2Pac Covers XXL
On the 15th anniversary of his death, XXL reaches out to the people that knew him best, including his biological father, Bill Garland. Issue on stands August 16th.
“[Tupac] cared for people,†he said. “That was his main thing. He really cared for people. I think that’s why he would get so upset when people tried to question his commitment, his love for Black women or Black men. The East Coast/West Coast, you know, that’s a fabrication. I don’t have to begin to tell you that. So when that was questioned, it bothered him. Because he would give his heart or soul. He was a giving person. He would give anything to people. He would go in a store. [If there was a] Black man who couldn’t afford a $1,500 pair of boots, he would buy ’em for him. Think that Black man would ever forget Tupac? That’s just the way he is. But I don’t think that he did it for that. He did it because he had it, and he didn’t. That’s the way he is.â€
Watch The Throne Updated Tour Dates

Presale tickets went on sale today at 10 am. Tickets available for the public on the 8th. Dates after the jump.
10/29 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
10/30 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
11/1 – Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
11/2 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Arena
11/3 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
11/5 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center
11/6 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center
11/21 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
11/23 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
11/26 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
12/1 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
12/5 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
12/6 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
12/9 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
12/10 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
12/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
12/18 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
Smoke DZA – Rolling Stoned (Artwork & Tracklisting)
Drops 8/30. Tracklisting after the jump.
1. Wonderful World Of The Kushedgod
2. He Has Risen
3. Loudest Batch f. Den10
4. On The Corner f. Bun B & Big K.R.I.T.
5. Ball Game f. Kendrick Lamar
5. Ball Game f. Kendrick Lamar
6. We Out
7. 4 Loko f. ASAP Rocky
8. Notorious f. Fiend & Big Sant
9. Pow Wow f. Dom Kennedy
10. Quiet
11. Overhigh f. Trademark Da Skydiver & ScHoolboy Q
12. Personal Party f. Curren$y
13. Live Life f. Marz Lovejoy (iTunes Bonus)
The-Dream Releasing Free LP On Aug. 31
Dream’s final Def Jam album scheduled for a 4th quarter release, he took to Twitter to announce his 10-track LP, 1977 will be released digitally for free on August 31 under his government name, Terius Nash.
LP4 is Underway I THE-DREAM have decided to go forward with “Diary Of A Madman†LP it almost didnt happen. So ill be in my Def Jam uniform for at least one More Season!
Also a free 10 song Internet album will be released by Aug 31st. LP 4 because of the contract negotiations does not have a date but it will be released 4th quarter but i will give a 10 song Internet LP while you guys wait!!!! LOVE YOU.
The Internet LP is entitled ‘1977′ and will be released under my real name Terius Nash not The-Dream. Shooting Videos for 1977 all this week. The “TERIUS NASH EST. 1977″ is very personal and to my Fans!
Quote Of The Day: RZA Speaks On His Contribution To Watch The Throne
As said to Rolling Stone:
“I’m really honored to be a part of the project. These two are obviously very capable in their own right, so to include me in this classic project is a testament of how much respect we share for one another. Kanye asked me to send tracks while they were in Australia, I just thought I would send some shit that would be rugged. I know they can find the poppy, hip-hop places, but I wanted to send them some real edgy shit. Apparently they thought they were great – Kanye said, ‘Send some more of that Wu shit!’â€
Soulja Boy Got Taxed With That Lien; Plane Rumor "Debunked"
According to RadarOnline, in March, SB was hit with a $26,805 tax lien in California and a $3,571 in Mississippi. He paid for both in full last week. To make matters worse, his $280,000 home in McDonough, Georgia was foreclosed last year.
As far as that jet?
The news of Soulja Bboy’s tax problems comes just days after representatives for the rapper told TMZ.com that he bought a $55,000,000 jet.
After numerous publications re-ran the reports, a spokesman for Soulja Boy came forward to reveal that the news was fake.
Representatives for the rapper said that he was simply borrowing the jet from a billionaire.
Lil Kim Signed To Universal Music Group?

While no official word or press release has been given, we wait to hear more details about this.
Stevie Wonder Joins Drake’s Take Care
Drake’s 2nd annual OvO Festival went down yesterday in Toronto. Drake tells MuchMusic that Stevie Wonder will appear on his sophomore set, Take Care.
“Stevie Wonder is a very close friend of mine. I’m honored to call him a friend, someone who embraced me very early in this music business. This is an exclusive right here, because it’s MuchMusic, and we’re Canadian: Stevie Wonder is actually on ‘Take Care.’ He helped me out with a lot of the music, just came and sat with me, listened to my music, told me where I could add a couple things to make it more sonically appealing, and not only that but we actually are writing together, which is an incredible experience.
So I hit him, asked him to come by, and with no hesitation he hit me back like “I will be there.†Not only that, but he was supposed to do two songs and he did like six. It was incredible.â€
NY Times, Kids These Days: A Group With a Sound if Not a Genre
Vic Mensa was so determined to get into Lollapalooza last year that he tried jumping a fence near some downtown train tracks, brushed against an electrical transformer powering the trains, fell 25 feet to the ground and wound up in the hospital.
He will be back at Lollapalooza on Friday — but this time as a performer.
Mr. Mensa, 18, belongs to the band Kids These Days, which will play on the first day of the festival. This group of eight Chicago musicians, four from Whitney Young High School, may be new, but the task ahead is as old as rock ’n’ roll: striving for stardom, writing new music, building an audience and negotiating their way into a fragmented and bottom-line music business.
US debt deal: key points ?
Here is a summary of the deal, based on documents provided by both parties:
* The deal would allow President Barack Obama to raise the debt ceiling in three steps. Congress would get a chance to register its disapproval on two of these, but would not be able to block them unless it musters a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate – an unlikely prospect.
* It envisions spending cuts of roughly $2.4 trillion over 10 years, which Congress would approve in two steps – an initial $917 billion when the deal passes Congress and another $1.5 trillion by the end of the year.
* The first group of spending cuts would apply to the discretionary programs that Congress approves annually, covering everything from the military to food inspection.
info (s/o london telegraph)
Rick Ross in Toronto OVO fest
Rhymefest Defends Kanye West
During Consequence’s “Campaign Of Terror†against Kanye West yesterday morning, he implied that out of Ye’s “brothers,†including Rhymefest, he’s the only one calling him out for wrongdoing. Fest then turned to his Twitter page to stick up for his big brother.
KANYE and I been speaking lately it interesting I see people who think he owes them stuff. I never understood letting another human have control over your success or failure in life. My brotherhood with Ye is based in the fact I don’t beg or expect more then his friendship good convo and the exchange of ideas. We bounce rhymes and music off each other and debate the world and its peace.
But as far as Kanye and his real homies notice that none of the guys he started with from Chicago talk shit about him. None of us. Chicago Cats understand playing your position and organizational structure. We know that every man is responsible for his/her actions.