By Jayson Rodriguez

"Every Saturday 'Rap Attack,' Mr. Magic, Marley Marl ..." — Notorious B.I.G., "Juicy"

Biggie immortalized him in rhyme, but by the time the Brooklyn MC name-checked Mr. Magic on 1994's Ready to Die, the DJ was already a living legend. It was confirmed today that Mr. Magic passed away after suffering a heart attack. (At press time it was unknown how old he was.)

Magic, born John Rivas, was a pioneer in hip-hop and made his mark as the first DJ to host a mixshow hour on commercial radio, which was revolutionary in the early 1980s but as common as a rap CD with a "Parental Advisory" sticker on it today. Back in 1982 when Mr. Magic, along with Marley Marl as his DJ and Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams as co-producer, kick-started "Rap Attack," the program's launch was arguably as significant to music history as when the Moonman planted the MTV flag in outer space.

"Rap Attack" was a cultural touchstone fondly remembered by countless rappers, breakdancers, journalists and fans who were transfixed by the early sounds of hip-hop transmitted through their speakers by Mr. Magic.

Aside from the musical nods ("Juicy" and Whodini's "Magic's Wand"), Magic was also known for his part in the watershed battle between the Juice Crew — founded by Marley Marl and featuring Big Daddy Kane, Craig G. and Kool G Rap — and KRS-One's Boogie Down Productions.
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Later this month, "The Simpsons" will jump into its 21st season with yet another entry in the fantastic "Treehouse of Horror" franchise. To celebrate the upcoming milestone and to pay respects to some great hip-hop icons, Format and Moxy Creative have teamed up to produce a series of limited-edition posters that depict 10 famous rappers "Simpsonized." The results are pretty great. As you can see in the posse shot below, some real heavy hitters are represented: Biggie Smalls, Tupac, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, Flavor Flav, Andre 3000, Eminem, Eazy-E and Fat Joe have all been converted into cartoon versions of their former selves.

In addition to the posse poster, each MC gets his own individual poster, complete with a customized "O" in the "No Homer" logo (a clever play on the hip-hop catchphrase "No homo"). Kanye gets the shriveled heart from the 808s & Heartbreak cover, while Flav gets a giant clock and Slim Shady gets a pill.

Though "The Simpsons" has featured dozens of guest stars from the music world during its long run, very few rappers have actually shown up on the show (50 Cent famously made a cameo a few years back). While these posters aren't endorsed by the show, let's hope it's a catalyst for getting a few more hot lyricists actually animated and into the program. Knowing what his real world counterpart is capable of, can you imagine what cartoon Weezy would do? Make it happen, Al Jean!

By Gigi Abrantes

Since he first dropped his debut album in 1996, Jay-Z became an instant classic on the hip-hop scene. Now that he is about to drop his 11th album The Blueprint 3, MTV News takes a look back at the history of one of the greatest artists in rap history with The J to Z of Jay-Z.

Throughout Jay-Z's career, he's made countless references to the Marcy Projects, which was the public housing area in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn that he called home. It was there that Jigga grew up, went to school, got into trouble and started developing his love for hip-hop. Back in 2000, Jay-Z took us on a tour of his old stomping ground in "The Diary of Jay-Z."

Throughout the course of this candid interview, Mr. Carter opened up and explained to MTV how it felt growing up in a place like Marcy. Despite the lack of direction and the sense that "no one cares whether you live or die," Jay-Z said that he goes back to his neighborhood to lead by example and to let the current residents see that he's a real person who managed to struggle upward.

Of course, Hova didn't grow up in a vacuum. In fact, he went to the same high school as another legend: The Notorious B.I.G. Growing up, he was simply a guy named Chris who Jay sometimes nodded at in the hallways, but as time went on and they both ended up in the industry, they had a level of understanding knowing that they had come from the same place (which is what makes "Brooklyn's Finest" so stunning). Jay-Z may be an international superstar today, but he never forgot where he came from.

If reports are to be believed, Michael Jackson may have as many as 100 unreleased songs that he left behind. Though it may be quite some time before any songs ever get out, it's certain that fans will be clamoring for songs they've never heard.

But if pop history has taught us anything, it's that posthumous music releases can be a bit of a nightmare both for the people in control of the estate and the fans craving new music. In fact, sometimes that music actually hurts the legacy of the artist.

When Jimi Hendrix died in 1970, he left behind at least one incomplete album and many more unfinished tracks, demos and outtakes. But for decades, the previously unreleased songs were released haphazardly and were underproduced. It wasn't until Hendrix's sister managed to gain control of his catalog that the recordings were considered reasonable enough for commercial release. Hendrix albums have slowed and there are still legal battles over Hendrix's legacy, but the reconstructed First Rays of the New Rising Sun and the restored Live at Monterey are both keepers. But be warned: A lot of the post-1970 Hendrix releases are horrible.

The same could be said of Tupac, but in reverse. Read more...

By Rahman Dukes

Tupac Shakur's physical being may have left the earth well over a decade ago but his spirit remains stronger than ever. Today would have been the iconic rapper's 38th birthday, and if you didn't know any better you'd probably let the media convince you that 'Pac was spotted out somewhere celebrating it. Seriously.

It was only weeks ago that a recent photo of a man looking like 'Pac surfaced on the Web, once again igniting the tired rumors that Mr. Shakur is not deceased and freely walking the streets of L.A. Stop it. Afeni wants her son to rest in peace.
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NEW YORK — He's spun at parties for Will Smith, and back in the day he carried crates for Biz Markie, and last night, DJ Nick Cannon showed off his skills at the Pink Elephant for the big shots who were out to celebrate the DVD release of "Notorious."

That's right, DJ Nick Cannon. The actor is known for making people laugh, but behind the turntables he's no joke. DJing has been a talent and passion Cannon had kept on the low until the last few years. Last night, he played records by New Edition, Madonna, Kris Kross and of course the whole Bad Boy Family (circa 1994-97).

Much of the cast, including the film's star, Jamal Woolard (Biggie), and Naturi Naughton (Lil' Kim) were on hand at the Vibe-hosted party. Big's real-life partner in crime, Lil' Cease, also came out, as did sexy model Melyssa Ford and Vibe editor in chief Danyel Smith.

The "Notorious" DVD comes out April 21, in both the original format and the uncut version.

By Rahman Dukes

It would go down as one of hip-hop's darkest hours: March 9, 1997, marked the untimely death of arguably the greatest rapper to ever grip the microphone: the Notorious B.I.G.

Big had been out in Los Angeles celebrating the release of his highly anticipated sophomore album, Life After Death, and was leaving Vibe magazine's Soul Train Awards afterparty, when he was ambushed by gunfire while sitting in the passenger seat of a Chevrolet Suburban. Read more...

By Rahman Dukes

"Cristal forever/ Play the crib when it's mink weather," the Notorious B.I.G. raps in Jay-Z's "Brooklyn's Finest." You gotta love B.I.G. Seriously, the man's lyrics are timeless, his energy was indisputable, and homey had class.

From the hats to the shades to the cane, Big had that "splash," to steal a word from Jim Jones. Among the many notable items B.I. brought to the forefront, Cristal champagne still, to this day, rings bells in your local club and liquor store.

Cristal will go down in the record books as one of the most celebrated spirits in the rap community. Although B.I.G., Bad Boy and later Jay-Z became the unofficial poster boys for the pricey bubbly, it was Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface and Raekwon who should be credited with first mentioning the gold bottle. This is just one reason Rae and Ghost labeled B.I.G. a biter and launched an attack on him on a skit from their Cuban Linx album. Read more...

Whoever thought that hip-hop would take it this far? All the way to NASDAQ!

If the Notorious B.I.G. were here today, he would say, "Brooklyn, we did it!" This morning, Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, and his son, Christopher Wallace Jr., rang the opening NASDAQ bell.

(More photos, after the jump!)
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By Nick Neofiditis

As you enter the NYC borough of Brooklyn, there's a sign that reads very bluntly: "Welcome to Brooklyn: Believe the Hype." That sign never read more true than last night as I walked out of the "Notorious" movie premiere in New York.

Surrounded by the likes of Puffy, Mrs. Wallace, Biggie's managers Marc Pitts and Wayne Barrow, Mary J., Lil' Cease, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Nas, Jadakiss, Faith Evans, a host of family and friends of the late rapper, virtually all of the cast from the film and just about anyone who matters in the hip-hop industry — it's hard to believe I even managed to score a seat in the theater! Besides being privileged enough to enjoy the premiere of the film in such company, I also got a chance to hear and see the reactions of the crowd during the movie and as we flooded out of the theater.
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