Kendrick Lamar’s long-awaited Aftermath debut, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, is in stores today, and word is that XXL Magazine has given it the coveted “XXL” perfect rating. In other news, the album is expected to sell over 200k in it’s first week, but won’t score the #1 spot, as Taylor Swift’s Red will enter with [cont.]

Freeway will return on November 13th with Diamond In The Ruff. Here is a look at the tracklist. 1. Right Back (featuring Marsha Ambrosius) 2. Greatness (featuring Vivian Green) 3. The Thirst 4. Wonder Tape 5. No Doubt 6. Dream Big (featuring Musiq Soulchild) 7. Early 8. Ghetto Streets 9. Numbers (featuring Neef Buck) 10. [cont.]

Masta Killa may not be the most high-profile member of the Wu-Tang Clan, but he’s undoubtedly among the most consistent. The last original member to go solo, Killa has released two critically acclaimed albums in No Said Date and Made In Brooklyn, and has repeatedly stolen the show on recent Wu classics like Ghostface’s Fishscale, [cont.]

Fabolous delivered a nice surprise today via Twitter, revealing the cover art for his new mixtape The Soul Tape Vol. 2, which will drop on November 22nd, Thanksgiving.

P.O.S. camp has released the above video, and the following statement: P.O.S has to cancel his entire fall tour (with the exception of the First Avenue show on 10/26) and he has to postpone future tour plans due to his emergent need to have a kidney transplant. All tour ticket refunds will be available at [cont.]

Updated: Video footage added. 2 Chainz performed at Howard University’s Yardfest homecoming event on Saturday, which found him bringing special guests Pusha T and Drake out during his set, from two camps that have had a long-standing beef over the last year, G.O.O.D. Music and YMCMB. Pusha T was brought out first during the performance [cont.]

Game took to Twitter to show off what may be the final artwork for his upcoming Jesus Piece LP, which depicts Jesus Christ wearing a red bandana over his face, wearing a gold Jesus chain, and sporting a tear drop tattoo. While this doesn’t really faze us, we imagine that it will cause quite a [cont.]

In a story we’ve been reporting on since July, AnimationOnFox gives us a sneak peak of the season premiere of The Cleveland Show, entitled “Menace II Secret Society”, which will feature each ?uestlove, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Bruno Mars, Will.I.Am as members of the hip-hop illuminati.

Dropping November 20th, via iHipHop. 1. Intro (ft Trademark Da Skydiver & Young Roddy). 2. Welcome (ft Trademark Da Skydiver & Young Roddy) 3. No Sleep (ft Curren$y, Trademark Da Skydiver & Young Roddy) 4. Never Will (ft Trademark Da Skydiver & Young Roddy) 5. The Vision (ft Trademark Da Skydiver & Young Roddy) 6. [cont.]

Due November 27th, Pac Div returns with GMB. Guest shots include Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, Blu, Kurupt and more.

After blowing minds with their essential Raekwon Only Built For Cuban Links: Purple Tape Edition, Get Down Records are next planning a premium edition of Nas’ Illmatic, their website teases. No official details have been released yet, but knowing them, we expect nothing but the best. They are offering fans a chance to “sign-up” for [cont.]

BET has partnered with the Brick City TV producers Marc Levin and Mark Benjamin, (producers of the Peabody Award-winning and twice Emmy nominated series “Brick City”) and Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award nominated filmmaker Sam Pollard (“Slavery By Another Name” and “Four Little Girls”) to produce a two-part news documentary, “SECOND COMING?: WILL BLACK AMERICA [cont.]

To cap off a year of career highlights, including producing a pair of the years most critically heralded albums (his own and Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music), playing festivals like Coachella and it’s sister cruise ship festival, and collaborating with a diverse litany of artists like Gucci Mane, Slaughterhouse, Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, and Danny Brown, El-P [cont.]

Here is what the front of Lil Wayne’s new autobiographical account of his time at Riker’s Island looks like, entitled, Gone Til November: 8 Months On Riker’s Island. The book will hit stores May 14, 2013.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ stellar The Heist LP, performed well beyond expectations, which predicted to be in the 40,000-to-60,000 range, actually opening with 78,000 copies sold in it’s first week, released independently through Alternative Distribution Alliance. 83% of the sales were digital, helping it land that coveted number 1 spot on the Billboard 200 albums [cont.]

This Parisian interviewer is beside himself with excitement in this interview with 50 Cent, about his line of SMS Headphones. While this awkward interview could have been edited down a bit, it does have some key reveals. Fif mentions that the Street King Immortal has been pushed back again from it’s release date of Nov. [cont.]

Nine Inch Nails mastermind, Trent Reznor, has revealed via Facebook, that he is working on “interesting projects” with Beats By Dre. While little details have been given, Reznor says he has worked with Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine and the Beats By Dre team for the past year, on something that is “probably not what you’re [cont.]

In a move that couldn’t seem like a more natural fit, The Roots frontman, ?uestlove, will teach a course at New York University next Spring called “Classic Albums”, alongside Universal Music Enterprises VP of A&R, Harry Weinger. This came about after ?uestlove read a review of Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To [cont.]

Tech N9ne will follow up his recently released E.B.A.H. EP with the Boiling Point EP, due October 30th. 1. URALYA 2. Fire in AC (feat. Krizz Kaliko and Smackola from Dirty Wormz) 3. Should I Killer 4. Hunger (fear. Brotha Lynch Hung and Bishop) 5. Paint On Your Pillowcase (feat. Aquaelo) 6. Heavy 7. Alone [cont.]

Hitting November 6th. 1. CAri ZALloni (Prod. By Dot Da Genius) 2. Cheap Whores & Champagne (Prod. By Harry Fraud) 3. Telephuck feat. Gucci Mane (Prod. By El-P) 4. Supa Speaks (Interlude) 5. AGGIN LAER feat. Goldie Glo (Prod. By SPACEGHOSTPURRP) 6. The Message Pt. 1 & 2 (Prod. By BSBD)