ProHipHop

50 Cent Says He and Jay-Z Aren’t Friends

While Jay-Z and Kanye spend long hours working on the “Watch The Throne” album, 50 Cent on the other hand is revealing things that involve the greatest hip-hop mogul. On an interview with MTV, 50 Cent cleared up the rumor that he and Jay-Z are good friends. Despite the fact that he has collaborated with Jay and even appeared at his concerts, 50 Cent says, “We don’t have those kinds of relationships. These people are people I associate with. We are in the same business. We are not necessarily friends. We don’t call each other for no reason.” He went on to say that they don’t have anything against each other, and they’ll continue to use each other for creative energy. Don’t hold your breath on an upcoming duo between the two, because 50 Cent says there’s a reason why they don’t happen, stating they “don’t pick up the phone and call”.

Following Jay and Eminem’s opening night of their “Home And Home” tour at Detroit’s Comerica Park, 50 Cent and Jay-Z headed their beef backstage after the two ran into each other.

“We got a chance to kick it for a minute,” 50 Cent told MTV News. “I know people were interested in what that conversation was like. But they can ask Jay-Z. I take people’s actions as if it’s genuinely how they feel. I can only use what I saw you do as if that’s what you meant. I can’t understand what your motivation was prior to that.”

Drake’s Major Label Deal Offers Said to Include $2 Million

According to Billboard:

"While there are as many as three major labels battling it out to sign Drake, the Toronto-born MC signed to Lil Wayne's Young Money label is close to signing a deal with Universal Motown, a source close to the negotiations confirms."

"Sources say three majors are in possibly "one of the biggest bidding wars ever" in hopes of signing Drake, including Universal Motown and Atlantic Records."

Supposedly a label other than Universal has offered $2 million dollars straight up!

It's nice to have buzz, talent and Lil Wayne backing you!

MySpace: Drake

50 Cent Buys Baby Mama’s Life Story Rights?

This is either a rumor or some of that FUD 50 cent likes to drop on the radio but supposedly he’s "purchased the rights to his baby mamas life story so she can never release a book about their relationship".

I’m not sure how that would work unless Shaniqua Tomkins agreed to it and they’re kind of having some issues right now.  Even then he could only stop certain products, the story itself can come out in all sorts of legitimate forms, including interviews, and in such forms as thinly veiled novels and related fictional material.

From the out of left field department, I think a book of poems would be the perfect solution if this scenario were accurate.  Something like, Remembering Marquise’ Daddy, with themes from thug love to baby daddyhood to surviving public humiliation and a related line of cards.

But I’m not really buying this one.

Wikipedia Says The Game Has Joined Westside Connection

Rumor has it that The Game is replacing Mack 10 for the return of the Westside Connection with WC and Ice Cube.

The current Westside Connection Wikipedia entry treats it like a done deal:

"Westside Connection is a group consisting of Ice Cube, WC, and The Game. Mack 10 is a former member. The group’s debut album, Bow Down, reached the number 2 position on the Billboard 200 in 1996. The group was formed during the East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry, coming out after the death of 2Pac. They have had feuds with Cypress Hill, Common, Kam, and Q-Tip."

A "feud" with Common.  That’s kind of hard to picture at the moment.

Still, I think this could be a good look for The Game.  We’ll see.

Rumors Prove True as Kim Osorio Joins Global Grind

As previously rumored and speculated upon here at ProHipHop, Kim Osorio is joining Global Grind as Vice President of Content:

"Global Grind…today announced that it has named Kim Osorio to post of Vice President of Content. Osorio, a 10-year hip-hop veteran in publishing, was most recently Executive Editor at BET.com. Prior to that she was the first female Editor-in-Chief of the Source Magazine."

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Kim Osorio Leaving BET for Global Grind?
Global Grind Seeking BET Employees?

Global Grind Seeking BET Employees?

According to industry insiders, Global Grind’s interest in BET employees may extend beyond Kim Osorio to whoever’s unhappy at BET and might be able to get the job done at Global Grind.

Now we know what all those VC dollars are for!  Burn, baby, burn!

If I started a special section to more closely track the movement of employees between NY urban media companies I think I’d call it Merry Go Round of Misery.

But I’d rather just drop the gems sent my way in the time tested Rumors category!

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Rumors Prove True as Kim Osorio Joins Global Grind
Kim Osorio Leaving BET for Global Grind?

Kim Osorio Leaving BET for Global Grind?

Insiders are saying that Kim Osorio is leaving BET for Global Grind (globalgrind.com)!

Is original content next?  Staff blogs perhaps?

Hmm.  She’s cute and she’s smart but is that enough?

By the way, not sure if Navarrow Wright would be considered cute, somebody else will have to make that call, but he’s certainly intelligent and that certainly hasn’t been enough.

My best bet is either journalists blogging for pay or bloggers blogging for attention.

ProHipHop’s Advice:
If you can’t get equity hold out for pay cause that attention is not a sure thing no matter what they tell you.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Rumors Prove True as Kim Osorio Joins Global Grind
Global Grind Seeking BET Employees?

Global Grind Rumors & What is Schmuck Insurance?

I’m getting some confirmations regarding problems at Global Grind but nothing I can run with beyond the assertion that, yes, most of the posters are paid staff or freelancers and that many are unhappy with the situation, in part, because they’re not caking.

I wonder what they’re spending all those investment dollars on?  Is that connected to the "schmuck insurance" Russell Simmons was bragging about on Rev. Run’s show?

Looking back, here’s Liz Burr’s take:

"Global Grind raised $4.5 Million from Accel Partners, with Russell Simmons adding his own undisclosed investment funds to the project. Where did all this money go? In a recent episode of Run’s House, Russell pitches the site to his brother, Rev Run, and asks him to invest in the company. Russell retorts that he spent a lot of money in "Schmuck Insurance," which sounds like he just asked someone to write up some hefty NDAs and Non-Compete paperwork. Did this so-called Schmuck Insurance cost $4.5 million? Because looking at this site, I have no idea where else the money went."

"Copy the digg concept…switch out a few category labels…..what else is there to spend $4.5 million on? Definitely not design. Is all of the money going to marketing? Did they take out a Super Bowl ad? Open up a new office building? I’d like to note, Digg raised its first $2.8 Million in VC funding, ten months after it launched. Meanwhile back at the ranch, GlobalGrind has $4.5M+ out the gate and this is what they have to show: a broken site, cloned and derivative to the max?"

Looking forward:
At least the deadpoolboy is assured of steady employment.

Question for Russell Simmons:
By "schmuck", do you mean Navarrow Wright, Accel Partners, the underpaid Global Grind Staff or hip hop web users more generally?

Biggest Downside:
Venture capital will become ever more suspicious of "urban" and hip hop web ventures as their own form of schmuck insurance.

Or maybe it won’t matter.  Venture capital investments lead to the failure of 8 out of 10 businesses.

Heck, this might be the upside to Global Grind’s pathetic tale.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Rumor: Global Grind’s Heading for the Dead Pool?
Global Grind’s Navarrow Wright & Failures in Web 2.0 Communication
Global Grind Reboots, Abandons Opening Position
Looking Back at 360HipHop, Considering Global Grind

Rumor: Global Grind’s Heading for the Dead Pool?

Word is spreading that one or more Global Grind (globalgrind.com) employees may be leaving and that virtually all of the active posters are employees with multiple accounts.

Since the only people I know with prior connections to GG would probably give me a "no comment" at best, I can’t confirm these rumors, but I’m sure some of my readers can!

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Global Grind Rumors & What is Schmuck Insurance?
Global Grind’s Navarrow Wright & Failures in Web 2.0 Communication

Global Grind Reboots, Abandons Opening Position
Looking Back at 360HipHop, Considering Global Grind

Benzino Claims 50 Cent Wanted to Collab!!!

Benzino spoke with SOHH.com* in regards to 50 Cent's statements on MTV about a photoshopped image that looked like a Hip Hop Weekly cover and dissed Fat Joe.  His approach seemed to be more about damage control until he spun this great yarn:

"I saw him in Puerto Rico," Zino recalled. "I guess that was the time he just signed with Eminem. [50] came over and gave me a hug and said 'what up.' We started talking about doing a track together through Sha Money. [But] once the Eminem thing took place, all of that fell apart."

That's too bad.  Benzino would be king by now if not for Eminem!

[*dead link pulled]