Johnny Louis/WENN

The Philadelphia School System is in the midst of a crisis and rapper Meek Mill, a Philly native, is trying to do his part according to All Hip Hop.

Meek found out last Thursday that 37 schools are set to shut down (at the end of the school year provided it is approved by the School Reform Commission), including his former high school, Strawberry Mansion High School. He took to Twitter to voice his displeasure saying, “They about to close down 37 schools in Philly…. They gone have kids from different hoods going 2 schools in different hoods # problems.” He continues by saying, “37 schools being closed in Philly ….gone be the worst thing 2 happen 2. Philly!”

But he decided to do more than talk. Although his alma mater is closing, Meek is donating $10,000 to the school as well as Puma sneakers to the basketball team.  While it seems a bit odd that he’d donate money to a school definitely closing, it is possible that he just wants them to try and make the most out of the remaining months. During a time when it seems hard to give back, it is a great thing Meek is doing.

Most of the schools closing are elementary schools which means young children will have to travel further for their education but it also saves about $28 million dollars per year by closing them. The Philly school system has already borrowed $300 million to operate and would be facing a deficit of over $1.1 billion if they didn’t make changes.

Good for Meek Mill and hopefully others will find it in their hearts to donate as little – or as much – as they can.

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I’m probably one of the few people in my office right now who wants to see Omarion win. Probably because I used to be a B2K stan (though I had more of an affinity for Lil Fizz), and more or less because I’ve seen him at his best (“Touch” anyone?) and knows he can drop some chart topping stuff. And after watching him dance for his life in almost a comical fashion at the BET Hip Hop Awards a few months ago, I can tell he’s hungry–thirsty even. But at the age of 28, post his boy band heartthrob status and dropping four solo albums, the latter two which were received with lack of enthusiasm, can Omarion really blow up big again? Or better yet, as he says, can he ever be on the level of Michael during Thriller? Beyoncé during Crazy In Love? Justin Timberlake during his FutureSex/LoveSounds reign?

He seems to think so. When talking about his upcoming EP, Care Package, with Billboard, Omarion discussed why he believes that it’s his time now to drop a classic. He’s a new and improved and eclectic O, and he’s excited for the fans, and the haters, to hear what he’s got, especially since he personally feels like most people still look at him as teeny bopping “Bump Bump Bump” Omarion from B2K:

A lot of my fans are adults and have children and lives. It’s really interesting because they still come out and support, the fans that used to chase my car. I think they ready. This is the real grown-up me. This is that age when Beyoncé had ‘Crazy in Love’ and Michael Jackson had ‘Thriller,’ when Justin Timberlake had ‘FutureSex/LoveSounds.’ I feel like I’m at that age. I can’t wait to display this new me.

If he’s trying to show that he’s grown up and out of his dance friendly pop stuff from back in the day, it helps that he’s rolling with Rick Ross and MMG, as he got signed with Ross’ crew after they met up at a strip club of all places. Magic City is the perfect place to do business, right? And since then, he’s been so hype and full of enthusiasm that he’s not letting anybody bring him down. Don’t want to see an Omarion comeback? Well, homeboy says too bad, because it’s coming: “I hope that they hear the emotion and take away one thing, and that’s that I’m coming. I’m going to continue to create music. I’m here, and that’s what it is.”

While I do like Omarion, I can’t say that I really see him making an impact or the type of music that really blew people like Bey, Justin and MJ into the stratosphere of stardom. I feel like that opportunity came and went. But hey, you can’t knock a brotha for trying. Never hurts to be ambitious, or it least it doesn’t hurt much? Care Package drops for free on file sharing sites on November 29, will you check it out?

Kat Goduco/WENN.com

This is why we can’t let some rappers get more famous than a few spins on the radio, some videos and some tours.

There was a fight last night in Atlanta during the taping of the BET Hip Hop Awards. This time the culprits were Young Jeezy and Rick Ross who are continuing some silly beef that started last year. The quick backstory is that Ross, if you’ll remember (or if you ever cared), had a song out called “BMF.”  Jeezy had an affiliation with the actual BMF (Black Mafia Family) crew and I believe he was a little offended by Ross naming a song after them. He threw some musical jabs at Ross, Ross threw some jabs back and so, here we are.

Some kind of way Jeezy and Ross crossed paths backstage while the show was going on. From what was gathered through Funkmaster Flex’s Twitter account, there were words exchanged which quickly turned into…pushing and shoving.  I’m don’t at all condone grown men fighting but if you feel inclined to do something, perhaps you should just go with a punch versus some schoolyard pushing. But, I digress.  The details actually get a little fuzzy at this point but the Atlanta Police Department, who was called to the scene, say there were no arrests, no injuries and no gunshots involved in the altercation.  Speaking of guns, however, All Hip-Hop reports that rappers Gunplay  and 50 Cent had a hand in this entire fiasco.  To add insult to injury, the fight happened during the tribute to the late Chris Lighty.

This is really ridiculous. Has a year gone by where the BET Hip Hop Awards has fully taped without something stupid like this happening? Is it a prerequisite that some rapper(s) must agree to embarrass the industry in this way? These are men pushing 40 years old fighting over things that mean…nothing.  Sure, the people in charge at BET should have done a much better job at making sure the two rappers (and their entourages because you know the entourages are more foolish than the artist) never crossed paths.  However, it is up to these grown men to accept that they just don’t like each other and keep it moving.  Don’t even acknowledge each other.

Some people just don’t deserve the spotlight. They have no idea what to do with it.

Sources: USA Today All Hiphop

I don’t know who I’m shaking my head at more, French Montana for letting money and 3 minutes of fame go to his head, or his wife for telling all their business on Twitter, but just know that my head is rapidly moving from left to right.

Just for a little background info, French Montana is a Moroccan-born rapper (real name Karim Kharbouch) on Rick Ross’s MMG label whose song “Pop That” you might be familiar with. Deen Kharbouch is the woman he married in 2007 at the age of 22 and with whom he has a son, and it seems will soon be divorcing from the Twitter rant she went on yesterday which she clearly wanted to be leaked.

Source: The YBF

According to the YBF, what set Deen off was an interview French did with The Boombox over the weekend. In the rapper’s mind, he and his wife have been separated for some time, in her head he peaced out on his family because of his new-found fame. Speaking on his marriage, he told the site:

“Man, I couldn’t do it; that’s why we got separated. At first it was smooth, but then as much as people think that money changes you, it’s changing them around you. A person ain’t gonna treat you the same now that they think that you think you somebody.”

Then the real reason for the split comes out in the next sentence when he says:

“You around so many beautiful women, that’s a conflict too,” he says. “It’s just about finding somebody that understand the game, what you’re into. But then on the flip side of the coin, you gotta understand their game, what they into … There’s a flip side to everything

“You can’t expect to make all this money and not go through problems. You can’t expect God to give you everything you want without taking something away.”

Um did God take it away or did he throw it away? I don’t know this man from Adam, but I’m not a fan of using God as a reason for why something is gone when it was most likely your own actions. Just sayin.’

Neither French nor his wife has blatantly mentioned the d-word in regard to their future, but the writing would appear to be all over the wall. Hope the fame and beautiful women were worth it.

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If you want a blueprint on how to solidify a respected music career without being a household name, look up Teedra Moses. The very talented songstress has built a very faithful following from only one album and five mixtapes. The BOSS himself Rick Ross loved her music so much (and respected that she worked with one of his favorite artists Raphael Saadiq) that he recruited her into the Maybach Music Group. Since dropping the career defining Complex Simplicity in 2004, Moses tells us that she’s been touring, raising her twin sons, and working on her new album with MMG entitled The Lioness.

Check out the riveting interview and let us know what you think. Bet you’ll learn something new about the Ms. Moses.

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