It must chap Nas’ ass whenever he hears that song “Baby By Me” by 50 Cent. (No homo.)

I mean, it’s bad enough he’s gotta pay out the ass each month for child support for young Knight Rider Jones, who can’t cost any more to feed than it costs to keep me in Yellow Tail. (We’re talking very low three figures.) But every time he turns on the rrradio, he hears a song celebrating this kind of bullshit, 15 times a day, for 3 months. Man, fuck that shit!

Then adding insult to injury is the fact that Fiddy Cent makes at least 10x more money than Nas, but he somehow pays like 10x less in child support. (Both rough estimates, mind you.) This for a child that’s old enough that it might cost a decent amount of money (more than I’ve got anyway) to take care of him. And to a mother who couldn’t just sit around the rest of her life and live eat off the royalties from “Milkshake,” if she wanted to. If anything, 50 Cent should be the one getting raped well into the mid five figures each month. Well, no one should, really, but you catch my drift.

It’s easy to joke about paying a broad to take care of your kids, when you could afford to have as many kids as Diddy, without it being any sweat off your proverbial sack. I’m hoping that the next Nas album, like Fiddy’s godawful new Before I Self Destruct, features at least three songs in which he makes reference to his domestic situation, but something Nas’ songs won’t be nearly as celebratory. Another “Ether” could be in order, complete with numerous references to fellatio.

We’re finally starting to see signs that Nas is not about to take this lying down, like that poor girl out in scenic Richmond, CA. I read the other day on TMZ, via Sandra Rose, that Nas is trying to block Kelis from receiving “spousal support.” He’s already paying $44,000 to take care of Knight Rider (not the car), but she requested something ridonkulous like an additional $70,000 a month to take care of her dumb ass. Nas responded that jack shit would be a more reasonable sum. Of course, I’d have to agree. However, I’d be more impressed, if I didn’t think that part of it has to do with the fact that he can barely come up with the 44k each month.

A few weeks ago, there was another story about Nas on TMZ, about how the IRS was coming after him for a few million, because he went a few years without paying any income tax. As I recall, he stopped paying around the time he signed with Def Jam, for which he received quite a bit of money, which is probably why he owes so much. Method Man got stuck for the same shit recently, and his bill wasn’t nearly as much - though I talked to a guy from the IRS (really, I did) and he said that 300k or whatever figure they quoted was an estimate, based on what he’d been paying, before he stopped. For all we know, both Meth and Nas could owe way more than the figures quoted on TMZ.

If Nas had enough money to cut Uncle Sam a check for two point some-odd million dollars, I’m pretty sure he would have, a long time ago. We never would have heard about it on TMZ. Think about it: Nas is gonna have to pay that money at some point or another anyway, or he’s going to jail. The IRS loves nothing more than to throw a black celebrity in jail, on some ol’ bullshit, rather than letting them work, so maybe they could make the money to pay the gov’t back. They like making examples out of people. And if Nas had cut that check a year ago, or two years, or if he’d just paid his taxes when they were due, maybe he could have avoided having to pay that 44k a month, on the grounds that he just plain doesn’t have any money.

Alas, Nas probably never suspected Kelis would try to take him to the cleaners, as soon as she got pregnant by him. (Kaching!) Let me guess: the reason he couldn’t afford to pay his taxes is because Kelis spent up all that money he got from Def Jam. Part of the reasoning behind that 44k a month was so that Kelis and Knight Rider could continue the quality of living to which she’d become accustomed. I remember reading that they had a few different homes, and all kinds of expensive shit. Nas probably wasn’t sweating spending all of his money, since Kelis is capable of making her own money. At the very least she wouldn’t put him in a situation where he might have to go to jail. Clearly, he was mistaken.

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With the untimely passing of Pimp C two years ago, most thought it was the end of UGK. However, surviving member Bun B carried on the group’s legacy and orchestrated one final album, the appropriately titled UGK 4 Life. Despite already being an established solo artist, Bun still found it difficult carrying the Underground Kingz crown without his partner in rhyme. The Port Arthur, Texas native pushes on, steadily promoting the album and making sure that fans don’t forget the Pimp C’s name. In fact, a full eight months after releasing the LP, Bun B just dropped a remix video for “She Luv It,” featuring Slim Thug and Killa Kyleon, last week. XXLMag.com caught up with the Texas titan, who’s completing his third solo album Trill OG, to discuss how he got his wife to agree to a strip club video shoot, how he knew 50 Cent before he got shot and respond to commenters labeling Pimp one of the funniest rappers of all time.
XXLMag.com: How difficult has been promoting UGK 4 Life without Pimp being around?

Bun B: I think the biggest issue I had was the emotional factor. We were very fortunate that Pimp left a lot of good music. It was just important that we weren’t exploiting this project, that we did justice to it and weren’t taking advantage of the situation.

XXLMag.com: Y’all just dropped the “She Luv It (Remix),” which was shot in a strip club. How’d the whole idea come together?

Bun B: The idea actually came when I got a call from someone hosting parties at a strip club in Houston called the Player’s Club. I don’t normally do anything at strip clubs because I’m married, but it came to a point where they offered a lot of money and even my wife was like, “You can’t turn that down, it’ll be crazy.”

XXLMag.com: So your wife was cool with it?

Bun B: It’s the YouTube age so you can’t do anything anyway, because people will take pictures or tweet it, so she was a lot more comfortable with me in that kind of a setting. I started thinking, How do we maximize going to this strip club? Well, I thought let’s go and shoot a video. I only got one video that I can probably shoot there and it was for “She Luv It,” because it’s a strip club type of song. But “She Luv It” is UGK, Pimp got a verse, I got a verse, we go back and forth, but I said who do I know who can put work in [for a remix] in a quick amount of time. Locally, Slim Thug is always good, Killa Kyleon is always good. They did the song the same day I gave them the music.

XXLMag.com: Is your label paying for the video or you’re doing it yourself?

Bun B: We did this ourselves. It’s not a single we could release commercially or service to radio. It’s a strip club song. The video didn’t take a lot of time or hardly any money.

XXLMag.com: Are you currently working on a new solo album?

Bun B: I just started on a Trill OG, which is targeted for the first quarter next year to take advantage of the Superbowl weekend, All-Star weekend, MAGIC convention and all these opportunties where you can market and promote yourself to a lot of people in one time. At the Superbowl weekend you can touch 100,000 people in one weekend. We dealing with a lot of people, working with J.U.S.T.I.C.E League, Cool & Dre, DJ Premier, in-house producers… So I’m just gonna try and offer people music that makes sense for the club, car, iPod and at the stadium.

XXLMag.com: Last month we did a feature on the site where we listed funny rappers that should do stand-up. A lot of the commenters suggested that Pimp C should have been included. What do you think about that kind of perception of him being funny?

Bun B: It doesn’t bother me at all. Pimp took a lighthearted approach to a lot of things and people. If you knew Pimp C at all, that’s how he worked. When you think about the funniest comedians, they tell the truth. The more honest they are, the more funny they are.

XXLMag.com: You’re one of the few artists that gets universal love from newjacks and veterans. Why do you think you get so much love from fans and peers?

Bun B: It hasn’t been that long [since] I was that guy. I was looking at people like KRS-One, Ice Cube and they actually open themselves up and were encouraging and taught how to maneuver through the obstacles that you find yourself in this music industry. With a name like Underground Kingz, which is so specific, I always felt like if we gonna call ourselves UGK, we better have knowledge of all the aspects of the underground. UGK are the underdogs so I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the underdog. Everything is always changing but UGK is always embracing the new generation. If you look back at all the different people that I’ve worked with, like Cash Money, Young Jeezy. I was there for the first Trick Daddy album, for 50 Cent’s first album. I was friends with 50 before he got stabbed, much less shot. I’ve just been real lucky to have different call me and turn me on to different artists.

XXLMag.com: How’d you know about 50 all the way from Texas at the early stages of his career?

Bun B: With 50 Cent, that was a call that came from Tone [of the Trackmasters], like yo, “I got this kid, he’s signed to JMJ, he’s hot, he’s from New York, but his style was a little like what you’re doing in the South.” Same thing with Jeezy, my man D-Money called me and said, “I got this young boy he’s in the streets but he’s trying to do his rap thing right now. He’s got a nice sound, a movement to him.” Hopefully, when you look at the next generation of people, like Wale, Cool Kids, Kids in the Hall, Donnis, Curren$y, people like that, you’re seeing the same things that you saw people in the past generation who blew up and really took advantage of the game. Hopefully they’ll get an opportunity. Everything in life is a cycle and the generation of artists that came up on my music, I see the new generation do what I do and take it further. —Slav Kandyba

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When news broke this past August that founding Slum Village member Baatin had passed away, the hip-hop community took the Detroit MC’s death hard. Such was the case for Miami-based rapper/producer/singer Jack Splash, who recently leaked a tribute record entitled, “Baatin (Missing U…).” [Listen here].

The record will be featured on Jack’s upcoming DJ Skee-hosted mixtape, Heir To The Throne, Vol 1, which drops next Wednesday (November 11). It’s one of three mixtapes to promote his upcoming Jive debut, Technology & Love Will Save Us All, which is scheduled for a March release.

According to the rap rookie—who just completed production work on Cee-Lo’s next LP—Baatin was a very close friend and mentor to him and actually saved his life when he was going through a tough time. Jack raps, “When I lost my hope and I could not do it/It was you, Baatin, that got me through it/And you told me if I fight for love they gon’ fight this/Teardrops on the paper as I write this.”

Baatin has had such a great impact on Jack’s life that he used the fallen MC as inspiration for the main character—which will be voiced by Lupe Fiasco—in his animated film scheduled to come out next year. “You never knew I was making a movie for you,” Jack rhymes. “When they thought you were crazy I still adored you/It ain’t over, you ain’t done yet/You the only real superhero that I ever met/So I’m getting a tattoo to remind me daily/That if love’s insane they can call me crazy… I swear to God you were the robot with the heart of gold/Don’t worry Baatin this is just the first episode/And it was fun while it lasted/So I hope you back with Dilla making something fantastic.” —Anslem Samuel

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Forget about nuts, XXL Show & Prove candidate Pill has the Internet goin’ ham. Throughout this week alone he has leaked two new tracks, one with Gary, Indiana up-and-comer Freddie Gibbs called “Womb 2 the Tomb” and another produced by Tha Bizness (50 Cent, Young Money) dubbed “Hear Somebody Comin’.” Yet the question remains, how come he hasn’t released a remix for the song that put him on the map, “Trap Goin’ Ham?”

XXLMag.com recently chopped it up with the ATL rapper to find out what his plans are for the song and who he would like to get on the remix.

“I don’t mind [doing] a remix but it’s gotta be a good look,” he said. “People been saying they fuck with it, saying they wanna jump on it, but I gotta actually like the artist whose gonna jump on it. “

When asked who he would love to hear on the track, Pill had high hopes. “On some trap shit, that would [sound] good on a tempo like that, you gotta throw the boy Jeezy on there,” he said. “You know what a dream record would be [though]? Me, Jeezy and Gucci. To see both of them on a record, that would be a dream but you know that’s not gonna happen. I mean, them two good dudes, they kick that good street shit. I got much respect for both of them, and I would love to cut a record with either of them individually [as well].”

In the meantime Pill is gearing up to release his new mixtape, 4074: The Refill for November 17. —Jesse Gissen

Watch the video for Trap Goin’ Ham below

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“I think that it’s unfortunate, but at the same time I really feel like [Lil' Wayne's] not gonna miss out on anything… T.I.’s about to be home and he didn’t miss nothing. Nothing happened while he was gone. I don’t think anybody wants to go to jail, that’s just not a place for people.”

-Omarion, Rap-Up Magazine via SOHH.com

Wow, O. That shit was spoken like a nigga who not only has never been incarcerated, but doesn’t know anyone who’s ever been in the box either. T.I. isn’t missing anything? The nigga has like 5 kids. He’s missing a lot. Lil’ Wayne’s upped his baby collection in the past year himself. I don’t know if Weezy planned on ever seeing the new litter in person, but still. They’re out there.

I know Mr. Rad’s guidance made it so that nobody had to get locked up in You Got Served, but to suggest that people locked away for a year—or any other period of time, for that matter—aren’t missing anything is ludicrous. Fuck, put me in the cage for the weekend and I’d be wiggin. Dallas Penn’s account of going down for like 30 hours made me reflect on the shit I’d miss.

Niggas like Omarion should really shut the fuck up and go pop-lock somewhere instead of chasing down camera time with his no project-havin’ ass. Submitted for his review, Negro Please Presents: Things Niggas Miss When Locked Down.

Privacy – I grew up in a 3-bedroom apartment with 11 other people in Harlem’s St. Nicholas projects. “Two at the foot, two at the head” applied to couches and loveseats, let alone beds. I’m not saying this to brandish my ghetto stripes or what have you. I’m saying this because my favorite thing about growing up, moving out and having my own shit was that I didn’t feel other niggas’ eyes and breath on me all the god damn time. This speaks to the time when I had the freedom to go outside and play “don’t get hit by a stray” with the other pre-prisoners. I couldn’t imagine what it’s like to not have even that much.

Family – Those 11 other niggas including Tameka Mexico-Barclays, Mama Mexico, Grandma-nana Mexico, Pop-Pop Mexico, Ricky Mexico, Mike Mexico and uncles between prison stays are the niggas I can’t imagine going through life without. [Blogger’s Note: Sorry. No Bobby.] Pop-Pop is no longer with us, which blows enough. We were all pretty tight, both figuratively and literally. The locked up uncles always got letters and shit. One such uncle missed the first words and steps of multiple children… whom I babysat. That’s far from “nothing”. We’re also still on Boosie watch for when the nigga breaks over pushing away the few people that care about him, even if only momentarily.

[Blogger's Note: Now, if anyone deserves a "Boosie response", it's Omarion.]

Elective Work – Some of us hate our day jobs. Most of us would gladly choose them over pressing up license plates, building shopping centers and cleaning roads for 12 cents per hour. How about being on a work detail in the middle of a city and being recognized by friends or neighbors?

“Hey, wanna go for a beer after you get off your shift?”

“Yeah. Meet me at ESPN Zone in like 5.”

“5 hours? That’ll be a little late for me tonight. I got work in the morning and shit.”

“Naw, nigga. I meant 5 years.”

Shit like that will make you miss that stressful occupation of recording slizzard freestyles and rapping on stage for thousands of horny teenage girls.

Decent Food – I had the pleasure of being half-Southeast American Negro [GASP! Did he say "south"?] and half-Jamaican. Fortunately, this meant meals were slammin’ on both sides, even when we didn’t have much to work with. I hear grub in the slammer is pretty fuckin terrible. Though, I’ve always been amazed and saddened by the niggas on Lockup Raw who talk about prison food like it’s the one improvement upon life on the outside. That must suck. I know it’d be damn near impossible to jerk chicken or make cornbread in one of them super-restrictive maximum security New York prison cells. My uncle didn’t even want to talk about food on the rare occasions we could afford to accept his collect calls. He damn sure appreciated them plates when we visited, though. They were cold from the 4-hour bus rides and Canadian air, but he always felt the love… and the Lawry’s.

Companionship – I’m not even talking about romantic relationships. Though you can get those in the joint if you wanted. Lil’ Wayne strikes me as the kind of nigga who gets blented and needs to have one of those weed ramble conversations. He will be surrounded by plenty of people who respond to the soo woo in a New York prison. I don’t know too much about gang life, but I hear it’s like having another family. Maybe he won’t be at a loss for homies, conversation and activity partners. However, if no one recognizes his soulja rag, I can imagine this career performing artist from pre-adolescence will be quite the recluse. That shit gets to you over time. Ask Beanie Sigel. He missed his big homie, didn’t he?

Pussy – The self-proclaimed “Pussy Monster” will definitely miss all that raw dog consensual vaginal intercourse and cunnilingus he’s been having. There may be other sexual alternatives in the box, as explored by my nigga Ike with the Iverson jersey. But unless he comes up on Mrs. Officer, Weeziana won’t be playing the Andy Griffith theme song any time soon.

With that said, a pussy break might be the best thing to ever happen to a nigga like Wayne. The man has reproduced like mold spores this year. Everywhere he touches down there’s a new goblin on the way. We can all appreciate a break from new Carters for a minute, right?

Questions? Comments? Requests? What would/did you miss about home? ron@ronmexicocity.com

This piece is dedicated to former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik, who pleaded guilty to corruption charges this morning. Night, night. Keep that asshole tight and them blues loose. Adebisi is watching.

Too bad the grimy nigga didn’t have any crack on him. He wouldn’t have been able to plead down to 2 years from 61.

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Earlier today (November 5) Fabolous took to his Twitter account to say that a freestyle by none other than Trey Songz has inspired him to finish his upcoming mixtape with DJ Drama. XXLMag.com recently caught up with Mr. Thanksgiving to get details on the tape, a sequel to their first offering, 2008’s There is No Competition.

“I think There is No Competition, Pt. 1 was almost like a cult classic Gangsta Grillz,” Drama said. “I think at the time it came out it was when the mixtape game wasn’t at a high point… but I think it was a fan favorite. If you search on Twitter, people ride to it still to this day. “

According to Drama, the new tape is sure to blow the first one “out of the water.” While he couldn’t reveal any more details just yet, the Atlanta-based DJ expects to put out the disc before the end of the year.

The Grand Hustle rep has a lot of respect for Fab, who, like him, first came on the scene on underground mixtapes. “Fab is a beast in the mixtape game,” Drama said. “He’s one of the [inspiring forces] in a lot of ways. He worked with DJ Clue, came up though the mixtapes, got a deal, put out platinum albums and is still relevant.”

In addition to Loso’s project, Drama revealed that he’s working on “something special” with Common. —Jesse Gissen

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50 Cent will kick off a brief five-city tour today (November 5) at New York’s Macy’s Herald Square to celebrate the launch of his first cologne, Power, reports Thisis50.com.

Fif is also scheduled to appear at Macy’s stores in Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco over the next week to promote the cologne, which will be sold exclusively through Macy’s this fall. The tour will end next Wednesday in Los Angeles.

A few days ago, 50 Cent took his directorial debut, Before I Self Destruct, on the road to 10 major cities across the U.S. The release date for his album of the same title has been pushed up to November 16, with the digital version available on November 9. —Brooklyne Gipson

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Yung Joc is officially free of his contractual obligations with former label Block Entertainment. The Atlanta rapper confirmed the news with ballerstatus.com. “I just got my release and one of the terms of the release was a defamation clause, so honestly, I can’t really talk about it too much,” he said. “I’ve been released, severed the business ties. May God bless them and their regime, but I’m doing my own thing now.“

As for his future plans: “I’m actually in negotiations right now with a few labels,” he shared. “I just choose not to call out the different entities. Things are looking very good, God is very good. When I was going through this whole thing with the Bad Boy/Block situation, I didn’t know what the other side was going to be. I didn’t know if there was going to be light on the other end. I was hopeful, but it’s actually working out for the best. I ain’t mad, nobody’s mad right now, everything is good.”

Joc first revealed his issues with Block and Bad Boy last May to gyantunplugged.com over unpaid advances and royalty payments. He has released two albums for the label, 2006’s New Joc City and 2007’s Hustlenomics. —Max G

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