This book is ideal for beginners learning to rap, more experienced emcee wanting to learn how to rap better or rap music lovers who want to discover about the hip hop industry and rap artists.

The definitive guide to rapping, in the words of over 100 of the greatest MCs of all time. Also includes the first ever notational system for rap’s “flow”.

Never-before-seen advice and guidance from over 100 of Hip-Hop’s most acclaimed and successful MCs, including Big Daddy Kane, Nelly, Mobb Deep, Clipse, Black Eyed Peas, Twista, David Banner, Public Enemy and many more artists.

And insights from the interviewed artists into the work of Eminem, Jay-Z, Outkast, and many more

Title: How to Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC
By: Paul Edwards
Foreward by: Kool G Rap

• Book Website
• Book Reviews
• Order the book
• Featured Rap Artists

1. Does Hip Hop Promote Racial Stereotypes?
2. Learn to Rap with The Complete MC
3. I Gotta Feeling: The Black Eyed Peas Will Break All Billboard Records This Year
4. The Grime and Glory of the Hip-Hop Generation
5. Rap Beats And Hip Hop – How To Set Yourself Apart From The Rest Of The Aspiring Rappers And Singers

Here’s a breakdown of the $150 million from the New York Times:

• US$25 million: Upfront payment
• US$25 million: General advance including fees for tours
• US$30 million: Advance payment of US$10million per album for a minimum of 3 albums
• US$20 million: Other payments including publishing, licensing and other rights.
• US$25 million: Overheads for new venture (Roc Nation) of US$5million per year for 5 years
• US$25 million: Available to finance Jay-Z’s acquisitions and investments

Some interesting points to note:

It seems that as part of the deal, Live Nation agreed to finance a new joint venture RocNation that would fund businesses, acquisitions and investments directed by Jay-Z of up to US$50 million.

There’s a US$25 million upfront payment and an Advance payment of US$10million per album for a minimum of 3 albums which probably contributed to Jay-Z’s estimated earnings of US$82 million in 2007-2008.

Profits from RocNation will be split with Live Nation and presumably, Jay-Z will also have a share in the profits from the ventures.

Related articles:

• Jay-Z’s $204 million Rocawear Deal – Sell out or Businessman?
• Jay-Z Sells Fashion Label for $204 million and continues as Chief Creative Officer

1. Jay-Z’s $204 million Rocawear Deal – Sell out or Businessman?
2. Rapper Eugene Tsverov close to a deal with Sony
3. Jay-Z Sells Fashion Label for $204 million and continues as Chief Creative Officer
4. Jay-Z is the Most Powerful Man in Hip Hop
5. BET Awards a Go on June 28th, To Be Hosted by Jamie Foxx, Jay-Z To Perform Live

Apparently, the rapper T (hyphen) Pain launched into an attack on Jay (hyphen) Z at a night club in Vegas during a deejay set.

As per tweets made by rapper Fabolous, the forever auto-tuned rapper, T-Pain was at the club Rehab in Vegas when he said, “fuck Jay-Z” and had a few more choice words for the Hard Knock Life rapper, which included the indication that Jay-Z was “old”.

Who in here wants to believe that this is just a result of the D.O.A – Death of Auto Tune – by Jay-Z? T-Pain has been known to make a throw in *cough* a *cough* few auto-tuned tracks in his albums. If refusing to use a shitty piece of software for fine tuning your voice makes you old, then I’m glad the is old and not resorting to such shit musical tactics.

Oh, and the kicker? The deejay at the club immediately launched into a number of Jay-Z hits as soon as T-Pain got finished with his rants, including, but not limited to D.O.A., Run This Town, etc. etc.

Bummer, eh?

1. Rap is Dead. Long Live the Auto Tune: Jay-Z's "Death of Auto-Tune" Out
2. Taylor Swift and T-Pain Collaborating
3. A closer look at Jay-Z’s US$150 million Live Nation Deal in 2008
4. Jay-Z is the Most Powerful Man in Hip Hop
5. 50 Cent – War Angel

I like the video, the song not too much. It’s weak lyrically and the chorus seems tired and repetitive. The video though, is pretty nice and atmospheric. I’m pretty sure this one will top the charts. It doesn’t really deserve to, however.

Find your celebrity soul mate

1. Jay-Z is the Most Powerful Man in Hip Hop
2. MTV's "Hottest in the Game" Poll Leaves Favorites Jay-Z, Kanye Out
3. Kanye West is Back Recording a New Album
4. I Gotta Feeling: The Black Eyed Peas Will Break All Billboard Records This Year
5. Top 10 New Rap Ringtones from ThumbPlay

Not At the Top of His Game...

The annual MTV’s “Hottest in the Game” poll for the hottest MC on the hip hop scene has thrown up some usual results: Jay-Z, Kanye, Weezy, etc.

This year, however, the above mentioned rappers have received less than 5% of the votes.

The list of nominees this year, therefore, looks somewhat odd – more than 30 MCs make up the list, with the likes of Young Jeezy, Redman, Rick Ross, 50 Cent making up the 30.

The real surprise, however, is at the top of the pack: 50 cent and Joe Budden – a rapper I haven’t heard a lot of – making up the top two. Sure, 50 cent is always going to be at the very top of any list for best MCs of this decade, but Joe Budden (is that a pun on Joe Biden? I’m not sure.. )

As The Source puts it, if the winners turn out to be anything like the nominees and the current leaders of the pack, some feelings will be hurt.

Joe Budden, seriously?

1. 10 Rappers Tattoos including Lil’Wayne, Plies, Busta Rhymes, Nelly, The Game and Rick Ross
2. Jay-Z is the Most Powerful Man in Hip Hop
3. Spike's Top 10 Ugliest Rappers: Flavor Flav is NOT No.1!
4. The 25 Worst Rappers of All-Time
5. Jay-Z Feat. Rihanna & Kanye West – Run This Town

Yup, he made it...

Here’s Spike’s Top 10 Ugliest Rappers list.

Jay-Z at no. 10 is somewhat baffling. He ain’t no Brad Pitt, but the guy certainly doesn’t deserve to be no. 10 on a list no body would ever want to be on. With his tailored suits and all, he actually looks half way decent – I can imagine him getting a 6 at Hot or Not

The real surprise, though, has to be Flavor Flav missing the top spot. How can this man not be worthy of the ugliest rapper crown? The idiot wears one all the time anyway:

Behold the Beauty

On the list: where’s Biggie? Chamillionaire?

1. There is a God (And He Has a Twisted Sense of Humor)
2. The 25 Worst Rappers of All-Time
3. MTV's "Hottest in the Game" Poll Leaves Favorites Jay-Z, Kanye Out
4. 5 Awesome 80's Rappers
5. Top 10 New Rap Ringtones from ThumbPlay

Jamie Foxx will be hosting the awards, which isn’t something I’m looking forward to honestly.

However, there should be a few good performances, notably those by Beyonce, Young Jeezy, Kanye, and…Soulja Boy! (no…!!!)

But there will also be a performance by Jay-Z, which should be worth the entire show by itself.

Along with that will be the usual mumbo jumbo reserved for award shows. Tune in for the performances, or if your favorite guy/gal is up for an award, then tune out and find yourself a better way to spend 3 hours.

More info and some inside scoops can be found at the BET website.

1. Rap is Dead. Long Live the Auto Tune: Jay-Z's "Death of Auto-Tune" Out
2. A closer look at Jay-Z’s US$150 million Live Nation Deal in 2008
3. Jay-Z Insulted by T-Pain in Vegas Club
4. 50 Cent – War Angel
5. MTV's "Hottest in the Game" Poll Leaves Favorites Jay-Z, Kanye Out

Jay-Z.

Yup, leaving behind Diddy, 50, Eminem, Russell Simmons, the Jigga tops the rankings by hip hop magazine The Source.

Nice for Jay-Z. These rankings, of course, mean very little. Eminem might not be on top of that list, but his multi-platinum album is a testimony of his power on the charts. So is 50′s mean $150 million dollar revenue in 2008. And so is Diddy’s star making qualities.

1. A closer look at Jay-Z’s US$150 million Live Nation Deal in 2008
2. MTV's "Hottest in the Game" Poll Leaves Favorites Jay-Z, Kanye Out
3. Oh the Irony! 50 Cent Says that "Money is Killing Creativity" in Hip Hop

Jay-Z’s got Kanye and company in sight with the release of “D.O.A (Death of Auto-Tune) which, as the title suggests is a massive dig at the proliferation of auto-tune in the industry. And its in good time: auto tune was beginning to define rap – as Jigga says, there’s “too much singing” on rap records these days (Kanye, this is for you).

Auto Tune, for obvious reasons, is a bad bad idea for the music industry. I’ve got a decent voice, but with auto-tune, I sound like Pavarotti. So where does that leave talent, skill, and the hard work that’s required to make music?

Good to see you Jigga, pointing your guns at the right targets for once.

1. Jay-Z Insulted by T-Pain in Vegas Club
2. BET Awards a Go on June 28th, To Be Hosted by Jamie Foxx, Jay-Z To Perform Live
3. A closer look at Jay-Z’s US$150 million Live Nation Deal in 2008
4. 50 Cent – War Angel
5. Jay-Z is the Most Powerful Man in Hip Hop