The real reason Oprah loves Jay-Z

Aug 13th, '09  •  Bloggers  •  by XXL Staff  •  36 Comments

It didn't make sense why Oprah would be hanging with Jay-Z in the Marcy Projects to work on a story for O: The Oprah Magazine, or whatever it was they were doing the other day, until I saw a video ...

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Jim Jones Slams Competition at B-Ball Tournament [With Exclusive Video]

Aug 13th, '09  •  XXL Magazine  •  by XXL Staff  •  27 Comments

Celebrities and invited fans alike gathered in downtown Manhattan on Wednesday for the first annual Converse Band Of Ballers Tournament, hosted by Hot 97’s own Miss Info, Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg. Dipset Capo Jim Jones, suburban sensation Asher ...

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Jim Jones’s Acceptance Speech At B-Ball Tournament [Video]

Aug 13th, '09  •  News  •  by XXL Staff  •  3 Comments

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Timbaland Preps Video Game for Aspiring Producers

Aug 13th, '09  •  XXL Magazine  •  by XXL Staff  •  14 Comments

While it may seem as if super producer Timbaland has been missing on the hip-hop front as of late, the Virginia-native is making a comeback…digitally, that is. The hitmaker, known for crafting chart-songs for Jay-Z, Missy Elliott and Ludacris, has partnered ...

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BLOG: Now & Then

Aug 13th, '09  •  Bloggers  •  by XXL Staff  •  68 Comments

It’s so amusing to me when I read some of the comments here and on other platforms where the fan is given the respectable right to participate and then abuse it. I read a comment, “Isn’t Lyte like 45? She should ...

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SlaughterHouse Album Release Party: No Panties Allowed…

Aug 13th, '09  •  Bloggers  •  by XXL Staff  •  33 Comments

You know when your shit takes off for outerspace? When Hot97 gets behind your project. In the city where Hip-Hop is given the parentage credit on its birth certificate there is ONE station that is synonymous with the music of ...

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BLOG: Classic Album = Perfect Album?

Aug 13th, '09  •  Bloggers  •  by XXL Staff  •  173 Comments

The term “classic” is possibly the most overused rating in hip-hop, yet its definition is still wide open for interpretation. I was chatting with M.B. and Rob the Music Ed earlier this week about Nas’s Stillmatic, and while the three ...

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FEATURE: Dame Dash, The CEO[Definitive Dozen]

Aug 13th, '09  •  News  •  by XXL Staff  •  27 Comments

[Editor's note: For our 12th-anniversary celebration, XXL speaks with 12 artists who’ve come up, and blown up, with the magazine. 50 Cent, Baby, Shyne, Dame Dash, Crooked I and more reflect on how we’ve affected their careers—and how they’ve affected ...

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Fashawn: Boy Meets World

Aug 13th, '09  •  Reviews  •  by XXL Staff  •  40 Comments

FASHAWN Boy Meets World (One Records) At a time when the game is dominated by 30-something rappers, we sometimes forget that hip-hop is the music of the youth. Twenty-year-old Fashawn’s debut album, the Exile-produced Boy Meets World, represents that vital element, telling the story ...

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