A Conversation With Freddie Gibbs: Rap's "Silent Killer" On Embracing Melody & Honoring Gucci Mane

Freddie Gibbs isn't even at his peak yet; "that's the scary part". Things haven't always looked this clear for Freddie Gibbs. The Gary, Indiana rapper could have ended his career as another major label casualty, stuck in a deal that didn't have his best interests in mind. After failed stints with Interscope and Jeezy's CTE World, Gibbs set his sights on the independent route, allowing him the freedom to give his loyal fanbase new music how and when he wanted. Last week, Gibbs released Shadow Of A Doubt, his second full-length release for his ESGN label, and first LP since his the celebrated Pinata project with Madlib. Where Pinata was a shared vision of its rapper-producer team, Shadow is Gibbs through-and-through, giving him the freedom to explore a large range of sounds throughout the project's 17 tracks. Having already established himself as one of rap's most technically proficient voices, Gibbs takes the opportunity to further hone his abilities as a songwriter, focusing more on melody and further challenging himself with his production choices. It's also his first full length since becoming a father, something he says has made him a more "delicate" man. The result is Freddie's most assured material yet, proving that there's no one better to guide the rapper's career than Gibbs himself. Describing his place in rap as that of a "silent killer," the hard-edged emcee is willing to be the artist lurking in the shadows of the industry, just as long as when he's done, people recognize that there was never anyone like him -- but don't worry, he's not even at his peak yet. We spoke to Gibbs about his region-less sound, putting on for Gucci Mane while he's locked up, and looking to Pimp C for songwriting inspiration. Read our conversation below. Pinata found you working with Madlib for an entire project, whereas Shadow Of A Doubt hosts over a dozen producers. Did you make an effort to work with as many people as possible? I was really just trying to expand. Get out there and just take risks musically. I pretty much fine-tuned my sound, working with a lot of the guys like Pops, Mikhail, Murda Beatz, and Kaytranada. I kind of stumbled on to something that I just wanted to keep going. I worked with Mike Dean -- he really helped me prepare for this project. I wanted to be really diverse. I just picked the beats that fit the best, that made the project cohesive. Someone today said my project wasn't cohesive and I was like "what the fuck you talkin' 'bout?". That shit sticks together like glue. You recently did a Canadian tour. What was the reception like? I love it, man. They always show love when I come up to Canada. Every city from Montreal to Calgary to Victoria. All the shows are crazy in Canada. I love it up there, it's like my second home. Everywhere I go they show me love. There are a lot of Canadians featured on the album (Tory Lanez, Frank Dukes, Boi-1da, Kaytranada, etc.). Did any of those collaborations come together during the tour? We were all just working and it just ended up happening. I think I was in Toronto when I was working with Tory Lanez. I was doing TIME festival or something like that. Everything happened organically for the record, nothing was forced whatsoever.

Someone Bought That Secret Wu-Tang Album For "Millions"

Wu-Tang's mystery album has finally been purchased. When Wu-Tang Clan announced they were releasing an album as a single copy, it left us confused. When we found out no one but the purchaser would be able to hear it for at least 88 years, it made us more confused. Now, possibly the most confusing news yet has arrived, someone has paid millions of dollars for this mysterious album. No real details have been released on the sale, other than it came from a "private American collector" and the price was in the "millions". On top of the "the hand-carved nickel silver box," "leather-bound book containing the album’s lyrics," and the music itself, a new addition was made to the package, being "a pair of customized PMC MB2-XBD speakers worth $55,000, included after consultation with PMC." The last element certainly drives the price of the deal up, but we're still not completely sure it's worth millions of dollars. Then again, if it's as good as 36 Chambers, and we had the money, we'd probably shell out

Michael Jordan Wins Lawsuit Against Supermarket That Used His Likeness In A 2009 Ad

Michael Jordan was back in his old stomping grounds of Chicago recently, taking the stand in court for his lawsuit against Jewel-Osco and Dominick's, a now defunct grocery chain, which used his likeness in a print ad which appeared in a 2009 issue of Sports Illustrated. According to reports, not only did the grocery store fail to ask Jordan for permission to use his likeness but he said, under oath, that he would've rejected the deal anyway because he only accepts media deals that are worth more than $10 million. Having recently taken an L in a lawsuit against a Beijing company that specializes in producing fugazzi Jordans, His Airness was thirsty for a win this time around and he should be quite pleased with the outcome. MJ won an $8.9 million lawsuit against Dominick's in August, and this past weekend he reached an undisclosed settlement with Jewel-Osco, officially closing the book on this case. All of the money he was awarded will reportedly be donated to charities.

Video From Busta Rhymes' Gym Altercation Has Surfaced

Busta Rhymes throws a protein shake at a gym employee in newly released security footage. Earlier this Summer, Busta Rhymes was arrested in New York after he was said to have been involved in an altercation with an employee. It was reported that the rapper actually threw a protein shake at the worker, which was a pretty insane picture to paint in your head -- but you'll no longer need to use your imagination when thinking about the incident, as security footage has now made its way online. Through the new video, we now see that the ordeal happened at the front desk, and while we don't get to hear the audio, Busta's reaction goes beyond just throwing a shake, going on to toss the employee's computer aside and continuing to confront the man as his security guard attempts to intervene. According to a Page Six interview with Ole Hernandez, the employee seen in the video, Busta was reacting to news he could not enter the gym without speaking to the owner. The halt at the door was due to a previous incident in which Busta allegedly made racist and homophobic remarks towards Hernandez when his cameraman was denied entry. Busta was able to score a plea deal which left him with no jail time, but did require him to take anger management classes.

Trey Songz Pays The IRS $750,000 In Back Taxes

Trey Songz promptly repays the IRS $750 thousand after getting hit with a tax lien in October. Trey Songz was recently the unlucky recipient of a tax lien, courtesy of the IRS, after he apparently did not pay taxes in 2013. The IRS reportedly requested he pay them $748,870.08, the taxes owed from the entirety of his 2013 income (you do the math). According to TMZ, Trigga Trey is now debt free -- the singer paid off $750 thousand lump sum on October 28th after receiving the lien on October 8. For those scoring at home, that's is a three week turnaround, which might be a new record for a hip hop figure paying off back taxes. It appears that Trey Songz is flush with cash.

Hodgy Beats Feels Tyler, The Creator Turned His Back On Odd Future

Hodgy Beats calls Tyler, the Creator a "fraud" after tensions rose at yesterday's Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. Last night (Nov. 14), during his headlining set at Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, Tyler, the Creator expressed his frustration with a certain unnamed member of his inner-circle. It now seems as though his words were directed at Hodgy Beats, who, apparently, during his own performance earlier in the evening, had spoken to the crowd about his unhappiness with Tyler. Skip to around the 39:30 mark of the below video to watch Tyler address the situation. "N*ggas got me fucked up. I put too many n*ggas on. I helped too many of my motherfucking friends out. And n*ggas gonna come foul? And you know who the fuck I'm talking about, n*gga. And yes, it's getting real. I love you though," he told the crowd after performing a heated rendition of "FUCK IT."

Adrien Broner Defends Young Thug Against Gay Accusations

The champion boxer says he and Thug have been with some of the same women. Adrien Broner, the boxer who has held world titles in 4 different weight classes, seems to have certain ties to the Atlanta rap scene. In a fight last month, Broner was escorted into the ring by Migos, and over a year before that, Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug accompanied him out of the gates to provide his entrance music. In a new interview with VladTV, Broner was asked about the latter Rich Gang member, specifically about Thug's decision to wear women's clothes as well as other "stunts" the Slime Season rapper has pulled that have caused outsiders to question his sexuality. "Young Thug ain't gay. He's actually one of the thoroughest n*ggas out hear, that I hear...he just got a different language, a different understanding with his self," said Broner, before going on to reveal that he and Thug have "messed with some of the same women before." The boxer was then asked about why Thug seems to deliberately invite people to question his sexuality, which prompted him to respond adamantly, "Listen to me: Young Thug is a marketing genius. And he got you. He definitely got you. And in some ways I look up to him for that."

Jerry Heller Sues Dr. Dre, Ice Cube & "Straight Outta Compton" For $110 Million

Jerry Heller is suing everybody involved in "Straight Outta Compton" for a huge sum. Jerry Heller, the former manager of N.W.A., is suing all those involved in the group's recent biopic, Straight Outta Compton, for (at least) $110 million, reports TMZ. Heller, now 75, has just filed a lawsuit against Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, the estate of Eazy-E, NBC Universal, and others for defamation and using his likeness in their film without his permission. Heller claims that Straight Outta Compton wrongly portrayed him as "a sleazy manager who took advantage of Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube." He said that the movie lied about numerous different scenarios involving him, including him withholding a $75,000 check from Ice Cube, persuading Dre and Cube to sign misleading contracts, and getting fired by Eazy-E. The lawsuit also accuses the film's producers of incorporating pivotal scenes from Heller's memoir, "Ruthless," into the film without permission. Heller wants $35 million in compensatory damages, $75 million in punitive damages, and then the rightful amount of the film's profits, which he and his lawyers believe will bring the total sum to at least $110 million. As of late September, Straight Outta Compton had grossed almost $190 million.

Chief Keef To Drop Collaborative Mixtape With Sonny Digital?

According to Chief Keef's Instagram, Sosa & Sonny Digital are teaming up for the "Back From The Dead 3" mixtape. It looks like Chief Keef has more “treats” for his fans come this Halloween season. Earlier in the week, Sosa announced that he has a new project with Metro Boomin dropping on Halloween called Peacocks, Peacoats, Flavor, & Paper, but apparently that’s not all he’s got for us. Taking to Instagram on Thursday night, Sosa unveiled the artwork to his third installment in Back From The Dead mixtape series, along with caption “produced by Sonny Digital.” No word yet as for when this joint effort will drop, but seeing how Back From The Dead 2 dropped last Halloween, I wouldn’t be surprised if both projects ended up dropping on Saturday, aka Halloween.

Rihanna Signs $25 Million Deal With Samsung

Rihanna inks a $25 million deal with Samsung to sponsor her upcoming album. As if you needed further proof that Rihanna is killing it on all cylinders, the unstoppable femme fatale has just signed a $25 million deal with Samsung, reports New York Post. For those keeping track, that's $6 M's more than Drake's rumored deal with Apple Music. Rihanna and Samsung have apparently been working on the deal for 7 months. The deal will reportedly sponsor Rihanna's upcoming album, Anti, as well as the tour that follows. Samsung, in turn, is looking for Rihanna to help promote the company's new line of Galaxy products as well as its new music streaming service, Milk Music, which will presumably gain some sort of exclusivity to the music off Anti. Rihanna is currently signed to the management wing of Roc Nation, and reports say that Jay Z was instrumental in helping work out RiRi's new deal with Samsung. There seems to be a conflict of interest between TIDAL and Milk Music -- with regard to each platform's access to Anti, but Jay Z and Samsung have worked extensively in the past. The disclosure of Rihanna's deal comes at the same time as a rumored deal between Apple Music and Adele for an even bigger amount -- $30 million for her upcoming album. If this is all true, congrats to both women. Rihanna wasn't lying with "Bitch Better Have My Money."

DMX Arrested Again This Week; Judge Cuts Him A Break

DMX was arrested, then later released, for failing to pay child support to another woman-- ex-wife Tashera Simmons. A month after being released from prison and DMX has already encountered his first run in with the law. On Tuesday morning, X got arrested at his home in Westchester County, New York on a contempt of court charge for allegedly failing to pay $10,000 a month in child support to his ex-wife Tashera Simmons. According to TMZ, X appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon and begged the judge to let him out of jail because he’d be losing the opportunity to make money from scheduled shows, which ultimately would create a bad rep for his name. The judge apparently had mercy for the former Ruff Ryder and released him without bail. He'll have to be back in court on November 18 to work out child support issues with his ex- Tashera, but for now lets consider this a win for X. If you forgot, DMX just spent two months in a Buffalo jail for not paying child support to another woman. He was released just last month and has been in the studio working on new music ever since. Hopefully he stays out of trouble for us to hear it however.

Future Shuts Down Blac Chyna Dating Rumors

Despite Blac Chyna's new tattoo, Future maintains that he's single. Hopefully Blac Chyna got that tattoo just to pay tribute to her favorite rapper, because according to Future the two are not dating. "Single & focusing on what makes me happy," Future wrote on Twitter today, following it up with a quote from his own song "Though It Was A Drought" (coincidentally the very one Chyna referenced in her Instagram post) "U kno I dnt fuck wit no rumors..." In case you're not up to date, Chyna and Future dating rumors have been circulating over the last few weeks, and Chyna seemed to confirm things when she debuted a "FUTURE" hand tattoo this weekend. This is all very confusing, and we're sure we haven't heard the end of it just yet. Think Chyna is regretting that tattoo now? Or did it mean something else entirely?

Z aka Zeus: Swish(Ordained) Prod. By. VI$A

Kid Cudi Announces "Speedin Bullet 2 Heaven" Release Date

Kid Cudi shares the expected release date for "Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven."

Kid Cudi let us hear some new joints off his upcoming album, Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven (it appears he's switched up the "to" for a number two), all of which received a very lukewarm if not cold reception on the site ("Wedding Tux" and"Judgemental Cunt"). Hopefully that's not representative of the entire double disc album, but we'll have to wait and see.

Cudder took to twitter to announce a release date for the album, opting for a December 4th release. Peep the tweet below.

Are you excited for Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven? Let us know what you think of the direction Cudi is heading in the comments.

                                                                                http://www.officialvizion.com/

Erykah Badu To Release New Mixtape Next Week

Erkyah Badu promises her new mixtape will drop next week.

Erkyah Badu came out of the woodwork recently, after being inspired byDrake, to release her own rendition of "Hotline Bling." The song was released with the promise of a forthcoming mixtape, You Caint Use My Phone. Almost a complete month later, and Ms. Badu promises that the mixtape is arriving very soon, like, next week.

During a new interview with Noisey, Erkyah speaks on the artists she thinks are pushing boundaries in hip-hop/r'n'b, like she once did, naming Drake,Young Thug and Tyler, The Creator, among others. She also gives her thumbs up for the whole Meek/Drake beef, saying she "loved it."

Read the full Q&A here. Stay tuned for You Caint Use My Phone to arrive some time next week.

http://www.officialvizion.com/

T-Wayne Is Being Investigated For Allegedly Raping A Woman

T-Wayne is being investigated for rape. Rapper T-Wayne found a nice slice of the viral fame pie with his single "Nasty Freestyle," however today he's in the news for all the wrong reasons. The rapper is being accused of raping a woman, and is reportedly under investigation. TMZ reports that a 22-year old Dallas woman claims that she "met" T-Wayne on Instagram (i.e. he slid into her DMs or vice versa), and he flew her out to Houston in late July to visit with him. The woman says that they went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner, and later returned to her hotel room. It was back in the hotel room where T-Wayne started aggressively coming after her for sex, attempting to guilt trip her into it, she claims. When she refused, he allegedly held her down and forced sex upon her. The woman filed a police report and now the cops are investigating it. The woman waited five weeks to file the report, reportedly because she was in shock. Chedda Da Connect has already responded to the news in an Instagram post, but he's since deleted the post. We'll keep you posted if T-Wayne responds.

http://www.officialvizion.com/

 

Montana Of 300 Explains Slim Jesus Collaboration

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DJ Khaled Covers Complex

Khaled is the latest star to cover Complex magazine. On the release day of his new album, I Changed a Lot, DJ Khaled has been revealed as the latest star to cover of Complex magazine. The cover shows Khaled holding up an index finger, signaling he's just dropped "another one," and donning his signature "Gold Slugs." The cover story, titled "The Greatest Show On Earth: How DJ Khaled Became Hip-Hop's Biggest Personality," presumably depicts exactly how Khaled has changed so much while continuing to be a certified hitmaker. We had heard most of the huge collabs off I Changed a Lot leading up to the release, though you can stream the whole album here for new material featuring Trick Daddy, Movado, Ace Hood, John Legend, and more.

Master P's Estranged Wife Files Lawsuit Against Their Son Romeo

She blames Master P, not Romeo, whom she describes as an "unwitting pawn." With millions of dollars at stake, Master P's divorce battle with his estranged wife Sonya Miller rages fiercely on ward with no end in sight. Now court documents obtained by TMZ reveal that Sonya is suing her son Romeo, claiming that P is using Romeo to keep her from getting the money she deserves. In 2010 Master P started No Limit Forever. According to Sonya, it functions the same as No Limit Records, and P named Romeo the co-founder and co-owner instead of her in order to prevent her from gaining access to the company's profits. She also claims that Master P prevented her from getting paid for her role upcoming Reelz reality show "Master P's Family Empire" by putting Romeo on the payroll documents. She blames P for all this, and considers Romeo an "unwitting pawn." "Master P's Family Empire" premieres November 28th.

Iamsu! Announces "I Love My Squad" World Tour

Iamsu! is heading through the West Coast, Europe, and Australia on tour. Iamsu! has some hits under his belt and has proven himself as a live performer, so it's about time he set out on a headlining world tour. Today, Su! hit us with some dates for the I Love My Squad tour, which will find him bringing fellow West Coasters, Bobby Brackins, Nic Nac, and Show Banga on a number of dates through Paris, Hollywood, Sydney and more. According to the poster (shared on Instagram), there are still more dates to be announced. Here's hoping that Canada and the east coast get some love as well.

Scarface Releases Statement Regarding BET Hip Hop Awards Arrest

Scarface has cleared up reports on his arrest at the BET Hip Hop Awards earlier this month. You may have heard that Scarface was arrested earlier this month after an appearance at the BET Awards, but the Texas rapper wants to make sure you got the full story. Face received the I Am Legend achievement award at the ceremony, only to be taken into custody when he entered the backstage area. The initial report stated that Scarface was arrested for unpaid child support, and was not permitted to leave the state of Texas. A new statement from the rapper does not deny that, but does call into question reports of numbers and the assumption that he was aware of the arrest warrant. He also reveals that the matter has been taken care of. Read his statement released to the press below. First and foremost I would like to thank my supporters for their concern during my recent arrest in Atlanta. While we have resolved the issue I would like to correct some misinformation. The amount reported that was owed is inaccurate and I had no knowledge about there being an arrest order for me as I have traveled to Atlanta many times; with the latest trip being in September to perform at the One Music Festival. Due to the nature of the case (having a minor child involved), I will make no further comment at this time.

Kevin Gates Unveils Album Cover For “Islah”

Peep the album cover Kevin Gates’ highly anticipated debut album “Islah” Kevin Gates’ highly anticipated debut album, Islah, isn’t set to arrive for a couple more months, but that’s not stopping him from starting its roll out process. Earlier this month, Gates released the latest single off the project called “Really Really,” and now today he’s decided to share the project’s cover art for us on his Instagram page. Taking the black & white approach, the cover finds a shirtless Gates making the gun sign with his hands as he points towards his head. Notice, he also has the gun tattoo on the back of his hand too. Due out December 11, Islah, which is named after one of Gates’ children, can be pre-ordered on iTunes today. Peep the cover art in the gallery above and be sure to revisit the lead single “La Familia” in the meantime to hold you over.

First Week Sales For The Game's “Documentary 2” Are In

The Game’s “Documentary 2” fell just short of the #1 album this week, but it did very well nonetheless. As the early projections told us last week, The Game’s highly anticipated Documentary 2 album fell just short of the #1 spot this week thanks to Selena Gomez’ Revival, but that's saying a lot. HitsDailyDouble reports that The Game’s Documentary 2 album sold 81,614 copies in the first week (94,529 including streams), meanwhile Selena’s top-earning album moved 86,264 units in the opening week (117,374 including streams). In comparison though, The Game’s previous album, Blood Moon: Year of The Wolf, sold only 33k in the opening week, meaning he gained an increase of nearly 50k in sales this time around which is pretty damn good.

Stream Raury's Debut Album "All We Need"

"All We Need" with features from Big K.R.I.T., A year after dropping his critically acclaimed EP Indigo Child, Raury releases his debut album All We Need. The 14-song album includes guest appearances from Big K.R.I.T., RZA, Tom Morello, and Key! and production by Malay, Danger Mouse, Jacknife Lee, and Daytrip, and Raury himself. We've already heard a couple tracks from the album, including the outstanding "Forbidden Knowledge" with his fellow southerner K.R.I.T. Earlier this week, Raury released a track that didn't make the album cut called "Demo 1: The Sea."

Jay Z & Timbaland Testify In Court For “Big Pimpin” Trial

Jay Z & Timbaland showed up to court on Tuesday & Wednesday to testify in their "Big Pimpin" trial. Jay Z & long time collaborator, Timbaland, showed up to an L.A. court room on Tuesday & Wednesday to testify in a trial surrounding copyright infringement over their 1999 hit collab “Big Pimpin’.” The two are being sued by the heirs of Baligh Hamdi, an Egyptian composer who created the 1957 song “Khosara Khosa.” According to the Associated Press, Jay Z spent 90 minutes answering a series of questions and recounting his life, successes, and the creative process that led him and Timbaland to create “Big Pimpin’.” To prove his point, Jay brought out physical copies of his 1999 album Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter to show the juror the liner notes that credit "Khosara Khosara." “We have the rights as you can see on the bottom of the CD,” Hov told jurors. Later, the Roc Nation mogul went on to explain that he thought the rights to “Khosara Khosara” had been properly negotiated after issues were raised following the release of “Big Pimpin’.” According to their lawyers, Hamdi’s family had been repeatedly paid for the use of “Khosara Khosara,” the song in which four of its 74 notes are repeated throughout “Big Pimpin’,” an Egyptian music expert claimed in court.

Lil Wayne Erroneously Tweets "R.I.P." Lamar Odom

Lil Wayne tweets out an "R.I.P." to Lamar Odom, before realizing his mistake. As you're probably aware by now, Lamar Odom was found unconscious at a brothel in Las Vegas, and quickly transported to the hospital where he remains in critical condition. The details surrounding his current condition remain unclear, however the brothel owner, Dennis Hof said, "When they took him to the Pahrump hospital, the people there told us, 'He doesn't look good. He doesn't look like he'll make it, and if he does, he won't be the same.'" As for the events that led up to Odom's unconscious disposition, Hof said that Odom had called him on Saturday to spend a few days at the brothel. He stayed at Hof's home, attached to the brothel. Apparently things were going smoothly until Sunday, when people started "calling and bothering him." "Two women at the brothel went to check on Odom and found him unconscious," Hof continued. "They immediately call 911, and dispatch tells the girls to roll him over on his left side and (he) starts to puke. He was totally unconscious. The girls and staff rush him out on the ambulance. The police didn't find any illegal drugs on him." Lamar Odom hasn't passed away, although reports are saying he has a 50/50 chance of survival, and many of his organs are failing. Thus, it seems Lil Wayne pre-emptively posted a 'rest in peace' tweet for Lamar Odom, before realizing his mistake, and tweeting out "Woop." Although the tweet is inaccurate, he hasn't deleted it.