Cool Kids 

XXLMag.com salutes the Big 10: the game’s most consistent, skilled, promising, entrepreneurial and talked about independent MCs. Without further ado, here’s the Big 10 in no particular order…allegedly.

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Master P & Romeo

In recent years, Master P has restrategized his business ventures and has opted to get out of the controversial thug-like marketing approach he once made famous over a decade ago. 

Instead, Percy Miller has placed more focus on family friendly pricing of his products.  It has been reported that he has a new deal with Wal-Mart to relaunch P. Miller Designs. 

The urban inspired line is now in stores and will be Wal-Mart’s first affordable African-American owned clothing line. 

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Jacob “The Jewler” Arabov

One of the most finest celebrity jewelers that ran shit in the early part of this decade, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for money laundering with some mobstas!

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Dwayne Johnson jumps back into Hollywood’s name game

Lex Luger lives across from Shepherd Center, encourages other patients.

“I was one of the strongest guys on the planet,” Luger said recently. “I was freaky strong before. I was bench-pressing 450 pounds my senior year of high school. I was a freak. Now I can’t lift a one-pound dumbbell.”

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Check out this nice read that focuses on the WWE’s music division.  It talks about how they favor licensing music for free from lesser known artists in exchange for valuable promotion through their weekly telecasts.  The article covers base on the WWE’s plan to release a sequel to their 2002 Anthlogy album.

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D-Wade. MJ. Shaq. John Hollinger ranks the best Finals performances since the NBA-ABA merger.

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Shakir Stewart 

Yesterday L.A. Reid announced that Shakir Stewart had been promoted to executive vice president of Def Jam Recordings. In this SOHH exclusive, we caught up with the new top dog to discuss upcoming albums from Nas and LL Cool J and to find out how he plans on filling Jay-Z’s shoes.

As SOHH previously reported, the former Def Jam A&R -known for signing Rick Ross and Young Jeezy to the label - took over Jigga’s spot, which has been vacant since the hip-hop mogul stepped down in December.

Stewart, who counts Jay as a friend, says he ready to pick up where the rapper left off.

“I’m up for the task,” he said. “I’m up for the challenge of it. I’m not caught up in, ‘I’m replacing Jay-Z.’ I’m here to deliver and work for my artists and build and expand on the brand. That’s my goal.”

“Jay-Z’s shoes would be hard to fill in any fashion,” he added. “So, my focus is really to come in and do my job and help build and create my legacy as well expand the legacy that’s already there.”

His first priority as EVP is to release albums from hip-hop icons, Nas and LL Cool J.

“This is the most anticipated and probably most controversial album of [Nas’] career and I’ve worked side by side with him in making this album since day one, ” he revealed. “I’m also extremely involved in LL Cool J’s album which is coming out at the end of July. To be able to come in and work with two artists of that caliber is me stepping outside of my comfort zone. I’m so honored and excited about the opportunity.”

In addition to these hip-hop releases, Stewart is looking forward to releasing a new R&B album from Ne-Yo, re-launching Rihanna’s most recent album and breaking new R&B and pop signees.

“My focus, as I step into this position is to put out great music, all genres of music,” he says.

[Credit: Danica Dow/SOHH]

The Empires Strikes Back At Lil Wayne, “I Got Your Records From Somebody That Sits Next To You On Your Bus.”

No hard feelings. Despite being called out by Lil’ Wayne for putting out his unauthorized The Drought Is Over series, The Empire isn’t mad at Weezy.  However, he does have some sound advice for the rapper.“I’ve never been to a Lil’ Wayne studio session,” Empire told XXLMag.com.  “He gotta look at his inside camp and understand that I got those records from somebody that sits right next to him on a bus…That’s co-signing him while he’s talking about me. I’m not gonna put his name out there, but it’s one of those guys. They’re sitting next to him every day.”

As previously reported, Weezy phoned into DJ Drama’s Shade 45 radio show to clear up comments he made about mixtape DJs in Foundation Magazine.  Apparently, Wayne wasn’t pissed at DJ’s in general, but at Empire in particular.  “For all DJ’s, just letting y’all know, that whole shit was meant for that Empire nigga,” Wayne declared during the phoner.  “I don’t fuck with [him].  This nigga puts out a CD on me every month.  I couldn’t [even] tell you what he looks like.”  Empire has a different story.

“I spoke to Wayne,” the DJ assured.  “After [The Drought Is Over] Pt.2, I spoke to him.  We were supposed to work out a situation where we can work together.  Wayne hosted my first Empire joint, so for him to say he don’t even know who I am, that was wrong.”  He made the comments that I dropped CD’s every month,” he continued. “That’s wrong. I dropped five CD’s in two years.  I made sure all of them were quality.  My CD’s are known for having the new music.  These kids are running around putting stuff out like stuff I played or whatever leaks on the Internet, I think that’s wack and I’ve been not feeling that.  I feel like I did more good than bad.  Those have been the hottest CD’s in the streets for the past year and a half.”

To let him tell it, leaking Tha Carter III was wrong as well.  Though he’s featured leaked records from earlier Carter III versions, Empire doesn’t agree with the DJ’s who leaked the CD in protest.  “I could have took Tha Carter and put out a new Drought, but that’s not what I’m about,” he explained.  “The kids that did that, that’s wack. They’re just trying to look for press.”

He didn’t leak the record and he won’t say if he profited from the Drought series, but he does have an opinion on Tha Carter’s third act.  Actually, Empire thinks The Drought Is Over Pt.2 is a better record than Tha Carter III.

“It’s not what I expected,” Empire confessed.  “There’s definitely some records on there.  The Dought Is Over 2, a lot of those records were samples that would have been really good if they could have been cleared.  It would have been very costly to clear.  That “Mr. Carter” record on Tha Carter III, that record is crazy.  No records on none of my tapes equal that joint. But I don’t know, The Drought Is Over 2 is just crazy to me.”

– XXL/Carl Chery