Walking in Biggie’s shoes is no small task. But back in 2002, Lloyd Banks was up for the challenge. Although the G-Unit lieutenant was introduced on 50 Cent’s 50 Cent Is The Future mixtape, it was on track five of his follow up, No Mercy, No Fear that left a lasting impression. Over Puff Daddy’s “Victory” he ran anchor alá Christopher Wallace with unforgettable wordplay. With Hunger For More 2 on the way, The Boy Wonder reminisces with Rap Radar on his victory lap.

That has to be overall the most—the biggest freestyle I had as far as impact wise. Even DJ Clue will tell you that’s when he felt I went from being a mixtape dude to the next dude they expect to pop from the mixtapes.

I can’t remember where I was at when I wrote the verse. I was probably like 19-20. I had rapped to [50] in his grandmother house and we started playing around with the intro and by the time we got to Sha Money studio that’s how it came about.

It wasn’t recorded in a million dollar studio, but the line was clever because of what I was doing at the time. At that time, I was recording the mixtape material in Sha Money basement, but we were flying back and forth to L.A. to Dre studio. So, I was in Em, Dre Studio with that mentality, bringing that back to Sha Money studio.

Honestly, I knew what I was following behind, cause Biggie was one of my favorites. When I did “Victory”, everybody knew that was one of his biggest verses, sot to fall behind him, I knew there was pressure behind it, but I just wanted to add a different feel.

At that time, I was thinking punchline wise. A lot of people used to ask me, “Yo you going to run out before the album, but when I write naturally, I write witty, so I write from the perspective of being different. So, that was one thing that never troubled me. There was a few lines [I liked]. I said, “I think I’m the last rapper to scare niggas since Craig Mack.” There was even the Master P line and its funny because I have 100 percent support for Master P but his sneaker was [ugly] at the time. And a lot of people don’t know Master P booked a lot of 50 first shows outside in the south. So we went on a 10 tour show with them and I would perform that shit while we on the tour.

That was the first freestyle I performed. Not only did it help me as far as my recognition goes, but it helped me performance wise cause I got use to being by myself for a whole verse. It’s hard to keep people intuned for a whole verse with no chorus. On a mixtape too. The breakdown toward the end of the verse, is when I learned over time you can’t rap the same bar cadence throughout 50 bars you got to at some point change it up.

Puffy called and got 50 on the line and wanted me to be part of the [Ready To Die] album cause they rereleased it. And of course I did it just off the strength [because] that’s one of my all time favorites. I put my all into that, bar for bar.

“Banks Victory”

It looks like being a home wrecker does pay off.

Despite all the recent drama in her life, R&B singer Fantasia’s Back To Me scanned 117,057 in total 1st week sales to debut at #1 on the Billboard R&B chart. Fantasia made an impressive comeback by taking the #2 spot on Billboard’s Hot 200 album chart.

Back To Me marks Fantasia’s first #1 R&B album. Additionally, her single “Bittersweet” remains at the #1 position on the Urban Adult Radio Airplay chart for the third consecutive week.

The Lenny Bass-directed video for the single is currently #4 on BET’s 106 & Park and in rotation on VH1 and in Power Rotation on VH1 Soul.

Back to Me is getting rave reviews from tone challenged music critics. The album doesn’t do it for me. I fast forwarded through the 1st 7 tracks to find something worth listening to. But who am I to say what great music is.

Troubled rapper Kanye West attended day 3 of the U.S. Open tennis match with his new love, part time model Selita Ebanks. The rapper and Ebanks laughed and cuddled together as they watched a match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens in New York City yesterday.

At least Kanye has good taste. I’m sure he’s happy that he dumped that cheating loser Amber Rose, who was only using him to further her own career — whatever that is.
MORE pics after the break!

Rapper Kanye West, Jessica Szohr (in hat) and model Selita Ebanks

An oil rig has exploded 80 miles off the coast of Louisiana. Yeah another one. All 13 workers involved in the rig explosion are accounted for, but one person is injured. The explosion on Vermilion rig 380 happened around 9:30 this morning. All 13 crew members were accounted for and only one was injured. There has yet to be any reports on whether oil is leaking from the explosion, but residents are concerned, still reeling from the April BP blast that caused tremendous damage to the fragile coast. Could this be the beginning of more explosions to come?

I don’t think this was smart at all. A gun, and a stun gun going in the court house.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In Fulton County now she sits facing serious charges, and a lot of jail time.

Story Found Online:

Rapper Shawty Lo’s longtime girlfriend and baby mama, Ecreia Perez, was arrested for carrying a loaded weapon into the Fulton County courthouse

Perez was taken into custody on Tuesday (Aug. 31) after police say she tried to sneak a stun gun “cleverly disguised” as a cell phone into the Fulton County Superior court.

When she was stopped and searched, police also found a loaded handgun in her possession.

Perez told police that she simply forgot the items were in her purse. There are indications that Perez may have been arrested for publicity purposes due to her notoriety. She was most likely arrested because they knew who she was.

It is not unusual for women in Atlanta to carry stun guns for their personal protection. It is easy to forget the item is in your purse especially if you are in a hurry.

For example, I walked into that same courthouse last year with a stun gun in my backpack. The sheriff simply placed my stun gun in a locker while I conducted my business and he returned it to me when I left.

Perez’s bail was set at $6,000 and she was released yesterday.

Perez and rapper Shawty Lo announced their engagement in June. But Shawty, real name Carlos Walker, broke off the engagement to his girlfriend of 10 years after he caught Perez allegedly cheating on him.

“Things happen. I can’t point no fingers (sic),” said Shawty in an interview with MTV. “We were separated, the engagement lasted probably a month. It was a 10-year relationship.”

He added: “Something happened that I found out. Me, being a man, you just can’t deal with certain stuff, put up with certain stuff. So, you know, it’s better for us to separate. I can’t talk about it. That my daughter’s mother. I got much respect for her. … (But) yeah, I’m single right now.”

The couple have a daughter together. He also has 9 other children from previous relationships.

Is Lauryn Hill on the comeback trail… officially, not just in our dreams? At the least, you may not have to wait much longer for a follow-up to her classic 1998 LP, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

The ex-Fugees rapper/vocalist told MTV she’s “getting closer” to releasing a new album. “There’s been such a long period of time where I haven’t been able to communicate where my mind is, where my consciousness is, where my ideas are,” she said. “This is an athletic discipline. You gotta be in shape to do it mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically. But it’s time.”

Well, D’Angelo’s been sitting on an alleged album for years. Let’s hope Ms. Hill isn’t sippin’ on the same juice. The singer has already been the talk of the summer after performing four dates on the Rock the Bells tour, including in New York last week.

“I have to upgrade [songs] a bit so that they’re still exciting, fresh and new,” said Hill of the shows. “I’m not sure if the audience really understands. We need, or at least I need, a certain amount of spontaneity, a certain amount of improvisation at every show … It’s that unknown, that literal X factor that makes every show different, and something I want to continue to do.”

Will you be patiently waiting or are you over it?

50 Cent has announced plans to take a break from his Twitter rampage to focus on making music for his new album.

As previously reported, the G-Unit head released an onslaught of tweets that temporarily got his “Twitpic” account suspended for offensive content.

Now 50 says it’s time for a break from his internet frenzy, at least until Monday.

Fifty tweeted to his 3 million plus followers Wednesday,

“Ok ladies and gentalmen I’m writing my new album. I will not be on twitter again till sept 6This album will be a classic…”

When he was criticized by a number of his followers for his poor spelling, he added;

“Motherf*ckers I know how to spell gentleman. I was typing fast f*ck you. sept 6 until then b*tches suck deep and n*ggas lick the holes right.”

Lovely.

He also added this Twitpic for the occasion.

50’s new album is tentatively titled The Return of the Heartless Monster.

Story @ Hip Hop Wired

Take a close look at the photo of T.I. getting arrested … and focus on the styrofoam cups in the front and back cupholders …
Read everything breaking news in this case pills, and etc involved!

although cops aren’t saying which controlled substance they found in the car, there seems to be evidence of Sizzurp … aka purple drank … aka codeine syrup.
– A form of codeine falls under the class of drugs for which T.I. and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, were arrested.

– Codeine is the main ingredient in Sizzurp, which is a growing problem in the South.

– Sizzurp is typically ingested in styrofoam cups … it’s become a “thing” in the hip-hop community.

Cops won’t say specifically which drug they found, though our sources say it’s the class of drugs that does indeed include the main ingredient for Sizzurp.

Both T.I. and “Tiny” were booked on felony possession of a controlled substance.

UPDATE: TMZ has learned … cops originally stopped the Maybach for making an illegal U-turn on Sunset Blvd.

TMZ has obtained photos of rapper T.I. and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Cottle in police custody on Sunset Blvd. last night … after they were each arrested for allegedly possessing a controlled substance.
T.I. was placed into a squad car with an unknown male.

“Tiny” was taken to a separate squad car — both were transported to a local Sheriff’s station.

As we first reported, cops pulled over T.I.’s ultra-expensive Maybach on Sunset Blvd around 10:18 PM for a traffic violation and then smelled marijuana. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, cops say they found a controlled substance — we’re told it was not cocaine. The class of the controlled substance that was found includes methamphetamines and ecstasy.

Both were booked on felony possession of a controlled substance.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We’re now told that the substance was allegedly ecstasy. And, our law enforcement sources call it a “small amount.”

The pills are being tested.

Story & video @ TMZ

New video from your boy Yo Gotti .. Check this out cameos from your boy Soulja Boy and more

If you don’t watch this for anything else check out the lil homie at the beginning..

Click here to view the embedded video.

Young Money’s Nicki Minaj recently talked about rap fans and how they could anticipate a lot from Lil Wayne when he gets out of jail this fall and why his competition may be laid to rest. According to the new first lady of Young Money, Weezy has not lost his skills rather had tons of time to write.

“Can you only imagine what he’s been holding and what’s building up in that brain?” Minaj said in an interview with radio host Greg Street. “I’m afraid for anybody … any of his competition when he gets out, because I just feel like it’s going to be monumental. He’s in a great state. When I speak to him, he sounds like he has some sort of clear understanding of everything now, almost like he’s had some weird sort of epiphany since he’s been there, so I’m sure his stuff is only going to get better.”