Karmaloop rapped it up with Slick Rick backstage a day before his pardon.

Elsewhere on the Web:
The homey Corey Bloom interviews Slick Rick

Slick Rick brought his string of hip-hop hits and 300 gold chains to Houston’s Warehouse Live last night. A source of electrifying energy and inspiration, the 42-year old Rick treated the crowd of mostly hip-hop hippies^{© Rae} to golden oldies like “Mona Lisa,” “Hey Young World,” and “Children’s Story.”

Willie D (of the Geto Boys) was in the audience, as was Bun B. To his credit, Bun shows up at 4 out of every 5 hip-hop concerts in H-Town. Dude is a true hometown hero.

Check out some exclusive pics from the concert after the jump. (more…)

It must feel good to have to perform your single live on air without worrying about bleeping out cuss words in between breaths.

“Not a Criminal” didn’t connect with his audience, so Chamillionaire did the smart thing. Reset his campaign, recruited certified hit-machine JR Rotem, and unleashed a new lead single. This time, he also hooked up with one of the greatest storytellers of all time, MC Ricky D himself.

Sounds like “Ridin’ Pt. II,” but it’s definitely an upgrade from “Not a Criminal.”

Ultimate Victory in stores September 18. Mixtape Messiah 3 drops July 18.