Lauryn Hill and Pras hit the stage at the 2011 Rock the Bells festival in New York City, New York, but were one member short of a full Fugees reunion. Speaking with UsMagazine.com, Wyclef Jean explained that he was originally asked to appear during the show but a conflict kept him from participating.

“It wasn’t really a reunion,” he said. “I had a concert, but I got the offer to come. Pras was at the crib, so I said, ‘Pras, Lauryn wants me at Rock The Bells and I can’t make it.

So don’t you think you should just surprise her and pop up instead?’ So Pras shows up. And there’s two Fugees. Then they’re like, where’s the third? But that’s what happened.”
While he didn’t grace the stage with his former band members, ‘Clef didn’t entirely rule out joining forces with L Boogie and Praswell in the future.

“There’s an energy and a buzz about the Fugees that everyone likes,” he added. “I think that it would be exciting to see that happen again. I don’t know if it would be another album — but maybe a song!”

Though it’s been almost five months since the release of his mixtape, The S.O.U.L. Tape , Fabolous took over New York City, New York’s SOB’s to perform the freebie in its entirety. Taking the stage just past 10 p.m., Loso ran through the tap from front to back, giving live renditions of favorites like “Leaving You” with backing assistance from a live band that included guitarists, a DJ, two backup singers, a drummer and a keyboardist.

“If you fuck with that S.O.U.L. Tape, make some noise!” repeated Fab throughout the evening, standing almost entirely stationary throughout the set. A sea of cell phones captured guest stars like Vado and Lloyd Banks (“Mo Brooklyn, Mo Harlem, Mo Southside” ), Red Cafe (“Y’all Don’t Hear Me Tho” ), Freck Billionaire (“Pay Back Music”), Broadway and Paul Cain (“Drugs (Do This To Me)”) and Trey Songz (“Slow Down”).

“This has been a real nigga in the game a long time,” Trigga Trey told the crowd, motioning to Fab. “So what I wanna say right now is, you need to slow down.”

Watch clips of Fab, Vado and Lloyd Banks below, as well the performance with Trey Songz (via TheThoughtful1).

As Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV continues to dominate the Billboard Top 200, the album has also made a significant impact on Wayne’s standing in the Hot 100 singles chart.
Eight singles debuted this week from Wayne’s latest release, including “Mirror” featuring Bruno Mars at No. 16. Combined with the three previous singles on the chart, Wayne’s 11 total singles on the chart tie David Cook and Taylor Swift for most simultaneously-charting songs by a solo artist in history.

Only the Beatles, who have fellow Hip Hop artist Jay-Z’s number in the most No. 1 albums category, have had more with 14 songs on the April 11, 1964 Hot 100.

The partnership between Shady Records and Brisk Iced Tea has been growing since it was introduced to the public during last year’s Super Bowl ad campaign. Now, the partnership has announced the creation of Brisk Bodega, a platform to showcase what new Shady Records artists are up to during the months leading up to their releases. Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf are slated to be featured on this platform.

The Bodega has also enlisted Elliott Wilson, Editor-In-Chief of Rap Radar to be a part of the partnership as a part of Briskbodega’s online site. To begin their work, Brisk Bodega hired artist and illustrator Tristan Eaton to create a “Brisk” design for Yelawolf’s tour bus.

“It’s cool to collaborate with Yelaolf,” Eaton said in a promotional video. “He’s a really weird, unique, new kind of Hip Hop and I feel honored to be able to be a part of that so early in his career.”

To check the making of the tour bus, check the video below.

Guerilla Union, the company behind a variety of annual Hip-Hop festivals, has announced a new partnership with House of Blues Entertainment that will bring a massive amount of Hip-Hop shows to the club and theater circuits around the country. The new partnership will produce 150 different live shows in 44 venues in over 30 markets across the United States, leveraging Guerilla Union’s festival brands, including Rock the Bells, Paid Dues, Spring Gathering and Smokeout.

The first brand to launch will be the “Rock the Bells Club and Theater Series” will feature Raekwon, Ghostface, Mobb Deep and Black Star.

“This partnership with House of Blues Entertainment is one of the most significant investments ever in live hip hop,” said Guerilla Union CEO/Founder Chang Weisberg. “Not only will we be able to produce dozens of tours annually, from our current roster of festival projects, but we will have the ability to provide year-round 360-degree support, services, and platforms to help develop artists and their communities.”

According to Weisberg, artists will be provided with turnkey solutions to distribute their content using state of the art technologies, while developing online and retail resources for artists and their merchandise.

Corporate sponsors will also be connected to various projects, utilizing traditional and nontraditional marketing opportunities with each artist involved in the new partnership.

“This is not just about selling tickets,” Weisberg said. “Guerilla Union’s unique programming and marketing suits the national and international distributions channel of House of Blues venues and ticketing resources. It’s potentially a game changing combination.”

The first tour will kick off with Wu-Tang Clan members Raekwon and Ghostface performing the classic album Only built for Cuban Linx in its entirety.

Mobb Deep will hit the road on the tour to perform songs from their 1995 album The Infamous, while Mos Def and Talib Kweli will hit the road as Black Star to perform selections from their album Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star.

Tickets go on-sale Friday, July 22nd at 10am local time via LiveNation.com.

Tour dates are listed below:

Raekwon and Ghostface performing Only Built for Cuban Linx
Mobb Deep performing The Infamous
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Fans of several big-name Hip-Hop groups have been scammed out of thousands of dollars along with a show, after criminals duped local promoters. Local promoters in La Crosse, Wisconsin were working with a booking agent to bring Cypress Hill, Naughty by Nature, and Warren G. to perform at the Southside Oktoberfest Grounds.

Some fans paid as much as $100 to see the legendary rap groups, who were supposed to perform during the “Hip-Hop 2011 Monsters of Hip-Hop Show,” which was scheduled for August 20th.

Cypress Hill’s official website called the show “a fraud,” while Naughty by Nature reps confirmed the show was bogus, since the group will be in Japan.

As for Warren G, the West Coast legend is slated to be in Europe on tour, during the date in question.

Organizers finally got in touch with official representatives for Cypress Hill, but were unable to reschedule a date with the group.

As a result, the show has been canceled.

Brooklyn, New York production and deejay duo Da Beatminerz (Evil Dee and Mr. Walt) are hosting their 14th annual Mixmaster’s Weekend. The Boot Camp Clik affiliates and producers for Fat Joe, Bahamadia and others will broadcast the event from their Bushwick home, dubbed “The Dewgarde Crib of Hits,” with several guest deejays broadcasting from overseas and home studios of their own.

Guests include founding X-Ecutionerz member Rob Swift, Gang Starr deejay/producer DJ Premier, Notorious B.I.G. mentor Easy Mo Bee and mixtape titan DJ J. Period.

The event can viewed worldwide on UStream.TV here.

The lineup for this year’s Mixmaster’s Weekend, which began just minutes ago, is as follows (all times EST) : (continue reading…)

The Netherlands will host their first annual Bridgin’ The Gap festival this spring

The edition of Bridginʼ the Gap will take place on May 28th 2011 in Ahoy Rotterdam. The Nas-inspired event will be the biggest Hip Hop festival in the Netherlands, boasting a handful of Hip Hop veterans as well as some local talent.

Artists confirmed for the festival are Wu-Tang Clan members and affiliates Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, U-God, Street Life, DJ Mathematics, Cilvaringz and La the Darkman (making his first European appearance).

Former Juice Crew member Masta Ace is also on the bill, as are Duck Down’s Sean Price and Smif N Wessun. Rounding out the performers from the US are Slum Village and dead prez. Dutch performers include Pete Philly, La Melodia, Turk & FS Green, Jiggy Dje, Cartes & Kleine Jay, Hef, Fresku , DJ DNS and GMB (Gerry Mendes).

While “Liquid Swords 2″ will be delayed, Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA says he’s hitting the studio for a new album with both an audio and visual element. Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA has announced he is working on a new album. While he has yet to announce a title for his sixth full-length album, GZA stated via Twitter that the project would have a visual and audio element and be “in a league of its own.”

In April of 2010, GZA announced he would release a sequel to his critically acclaimed 1995 album, Liquid Swords. He set a tentative release date of fall 2010 for Liquid Swords 2, which he added would feature production by Wu-Tang’s RZA.

In a Twitter post shortly after his initial announcement, GZA clarified that the upcoming project will not be Liquid Swords 2—although he apparently does intend to eventually release it. While RZA’s production duties are currently taking a backseat to his directorial movie debut, The Man With the Iron Fist, GZA and the remaining Wu-Tang Clan members recently helped wrap up their 26-date, nationwide “Rebirth” tour.

Rapper/R&B star Lauryn Hill is heading out on a Winter tour starting next, playing a series of mid-sized venues possibly for the last time in her career. 

The Grammy Award winning artist will hit the road on a 17-date tour, which will kick off December 27th in New York, at the High Line Ballroom.

Hill is pegged for six-dates in New York, a pair in New Jersey, five dates down south (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia), the mid-West and Canada.

Lauryn Hill will hit the road with a live band, well aware that she “may never play venues of this size again,” some of which she hasn’t played since the Fugee days.”