Lil Wayne and Drake hip-hop medley, 'Forever.' As his latest endeavors would suggest, Barker admits there's a lot of hip-hop on the solo effort.

"I'm rounding it out right now," he says of the album's many guests. "I just love music. The more I can be around it the better. So with my album -- it's no one genre. It goes from everything from punk rock to hip-hop to some electro stuff on there to a metal song with Corey Taylor from Slipknot. It's been really fun and interesting up till now."

Cool & Dre Interview

Urswurve caught up with the critically acclaimed production team Cool & Dre in the American Airlines Arena StarBox at the Heat vs Bobcats game in Miami. Dre talks about their work on Lil Wayne Rebirth album and upcoming Baby & Lil Wayne album Like Father Like Son 2.

Lil Wayne Shoots A Gaggle Of Music Videos Before Heading Off To The Clink

While everyone was in town this past week for Super Bowl festivities in Miami, Lil Wayne got to work filming several videos at a time, before he heads off to jail tomorrow.

The above video is Tyga's "I'm On It" which features Wayne, Drake, Juelz and the other Young Moneyites.

Photos from each video shoot here:
Jeevans World - Trae Tha Truth ft. Rick Ross & Lil Wayne "Inkredible"
Ozone - Trae Tha Truth ft. Rick Ross & Lil Wayne "Inkredible"
Ozone - Lil Wayne "Da Da Da"
Ozone - Young Money "Roger That"