Rapper Young Vito Surrenders To Police In Slim Dunkin Murder Case

by Sean Ryon

     

                            

UPDATE: The man accused of murdering the Brick Squad affiliate apparently turned himself in to police earlier today.

Police have determined that rapper Young Vito is a suspect in the murder of Brick Squad affiliate Slim Dunkin, which occurred last week.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the 28-year-old, whose real name is Vinson Hardimon, is yet to turn himself in on suspicion of fatally shooting Dunkin in the chest last Friday (Dec. 16th). Police are encouraging him to turn himself in, as they have reason to believe he might be in danger.
"We are urging Mr. Hardimon to turn himself in to authorities because we have reason to believe he may be in danger," read their release.
Police are asking that anyone with information contact Atlanta Crimestoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or contact the Atlanta Police Department's homicide unit at 404-546-4235.
UPDATE: The rapper accused of murdering Slim Dunkin has turned himself in to Atlanta police. According to Access Atlanta, Vinson Hardimon, a/k/a Young Vito, turned himself in to police and is currently being held in Fulton County jail on the charges of murder and gun possession pending a bond hearing.
Atlanta homicide detective David Quinn spoke to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about Vinson's decision to turn himself in and what it means for the case. According to Det. Quinn, the police are still attempting to piece together the story behind the murder and are looking for more witness statements.
"I got a call today from [Vinson's] attorney [and] he said he wished to turn himself in," said Det. Quinn. "There were at least 30 people in the studio at the time of the shooting. They should get in touch with me. We want the facts. It's the right thing to do."
Anyone with further information on the case is advised to contact either Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477 or Det. Quinn at 404-245-8039. A video courtesy of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution can be seen below.

RELATED: Slim Dunkin's Murder Reportedly Prompted By Fight Over Candy

The Top 10 Most Popular Hip Hop Singles Of 2011

by Kathy Iandoli

                           

After tallying the weekly Top Singles, here are the Top Singles of the entire year.

The Top 10 Most Popular Hip Hop Singles Of 2011

It's been quite a year in Hip Hop. This was definitely the year of the freestyle (we say that every year), the year of the mixtape (yeah, we say that too), and the year of the album pushback (yup, that again). Everything in Hip Hop is cyclical, but each time the same thing re-emerges, we're introduced to a tweaked formula from the last time around. In 2011, we witnessed the unification of two Hip Hop powerhouses (Jay-Z and Kanye West on Watch The Throne), we were met with an album from a famed rapper that half the public loved and the other half hated (Drake's Take Care), and we also heard a few cuts off an album that we're now being told may never happen (Dr. Dre's Detox). There was a lot more going on, and you'll see most of it on this list. As we check out the ten songs that our HipHopDX readers listened to the most, pay attention to the names. They're all familiar and all indicative of the top spots in Hip Hop. Well, with the exception of Maroon 5 of course.

1. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Otis

Having this song top the singles for 2011 on HipHopDX right before New Year's Eve is befitting. After all, "Otis" was all about celebration. Jay and Kanye took an Otis Redding sample to new heights and paired it with a video, where they strip down a Maybach and do donuts in it in front of an American flag. How's that for a party? Despite the fact that "H.A.M." (look below) was our first real glimpse into the Watch the Throne project, it was "Otis" that really had the people excited about what Jay-Z and Kanye West collectively had coming.
Listen

2. Jay-Z and Kanye West - H.A.M.

Lex Luger brought some out-of-the-box production for Jay and Ye on this one. The song was arguably bigger than the sum of its parts, and succeeded largely based upon curiosity. People had no idea what to expect after this song dropped. However, throw that badboy on at the club and everyone goes "H.A.M. aka "hard as a muthaf**ker."
Listen

3. Drake - Marvin's Room

How many times this year have you read "I'm just sayin, you could do better" on social networking sites? This song sparked the "Drake is emo" movement, crafting a song about being drunk and calling his ex-girlfriend. The sobfest carried over into other versions and freestyles. We vote for Jojo's version as the best one.
Listen

4. Young Jeezy featuring Lil Wayne - Ballin

Many moons ago, people thought this track right here was the first look into Young Jeezy's Thug Motivation 103, as he and Lil Wayne stomped all over this track chanting that "ballin" mantra. It never did make it to the album, after it was pushed back so many times. That doesn't take away from its street anthemic value.
Listen

5. Dr. Dre featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey - I Need a Doctor

When this song hit the ground, it entered a marathon. Detox was 2010's big tease, but by 2011, it was really starting to look like a reality. Producer Alex Da Kid introduced his dark songstress Skylar Grey to the word, and her breathy vocals make this track so haunting, as Eminem is literally begging Dr. Dre to come back to music. Sorry, Em.
Listen

6. Maroon 5 featuring Mac Miller and Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger Remix

"Moves Like Jagger" sans Mac Miller was one of 2011's big deal Pop anthems. However, getting Mac Miller on the remix shoved this cut into the faces of Hip Hop fans, and guess what? They liked it. It also contributed largely to Mac Miller's crossover appeal. That's the reason why your little sister is bumping Blue Slide Park. So, Mac Mill has moves like Jagger too?
Listen

7. Game featuring Lil Wayne - RED Nation

Game's The R.E.D. Album had quite a few high points. This song, however, was one of the highest. Taking the "Zombie Nation" techno chants and dropping Lil Wayne in the hook beckoning everyone to "Blood the fuck up" made "RED Nation" the kind of song to get violent to. After all, angry music makes everyone see "red."
Listen

8. Eminem - G.O.A.T. (Jay-Z and Kanye West Diss)

This track seemed like it came out of nowhere, and it did. It was pretty old, and for whatever reason, it circulated this past year. Even Eminem himself spoke on the song, stating it was old and just a big venting session about not getting the respect he deserved. That all changed this year, and thankfully nothing became of this quasi-war between three rap stalwarts.
Listen

9. Lupe Fiasco featuring Skylar Grey - Words I Never Said

Another win for Skylar Grey, as she added to the intensity of this Lupe Fiasco track. Lupe spent a good long while frustrated with his label, his career, and his music. However, this song off Lasers added to the mainstream value of the project as a whole and brought Lupe right to the top of the charts. Sometimes the words never said go a long way.
Listen

10. Dr. Dre featuring Eminem - Die Hard

Yet another floaty in the Detox pool, "Die Hard" paired Dre with Em again on this third look into the album that never was. By the time this track hit, Dre fans were really convinced that Detox was going to happen and Eminem was going to play a huge role in it. Dre is pretty lucky. His presence on this 2011 list shows just how many people still care about his music.
Listen

Jay-Z & Kanye West Paid $6 Million To Perform In Dubai

by Slava Kuperstein

                                 

"The Throne" received a hefty payday to perform in Dubai.

Fans wondering what it would cost to hire Jay-Z and Kanye West to perform at their birthday parties now have an answer: the price tag is $6 million.
That's how much billionaire Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour paid for the duo to perform at his sister's 16th birthday party to a packed crowed in Dubai two weeks before Christmas.
Thesun.co.uk reports that each emcee was paid 1.9 million pounds, roughly $2.92 million.
Earlier this month, Jay-Z revealed that he was open to recording another album with West.

Rick Ross Sued By Nigerian State For Cancelled Concert

by Sean Ryon

                                

Rick Rozay finds himself in legal hot water after he bailed on a festival performance in Nigeria's Cross River State.

Rick Ross may not forgive, but apparently the government of Nigeria's Cross River State doesn't either. The Bawse was recently slapped with a lawsuit by the Nigerian state's government for canceling a performance date at the Calabar Festival and failing to reimburse the performance fees.
According to a recent article from InformationNigeria.org, Rick Rozay abruptly cancelled his performance at this year's Calabar Festival, a nearly month-long music festival funded by the Cross River State government. In addition to failing to notify the concert organizers of his intention to cancel his performance, the Miami rapper has failed to reimburse them for his performance fees, which he had already cashed.
In response, the Cross River State government has hired lawyers within the United States to sue the rapper for breach of contract. An official statement was released by the government this past Wednesday via BlackBerry Messenger.

2 Dope Boyz Year End List

Click here to enlarge pic

AZ Updates On "Doe Or Die 2," Speaks On Nas Collaboration

by Steven J. Horowitz

                              

AZ says that he hopes to drop his new album by second quarter of 2012.

This past August, Nas tweeted a photo of him and AZ together in the studio, fueling speculation that the two could be working on his upcoming album Life is Good. Speaking with Montreality, AZ said that the two weren’t recording for any specific project, but that it’s possible for the tracks to end up on future albums.
“He just working. Something might come out of it, you know how it go, you know? We politicin’,” he said.
AZ is also currently working on his upcoming album Doe or Die 2. The Firm member revealed that the project is still being recorded, but that he hopes to drop the LP in the second quarter of 2012.
“I’m trying to put that Doe or Die 2 together, get that done. Hopefully I’ll have that out second quarter of the year, 2012,” he said.
Watch the full interview below.

RELATED: AZ Wants Dr. Dre, Kanye West And Nas For Doe Or Die 2

T.I. Speaks On Working With Dr. Dre For New Mixtape

by Steven J. Horowitz

                            

Tip says he's working on "developing that chemistry" with the West Coast veteran.

T.I. recently released the second trailer for his upcoming mixtape Fuck Da City Up, dropping New Year’s Day, and included footage of him in the studio with Dr. Dre. Speaking with MTV News, Tip said that the two were “creating chemistry” for the tape and that he wants to work closer with the West Coast veteran.
“Dre was here. He sent for me over to the spot. We really just turned up more than anything else. It was about creating chemistry," he said.
T.I. previously worked with Dre on the song “Topless,” leaked several years ago and supposedly intended for Detox. For now, he’s intent on developing their working relationship.
"Of course we can get together, he got hot beats and I got dope rhymes, so we can always get together and make music," he continued. "But for people to feel what we're sayin' and for it to sound like a party comin' through your speakers, you gonna have to create some chemistry. So that's what we spent more time doin' than anything else; developing that chemistry."

RELATED: 50 Cent And T.I. Officially End Twitter Beef

Get More: Music News

Rapper Young Vito Arrested in Connection with Slim Dunkin Murder

by jakecrates 

(AllHipHop News) Vincent Hardimon, known in the rap world as Young Vito, surrendered to police today (December 26) at 3 p.m., after a week long investigation into the murder of Slim Dunkin.

“We got a call from Mr. Hardimon’s attorney. They wanted to turn themselves in to me personally,” said Detective David Quinn of the Atlanta Police Department WSBTV-2 in Atlanta.
Police allege that Hardimon shot and killed rapper Slim Dunkin, on December 16 at a recording studio on Memorial Drive.
Police urged witnesses to give information about what happened inside the studio, but Quinn said they still need more information, even with Hardimon in custody.
“We did get some cooperation from witnesses but we’re still urging the public, whoever was at 1074 Memorial Drive on December 16, to give us a call,” Atlanta Police Detective David Quinn.
Hardimon was free on bond after an April arrest where he pulled a gun on two women during a standoff.

ATF Picks Up Soulja Boy’s October Gun and Weed Case

by jakecrates 

(AllHipHop News) The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has decided to take on 21-year-old Soulja Boy’s case, after the rapper was arrested in October of this year in Temple, Georgia.
Soulja Boy, born DeAndre Cortez Way, was pulled over on Interstate 20 for a traffic violation.
After searching the car, officers found handguns, thousands of dollars in cash and more than five ounces of marijuana.
According to the Temple police, Soulja’s accomplices, Dontay Lamar Bates, Camron Wagner and James Raymond Smith were all charged with felony possession of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute and were also charged with the possession of a firearm.
“This office has not charged a defendant named DeAndre Cortez Way, a/k/a Soulja Boy,” Yvette Comer, representative of the U.S. District Attorney’s Office said. “Otherwise, we do not confirm or deny federal investigations in any matters.”
John R. Murphy, special agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Atlanta Field Division, told the Times-Georgian that the case did not meet requirements for federal drug investigation.
“There were some initial discussions about taking it federal, but it didn’t make any federal guidelines,” Murphy explained in a statement to reporters. “As far as the drugs, it was five ounces of marijuana, that wouldn’t even register on a federal level. If you’ve got a rapper that could show legitimate income, that could be contested as being legitimate income, and without a substantial amount of drugs, we didn’t have anything that would rate a federal drug charge on that.”
Soulja’s attorney Kip Jones had not returned calls regarding the case as of Tuesday afternoon.

Master P’s Daughter Cymphonique New TV Show “How To Rock”

by Grouchy Greg

(AllHipHop News) Master P’s Daughter, Cymphonique Miller is set to hit TV screens across the country with a new TV show called “How To Rock,” that is slated to debut February 4th on Nickelodeon. Cymphonique Miller, now 15, grew up around the entertainment industry being the daughter of Master P. who is largely regarded as one of the most successful businessmen in hip-hop’s history.
Her brother Romeo Miller also had his own Nickelodeon series, “Romeo!,” from 2003 to 2006, to go along with his rap career as Lil’ Romeo.
“I tried everything in my power to stop this girl because this can be a hard, sick business — really easy to get taken advantage of,” Master P told AllHipHop.com. “I guess you can’t hold raw talent back.”
“We’re hoping for great things from Cymphonique — a big, fat, giant hit,” Margie Cohn, Nickelodeon’s president for original programming added. “That’s what I’ve been working for with this series, so why not say it?”
Nickelodeon and its parent company, Viacom, have created a host of new shows similar to “How to Rock,” as ratings have been down over the past quarter.
Philippe Dauman, Viacom’s chief executive even stated that are “more new shows coming to Nickelodeon than we’ve ever had.”
“Next quarter we expect to see stronger ad sales growth because we won’t have that issue,” he added, referring to declining ratings.
“How to Rock,” is produced in association with Alloy Entertainment who also created “Vampire Diaries,” and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”
Nickelodeon is marketing “How to Rock” with an eight-part video series about Cymphonique Miller.
Also Cymphonique sings a song in the first episode of the program “Only You Can Be You,” which arrived on iTunes now. “How to Rock” Cymphonique poised to be the big pop phenom for 2012.

50 Cent And T.I. Officially End Twitter Beef

by Sean Ryon

                                  

Fiddy reports that he and T.I. have officially ended their month-long Twitter feud.

Last month, Twitter played the battleground to yet another beef involving 50 Cent when the Queens rapper said that T.I. should have let his wife Tameka "Tiny" Cottle take the rap for their 2010 drug charges. Now, Fiddy says that the two rappers have officially squashed their feud.
According to a recent interview with Vibe, Fif and Tip quelled their Twitter feud with a phone call. 50 said that although things were pretty heated between him and the King of the South, he did make sure that there were no hard feelings between the two artists.
“We got mutual friends and I was actually in conversation with one of them, and they were around him,” 50 explained. “I didn’t tell him to get [T.I.] on the phone and [T.I.] didn’t tell him to get me on the phone, it was just there and it was like, 'Yo, you just need to talk to him because you don't know where [his anger] is coming from. We [got] into it and he had a lot of legitimate points.”
The full interview can be seen below.

D Mo - Back Again ( part 1)

D Mo is Back Again with the first installment of three. This song is from The G Files Vol. 2 : Cold Cases available @ http://www.datpiff.com/G-Sound-Musik-The-G-Files-Vol-2-The-Cold-Cases-mixtape.194482.html This song also features female emcee Jaayd & Mr. Goldfangaz, Baby Drew.

DRAKE PUTS AALIYAH ON HIS BACK, TATTOOS LATE R&B SINGER

Written by Cyrus Langhorne

Young Money rap star Drake's love for late singer Aaliyah is apparanetly skin-deep after someone recently spotted him sporting a tattoo of her.  Although Drizzy has yet to publicly announce the tat, he wasrecently seen showing it off at a tennis court.

Drake is taking his love with Aailyah to a whole new level, even though you can't really see him, he is to the far right with the white headband. He is seen here with some friends, playing tennis with his shirt off, when someone snapped a shot of his back with Aaliyah's face on there with wings above her head. (Karen Civil)

Last year, Drizzy penned an open letter in the singer's honor.

"I've never lost a parent, a friend, or a lover but I will never forget this day for the rest of my life. I remember getting the news that you had passed and it connected with my heart like a clean shot from Muhammad Ali. I was crushed. Not only was I one of your biggest fans but I was truly in love with you. I loved the way you carried yourself, the way you dressed, the confidence with which you addressed passion and relationships in your music. I said to myself that even if we never met, I wanted a woman in my life just like you. I am pained that we will never get to connect now that music ended up being my career path. But you should know, we all listen to you everyday and we remain inspired and moved by all that you've given the world. I hope I make the right life choices so I can end up in heaven where I know you rest your head. I'll continue to make music in your honor until the day we finally meet. Dinner's on me!" (Rap Radar)

He also showed his admiration for Aaliyah on 2010's Thank Me Later.

"Unforgettable," produced by Noah "40" Shebib, also featuresYoung Jeezy. The number begins with Aaliyah softly cooing, "Let me know," over and over, part of her refrain from "(At Your Best) You Are Love," which was on her 1994 debut, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. "This is really one of my dumbest flows ever, I haven't slept in days/ And me and my latest girl agreed to go our separate ways," Drake raps on the track. "So I'm single, thinking about what we had in 'Missin' You'/ But I ain't saying I don't got nothing for these bad bi---es, too." (MTV)

HipHopDX's Top 10 Mixtapes Of 2011

by DX STAFF

Hip Hop had plenty of mixtapes to choose from in 2011, check out the HipHopDX staff's Top 10, with some honorable mentions as well.

Emcees have been using mixtapes as showcases of all-new original music (and sometimes lyrics over recycled beats) for years now. However, in 2011, artists found new ways to win. The creators behind the Top Mixtapes of 2011 used original tunes, blends of classics, risky remakes, and even double disc offerings to make their mark outside of retail. For many, these mixtapes served as a launchpad for huge careers this year that will undoubtedly propel them to the very next level come 2012.

Compiled by the HipHopDX staff and 2011 DX writers. Captions written by William E. Ketchum, III.

1. Big K.R.I.T. - ReturnOf4Eva

After netting solid stats during a rookie season that saw the likes of Drake and B.o.B dominate the charts, Big K.R.I.T. used ReturnOf4Eva—his second free release since last year’s phenomenal K.R.I.T. Wuz Here—to stake his claim as the real future of the south. Avoiding the fly-by-night nature of many new southern emcees’ focus on formulaic club bangers, this emee/producer he opts for the balance displayed by legends like Outkast and UGK. Using a digestible approach to ably cover the topics of heading a household (“King’s Blues”), strippers (“Shake It”), discrimination (“Another Naïve Individual Glorifying Greed and Encouraging Racism”) and rattling sound systems (“My Sub”) with equal skill and conviction, K.R.I.T. is exactly what Hip Hop needs. His official Def Jam debut, Live From The Underground, can’t come soon enough.

2. Elzhi – Elmatic

Beating or even matching perfection can be a nearly impossible feat, so Elzhi used Elmatic to simply put his own spin on it. The former Slum Village member put a personalized Detroit twist on the Queensbridge chronicles from Nas’ classic debut, while the Will Sessions band’s brilliant reinterpretations from the album’s legendary production roster add a fresh musicality to the record.

3. ASAP Rocky - LiveLoveA$AP

Songs like “Pesos” helped catapult ASAP Rocky to an alleged $3 million record deal and a spot on tour with Drake, but his LiveLoveA$AP mixtape showed many listeners that he was worth the hype. His multifaceted rap stew—a mix of Southern-styled production, a Bone Thugs N Harmony-inspired flow and Harlem bravado—sounds weird on paper, but it works. Till the rest of rap fully figures it out, Rocky will continue to ride his wave.

4. Pusha T - Fear of God

Pusha T had always been a standout member of Clipse, but on his G.O.O.D. Music solo mixtape debutFear Of God he shows Ye that he can hold his own weight. Songs like “My God”  and the 50 Cent-assisted “Raid”  feature the relentless coke tales that his fans have loved since “Grindin,”  while the tape closer “Alone In Vegas”  pairs braggadocio with a more introspective tone. It worked out so well that he added a few extra songs and converted it to a retail release.

5. Freddie Gibbs - Cold Day In Hell

If you thought Freddie Gibbs would lighten his approach after signing to Young Jeezy’s CTE camp, the Halloween release of Cold Day In Hell should alleviate those worries. The Gary, Indiana emcee is still using his acrobatic delivery and to annihilate instrumentals from J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Big K.R.I.T. and in-house producer Cardo. Plus, titles like “187 Proof,”  “Rob Me A Nigga,” and “Barely M.A.D.E.” show he is as deep in his roots as ever.

6. Curren$y & The Alchemist - Covert Coup

We’re used to getting consistent streams of music from Curren$y, but this Covert Coup mixtape withThe Alchemist sounds like it spent extra time in the oven. Spitta’s elongated rhymes sound right at home atop Alc’s slow-cooked collection of soulful, cavernous backdrops. A great start to the New Orleans emcee’s new deal with Warner Bros.

7. Jazzy Jeff & Mick Boogie - Summertime 2

Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie have always had the chops to get a party moving, and with the sequel to their incredible "Summertime" mixtape (Summertime 2), they uphold their reps. The duo’s breezy, varied mix of tunes from the likes of Mos Def, The Alkaholiks, and The Gap Band is the perfect soundtrack for windowless driving and firehose-cranking.

8. Game - Purp & Patron

Game may be most notable these days for Twitter controversies and pseudo-beefs, but his Purp & Patron mixtape (a double-tape, hosted by both Funkmaster Flex and DJ Skee) proved that his music still the former G-Unit member still has the music that holds its own. It was a hell of a longshot to release two discs and (The Hangover) full of album-quality material with appearances by Lil Wayne,Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Fabolous and many others, but the final product showcased the song-crafting ability, charisma and historic references that earned so many fans’ hearts in years prior.

9. Danny Brown – XXX

Danny Brown paid his dues in Detroit’s scene of indie Rap all-stars, but his Fool’s Gold Records arrival tape XXX shows a full departure into his own lane. Armed with experimental soundbeds and his own seesawing delivery, he takes listeners on a drug-addled, copper-stripping, groupie-smashing spiral from his twenties into his new home of the 30 year-old club. Equally stylish and provocative, SPINdeemed it the top rap record of the year.

10. Immortal Technique - The Martyr

Immortal Technique’s controversial beliefs often make him seem like much of an outsider, but with this year’s free album The Martyr, he’s anything but—he brings Hip Hop elite like Brother Ali, Joell Ortiz,Killer Mike, and Styles P along for the ride. The guests add their own flavor, but Tech still steers his own ship and fights the system with his multilingual collection of hoarse politically and socially-charged rhymes.

Honorable Mentions:

Dom Kennedy - The Original Dom Kennedy Tape

Dom Kennedy only gave the blogosphere one day’s notice for this mixtape, but the carefree rhymes and relaxing, two step-ready production eliminate any complaints. Stream/download.

Killer Mike - Bangx3

Bangx3 wasn’t packed with the socially-charged rhymes of his full-length albums, but Killer Mike only needed nine songs (and some guest shots from past and present label bosses T.I. and Big Boi) to up the ante for his 2011 LP, PL3DGE.

Nitty Scott MC - Cassette Chronicles

In this Mick Boogie-hosted collection, Nitty Scott MC spews crisp, charismatic bars over original production and classics from Snoop Dogg and Gang Starr to prove her skills before a showstealing cypher appearance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. Stream/download.

Jean Grae - Cookies Or Comas

Jean Grae hadn’t had a mixtape or album since 2008’s Jeanius, but the DJ Drama-hosted Cookies Or Comas shows that her agile flow, cutting punchlines and sarcastic humor are just as sharp as before.

Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire - Lost In Translation

It seems that New York emcees get less time on the court every year, but Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire turned some heads back to Brooklyn with filthy rhymes, East Coast aesthetic and production from indie demigods El-P and Necro. Stream/download.