“Best Rapper Alive” mixtape

Photo: DJ Trackstar

Don’t Sleep: Necessary Notables

Mixtape: Best Rapper Alive?

Headliners: Lil Wayne and Royce Da 5′9″

Co-Stars: DJ Trackstar and the Smoking Section

We Can’t Stop Playing: The “D.O.A.” freestyles; the “Ignant Sh–” freestyles

Essential Info: This is just a mixtape you put on and forget about the fast-forward button. This is one of those gem mixtapes, because you know there’s a guarantee that lyrics will be as sharp as a Peyton Manning pass. DJ Trackstar plays Butch Lewis, promoting a dream rhyme fight between Weezy F. Baby and the Nickel Nine. Trackstar took beats that Lil Wayne and Royce Da 5′9″ rapped over separately on mixtapes and on proper albums and mixed a tape to make it sound like the two were battling for an entire CD. He even has a score card with the track list.

Obviously, there is no way to judge a battle between the two, because these verses weren’t recorded for that purpose, but it’s dope nonetheless listening to the two abuse each track worse than Manny Pacquiao dismantled Miguel Cotto in the ring Saturday night.

We know Wayne composes his bars in his head and doesn’t write anything down. Royce recently stopped by the 1515 headquarters and told us how he attacks his rhymes.

“I got a lot of different methods,” said Royce, who released the LP Street Hop late last month. “Right now in my career, I don’t have a particular go-to method. It’s all different ways I do it. Everything starts with the music. I gotta have the actual beats. I come up with concepts sometimes without hearing any music, but I can listen to a beat and say, ‘This concept that I have in my mind matches this beat.’ I might sit on a concept for years. I got a song called ‘Taxi Driver,’ and I had the concept, but I had to wait on the right beat. I got a Mario Winans beat, and I had to make it mesh. It starts with the beat, then concept, then the flow, then the words. The words are the easiest part.

“I prefer to have everything mapped out,” he added about going into the studio. “I’m a technician when I write. I prefer to have everything mapped out. I like to go in there with all the tools already, then it’s an easier day for me.”

Mixtape: Blockstars 2

Headliner: DJ Kay Slay

Co-Stars: Cam’ron, Jim Jones, Beanie Sigel, 50 Cent, Maino and Mike Beck

We Can’t Stop Playing: Sheek Louch’s “Everyday”; “Warm It Up” by Styles P; “Self Destruction 2010″ by various artists

Essential Info: We listen to the Drama Hour on Hot 97, but there’s nothing like throwing on a Kay Slay mixtape and hearing the Drama King start to yell. You don’t know if he’s gonna call somebody out or shout somebody out, but for damn sure, Kay is going to let you know you are listening to his tape. It’s all good. Right about now, Kay is in full burn mode. He’s starting to warm it up for his next LP, More Than Just a DJ, which hits January 20.

Salute to all the DJs out there expanding your brand and making it happen. You guys continue to drive the culture.

Other Heat This Week

» Rakim – Seventh Seal (independent album)
» OJ Da Juiceman – 6 Ringz: The Michael Jordan Edition
» Kevin Cossum – Hook vs. Bridge

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Rihanna

Photo: MTV News

Celebrity Favorites

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” When somebody is as consistent as Young Jeezy, it’s tough to say he’s in a zone. That’s just him. The Snowman brings it repeatedly. (”Bag Music” is kinda sick too, by the way.) Singer Rihanna praised his work on her new record “Hard.”

“When I first heard the song, I was in Paris,” Rihanna said earlier this week of the track, which was written by The-Dream and produced by Tricky Stewart. “Dream and Tricky, they flew out and played me the record. They played me a few [songs], but this one stuck out to me. It had such an arrogance to it, which is so far from who I am … which is part of why I wanted to do it. It was fun. It was bragging. A lot of attitude. Young Jeezy was the perfect person for the topic of the song. Just the vibe of the song. I love, love, love his verse. He added so much more to the record.”

Streets Is Talking: News And Notes From The Underground

“If the good die young, then the greats go to jail,” Pusha T raps on the Clipse’s new single, “Doorman.”

The duo have been reflecting on the incarceration of their manager and friend, Anthony “Geezy” Gonzalez. Last month, Geezy struck a plea deal for one federal drug conspiracy charge as well as one firearm charge. As much as it hurts to not have their friend with them, the Clipse said they have to go on with their lives and careers.

“The show don’t stop, we know what we gotta do,” Malice, who tweeted, “We luv u GZ!” in the wake of Geezy’s court outcome, said. “So we’re out here doing it. The situation has been hard as well as heartbreaking. But I got the faith everything is gonna work out for the best. I believe everything happens for a reason. We still take care of our fam. We never leave our fam behind.”

“Geezy’s good,” Pusha insisted.

“Yeah, he’s alright,” Malice concurred.

“Everybody is good. It’s Geezy, it’s a few more too,” Pusha detailed. “Y’all just know Geezy, but everybody is our brother.”

“Every time we talk to them, nobody is hanging their head. Ain’t no crybabies. We got real soldiers in the family. Everything is gonna work out alright.”

According to The Virginian-Pilot, Geezy is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11.

The Clipse release their next LP, Till the Casket Drops, on December 8. Guests include Yo Gotti — not Drake — on “Showin’ Out.” Fabolous also appears on a remix of “Kinda Like a Big Deal.” (Kanye West appeared on the original.)

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Lil Wayne

Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

The wait is ova. No, not that one. After months of delays and rescheduled street dates, Lil Wayne’s new album, Rebirth, finally has an official release date. According to Billboard.com, the disc long rumored to be Wayne’s “rock” album will drop on December 15.

The album will come on the heels of his just-released No Ceilings mixtape. And while there has been some confusion about just how much actual rocking Wayne will do on it— he does appear on the new Weezer album — the rapper recently told Billboard that he does indeed bang his head on Rebirth.

“Yes, the album is still rock,” he said. “I play guitar on 80 percent of the songs, and there’s a lot of rock influences and rock beats. I also have Travis Barker on the album. But I don’t want people to think I’m trying to do something I can’t do. Don’t think you’re going to put on the album and hear me screaming and singing.

“When I said I was doing a rock album, it was about doing a freedom thing,” he continued. “This album isn’t hip-hop. When I do my Carter albums, I know I’ve got to rap, I know I’ve got to spit. I know the words I’ve got to say and the subjects I’ve got to talk about. I also know the things I shouldn’t say, the things I shouldn’t talk about. There’s none of those limits on this album. I say what I want, how I want. That’s what this album is: a freedom album.”

Wayne has suggested that he might release Rebirth and the Young Money crew album as a double disc. Because a few of the songs from Wayne’s album have leaked online during the past few months, he said he went back to the lab to cook up some new songs to throw off fans who thought they knew what he was up to.

“I had to add new cuts, because a lot of things leaked, making people think they had an idea of what I was doing with Rebirth and what it would sound like,” he said. “And I hated that, because I never want anybody to think they know what I’m doing until I present it. So what I did was make it totally different. I flipped it.”

In addition to protégé Drake, the album is slated to include guest spots from members of Fall Out Boy and Lenny Kravitz. It’s unknown if Rebirth will be the last full-length album Wayne will release before he is scheduled to go to prison in New York for at least eight months after pleading guilty to a felony charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon.

A spokesperson for Wayne did not return requests for comment at press time for confirmation that the Young Money album, We Are Young Money, will be packaged with Rebirth.

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Lil’ Wayne

Photo: Mark Venema/ WireImage

No Ceilings? Not just yet! Lil Wayne is still in the studio working on his latest mixtape. On Wednesday morning (October 27) several songs from No Ceilings
leaked onto the Internet, but the Young Money camp has assured MTV News that Weezy is still working on the mixtape (two songs from which leaked on the day of his guilty plea for attempted gun possession last week) and the full product will not land until Halloween.

BUT: On Friday, here on MTVNews.com, there will be a special edition of Mixtape Daily where you will get the full report on the mixtape, as well as info about where you can get it for free. Weezy might even check in himself.

Among the leaks is an interlude where Wayne explains why he wanted to make this project.

“Welcome,” he says. “I appreciate you for having this. If you got this, if you’re listening to this, thank you. This is for you. It’s a big thank you for coming out to all the days and nights on tours, for coming and supporting me every single night. Even if you didn’t come to the tour, it’s just thank you.”

Lyrically and stylistically, Weezy remains locked in. He trounces the track with grace, spewing humor and verbal spikes with barbaric tenacity.

“I’m higher than a super kick,” he raps over Jay-Z’s “Run This Town” beat. “I’m the bomb, baby, watch me nuke this sh–/ When I leave the booth, they gotta scoop the sh–/ My apologies, diabolically, I’m the prodigy … Yeah, we run this town, like a lot of freaks/ Young Moo-lah baby, I’m proud of me.”

Elsewhere, Wayne tackles the beat from Fabolous’ “Throw it In the Bag” remix. “Swimming in Polo/ Sleeping in Jordans/ I bought a cell phone and I don’t even much call it … Wake her in the morning, breakfast where she slept at/ Tell her go shopping/ I can’t wait until she get back … You can’t be broke and happy, so me, I’m mad rich!”

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Lil Wayne

Photo: Mark Venema/ WireImage

Lil Wayne had a son last year, another in September with actress Lauren London, and he’s expecting another son soon with singer Nivea. He’s the hardest-working man in hip-hop in any number of ways.

“What’s rest?” Wayne recently told the BBC’s Tim Westwood when asked how he makes time for everything. “We don’t need no rest around here. I’m 27 years old. I’ll rest when I retire.”

Weezy also told Westwood that, contrary to reports, he’s not putting out his Tha Carter IV and his long-delayed Rebirth albums simultaneously as a double-disc.

“They’re pushing for that,” Wayne said of his record label. “I ain’t trying to give it to them like that. It won’t be given like that, trust me. It won’t be given like that. Tha Carter IV deserves Tha Carter IV and that’s that.

“The Rebirth may come as a double with the Young Money All-Star disc,” he added. “It may be the Young Money All-Star and Rebirth.”

Of course, Wayne’s releasing a new mixtape, No Ceiling, somewhere in there as well.

Wayne, some of his Young Money clique and the Birdman are currently in the U.K. on tour. Before Wayne’s comments to the BBC, Birdman had told the U.K.’s Hip-Hop Chronicle that all three albums would drop on the same day in December.

“We coming with Tha Carter IV and Rebirth, it’s gonna be a double disc — and the Young Money album, all in the same day: December 15. My album and Jay Sean’s album come out November 24.

“They think it’s rock, to me it’s a little more heavy metal, but it’s still Wayne and he’s doing his thing on that muthaf—a,” Birdman continued about Rebirth.

A rep for Wayne’s label confirmed that the Young Money album is scheduled for a December release but did not confirm dates for Wayne’s albums.

Young Money currently have the record “Bedrock” out on mixshow rotation. That track features Lloyd.

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Slaughterhouse

Photo: MTV News

Behind the Beats: Serani

Serani may be best known for his breakout hit “No Games,” but the emerging Jamaican artist first made a name for himself crafting songs for some of his homeland’s biggest stars.

“I’m a musician from birth, I played the keys from birth,” Serani said. “As time went on, when I became a teenager I was listening to Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Capleton and Sizzla. I would listen to the beats and thought, ‘Why are they on some of these? They could do better.’ And I knew I had the talent to do it.”

He got his start working as a musician, contributing to Wayne Marshall songs. Eventually he formed Daseca Productions with two partners, and the trio were able to power hits by some of the same artists Serani listened to coming up. Their big break came when they scored a couple of knockout hits, producing Tony Matterhorn’s “Dutty Wine” and Sean Paul’s “We Be Burning.”

” ‘We Be Burning’ was the first real big move,” Serani said.

The producer had long been a frequent collaborator with Mavado, and the two developed a brotherly relationship. While working with Mavado, Serani found his voice — he’d coach artists while producing their records and found he had a knack for melody.

Although he had no formal experience singing, family and friends pushed him to develop his vocals.

“I was doing that and I was teaching a lot of artists how to sing,” he said of his time manning the boards. “I didn’t know I could do it, but I knew keys. Eventually, as I’m making the beats, I start coming up with ideas for myself and as the time goes by, the ideas start getting better and better. This is, like, 2007, so I just started doing it. My voice started getting better and I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ ”

Now with “No Games” as his first certified solo hit, Serani is prepping for the release of his debut of the same name, due October 27.

Next Wave of Flav

On Mavado: “He’s like my son in music. He’s older than me, but I feel like he’s my son, ’cause I taught him so much in music as a producer. I’m like his son in terms of singing, if you wanna say so. We have a good relationship. I still produce songs with Mavado. He’s my brother.”

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From the Underground

There’s been a lot of talk about 50 Cent lately, with many questioning the motives behind his recent ThisIs50 Music Festival held in New York. Fabolous was one of the first to bring it up on Twitter, asking if the G-Unit General would have reached out to his onetime rivals a few years ago. Who knows, really?

However, Tony Yayo seemed to be enthusiastic about all the crew love that went down on Governor’s Island, where G-Unit, the Diplomats and the LOX all connected.

“I know your eyes is buggin’ on, like, what’s going on — Slaughterhouse, the Unit, D-Block out here, Dipset,” the Talk of New York boasted. “My man Young Money Trav — we got Jersey here, L.A., we got a lot of ‘hoods. Detroit.

“Talk about that new album, man,” Yayo continued, looking in Joe Budden’s direction. ” ‘Cause I picked up that [Slaughterhouse] album. I told [the rest of the group] you should do that ‘Microphone’ joint [onstage].”

“See, man,” Budden cut in.

The New Jersey MC and his counterparts, Joell Ortiz, Royce Da 5′9″ and Crooked I, might have disagreed about their song set for the night’s festivities.

Yayo was adamant, however.

“That’s crack, man.”

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Drake

Photo: MTV News

The 2009 Hottest MCs in the Game rollout is now complete! As in 2007
and 2008, the list, determined by the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust, is based on an MC’s achievements right now, rather than an entire career. The criteria is based on a combination of rhyme skill, flow and how those things are implemented musically as the main factors. The Brain Trust also considered buzz, impact, commercial success — sales, airplay, business ventures, Web presence, endorsements and helping to spawn other artists’ careers — and the intangible, impact: Can an artist not only contribute to the rap game but influence cultural shifts? Are they trendsetters? All of these factors — and the results of our audience poll, which closed last week and got a vote at the Round Table during the Brain Trust’s debate — contributed to deciding who is the Hottest MC in the Game. All this week, we’ll be rolling out reactions from artists, DJs, the MCs themselves — and you! Upload your comments, reactions, arguments and/or your own list to YourMTV.com — the best videos could be on TV!

Flame Thrower: Drake
2009 Rank: #3

Why He’s Hot:
Drake proclaims himself to be “the one, twice over/ The new 11.” He’s definitely one of kind. We haven’t seen a single mixtape as universally triumphant as his So Far Gone.

We’ve seen guys turn the street-music hustle into instant ‘hood-icon status and get record deals before, like Young Jeezy (who actually got two deals, one with the group Boyz N Da Hood as well as a solo deal), the Diplomats and of course 50 Cent and G-Unit.

This kid Drake, however, is a different type of beast. Technology allowed his tape to spread wider and faster than CDs, and So Far Gone’s word-of-mouth buzz made it a must-have download. He toured the country on the strength of the mixtape while songs from SFG flew from underground to radio rotation. His collaboration with Trey Songz, “Successful,” hit the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, while “Best I Ever Had” has the heaviest rotation on urban radio this year, according to Mediabase.

Then, after circulating for seven months for free, So Far Gone was revamped and re-released through a major label — and sold nearly 70,000 units in its first week of release last month.

	Check out our 2009 “Hottest MCs In The Game.”
	»10. Raekwon
	»9. 50 Cent
	»8. Fabolous
	»7. Young Jeezy
	»6. Gucci Mane
	»5. Rick Ross
	»4.Kanye West
	»3. Drake
	»2. Lil Wayne
	»1. Jay-Z

Drake had dropped mixtapes before So Far Gone — he even stood beside Lil Wayne in the booth for a few tracks on Weezy’s Dedication 3 mixtape. But it wasn’t until So Far Gone that people really took notice. Drake wasn’t a big blip on the map before — heck, he didn’t even make the cut on XXL magazine’s coveted Freshman 10 list last year. To be fair, we didn’t hear how vastly the 22-year-old’s skills had improved until So Far Gone.

His swag was up. The boy-next-door image was gone. Drake was cocky — not obnoxiously so, but I-belong-rapping-alongside-the-best cocky. The So Far Gone stories were new, invigorating, brash and spoken with biting honesty. He rhymed with clarity, focus and a certain drollness, but with solid punchlines to go along with that wit. Then Drake added a whole new dimension to his skills by singing. The guy will never be mistaken for Stevie Wonder, but he has an obvious feel and talent for melody. Right from the start of So Far Gone, “Houstatlantavegas” is enthralling with its harmonious story telling.

The mixtape came out in February and hasn’t stopped spreading since. His talent was so apparent and appealing that Drake had major labels offering millions (during a recession) for his services, but Drizzy did what he felt by staying with his home team of Lil Wayne’s Young Money label. Wayne and Drake are like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen right now, double-teaming songs such as “Every Girl,” “Bedrock,” “Money to Blow” and “My Darlin’ Baby.”

As a soloist, Drake’s verses are becoming must-haves for artists from the underground such as Nipsey Hussle to the highest of hip-hop’s elite, such as Jay-Z and Diddy (Drake already recorded vocals for Puff’s 2010 release, Last Train to Paris), not to mention Kanye West, Wayne and Eminem joining him on his own track, “Forever.” Everyone in between — including Songz, Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige and Fabolous — has also made the call for guest rhymes from the Toronto native.

Over the summer, Drake suffered a few missteps. There was backlash from some fans because his Kanye West-directed “Best I Ever Had” video, had nothing to do with the song’s theme. Then his performance with Weezy at the BET Awards was a miss — apart from the profanity in “Every Girl,” Drake was injured and could barely move on the stage. Speaking of which, his biggest misstep was a literal one: He tore his ACL and could not complete his hotly anticipated stint on the “Young Money Presents: The America’s Most Wanted Music Festival.” Still, Drake’s steam isn’t dying down anytime soon, the songs keep coming and get received with open arms.

Co-Signer: Lil Wayne
“That kid is honestly almost to the respect [level] of talking about one of the greatest,” Lil Wayne said. “Like how we talk about Big, he’s almost that and he ain’t dropped. He don’t have an album. Then he’s singing — that takes away from the respect of an artist. So for him to do it and maintain that respect and maintain that popularity, I think that’s enough said. But I heard him a long time ago. When I heard him, I said, ‘He needs to be in my clique to make me stronger. Let’s go!’ ”

Ignitable Incitement:
“I feel like I just spent a lot of years so in tune with music that I really love,” Drake told MTV News. “Whether it be R&B, whether it be jazz, whether it be rap, whatever. I think So Far Gone was me finding myself as a person and then finding a way to balance all these things that I love and figuring out truly what it is that I’m good at. I think once you find a rhythm or a formula as an artist, it starts to connect with people. You know, people are like, ‘OK, he’s doing his thing.’ That’s important to do your thing. You can’t be doing what so-and-so is doing or doing something that doesn’t fit you. … The best part about finding that rhythm was just being honest. Honesty, you know, rapping about my life and things that occur on a daily basis. So when I draw inspiration, I really can draw from my life, not go make something up or hear someone else’s story. I can just live and then write. And so that really makes my musical process very easy and gratifying. It’s been dope.”

Blistering Ballistics:
“Private flights back home/ No stop over, still spitting that sh– that they shot Pac over/ The sh– my mother look shocked over/ Yeah, but with a canvas I’m a group of seven/ A migraine, take two Excedrin/ I’m the one, twice over, I’m the new 11/ And if I die I’mma do it repping … Coolest kid out baby, word to Chuck Inglish/ Count my own money, see the paper cut fingers/ My song is your girlfriend’s waking-up ringer/ Heh, or alarm, or whatever/ She be here at six in the morn if I let her … Make pasta, rent a movie, called hoes over/ Rest in peace to Heath Ledger, but I’m no joker.” (from “Ignant Sh–” freestyle)

Hot Streak

Albums:
So Far Gone EP

Selected Mixtape:
So Far Gone

Singles :
“Best I Ever Had,” “Forever” (featuring Kanye West, Eminem and Lil Wayne), “Successful” (with Trey Songz), “Every Girl” (with Young Money crew)

Street Bangers:
“Unstoppable” (featuring Santigold and Lil Wayne), “Uptown” (with Bun B and Lil Wayne), “Say What’s Real,” “Girl You Know” (with Young Money)

Key Guest Appearances:
Fabolous’ “Throw It in the Bag” remix, Mary J. Blige’s “The One,” Jamie Foxx’s “Digital Girl” remix (with Kanye West), Young Jeezy’s “I’m Goin’ In” (also featuring Kanye West), Jay-Z’s “Off That”

Meteoric Metrics (as of October 2):
MySpace Friends: 451,226
Twitter followers: 309,587

Business Ventures:
N/A

Tours:
So Far Gone tour, partial stint on the “Young Money Presents: America’s Most Wanted Tour”

Monumental Moment:
Release of So Far Gone

Forecast:
Drake has consistently proven himself. He could very well be in the #1 spot on the Billboard albums chart next year with his official debut, Thank Me Later, featuring production from Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. Meanwhile, look out for more high-profile cameos …

What do you think of Lil Wayne’s placement on the Hottest MCs in the Game list? Upload your comments, reactions, arguments and/or your own list to Your.MTV.com — the best videos could be on TV!