Ace Hood

Ace Hood And We The Best Sign To YMCMB

02 May 2012 06:53:14 EDT

'When you got a young man with that kind of focus, you never know how far he can go in this business,' Birdman tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Seems like Ace Hood's hustling has paid off in a big way. On Monday night, on the set of DJ Khaled's "Take It to the Head" video shoot, Birdman made a very special announcement to MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway concerning Ace Hood and Khaled's budding label.

"I'd like to let the world know that Khaled's brand, which is We the Best, is officially signed to YMCMB and the first act coming out that umbrella ... will be Ace Hood," Birdman said. "I always wanted to have a chance to work with Ace Hood."

Ace has kept close ties with Birdman's Cash Money/ Young Money camp. Birdman appeared on "This N---a Here," a track off from Ace's 2009 sophomore effort Ruthless, and Lil Wayne jumped on Hood's "Hustle Hard" remix last year. Baby has had his eye on Ace for a while now, but he was signed to Def Jam. At press time, it is unclear whether Def Jam is involved in this new deal.

"We wanted to do it right, set it up right. I think Ace Hood is a superstar," the #1 Stunna said. "I love his work ethic, I think he's a very talented young man and he gonna be a big superstar in this business and I wanted to be the one to help him become that. It was important to me."

So now, through Khaled's We the Best, Ace Hood joins Drake, Nicki Minaj, Tyga and, of course, Lil Wayne on the already-powerhouse label. "When you got a young man with that kind of focus, you never know how far he can go in this business," Birdman said.

What do you think of Ace Hood calling YMCMB home? Let us know in the comments!

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Join Ace Hood And Schoolboy Q On 'RapFix Live' Today!

11 Apr 2012 14:40:40 EDT

Sway will also have an exclusive chat with Nicki Minaj producer Safaree 'SB' Samuels at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com.
By Rob Markman

When it comes to hip-hop hustle, Ace Hood is the hardest out. Today (April 11), the Florida MC is going to bring his hustle to "RapFix Live."

As a rising star in DJ Khaled's We the Best camp, Ace Hood dropped his debut Gutta album in 2008 and followed up a year later with Ruthless. In 2011 Ace made his biggest impact when he released his third LP, Blood, Sweat & Tears. The album's lead single, "Hustle Hard," became an inescapable street anthem and even spawned a remix with Rick Ross and Lil Wayne.

The fiery MC didn't rest on his laurels, either: Over the course of the past year, Ace released four mixtapes. His latest tape, Starvation, came after the tragic death of his daughter. Hood chose to pour out all his emotions throughout the mixtape.

Top Dawg Entertainment's Schoolboy Q will also appear on "RapFix Live." The L.A. rhyme slinger has emerged from the same camp that launched Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock. In 2011, he dropped his debut, Setbacks, and in January, Schoolboy released his second independent album, Habits & Contradictions. Then in March it was announced he signed to Interscope through TDE. Over the past several months, Schoolboy has risen as one of rap's most promising young talents.

Fans should also tune in to "RapFix" to see an exclusive MTV News interview with Nicki Minaj's Roman Reloaded executive producer, Safaree "SB" Samuels, and catch a sneak peek of MTV's new late-night weekly talk show "Hip Hop POV," premiering tonight at midnight ET.

Catch Ace Hood, Schoolboy Q and Safaree "SB" Samuels on "RapFix Live" today at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com, and be sure to join the Twitter conversation using the hashtag #RapFixLive. Send your questions for the artists @MTVRapFix! Also tune in to tonight's premiere episode of "MTV's Hip Hop POV" at midnight ET on MTV. The conversation-based show highlights some of today's hottest news and more from a cast of hip-hop tastemakers. Fans can also join in on the Twitter conversation using the hashtag #HipHopPOV.

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Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, Ace Hood 'Hustle Hard' At BET Awards

26 Jun 2011 21:47:01 EDT

Drake joins Ross and Wayne later in broadcast to perform Khaled's 'I'm on One.'
By Rob Markman

Things started off slow when Rick Ross took the stage to perform at the 2011 BET Awards on Sunday (June 26) evening. Wearing a half-buttoned red silk shirt, Rozay emerged as his 2010 hit single "Aston Martin Music" blared from the speakers. Neither Drake nor R&B singer Chrisette Michele, who both sing on the song's hook, were present onstage, and their absence was noticeable as Ross carried on without them, spitting his LL Cool J-inspired bars, "When I'm alone in my room, sometimes I stare at the wall," with his usual gruff.

The set began to pick up, however, when DJ Khaled stormed from backstage with his protégé Ace Hood. Khaled shouted his usual "we the best" mantra, and a shirtless Ace, along with Ross and Khaled, performed Hood's "Hustle Hard (Remix)."

The hustler's anthem definitely raised the energy in Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, but it wasn't until Lil Wayne came out for the song's third and final verse that the crowd reached a fevered pitch. Weezy, who wore a white sleeveless tee, black fitted hat and black sunglasses, bounced around the circular stage, rapping, "OK, now black card in my pocket, ridin' around in that 'Gatti/ Pistol off in my boxers, I ain't got time to be boxin'."

As Wayne got deeper into his verse, Ross, Khaled and Ace gathered around Tunechi in what resembled an old-school rap cypher, which typically took place in the urban neighborhoods of New York, where rap originated.

Still, despite their street-corner appeal, the pyrotechnic-laced performance proved that Ross, Wayne and company came to put on a show. It may have started off sluggish, but by the end, it was clear that Ross, Wayne and Khaled have themselves another hit.

In actuality, they have quite a few. Later in the broadcast, Drake joined the hyped-up DJ to spit his bars on Khaled's new single, "I'm on One." The track's video premiered during BET's pre-show, and towards the end of the show, Drizzy, Rozay and Wayne treated fans to a profanity-laced, network-censored rendition of the single.

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Ace Hood Keeps Motivating With 'Hustle Hard'

05 Apr 2011 16:17:58 EDT

Remix for Blood, Sweat & Tears cut features Rick Ross and Lil Wayne.
By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Rahman Dukes

Ace Hood might have a DJ Khaled co-sign and a Def Jam recording contract but the only way to keep your spot in the rap business is by making hits. The Miami rapper's latest club and street heater is "Hustle Hard," the lead single from his upcoming third album, Blood, Sweat & Tears.

"The concept behind this record is: Just whatever you may do or whatever you do in life, what you choose to do, really go hard at it," Ace told MTV News. "I felt like I was in a circumstance at that point in time in my life where I felt like it's either this or that. OK, what are you going to do when your back [is] against the wall? I felt like [the] only thing I could do is hustle hard. Soon as I laid it down ... it came out crazy."

The "Hustle Hard" remix features Rick Ross and Lil Wayne. Rappers including Maino, Young Jeezy and Joell Ortiz have created their own versions of the song, using its relentless, Lex Luger-produced beat. But according to Ace, it was a leaked version of the song that included a Rick Ross verse that prompted the quicker release of its official remix.

"The remix always [included] Rick Ross and Wayne," Ace explained. "But I had it in the can. My hook and Ross' verse, that's the only thing that leaked. So being that that version leaked, I was like, 'Ya know what? I might as well put the Wayne part since Ross is a part of the remix.' Why not? I had to give it to them early. It ended up being huge."

Ace Hood, who is signed to Def Jam via DJ Khaled's We the Best imprint, retreated from the spotlight after releasing his sophomore album, Ruthless, in 2009. The rapper wanted to figure out his direction as an artist and felt compelled to assert that he wasn't getting over simply because he was Khaled's artist.

"I was just really trying to find my niche," he said. "What's really going to make the people accept Ace Hood? I've always created good music, the hit records. People know me from ... being a part of 'Out Here Grindin'.' I always created that motivational music: the 'Overtime's, the 'Champion's. For that time being, I was really in the dungeon."

Now back on the grind, videos for both official versions of "Hustle Hard" have been created.

Ace potentially has the hit record that he hopes proves he belongs with rap's top-shelf artists.

"I just wanted to show people that I was able to do this on my own and that I am capable of creating records of this caliber," Ace said. "I was just happy to see the reaction from the people that, ya know what, the same format and the same mind frame I was in when I created this 'Hustle Hard' record, people are in that same state of mind and they understand the struggle that I been through within the rap game."

Does Ace Hood's music motivate you? Sound off below!

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Ace Hood

DJ Khaled Brings A-List To 'Welcome to My Hood' Shoot

01 Apr 2011 12:59:20 EDT

Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Twista and Rick Ross gather for remix's video.
By Alvin Blanco

DJ Khaled can always count on the support of his A-list rap buddies when he's making his "movies." MTV News caught up with the Miami-based DJ and recording artist in New York City on the set of the video for his "Welcome to My Hood (Remix)."

Always in promotion mode, the Palestinian (by way of New Orleans) revealed that his new album is going to be available by the summertime. "It's a historical event, man," Khaled told MTV News. "We the Best Forever, the album, June 28th. This remix is just a sample of some of the things I'm 'a be doing on the album."

We the Best Forever will be Khaled's fifth album and his first since signing to Cash Money Records last year. The original version of "Welcome to My Hood," produced by Khaled, the Renegades and the Nasty Beatmakers, is the album's lead single and features Rick Ross, Plies, Lil Wayne and T-Pain. The remix's roster features a hip-hop who's who with added verses from Waka Flocka Flame, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Ace Hood, Jadakiss, Bun B, the Game and Ludacris.

"I'm happy to be a part of it," said Ludacris, wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with an image of the late Nate Dogg. "I just left a movie set, and now I'm on a video set. We just continuing making moves, believe that."

Dancehall artist Mavado is on the remix as well, but according to Khaled, his part will be filmed in Jamaica because he was unable to obtain a travel visa. Other performers at the NYC shoot included Ace Hood, Busta Rhymes, Twista and Rick Ross, who noted that his Maybach Music Group compilation album, Self Made, will be in stores May 24.

Fat Joe revealed he is working on new material. "We in the studio right now; we doing the new album," he said. "We doing a mixtape with Pharrell — it's crazy. Darkside 2: I'm giving it out as a mixtape for the street, and I'm coming with the album. It sounds amazing right now."

Joe Crack also mentioned a "My God" remix with Pusha T is in the pipeline. Khaled is part of Joe's Terror Squad and all of his previous albums were released via Koch Records (now E1 Entertainment). Thanks to his new alliance with Cash Money, which is distributed by Universal Motown, We the Best Forever will be Khaled's major-label debut. It should make paying the bill for bringing a dozen artists, including cameos, together for one video easier to handle.

"We're definitely in overtime, and overtime costs a lot of money," Khaled said. "But I'm real passionate about my music. I'm real passionate about winning. I'm real passionate about all my supporters out there. So, we shooting this video for you. It's a remix. We shooting this to show you this is real hip-hop right here."

Are you a fan of DJ Khaled? Tell us in the comments below!

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Lloyd Banks Says It 'Feels So Good' To Be Independent

11 May 2009 06:52:00 EDT

Plus: Ace Hood tells Mixtape Daily he's back with a 'new mentality and new personality' on The Preview.
By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes

The 1515 Boys (that's us, in case you didn't know — shout-out to El and B. Dot, though) want to thank everyone for the success of Mixtape Daily's first week. We had Lady Gaga, Drake, the sexy Nicki Minaj and a bunch other cats you need to be up on. You have been telling us for a while you wanted more, and last week, y'all showed up and we put up numbers. With that said, let's keep doing it. We'll be the suppliers, you log on, and we'll stay one big happy family. To kick off this week, we got the young gun from Miami Ace Hood and Southside's own Lloyd Banks. On Tuesday, come back for Killa Cam!

This Week's Main Pick

Street King: Ace Hood

Co-Conspirator: DJ Dirt Dawg

Holding It Down For: Miami

Mixtape: The Preview

Real Spit: Ace Hood insists his debut LP, Gutta, was a slept-on classic. But regardless of the sales, when DJ Khaled is running your team, you'll get opportunities. True to his word, Ace won't fold. His new mixtape is here. "I wanted to give the streets a taste of my new mentality and new personality," he said of The Preview.

Official Recognizance: "Get it by all means," Ace said of the title of his new album, Ruthless. "I'mma continue to stay humble, but it's been lot of situations in which we gonna get it by all means. Khaled put it in my head we gotta go hard, go hard, go hard. Whether or not they willing to give it to us, we gonna take it anyway. Get it by all means. Whatever it takes to get it to the top, whether they tell us we can't, we gonna do it anyway." Look for Jazmine Sullivan on a song called "Champion." Ludacris is on the album, as well as the Birdman and Rick Ross. The first single is "Overtime," of course, with Akon and T-Pain.

Joints To Check For

» "Straight Outta Broward." "Broward is ... my home," Ace said of the Florida county. "We holding it down, man. This song, I took it back to the N.W.A days, when they was holding it down and it was 'Straight Outta Compton.' I wanted to flip it and give it my swag: 'Straight Outta Broward.' "

» "Hello." "Based on just stuntin'," he said about the record. "When you ... with your lady and y'all shining. You Gucci, Louis Vuitton down. She's Gucci, Louis bag down. You swaggin' with them 28s on that Cutlass, you straight stuntin'. You wave at them haters: 'Hello!' "

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground


	MIXTAPE DAILY Who's next and who dominates — right here, all week long!
	»Mixtape Daily Main Pick: Ace Hood and Lloyd Banks
	»Other Notables: Cam'ron and Drake
	»Celeb Faves: The Game, Andre Iguodala
	»Firestarter: Wale, Fabolous

Last week, Lloyd Banks showed love and broke down his new mixtape. Now, the G-Unit soldier is focusing on making a real LP. He's excited to be free from Interscope for his solo projects.

"I was ready to make a move," Banks said about leaving the 'Scope. "I'm a brand-new engine. If anything, it's their loss. It's been a dark shadow cast upon that. That's why you hear [Funk Master] Flex on the radio [boycotting Interscope], because it's an aura created around that machine, and the artists automatically get smacked in the head."

Banks is referring to a recent on-air tirade from Flex, who promised to not play any Interscope music because of the way he was treated by one of the label's executives.

"[An artist signed to Interscope] doesn't even know what's going on," Banks added. "You just turn on the radio, and they're saying, 'F--- Interscope Records,' and you fall into that batch. So it's almost a foul taste in the mouth when they deliver the record. I felt it's time for me to go somewhere where it's not biased and I get a fair shot. There's a lot of stuff on the table right now. You don't wanna speak about it until it gets ironed out all the way."

By the way, the rumors can stop right now: Banks isn't leaving G-Unit. Even though 50 is the boss, Banks and Yayo are co-founders. Can you imagine the Unit without either one of them? Banks said he's still moving under the team's umbrella, whether he goes with another major or even independent.

"Everything happened for a reason," Banks said. "I feel like I'm so blessed because of my work ethic and how easy the music is coming to me. It feels so good to be an independent artist with a brand. I have direct deals with iTunes and things of that nature, where it's direct money coming to me. It's 50 percent of me that's not pressed to be on a major.

"I have the Lloyd Banks branding and also the G-Unit branding," he added. "It hasn't really been an artist out there independent that is still capable of getting out there and regenerating energy. Most of the [well-established] artists that's independent, it's after they dropped seven or eight albums on a major. I have two albums off a major, and everybody is anticipating what I'm doing now off of the mixtapes."

Banks said Polow Da Don, Swizz Beatz and Just Blaze will be contributing beats to his new LP, and he wants some of the A-list MCs to get down as well. "I'm gonna get with the heavy-hitters and make something happen, make a classic album," he promised.

Banko is also eyeing a reality-TV show, similar to "For the Love of Ray J," on which he'd go out to Cali and women would compete to date him. "It's really not a rush," he said about shooting the possible series. "I'm good financially."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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DJ Khaled Wants Hits -- Not Beef -- As President Of Def Jam South

19 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST

DJ will oversee releases from Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Ace Hood.
By Shaheem Reid

BROOKLYN, New York — When DJ Khaled speaks about himself, three words usually come into play: "love, hits and energy." The recently appointed head of Def Jam South Records said that he refuses to let controversy — whether between 50 Cent and Rick Ross, or anyone else — distract him.

"I don't deal with negative energy, it's a waste of my time and my time is valuable," he said last week in New York of his upbeat nature. "I keep negative away and stay positive.

Khaled's name has been in the middle of the ongoing verbal battle between Rick Ross and 50 Cent. 50 accused Khaled of inciting Ross to start the beef, and the back-and-forth escalated last week when Fif made a video called "A Psychic Told Me." In it, 50 threatened Khaled's mother; the video has since been removed from 50's Web site.

Khaled declined to address the situation, saying that he wants to focus on music.

"At Def Jam, we promote music," he added. "We promote hit records. That's what I respect. I'm always going to represent the music; Rick Ross is gonna represent the music. If controversy comes with it, it comes with it. And boy, 'Magnificent' — Rick Ross featuring John Legend, that's Ricky Ross' first single — it's a monster. It's gonna be on and poppin'."

Khaled is working more closely with his friend Ross than ever before. He served as the A&R rep for Ross' forthcoming LP Deeper Than Rap, and in his new role as label president, he'll be overseeing the album's release as well. Also under his watch will be albums from Young Jeezy, Ludacris and his signee Ace Hood. (Ace is also signed to Khaled's Def Jam-distributed imprint, We the Best Records.)

"This is what I've always wanted to do, is be an executive and take it to another level," Khaled said. "L.A. [Reid] just hit me one day. He was like, 'We should bring Khaled onboard. He makes hits, he has relationships.' I got a team of producers and we go in hard. My job is to bring hits to the table and work with new artists and work with established artists. I'm bringing new energy to the game and to the building."

Of course, Khaled garnered headlines of another kind last week, when a man who resembled Khaled led police on a chase in Los Angeles before taking his own life. Khaled said his phone was ringing all night.

"It wasn't me, but you gotta give thanks for life," he smiled.

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Shawty Lo Wants To Confiscate T.I.'s 'Hood Pass; DJ Khaled Banks On His New Artist Ace: Mixtape Monday

12 May 2008 08:02:00 EDT

Plus: Talks of a collabo album between Ne-Yo and Fabolous continue, and DJ Drama hopes to drop Gangsta Grillz follow-up by the end of the year.
By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes

Artist: Ace Hood

Representing: Miami

Mixtape: Ace Won't Fold

411: Ace Hood says his name means he's a force to be reckoned with. "Every time you think of 'ace,' you think of 'one.' I always took myself as an army within itself.

"This whole mixtape, I gave them a series of different looks," he added about his new release, Ace Won't Fold. "I can swag it either way, not just giving them one perspective of me."

Ace is the lead artist from DJ Khaled's We the Best Records and has the stupidly hot "Cash Flow" song out with T-Pain and Rick Ross. He got along with Khaled by being a professional. The charismatic spinner had already heard of Ace's reputation through the underground circuit, but Hood met the DJ at a Miami radio station and brought him a package with a demo, picture and bio — none of that "Put me on, son!" crap.

"The music I provided him with and the bio was an extra boost," Hood said. "When he heard it, he was like, 'Yeah,' and hit my manager back.' He was like, 'I like his swag. I wanna hear him on a bigger record.' "

Khaled sent him "I'm So Hood" just to see how he would sound over that, and Ace served the track. A couple of weeks later, he was signed to Khaled's label. A couple of weeks after that, he was inked to Def Jam.

"When I seen him, I seen that star glow in him," Khaled said. "He made me stop. I heard the music, and I was like, 'He's gonna be one of the best.' When I vibed with him, he fits in with the family immediately. It feels good to bring the future to life."

Ace's Gutter LP comes out August 26.

"That's just a representation of me. The bottom," Ace explained of the album. "It represents [Florida's] Dade County, Broward County. We can be fly at moments in that Louis V, but we can kick it in the white tee. I felt that way right out the womb: gutter."

Rick Ross, T-Pain, Plies, DJ Nasty, Justice League and Flo Rida are all onboard. Ace's second single is the title track, which features Trick Daddy. DJ Khaled is dropping his next album, We Global Now, this summer as well. The first single, "Out Here Grinding, " features Ace, Lil Boosie, Lil Wayne, Akon, Rick Ross, Plies and Trick Daddy.

Joints To Check For

» "Collection Plate." "That's a big cut," Hood said. "It's relevant. It kind of throws them off. If you have a pile of money, that's your collection plate. It's an offering song. It's relevant to what's going on. Like 'Cash Flow,' we're coming to see you. This is our collection plate: Put your offerings in."

» "400 Degrees." "It was just a ride-out record," Ace said. "It was just how I was feeling. I was feeling fly at that moment. We was just swaggin'. I felt so proper in the booth that day. 'First off, it's a rich n---a that you lookin' at/ Ace Hood making movies like Cinemax.' I went in the booth, no pad, no pen. Let me get 'em."

» "We Here." "That's the introduction to you nonbelievers," Ace said. "Just in case they didn't know who I was, that 'Dunn Dunn' beat goes hard. It's the type of record that everything you say is heard clear because it's not too much going on with the beat. The beat is big. Shouts out to Shawty Lo. He's doing his thing.

'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar

» CNN (featuring the Clipse, Tha Dogg Pound, Maino and Uncle Murda) - "My Hood" remix
» Dame Grease - "9's Out"
» Maino - "Getaway Driver"
» N.E.R.D. - "Spazz"
» Ne-Yo - "Nobody"
» Uncle Murda - "Anybody Can Get It"

Celebrity Faves

At least Ne-Yo isn't trying to gas us up. Unlike a lot of other celebs who have hyped up huge collaboration LPs and not delivered (a Lil Wayne/ T-Pain LP is a big rumor floating around), he's talking realistically about the Best of Both Worlds-type LP that he and his good friend Fabolous have been thinking about.

"We've been talking about doing some stuff," Ne-Yo explained. "For whatever reason, me and Fab, our energies together make a lot of sense. Our voices sound good together, and it works out. So who knows? Jay and R. tried it. For whatever reason, it didn't exactly go the way it was supposed to go. Maybe we will try it. We have been definitely talking about it, but nothing is set in stone. So don't hold your breath waiting on that album, but don't assume it's just not gonna happen. It's possible."

Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week

» DJ P Exclusivez and Young Buck - My Interview
» DJ Diggz and DJ Rated R - The Most Infamous
» DJ Spinatik and Lil Wayne - Got What U Need Pt. 2
» P Cutta - Street Wars 21
» Superstar Jay - My Award Speech

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

Well, now that the elephant in the room has been addressed, everyone can move to the next phase. No, this has nothing to do with Fat Joe and his feud with the G-Unit — we're talking about the long-brewing back-and-forth between T.I. and Shawty Lo.

T.I. recently told MTV News that he was calling out Lo on "No Matter What." Then, when Tip had a phone interview with an Atlanta radio station recently, he compared the D4L founder to a canine. "It's like a dog barking and howling at the moon," T.I. told radio station 92Q Jamz. "That dog don't even know why he's barking and howling at the moon. The moon don't care. The moon is so far away. The dog can't touch the moon. The dog can't shut the moon off. He just sits there. Eventually, the dog will get tired of barking, and he, too, has to admire the moon as it shines. Just let the moon shine, dog."

"He ain't no moon," Lo responded. "I feel like he ain't no Jay-Z or nobody like that. He's the clouds, but I ride through clouds every day. He gotta meet me eye to eye. I can't beat him at arguing. He's like a girl. A girl will win an argument every time.

"His name ain't Tip, it's 'T. Lie,' " Lo continued via cell from Atlanta. "Yeah, T. Lie. That's his name."

While Lo rapped on "Dunn Dunn" that Tip should acknowledge him, he didn't mean like this. "We ain't finnin' to hint no more. We ain't gotta hint no more," Shawty said about the subliminal bantering between the two.

Lo said it all started around the time Tip dropped his "King" song. Lo had another song with "king" in the title and even tried to collaborate with T.I. He says Tip turned him down and made reference to it on "Big Sh-- Poppin' " with the line: "I said it on 'King,' and them lames started laughin'/ And same suckers now want the King on a track with 'em."

Still, Lo insisted that he wasn't really sweating it too tough. He said he even enjoyed T.I. as a rapper. "He did put Bankhead [the rappers' shared Atlanta neighborhood] on the map. I can't take that away from him," Shawty added. "But he ain't from Bankhead. It wasn't no problem. He was screaming our 'hood. I liked him. ... We ain't have no rapper repping for our 'hood. You had Jermaine [Dupri] and Ludacris from the south side, and then you had people repping for the east side, but nobody for us. He had a pass."

Lo said he's calling T.I. out now because of his lines on "No Matter What." "He disrespected me on a song," Lo said. "Pass over with. Time to tell the truth. He ain't no real street n---a. We been letting him get away with it for a long time. Tell him to come to Bankhead like he went to [Houston neighborhood] Cloverland with [Lil] Flip."

For the record, Tip has brought the MTV News cameras down to Bankhead before, and people did acknowledge him as being from around there.

Lo just released a "Foolish" remix, which features DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, Jim Jones and Baby and he raps, "Cross your T's and dot your I's/ I'm the real Bankhead man, that no lie/ ... I said it before, I'm a real D-boy/ You can't be me, folk."

"I ain't gotta respond," Lo said about his records that go after Tip. "I ain't trying to get in no battle rap with T. Lie. That's what he do; he's a rapper. I'm a street n---a. I'm a trapper. I really lived it. I got 28 arrests, four convictions. My name is Carlo Walker — look it up."

Meanwhile, Tip's street and artistic credibility look to remain intact. Fans and DJs are clamoring to get some of his music. This weekend, a couple of his tracks leaked, including, "Life of the Party," featuring R. Kelly. The song — sans the Pied Piper — was originally recorded during the making of T.I. vs T.I.P.

While Rocko's claim that he's "the best thing since electricity" is still up for debate, the Atlanta thoroughbred is staying committed to his grassroots game plan of gaining plans. He's hitting several markets in promotion of his debut album, Self-Made, performing twice a day sometimes.

His "Tomorrow" video was recently released and "Umma Do Me"

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