Canibus’ contributions to the rap game don’t always get the right recognition, partially because he left the music industry behind for a while. Throughout the course of his career, he traded bars with the best of them and proved to be a formidable MC in his own right. However, being a tight MC doesn’t always amount to becoming a powerful force within the music industry. Over time, we’ve witnessed some of the nicest rappers to grace a mic get shoved to the sidelines due to the politics of the music industry.
For Canibus, he emerged under Wyclef Jean’s wing, who produced some of his biggest hits. “Second Round K.O.,” a diss track towards LL Cool J, became his only charting hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Unfortunately, Canibus later fell out with Wyclef Jean, which seemingly began a decline in his career. Regardless, Wyclef Jean undoubtedly opened many doors for Canibus afterward, including exclusive invitations to restaurant openings and events where he rubbed shoulders with revered artists and celebrities.
What Did Jay-Z Tell Canibus?
During a recently appearance on Nems’ Outside with Gorilla Nems, Canibus shared details surrounding a brief run-in with Jay-Z, who subtly provided him with early gems in his career. The two attended Diddy’s opening of Justin’s in 1997 when Hov approached him. “He says, ‘Yo Canibus, man… I like yo shit. You ready for what this game about to do to you?’ Real cool,” he recalled. “And me being young and ignorant, I said, ‘Hell yeah I’m ready!’”
The conversation was cut short after Wyclef told him they needed to go to the studio. However, he later realized what Jay-Z was asking him, though he missed the opportunity to form a strong connection with the Roc-A-Fella co-founder. “I’m not realizing that this is a multi-billion dollar enterprise and industry and that there’s a chain of command involved,” he continued. “It’s not just how good you can rap. Them Triple OGs, they knew that I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing. They knew all I could do is just rap.” At the time, he said he was more focused on gaining respect as a rapper rather than becoming a mogul. Check the clip above.
Diddy’s former bodyguard Gene Deal is sharing his side of the story about his days with the Bad Boy mogul. Deal recently sat down with The Art of Dialogue, and according to him, some Hip Hop History stories have strayed from the truth. In 1997, Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace was murdered in Los Angeles. Despite reports, Deal rejects claims that the rapper was killed in a drive-by shooting.
For decades, it has been stated that both Tupac Shakur and Biggie were victims of drive-by-related incidents. There have been theories about who was responsible for both murders, and while some have pinpointed suspects, no one has officially been charged. Deal also believes Biggie’s killer was lurking outside the Petersen Automotive Museum waiting for the rapper.
Rapper Notorious B.I.G. AKA Biggie Smalls (Christopher Wallace) joined by Sean (Puffy) Combs and Lil’ Kim receives Billboard Music Award on December 6, 1995 at The Coliseum in New York City, New York. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
“It just hurts because they lie too much,” said Deal. “A lot of that sh*t be lies the way they put it together ’cause they listening to these white boys who wasn’t even there. I don’t want to make this racial, but they take these white boys who wasn’t even there and want to use the stories that they want to tell, which is not the truth.” He also added: “Wasn’t no drive-by. The car was standing there at the corner. The stories they tell is not truthful. And now people are sitting here believing.”
The former bodyguard said he quickly made his way to Biggie’s side to help in any way he could. “Every Biggie movie that you see, they say it’s a drive-by,” Deal continued. “When the witness tells you the car was stood right there at the corner…the car was probably there all night.” Further, “I saw this kid lose his life. This kid died while I was pulling him out of the car,” he said. “I wouldn’t put nobody in my shoes ’cause I don’t feel like they could handle it. If I didn’t have God in my life, if I didn’t have people praying for me, I don’t know if I could have handled it.”
Deal also said he “knew that somebody was going to die that night.” He had a feeling someone “was going to get shot,” and he did “everything in” his power to protect Diddy. “The people that was bodyguarding Big didn’t do everything in their power to stop it from being Big. And that hurts me, even though it wasn’t my principle. Every time you hear his music, every time you see one of these murals on the wall, now they got statues. It’s gon’ hurt until God takes me away from here.”
The top 10 included names like Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj while Jay-Z held the #1 position. Though many took issue with the rankings, it seems that Eminem’s inclusion ruffled a few feathers. Billboard declared Eminem at #5, a spot above the late Biggie Smalls. As you could imagine, plenty of rappers were left off of the list, including Onyx member Sticky Fingaz. Fredro Starr recently sat down with VladTV where he aired out Billboard for their rankings.
Fredro Starr Says Eminem Would’ve Had Sticky Fingaz On A Top 50 List
Fredro Starr not only took issue with Jadakiss’ position on the list but he felt as though Sticky Fingaz deserved a spot in the rankings. Though he said he’s “nicer” than many of those on the list, he expressed disappointment in Billboard for excluding Sticky. “C’mon son. Sticky would burn half them n***as. I would burn half them n***as but Stick is that dude,” he stated. He explained that even Eminem had praise for Sticky’s skillset as an MC before mentioning the Onyx MC’s verse on “Remember Me?” “I think he bodied Eminem on that particular record,” he said.
Starr added that Eminem fueled Sticky’s competitive spirit on that track for the Onyx rapper to deliver “one of the illest verses ever.” “You saying Eminem is one of the best rappers ever? The n***a rocking the Onyx shirt in that documentary? ‘Sticky one of my favorite rappers,’ he’s always saying that,” Starr said. So if he’s part of his favorite rappers, how he not on the 50 list? We should let Eminem write the 50 list.” Check out his comments above.
We never know when 50 Cent and Ja Rule will reignite their longstanding tension. Often, the two New York rappers will throw verbal jabs on social media, and it’s a beef that goes all the way back to 1999. It was then that Ja was robbed at gunpoint, purportedly by one of Fif’s associates. Later, the rappers had a confrontation at a nightclub, and since then, they’ve been at each other’s throats.
However, it isn’t just Ja who was a target in this tension; 50 Cent would also go after anyone affiliated with the Murder Inc. icon. Fat Joe was connected to Ja Rule and even collaborated with him, so he found himself in Fif’s crosshairs. It’s a decision that 50 Cent now seems to regret, and explained to Rolling Stone why he wouldn’t have involved Joey Crack.
50 Cent during MTVs 2003 Spring Break- “MTV Invades Miami” Taping at Double Tree Surfcomber Hotel in Miami, Florida, United States. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)
“There’s an element, a part of our culture that I’m aware of it because I am it,” said Fif. “Your Lil Durks, your NBA Youngboys, the whole surrounding cast of that … it almost splits our culture in half because when you cool with one, you can’t work with the other. There’s an energy that runs through it that if you cool with people I got a problem with, then you with them.”
50 Cent used himself as an example as he brought up Ja and Joe. “It was like my issues, I was using the same thinking in the very beginning of my career because it’s just the thinking you would use in the environment,” he said. “If anybody went next to Ja Rule, I’d jump on the person who featured with them, anybody who was faintly near them, ’cause I put him on life support and you wanna go resuscitate him. So that energy, later you look at it and you go, ‘I was buggin’.’”
“‘Cause I’ll say that. Fat Joe, his issues, I would see him a little uncomfortable with the success I was having,” 50 continued. “And I interpreted as, ‘He doesn’t like me,’ when he’s really the kind of guy you want to be friends with because he’s loyal to a default. He’s so loyal for one record that [Murder Inc] did with him [‘What’s Luv’] that we became enemies.”
Despite Fif once involving Fat Joe in his shenanigans, the two are now good friends who respect one another. Meanwhile, the beef with Ja Rule is alive and well.
Grandmaster Flash represented hip-hop to the fullest on Sunday night at the Grammys. Questlove’s Hip Hop 50 segment paid tribute to everyone in hip-hop, from pioneers like Grandmaster Flash to newcomers like GloRilla. Ultimately, the outcome was a proper representation of hip-hop culture, which the Grammys have undoubtedly struggled with since 1989. However, it was overall a beautiful moment that acknowledged the contributions of artists, like LL Cool J and Lil Uzi Vert, in transforming the culture over the years.
Drake undoubtedly shaped hip-hop in the past decade, though he’s often faced criticism for being too pop. Still, Grandmaster Flash said it’s part of Drake’s brilliance. During a conversation with Billboard on the Red Carpet of the Grammys, he praised Drake as a “genius” for his versatility.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 30: Drake attends “Til Death Do Us Part” on October 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
“He is probably the only rapper, and I want to speak on his talent because he’s a great rapper, but he’s the only one, in my opinion, that’s daring enough to rap on a trap beat, to rap on a disco beat, to rap on ballad beat,” Grandmaster Flash said. “I would call it like a Prince formula. When Prince makes records, it does not sound like his last record. Drake is daring enough to rap on all different types of beats. I think he’s a consummate genius.”
That’s undoubtedly a huge compliment coming from a founding father of hip-hop. Drake has yet to respond but he’s certainly showcased his ability to float on any beat as naturally as the next. Last year, he released his dance album, Honestly, Nevermind. Though it polarized fans, its success speaks directly to Grandmaster Flash’s assessment of Drake.
Last night, Drake took home his first Grammy award in four years, despite not submitting any music for nominations. His contributions to Future’s “WAIT FOR U” alongside Tems helped secure the Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance.
Grandmaster Flash clearly embraces the new generation of artists who came after him. Last year, he praised Coi Leray for sampling “The Message” in her viral hit, “Players” “When I got a call saying this girl wanted to resurrect the beat of a song from my past – I wanted to learn more,” he wrote on Instagram last year. “Then when I spoke with & met @coileray, I TOTALLY got it. Go listen to PLAYERS by Coi Leray now.”
Master P recently claimed that he, out of all the rap peers at the time, was “the first person to believe in” 50 Cent. For some fans, this might be a tough connection, given they’re based in the West and East Coasts, respectively. However, let’s not forget that 50’s most iconic collaborators are Compton’s Dr. Dre and Detroit’s Eminem. Regardless, the No Limit Records boss recently spoke to WNBA star Renee Montgomery and her family on the Montgomery & Co. podcast. In it, he revealed just why he chose to take a chance on Fif.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 24: Master P speaks on stage for Assets Over Liabilities Live during REVOLT Summit x AT&T – Day 1 at 787 Windsor on September 24, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for Revolt Summit x AT&T)
“Ya know, the internet will take it and be like ‘Oh, you did this.’ No. I’m the first person to believe in him [50 Cent],” he stated. “That’s basically what you heard. I think a lot of people when they interview people, they don’t say that.” Moreover, he explained why he chose to fund his first four shows. “Nobody else believed in him,” he elaborated. “I seen the vision, like this guy’s a hard worker. He has a lot of talent. So, I’m going to put my money up to put him on tour — which is a blessing.”
Furthermore, he asked the podcast members to consider other people who are credited with the Queens legend’s come-up. “Think about it,” he said. “Would they say that about Jimmy Iovine or any of these other white executives? They wouldn’t say that. So, I invested in somebody I believed in — I don’t know what happened back at that time — but something just happened to where I’m like, I paid him for all the shows.
“I’m the first person that believed in him…I saw the vision…that’s a blessing.” – @MasterPMiller goes into detail about being the first person to ever take @50cent on tour.
“I didn’t know he was going to blow up and sell two million records. Nobody knew that. I just thought it was a great product,” he went on. “I invested in it and then something happened to where we had to come back and do it. His dates wasn’t available so by time he was able to do it [tour] it worked out. That’s why we’re able to be friends today.” On his end, 50 backed up much of what P talked about.
“What I’ll say about P is he was slick,” the “In Da Club” MC expressed. “He came, he gave me the money for the eight shows, right? We did four of them. He said, ‘Aw man, something happened we gonna have to take a break. We’ll just come back and do the other four later.’ When I came back to do the other four, I had already sold two million records. He had already paid me so I had to do the shows, he knew! He was like, ‘This motherf***er’s on fire! This is gonna go off.’”
Despite maybe feeling a bit finessed, Fif showed the Master nothing but love “P is prolific, man,” he told Big Boy. “You see how Snoop’s respect for Master P is? He’s one of those guys where, he’ll find a way. Even if he’s hitting a spot at the moment: anybody who has a long enough career has peaks and valleys in it. But he’s one of those guys that’ll figure it out.” However, after his comments, many believed that 50 Cent actually called P out. Also in his conversation with the Montgomerys, P aired out his frustrations with Internet narratives.
“That’s why I got out of the music business to begin with,” the New Orleans native expressed. “Say for instance a guy come to me and I pay for their rent, cars, put money in their pocket, for a year, two years, five years — never made no money. Now, you move on and go to somebody else and instead of saying, ‘Man that was a blessing. I came to Master P. He blessed me. He took me out the ghetto or wherever I was at, put me in a safe place or help me get out of prison, did all these things.’
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson at the season 2 premiere of “BMF” held at TCL Chinese Theatre on January 5, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
“But then, when you move on you trying to think, ‘Oh well what P do for me?’ P opened up opportunities for you and your career. That’s what I’ve done for a lot of people. But, it’s a shame people don’t look at it like that.” Interestingly, P and Fif also have father-son rivalries in common. In fact, 50 commented on the particular clash between him and son Marquise and compared it to P and his son Romeo Miller. While 50 doesn’t have much hope when it comes to his relationship with his son, he believed that P and Romeo would reconcile. As it turns out, they did. As always, come back to HNHH for the latest insights, stories, and revelations in the wide world of hip-hop.
There are a lot of things that wouldn’t have existed without Jermaine Dupri putting the play together. Apparently, 4:44is one of those things. During a recent appearance on Rap Radar, the So So Def honcho recalled working alongside Hov around the time of American Gangster, which created the foundation for Jay-Z and No I.D.’s working relationship.
“I actually introduced No I.D. to JAY-Z,” Dupri said. “I took him with me to that session. When I was doing ‘Fallin’,’ I took No I.D. with me. They didn’t even know each other. While I was making that beat, he was in the corner with his headphones on making another beat.”
As he was cooking up, there were several other producers in the room. Jay tried to see what everyone was working on at the time. However, Jermaine Dupri said he directed Jay to No I.D., who he believed would have solid production on deck.
ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 23: Jermain Dupri and Jay-Z attend the So So Def anniversary party hosted by Jay Z at Compound on February 23, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Getty Images)
“Hov was like, ‘What you got?’ He was asking everybody around — there was a bunch of producers in the studio. And I was like, ‘He got some shit. I’m telling you, watch.’ He plugged that shit up, and next thing you know they done made a whole album together!”
It wasn’t the first time Jay-Z and No I.D. worked with each other, though, which JD acknowledged. No I.D. mentored Kanye and later had credits on The Blueprint 2. Still, Jermaine Dupri allowed the two artists to actually get to know each other and work closely together. Jermaine said it was the “first time that they actually got a chance to really connect like that.”
No I.D. had a few placements on American Gangster beyond producing “Fallin’” with JD. He also landed a placement on “Success” alongside Nas. From there, he became a pivotal force in Jay’s career throughout the mid-aughts and the 2010s, eventually leading to the release of 4:44.
Despite the demand for Cam’ron’s iconic pink fur coat that he debuted over 20 years ago, the rapper isn’t willing to sell it to anyone. You could imagine many individuals offered to purchase the jacket from him over the years. The cultural value outweighs any dollar sign attached to it, especially if the potential buyer doesn’t understand its significance.
Cam’ron and Damon Dash during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2003 Collections – Baby Phat – Front Row and Backstage at Bryant Park in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Djamilla Rosa Cochran/WireImage)
During a recent interview with Kevin Durant’s Boardroom platform, Cam recounted when someone offered him $300,000 for his pink jacket. He would’ve earned a significant profit from the sale. However, the Purple Haze2 rapper said he wasn’t willing to let it go to that particular individual.
“The people who offered it to me, I didn’t feel they deserved it,” Cam said. “It was more of a stat to them like, ‘I bought Cam’s jacket.’ It wasn’t really like they appreciated where that jacket came from.”
That isn’t to say Cam isn’t willing to sell the jacket. Given how the jacket has cemented itself in fashion and music history, he wants to ensure that the person who ends up buying it from him has a firm understanding of its value. Cam explained that he’d sell the jacket if someone would appreciate it, whether in their home or on a public display.
“You got rich suburban kids who be like, ‘Hey Cam, my girlfriend really loves your pink jacket. I don’t really know too much about it but I’ll buy it for her. How much do you want for it?’ That type shit,” he continued. “These are booster babies — their parents come from generational money to where they probably don’t know much about Hip Hop at all anyway, but they dealing with people who do.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 21: Drake and The Diplomats aka Dipset perform on stage during Drake Live From The Apollo Theater for SiriusXM and Sound 42 at The Apollo Theater on January 21, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Elsewhere in the interview, Cam’ron explained that he only wore it three times due to how much attention it brings. However, many have reached out to him to bring the jacket to fur and hip-hop history exhibits in the past. He said he only wears it if it “makes sense.” For example, he allowed Drake to don the matching hat and jacket combo at the Apollo Theater shows in Harlem.
“So, the fur comes out once in a while if it makes sense,” he added. “But you know, for the Drake show being at the Apollo, I thought it would be cool to bring out.”
Not everyone who has a career spanning decades can continue to mount success, but not everyone is Mary J. Blige. The Queen of Hip Hop-Soul amassed six Grammy nominations this year thanks to her successful Good Morning Gorgeous release. Her impact on music history is undeniable, and in a feature for PEOPLE, Blige and Sean “Diddy” Combs talks about her growth as an artist and woman.
Blige and Diddy have been good friends from the inception of their careers. He produced her first two albums and has been by her side through each trial and triumph. “Mary J. Blige is one of the greatest storytellers in R&B history,” he said. “She created a lane for women around the world to speak their truth to power, so nobody deserves this success more than her.”
HOLLYWOOD, CA – JANUARY 11: Producer Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and recording artist Mary J. Blige attend the ceremony honoring Mary J. Blige with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 11, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images)
The singer echoed a similar sentiment when speaking about Combs.
“Puff was a huge inspiration for me,” she recalls. “He wanted all of this for me more than I wanted it myself.”
Diddy added, “More than being my sister and my best friend, she will forever be a pioneer and the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, who remains an unstoppable force that can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.”
Mary J. Blige and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs during Mary J. Blige’s Birthday Party at Butter in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Djamilla Rosa Cochran/WireImage)
Blige also contributes her drive for success to her friend. She said when she started, she was “afraid of success,” but Diddy was ambitious. Blige shied away from the attention that fame brought.
“When you come from where I come from, you’re scared to be ambitious,” she added. “You’re scared to want more. And then when I met him, he was the complete opposite. He was such a good thing for me because I needed what he had, to be excited to be seen, to have the lights on him. But it took some years to grow into that.”
We love to see legends supporting legends. For his long-awaited weekend of performances at the Apollo Theatre, Drake didn’t keep the stage to himself. Rather, he used the shows as an opportunity to give flowers to a few of his favourites. Specifically, The Diplomats, who joined him two nights in a row, were honoured.
On Thursday (January 26), Jim Jones took to Instagram to celebrate the past week’s amazing event. In the video he posted on his feed, the Canadian hitmaker is seen sporting a Dipset logo jacket. At the same time, Cam’ron and Juelz Santana’s “Oh Boy” plays loudly in the background.
“@champagnepapi official 5th member of #DIPSet,” the New Yorker wrote in his caption. “[You] did [that], [thank you]. Bless up to the whole #OVO.”
As HipHopDX notes, the Harlem venue heard The Diplomats and Drake perform some of their biggest tracks. Among them were titles like “Dipset Anthem,” “I Really Mean It,” and “We Fly High (Ballin’).”
On night one, Drizzy changed Cam’ron as he donned the style icon’s famous pink fur coat and matching hat. Later that evening, Jones went all out by gifting his Canadian friend a custom OVO x Dipset bracelet.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 21: Drake and The Diplomats aka Dipset perform on stage during Drake Live From The Apollo Theater for SiriusXM and Sound 42 at The Apollo Theater on January 21, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
As his guests left the stage, the father of one reminded his audience, “These guys right here from Harlem made us dress different, talk different, walk different, rap different — all the way in Canada.”
On night two (January 22), Drizzy flaunted another major wardrobe flex, stepping out in The Diplomats U.S. flag jacket previously seen in Killa Cam’s “Get ‘Em Girls” visual. Santana and Jones also showed off their style chops, rocking custom Jeff Hamilton-designed Dipset x OVO jackets.
Aside from entertaining the Apollo crowd alongside Drizzy and his Dipset crew members last weekend, Jones also had the opportunity to chop it up with New York mayor Eric Adams at the concert.
Read what the “Pop Champagne” hitmaker had to say about the experience here, and check back later for more hip-hop news updates.
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