Ooh, I am so excited! I've wanted to do a freestyle segment here for the longest and can't think of a better artist to debut it with than .
I see why his verse on the 'Hate It Or Love It' remix was the hottest.
He wrote his rhyme to a beat on the spot -- no pen, pad, or Hennessey needed. (Now, that's an MC!) Meanwhile, our friends at hollered at him about , Oprah, and more.
, flip through these behind-the-scenes photos, and let me know who you'd like to see step into the booth next.
Remember a few years back when Ja brought Jenny back to the block and actually made you like his singing? Well, I always loved Timbo's beats, but ever since he reinvented Nelly Furtado and helped Justin kill Soundscan, he's made me embrace other genres a little bit more than I used to.
His new CD features Jay-Z and Elton John, and while I don't consider myself a rock fan, I'm kinda feeling that joint with She Wants Revenge.
Listen to our exclusive preview of four tracks off ' and let me know what you think.
Kiss bassist/ groupie slayer Gene Simmons recent turned his sinister tongue on music's current crop of rappers.
In an exclusive interview with allhiphop.com, Simmons said he said he'd "like to hear a rapper who can really speak English exceedingly well and..
. doesn't make up his own language." Ouch!
Wonder what flew up his dragon-scale skirt.
and tell us what you think.
Remember when your parents used to -- or in some cases, still do -- tell you that you don't know what good music is?
Remember thinking that they were just too old to relate? Well, I think I finally understand what they meant. While today's hip-hop young gunners are cool, there really was no one like the Notorious B.
I.G.
In remembrance of the 10th anniversary of his passing, we present You can listen to his latest CD in its entirety, vote on the best DJ remix, take the Lyrics Quiz, and check out .
Plus, I even gathered some of the people who knew him best to reflect on his legacy. Shouts-out to Jadakiss and Styles P, Mister Cee, and the founders of for shedding light on murder conspiracy theories and the infamous beef with 2Pac. (I think Styles P wins the best quote award for saying Biggie "made fat guys want good shirts.
") There's even bonus footage from Nas predicting what Frank White would be doing if he were still alive today.
enteratined a star-studded crowd at L.A.
's Boulevard 3 Feb. 22 as part of the 'Vanity Fair' Amped Oscar party. And while Macy's three-song set had Natalie Cole standing in the rafters singing along to every word, as well as fans like Chris Brown and Lil Jon on hand, the proudest was her producer/label head Will.
I.Am. Before heading in to introduce Gray, Will told AOL Music how much fun it was for him to produce Gray.
"I'm psyched about this one because I get to flex my production skills on something totally different," he says.
"I did the Game thing, then the Nas thing, the Fergie thing, the Sergio Mendes thing, but Macy Gray is a different thing. It's contemporary soul, classic type of production. I studied Natalie Cole's production, Anita Baker's production, Barry White's production, and then applied it to Macy Gray's album.
"
new album, 'Finding Forever,' due in May, finds production from and , among others, but it's a track from the late , called 'So Far to Go' which also features , that means the most to the rapper.
"That dude affected my life and music in such a positive way. He was one of the greatest musicians," Common says of Dilla, who was also his one-time roommate. "When we went to the burial, I was looking at all the artists that were around -- , , all these great musicians.
J.D. innovated hip-hop and it's the quiet way that he did it.
Many people don't know the influence he had on so many producers. But from to Kanye, they have all said, 'This dude is one of my favorites.'"
As someone who's been a fan since 'What's The 411?
,' I am too thrilled to see finally get her due with the '07 Grammys for Best R B Song, Female Vocal and Album. In true fashion, MJB testified and held super-long notes for her performance of 'Be Without You.' At one point, I thought she was going to kick off her shoes like and start crying "Where were you Daddy?
" (Just kidding Mar, you know I love you.)
While I didn't really care for the overdose of gold she donned on the red carpet, I was feeling the whole throwback Farrah Fawcett vibe she rocked during 'Runaway Love.' Watch out, girl.
I already copied your '92 hairstyle with the slicked down pieces in the front and the spring curls in the back; don't make me bite this one too.
As far as first films go, says he had it pretty good working on Hard to argue, as he gets to work with and , whom we says definitely made things easier for him. "She's passionate about what she does and she brought that to her character.
And I had a good time doing that because I love being able to express love and romance, too. It felt good to be able to do that with a beautiful person that was open to being creative." 
Common expressed some love of a different kind at the L.A.
premiere party, where he performed at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with and "I wanted that premiere party to be something special, so I knew I wanted these certain artists to be there to perform," he says.
He wants people everywhere to know about the film and feel the enthusiasm he has for it. "I feel like because I'm part of a movie I'm going to promote it like it's my album, no matter how many lines I got in the movie, or how few lines," he says.
"Anything I do, I want it to have quality and integrity. If I put my soul into it, I want as many people as possible to experience it."
Share your thoughts on the upcoming event and check out our special , featuring , , , , and everything that you need to prepare for music's biggest night.
The awards air Feb. 11 on CBS at 8 pm EST.
Where: Nashville, Tenn.
We've had it about up to here -- and trust us, we're holding our hand mighty close to the top of our head -- with rappers who think that carrying around a gun makes 'em seem hardcore. So we were positively tickled to hear that an MC from a school about as old as schools get has decided to prove his mettle with a decidedly more manly form of toughness -- namely, slipping on a pair of spandex Speedos and grappling with another half-naked man. 
That's the new career path chosen by hip-hop legend , who's been hitting the gym -- and, from the looks of things, one of those stands where they sell super-sized protein shakes -- in an effort to catch on with the WWE. Mel, who's been in training for the better part of a year, insists that he's thoroughly capable of taking 14 shots to the dome despite the fact that he's perilously close to getting his AARP card in the mail.
We're not entirely sure that Mel will be able to add a Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame honor to his Rock Roll Hall prize, but we'd wager that if were to turn pro, the midget grappling title would be his within months.
frontman Chris Martin may not seem the type to have mad hip-hop cred but then again, we never thought that would have a higher appeal than his ex-wife-in-the-making, . But Mr.
Paltrow is racking up just that, having guested on 2006 comback album, 'Kingdom Come,' and with an upcoming appearance on latest effort, 'Graduation.'
Martin and West team up on the album's first single, 'Homecoming,' while 'Late Registration' collaborator ( ) will make his return. "Jon wasn't just a producer," West told . "He was such a good friend and a great person to bounce ideas off of in the studio.
It was the whole experience."
'Graduation' is tentatively due late this year.
Since has spent much of the past few years spinning rhymes about his, shall we say, "magic stick," it's only fair that he should branch out into peddling accessories for said appendage.
So, much like Malibu Barbie expanded her empire into dream houses and pink convertibles, Mr.
Cent has begun marketing a line of condoms, which the ever-altruistic MC calls part of his master plan to promote safer sex among inner city kids -- a spin (no pun intended) that's more philanthropic than the one he's attached to the line of sex toys that he's planning to introduce under the same banner.
Celebrity endorsements can never hurt sales of any product, but we're not entirely sure that folks will be eager to pony up for a prophylactic bearing the name of a guy whose image was largely built on being riddled with nine holes, if you get our drift.
If folks don't know the name , they'll recognize that sweet voice.
Since the mid-'90s, Brown has been one of urban music's most in-demand collaborators, lending his talent to , among others. But most people will know him from Brown's chorus on chart-topping 'The Way You Move.' Now Brown has stepped to the forefront with his long-overdue solo debut, 'Mr.
Brown.'
As a consummate professional, Brown isn't taking time to revel in the release, he tells AOL Music: "I'm happy, don't get me wrong, but I'm just really focused to go on, 'cause I feel like I'm in the race now."
With the shoe now on the other foot, what did Brown look for in the people he worked with? "Just people that I'm friends with and fans of, just the guys that I like," the soft-spoken Brown says.
He prefers to let his music do the talking. One thing the music suggests is that the singer is an old-school throwback.
"I'm a big fan of , , , , ," he says.
"So when you hear my stuff, you'll definitely hear their influence."
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