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]

Kings of Hip Hop: Jay-Z & Nas Album?

Rush & Molloy claim that Jay-Z and Nas are working on an album of duets to be called The Kings of Hip Hop.

Nah Right expects it to "drop the same day as Detox and Chinese Democracy".

Rumor: Def Jam $100 Million in Debt, Needs Hits Now!

MahoganyGirl has been informed that Def Jam is in serious financial trouble:

"Sources says the founding Hip Hop label is almost 100 million in the hole. 100 Mill son! The insider says Def Jam needs some BIG selling records ASAP to start decreasing the labels debt."

Looks like Jay-Z got out just in time.

Eminem Hospitalized for Pneumonia Complications

TMZ reports that Eminem's publicist told them:

"Over the holidays, Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, was under doctor's care at a Detroit-area hospital for complications due to pneumonia. He has since been released and is doing well recovering at home."

TMZ is also claiming that Eminem was "taken to a Detroit-area hospital for a serious heart condition and severe pneumonia. Sources tell TMZ Em's weight has ballooned to over 200 lbs."

Anybody seen any recent pics or videos of Eminem?

I think a fat Elvis type show starring Eminem would be really awesome except for the bad health part.  Don't they both have a history of pill-popping and stealing musical styles from black people?

Hmm, I better stop before this hole gets any deeper!

Update:
Shaheem Reid notes that Eminem's last public appearance was over the phone on September 12th when he called Hot 97's Angie Martinez during a visit by 50 Cent.

Prediction: Elliott Wilson Will Return Via TV

ProHipHop predicts that Elliott Wilson will return to the game via a television deal of some sort.  Just wanted to put that on the record.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Goodbye Old Yeller: Elliott Wilson Fired From XXL

Not a Rumor: Elliott Wilson to Blog 24 Times in 24 Hours!!!

What can I say?  When you're the greatest hip hop blogger alive you do stuff like this!

Yes, it's true, not a rumor.  Elliott Wilson, man of power at XXL, will create 24 blog posts in 24 hours!!

No quantity of exclamation points are too many!!!

I remember when Bol did like 12 in one day and his minions gathered round in praise.  Clearly the game is about to change.

Look, should I go childish on these kids who would be men with straight teeth and show 'em how it's done?

I can't compete on audio drops or exclusive videos or cocaine access or any of the other stuff that comes with Elliott's position but I bet I can write more of a higher quality [without talking about what a bad ass I am every post that isn't an audio drop] than can the esteemed but always under-praised Elliott Wilson.

This one's on you dear readers.  It's such a stupid waste of time that I have to know that you're there, for me or against me, if I'm to take on this challenge and blog competitively for 24 hours without the use of the cocaine benefits of my opponent.

Upside:
At least I'd get caught up with my workload!

Update:
Since certain bloggers associated with XXL have a history of posting false documents including fake comments under other people's names, let me say for the record that I, Clyde Smith, will not be posting any comments on XXl's site or on Byron Crawford's site.  Any claims to the contrary will be lies.

Sorry to have to point that out but given who I'm dealing with I feel such a statement is necessary.

And if you haven't figured it out yet, it's on!

Update 2:
My apologies for mispelling Mr. Wilson's name previously assuming that the current contact page at XXL is correct.  Not a subliminal nor a reference to Hashim's simple yet effective disses all of which will be reconsidered during the 24 Hours of Brand Destruction set to ensue.

That's right, it's time to tell some untold tales.

You've heard the lies.  Now hear the truth!

Update 3:
My bad times two on mispelling Elliott's name previously.  It's right there on his blog and I'd know that if I ever checked for it when Eskay didn't link to it.

And my apologies for suggesting that Elliott might use cocaine to his competitive advantage.  Not only does he parry that weak maneuver on my part but he brings the Wu to his defense.

Nice move, Mr. Checkers!

PS:
Imma do a hundred and one, just to school the children.

What's my secret?  Power naps!

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Elliott Wilson: The Great Lion Brushes Off the Flies
Industry Pros Term Elliott Wilson's Back Cover Ad "Offensive" & an "Egregious Violation" of Ethics
XXL 10th Anniversary Covers: Pretend Controversy & XXL's Chief Advertorialist Elliott Wilson

Upon Further Consideration:
On the Transformative Possibilities of Endurance Blogging

Jay-Z Rumors ARE News: Contract Negotiations in Flux

Jay-Z is said to be in contract negotiations with Universal Music which may have broken down over "excessive" demands from Jay-Z.

According to a "source":
He wanted big, big money that was way out of sync with the realities of today's record business...People have lost count of how many times he's come out of retirement...Everybody knows he's not around the office much. Everybody at Universal loves him, but they can't justify paying him the money he wants when so many people have been laid off.

Overpaid executives are a common theme across industries and music industry execs recently received a very special "open letter for CEOs to ignore" suggesting they start with personal pay cuts.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Will Jay-Z Pull a Madonna w/Live Nation?
Jay-Z Quits Def Jam Presidency, Still On Roc-A-Fella
Jay-Z: J Hotels, Def Jam Deal, Branded Entertainment Co.