Just Blaze Gets Custom Sneaker

Superproducer Just Blaze is an avid sneaker head and a big fan of Polo Ralph Lauren; his collection is the stuff of legend. Now, Just Blaze has inked a deal with shoe company Supra to release a custom version of their Skytop II model.

Supra will only release 413 pairs of the limited edition show, and will only be made available at certain retail outlets around the world.

For the big launch, Just Blaze and Supra are hosting a soiree in New York city for anyone buying a pair from Supra's Manhattan store. Just Blaze joins Kanye West, DJ Clark Kent, and ?uestlove as hip hop notables that have landed their own Supra shoe.

Kendrick Lamar Discusses Album

Kendrick Lamar revealed that he's enlisted superproducers Just Blaze and Pete Rock for production on his forthcoming debut album. And though he hasn't hit the studio with Pete Rock just yet, he revealed that the legendary beatsmith contacted him personally.

“Yeah, me and Just [Blaze] got some sh*t,” Lamar told XXL. “We got some shit. It’s city-based for sure. It’s classic. It’s history-making sh*t. It’s Just Blaze, a n***a I been listening to since I was 13 when I started rhyming, listening to Jay[-Z] and all those Roc-A-Fella albums...I’m [also] looking forward to working with Pete Rock. He just reached out to me. That feels muthaf**kin’ great. I got to get back to him, so we can make it work.”

“I don’t want to put no date out there because I know as soon as you put the date out there, the pressure is on and people want it,” he said. “I’m just going to work. Nothing’s perfect, but I want to make it where I’m comfortable with it and officially done me all the way, the only way I know how to.”

50 Cent Talks Big

50 Cent sounds confident in his upcoming album. But then again--50 always sounds confident. But this album has been delayed numerous times and even shelved indefinitely at one point--so how good can it be, really? According to Fif--it's very good.

But again--that's according to Fif.

"I can't wait till my album comes out. I think things will shift," 50 said. "Everybody who fell in love with what I fell in love with in hip-hop will respond to it because it's got the right tones on it...I did four songs in Detroit with [Eminem]. I did two with Just Blaze, a Boi-1da joint, and I did something with Alex Da Kid. I got some heat...We made two that are definite singles and the other two are the kinds of records that we been making, more aimed at my core audience, more aggressive, more of a different kind of energy to it...I say, which one makes me feel good when I hear it? That's the one I'm keeping."

Just Blaze Explains Cam'ron Rift

Superproducer Just Blaze is sharing some details regarding exactly what led to long-standing ill will between he and rapper Cam'ron. Turns out, it all starts with a Dipset chain.

"I walked into the studio one day and Cam said to me, 'You should've been Dipset,' " he said. "He had just bought like 10 Dipset chains, so I was like, 'I need my chain -- wassup?' " A week passed, and Blaze again asked Cam about securing a Diplomats piece. "He was like, 'Yo, I had the chain but you should've been Dipset,' " Blaze recalled Cam'ron. "I said, 'I'm Dipset just as much as I am State Property, just as I am Get Low, just as I am Roc-A-Fella.'"

But things worsened after a studio incident. A misunderstanding over booked time led to Cam dissing Just on the phone. "'Eff you, eff your beats. It's no drama, we're just not effin with you no more." Just Blaze said Cam'ron said. The two have since patched things up, though Just says their relationship has ever fully recovered.

Bin Laden Dead: Hip Hop Reacts

The world was stunned by the news late Sunday (May 1) night that al-Qaeda figurehead Osama Bin Laden had been killed. President Barack Obama addressed the announcement. "Tonight I can report to the American people and the world the United States has conducted an operation that has killed Osama Bin Laden," President Obama said. "Today, at my direction, the U.S. launched a targeted operation against that compound. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed."

Various hip hop artists reacted via Twitter, with responses that ranged from skepticism to fear to ambivalence.

"Osama dead!?!" Lupe Fiasco tweeted. "Afghan operation done now!?? Now kill wack schools and US imperialism."

"I'm in Korea right now watching CNN and I just heard Osama Bin Laden is dead," will.I.am tweeted. "USA is at it again, number one in the rankings of killing championships. Stealing the gold in the murder Olympics and the crowd goes wild!" added Chuck D.

"They are saying Bin Laden is dead, I need to see the body," Jermaine Dupri tweeted.

"Don't nobody care about no Bin Laden death," tweeted Royce da 5'9.

"So I just landed and heard this Bin Laden news," Just Blaze tweeted. "That's cool and all but I feel like this is only gonna rile them al-Qaeda boys up crazy…Like 'Oh you just killed the boss? OK check this out. We's blown up evvvvverything! Hide ya kids hide ya wife!"