Latest HipHop News

Little Brother may be calling it quits on their fourth studio album, Letfback, but not before they finish their farewell tour. Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh will be making their last appearance as a group in New York City on Tuesday, May 11 and XXLMag.com has five pairs of tickets for giveaway.

The first five lucky readers to email XXL@harris-pub.com with their full name and the correct answer to the following question will be going to the Hiro Ballroom tomorrow night. What is the only 9th Wonder-produced song on Getback? The XXL staff will notify all the winners

Black Milk, Torae, Chaundon, Joe Scudda and Joezeemo will be opening for the North Carolina duo. Doors for the concert open 7 p.m and fans can purchase tickets here.

Fans can also head to Fat Beats earlier in the evening from 6-8 p.m, where LB will be hosting a meet-and-greet. —XXL Staff

DMX can’t catch a break. TMZ reports that a judge has denied the troubled rapper’s request to leave Arizona and be a part of VH1’s reality series, Celebrity Rehab.

As previously reported, X is currently serving a six-month sentence in an AZ prison for violating his probation, stemming from an incident where he threw a food tray at an officer while he was locked up on drug, theft and animal abuse charges last year. Admitting to using cocaine on several occasions, the rapper was thrown back in jail in March.

Dr. Drew Pinksy wrote a letter to the judge asking to treat the Ruff Ryders rep at his Pasedena Recovery Center at the time of the incident. Last week, the judge shot down the request, sighting that the Yonkers MC was doing just fine in the court appointed substance-abuse program.

Apparently X would be allowed to leave the state and film for the show after the program is finished in July, but by then it would be too late for filming.

As of press time neither Pinksy or DMX have responded to the judge’s verdict. —Elan Mancini

In the past, I’ve been pretty vocal about my feelings towards Andre 3000 and all the Stannery he’s received. Dude has been super-ill since Southernplayalistic…, and while I would’ve entertained a Top 5 debate back when he was an active rapper, it’s hard for me to take such claims seriously since he now only puts out about two verses a year.

Rap’s Top 5 debate is like the lotto, you gotta be in it to win it. And that brings me to something that has been on my mind for a few years now; what about 3 Stacks’ OutKast partner, Big Boi?

Is he a Top 5 lyricist?

No, but Sir Luscious Left Foot has certainly put in enough work to get his name mentioned a bit more. I mean, at what point did hip-hop decide that Andre 3000 would take the OutKast lyrical crown? Because to me they started out neck and neck [Insert required denouncement of any homosexual activity here]. I’d say it was when Andre Benjamin started dressing all kinds of crazy with the Aquemini album that he became the group’s standout.

That being said, yes, at some point over the course of OutKast’s six-album career, Dre surpassed Big Boi as an MC. My argument, though, is that he hasn’t surpassed him by THAT much to the point where Daddy Fat Sacks [Insert an affirmation of my heterosexuality here] doesn’t even get a mention.

Regardless of who’s better, Big Boi is still superior to about 90-percent of rappers out and shouldn’t that count for something? Take his latest single “Shutterbug” for instance; dude goes in. There are references to Gomer Pyle, Sgt. Slaughter and that “ese” line was clever. Big Boi is an MC that clearly cares about lyrics, because he could’ve just gotten by on the beat and hook alone. Still “Shutterbug” is a pretty dope song and he went the extra mile as any self-respecting MC should. So why doesn’t Big Boi get more respect? —Rob Markman a.k.a The Deputy!