About a week ago, news leaked that Lil Wayne’s highly anticipated 4th studio album Tha Carter IVmight be pushed back till June.

At the time that was a just a rumor, but Young Money President Mack Maine confirmed the rumor is true. According to Maine, the album will be released on June 21st.

Neither Lil Wayne nor anyone from the Young Money camp has given a reason to the delay. In some cases, this is due to the album not being complete, but MTV had reported a month ago that Tha Carter IV was finished and heading into the mastering stages.

Maine also confirmed that the album cover for Tha Cater IVthat leaked earlier in the week would in fact be the cover that will be used for the album.

Also about a week ago, the rumored tracklist leaked for Tha Carter IV. According to the rumored listing, many YMCMB family members such as Birdman, Drake and Nicki Minaj will be on the album. Many other big names such as Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Eminem, Kanye West, and Gucci Mane were also on the list.

No one has yet to comment on whether this is a confirmed or a tentative tracklist for Weezy’s 4th LP. The world will have to wait until June 21st when Tha Cater IV hits stores.

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The mouthful of sparkle told you exactly how Lil Wayne was feeling. Flashing his bling-crusted grin from ear to ear, the rapper (and, let’s face it, rock star) was fired up and in charge at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center on Wednesday night.

“This is my first time on a stage in over a year,’’ he told the shrieking sold-out crowd on the first stop of his new tour. “I swear to God, I was in a place a few months ago I couldn’t even imagine this [expletive]. But now that I’m here, it’s better than I ever could have imagined.’’

Wayne was referring to his newfound freedom after serving eight months of jail time on a weapons charge. He was an inmate at Rikers Island as recently as early November, but on Wednesday he was back to selling out arenas with a performance that was assured, steady, and oftentimes blistering.

It was hard to tell who was happier that Wayne was back: the performer or his fans. They roared as Wayne, backed by a tight band, sprayed his rhymes like machine-gun fire on “A Milli,’’ “Bill Gates,’’ and “6 Foot 7 Foot.’’

After an intense half-hour, Wayne ceded the stage to Nicki Minaj, whose set was as much about the music as her cartoonish theatrics. With a blond fright wig towering on her head and five female back-up dancers swirling around her, the rapper-singer revved up with “Roman’s Revenge.’’

While eminently amusing, Minaj came rather close to sinking her own performance with an extended set of sugary ballads (“Right Thru Me,’’ “Fly,’’ and “Save Me’’). When Wayne reappeared for a second set, Minaj rebounded nicely on “Roger That,’’ a rap-off with Wayne that proved their chemistry was sincere, their respect mutual.

Earlier in the night, Miami rapper Rick Ross was larger than life: big presence, big beard, and big beats. Meanwhile, Travis Barker held court for 30 stealth minutes drumming in synch with a DJ and posed the age-old question: “Can a drummer get some?’’

The music video for Kanye West’s single Monster has been banned by MTV. The television network made the decision to pull the video in response to an outcry over the way women are being portrayed in the footage.

At the forefront of the outrage are two activists Sharon Haywood and Melinda Tankard Reist, who created a petition asking MTV and Universal Music Group to stop promoting the video, and in the process managed to get over 1,600 signatures.

“The mainstreaming of videos like this increases desensitized and callous attitudes toward violence against women,” said Reist, one of the campaign’s originators. “Young people are seeing images and absorbing harmful messages which glamorize misogyny and brutalize women.”

Adding, “Women are reduced to sex-doll like playthings. So great is the level of desensitization that the barbaric treatment of women and girls is seen as normal and to be expected. We decided to run this campaign because we wanted to challenge the status quo.”

Their work isn’t completely done though, pointed out Reist, who said that they are determined to continue their campaign until Universal Music Group responds to the petition.

Monster collaborators Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and Nicki Minaj appear in the video alongside West.

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Posted: Wednesday – September 1, 2010

Gorilla Zoe is working on a new album, after recently completing a deal with Block Entertainment, E1 and Atlantic Records.

The new deal will allow the rapper’s third studio album King Kong to be on shelves by October.

“A new era of Block Entertainment is launching through my partnership with eOne and Atlantic,” Russell “Block” Spencer told AllHipHop.com in a statement.” Gorilla Zoe is first up on my team to takeover with his third solo album, King Kong.”

Block Entertainment is known for launching or helping guide the careers of artists like Boyz N Da Hood, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Jody Breeze and others.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Block Entertainment and Atlantic Records,” said E1 President Alan Grunblatt. “Gorilla Zoe is a great artist and Block is a music visionary. Three labels are better than one!”

Gorilla Zoe’s new album King Kong has an official release date of October 26th.

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Posted: Friday – July 9, 2010

50 Cent has started an online campaign against Diddy. Using the Twitter-linked petition site, Twitition, the G-Unit leader started a petition that calls for the fellow music mogul to stop using late rapper B.I.G.’s name as a “Black Card.”

“Enough is enough, Biggie’s name should never have become Diddy’s Black Card,” reads the petition. “Just check out his latest video The Ghost of Christopher Wallace…Let Diddy know to let B.I.G. rest in peace. When was the last time Diddy really was ‘biggin up his brother,’ not biggin up his bank?”

The tweet was originally tweeted from Fif’s Boo Boo TV twitter account, but the So Disrespectful MC later re-tweeted it on his personal page. So far the petition has managed to get 589 signatures.

The move is in response to a diss that Diddy may have sent 50’s way following the BET Awards. “I love my people, lets stop the hate man,” said Puff. “Congratulate. Hate is for suckers and if you hating, you’re a sucker and you’re ashy and your breath stinks. And you know who I’m talking to you hatin’ ass crab.”

The beef between the two is speculated to have been caused by Diddy’s alliance with Rick Ross, a long-time 50 Cent foe.

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Posted: Saturday – June 26, 2010

California ex-drug kingpin Ricky “Freeway” Ross filed a trademark lawsuit against rapper Rick Ross in a California Federal Court on Friday June 18. According to the Miami New Times blog, Ross is suing the rapper for stealing his name, image and likeness to create a successful rap career.
Hip-hop website Allhiphop.com got a hold of the court papers earlier this week, revealing that Ross and his lawyer Melvin Sharpe Jr. are also suing Maybach Music — rapper Rick Ross’ label — Universal Music Group Recordings, Slip-N-Slide Records — the independent label the rapper first signed to before signing to a major — and Jay-Z, who was President of Def Jam Records when rapper Rick Ross signed to the label in 2006.

Jay-Z is named in the suit because, according to Ross, he is partially responsible for the trademark infringement since he allowed rapper Rick Ross to sing under that artistic name. Miami New Times reports that Jay-Z might have to testify in court, since Judge Percy Anderson has issued a summons that may require him to do so.

Allhiphop.com also reports that lawyers for Ross are seeking a temporary restraining order for preliminary and permanent injunction relief, to officially block the release of rapper Rick Ross‘ upcoming album, “Teflon Don.” The project is scheduled to be released on July 20, 2010.