Young Money Records has officially scrapped the Drake and Lil Wayne collaboration album after previously confirming the project. Drake told XXL that he and Wayne have decided not to make the album because they felt listeners would compare the album to Kanye West and Jay-Z’s Watch the Throne.
“Me and Wayne scrapped the idea of a collaboration album,” Drake told XXL exclusively. “We just agreed that it would be looked upon as… It would be sort of this competition [with Watch The Throne]. I feel like it would get caught in this whirlwind of hype. [Wayne] agreed. We just said, ‘If we do it, we’ll do it down the line. But right now is not the time.’”
Drake’s sophomore album Take Care drops Nov. 15, but you can probably download it now since it was leaked (XXL hosted a live review session of the leaked album on Twitter). XXL reported Monday that Drake is also working on a mixtape with Rick Ross called You Only Live Once.
“I’ve been working on that for the last couple of weeks,” Drake said of the project with Ross. “We haven’t really connected because he’s been going through this thing with his health. I’ve been stashing my little beats and verses. I don’t have a drop date for it or a time for it. To be honest, it’s something I just really wanted to pop up out of nowhere. I’m not gonna’ release no single or anything. It’s something I want to do because I enjoy like working with Ross."—-
Rapper Heavy D died in his Los Angeles home yesterday morning. The cause of death has not yet been determined. He was 44.
Parisian production duo Union recently singed with Fat Beats Records and released a single, “Time Leak,” with Talib Kweli and Sly Johnson in anticipation of their full-length debut album with the label. You can stream the single and three remixes here.
Just in time for X-Mas, Michael Jackson’s deathbed will be auctioned off on Dec. 17. (Wink, Wink. Nudge, Nudge, Ma.)
Brett Ratner yesterday stepped down from his post as producer of the Oscar telecast after making an anti-gay slur. Ratner issued a public apology Monday but the damage had already been done. In a letter addressed to “the Entertainment Industry,” Ratner said: "Over the last few days, I've gotten a well-deserved earful from many of the people I admire most in this industry expressing their outrage and disappointment over the hurtful and stupid things I said in a number of recent media appearances. To them, and to everyone I've hurt and offended, I'd like to apologize publicly and unreservedly.”
The letter continued, “[T]o all those who understandably feel that apologies are not enough, please know that I will be taking real action over the coming weeks and months in an effort to do everything I can both professionally and personally to help stamp out the kind of thoughtless bigotry I've so foolishly perpetuated."
Academy president Tom Sherak yesterday said, "He did the right thing for the academy and for himself. Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable. We all hope this will be an opportunity to raise awareness about the harm that is caused by reckless and insensitive remarks, regardless of the intent."
Ratner will now be working on his remake of The Last American Virgin, which featured '80s hotty Diane Franklin. Ratner said, “The girl in that was so beautiful, curly hair, gorgeous eyes, I was twelve years old [and] I think I jerked off to her at least two hundred times.” He then issued a public apology and told us he was going to remake The Breakfast Club.
A New York man by the name of Jay Wornick and his wife decided it was time for him to drop weight as a part of his New Year’s resolution this past year. Ten months later, he’s lost 198 pounds and down from 366 pounds to 168 pounds. The 30-year-old father of three told Syracuse-based Post-Standard that his daily meals used to include 20-ounce steaks with a 12-pack of soda but now he eats fruits, veggies and works out six days a week at a nearby YMCA.
That’s what dedication should taste like.
On this day the world welcomed Lou Ferrigno, Vanessa Minnillo, Fernando Meirelles, Dorothy Dandrige and, reluctantly, Nick Lachey.
A set of Madison, Wis., twins will be celebrating their 11th birthdays on Nov. 11, 2011.
