• 6 Hip-Hop Song Sans Verses for AC: Tupac, Eminem, Kanye West and More

    Has your mother ever commented how much she enjoys the chorus to "See You Again" or "Monster," but that she really wishes Wiz Khalifa and Eminem (respectively) hadn't "ruined" the song with their raps? She's not the first. This week we found out that a revised version of the former song, featuring only Charlie Puth's hook, as well as new melodic verses in place of Khalifa's bars, has been on the rise at Adult Contemporary radio...occasionally known as "Adult Conservative." The only thing less likely to end up on AC than hip-hop is heavy metal, but as rappers frequently find themselves invited to guest on pop singles (such as Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" featuring Kendrick Lamar), labels sometimes edit the "offending" portion out, resulting in a safer, frequently less exciting product.

  • Ja Rule Talks Baltimore, Endorses 2016 Presidential Candidate On Fox

    With a 24-hour news cycle, there is a lot of time to fill for cable news networks. There are only so many old reruns of sparse original programming and rehashes of the same topic by the same hosts that a channel can run. This however can lead to some pretty interesting guest spots and Fox Business decided yesterday that they were going to host Ja Rule on the program. The reason was a good one - He is the creative head of Magnises, a new company that brings together individuals who have credit cards and allows them to connect with special perks and rewards -- all for a yearly fee. However after discussing the product for a short period of time, the host decided to ask the "Mesmerize" rapper about the situation in Baltimore and what he thought about the 2016 presidential election.

  • 'The Fast and The Furious': Ranking The 7 Soundtracks...Featuring Ludacris, Pitbull, Iggy Azalea and Plenty More

    Last week featured the release of the soundtrack for 'Furious 7,' the final installment in the 'Fast and Furious' film franchise. Your correspondent admits that he wasn't a huge fan of the first edition when it debuted during 2001. He's since warmed up to the series as the films have started to feature more and more absurd stunts, and more and more Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The final film, which premieres in theaters next week, looks to be a proper, adrenaline-fueled final chapter and a fitting tribute to Paul Walker. One thing that hasn't necessarily gotten better as the films have progressed: The soundtrack albums. Music Times ranks the seven film companion albums from worst rides to best.

  • Snoop Dogg, Trey Songz and YG Slam the Grammys for Not Nominating Artists That Best Represent Rap and Hip-Hop

    The 2015 Grammy Awards drew some tough critics. Kanye West led the charge, storming the stage when Beck won the the award for Album of the Year over Beyoncé and going on a rant after the show. Most of the rap and hip-hop community felt let down this year and they weren't afraid to post online about it. Snoop Dogg was particularly upset, citing the fact that some of the genre's greats have less wins then Macklemore. YG and Trey Songz joined in, but they were arguing on a personal level.

  • Classic Hip-Hop Formats Playing Tupac Shakur, Public Enemy and Snoop Dogg Are Saving Commercial Radio Stations

    Commercial radio is suffering. Satellite and streaming options that link directly to mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular because of the diversity and lack of commercial interruptions. According to The New York Times, one format is incredibly hot right now - classic hip-hop. Stations championing Tupac Shakur, Public Enemy and Snoop Dogg are sprouting up all over the country. Radio One, Cummulus Media and iHeartMedia are all jumping at the opportunity.

  • Ja Rule Gets His Own MTV Reality Show, 'Follow The Rules'

    It was announced today that MTV will be airing a new reality series (or as everyone else seems to be calling it, a "docuseries") about Queens rapper Ja Rule and his family. Follow The Rules will capture life at Ja Rule's house, where the rapper lives with his wife Aisha, his teenage sons Jeffery Jr. and Jordan, his college-age daughter Brittney, his mother, and his mother-in-law.
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