The Top 10 Bitch Moves Of The Year (2010)

We guess Mos Def is another artist not really down with today’s mathematics of “leaking” music before it’s supposed to be released. The strongest cuts from Ski’s 24 Hour Karate School ended up on the cutting room floor, because Mos didn’t like them leaking out before contracts were signed. Too bad, because the music these two made together was gorgeous. Patch it up, gentlemen.

“I ain’t got no lyrics, I’m straight blunt… I don’t have time for lyrics,” said Waka Flocka Flame in Shade 45 in February. “The nigga that everybody say lyrical, he ain’t got no show…. I be on the radio and niggas be like ‘nigga let’s freestyle right now’ and I be like ‘that ain’t even gonna get you no money though.”

Oh really, Waka Flocka? Tell that Jay-Z, Common, Lil Wayne, Eminem, and Ludacris, each of whom made millions in 2010 from various music, business, and endorsement deals, all whom happen to be lyrical, and are also some of the most popular rappers. And bonus, they aren’t managed by their moms. Enjoy your fifteen minutes, dude.

We guess Jive was a little sour at Big Boi for taking his Sir Luscious Leftfoot album to Def Jam. Why guys? Not like you were doing anything with it. While Big Boi watched his album get delayed for two years under Jive, Def Jam got it out with a quickness, netting some respectable sales in the process. But get this, Jive would not allow his Outkast partner, Andre 3000, to appear on the LP. Seriously, guys? You just perpetuated the truth that is Industry Rule #4080. Not a good look. Big Boi had the last laugh by releasing an Andre 3000 blessed remix of “Lookin 4 Ya” free over the internet – and yeah, that shit got out there.

We’ll give you some history. Back in say, 1999 or so, we were entrusted with unfinished versions of songs that would eventually appear on Dr. Dre’s 2001 and The Marshall Mathers LP. We didn’t leak them. We didn’t bootleg them. We just enjoyed them, played them for our friends, and that was it.

Today, we have a generation of young bloggers that don’t understand the ethics of the game, stooping to the lowest levels of depravity when it comes to getting that little “exclusive”. Posting reference tracks, unfinished songs, the hottest as-of-yet-unreleased album cuts, stolen music, and then being shocked - shocked - that said artist is mad at them for their lack of class. There were two separate instances this year that involved artists – Lupe Fiasco and Dr. Dre, respectively – being publicly upset with bloggers for leaking their music. We won’t recount the details here, but surprisingly both guilty parties acted as if they had every right to leaking (or further perpetuating the leaking) of the artist’s unfinished music, offering little in solace or apology. Instead, they suggesting they were “helping” them by leaking their music, and threatened not to “help” them in the future. Shit, if that’s your definition of help…

Heads up guys. An artist like Dr. Dre doesn’t need your “help”. Your actions only hurt their careers and creative visions and ultimately your own credibility. There’s rules to this shit. Who cares if DJ Douchebag from BlazingLeaks.com leaked the Jay and Kanye LP. Doesn’t give you the right to do it too. Instead, grow some nuts and do the right thing. You might actually buy yourself some time in this game.

On the flipside of that coin, we saw a handful of rap websites get taken over by the man, Black president and all. While we don’t condone any actions that may have led to these sites getting shut down, at the same time a no-trial, “guilty!” verdict was slammed on them, seizing their domain names and all of their intellectual property content without any forewarning and no options for recourse. Downright unconstitutional.

The above clip is priceless, as before launching into a tirade of negativity about the artists selected for XXL’s Freshmen 10 cover, Jae Millz first explains that he got his first deal ten years ago, setting himself up for a dead-on rebuttal from Nipsey Hu$$le: “Niggaz got they pantys in a bunch over that xxl cover…and 4 tha record if u been rappin 10 years and ain’t drop yet…it’s over”. Millz proceeded to indirectly call many of the artist’s featured on the cover “wack” because his friend, Vado, was not selected. Millz later backed down concerning his comments. Wiz Khalifa put it best “Sucka shit at it’s finest”.

As if Nas’ financial woes weren’t bad enough in 2010, Kelis made matters worse in their very public divorce. We’re sorry, but considering that Kelis is a self-sufficient, platinum selling recording artist that can afford David Guetta beats, why the FUCK does Nas have to pay her an upwards of $600K? A judge ordered Nas to pay $47,249.42 in back child support and $40,454 in back spousal support, followed by monthly payments of $10,000 a month until a debt of $299,015.50 in spousal support is paid to Kelis. Nas also was ordered to pay 90% of her legal fees, to the tune of $155,787.28, as well as $48,549.83 in Kelis accounting expenses. We don’t care who your parents are, your kids don’t need caviar and golden baby diapers. It’s cheaper to keep her.

Who didn’t see this one coming? After Lil Kim’s fake body parts expired, nobody wanted to fuck with her in the rap world any more. Nicki Minaj comes along, albeit looking somewhat similar (read: better), and Kim proceeds to dis the shit out of her for six minutes over Pharoahe Monch’s “Simon Says” track (Challenge: see if you can make it to the end of the song!). Thing was, beyond all the hair and make-up, Nicki’s rhyme style was all her own. Sounds like Kim was mad that she finally had some competition. See “Roman’s Revenge”, as the battle started and was finished there. Bitch, it’s curtains.

Following in the footsteps of Forbes’ Magazine top earners such as Karrine “Superhead” Steffans, this walking disease factory had the grand scheme to (literally) fuck the whole Young Money clique, and then go on YouTube and brag about it, laying out her entire business plan in the clip. It backfired, instead turning her into an internet meme that nobody wanted to fuck with (figuratively), and a warning to horny rappers everywhere. Grand opening, grand closing.

There wasn’t a more disgusting, despicable event in 2010 than the drama surrounding Guru’s death. The hip-hop world was crushed at losing one of the greatest artists of our time, only to find a tangled web of lies and shadiness at the center of it. Faked final letters from Guru, lies about his health status, the blocking of his friends and family from seeing him in his final days, fake charities, and an attempted smearing of DJ Premier’s character are just a few of the events (allegedly) orchestrated by Solar to try and control the situation and get every penny possible out of it. Too bad we all saw right through it. This year, suckers are going nowhere.