But by the mid-90s, Will had become a television and film star.  And even though him and Jeff remained close friends (and still are), Will’s work on screen began to take precedence over his work in the mic booth.  Jeff, however, has continued on with music and, among other things, released solo albums, produced records for other acts, and currently spends most of his time touring the globe as a DJ.

For AllHipHop.com’s continued Lessons from a Legend series, we recently spoke to Jeff and he had plenty of wisdom to share- from his early days to traveling the world to how he still brings the “Brand New Funk” after over 25 years in the game.

Lesson #1: Everything Happens for a Reason

I knew it was something special (working with Will) because before we recorded it  (“Girls Ain’t Nothing but Trouble”) we would go to parties and we would do it.  I would play the record and he would rap.  And I would watch everybody just stand there [and hang] on every word that he said.  So I knew if it had that kind of impact live, that we could have that kind of impact on the record.

AllHipHop.com: And you guys first worked together by accident because your emcee didn’t show up to a gig, right?

Uh, huh [laughs].  He (the original emcee) actually missed the night.  And I had to do it, so I ended up taking my equipment and  when I got there, the first person that walked in the basement was Will.  And I recognized him.  And he asked, “Hey man, where’s your emcee?”  I was like, “He couldn’t make it.”  And then he said, “Mind if I get on the mic and rock?”  And I replied, “No.”  That was it.  And that’s crazy to even think that if my guy would have shown up what might have not happened.  Know what I mean?  That would be a real interesting story.  That if you take my guy showing up, how much different…I probably would’ve been working at the post office with a wife and nine kids.  Who knows? [laughs]

Lesson #2: DJs Make Better Producers

As a DJ, your job is to produce on the fly.  Sometimes you have to make last second decisions.  You have to be able to read a crowd.  You have to know when [you] can take those chances.  I’m very big on taking chances.  When I play, I can play all of the stuff that people want you to play.  But when do I throw that curve ball in?  But it’s the same thing as being a producer.  If you learn how to produce on the fly, then it’s a little bit easier to learn when you have time to produce.  But I think DJing and producing go very much hand-in-hand.

Lesson #3: Keep Your Ears Open and Change With the Times

The crazy thing about a DJ is [that] I think keeping longevity has a lot to do with keeping your ears open and knowing what people like.  It’s not me actually making the records, it’s just me keeping my ears open-what  are the records the people are really vibing to now?  And even forecasting-what did you hear that you think might be big later?  But as a rapper, you kind of have to physically go in there and know that this is where it’s going and what record [you are] gonna do.  And that’s not easy for people to do.  But I just think, as an emcee, if you’re trying to have that kind of longevity (with commercial acceptance), then you have to  really, really change with the times.

Lesson #4: Hip-Hop is Cyclical

I just think we’ve been around Hip-Hop long enough to watch the cycle go around.  It’s kind of like when we did the Jill Scott record, that was reminiscent of the seventies.  Nothing is new, it just goes out of style and comes back in.  It’s like me looking and realizing everybody is wearing Starter hats and Starter jackets and I did a Starter commercial in 1985.  It just all comes back around.

Lesson #5: The Journey is More Significant Than the Destination

The first thing that runs through my mind (about the Vinyl Destination footage) is that I’m extremely tired [laughs].  The funny thing about Vinyl Destination is that I look at it almost like it’s not me.  Just for the places you go, the travel you put in, and the different people you play music for.  To kind of be a third person, you can really appreciate a lot of it.  I get a better appreciation for [the fact] that we’ve been doing it and just the impact you make playing music for people all over the world.  Especially Hip-Hop, you’re sitting here saying, “Wow, I remember the first time I heard a Hip-Hop record and now I’m in Indonesia playing Hip-Hop for people.”  It’s an amazing journey.

Bonus: Check out the reunion of Charlton, Fresh Prince and Jazz – oh and Jaden!

The third installment in his Dreamchasers series was supposed to be released on May 6th but Meek recently told Vibe Magazine that he pushed the mixtape back “indefinitely”.

[ALSO CHECK OUT: Hip-Hop Rumors: Meek Mills Producer Friend Speaks! Says He’s Not Getting PAID!]

Check out the Cardo Got Wings-produced “Levels” below:

And so were guns. And the death or incarceration of young, black men. Doughboy had only declared it 2 years earlier, but it seemed like they still didn’t know, didn’t show, or just didn’t care about what was going on in the hood.

But, then came Menace II Society.

The “hood movie” genre was already in full swing. New Jack City, Boyz N the Hood, and Juice provided the visuals for the hardcore music of the time. Set to gangster rap soundtracks, the new image of African American culture now had faces to match it. While Nino Brown was a villain worth hating, Doughboy tugged at your heart strings, and Bishop, you just felt sorry for.

But, then came O-Dog.

Nothing could prepare you for the opening scene of the movie. The random violence was astonishing. O-Dog was an antihero. He blurred the lines between hero and villain. Because for all of his bad-ness, he felt like someone you knew, someone you loved. He was young, black, and didn’t give a f**k.

But the heart of the story was Caine.

Caine Lawson was a boy I went to high school with. And if you grew up in an urban jungle, you probably did too, and if you didn’t, you might have been him. The son of a junkie mother and a drug dealing, murderous father, raised by grandparents who didn’t understand him, Caine seemed doomed from the very start. But, he was smart. Unlike most of his friends, he was graduating from high school, a fact that endeared him even more with the audience. And, hey, I’ll say it… he was cute. He was handsome in a way that wasn’t off-putting. He was handsome in a way that was just above average, just enough for it to matter. He could pull the girls, with his texturized hair and his silk shirts. He had a nice (stolen) ride, and nice (stolen) rims.

He was such an epitome of young, Black manhood in the early 90′s, that he could have been from anywhere. But, he grew up in South Central Los Angeles. In the late 80′s and 90′s, after the rise of NWA and West Coast hip-hop, South Central was synonymous with violence and anger. Having been filmed and released just a few short years after the Rodney King beating and the uprisings that followed, the beginning images of the 1965 Watts Rebellion and the 1992 LA Riots (or Rebellion) explained without words the city’s long-history of police brutality, gang violence, and systematic oppression.

And that was the point.

Menace II Society was, above all, the story of forgotten men. While Boyz N the Hood was a story of lost promise, of an invisible war waging in America’s ghettos, there was still a silver lining; after all Tre and Brandi went away to college, one at Morehouse and the other at Spelman. Caine never made it to Atlanta with his girl. Instead he died, right when he had found a reason to live.

And that was what made the tragic film so painful and powerful. After seeing it that opening weekend, I saw it again a few days later with my film buff mother, and afterwards in little Ford Escort, she threw her head into her hands and sobbed. Shocked, I stared at her as she wailed about the “vicious cycle.” I understood, but in my heart, I chose to make up a little story that Caine made it to the hospital and lived. I held that in my heart for years. To this day, when the movie comes on television, I usually turn it off before he gets shot. He was that powerful a protagonist.

The tragedy in Caine’s death was that it seemed so unavoidable. That it was a fate that he knew was hopeless to outrun. Caine’s fate was like so many in the Black community. A waste, a young man who could have been a good father, a good contributor to society. Instead, he was just another one of the lost ones, another brother you tipped the bottle for.

The late, great Roger Ebert, who absolutely loved this film, stated in his 4 star review: He (Caine) has the values of his immediate circle, and the lack of imagination: He cannot envision a world for himself outside of the limited existence of guns, cars, drugs and swagger. This movie, like many others, reminds us that murder is the leading cause of death among young black men. But it doesn’t blame the easy target of white racism for that: It looks unblinkingly at a street culture that offers its members few choices that are not self-destructive.

The Hughes Brothers didn’t blame society for the problems in the hood. But, it didn’t let it off the hook either. It showed, plainly, that there was a cycle of violence going on in the ghetto, and young men, smart men, handsome men, black men, were dying everyday and we were doing nothing about it. The film asked hard questions and demanded answers that still have yet to come. Questions about single motherhood, the growing numbers of grandparents raising kids–co-parenting with the streets, America’s obscenely high incarceration rate, the proliferation of guns in the Black community, and how systematic oppression (lack of access to liveable wage jobs, quality schools, and basic services) just creates more problems for all of us.

20 years later, street culture is celebrated. Films like Menace II Society put faces and images on stories that rappers had started to tell. And those stories only got louder, with driving bass beats to back them. Within months, The Chronic would drop and so would Doggystyle and Los Angeles and “gangster rap” would capture the imagination of America for years.

There is still crime in the Black community, still oppression, still bad schools, still single moms. But, I choose to believe that there has been progress in the last 20 years, and I don’t mean because we have a black President. There have been some decrease in violent crimes in major cities, the war on drugs locked up more than a few good men, but there has been a decrease in drug-related crime. There are more grassroots community programs and agencies in our cities, saving kids one at a time.

So, this year, as I prepare to head to my 20th high school reunion, I can see a movie in my hometown without there being metal detectors.

NBC Bay Area is reporting that Smith has been extradited from San Mateo County to Fulton County, Georgia to face charges related to the murder of rapper Lil Phat (real name Melvin Vernell III).

Phat was killed in Sandy Springs, Georgia on June 7, 2012. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Houston called Phat’s killing “an assassination.”

White is one of five individuals who have been indicted on various charges including felony murder, aggravated assault, criminal participation in gang activity, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. One of the other suspects is an alleged member of the Russian mafia named Mani Chulayev.

[ALSO READ: Police Arrest Russian Mobster In Murder Of Lil Phat]

According to Fulton County officials, White, Chulayev, DeAndre Washington, Gary Bradford, and Maurice Conner hired hit men to kill Phat over drug related issues.

White is believed to have moved to Georgia in 2009. He apparently was seeking to start a rap career in Atlanta.

White later returned to the Bay Area and enrolled at SFSU where he started on the school’s basketball team for the entire 2012-2013 season.  He also briefly attended Texas Tech and Santa Clara University.

“We are in total shock right now,” said Decensae’s father David White. “He is the most non-violent person I’ve ever known in my life. This is beyond anyone’s comprehension.”

White was booked on May 17 and will appear in a Fulton County court on May 31.

The father and son duo, made a guest appearance on popular BBC program, The Graham Norton Show on Friday night [24 May].

During the interview, chat show host, Graham Norton, asked the Smiths about collaborating together on a record.

Will replied that the family have a built-in studio at home and a collaborative project may happen in the future. Norton then persuaded the Smiths to perform a freestyle for the live audience.

This was followed with Will performing the theme tune to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, before inviting DJ Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribeiro [aka Carlton Banks] on stage for the coup de grace.

Earlier in the week, Trey Smith, Will’s eldest son, made his DJ debut at London nightclub, Bijous. Will, Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribeiro attended the event.

Watch the clip from The Graham Norton Show.

“When everybody consciously now uses this term or this phrase and putting it in lyrics, it waters the culture down,” Kendrick tells MTV’s Sway in a recent interview. “So it’s really just time to move on.”

References to Molly (a powdered or crystallized form of MDMA) has seen a rise in rap songs in recent years. The drug has also seen greater usage among young people.

According to a 2012 study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2% of eighth graders, 5% of 10th graders, and 7% of 12 graders reported to have tried MDMA throughout their lifetime. Nearly 12% of respondents between the ages of 18-25 admitted to using the drug at one point.

Molly became part of a huge news story recently when rapper Rick Ross lost an endorsement deal with Reebok because of his controversial lyrics on Rocko’s “U.O.E.N.O.”

On the track Ross raps, “Put Molly all in her champagne/she ain’t even know it/I took her home and I enjoyed that/she ain’t even know it.” The lyrics were viewed by some as supporting or glorifying date rape leading to protests from women’s groups.

[ALSO READ: Rick Ross To Lose $3.5 – $5 Million From Dropped Reebok Deal]

“Sometimes you have the trends that’s not that cool,” says Kendrick speaking in general about the overuse of Molly mentions in rap music. “You may have certain artists portraying these trends and don’t really have that lifestyle and then it gives off the wrong thing. And it becomes kinda corny after a while.”

Kendrick’s ceremonial burial of the party drug is his way of pushing the culture forward past the “Molly Era.”

[ALSO READ: Kendrick Lamar Says He’s Inspired By Kanye West, Calls ‘Yeezus’ Title Genius]

Watch Kendrick Lamar’s MTV interview below.

In this Next 48 Hours With French Montana teaser #2 we see French, Wale and Chinx Drugz in a pull-up contest!

Buy French Montana’s Excuse My French LP NOW!

The Next 48 Hours is an original Jump Off TV, AllHipHop and Tantrum Productions.

“I got TLC on the album. T-Boz and Chilli. It’s crazy,” said Cole. “Nobody’s rapping on the album other than me.”

The Roc Nation rapper recently decided to move up the release date of Born Sinner one week to compete against Kanye West’s new album dropping the same day.

[ALSO READ: J. Cole: “I worked too hard to come a week later after Kanye West drops an amazing album.”]

In the interview, Cole also speaks about Miguel’s infamous leg drop at the Billboard Awards and Paris Hilton signing to Cash Money Records.

“I think it’s awesome,” says Cole on the heiress joining Lil Wayne’s label. “It’s just gonna make for great jokes and great entertainment for some reason.”

When asked if he would collaborate with Hilton, Cole responded, “Never.”

Born Sinner is scheduled for release June 18th.

Listen to the J Cole interview with Charlie Sloth below.

Hustle Gang’s Iggy Azalea and Detroit native Angel Haze have been putting in work to create their buzz for their individual music, but now the only two females to ever make XXL’s Freshman Class list have decided to build together for at least one track.

[ALSO READ: Iggy Azalea Signs To Def Jam]

The new collaboration dropped the same day Azalea went on a Twitter rant about how the media constantly pits female rappers against each other even when there is no personal beef between the performers. Apparently, Iggy feels she was misquoted in a recent article that made it seem like she had issues with Nicki Minaj.

ive always been a supporter and fan of NM and it is really fucking frustrating to me, that you cant mention another person without media

— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) May 23, 2013

trying to twist any word you say and turn it into something negative. why do you do that people of the press? youre all fucking snakes.

— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) May 23, 2013

why ask questions about “why do females in rap all hate each other” we DONT you assholes in thepress just love to try making it that way.

— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) May 23, 2013

and it sucks, because i actually liked that interviewer. but as it turns out you are a complete typical media cunt. and thats a shame.

— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) May 23, 2013

[ALSO READ: Lil Kim Goes Off On Peter Rosenberg For Asking About Nicki Minaj During Tiffany Foxx Interview]

Check out Angel and Iggy trading verses over the Otis Redding sampled track below.

[ALSO CHECK OUT: Russell Simmons announces launch of ‘All Def Digital’ YouTube Network]

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Simmons is now joining forces with HBO again. The “Godfather of Hip Hop” signed a two-year “first look” deal to create and develop new projects.

This means that HBO will get the option of reviewing any proposed projects developed by Simmons, but if the cable channel decides not to pick up the project, Simmons can then shop it to other networks.

Simmons is most well-known for co-founding the seminal Hip Hop record label Def Jam. He also produced the HBO programs Def Poetry and Brave New Voices.

[ALSO READ: Russell Simmons Writes Letter To Obama Urging Him To End “The War On Drugs”]

Before the show began, a line of diverse Hip Hop fans stretched around 7th Avenue and West 45th Street waiting for the doors to open. Once inside the show started on time at 8:10 PM as the hosts for the evening, Hot 97′s Peter Rosenberg and Cipha Sounds, arrived on stage to introduce the night’s performers.

AllHipHop.com was in the house to take in the rising emcees’ performances. Check out the recap for each Freshman’s performance below.

Dizzy Wright, Busta Rhymes, Trinidad James, Action Bronson, and Kirko Bangz

Dizzy Wright

Dizzy made this year’s list as the “People’s Champion Winner,” and the Las Vegas native definitely put in work that night to live up to that title. Dizzy opened his set with “Solo Dolo” off his 2012 album SmokeOut Conversations. When Dizzy D Flashy jumped into the DJ Hoppa-produced “Local Weed Man” the cannabis friendly crowd was actively singing along by the time the hook came around the second time. It was clear Dizzy had the smallest following in the NYC audience at the start of the night, but it’s no doubt he left with a lot more fans by the time he left.

Kirko Bangz

Houston’s Kirko Bangz used the night to not only celebrate his selection on the Freshmen List, but he was also toasting another significant accomplishment. It was announced that earlier in the day his single “Drank In My Club” went platinum. Of course Bangz performed his million selling smash to the delight of the ladies in the crowd, and it was his featured hook on Meek Mill’s “Young & I’m Gettin’ It” that had the guys hype. Unfortunately, the auto-tuned backing track was louder than actual vocals throughout the whole performance, so most of the set was basically listening to the radio through really loud speakers.

Logic

Logic’s placement on the 2013 Freshmen List was arguably one of the most polarizing selections, mostly because a lot of Hip Hop fans had absolutely no prior knowledge of the Maryland rapper. But it seems that since appearing on the XXL cover his stock has risen, because the crowd was visibly excited when the 23-year-old made his appearance. His a cappella freestyles had mouths “oohing”, and his song “All Sinatra Everything” (which samples Nas and Jay-Z) had heads nodding. Logic performed his entire set without a hype man, and his energy started to trail off near the end, but he left the crowd with his personal mantra “peace, love, and positivity.”

[ALSO READ: XXL Editor Explains Chief Keef & Logic Selections For 2013 Freshman List]

Travi$ Scott

Grand Hustle and Very GOOD Beats’ Travi$ Scott was the only Freshman that had live instrumentation during his show. Veteran producer and frequent Kanye West collaborator Mike Dean performed on both keyboards and electric guitar. Scott ran through his set of songs which included “Upper Echelon” from his brand new EP Owl Pharoah and “Sin City” from the Cruel Summer compilation album. Scott’s brand of alternative Hip Hop was an interesting addition to the line-up; once he actually appeared on stage. Most of the beginning of Scott’s set was performed on the floor in front of the stage leaving the a majority of the audience staring at a mic stand for about five minutes.

Action Bronson

Action Bronson

“I’m a hero in my hometown, baby,” raps Action Bronson on “Strictly 4 My Jeep.” Going by the reaction of the crowd on Tuesday, that’s obviously a true statement. Every time the music playing between performances went down in the theater, chants of “Bronson, Bronson” reigned out. Once the Queens native hit the stage the energy in the place instantly shot up. AB opened with “November Rain,” his contribution to the DJ Drama hosted Gangsta Grillz XXL Freshman Edition. He went on to perform his verse from A$AP Rocky’s posse cut “1 Train,” and surprised the crowd by bringing out Riff Raff and Troy Ave. Once Bronson left the stage a noticeable number of the crowd left as well.

Trinidad Jame$

As Atlanta’s Trinidad Jame$ addressed the crowd, he made it clear he represents his native city, but he also let the New York City audience know he has a lot of love for the birthplace of Hip Hop. Moments into his set he shouted out The Notorious B.I.G. before breaking into his ratchet rap anthems. “Female$ Welcome” had concert goers, no matter their current relationship status, showing appreciation to side chicks everywhere. Without a doubt the most turnt up moment of the night came when Trinidad performed his YouTube smash “All Gold Everything.” The only way to top the excitement generated from “Gold” was for the Def Jam signee to bring out DJ Drama, B.O.B, and Travi$ Scott to close out his performance.

Joey Bada$$

It would seem like it would be an awkward transition to go from the slow southern delivery of Trinidad Jame$ to the East Coast lyrical style of Joey Bada$$, but emblematic of the musical preferences of this generation of rap fans, the crowd had not trouble following along. Joey kept the audience’s enthused as he went through “Waves,” “1 Train,” and “Unorthodox.” The Pro Era frontman also performed his new track off his upcoming debut album B4.DA.$$. Joey later had Fat Trel and Fredo Santana join him on stage, but the highlight of the set was the crowd rapping every word to the late Capital STEEZ’s verse from “Survival Tactics.”

Schoolboy Q

All it took was for the TDE banner to hit the stage for the crowd to break into applause. Moments later the West Coast label’s representative for the evening appeared before the crowd with plumes of smoke rising from his lips. Schoolboy Q had the pleasure of closing out the show, and the Black Hippy member didn’t waste time raising the spirits of the audience with his Setbacks track “#BETiGOTSUMWEED” and the Habits & Contradictions track “My Hatin’ Joint.”After teasing fans that A$AP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar were backstage ready to join him, he took on his respective collaborative songs with the two rap stars solo. Schoolboy hit Rocky’s “Brand New Guy” and the K-Dot assisted “Blessed” before performing his single, “Yay, Yay” off his next LP Oxymoron.

Schoolboy Q

All-in-all, the New York edition of Monster Energy’s Outbreak Tour Presents XXL 2013 Freshman Live Tour was a great representation of the next wave of rappers who are possibly on the cusp of serious stardom.

[ALSO CHECK OUT: Behind the Scenes of XXL’s Freshman Class 2013]

On May 23, 2000, thirteen years ago today, Eminem’s second major-label album, The Marshall Mathers LP, was released.  I was a thirteen-year-old and in seventh grade at the time.

I’ll never forget how much of an impact that album had in the hallways of my middle school in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Guys started wearing plain white T-Shirts and girls that had been reciting Britney Spears songs knew the lyrics to “The Real Slim Shady” word-for-word by Memorial Day.  When I heard the album for the first time in its entirety early that summer, it was morbidly mesmerizing.

As I listen to that album today, it holds up incredibly well.  I am now twenty-six and so The Marshall Mathers LP has been in my music collection for half of my life.  And while some pop culture references may be dated, the lyrics, beats, and delivery remain some of the best ones that Hip-Hop has ever produced.  I still play the album on a somewhat frequent basis, and recently came to realize that it is to Generation Y what Nirvana’s Nevermind was to Generation X: an example of artists becoming mainstream as a result of spitting in the face of it.

In honor of The Marshall Mathers LP’s thirteenth anniversary, I reflect on hearing it for the first time and what it’s like listening to it now.  Some opinions have changed; some haven’t.  Regardless, it definitely proved Eminem wasn’t a fluke and that he was, in fact, one of the most skilled emcees to emerge in a very long time.

May 2000: 

I recall watching “EmTV” on MTV the weekend before Marshall Mathers came out, and after Eminem picked his favorite music videos and parodied MTV shows for a few hours, he did an interview with Kurt Loder.  During their conversation, it became clear that the album was very explicit.  But after hearing  “Guilty Conscience” and “’97 Bonnie and Clyde” from The Slim Shady LP a year earlier, I remember thinking, “How much more shocking could he be?”  But after I heard “Kill You,” I saw what all the hoopla was about.  And that was just the first song.

By the time the album ended, Eminem was my new favorite rapper.  The album was funny in a way that hardcore rap usually isn’t.  My favorite lyrics were, “Cause if I ever stuck it to any show biz, it’d be Jennifer Lopez/And Puffy, you know this/ Sorry Puff, but I don’t give a f*** if this chick was my own mother/I’d still f*** her with no rubber/And c** inside her, and have a new son and a new brother.”  It was offensive and disturbing, but also a little clever and honest.

“Kim” and “The Way I Am” were powerful records, but the album’s best song was “Stan.”  The way that he gave the perspective of a fan and then what it’s like to be the person that’s idolized was astonishing.

May 2013: 

Eminem is still one of my favorite rappers and “Stan” remains one of rap’s best songs ever.  And in addition to solidifying Eminem’s chops, the album also made a major contribution to the legacy of Dr. Dre.  While he obviously gave Em his break, The Slim Shady LP only had a few tracks produced by him.  The Marshall Mathers LP, on the other hand, had more and that is reflected in the quality of the album.

One of the reasons I think the album connected so powerfully with audiences was that Eminem put so much of his personal life into his songs.  He got more specific- he didn’t just say Detroit, he said that ICP “ain’t seen a f****n’ Mile Road south of 10.”  He didn’t just rap about a wife- he put a name, Kim, with it.  Listeners knew about the relationship with his mother.  By putting detail into stuff like that, he made his subject matter real people, places, and things, and that gave him a way to be authentic and make people really care about him.

In a nutshell, Eminem’s second Aftermath release is about pain and the pressures of being in the spotlight.  The rhyme that I now feel is the best is from the verse he closes the album out with, “If I ever gave a f***, I’d shave my nuts/Tuck my d*** in between my legs and cluck/You motherf***ing chickens ain’t brave enough/To say the stuff I say, so just tape it shut/S**t, half the shit I say, I just make it up to make you mad so kiss my white naked a**.”  That pretty much sums it all up.

While Eminem has seen incredible success since The Marshall Mathers LP, it still remains his magnum opus.  Yes, it is the fastest-selling solo album in music history and won countless awards, but that’s beside the point.   This is a great album because the music is really damn good and it deserves to be recognized for that more than the controversy it created or the commercial success it achieved.

Respect due.

What do you think of The Marshall Mathers LP?  Share your thoughts in the comments section!

[ALSO READ: J. Cole: “I worked too hard to come a week later after Kanye West drops an amazing album.”]

On his The Realness show, Peter Rosenberg informed Ebro that J. Cole may have a song on his new album Born Sinner entitled “I Disappointed Nas” about his reaction’s to Nas’ alleged criticism.

Check out the clip below:

Filed under: Headlines, MOBILE, News Tagged: Ebro, Hot 97, J. Cole, Nas, Peter Rosenberg ]]> http://allhiphop.com/2013/05/23/j-cole-i-disappointed-nas-allegedly/feed/ 3 nas-j-cole-super-bowl-after-party-1 justinaire http://allhiphop.com/2013/05/23/malcolm-xs-grandson-buried-two-days-after-malcolm-xs-birthday-jaheim-sings-at-funeral/ http://allhiphop.com/2013/05/23/malcolm-xs-grandson-buried-two-days-after-malcolm-xs-birthday-jaheim-sings-at-funeral/#comments Thu, 23 May 2013 15:42:50 +0000 Keith Nelson Jr (@JusAire) http://allhiphop.com/?p=192625 ]]> (AllHipHop News) On May 9th, 2013 the world lost a impassioned  activist and direct link to one of the most iconic figures of the Civil Rights Movement when Malcolm X’s grandson Malcolm Shabazz was murdered in a bar fight in Mexico City, Mexico. Shabazz was buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, NY on May 21st, two days after what would have been Malcolm X’s 88th birthday.

[ALSO READ: Malcolm X’s Grandson, Malcolm Shabazz, Reported Dead]

NewsOne released the funeral program which detailed his burial placement and a special singing tribute to the fallen activist:

Malcolm Shabazz was laid to rest today, Tuesday, May 21, 2013, at 11:30 AM near his grandparents (Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz) at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, NY. He was surrounded by his mother Qubilah; his aunts–Attallah, Gamilah, Ilyasah, Malaak, Malikah, other family & very close friends. Surprise guest and friend, R&B recording artist, Jaheim, offered his condolences and sang acapella “I Miss You (For Moms)” from his 1st album entitled “Ghetto Love”. Malcolm and Jaheim met at a youth rally The Terrie Williams Agency hosted at a Queens Public Library many years ago.

Shabazz was allegedly beaten viciously over a $1,200 bar tab at the Palace bar on Garibaldi Plaza. Two employees at the Palace bar, David Hernandez Cruz and Manuel Alejandro Perez de Jesus are suspects in the homicide.

[ALSO READ: Malcolm X’s Grandson Releases Statement ,Details Lengthy Police Investigation]

For more info about the tour and to purchase tickets visit topdawgmusic.com

[ALSO READ: TDE’s Black Hippy Movement Tapped to Headline NYC’s Downtown Festival]

Listen to Black Hippy’s “U.O.E.N.O. (Remix)” in the video below.

Smith will join Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees and Skylar Diggs of the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock as clients of Jay-Z’s latest business venture.

[ALSO READ: Jay-Z Signs Hooper Skylar Diggins To RocNation Sports]

Smith was selected as the 39th pick in this year’s NFL draft by the New York Jets. During his senior year at WVU (2012), the 6’3” Miami native threw for 4205 yards, 42 touchdowns, and a 71% completion rate.

He left his alma mater holding the school records for career completions, touchdown passes, passing yards, and consecutive pass completions. He also holds or shares conference and NCAA records as well.

Smith allegedly fired his previous agents after he slipped all the way to the second round in the draft even though he was expected to be a first round selection. According to his mentor, former NFL player John Thornton, Roc Nation was now the perfect fit for Smith.

“It really all came down to who he was most comfortable with,” Thornton told CBS Sports. “I was in those meetings and Jay-Z connected with him on many levels.”

With Mark Sanchez’s noticeable struggles in the QB position for the Jets, Smith may get an opportunity to see some playing time as the starter in New York.

And now all NYC residents await the decision of a judge in another case involving the policy. Floyd v. City of New York covers a much larger scale as the constitutionality of the entire program is in question.

The Center for Constitutional Rights (part of the defense team in the case) is now trying to get the word out about the upcoming ruling by enlisting rapper/actor Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) to appear in a new public service announcement.

The 3 minute ad is called “Don’t Tread On Me” and features some staggering facts like 85% of the 5 million stops under “Stop-and-Frisk” were Black or Latino. In the video, the voice of a police officer can also be heard sharing the story of his commanding officer telling his precinct, “we’re gonna go out there, and we’re gonna violate some rights.”

[ALSO READ: Reverend Al Sharpton, Rappers Protest NYPD’s Stop & Frisk Policy]

For more stats about the NYPD’s “Stop-and-Frisk” visit thinkprogress.org.

Watch Yasiin Bey’s “Don’t Tread On Me” PSA below.

Last March, T’yanna exclusively informed AllHipHop that she was taking over her father’s Brooklyn Mint clothing line. She is currently a freshman at Penn State and informed XXL that she is studying fashion in hopes of resurrecting the defunct clothing line.

[ALSO READ: Biggie’s Daughter Taking Over Brooklyn Mint Clothing Line, Wants to Marry A$AP Rocky]

In 2005, Notorious B.I.G.’s mother, Voletta Wallace along with B.I.G.’s former managers Mark Pitts and Wayne Barrow, unsuccessfully attempted to bring the Brooklyn Mint clothing line back.

Watch this Next 48 Hours With French Montana first teaser of the upcoming webseries where French Montana, Chinx Drugs and the Coke Boyz go to a Smoke Shop and the owner can’t stop talking about French’s song “Freaks”

Buy French Montana’s Excuse My French LP NOW!