-“Hip-Hop Is Dead is my best album” - NaS. Yeah, whatever. Don’t they all say that?

-Lil’ Kim to pay tribute to MC Lyte at VH-1 Honors. Now, Kim goes ahead to say that Lyte influenced her. Um, someone help me out here.

-Beyonce’s B’Day sells 541,000 to clinch the No. 1 spot on Billboard.

-Hip-Hop Class? Get that sh*t outta here, says a Cincinatti mom.

-Elsewhere in Ohioa math teacher is using hip-hop to help her students learn.

-Speaking of hip-hop, do we need Flava Flav expands his hu$tle. Do we really need another ear pollutant?

-Bobby Brown replaces my favorite white girl on the cover of the October Vibe.

Regardless of your opinion on how the man, there’s a little 2Pac in everyone of us. Remember him for his spirit, not for his shortcomings. Rest in peace, Tupac Shakur.

• Greatest rapper ever? If you ask me, I’d say he was the most influential. Let’s leave it at that.
• Download: 10 Tupac Albums
• 10 Years Later: HHNLive 2Pac Tribute
• AwesomeTupac video tribute.
• Another well-rounded 2Pac video tribute
• Plenty of 2pac magazine covers.
• BBC 1-Xtra commemorates 2Pac’s death.

-More civillians have died (an estimated 72,000) as a result of 9/11 than Americans have been killed by any terrorist attack.

-F*ck Tall Isrealis. Island Def Jam is on top this time.

-Fat Joe is signed to Atlantic…no, Virgin…no, Koch. Nope. Fat Joe is signed to Fat Joe.

-Jay-Z sold nuclear weapons to Iraq.

-Hip-hop shop owner gets 10 years for raping a minor, family calls Oprah to help them seek justice.

-We could always use a Snoop Dogg headline that doesn’t involve dragging women on leashes for a change. Snoop and Beyonce are headed to Africa to celebrate Nigeria’s independence.

-Is there any such thing as a foiled terrorist attack, especially if someone died in the course of the attack?

-Is anyone surprised that this member of the Black Eyed Peas is a drug addict? (Ah, ok…didn’t think so.)

Lupe Fiasco ft. Sarah Green - Real (mp3)
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool (mp3)
Lupe Fiasco ft. Jay-Z - Pressure (mp3)

I’ve never done this before, but I’ll say this of Lupe’s Food & Liquor: BUY IT!

-Diddy sued for changing his name.

-Janet Jackson gets ‘naked‘…again.

-Def Jam-mania at the 2006 Billboard Hip-Hop & R&B Awards.

-Queen Latifah thanks Oprah for helping her quit smoking.

-Juelz and Lil Wayne to release a collaborative album.

-Ian, the King of Links has an awesome 9/11 tribute for yo eyes.

-Beyonce pulls her biggest publicity stunt yet. Apparently, riding trains is a new way of promoting albums these days. At least we’ve moved from getting shot to riding the train. I can’t keep up.

-On the latest episode of “Who Cares,” Dipset’s Freeky Zeeky speaks from behind bars.

-Download: Brand new Raekwon song.

Papoose | Kay Slay | Lupe

Cam’ron | Ghostface

Flavaaaa Flaaaav | Diddy

Miss Info | Capo

Car Show Models

The Fader Blog recently sat down with Swizz Beatz and he played them a track that supposedly samples a line from Nasir’s “Hate Me Now”–”when you on top there’s envy.” When asked if the track will appear on Hip-Hop Is Dead (Nas’ upcoming Def Jam debut), Swizz replied that it’s actually for Nas and Jay-Z.

Peep game:

“…last night at a party in NYC for toy company Kid Robot (where Swizz is a partner), dude got on the CD-Js to test out new material - namely, a moody banger sampling Nasir’s “when you on top, there’s envy” line. We asked if it was going on the new Nas record, and Swizzy said the track is for Nas AND Jay. Dunt dunt dunnnnn…”

Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself here, but this sounds like that dream collabo you’ve been holding your breath for. Now I really hope they don’t end up forcing things in the studio just because we’ve had our hands out for five years wishing for this to happen. Kinda reminds me of Rakim saying that the ONLY way Nas is getting featured on his album is if the vibe is right and the song is spectacular.

The rest of the Fader interview with Swizz Beatz is definitely worth your 12 minutes, seeing as he talks about other stuff he’s been working on, and how he was able to clear those Biggie Jay-Z samples for Cassidy and T.I.

The CD Contest is back.

This week, one lucky fan will walk away with a copy of Rick Ross’ crack manifesto, Port of Miami. Same rules as before: leave your response in the comment section. US residents only. 1st correct answer wins.

Now take a shot at these two easy questions for a chance to win Port of Miami (crack not included).

Questions:
1) How many times does Rick Ross reference the number “22″ on “Hustlin’”?
2) Port of Miami fell out of Billboard’s Top 10 after ___ weeks.

Bonus Question:*
-Rick Ross could easily play _______ in a movie, and is often regarded as the bootlegg version of ________. His beard has also earned him comparisons to _________, while his weight is reminiscent of _______’s.

*Answer the bonus question correctly and miss one of the two main questions for a chance to snatch the contest.