Benzino Apologizes For Eminem Feud

Benzino again revisited his early 2000s feud with hip hop star Eminem and, in an interview with Global Grind, shared his regret at the incident. Admitting that he felt somewhat untouchable as the head of The Source magazine, Benzino said that he took things too far during the much-publicized beef.

"When the Eminem situation happened, I was just on top and I didn't have to answer to nobody," he said. "When you're on top and even with a lot of people in New York [and] even with labels, you still have to answer to somebody. Me and Dave [Mays, co-founder] was [at The Source], and at that point, I wanted to prove to everybody like, 'Listen, I'm the one running this here and I can do this without reservation'…it was a mistake for me getting involved in the situation with Eminem."

"The Eminem thing started getting uglier and uglier, and of course I can take responsibility for some of the stuff I said as far as directly towards his family, you know, really personal shots," he continued. "It was out of order. I believe some of the stuff that he said was out of order also, but at the end of the day, it's all fair in war…if I could do it over again, I definitely would. Eminem was and still is a major force. Hip Hop has brought cultures together - Asian, Latino, Black, White - and I should have been more responsible…[If I met him today] first I'd want to apologize for the Hailie [Em's daughter] references."

Eminem's Manager Denies Track Rumor

Eminem's manager, Paul Rosenberg, has dismissed a web rumor that claimed a song by Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga was in the works. Several outlets recently reported that the trio were releasing a track, and referenced a supposed confirmation by Slim Shady himself. However, Rosenberg says that no such song exists.

"People don't hear from Marshall for a spell and they just start making stuff up," Rosenberg tweeted. "Thirsty world!"

The rumors alleged that Eminem was planning to release the track officially shortly after the Slaughterhouse album dropped.

Eminem Explains Bond WIth 50 Cent

Eminem has a tremendous amount of respect for his longtime associate 50 Cent. Em spoke at-length about 50's drive to succeed and revealed that he's seen that spark in his friend and collaborator the entire time that they've been recording together. "Ever since we started making music with Fif, it was kind of like a mutual respect thing and we became friends outside of the music," Em said of their bond. "If you put the music aside, we can just talk about [anything], you know what I'm saying?" he continued. "50 is very big on the business aspect in his career. I would consider him a smart businessman. Not saying that I'm not, but I don't get into as much of the technical aspect in the business sense. Like, I have no idea what's going on. Ever. I don't even know where I'm at right now."

Eminem has a tremendous amount of respect for his longtime associate 50 Cent. Em spoke at-length about 50's drive to succeed and revealed that he's seen that spark in his friend and collaborator the entire time that they've been recording together.

"Ever since we started making music with Fif, it was kind of like a mutual respect thing and we became friends outside of the music," Em said of their bond.

"If you put the music aside, we can just talk about [anything], you know what I'm saying?" he continued. "50 is very big on the business aspect in his career. I would consider him a smart businessman. Not saying that I'm not, but I don't get into as much of the technical aspect in the business sense. Like, I have no idea what's going on. Ever. I don't even know where I'm at right now."

Chief Keef Signs With Interscope

Just prior to taking the stage at Atlanta's Birthday Bash, rapper Chief Keef inked a record deal with Interscope Records. The teenage rapper from Chicago had been wooed heavily by several hip hop labels, most notably Cash Money Records and T.I.'s Grand Hustle imprint, but ultimately decided to go with Jimmy Iovine's label.

"I've been talkin' to a lot of labels, but I just noticed that Interscope got people like 50, Eminem," Keef told RapFix about the decision.

Keef was also reportedly given his own label deal for his GBE imprint and was given a multi-movie film deal with Interscope's motion picture division. The rapper also was reportedly guaranteed his own Beats By Dre signature headphone line.

Eminem Shelves "Southpaw"

Rapper Eminem won't be making the return to major motion pictures anytime soon. Em had been slated to star in the boxing film Southpaw, and the project has been 'in the wind' for almost two years, but it looks like he's putting it on hold for now.

According to reports, Eminem is more focused on music currently.

“He’s focusing on his music right now, so while he’s doing that, while he’s in that space, he wanted to put this on hold for the time being,” said Dennis Dennehy, executive vice president of marketing and publicity at Interscope Records. “What I’m told is when the film does get made, the plan is that the bulk of it will be shot in Michigan. That was always the understanding.”

2Pac Rocks Coachella

Dr. Dre had the most talked-about set at the Coachella festival. Dre performed Sunday (April 15th) night, with a bevy of superstar guest appearances--including Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, 50 Cent, Kurupt, Wiz Khalifa, Eminem and, amazingly, 2Pac. A hologram of the legendary rapper was projected onstage and performed ‘Hail Mary’ and the 2Pac/Snoop Dogg duet "Two Of American’s Most Wanted."

The image sent the crowd into a frenzy and Twitter buzzed with fans' reactions.

The set list was packed with numerous classic tracks--which is to be expected given Dre's lengthy run of hits and the numerous acts he's produced hits for. "The Next Episode, "Ain’t No Fun," "Drop It Like It’s Hot," and several other songs were a part of the set, before the Doctor ended the show with "Still D.R.E."

Mac Miller Is Staying Indie

Mac Miller doesn't see the benefits of signing with a major label. The indie star was featured on Forbes "30 Under 30" list, and shared that he's happy without being under the thumb of a powerhouse.

“So my whole thing is, I’m more into keeping independent because I’m more into working with people who I know very well,” he said. “But if I reach a point where there’s things I can’t do, which we haven’t reached that point yet, but if I ever reach a point where there’s something I can’t do and I need some help with a major, who knows. I’m not anti-major, like 'I hate the majors.' I’m not that type of person.”

He also acknowledged that there will be critics who will compare him to his contemporaries for obvious reasons.

“People are going to call me Eminem maybe cause I’m white, or Wiz ‘cause I’m from Pittsburgh and that’s my friend. But I don’t really worry about comparisons, because when it’s all said and done, there will be no more comparisons," he added. "I’m a 19-year-old kid and fairly new at this.”

Eminem, Lil Wayne Rock Australia

Hip hop stars Eminem and Lil Wayne kicked off their tour of Australia with a fiery performance at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. The two took the stage for separate performances, with Em running through his hits and Wayne doing the same.

The shows are the beginning of what will be Em's first series of Australian shows in over a decade.

Lil Wayne had to cancel several upcoming stops Down Under, including shows in Adelaide and Perth. The cancellations were reportedly due to scheduling conflicts.

T.I. Inspired By Eminem

T.I. revealed to Billboard's The Juice that he looked to fellow rap superstar Eminem for inspiration during what Tip thought may have been a developing drug habit last year. T.I. says he was worried that he was becoming addicted to the prescription pills oxycontin and hydrocodone following some oral surgeries.

"I haven't had a chance to speak to Em since I've been home," T.I. said. "I heard that while I was down, he was trying to get in contact with me, but I don't know if the dots just didn't connect. [Eminem] overcoming his own adversities, winning the battle against his own demons and continuing to break the mold and re-set the standard of what it means to be the most successful hip-hop artist in the game ... I salute that to no end."

T.I. also addressed addiction in general.

He also shared some words on what addicts can do to help kick their habits. "It starts with you on the inside," he said. "I can give all the advice in the world, but at the end of the day you just got to make that decision internally with yourself. You have to see that you are ready to make a change. Until that moment comes, all advice in the world is going to be in vain cause I'm going to be talking to a brick wall.

"Everybody can tell you what you need to do, how to do it, when you need to do it, how bad you need to do it," he continued. "But until you get that right ass whipping, as they say, and until you have hit rock bottom or have seen something in yourself that is so out of character and it displeases you so much that you just have no choice but to change it ... then you ain't going to see it."

Gangsta Boo On Three Six Mafia:

Gangsta Boo shared her enthusiasm for having worked with Eminem and Yelawolf on Wolf's track "Throw It Up." The Memphis rapper says that she enjoyed collaborating with the Shady stars.

"There's a song I got on Yelawolf's new album featuring me and Eminem," she says. "I'm on the chorus. I wrote the chorus. I wrote my verse. Eminem shouted me out in his verse. I just think it's a dope ass song, a dope ass collaboration."

Gangsta Boo also discussed her history with Three Six Mafia, both the good and bad.

"I went to school with DJ Paul. He saw me rapping in a talent show...Everybody liked me. Paul kept asking me to be on more and more projects that led to me being in the group," she noted. "I was sixteen. I was young. It was fun. A lot of the sound you hear now is the sound that we created."

"I would have kept my publishing," she says. "I would have not mixed business with pleasure...It was more on some Biggie and Kim type sh*t [with DJ Paul]. That and before I had left the group, I would have advised Gangsta Boo to ride the wave a little more. But, I'm still here."

Syleena Johnson Loves Eminem?

R&B diva Syleena Johnson is more of a hip hop head than fans realize. The singer revealed in a recent interview that one of her favorite rappers is Eminem and one of her favorite albums is hisMarshall Mathers LP. Johnson says that Em's skills speak for themselves.

She listed several of her favorites, but shared why she adores the superstar from Detroit.

"He's one of the coldest rappers. EVER," Johnson told SOHH. "It's not just because he's white and he's commercial. He's absolutely one of the coldest emcees that I ever heard. A lot of people like to get into the deep and conscious rappers. Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Nas, Jay-Z might get real deep on you, and that's my boy, I like Jay-Z, but Eminem? He can do all of those elements and he can entertain you at the same time. He can be fun, funny, deep, he's cold. He can do all of those things."

People's Choice Nominees Announced

The nominees have been announced for The People's Choice Awards to be held in January. Eminem, Jay-Z and B.o.B. are among the rappers up for awards. Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry are among the most nominated with five nods each. Soul singer Adele also landed four nominations.

Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Pitbull and Rihanna are also among the nominees. Eminem is up for Favorite Male Artist as well as Favorite Hip Hop Artist, alongside B.o.B, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, and Pitbull. Rihanna is nominated for Favorite R&B Artist against Ne-Yo and Chris Brown. The People's Choice Awards air on January 11.

AraabMUZIK Working With Eminem, Busta

Producer AraabMUZIK revealed in a new interview that he's working with a litany of top-tier hip hop artists on soon-to-be-released projects. The man best known for his work with the Diplomats spoke about what he has in store for 2012 and it reads like a laundry list of hip hop notables.

"[Making beats] became like a job, something that I'm actually doing for a living," he said. "I'm working with Slaughterhouse, Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, Fabolous, 50 Cent, obviously the new Cam'ron album. I was on Jim Jones's last album. I'm definitely going to be on a lot of projects. It's not just producing, it's also performing now, so I'm definitely considered an artist/producer."

AraabMUZIK said that he's also performing at more live events, in addition to working with some of the biggest names in the music industry.

Wolverine's An Eminem Fan?

Action star Hugh Jackman is apparently quite the hip hop fan. The star of Real Steel best known for portraying superhero Wolverine in the X-Men films shared that he's a big fan of Eminem after seeing the rapper perform live.

"I think Eminem is extraordinary, and one of the greatest live acts I've ever seen," Jackman said in an interview. "I'm a real fan of live music, but if I go to a concert and I feel that I'm just getting their CD, basically, played for me, it bores me. I would prefer to just listen to it. But he, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre: It was one of the most electrifying nights I've ever been a part of. I was actually ushered to this area and I went behind the stage and just watching Dr. Dre get ready to go onstage, it was kind of like watching a prizefighter getting ready for a big fight. There's just so much that they put in to every song. And Eminem, he's just, oh my God, he's just the consummate performer. A professional. And everything comes from an honest place. Comes from his heart. That's what I like about him."

Eminem Associate Commits Suicide

Chaos Kid, a longtime associate and friend to rapper Eminem, has committed suicide. The rapper took his life on yesterday (October 5) though details have yet to emerge surrounding the incident. Chaos and Eminem became friends sometime around 1988 and rapped and produced together for the next three-to-four years.

The teens performed and released music together as 'Soul Intent' when they were in high school.

Chaos Kid came to Eminem's defense in 2003 when a controversial demo tape featuring Em using the N-word was made public. “Marshall Mathers is not a racist,” Chaos Kid told MTVNews. “Although the songs were in bad taste, they were not intended to be taken seriously or even heard and do not represent the true sentiments of Eminem.”

Tyler Is the 'West Coast Eminem?'

Game gave Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All frontman Tyler, the Creator a pretty big cosign in a recent interview. The Compton rapper compared Tyler's gift for weird, sometimes-unsettling imagery to the over-the-top macabre raps of superstar Eminem.

Tyler and Game recently collaborated on "Martians Vs. Goblins" from Game's R.E.D. Album.

"When you're on a song with Tyler you can say whatever the f*ck you want," Game said. "I always say what I want but I don't think I go as far as Tyler...I think he's like the West Coast Eminem. He don't give a f*ck. He just rhyme about whatever and it's like right out of an open book. I like him more than I like most new rappers. He don't really want anything other than just to rap."

Eminem Ad Wins An Emmy

Eminem's 2010 Chrysler 200 Super Bowl ad was awarded with a Creative Arts Emmy last week. Those involved with the newly-iconic ad were shocked by the honor. Aaron Allen is a creative director from Wieden + Kennedy, which is the Portland and New York based ad agency that produced the commercial.

"We were very surprised," Allen said. "We really wanted to win but wondered if humor would win instead."

The ad featured Eminem driving a Chrysler through his hometown of Detroit while his 2002 hit "Lose Yourself" plays and the city's legacy is discussed by a narrator.

Cormega Discusses Eminem As 'King'

Queensbridge rhymer Cormega doesn't see anything wrong with Rolling Stone magazine naming Eminem 'King of Hip Hop.' Cormega says that Em's track record should prove that--if he's not the best--he should at least be in the discussion.

"Time and time again, Eminem has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with," Cormega told Mikey T The Movie Star. "Eminem is an incredible artist. His last album, Recovery, was just proof of his power and his impact as an artist. It's not very often, rarely if ever or never, does an artist put out an album and that album comes back to the charts. His album was a strong seller and then other albums came out that were number one -- and then Eminem's album came back to the top charts. That's historical. People's albums don't do that. Eminem has proven himself to be one of the greatest rappers."

Eminem & Lil Wayne's 6-Hour Show

Lil Wayne and Eminem fans can rejoice Down Under. The two rap superstars have united for a one-time only performance. The joint show will take place in Melbourne, Australia in December.

The rappers will perform on December 1st in a six-hour gig, with both Em and Weezy taking the same stage at Docklands.

Other acts featured on the bill include local rappers Hilltop Hoods. Two international acts will perform as well. They have yet to be announced.

Royce and Eminem Go Gold

Rappers Eminem and Royce Da 5' 9's collaborative project Bad Meets Evil: Hell The Sequel, has crossed the 500,000 unit mark. Royce announced that the album has struck gold sales status via Twitter, and showcased his new gold plaque online.

The project marked the first full project the longtime friends and former rivals from Detroit have recorded together and is one of two high-profile collaborative albums released this summer, the other being Kanye West and Jay-Z's Watch the Throne.

While Em has had multiplatinum successes throughout his career, this is one of Royce's fastest-selling releases; and the rapper received accolades on various social networks. Bad Meets Evil... was released June 14.