DJ Khaled is currently shooting the video for his recent Suffering From Success single, “No New Friends,” in Miami. It features Drake, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross and is on its way to becoming the next summer anthem. Miss Info found a new photo from the set where the new Big Tymers have gathered. That’s right—Wayne is back to his old school Cash Money attire.

Regardless of Cash Money’s plan to release music under the name, Mannie Fresh has voiced his opinion on MTV RapFix. But, we bet he’s still feeling Nacho Bell Grande. Stay tuned.

Previously:

• Drake Resurrects Dada While On The Video Set of DJ Khaled’s “No New Friends”
• Who Needs New Friends: DJ Khaled’s Favorite Collaborators
• Busta Rhymes Shares Details On DJ Khaled’s ‘Suffering From Success’: “It’s Sounding Amazing”

The post Photo: Birdman, Lil Wayne And Drake Pose As The New Big Tymers appeared first on XXL.

It’s safe to say that most rappers live a lifestyle that far exceeds the average person’s bank account. But that’s part of the joy of being a fan of the music: living vicariously through the Instagram pics of our favorite artists.

Now, in a new weekly segment, XXL brings you 13 of the best pictures from the past week that capture rappers living life to the fullest.

The post 13 Photos Of Rappers Living The Lavish Life appeared first on XXL.

Billboard has enlisted an all-star hip-hop line-up to perform at their annual award show this year.

According to HipHopDX, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj are slated to rock the stage at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards and perform their collaboration “High School” off Nicki’s Pink Friday: Roman Reload – The Re-Up. Also slated to grace the stage are Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, who will perform their hit-single “Thrift Shop.”

Other artists slated to perform include Miguel, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown and Jennifer Lopez. The award show air in full on May 19.

[via HipHopDX]

The post Lil Wayne & Nicki Minaj To Perform At 2013 Billboard Music Awards appeared first on XXL.

Earlier this month, Lil Wayne and Birdman announced a new Big Tymers would be in the works with Drake. Yes, you read that right. Longtime fans of Big Tymers can expect that Mannie Fresh will not be involved.

Today, MTV RapFix had special guest Mannie Fresh via Skype. When asked about his thoughts on the new Big Tymers, he says it wouldn’t be the same without him.

“It’s kinda like doing a Jackson 5 album with Boyz II Men. Two different eras, great artists, but Boyz II Men is not the Jackson 5,” Fresh said.

Fresh doesn’t necessarily have a problem with Birdman or any of the artists signed to YMCMB. He just wanted to make it known that credit should be given to him for his legacy.

“I don’t bash Cash Money, Birdman, or none of them. It’s really on, I’m just striving on just getting what I deserve, you know, what I put in,” he said. “Honestly I think Drake is a great artist, I think Wayne is a great artist, but they not the Big Tymers.”

Pretty much the gist of Mannie’s statement is he’s happy with his career now. However, he feels that Cash Money moving on with a Big Tymers reunion needs to have him involved.

[via MTV News]

The post Mannie Fresh Says Lil Wayne And Drake Are Great, But “Not Big Tymers” appeared first on XXL.

This week found two new hip-hop albums debuting in the top 50 spots of the Billboard 200 chart. The original soundtrack to the film The Great Gatsby – which was executive produced and features Jay-Z – took the number two spot on the chart with over 135,000 copies sold, while Talib Kweli’s latest effort Prisoner of Conscious topped at the 47th position. At the same time, Bilboard mainstays like Kendrick Lamar and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis continued their respective reigns over the charts, with the later group’s album The Heist missing the top 10 by one spot.

1. Lady Antebellum – Golden - 169,300
2. Various Artists – The Great Gatsby OST – 135,500
3. Various Artists – Now That’s What I Call Music Vol. 46 - 88,300
4. Michael Buble – To Be Loved - 87,400
5. Pistol Annies – Annie Up – 82,800
6. Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Eexperience – 66,000
7. Rod Stewart – Time - 51,000
8. Kenny Chesney – Life On a Rock - 47,700
9. Blake Shelton – Based On a True Story - 37,600
10. Bruno Mars – Unorthodox Jukebox – 35,200
11. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist – 30,800
12. P!nk – Truth About Love - 30,100
13. Imagine Dragons – Night Visions - 28,400
14. Various Artists – Music of Nashville, Season 1 Vol. 2 – 27,700
15. Florida Georgia Line – Here’s to the Good Time - 22,800
16. She & Him – Volume 3 – 22,150
17. Natalie Maines – Mother – 22,100
18. The Band Perry – Pioneer – 21,700
19. Fantasia – Side Effects of You - 21,100
20. Alan Jackson – Precious Memories, Vol. II  – 20,100
21. Lil Wayne – I Am Not a Human Being II – 18,600
22. Fall Out Boy – Save Rock and Roll - 18,300
23. Lumineers – Lumineers - 15,400
24. Rihanna – Unapologetic – 15,000
25. Fitz and the Tantrums – More Than Just a Dream - 14,900
26. Fun. – Some Nights – 14,700
27. Straight No Chaser – Under the Influence – 14,400
28. Mumford and Sons – Babel – 14,380
29. Adele – 21 – 14,000
30. Various Artists – Now Country Party – 13,400
31. Luke Bryan – Spring Break…Here to Party – 13,000
32. Tim McGraw – Two Lanes of Freedom - 12,600
33. Of Monsters and Men – My Head is an Animal – 12,100
34. Patty Griffin – American Kid – 12,000
35. Taylor Swift – Red – 11,800
36. Brad Paisley – Wheelhouse - 11,700
37. Little Big Town – Tornado - 11,200
38. Maroon 5 – Overexposed – 10,800
39. Luke Bryan – Tailgates and Tanlines – 10,250
40. Knife Party – Haunted House EP – 10,200
41. Eric Church – Caught in the Act – 10,150
42. Jason Aldean – Night Train - 10,100
43. Erich Church – Chief – 9,900
44. Kid Cudi – Indicud - 9,850
45. Phillip Phillips – World From the Side of the Moon - 9,800
46. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city – 9,500
47. Talib Kweli – Prisoner of Conscious – 9,400
48. Various Artists – Pitch Perfect OST – 9,300
49. Kelly Clarkson – Greatest Hits – Chapter 1 – 9,000
50. Carrie Underwood – Blown Away – 8,800

[via HITS Daily Double]

The post Jay-Z’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ Soundtrack Snags No. 2 On Billboard appeared first on XXL.

Mike WiLL  Made It has announced that he has a new solo project in the works.

Pitchfork reveals that the hit producer behind Juicy J’s “Bandz a Make Her Dance” and Lil Wayne’s “Love Me” will release a new instrumental EP #FuckVerses. Although a date has yet to be revealed, the project is slated for a summer release via Mike’s EarDrummers Entertainment.

Check out the cover art for the project above.

The post Mike WiLL Made It Announces ‘#F*ckVerses’ EP For Summer Release appeared first on XXL.

A few days ago, Pusha T started a new vlog series with Mass Appeal called “Tour Life,” in which he teases his upcoming album and gives fans a sneak peak at his ongoing tour with Fabolous. Meanwhile, Wiz Khalifa released the third part of the season finale for his popular “DayToday” series.

Vlogs, which are a more direct way for artists to interact with their fans, have become an extremely popular way for rappers to give viewers unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to their daily lives. Everyone from Diddy to Asher Roth have made vlogs over the past few years, some of which detail their music-making process, while just show said rappers dancing in front of a laptop.

Here we’ve compiled 20 awesome (for different reasons) vlogs, so click through to check them out. And check back with us in a few weeks as we continue this series of Awesome Rapper Vlogs.

The post Behind The Scenes: 20 Awesome Rapper Vlogs appeared first on XXL.

Future says that Lil Wayne’s controversial Emmett Till lyric has ultimately had a positive effect on the community.

In a recent interview with Power 106, the Freebandz singer discussed the remix of his song “Karate Chop,” in which Lil Wayne raps that he, “beats the pu**y up like Emmett Till.” Although Future says the situation surrounding the lyric was unfortunate, he believes Weezy’s notorious rhyme has ultimately raised awareness about Till’s murder.

“We did the song with great intentions – I know he did the verse for the art – but speaking on the situation, I can’t speak on it,” he said. “I never thought it was going to get so much attention, but I think overall, the whole situation, he did bring light in a positive way to what happened. Even though [Emmett Till's family] probably thought it was negative, he brought positive energy to the situation because a lot of people don’t even know [who Emmett Till was] – my dad didn’t even know who Emmett was, he thought I was talking about Emmett Smith. I’m talking a lot of that are people around me, credible people, that should be like, ‘Man, you don’t even know who Emmett Till is?’ He raised awareness to people who didn’t even know Emmett Till.”

Earlier this month, it was announced that Mountain Dew dropped Lil Wayne as a sponsor in response to the controversy surrounding the lyric.

Check out the full audio below.

Previously: PepsiCo Is Meeting Emmett Till’s Family To Address Lil Wayne’s Controversial Lyric

The post Future Believes Lil Wayne “Raised Awareness” Of Emmett Till With Controversial Lyric appeared first on XXL.

At one point in time, hip-hop music wasn’t the major musical force that it is today; it was a fad relegated to the South Bronx, where DJs cut between drum breaks for a young crop of dancers to spin on their head to in the park. Flash forward 40 years, and hip-hop has become one of the most recognized forms of popular music. With that expansion, the genre’s gained millions of new fans from all walks of life.

Now, XXL has decided to investigate some of hip-hop’s most surprising devotees. From A-list actors to all-star athletes, it’s a testament to how big hip-hop has become.

The post Bigger Than Hip-Hop: 22 Unexpected Celebrity Hip-Hop Heads appeared first on XXL.

The NBA playoffs are in full-swing, and with only four series left, it’s coming down to the final moment to determine which team’s the league champion. But the NBA playoffs aren’t only good watching high intensity basketball; they’re also prime events at which to see your favorite rapper (if you’re into that kinda thing).

Now, XXL has put together a gallery of 28 photographs of rappers hanging out courtside at basketball games.

The post Kings Of Courtside: 28 Pictures Of Rappers At NBA Games appeared first on XXL.

On 2005′s “Old School Rules” by Danger Doom, Talib Kweli raps that, “I might be buggin but it seem to me/That cartoons be realer than reality TV.” While we could easily enumerate a number of reasons why Kweli’s lyric is a bold hyperbole to make – namely because they’re cartoons – it definitely speaks to hip-hop’s longstanding history with the animated arts. Whether it’s Kid ‘n Play’s short-lived animated series or the Gorillaz actually being animated, hip-hop has been all over the map when it comes to cartoons.  Now, XXL has put together a list of 23 hilarious hip-hop moments in televised cartoon history.

The post From Freaknik To Fishsticks: 23 Hilarious Hip-Hop Moments In Cartoons appeared first on XXL.

Young Money’s roster continues to expand after adding names such as Red One and Polow Da Don.

In a video announcement earlier this week, Lil Wayne and Mack Maine revealed the latest addition to the roster. W3 The Future, who are an international pop group consisting of three friends 3siXT, DG, and Edge One, are the first urban pop trio to be signed to Young Money.

Since the group’s signing, they are busy working on their debut album. They are also scheduled to tour with Lil Wayne, T.I. and 2 Chainz on the “America’s Most Wanted” tour this July.

The post Lil Wayne Signs W3 The Future To Young Money appeared first on XXL.

T.I. appeared on Hoodrich Radio with his Hustle Gang crew to promote his recently released mixtape, G.D.O.D.

DJ Scream was introduced to Doe B, Big Kuntry King and a few newer members in the crew. Tip listed out some of the features on the tape, and then shared how the tape was formed.

“It was a spontaneous idea that we all just collectively came together and just said one day, ‘Hey man.’ We were just in the studio just playing records. ‘Man, we got a bunch of shit. Let’s put this shit out, man.’ And everybody look at me like, ‘Damn, why isn’t this shit out?’,” he recalls. “‘You sure right man.’ The next day, we said we gonna do a motherfucking project and there it is. Two weeks later. It’s done.”

Tip also spoke on his upcoming tour with Lil Wayne and French Montana called “America’s Most Wanted.” Initially, Future was supposed to be on the road, but Tip says 2 Chainz replaced him.

“No, it ain’t Future. Me and Tune for damn sure,” he said. “It was Future and something happened. Future pulled. He disassociated himself from the tour for whatever reason. It’s still love.”

The post T.I. Reveals Future Will Be Replaced By 2 Chainz For “America’s Most Wanted” Tour appeared first on XXL.

Birdman and Lil Wayne invited MTV RapFix to South Beach, MI for a special episode featuring Rich Gang with Sway. The two had a lot to discuss with the host, giving fans an update on the label’s state of affairs. Quite possibly the biggest announcement was earlier this week when Wayne teased fans about a possible return of Big Tymers. This and more was addressed earlier this afternoon.

The first order of business was finding out if Mannie Fresh, who was one of the founding members of Big Tymers since its end in 2005, would be involved in the new incarnation. “No. Nah. Not at all,” Birdman confirmed. Wayne would chime in later to say nothing has been recorded for the project.

In other topics, Birdman clarified whether Game would be signing to Cash Money in the near future. The Compton rapper has been collaborating with YMCMB on a number of big songs such as “Celebration” and “All That (Lady),” which were off his latest album, Jesus Piece. According to Stunna, Game is just an affiliate of the label.

To round it up, Sway asked about the pending projects from YMCMB. The albums down the pipeline are Like Father, Like Son 2, Birdman’s Bigga Than Life, and last year’s announcement called Devol. According to Weezy, it was a series of love songs told through the perspective of him. “I’m putting that album out, ya dig,” he said.

Watch the rest of the crew freestyle and more here.

The post Birdman And Lil Wayne On Big Tymers Reunion, Game Possibly Signing to Cash Money, And Future Projects appeared first on XXL.

Just days after PepsiCo announced they were dropping Lil Wayne; the company will meet with Emmett Till’s family to learn more about these experiences. This information comes from Al Sharpton in a statement released via National Action Network.

“I have been in conversations over the last several days with leadership at PepsiCo and the family of Emmett Till,” Sharpton said. “This has been a ‘teaching moment’ for Lil Wayne, corporate America and the family of Emmett Till yet more than a condemnation of any one artist, it is an affirmation of Emmett Till and a call for more sensitivity about what we say and do in our culture. National Action Network does not want it to end with artists losing contracts but rather with a sensitizing of corporate America so we can learn from these experiences and set a tone that will help everybody.”

This is set to happen on May 8. The Till family voiced their opinion on Wayne’s lyric on Future’s “Karate Chop (Remix).” Since then, Epic Records has re-released an edited version of the song, Wayne has apologized to the family, and he was dropped from his Mountain Dew campaign.

[via HipHopDX]

The post PepsiCo Is Meeting Emmett Till’s Family To Address Lil Wayne’s Controversial Lyric appeared first on XXL.

This sales week proved rather tumultuous for the hip-hop genre, as most artists saw a dip in their sales. While mainstays like Justin Timberlake and Kendrick Lamar have continued to hover around their respective spot, others like Tyga and will.i.am took s serious Ls, with the later artist dropping 40 spots since last week. However, this sales week wasn’t without some successes. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis reclaimed a top ten position, while newcomer Rittz snagged a top 50 debut.

1. Kenny Chesney – Life on a Rock - 153,000
2. Michael Buble – To Be Love – 92,000
3. Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience – 69,000
4. Fantasia – Side Effects of You –36,000
5. Blake Shelton – Based on a True Story –34,500
6. Randy Rogers Band - Trouble – 34,000
7. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – The Heist – 32,000
8. P!nk – Truth About Love – 26,000
9. Fall Out Boy – Save Rock and Roll – 24,000
10. Bruno Mars – Unorthodox Jukebox - 23,000
11. Imagine Dragons – Night Visions – 22,000
12. The Band Perry – Pioneer –22,00
13. Lil Wayne – I Am Not A Human Being II – 21,000
14. Florida Georgia Line – Here’s to the Good Times – 20,000
15. HIM – Tears On Tape – 16,000
16. Iron Man: Heroes Fall OST – N/A – 16,000
17. Mumford and Sons – Babel –15,700
18. Phoenix – Bankrupt! – 15,000
19. Rihanna - Unapologetic - 14,000
20. Jessica Sanchez – 14,000
21. Kid Cudi – Indicud – 14,ooo
22. Lumineers - Lumineers – 14,000
23. LL Cool J - Authentic – 13,800
24. Rittz - The Life and Times of Jonny Valiant - 13,750
25. Rob Zombie – Venomous Rat Regeneration Vender –13,500
26. The Airborne Toxic Event - Such Hot Blood – 13,500
27. Fun. – Some Nights –13,000
28. Luke Bryan – Spring Break…Here to Party – 13,000
29. Taylor Swift – Red – 12,600
30. Brad Paisley – Wheelhouse – 12, 600
31. Adele – 21 - 12,000
32. Fleetwood Mac - Extended Play EP – 11,500
33. Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal – 11,500
34. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city – 11,250
35. Eric Church – Caught in the Act – 10,800
36. Alan Jackson – Precious Memories, Vol. II – 10,500
37. Now That’s What I Call Music 45 – v/a – 10,300
38. Maroon 5 – Overexposed – 10,000
39. Paramore – Paramore – 10,000
40. Eric Church – Chief – 10,000
41. Jason Aldean – Night Train – 9,900
42. Tim McGraw – Two Lanes of Freedom – 9,000
43. Little Big Town – Tornado – 9,000
44. Pitch Perfect – Sountrack – 8,900
45. Luke Bryan – Tailgates and Tanlines – 8,750
46. Tyga – Hotel California – 8,700
47. Carrie Underwood – Blown Away – 8,300
48. will.i.am – #Power – 8,300
49. Phillip Phillips – World From the Other Side of the Moon – 8,200
50. Kelly Clarkson – Greatest Hits – Chapter 1 – 7,900

Check out last week’s sales recap.

[via HITSDailyDouble]

The post Rittz Makes Top 50 Debut, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Reclaim Top Ten On Sales Chart appeared first on XXL.

Ever since Gunplay has been off house arrest, he’s been keeping busy. After giving his fans the Cops N Robbers mixtape, he’s ready to put the finishing touches on his Def Jam debut.

Recently, the MMG rapper sat down with HipHop Since 1987 to speak on an array of topics. There’s a certain mystique about him—whether his bounds of energy or his way of articulating answers after fielding questions. He is an enigmatic character who has the backing of his friends and fans to help push him into the mainstream.

Here, we gathered some key quotes from this interview, where he delves into the story behind his new album title, his view of the rap game, and how he linked up with Lil Wayne for “Beat The Shit.”

He’s a living legend, for real.
“I’m working on the bounce back. Ready to put out the album. I changed the name from Medellin to Livin’ Legend. Livin’ Legend for real, for real, for real, for real. That’s what I am. That’s how I feel.”

He keeps it 100 and gets money.
“I don’t even know if I am going to be alive in the whole 2013. So I can’t say. I’m just sticking to what I know good and stay prayed up my nigga. I am working hard. The powers that be are weird. They pick whomever the fuck they want to be hot that year. I ain’t into kissing ass and sucking dick and shit. I just do what the fuck I do and I get a lot of money doing that.”

The rap game isn’t tough enough, according to Gunplay.
“The biggest shit I hate in the game is these pussy niggas be getting they power. And, they put other pussy niggas in power. It’s just a big pussy train. That shit irritates me. Shit what I like about the game though is the streets is they aren’t stupid. The streets are not dumb. They [don't] buy into the bullshit.”

Lil Wayne knew him after all.
“Mack Maine reached out. Sent me the record and I sent it back. Done deal. I was surprised. I didn’t even know [he knew] I was fucking alive. I didn’t even know he knew my fucking name. I ain’t gonna lie. I can count on three fingers how many times I gave him daps. And family didn’t know who I was and that was real humbling.”

The post Gunplay On New Album Title ‘Living Legend,’ Dislikes/Likes in the Rap Game, & Working With Lil Wayne appeared first on XXL.

It looks the Big Tymers may soon make a reunion appearance, but with a twist.

At the recent launch event for Lil Wayne’s signature line of Supra Chimera sneakers, the New Orleans titan revealed that the Big Tymers – one of Cash Money’s earliest groups that featured Birdman and Mannie Fresh – may release a reunion project. Although Wayne did not confirm whether Fresh would make an appearance on the project, he did reveal that YMCMB’s Drake may be brought into the fold with the project.

“[There is] a possibility of a Big Tymers album—adding Drake,” Weezy indicated. “But that kid is busy; there’s all kinds of possibilities.”

A reunion project from the Big Tymers would mark the duo’s first album in a decade. However, Fresh parted ways with Cash Money in 2005 over a financial dispute.

Check out the full interview at the top.

[via MTV]

The post Lil Wayne Reveals Big Tymers Reunion – With Drake? appeared first on XXL.

Lil Wayne is a huge sports fan. And though his Lakers were swept in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the rapper is still interested on how the rest of the hoops season plays out. Weezy recently chopped it up with MTV News and gave his prediction on which team will raise the trophy at the end of the year.

“[The Lakers] are very much out of it,” said Wayne obviously a little upset over his team’s early exit. And despite his beefs with members of the Miami Heat, Wayne didn’t let that cloud his opinion saying he thinks the South Beach boys can repeat. “Come on man. You know you can’t beat that machine out here in Miami,” he said. “I think the Spurs will give them a run for their money but…that machine.”

Check out the entire clip, below.

The post Lil Wayne Gives 2013 NBA Finals Prediction appeared first on XXL.

Last night, Floyd Mayweather Jr. put in light work dismantling Robert Guerrero in a lop-sided decision. But before the hands started being thrown, Mayweather made his way to the ring with Lil Wayne right beside him performing, “No Worries.” Yeah, that song pretty much summed up the whole fight for Money Mayweather.

The post Lil Wayne Walks Mayweather Jr. Out Performing “No Worries” vs. Guerrero appeared first on XXL.