XXL.com

Believe it or not, there are still some rappers out there that Lil Wayne has not collaborated with… yet. Earlier this week, during a call-in interview from Rikers Island with Funkmaster Flex, the incarcerated MC revealed that one of the artists he most wants to work with is Midwest independent king Tech N9ne. That got us to thinking about of other collabos we’d love to hear from Weezy when he comes home. With some imagination, a little wishful thinking and cue-taking from Tech N9ne’s playbook (he just released his third collabos album, The Gates Mixed Plate), XXL dreams up a track list for the ultimate Lil Wayne collabos album (that needs to happen). —Calvin Stovall

1) Lil Wayne feat. Tech N9n: “Headbanger Ballin’”
The metal rock-influenced style that Tech has been serving the Midwest over a decade is the logical next step for Wayne’s sound after his Rebirth experiment.

2) Lil Wayne feat. Slaughterhouse “Feed Me Rappers”
Sampling a screwed version of Wayne’s famous line from DJ Khaled’s “We Takin’ Over,” Weezy chops it up with rap’s four baddest butchers (Joe Budden, Royce Da 5’9, Crooked I and Joell Ortiz). The bars are epic, but the song’s highlight comes at the end as Budden and Wayne are heard arguing in the booth over whose checklist of industry girls and Eye Candy conquests is most impressive.

3) Lil Wayne feat. Wiz Khalifa “Kush & Purple Drank”
EZ Wider papers and Styrofoam cups litter the studio as Wiz and Weezy bond over their mutual love of tats, weed, and taking other niggas’ women.

4) Lil Wayne feat. Ghostface and Sean Price “Touchy Subject”
Things get awkward in the studio when Ghostface gets his “Wizard of Poetry” on and spits a few nasty stanzas about what he would love to do to Nicki Minaj. Kimbo Price’s vicious ad-libs tearing into “soft-ass, singing-ass, light skinned, pretty boy MCs” only make matters worse.

5) Lil Wayne feat. Mos Def and Jay Electronica “Bayou, For You”
Knowing that he can no longer claim “best rapper alive” if he let’s fellow New Orleans wordsmith and serial “Renegade-er” Jay Electronica outshine him, Wayne spits his best verse in years before teaming with Mos to croon an off-key, yet oddly enjoyable, bridge and chorus.

6) Lil Wayne feat. Lauryn Hill “Miss Us?”
With Weezy fresh out of the box, and L Boogie finally back from her decade-long sabbatical, the found ones team up for an acoustic remake of Drake and Wayne’s “Miss Me.” With Wayne on his electric guitar, and Ms. Hill strumming along with him, this track has the makings of an instant classic.

7) Lil Wayne feat. Dr. Dre “Doctor’s Patience” [Released in 2022]
Thought it was recorded just days after Weezy’s release from Rikers, it takes 12 years for the good Doctor to deem the track ready for public consumption. By the time the video shoot rolls around, a now middle-aged Wayne is wandering around the set bemoaning rap’s new jacks and telling anyone who’ll listen that hip-hop is dead.

8) Lil Wayne feat. 50 Cent: “Mature Money”
In a sign of fan-satiating growth, Fif calls upon Wayne, one of his past subtle-diss targets, for the first single off his latest album. The verses, detailing the megastars’ shared affinity for all things monetary, serve their quotable purpose, but the record’s highlight comes once the final hook ends. After a quick bridge, 50 and Weezy go back and forth with reckless, and hilarious, ad-libs.

9) Lil Wayne feat. Foxy Brown and Cocoa Tea: “Rikers Island 2010″
Weezy and Fox trade bars through the phone direct from the Island over a sample of Cocoa’s 1991 reggae classic. Just imagine a DJ Khaled-orchestrated “All Rikers (Remix),” featuring every MC who has ever passed through the infamous NYC jail.

10) Lil Wayne feat. Lupe Fiasco “Speakin’ in Afrikaans”
Lupe threatens to hold the collab captive until Wayne apologizes for spontaneously yelling, “Shout out to my nigga, Nelson Mandela,” during their Apartheid-themed freestyle over Vado’s “Speakin’ in Tungs.”

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Harlem, NY, Sept 29, 1998, 17 E. 126th St., famed photographer Gordon Parks shot the cover image for XXL’s December ’98 issue, “The Greatest Day In Hip-Hop History.” The cover paid homage to Art Kane’s iconic jazz portrait “A Great Day in Harlem.” Similar to the original, Park’s version brought in a surplus of rap legends and up-and-comers to pose in front of three brownstones in Harlem.

All regions and ages were represented, as everyone from Rakim, Fab 5 Freddy, Kool Herc and Debbie Harry (Blondie) to Da Brat, Wyclef, Jermaine Dupri, Luke, E-40, Fat Joe, and Shyheim, among others, were present. The cover ranks as a huge milestone in hip-hop history, a pure example of MCs from all over the U.S. putting aside their egos to come together to pay homage to the culture’s pioneers and acknowledging the passing of the torch, as a New Golden Age of hip-hop began.

Well, I’m here to say that today we are entering another Golden Age. Most sources define a golden age as “a time period when some activity or skill was at its peak.”

As I sit in front of my iTunes and scan through my play list, I can honestly say that we are entering into a special time in hip-hop. Lyricism is cool again! Songs are heartfelt and actually strike emotions, while painting a visual story. Consistency is at its strongest. The surge of good, quality music out is amazing and the amount of young and talented artists is overwhelming. That nostalgic atmosphere people would feel when listening to good music is slowly starting to come back and the diversity in hip-hop is at its peak.

Some said the West Coast couldn’t come with the rhyme, but listen to Nipsey Hussle, Dom Kennedy, Kendrick Lamar, Pac Div, Fashawn and Jay Rock and tell me they can’t flow. Some said the South killed hip hop… Pause! Play a track by J. Cole, Jay Electronica, Curren$y, B.o.B. or Big K.R.I.T. and you tell me they’re not lyrical. If you have to ask who’s in the Midwest, then you’ve never heard of Big Sean, Kid Cudi, Freddie Gibbs, Chip the Ripper and The Cool Kids. A lot of people say the reason why “hip-hop is dead” is because the New York rap scene is dead, but how can anyone say that when there’s Mickey Factz, Joell Ortiz, Papoose, Vado and Red Café holding their own. We can’t forget about hip-hop’s international appeal either. Just listen to the radio and “hip-hop’s rookie of the year” is a kid named Drake from Toronto.

C’mon, son, enough said.

That’s is just the tip of the iceberg, though. What about Slaughterhouse, Wiz Khalifa, Game, Lupe Fiasco, Asher Roth, Mac Miller, Blu, Laws, Saigon, Bun B, CurT@!n$, dead prez, Fly Union, Lloyd Banks, French Montana, Maino, Chris & Neef, Mysonne, Phil Ade, Plies, Strong Arm steady, 50 Cent, Casper G, Wyldstyle, The Roots, Smoke DZA…

Whooooo *Rick Ross voice* had to catch my breath…

…Gucci Mane, Tech N9ne, Waka Flocka Flame, Roscoe Dash, Jae Millz, Tyga, Nicki Minaj, Yelawolf, Travis McCoy, Drag-on, KDotForbes, Big Boi, David Banner, and many more have all made quality songs in just a three-month span.

Oh, did I forget to say Dipset is back!!

Just look at some of the albums that dropped this summer, Drake’s Thank Me Later, Rick Ross’s Teflon Don, Eminem’s Recovery, Fat Joe’s The Darkside, Vol. 1 and Bun B’s Trill O.G. These are all quality albums that all received XL ratings for XXL magazine and high praises throughout the hip-hop community. When was the last time something like that happen in one summer?

The crazy thing is the Trinity of hip-hop, the Lebron, Wade, and Bosh of “the league” if you will (you decide which one is who), Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, and Kanye West have only one single out between them, Yeezy’s “Power.” They do have some killer feature verses out, though. Jay-Z annihilated “Light Up” and “Free Mason,” Kanye digested “Live Free, Die Young,” and Weezy mutilated “Light Up (Remix)” from his jail cell on the phone no less.

Just look at what’s happening before our eyes right now. Really think about the state of hip-hop at this very moment, sit down and ask yourself; How much new music have I downloaded in the last three months? Look at your iTunes recently added section and see how many different artists from different regions you have. We all know the radio is not the best place to discover music, but quite frankly, it’s the best it’s ever been in years. A hip-hop fan can actually drive a long distance and keep the radio on.

I know, I know, they play Drake and Nicki Minaj songs at least three times every half our, but when haven’t they played certain songs over and over. I remember a couple years ago, you could switch between radio stations and they’d be playing the same song at the same time, at any given time of day. It was so bad that you actual knew their lineup because they played the same songs that much!

Do you remember when all a person needed is a song with bass and catchy dance and you got a record deal? Or, how we were playing ringtones as singles? Yaaaah, trick, yaaaaah… SMH. Now I can actually go to the club and have fun and I don’t have to be crankin’ a Batman, Superman, Ironman, Flash, Thor, or Hercules; walking out anything; or chicken noodle soupin’.

This is a beautiful time in music as talent is everywhere—both new and old. People are making records worthy of the repeat button, artists are showing growth in their craft and their music for every feeling, emotion, or mind state available: Hardcore, smooth, thought provoking, whatever you’re feeling, they’re here, you just got to look… And it’s not even that hard.

Maybe we can go back 17 E. 126th St in Harlem and have another cover of today’s MC. We are entering a special time in hip-hop, so please keep your ears and eyes open because, in my best Drizzy voice, “Oh, yeah, we in this bitch!!!”

The League, what up?

This has been your wifey’s favorite intern. —Manny Maduakolam

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Yesterday (August 3), Joe Budden sat down at the XXL offices to take part in our weekly UStream series, Channel Live.

One quarter of the Slaughter chopped it up with the XXL staff and answered fan questions for slightly over an hour. Joey talked about what he learned during his time at Def Jam, as well as the ways that he has navigated the industry and built a die-hard fan base through the Internet and new media. He also spoke on the dynamics of Slaughterhouse and disagreements within the group, the possibility of signing with Shady, leaving a wedding to write his response to Saigon, and a current lack of beef and competition within hip-hop. There was also a heated discussion about the politics of the industry, from the standpoint of both the artists and the magazine, plus much more. Watch the entire interview below.

Be sure to tune in next Wednesday at 4 p.m. EST for the next episode of XXL’s Channel Live.—Adam Fleischer

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REPS: London, England

STATS: 34DD-27-38

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: “Photo shoot with 50 Cent, cover girl for the UK’s leading urban magazine CandyMagUK, Vol.4, and Body C Model for an Urban U.S. novel TAKA.”

FAVORITE ARTIST: “Toni Braxton. I have always loved her. Her music is inspiring to me, [and] I can always relate to her songs with everyday relationships. [Her music] also makes you realize you’re not the only one going through certain situations life can bring.”

FAVORITE VIDEO: “50 Cent’s ‘Candy Shop.’ It’s got a wide selection of females in lingerie, need I say more.”

DREAM JOB: “My dream job would be to be in a video directed by Hype Williams. I think his creativity is amazing. His concepts are so out there, but he manages to still keep the focus on the artist. I think working with him would be so challenging but definitely rewarding.”

SEX APPEAL: “I bring sexiness to every shoot no matter what theme. From the outfits I wear to the poses, I know how to give the readers what they want.”

TURN-ON: “My ultimate fantasy… Hmmm, too naughty to tell!”

SOCIAL MEDIA: AllAboutMsSummers or @SashiaSummers

WEB CANDY SUBMISSIONS:
Are you an aspiring model or know someone that feels worthy of being a XXL Web Candy of the Week? Submit your best shots to us at XXLWebCandy@harris-pub.com for consideration. Good luck!

Photography courtesy of Koshmo Photography and Femelle Studios

Photography courtesy of Koshmo Photography and Femelle Studios

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One of the few things you can count on 50 Cent to do nowadays is keeping you entertained, albeit in a lowest common denominator kind of way. Even when he himself is underperforming in the music realm, you can always expect a cheesy interview, cornball straight-to-DVD flick, hoodrat-inspired music video with the rest of his G-Unit members or, per usual, him making a mockery of his musical adversaries. This week’s target would be Fat Joe who, after only pushing 17,000 units of his surprisingly good and actually underrated albumThe Darkside Vol. 1 (not 5,000 as Curtis originally proclaimed), was clowned as if he’s the first and/or only artist to have done so in this climate.

This coming from a guy who didn’t even have no nann promotional push for his last album because it had no legitimate singles to begin with. But whatever.

In perhaps an unintentional way though, Curtis brought forth an interesting facet of rap: how, no matter how much critical acclaim an album receives, rap albums are hard-pressed to move any kind of units these days, which will always bring forth the matter of if rap albums are even needed anymore.

In many ways we’ll always need a rap album. There’s really nothing like having an entire body of work from an artist, especially when – if they hit a creative groove so to speak – they’ve created a dope work of art that will stand the test of time. An artist’s goal of making the arguably classic rap album is probably why rapsters still make albums today, even if more often than not the end result is something far from the term “classic.”

On the flip side, there’s that nagging issue with albums not selling at all. While some will tell you otherwise, I’m sure some artists will care if they spend a lot of their time and finances putting work into something they feel is a quality product, only for the shit go double myrrh or something meaningless. A moral or personal victory may sound nice, but you can’t pay your bills with those.

With the world even more immersed in all things digital, making an album is as simple as point-click-shoot, and mixtapes drop every day. In many cases, an artist’s free project ends up surpassing the stuff they’re trying to sell in terms of sheer quality. What would be the point of selling a bad album when the mixtape will suffice? I’m looking in your direction, Jadakiss. Someone explain to me how his first The Champ Is Here mixtape is still sonically light years ahead of all of his major label releases, please.

The battle between rap album relevancies will always remain. Sometimes we need them and sometimes we don’t, but at the end of it all it’s up to the consumer to decide if an album will be more meaningful to them in the long run.

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Earlier today I consulted Google Images for a picture to illustrate a post I had “written” about how Young Buck’s children no longer have a PlayStation, and I found an extremely teh ghey picture someone put together of The Game and Young Buck… erm, becoming one with one another. I didn’t bother to investigate any further, because the only gay sex I find acceptable[||} is between two women, but I’m assuming it was put together either by someone in 50 Cent’s camp, or a particularly committed G-Unit stan.

Whomever it was, I’m sure he was pleased to hear just how bad things have gotten for Young Buck. Yesterday, shotgun-wielding federal agents swarmed his house in Nashville and seized his assets, including jewelry, furniture, platinum plaques and recording equipment. He was allowed to keep his home and vehicles, but only because his lawyer struck a deal with the IRS. He probably made a hard luck case for Young Buck. Where would his kids go, if he were to be kicked out on the streets? Clearly, they weren’t playing games, if they showed up with shotguns and went so far as to take his damn furniture. Where’s he gonna sit?

I doubt whatever they seized came anywhere close to meeting Buck’s $300,000 debt to the federal government. He complained via statement that the feds took his kids’ PlayStation, and I happen to know you can’t get shit for those video game system. I joked in a post the other day that the only thing I have to offer the guy who sent me those passwords (still working!) to all of the top pr0n sites of any real value, in case I die (a distinct possibility given my upcoming eye surgery, not to mention my lifestyle in general), is a PS2, and I was informed via some young guy on my formspring that you can’t get shit for a PS2 these days. If you tried to trade it in for a new game on PS3 or Xbox 360 at one of these used game stores (a colossal ripoff, granted), you’d still have to kick in a significant amount of money. I’m gonna give Young Buck the benefit of the doubt and assume his kids had a PS3, but still. The PS3 has been out since 2006, and a lot of people are out of a job since then. This site’s staff has turned over like four times.

If Young Buck had any sense, he’d just get rid of his house and get himself a house for people who can’t expect as much out of life - like my house. Young Buck would be particularly fortunate, in that it wouldn’t be as much of an adjustment for him to move to a place in the ghetto. Security wouldn’t be as much of an issue. Lest we forget, he once stabbed someone with a fork at the Vibe Awards for trying to run up on Dr. Dre. (And yet he was still kicked out of G-Unit.) The house Young Buck is in now probably isn’t as nice as, say, that house 50 Cent bought from some woman who used to be with Mike Tyson, but it’s probably worth more than $300,000, right? Not that Young Buck, or people who live in Tennessee in general, necessarily has very high standards, but how else would he have gotten into such dire straits financially?

It’s funny, back when I heard that Chamillionaire essentially lost his house to foreclosure, it didn’t seem to make sense to me. I’d always assumed that Chamillionaire was smarter than most rappers, because he’s an African, and Africans, er, at least the ones they let into the US, are so much smarter than regular black people, but obviously he’s not that smart, if he put all of that money down on a house, and paid the note on it for like four years, just to give it back to the bank. (You don’t get that money back, right?) Could it be that African people just seem smarter than regular black people, because they have such bad attitudes (especially the women)? But Chamillionaire might be on to something. He probably wasn’t lying when he said that he isn’t completely out of money. It just that he realizes that, if he lives to be 100 years old, he’s never gonna be nearly as successful as he was for like two years back in the mid ’00s. It’s time to curb his enthusiasm, so to speak.

Young Buck doesn’t seem to get it. In his statement to the press, he complains that the feds took his home studio, so he can’t even record anymore. Presumably, the IRS is aware that Young Buck is a recording artist by trade (why do you think they showed up armed?), and if they thought there was any way he could make enough money to pay them back, they would have let him keep his recording equipment. It’s not like they don’t want their $300,000. Those bombs aren’t gonna pay for themselves.

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For all of the money-focused bragging and boasting that hip-hoppers spit in song or speak in interviews, cash continues to rule everything around many. The latest artist to see his suspect financial dealings become public record is Young Buck, whose home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, was raided Tuesday (August 3) by armed Internal Revenue Service agents. With shotguns in hands, the IRS representatives entered Buck’s crib and seized jewelry, furniture, platinum plaques and recording equipment due to the former G-Unit member’s delinquent $300,000 tax bill. He was, however, able to keep the house and a car.

Though it’ll provide little comfort, Buck should realize that he’s in good company when it comes to hip-hop heads who’ve tested the mighty arm of the IRS and, unsurprisingly, lost. XXL takes a trip down memory lane to show Buck just to whom he can now relate.

NAS
Amount Owed: $2.5 million
Reason: Unpaid federal taxes from 2006 and 2007
Result: There are yet to be reports that Nas has settled his debt with the IRS. And with the monthly child support that he was ordered to pay to Kelis shortly before the IRS came calling in late 2009, the Queensbridge MC’s wallet has been on constant attack.

JERMAINE DUPRI

Amount Owed: Over $2.5 million
Reason: Federal taxes
Result: In 2002, the IRS seized his belonging including furniture and cars. Money Is a thang, apparently.

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Joe Budden will be visiting the XXL offices this afternoon to be the latest guest on Channel Live, XXL’s weekly real-time interview series on Ustream.

Set for 4 p.m. EST, the show will be broadcast in real-time on both our Ustream page and on XXLMag.com. As always, during the Q&A, artists will be accepting questions from viewers. Fans can also hit @XXLStaff on Twitter with all of their inquiries for J. Beezy.

The Slaughterhouse MC will be featured a week after Pastor Troy, who visited the XXL offices on Wednesday. During the hour long convo, he spoke on the origins of crunk, past beefs with Master P, Lil Jon, and Lil Scrappy, his new album and much more [Watch here].

Be sure to tune in to Joe Budden’s episode of Channel Live at 4 p.m. now. —XXL Staff

Update: Full interview now available below.

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