Is It Safe to call Lil Wayne a Legend?

By The VoiceHip Hop Vibe Staff Writer"The next time ya mention 'Pac, Biggie, or Jay-Z, don't forget to mention Weezy baby," Lil Wayne said three years ago. After spending three years on the mixtape scene, Lil Wayne released Tha Carter III during the summer of 2008.The album was met with mostly positive reviews, but was not viewed as a classic by many. Instead, the album was looked at as Wayne

Will Rick Ross follow in Jay-Z and Diddy's footsteps?

By The Hip Hop WriterHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterRick Ross pulled off a boss move when he landed an exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Records. When he first came into the game, Rick Ross was nothing more than a rapper. Jay-Z helped him land a lucrative deal with Def Jam, while he was CEO.While Jay-Z would soon step down from his executive role at Def Jam, he and Ross bonded. The two recorded together

Will Jay-Z remain in the Office?

By The Hip Hop WriterHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterIn 2003, Jay-Z "retired" from hip hop because he felt he had done all he could as a rapper. Jay-Z moved on to become the head of Def Jam. Many assumed he had the highest possible position in rap music. When he gave this up in 2007 to return to rap, many questioned his motives.In 2006, Jay-Z "saved" hip hop with his Kingdom Come album, which was

Can Just Blaze still become a Record Executive?

By The Hip Hop WriterHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterIn 2003, Roc-A-Fella producer, Just Blaze heard Brooklyn rapper, Saigon, rap for the first time. He was immediately impressed and wanted to work with him. Because of his style, he knew Saigon would not fit as a Roc-A-Fella artist. Instead, Just wanted to start his own label for Saigon.Roc-A-Fella boss, Jay-Z, had just taken over at Def Jam and he

Will Jay-Z release a New Album in 2011?

By The Hip Hop WriterHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterIn recent years, Jay-Z has been spending more time running his businesses than making music. Despite being considered one of the best rappers of all-time, Jay-Z said he was a businessman. Coming from the Brooklyn projects, Jay-Z had one of two ways to make a better life for himself.Jay-Z spent most of his early adult years trying one way to build the

Hip Hop Vibe's Comeback of the Year: Kanye West

By The Hip Hop WriterHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterLast year, Kanye West dug himself a pretty deep hole when he took the mic from Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. It was something unexpected even from the controversial rapper. Many people were turned off from Kanye West because of his immature actions. Even the president referred to West as a "jackass."Following Kanye West's VMA

Rakim, The Forgotten Legend

By The VoiceHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterWhen discussing the best rappers of all-time, most hip hop fans mention The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, and sometimes Jay-Z. In recent years, the fans of Lil Wayne have been pushing to add him to the discussion. For many reasons, many rappers could be considered one of the best, but Rakim is usually left out of the equation.Rakim has been in the game since

Remembering Eazy-E (1963-1995)

By The Hip Hop WriterHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterDr. Dre is credited for giving gangsta rap its sound, but Eazy-E is the man who made all of this possible. Many call Eazy-E the godfather of gangsta rap. Through his Ruthless Records label, Eazy gave the world N.W.A. While the group did not stay together, they introduced the world to Dr. Dre and Ice Cube.Had it not been for the influence of Eazy-E,

Does T.I. deserve a Third Chance?

By The Angry Black ManHip Hop Vibe ContributorThroughout his career, T.I. had presented himself as a gangsta rapper. T.I. began his career signed to Arista Records, but he was dropped when his album did not sell. Because he did not want to face further rejection, the Atlanta rapper created his own label, Grand Hustle Records, and began releasing mixtapes. In 2003, T.I. partnered with Atlantic

Hip Hop Vibe's Independent Artist of the Year: A-Thug

By The Hip Hop WriterHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterThis year, A-Thug took his game to a higher level. For seven years, he had been holding things down in Harlem. But, late in the summer, his game finally went national. A-Thug also has an incredible hustle that has led to him having a small empire in Harlem.While he has released an album each year, this year his Icon album has received higher sales

Is Dr. Dre the King of Hip Hop?

By The VoiceHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterFor well over twenty years, Dr. Dre has been one of the biggest names in hip hop. At one point or another, any major rapper in the game has crossed pathes with him. While Dr. Dre will not go down in history for his lyrical ability, many consider him to be the greatest producer of all-time.Single-handedly, Dr. Dre made Eazy-E into a marketable rap star, along

Can Ja Rule pull off an Eminem?

By The Hip Hop WriterHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterIn 1999, hip hop was introduced to two of the biggest artists of the 21st century when Eminem and Ja Rule debuted. Eminem was the first artist signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Ja Rule was Jay-Z's sidekick, signed to Def Jam. Because of their connections, hip hop quickly embraced the two rappers.For years, Ja Rule and Eminem coexisted,

A-Thug: Independently Major

By The Hip Hop WriterHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterIn recent years, more rappers have been starting their own record labels and backing them with major labels. But, the major labels have become so demanding that many rappers have left major labels and partnered with independent distributors. Harlem rapper, A-Thug, has been doing his thing for seven years and he has been doing it all on his own.There

Hip Hop needs Lupe Fiasco and "Lasers"

By The Hip Hop WriterHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterFour years have passed since Lupe Fiasco last released an album. Much like other low-selling rap artists, Lupe has had trouble with his record label, Atlantic Records. The reason for these troubles have been his subject matter. For years, hip hop fans complained that Lupe Fiasco is too philosophical.Soulja Boy commented on Lupe Fiasco a couple of

Did Dr. Dre diss 50 Cent on "I Need a Doctor?"

By The Hip Hop WriterHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterOver the weekend, Dr. Dre released the video of the first official single off Detox. Teaming up with Eminem and Skylar Grey, Dre has turned heads with the latest song. In the lyrics, Dr. Dre hits back at all of the critics who have written him off over the past twelve years. Along the way, Dr. Dre has introduced many new artists into the game. Snoop

Cash Money Records has officially moved into the Big Time

By The VoiceHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterOver twenty years ago, hip hop became a nationwide movement and areas outside of New York City started movements. New Orleans was among the cities who quickly built a rap scene. Brothers Bryan and Ronald Williams established Cash Money Records in order to capitalize off the local talent.The brothers took money they had made on the streets and opened an office

The Media is targeting Jay-Z over His Success

By The VoiceHip Hop Vibe Staff WriterTen years ago, Jay-Z did the unthinkable when he crossed the $100 million mark, as a rapper. At the time, Sean Combs appeared to be a bigger businessman. However, it was Jay-Z who was making the most money. With a critically-acclaimed platinum album and a popular clothing line, many assumed Jay-Z had peaked.Those who assumed this were wrong. Less than two