table of contents

Features 48 KINDA LIKE A BIG DEALIt’s that time of the year again, when all the arguments, debates and lobbying end and the 10 best emerging talents in hip-hop are crowned. Their hustle, Web impact, touring efforts and, of course, music set them apart from their peers and proved these rookies are ready for prime time. As a ... Read More ...

Features 44 FOREVERIt's been 15 years since the greatest rapper of all time, THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G., was taken from hip-hop, but his legacy continues to loom large. 48 BITE MEBig was a master with words who influenced a plethora of artists to recycle his lyrics ... Read More ...

Features 48 TRILLASTYLES P has been able to do what many rappers in hip-hop haven't: age gracefully. With a new solo album, business interests and a Lox reunion on the horizon, the Yonkers native is moving forward at his speed and on his terms, and no one is gonna stop him ... Read More ...

Features 46 ALL FOR ONE Ricky Rozay made like Pat Riley and went o a free-agent spending spree, signing MEEK MILL, WALE and PILL. Can these former XXL Freshmen burn bright alongside the Bawse? Or will the heat be too hot for MMG’s marquee additions? 62 ... Read More ...

Features 40 STILL Even with 15 years gone, Tupac Shakur is still relevant in hip-hop and always will be. 46 LOVE IS NOT ENOUGHAs Tupac's first and only wife, KEISHA MORRIS had a special relationship with the wild MC that no one else can claim ... Read More ...

Features 40 TIME IS MONEY He might be kind of short, but LIL WAYNE is the biggest MC in rap and has been going on for four years strong. With serious business ventures on the brain, the YMCMB boss is gearing up for the release of his much-anticipated Tha Carter IV ... Read More ...

Features 44 IN IT FOR KEEPS The man behind Cash Money, Lil Wayne and, subsequently, Young Money has spent the last 22 years pushing himself to the top, with huge success. With the industry drying up, could BABY possibly be the last hip-hop mogul standing ... Read More ...

Features 44 MY YEARLast April, Wiz Khalifa posed for the cover of our 10 Freshmen for '10 issue, ready to take on the rap world. A year later, and the Taylor Gang general has just released his official debut album. XXL runs down the highlights ... Read More ...

FEATURES 44 Born to be Bad A two-year prison sentence could spell doom for an average rapper’s career. It’s a good thing, then, that Lil Boosie is one of a kind. 76 That’s My Attitude After family tragedy and three years away from the music industry, New Orleans elder statesman Juvenile is back and full of optimism. 78 Can’t Stop Me ... Read More ...

FEATURES 36 U-N-I-T-Y Over their nearly 20-year career, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony have gone through a gauntlet of legal troubles and inner turmoil, which makes their new reunion album all the more special. It’s history in the making. 40 New Money In a decade full of one-hit wonders and a flourishing independent market, hip-hop culture has met a dizzying amount of new talent since 2000. The ... Read

FEATURES 58 Strength in Numbers U-N-I-T-Y in rap ain’t dead. Just ask these duos/groups: Pac Div, Paper Route Gangstaz, Embassy Music Board, Mullage and Hollyweerd. 62 Sing for the Moment R&B’s next generation—Kevin Cossom, Ester Dean, Mike Posner, Shanell and Jarvis—comes well-equipped with dynamite soul. 64 Sound the Alarm Hip-h ... Read More ...

FEATURES 44 Return of the Real A lot can happen in a decade—just ask Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek. Ten years after cleansing ears with their insightful debut, Train of Thought, the duo, collectively known as Reflection Eternal, recount their long road to its follow-up, Revolutions Per Minute. 70... Read More ... Read More ...