Anyway, if you frequent these parts, then you’re pretty familiar with my magazine game; I GETZ THEM EARLY, LOL! This time, I didn’t hit my secret newsstand, I actually swiped it from an associate at an event several days ago. Since this issue doesn’t hit stores until February 17, I think I’m WAAAY ahead of the game with this issue. Others may have it (VIBE employees), but like always, your exclusive preview is available here……..FIRST!

Looks like VIBE is on that fresh sh*t because all the contents in this issue are geared towards the fresh and the FRESH ONLY. The Evolution of Andre Benjamin: FRESH! The White Tee: ReFRESHing! The Tattoo: SEXY FRESH! Terrence Dean breaks down The J-Sette (the dance routine seen in Beyonce’s, “Single Ladies” visual), while Memsor Kamarake rebirths and re-styles “The Black Model”.

Of course, an issue on Style wouldn’t be complete without the 31 Most Stylish individuals in the game. And since I’m not THAT much into the style realm, I’m not sure how valid these rankings are. Now I could sit here and reveal the entire list, but that would probably piss off B.W., D.Smith and the homey J.Cummings, so I’ll just list a couple names sans their rankings. Also, this list isn’t in any particular order, I’m just randomly naming the participants involved; Troy Polamalu (Pittsburgh Steelers), Kanye West, Alain “A-Trak” Macklovitch, Yung Dro, Vashti Kola (IM GOING TO MARRY HER), Wale, Solange, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, Travis McCoy, Keri Hilson, Estelle, Neyo, MIA, and many more!

Oh, and I can’t forget the cover girl herself, Keyshia Cole. This isn’t one those interviews (where’s your life at now, how is Young Jeezy doing, is your show scripted), this is a FRESH interview. Keyshia discusses the evolution of her style, the influences that make up her style and where she’s headed (style wise). Check out what she had to say……

Keyshia Cole on developing into the person she is now….

“I used to be real passive, no matter what it was–my performing, everyday living, a man, family. Now, it’s like I’ve got to put my foot down. I’ve come too far to keep accepting a lot of anything. I’m comfortable with myself.”

Keyshia Cole on her mother influencing her style…..

“Not necessarily, because my mom…..it depends. [My adoptive mother]Yvonne Cole, definitely. Definitely more than my biological mother because while I was around my mother my entire life, she was really gone. I’d see her, I would find her and in the next 10 minutes she would be gone. She was constantly moving. But Yvonne taught me everything about being a woman that I need to know. Everything. Don’t go to church without a slip. All of that.”

Think you feel fresh now, wait until you devour the entire issue. Once again, VIBE Magazine proves why they’re always one step ahead. (WHAD UP DANNY?).

Sincerely

Low “I’m So Dope Boy Fresh…I Think” Key  

Alright ladies and germs, let’s get one thing clear, this list is dedicated to those who DESTROYED (in a good way, except the last 2 lol) 2008. This is not a list showcasing my undying hate for these specific individual(s), it’s more like a bevy of reasons on why they should take a 365 day breather so either their proteges can get some breathing room or so they can take a VERY well deserved break. I’ll keep it short and to the point, but I know a majority of you will feel the same way, so please, don’t hesitate to chime in below in our wonderful comments section that you guys LOVE to play in lol.

1. Kanye West 

Despite the death of his mother and severing ties with his OH SO gorgeous fiance, Yeezy did the inevitable and took to the stage and the studio to conquer every Billboard chart and iTunes list there was to conquer. He showed us the real meaning of “Stadium Status” by embarking on a nationwide excursion as well as an international expedition for his Glow In The Dark set. Though it was incredibly hard for him at times, Ye proved he was stronger than most, but showed a bit of vulnerability on stage when he couldn’t stomach the memories of his loving mother. In that process, 808’s & Heartbreak was conceived, which argubally could be Kanye’s best work to date. If Kanye has anything left to show, it would be amazing, and since he probably does, I suggest he save it for 2010…I’m sure we’ll be yearning for another extraordinary project from the “Voice of our generation”.

2. Beyonce 

As most of you may know, I HATE Beyonce….HAHAHAHHA (Some of you have NO sense of humor, I swear). Regardless of what I’ve written about the “Diva”, Mrs. Carter devoured the latter half of 2008, WHOLE. And judging by her major promotional blitz earlier last month, it’s only going to get worse in 2009. A international tour commencing in April, several movies in the works and of course MORE offerings from I Am…..Sasha Fierce, I’ll probably be suggesting Beyonce to fall back in 2010 as well. I have to hand it to the “privileged” mamacita, she knows how to get it done, but, for some odd reason, I can year Young H-O (Jay-Z) in the rear WISHING she would just sit the hell down (again, I’m just joking lol).

3. T-Pain 

I was sort of on the fence about putting the Tallahassee Titan on this list, but he too is in need of a well deserved break. If I’m not mistaken, this kid was on 37 at ONE TIME??? How the hell do you accomplish that without burning out? Maybe this was the year for him to prove that ugly people can also be successful (Zing…Ok, I’m sorry). He produced, composed, and performed for just about each of his superstar friends and a majority of them returned the favor on his third offering, Thr33 Ringz, which for the most part served the industry to it’s mainstream liking. I can’t imagine the ish he has in store for 2009, but, it would be a blessing to see him just FALL BACK behind the curtains for 365 days because since the birth of the Auto-Tune, every moron with a microphone thought it would bring joy and prosperity to them as it did for him. We’ll miss you, Pain…but not that much because we have PLENTY of material from you that’ll last us until 2012.

4. Diddy  

Ahhhh Diddy. Maybe his NYE proposal was his own way of telling the world he was hitting the behind the scenes market so he could focus more on his empire. But since that didn’t pan out like originally planned, his plague will now infiltrate our souls for ANOTHER 365 days (pegged as The Gift and The Curse). We all witnessed his “Diddy Blog” web series first hand, observed the inner rumblings of Danity Kane and watched him parade two beautiful baby girls in the media as if they were prized Turkey’s over the course of 2008 and oddly enough, he’s only getting started. Diddy+T-Pain= UGH! Yes, I’ll be front and center when that project hits the masses, but I’m not sure that’s the best route for Mr. OrangeJuiceInMyFruitLoops. The T-Pain collaboration train left the station a LOONNNNG time ago. Ciroc Obama (I hate that name more than Barack does himself, lol) loves the spotlight, but the real question is….how much does it love him and for how long?

5. Soulja Boy 

Give it a rest kid, it’s over…for now. The Sophomore Slump slapped you harder than Maino did Yung Berg and you have YET to recover from the travesty. 46K in seven days??? Yep, it’s time for that career intervention….fast! Beefing with Ice-T was cool, but it went down hill when you decided to give Charles Hamilton a tongue lashing via your YouTube channel. Not taking anything away from CH, but tell me, how many cool points were you really trying to gain from that? Funny how that little situation hit the light several weeks before the release of your album. Come on dude, you have to be a BIT smarter than that. Don’t worry, the kids STILL love you, but step up your marketing game, we’ve heard it all before. Oh, and that home invasion thing you have going on right now….you better have a good story to follow up with that one, the world is WATCHING.

 Honorable Mention

1. Jim Jones.

2. Lil Wayne (only because the sight of his face tattoos keep me tossing and turning at night).  

3. Busta Rhymes (You can blame “Arab Money” for that, Busta).

4. DJ Khaled (You are the best, but only in limited areas).

5. Frankie (I could list 546546465 reasons, but I have places to go today).

6. Ron Browz (Until he translates the chorus of “Arab Money” he’s not allowed out of his studio).

Sincerely

Low “One more person to say 200Mine is going on this LIST…SUPERSTAR OR NOT” Key 

At first I was reluctant in releasing such private information to the masses, but then I thought, if I release them through the internets, maybe it’ll end up in the hands of Mr. Claus. So, without further ado, here are three “Dear Santa” letters I found that you might find interesting. MERRY XMAS

Dear Santa

As you can see, it’s been a rough year for me. 19,000 copies in seven days, backhanded by Maino’s hand of god, my favorite piece of jewelry is being paraded through Atlanta like the Olyimpic Torch and every dark skinned female in America hates me. I swear, when I started 2008, I wanted nothing but positive success, a growth spurt and for people to believe I was really a rapper, but nothing of the sort has been achieved. I know you’re a man of many miracles, so please bless me with one tomorrow. Seeing how the damage is done, there’s probably not to much you can do, but at this point I’ll take anything to get me out this hole I’ve dug myself into. I won’t take much more of your time, my plea has been delivered.

Sincerely

Yung “I swear I love dark skinned women, I really DO” Berg

Dear Santa

How in the hell did this happen? 46K in seven days…wait, this is a dream right? This time last year, I was touring the country spewing out the hot fire that is “Crank Dat”. Wasn’t that success supposed to carry over into my sophomore set? I mean I had all the right ingredients; Beef with an established artist, issue an absurd statement and record myself doing incredibly moronic stuff, WHAT HAPPENED? Whatever, the damage is done and I’m not the type to dwell. However, you’re St. Nick, so I know you have a couple tricks up your sleeve. So, this Christmas, can we please tell my fans that iSoulja Boy was a street release and the REAL album is coming in January? I can assure you this will work. I have those kids wrapped around my lil finger, as well as their parents. Let’s be real, do you honestly think I’m ready to be a “Positive Role Model” for the youth??? I’m recording a new episode of “Rich Ni**a Sh*t” right now. Come on big man, work your magic.

Sincerely

Soulja “I think I’ve hit rock bottom…THIS CAN’T BE LIFE” Boy

Dear Santa

Look Fat Boy, this is my 7th letter searching for assistance in regards to my “legal issue” and you have yet to answer me….wait……NOT GUILTY!!! NEVERMIND!

Sincerely

R “THERE REALLY IS A SANTA CLAUS” Kelly

From what I’m told, “Yamaha Mama” is set to be Soulja’s second single from his sophomore LP, iSouljaBoy, which is set to be released in December. His first single, “Birdwalk” isn’t really picking up steam like expected, but I’m sure this “YM” featuring Chris Brown will do some damage on 106 and Park once the visual is created. Remember, take the song for what it’s worth. If you’re looking for lyrical wordplay, YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED, lol!

Soulja Boy ft. Chris Brown- Yamaha Mama |Prod. By Polow Da Don|

Like it, Love it or Leave it??????

Sincerely

Low “It’s just a song….treat it as such” Key 

Nelly defends the lil homey!

The crusade for “Leave of Soulja Boy Alone” has now picked up St. Lunatic, Nelly, and the newest addition to Sean John’s modeling team has PLENTY to say. Since the start of this perciluar feud, many of the industry’s OG’z have stepped in to voice their concern in regards to Ice-T speaking out against the 18 year old youngster, many of which, suggest that the Ice man go about his business.

In an exclusive interview with ThisIs50.Com, Nelly, basically lets the west coast legend have it, to say the least. “Hip hop was created for the youth, by the youth, so why is all these old mothafu*kaz trying to control it, you know what I’m saying? asks an obviously aggitated Nelly. He continues later in the clip, “How the fu*k you gon tell a 14 year old boy or a 14 year old girl that they shouldn’t be listening to that, when your parents told you that LL Cool J wasn’t music?” 

It’s actually insanely heat warming to see these established artists step up to the plate and defend Soulja because that lets us further know the hip hop generation gap isn’t that far apart. I wonder if Ice ever thought the reaction to his “I hate Soulja Boy” rant would cause this much controversy? Or, was it a ploy for the old fellar to regain relevancy in today’s Hip Hop realm??

Wait, Nelly isn’t finished with Mr. Colors. He also posed the question, “What are you doing listening to a 17 year old boy anyway, judging him? That sh^t right there is wack, that’s the wackest part ever….it’s like come on man, you look like a fu*king old geezer telling them kidz that. Those kidz don’t know no fu@kin Ice-T”. OUCH!

Well, I COMPLETELY understand Nelly’s POV. And like Ice-T, I once shared the same sentiments of the “Soulja Boy Killed Hip Hop” rhetoric, but once I started to really grasp that the lil homey was just having fun and providing for his loved ones, I quickly sat my hatin ass down and erased the “I’m a 25 year old bitter hip hop brother” sign from my forehead, because in reality, that’s all Ice-T is…..BITTER!

Sincerely

Low “Hate is such an ugly color” Key

It’s come to my attention that in the last 24 months, hip hop has become friendly; weird right? Not that I condone hip hop warfare, but it’s mind boggling how all of a sudden one minute two rivals are penning viscous responses and the next they’re recording songs together. Maybe it’s this recession we’re enduring or the fact that Sarah Palin doesn’t have the slightest clue as to what the Bush Doctrine is (so sad).

Regardless, rappers are making amends, and it’s happening at the speed of light. First, Jay and Nas kicked of the “Hip Homey” brigade by ceasing the peace at Power 105’s, I Declare War Concert. The two lyrical prophets graced the stage; hugging, kissing and rapping each other’s songs to the pleasure of 20,000 screaming hip hop advocates. After that, it was all down hill from there (in regards to hip hop beefs). Now, I’m not going to sit here and address each beef that was resolved in the last year and a half (Jada vs. 50 Cent, T.I. Vs. Shawty Lo, Ludacris vs. T.I. to name a few), but I will list the active beefs that still plague our mixtapes, radio shows and hood dvd’s.

Active “Beef” List

B.I.G vs 2Pac (Forever unresolved)

Jay-Z vs. Dame Dash

Dipset vs. Cam’ron

Ja Rule vs. 50 Cent

Fat Joe vs. 50 Cent

The Game vs. G-Unit

Young Buck vs. 50 Cent

Foxy Brown vs. Lil Ki

Remy Ma vs. Foxy Brown

Neyo vs. R.Kelly

R.Kelly vs. Jay-Z

T-Pain vs Unapproved Auto-Tune users

Soulja Boy vs. Ice T

Jermaine Dupri vs. Greg Street

 Alright, that’s all I could conjure up for the moment; however, your job is JUST getting started. If you had the chance to mend any of these “active” hip hop beef’s, which one would it be and why??? Yes, I know it’s Friday, but Summer hours are over, and I know most of you have about 3 hours left till you start your weekend…so get to work, lol!

Sincerely

Low “NO MORE DRAMA” Key

Sincerely

Low “Congratulations to 106 & Park” Key

P.S. Skate over to this part of town for more exclusive photos from 106 & Park’s 2000th episode

Mr. 106 & Park, Bow Wow, hits the stage for a surprise performance during the 2000th episode….

Jennifer Hudson celebrates 106’s 2000th episode in, well, Jennifer Hudson style……

Juelz Santana and Jim Jones came out to celebrate 106 & Park’s 2000th episode…

Big Tigger schools Terrence J on some of the early 106 & Park days……

Keyshia Cole, Rocsi and Terrence J share a funny moment during the 2000th episode…

The King of the South stopped by to show Terrence J and Rocsi some love. The hell is Rocsi looking at?????

You BOTH will put shirts on…..RIGHT NOW!

Terrence Howard came by to celebrate as well…..

T.I. and Soulja Boy take a minute for the camera’s backstage..

You have to love Kanye for his brash commentary. It’s offensive (not so much, though), it’s refreshing, it enlightens and it’s extremely informative, to say the least. Last night, I received a last minute call to attend Kanye’s bonus Glow In The Dark show @ Madison Square Garden and since I’m a major Kanye stan (stalker, advocate, supporter or whatever lol), I’d be George Bush (dum, lol) to turn down the opportunity.

As always, Kanye delivered, but I never doubted that he would. It was towards the end of the show where the attendees got their money’s worth (not me, I didn’t pay lol). Instead of me trying to dissect and explain Kanye’s rhetoric from last night, I grabbed a majority of his “PSA”. Click the link below….

Kanye lets it alllllllll OUT!!

Vintage Kanye. I LOVE IT!

Sincerely

Low “And I WONDER” Key

I know a majority of you are pretty exhausted from all this Ice Tea/Soulja Boy foolery, but one of the OG’s has just chimed in, and surprisingly has taken the youngin’s side. On a recent episode of Rap City, DJ Q45 posed the question of “What do you think of hip hop today?” As if LL had this response pre-meditated, the GOAT quickly came to the defense of Soulja Boy and stated, “I think a lot of the older cats need to relax. You have to give the young boys their room and let them do what they do.”

With a response like that, I’m sure some of the OG’z are going to spew their hateful thoughts at The GOAT as well as Soulja Boy in the near future.  But wait, it gets better, “These guys need to let these boys get out their and excel. Soulja Boy has the right to make whatever he wants to make. Nobody told Joeski Love 100 years ago he couldn’t make Pee Wee Herman, so why can’t Soulja Boy make what he makes?” Truuuu, truuuu! I remember when Soulja Boy first came out, I too, had the same pinheaded argument Ice T embedded, but then I realized, who the hell am I to dictate what someone else is doing, let alone hinder any positive process they’re trying to maneuver.

And last but not least, LL threw a lil  jab at the Brisk man (Ice Tea. Not funny?? No..Ok lol), “I don’t have no problems with Ice, but Ice needs to relax. Let’s make a movie together. (Gesturing towards camera) Let’s make a movie together, me and youuuu!”

Thoughts????

Sincerely

Low “Let the young boy’s get their money, Ice” Key 

So I was browsing the internets earlier this morning and I stumbled across a lil tit for tat grudge match between Soulja Boy and Ice-T (yea, I was shocked just like you). Now it’s come to my attention that the internet is a great forum to respond to allegations, hateful responses or just another lane to make absurd comments.

With that said, Ice-T has taken it upon himself to denounce the success of Mr. Soulja Boy himself in a brief but yet aggressive interlude on the release of an upcoming mixtape. Ice, who is an obvious Legend in this thing we call HIP HOP goes on to tell Soulja Boy to “Eat a….”! Yea, kind of harsh isn’t it. He then informs the youngster that he single handedly the art of hip hop due to his “Superman” antics. The part that made me chuckle was when Ice said, and I quote, “Man you ni**az is looking happy and sh*t” What in the hell??? Why in the world is Ice-T taking his frustrations out on Soulja Boy’s happiness? Like honestly, is it really that deep?

Like I said before, the internet is a great lane to deliver a response, because Soulja Boy went ahead and recorded his rebutal to the Westcoast legend.  Though Soulja kept calling him “Old” and even asserted Ice-T was around before the first Walmart was conceived (that was funny as hell lol), he does have a point in his mini rant. If Ice-T is that upset about the quality in today’s hip hip culture, why not hop of the hater horse and alter what needs to be altered. Anyway, check out what Soulja had to say in his 7 minute response….

Alright ladies and gents let’s go to work!!

You know what, I can’t even present the notion of choosing sides on this issue, Ice T was wrong! SPEAK ON IT LADIES AND GENTS!

Sincerely

Low “Damn Ice, it’s like that?” Key