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Lil Wayne's 'I Am Not A Human Being' Joins Tupac On The List Of Great Behind-Bars Albums

Posted 9/29/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music


The greatness of Lil Wayne's I Am Not a Human Being is still being felt deeply both in the hip-hop community and the MTV Newsroom. Though it's still too early to make predictions, I Am Not a Human Being remains the top-selling album on iTunes and should make in impression in next week's album chart. That's a pretty remarkable feat considering that the artist is currently incarcerated. It's a testament to how devoted Weezy's fan base is (though his blogs and phone calls from jail haven't hurt).

But considering it's only available as a digital release at the moment (the physical album hits brick-and-mortar store shelves on October 12), it will probably be an uphill battle to the top of the chart. Should Wayne figure out a way to the pinnacle of the Billboard 200, he would join Tupac as the only artists who topped the album chart while incarcerated. Tupac's 1995 smash Me Against the World was recorded in the weeks leading up to the beginning of his sentence stemming from a sexual assault conviction and spent five weeks at the top of the chart (mostly on the strength of the single "Dear Mama," an homage to his mother Afeni Shakur — who has had a history of her own legal trouble).

Who else has released top-shelf work while serving as a guest of the government? In addition to Wayne and Tupac, here are the best ones.

Shyne, Godfather Buried Alive
Sent to prison for a decade for assault, reckless endangerment and weapons possession, Shyne's promising rap career was derailed before it could really get started. But that didn't stop him from releasing Godfather Buried Alive in 2004. Composed mostly of vocals recorded before his incarceration (plus one fresh rap courtesy of the prison phone), Godfather Buried Alive is a surprisingly strong album notable for its to-shelf production (care of Kanye West, Just Blaze and Swizz Beatz) and Shyne's signature basso profundo.
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50 Cent And G-Unit Conquer The Best Hip-Hop Posse Album Poll

Posted 2/24/10 1:10 pm EST by in Music


On Tuesday (February 23), the MTV Newsroom blog asked whether the showcase album from Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment was the finest hip-hop posse album of all time. Based on the comments, it seems as though the concept was a little confusing. The poll was meant to focus on albums from groups who were introduced after the team's alpha dog had already become famous. So while Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers is far superior to all the albums we mentioned in the poll, it doesn't count because those MCs made their debuts as part of a group. (However, if Method Man had released Tical before Enter the Wu-Tang had dropped, the it would have easily taken first place.)

With that in mind, the poll ended up being a two horse race. 50 Cent's G-Unit crew ended up in the top spot, with their 2003 album Beg for Mercy snagging a whopping 43 percent of the vote. Lil Wayne's Young Money group came in just a few steps behind with 38 percent. After that, the drop off was significant: Ruff Ryders' Ryde or Die Vol. 1 picked up six percent and Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s Conspiracy only grabbed three percent. Tragically, Flipmode Squad's The Imperial brought up the rear with only one percent of the vote — a disappointing showing considering the consistency and quality of that record (seriously, listen to "We Got U Opin (Part 2)" and try not to be knocked out).

One commenter brought up a pair of albums that made for excellent suggestions. We totally forgot about Dungeon Family's Even in Darkness, which is a little big spotty but contains some killer production and excellent outer space rhymes from the members of Outkast and Goodie Mob. That same commenter also brought up the Diggin' in the Crates Crew, which is something of a strange case because their one great album as a collective (2000's D.I.T.C.) came out after one of the group's key members (Big L) died. Plus, star member Fat Joe didn't have his commercial breakthrough until 2001. D.I.T.C. is a great album regardless, but probably not eligible in this context. (However, Joe's albums with Terror Squad definitely fall into this category, and we probably unfairly overlooked 2004's True Story.)

In fact, for the benefit of paying respect to the group albums that are simply great because of the people involved, answer this question: Which is the best hip-hop group album of all time? It's easy to cite the best solo records in history (Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie and the rest), but what teams stand tall? Let us know in the comments!

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Is Lil Wayne's Young Money Album The Best Hip-Hop Posse Record Of All Time?

Posted 2/23/10 11:35 am EST by in Music


With all the buzz surrounding the release of Rebirth, the mad quest to record songs before going to prison and his Twitter and Ustream habits, the biggest music-related Lil Wayne news has gotten swept under the rug a bit. That would be the release of We Are Young Money, the posse album that dropped just before the end of 2009 that secretly contains some of the best Weezy-blessed work of the past 12 months.

The album, which features contributions from Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Mack Maine, Gudda Gudda, Tyga, Lil Twist and Jae Millz. The two singles ("Every Girl," which peaked at 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "BedRock") were both heaters that had some great work from everybody (but especially Nicki Minaj, who is becoming the crew's most potent weapon). There's also some top-shelf production care of Cool & Dre, Kane Beatz and Tha Bizness, making it a wall-to-wall success.

In fact, the greatness of We Are Young Money begs the question: Is it the best posse album of all time?

It has happened dozens of times before: An MC blows up and brings along his (usually far less talented) crew along for a group album (or an excuse to spend money in the studio). For every We Are Young Money, there are a dozen records from the likes of the St. Lunatics (that was Nelly's crew, which included titans like Murphy Lee and City Spud). But there are a handful of records that are on par with (and occasionally above) the work of the group's alpha dog. Check out our picks below and vote in the poll.

Flipmode Squad, The Imperial
Busta Rhymes' recording career has been pretty spotty (outside of the true classic When Disaster Strikes), but the one album he cut with his crew is a model of quality and consistency. Alongside Busta, Squad members Rampage, Lord Have Mercy, Rah Digga, Spliff Star and Baby Sham spun together rugged rhymes and catchy choruses for an incredible brew (especially on the singles "Everybody on the Line Outside" and "Cha Cha Cha"). Some of the Flipmode members even went on to put out excellent solo work (like Rah Digga's Dirty Harriet).

G-Unit, Beg For Mercy
Think what you want about 50 Cent, but the first album he put together with his G-Unit crew is an intense, sometimes brutal but always impressive piece of gangsta pop. Read More...

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50 Cent Debuts Album Cover For Before I Self Destruct

Posted 10/1/09 3:41 pm EST by in Music


50 Cent has certainly kept busy on his way to landing in spot number nine on the MTV Hottest MCs list. He put out two mixtapes, unleashed a couple of videos and even took the time to take a few shots at Fat Joe. But the main event for 50 is the release of Before I Self Destruct, his long-awaited and oft-delayed fourth album. It has had a number of release dates (it was even teased to come out the same day as Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3), and the most recent date — November 17 — just seemed like another guess.

Until today, because now Before I Self Destruct has an album cover, which 50 unveiled via his Twitter feed this afternoon.

As you can see, 50 has taken the "self-destruct" imagery very literally, as the cover shows him literally about to burst into flames. The imagery is consistent with 50's insistence that this album will be a departure for him and will set up the next series batch of records for him. It's as though he's doing away with his old persona in order to allow for a career rebirth. (Or perhaps Curtis is just a big fan of Spike's death scene on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"?)

So it looks like the hotly-anticipated Before I Self Destruct will actually hit stores on November 17. Album details are still unclear, though you can bet that it'll feature top-shelf production and intense guest spots from 50's many friends in the extended G-Unit family.

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Max B, Former Dipset Member, Sentenced To 75 Years In Prison

Posted 9/3/09 5:16 pm EST by in Music


Three months ago, former Dipset affiliate Max B (real name Charles Wingate) was found guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy to commit robbery (among other charges) stemming from a 2006 incident in northern New Jersey. Today, the Harlem rapper was sentenced to 75 years in prison.

A jury found Max B guilty of nine of the 11 total counts he faced during his trial, all of which stemmed from an incident wherein the rapper and two other men attempted to steal $30,000 from another pair of men at a Holiday Inn, leading to one of those two getting shot. Max fired his attorney Gerald Saluti shortly before the sentencing and plans on appealing the sentence.

The rapper was first introduced to the rap world as a member of Jim Jones' Dipset offshoot crew Byrd Gang a few years ago and is known best for delivering a scathing verse on a Jay-Z dis track called "You Gotta Love It," which was anchored by Cam'ron. He was just building a healthy mixtape portfolio when he was arrested in 2006. He has still managed to release music, most notably the Coke Wave mixtape (a collaboration with French Montana) and a proper full-length album that has seen its release delayed by a falling out with Jones and his ongoing legal troubles. In fact, G-Unit's Tony Yayo talked to MTV News correspondent Shaheem Reed back in December and said that he was considering trying to acquire Max B's contract. However, B's musical future is clearly in doubt, though incarceration hasn't stopped other rappers — like Shyne and C-Murder — from putting out albums.

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Tony Yayo: MC Of The People

Posted 8/20/09 1:52 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


By Selina Kaye

On Tuesday, I hung out with MTV News' Mixtape Daily crew on their trip to G-Unit headquarters in New York City to check in on Tony Yayo. The rapper was promoting his latest mixtape: A project called Gangsta's Paradise that is hosted by DJ Drama, one of the hottest DJs in the game.

Though he always projects a steely cool alongside fellow crew members 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks, Yayo was energetic during the Mixtape Daily shoot. He shook my hand like a real gentleman and asked me about working for MTV while wearing a killer pair of Louis Vuitton sunglasses (which easily must have cost him $700) with a matching Vuitton headband.

Yayo talked about his mixtape as well as his upcoming projects for G-Unit and how he feels about former crew members Young Buck and the Game. And of course he weighed in on MTV's "Hottest MCs" countdown, which will be unveiled next month.

The biggest challenge of the shoot? The weather. We got all the equipment set up on the building's balcony (which gave us an amazing view of the city) only to bring everything back in once it started raining. Once it finally cleared up, Yayo and Drama unveiled a few Gangsta's Paradise tracks before Yayo headed downstairs to give an interview sitting in his cream-colored Cadillac Escalade. Pretty soon a crowd formed around the car, and I heard a girl on her phone saying "Oh my god, that's Tony Yayo!" He signed a few autographs for his fans before heading back into the building. Like his always glad-handing G-Unit cohort 50 Cent, Yayo remains a man of the people despite his stardom.

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'Yayo TV': What Tony Yayo Filmed During G-Unit's Tour Of Africa

Posted 6/19/08 6:29 pm EST by in Tony Yayo


Tony Yayo in Africa

(By Joseph Patel)

We've already established a few things with G-Unit's recent trip to Africa. First, 50 Cent is huge down there. Not just, "Oh hey, it's 50 Cent" huge, but huge in the way that thousands of people sacrificed their regular weekly expenditures on, say, water or food, so that they could go to a concert.

Second, 50 Cent might just be bored with all his fame and wealth, enough that he was genuinely interested in learning about South Africa's struggle with Apartheid. He met with Nelson Mandela, Mandela's grandson and toured two Apartheid museums in Soweto and Johannesburg, taking it all in.

And third, I'm a lucky bastard for getting the assignment.

Now while 50's G-Unit mates Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks are, by proxy, pretty famous down there themselves, they didn't really pick up the social-consciousness vibe that 50 was feeling. Case in point, on the day we went with Curtis to the Apartheid Museum and to Nelson Mandela's house, Yayo and Banks were sleeping in.

On the third day of our trip, we followed 50 to a platinum mine in Steelpoort, South Africa, a 45-minute plane ride north of Johannesburg. 50 joked about wanting to see "where his platinum plaques" came from, but he was really there to see the working conditions of a mine he said he may or may not be investing in. OK, he won't win a spot on our "Hottest Humanitarians in the Game" roundtable — but it's something. Where were Yayo and Banks that day? They decided to take a trip to a lion park in Johannesburg with the rest of the concert production crew.

It's a tough call for a producer when you only have one camera and one cameraman (hey Nick!). Follow 50 deep into the earth or go on safari with Yayo and Banks. What'd we do? The only thing you could do: Follow 50, but give Yayo one of those hand-held Flip-Cams. Hilarity ensued!

Yayo had the camera for the entire week we were in South Africa, and while we certainly can't show you ALL the footage, there's certainly more than enough to keep you laughing. This man needs his own TV show! Enjoy ...

Yayo Meets The Hotel Guests

Arriving At The Lion Park

Yayo Wants To Play With The Lions

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50 Cent Leaks Tape Of Tearful Phone Conversation With Young Buck

Posted 6/18/08 12:37 pm EST by in Uncategorized


Young BuckMy good friend Miss Info wasn't exaggerating (not that she ever does) when she said a horrible revelation would be hitting her blog, www.missinfo.tv, on Tuesday: She said there would be another round in the G-Unit/ Young Buck fallout saga. She later posted audio of a phone conversation between Buck and 50 that was pitiful: Buck seemingly sobbed on the phone to 50, apologizing for any uncalled-for comments or actions he may have committed and basically pleaded to be back in the family. 50 coddled him as Buck went on about serious financial difficulties with the IRS. 50 told him everything was going to be all right, he just had to "stay close."

But things are far from OK. Buck has been estranged from the camp for months, and 50 has made some strong comments and allegations against him. But this audio signals the official end of an era. Now, this is nothing as drastic as Ice Cube leaving N.W.A, but over the past five or six years, we've become accustomed to Buck bringing that Southern brashness to 50's crew's records. Buck's presence added regional diversity.
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50 Cent And G-Unit's Trip To Africa Highlight: 'There Is An Overload Of Gangstas In One Elevator!'

Posted 6/16/08 6:16 pm EST by in Activism, MTV News, Music


(by Nick Neofiditis)

As most of you have begun to see by now, we have started to roll out our coverage of G-Unit's recent trip to Africa. We went everywhere from a platinum mine to the Apartheid Museum, from the notorious former prison Robben Island to 50 Cent/G-Unit shows in South Africa and Tanzania — as well, of course, as the meeting of a lifetime with none other than Nelson Mandela himself. That's a story that my colleagues Joseph and Phoenix hate to remember, but here is a little reminder for you folks.

Now, as you go through and enjoy the wild coverage the crew and I were so lucky to experience, remember that not everything is always as it seems. With a little TV magic, we bring you the dopest footage from all the places we went and the amazing performances we saw ... but we've also got this great peek behind the scenes during what turned out to be one of the few hiccups in our week-long trip. As DJ Whoo Kid so bluntly explained it, "Help! There is an overload of gangstas in one elevator!" Enjoy!

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For The Record: Kanye West, G-Unit, Coldplay & More

Posted 6/16/08 11:01 am EST by in For The Record, Music


Kanye West performs at Bonnaroo 2008· Bonnaroo fans love glow sticks, flashing lights, fat beats and banging jams. What they don't love, Kanye, is waiting until 4:25 a.m. for a headlining set.

· Young Buck finally dissed his old crew, as 50 Cent predicted he would months ago. During a concert in Tampa, Florida, the ousted MC yelled, "F--- G-Unit!"

· The mug-shot hall of shame got a new resident on Saturday when a dejected-looking Shante Broadus, 32, better known as Snoop Dogg's wife, was arrested early in the morning on suspicion of drunk driving.

· Coldplay have been vying to be the biggest band in the world for several years now, and they've just passed one of the crucial milestones: Unknown Brooklyn group Creaky Boards have accused the British rockers of ripping off one of their songs for the Viva la Vida title track. The tune's title? "The Songs I Didn't Write."

· The boss of the Federal Communications Commission has given his thumbs-up to the long-brewing deal between former satellite-radio rivals XM and Sirius. A final vote could be just three weeks away.

· Microsoft's Zune MP3 player hasn't exactly set the world on fire among the hipster set. But we don't, ahem, see a Club iPod mentioned in the L.A. weekend entertainment listings.

· Kid Rock had to duck out of England's Download Festival over the weekend when he was sent to the hospital by a bout of dehydration and stomach cramps. He may have caught the nasty bug the night before, which he reportedly spent at London's Whisky Mist nightclub.

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