DJ AM
Photo: Chris Weeks/ WireImage

DJ AM was one of the biggest marquee names when it came to the turntables for a reason: talent. He could hold down the duties for Jay-Z at a concert or play records to keep clubgoers dancing all night.

"I saw DJ AM play in a mansion in Miami, and he amazed me with his skills and the music he picked to make the crowd move," DJ Khaled told MTV News following DJ AM's sudden death Friday. "He made sure everyone — I mean everyone — had a good time!"

"AM was really dope," DJ Green Lantern told MTV News. "He was dope on another level. He innovated the live DJ experience a bunch of ways. His transitions from song to song were clever to the point you might be like, 'Damn, why didn't I think of that?' He did that while rocking the crowd."

Lantern said one of AM's strong points was that he didn't get lost in his mix while rocking those crowds. "It only got crazier when he linked with Travis Barker and had that extra element to add to the mix: a world-class drummer! You can watch clips of them online to see the routines they created. DJs definitely started pairing up with musicians for live shows after that. He was an innovator and inspiration to a whole generation of DJs that saw the success you could achieve if you stepped your game up and thought outside the box. With AM, It wasn't a party; it was an experience."

"AM just brought a crazy energy to his parties," Just Blaze agreed. "The way he'd put together the perfect blends of hip-hop, rock, dance and so many other genres is what gave him such a mass appeal. He was one of the few DJs that knew how to cross genres and boundaries without losing the crowd. That's one of the hardest things to do as a DJ. You please one part of the crowd, and then end up losing another. He knew how to keep the energy at 10 for the entire night. And while his team-ups with Travis weren't the first time a DJ teamed up with a musician for live sets, it was their common understanding of knowing how to blend genres that made their combination so great and easy to appeal to the masses. You've got to play for the people but separate yourself from the thousand other DJs out there. And he'd mastered that."

DJ Rich Medina, who is from Philly like AM, said the late DJ was a huge inspiration, not just because of his skill, but because of his business acumen. "His popularity in celebrity circles often overshadowed the fact that he was an absolute animal on the turntables and at the negotiations table," Medina said. "The charmed life of getting paid well to do what you love to do is something that we all strive for as entertainers, regardless of discipline. He nailed that consistently and always with truly individual style and grace. No one who has ever seen him DJ can deny his place among the very best to ever put the needle to the groove. He wasn't a coddled Hollywood tabloid dude. He was a beast of a DJ who really made it because of his skills, rather than nepotism or luck. People need to understand that fact."

	DJ AM: A Life In Photos

Even DJ Drama, who's one of the top three biggest names when it comes to spinners in the hip-hop genre, was amped to see AM do his thing when they spun together a few years back. "I was so excited to meet him, him being who he is," Dram said. "I heard so much about him. I was a fan. I remember when I got to the party, he was so hype. He told me he was excited to meet me. He called me 'the man,' and I'm looking at him like, 'Nah, you're the man.' He was down to earth and very humble. I was opening for him, he had top billing. He didn't come in on no Hollywood sh-- or nothing like that. He told me he'll get on when I finish. I appreciated that, coming from somebody that accomplished what he accomplished and was doing what he was doing."

DJ Stretch Armstrong said AM's success won't soon be duplicated. "There won't be anyone that can step into his shoes for the foreseeable future," he told MTV News. "I mean, maybe never, in terms of his skill level, his cleverness, his dexterity, the way his mind works, his depth of music knowledge and his ability to take ... his extremely high level of turntablism, battling ability and put that together into a package that's entertaining for not just DJs that really understand what he's doing, but anyone that's going out. Across the board, he could entertain and transfix anybody."

While an initial autopsy proved inconclusive, police say AM was found in his apartment with drug paraphernalia.

"Some people say he was given a second chance at life with surviving that plane crash [last year]," Medina said of his friend's passing. "Who knows what he was going through after that really, aside from him. I just wonder if his demons decided to disrespect his second chance, or if he was suffering so badly that he needed to escape."

Regardless of the way he died, AM will be remembered primarily for his skill and humility.

"I will always remember AM for his prodigious talents, his positive and respectful demeanor and for his template for success as a fellow DJ," Medina said. "We lost one of the best in the game. I am proud to say that I knew him and that I learned a great deal from him, despite his never giving me a formal lesson. Rest in Peace, Adam. We will miss you."

• Remembering DJ AM
• DJ AM's Last Interview With MTV News

• DJ AM: A Life In Photos

• DJ AM
• DJ Green Lantern
• Travis Barker
• Just Blaze
• DJ Drama

Jadakiss
Photo: Def Jam

Artist: Jadakiss

Representing: Y.O.

Mixtape: Kiss My A--: The Champ Is Here Pt. 2

411: Before we do anything, let's send a massive, unified R.I.P. to the Notorious B.I.G. The rap legend was assassinated 12 years ago today. We'll always love you, Big.

This week was supposed to see the release of Jadakiss' The Last Kiss album, and since that project has been pushed back until April 7, your boy couldn't leave you without any stimulants. He has a mixtape out, so pucker up — Jadakiss is going to tell you to kiss his ass and there's just no escaping that. Although he had to change his official album's title to The Last Kiss, the Yonkers monster mouth used his original title idea for his latest mixtape, the sequel to his classic 2004 mixtape with Big Mike and Green Lantern, The Champ Is Here.

"Green is impeccable with blending and mixing, taking a cappella of a record that had a previous track to the next level," Kiss said of reteaming for Kiss My A--: The Champ Is Here Pt. 2.

"A lot of DJs just want a couple of freestyles [when you make mixtapes]. Green wants some freestyles, a cappellas. He wants to do his thing and he wants some drops or whatever," Jada continued. "And he presents you with records. When you're working with him, you know what you're getting, and he's bringing some things to the table. He's really in there working. He's making it like a real album. He's gonna master it. It was definitely a good thing getting back with him."

To the dismay of fans — not to mention the two gentlemen involved themselves — Kiss and Green had a serious falling out on the heels of making the first Champ, one of the all--time great street CDs (no gas here, it was that damn good. A phone conversation between the two popped up on a street DVD. They were discussing Jada's then brewing battle with 50 Cent. In the aftermath of the footage going public, Green stepped down as Eminem's DJ.

Lantern has since gone on to spin at shows for the likes of Nas and Jay-Z. In fact, it was during an American Gangster tour stop in NYC that Kiss appeared onstage as Jay's special guest, but the Yonkers ripper and the Evil Genius had no synergy onstage. Kiss wanted to rock one of his hits, but Green only had "It's All About the Benjamins."

"I reached out to Green," Jada said of how the two came to put this current mixtape together. "He kept 100. He came to Y.O. by himself. We sat at a restaurant and just kicked it. Ventilated. He said what he wanted to say, got off his chest how the whole thing went down."

As for the concert, Jada explained, "A lot of people thought it might have been some funny money, but one of the things we talked about at the table, he was like, 'Don't think I was doing you greasy.' He didn't have none of my music in his replay. I can't get mad at that. It's a Hov show. Hov made him put 'The Benjamins' in there. I just didn't want to perform 'The Benjamins.' "

Now on the same page, the two are already plotting to drop another Kiss My A-- CD. And if you're wondering why this current Kiss My A-- CD is a little shorter than expected, Jada said he's just looking out for his official release in April. The potency of the first Champ Is Here mixtape hurt sales of his official The Kiss of Death album.

"That's why I had to make this one tight, but not too much a full-length album, because [fans] will just sit with that and not want to get your album. ... Interscope spent a lot of money on that Champ Is Here [and it ended up hurting The Kiss of Death]. They made a lot of copies and put it in every region in the world. It was good and bad. That's why I went light. But we got volume two of the Kiss My Ass. I got more music I'm gonna let go in a couple days for you."

Jada said after his album drops in April, fans can expect a D-Block compilation followed by a LOX album at the end of the year.

Joints To Check For

» "Child Abuse." "That's a beat that Swizz used before," Jada explained. "I heard a lot of people that rocked over it. [Lloyd] Banks rocked to it. Ransom, Stack Bundles — rest in peace — before he passed, he ripped something on there. I said, 'This is a beat for MCs. I wanna get on that, let them know I got my ear to the streets.' 'Child Abuse'! Just some lyrical fun, smackin' the track around."

» "Hard Times" featuring Barrington Levy. "That should be on the LP," Jada said. "I don't know. It's in the batch. It rings off in the club and I get a good look from all the yardies. They love the boy Kiss, respect. Barrington is raw. They call him 'The Mayor' over there [in Jamaica]. He's a real dude. ... He's making real music. He's trying hard to get me [to do the video] over there in Jamaica. I might pay for a video — shoot half over there, shoot half in Jamaica. It was a good look. I never did a reggae joint, and I did it with Barrington. I'm supposed to be hooking up with Beenie Man too this week while he's in town."

» "The People" featuring Styles P. "We were just spazzin' on the Common beat," Jada explained. "I'm a big fan of Common. You probably wouldn't know, since we're [such] different artists, but Common's a spitter since back in the day. He gets it in with anybody, any type of song. I was big fan of that single when he dropped it, 'The People.' The cadence is crazy. Green had thrown SP on there in the middle of the track. I said, 'That ain't gonna work, Green. You can't just chop them verses up like that. You gotta let the whole thing rock, then let P come after that.' It came out tremendous."

Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week

» DJ Scream and DJ Smallz - The Peace Treaty

'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar

» Ghostface Killah - "A Message From Ghostface"
» Nas featuring Marsha Ambrosia - "If I Ruled the World '09"
» Slaughterhouse - "Fight Club"
» Keri Hilson featuring T-Pain and Lil Wayne - "Turnin Me On" (remix)
» Raekwon - "Staten (We Go Hard)"

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

From the 'hood to Hollywood, it's moooooo-vin! Red Cafe has volumes of songs dropping this year. First and foremost is a favorite of the Mixtape Monday fam, "Hottest in the Hood."

"The streets is talking about this record everywhere," said Red, who boasts in the song that he's the person most on fire in the street. "It's a cocky statement on the record — you gotta own up to it. It's important that my 'hood and my city is embracing the record. I'm on every countdown [on New York radio]. The record has only been out for [a few] weeks. It's spreading dramatically. I'm ready to go."

Red also leaked a song called "Very Special" that samples Anita Baker. "That record is such a classic record, you don't really wanna touch it unless you gonna do justice to it. 'Rapture'! I approached it to do it justice, to make the people love it again. They already loved it."

Red's debut, Shakedown, should be dropping within the next few months. Young Jeezy, Fabolous, T-Pain, Jadakiss and Fat Joe all have guest appearances.

"There's going to be at least 10 records of just me on there as well," the Brooklyn native promised, dispelling any notion that his album will have a compilation feel. Red is also going to be featured heavily on Akon's next album, Koncrete scheduled to drop at the end of the year, and Fabolous' Street Fam, due this fall. Not to be outdone, Red and DJ Envy will have their second co-op LP out this summer.

"The Shakedown album is honesty," Cafe promised. "You gonna get honesty on that album."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Monday, check out Mixtape Mondays Headlines.

• Mixtape Monday Video: Jadakiss

• Jadakiss
• DJ Green Lantern

50 Cent and Eminem
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Artist: Kool G Rap
Representing: The Juice Crew, Queens
Independent Album: Half a Klip
411: Here's a little-known Kool G Rap fact: The first verse of "Men at Work" and his guest spot on "The Symphony" were originally written as one long, angst-driven rhyme. Clearly, he was in a zone at the time.

But KGR declares he's even better today than he was in the golden era of rap.

"G Rap is so current, you could mix me up with anybody in 2008 and I'mma sound relevant and up to the times," he said, sitting in his Queens studio.

Although he took a long break from recording, G Rap told us that he isn't done. He just released an EP called Half a Klip with production from DJ Premier, Domingo and Juice Crew partner Marley Marl.

"I'm still working on the project, and it's gonna be the full-length album," he said. "But it's been a long wait. The last thing I did was in 2005. I dropped a mixtape with Whoo Kid. I wanted to hit them with an appetizer to keep the stomach growls alive.

"It's hard, but not hard, because at the same time, I was working," he added about his hiatus. "I must have a collection of 50-60 songs. We're gonna put this Half a Klip out there, let it do what it do, then hit them with the Full Extended Klip.

Joints To Check For

»"With a Bullet." "Me and Marley, the song we did together basically was a throwback rhyme," G Rap explained. "It was a throwback verse I had, something I had with Nas years ago, like '92, '93. ... We have one of the dudes we're working with featured on the song, giving him a little light. They found a verse from somewhere. I don't know how they got it. But there's a lot of people out here that got stuff — you wouldn't believe, that I wouldn't believe — on me."

»"On the Rise Again." "DJ Premier laid a crazy track to it. My man D-Mac, the guy who I'm partnered with, ran into Haylie Duff and got her to blow vocals through the chorus. It's not a whole lot, but it's just right. The way Premier put it together was a masterpiece.

"I heard [Haylie] wasn't really up on Kool G Rap, but her managers and people she worked with schooled her on who Kool G Rap was," he added. "I'm aware of the Duff sisters. Of course, her sister Hilary Duff is a household name. I didn't know her [older] sister did the same thing too. I guess we discovered each other through this project."

»"100 Rounds." "That's just me going in," he said. "Coming out that street mode and putting it in lyric mode. It's traditional G Rap right there."

Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week

» DJ Drama and La the Darkman - The Notorious L.A.D.
» DJ DVS-1 and DJ 1Mic - The League Leaders
» DJ Diggz - The Hardest Out 2 (Beanie vs. Styles P)
» DJ Smallz - Florida Trafficking
» DJ Woogie and Lloyd Banks - Bank Vault, Pt. 2

'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar

» Donnie Klang (featuring Diddy) - "Take You There"
» Saigon (featuring Just Blaze) - "Gotta Believe"
» Bishop Lamont (featuring Focus) - "Better Than You"
» Rick Ross (featuring Triple C and J Rock) - "Ridin' Thru the Ghetto"

Fire Starter: Tyga

"Young Moooolah, baaaay-baaaayyyyyy!" Tyga literally has Lil Wayne's Young Money stamp of approval — the young buck has Wayne's label logo tattooed on his arm. The 18-year-old, who sports a Young Money chain as well, met Weezy at the 2007 VMAs, during a performance by Gym Class Heroes. While Wayne thought he was just a hanger-on, Tyga turned out to be Travis McCoy's cousin and an aspiring hip-hop artist. Now thousands of fans on the Net know who he is. His alternative-rap/reggae ode "Coconut Juice" is getting the royal treatment. He just shot a video to it with Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz (Tyga is signed to Wentz's label Decaydance Records). He's also got "Space Joyridin" and "Exquisite," with Birdman Jr. and Gata, floating around the Internet to set up his debut, No Introduction.

Celebrity Faves

For an album with no release date, no single or even a set list of producers, Nas' LP Nigger is still getting a bunch of people talking about it. While over in England, Chris Brown said he's eagerly awaiting it, just like the rest of us.

"Nas' album [title], that's incredible," he said. "I would just say, Nas is a great MC. He is always going to be a dope lyricist, a legend in my eyes. At the same time, it's all about people's personal opinion. That's his album, so if he wants to call it what he wants to call it, he can call it what he wants to call it. There's always going to be people saying that [it should have] 'Parental Advisory' all the time, and they have their opinions. But my thing is, it's his album, so you either want to buy it or you don't."

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

50 Cent can admit when he is totally wrong and his gambles don't pay off. For most of last year, he took the advice of Interscope Records and fell back from the mixtape circuit because the label had advised him that it was taking away from his official record sales. That was right around the time DJ Drama and Don Cannon were having issues with the RIAA.

But 50 has made up for lost time in the past six months, releasing three mixtapes since last fall.

"They think I'm crazy," 50 told us last week in his Connecticut mansion, chuckling about what Eminem and Shady Records tell him about giving away so much material for free. "Sometimes [Em] misses why I put it out. He goes, 'Why did you put it out?' But I can't be as hot as I'm gonna be if I don't play around. I gotta spar before I go fight the champ. That's my concept of it. If I don't go out and make material and lock in, I'm not gonna make the best possible material for the next [official] project."

Fif — who has been working on a new freestyle with Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo over the beat of Snoop Dogg's "Neva Have 2 Worry" — obviously hasn't been slowed down by any of his recent issues with his hip-hop peers. Lately he and Fat Joe have been going back and forth in interviews, songs and Photoshopped pictures on the Web.

"The Hip-Hop Weekly [a fake cover] came out, and it was a thing with [Benzino] supposed to be [sleeping] with Fat Joe's wife," 50 said. "I didn't make that. I didn't have anyone [Photoshop] that. Why would you do that? I work for Hip-Hop Weekly? They'll know that there are issues between me and Joe, so when he approaches them, they'll say, 'Nah, it must be 50. You know how 50 is.' But I didn't care, 'cause I don't like Joe neither. It doesn't matter to me that they did it, but it didn't come from me."

But several days ago, 50 did hold a mock funeral for Joe online. In the video, he started to cry, saying the SoundScan returns of Joe's The Elephant in the Room killed him. He also warned Joe's friend Rick Ross not to align himself too tightly with the Terror Squad general.

"Rick Ross is doing good," 50 elaborated. "I also complimented him that he had the #1 album. I said, 'Just don't stand too close to this fat piece of ...' I'm saying that because of what [Joe's] trying to do. He runs to Miami and hangs out with them like he's running Miami? Does Fat Joe run Miami? I don't think Fat Joe runs Miami. I think people from Miami would be upset you're even questioning that. The fact he can influence DJ Khaled on the radio, does that mean Fat Joe runs Miami? ... I don't care if [Khaled] ever plays my records. He's not important enough to what I'm doing for it to matter. Not to say Miami doesn't count. He doesn't count for it to matter to me."

The G-Unit album, tentatively titled Lock and Load, is slated for this summer, while Fif's next solo LP, Before I Self Destruct, is coming toward the end of this year.

To watch an exclusive clip of 50 explaining why his problems with so many artists have a roundabout connection to Jay-Z, click the player above. ...

The T's have been crossed, the I's have been dotted, and now Brooklyn's Papoose is a free man.

"Actually, I just got out of the situation with Jive," he told us last week at Philippe's restaurant in Manhattan. "I had options when I was trying to get out of the situation with Jive. Now that I'm out of the situation, I'mma make my decision within the next couple weeks or so. And I'm going to move forward. After I make my decision, I want the single out, and I want the album to come right afterward. I want my album out as soon as possible. I just want to get it out there."

The lyrical MC said he wants to release his album, Nacirema Dream, this year, no question. He pinpointed June as a target month, but he's still shuffling songs for the project. Now that he's out of his contract with Jive, Pap said there are a few songs from the album he turned in that he wants to swap out for better ones.

"I'm not with the industry politics, like, 'Yo, you have to have this type of record.' I'm not with none of that, because I'm not bred like that. I'm bred from the street."

Speaking of the street, the DJ Kay Slay protégé recently got into it with another 'hood-certified guy, Fat Joe. After trading barbs in the press about a fight they had in North Carolina, Pap said he's done with Joe. But he warned everyone against thinking someone with a slim frame like his couldn't hold his own with a big guy like Joey Crack.

"That's the same reason he got punched in his face," Pap boasted. "Don't underestimate nobody. He's a big dude, but that's dead weight. He thought he was just gonna come in there and get an easy run, try to punk me. 'Yo, you got a problem with me?' That sh-- don't scare me. I'm from Brooklyn; that don't put no fear in my heart. Size don't mean nothing. Like I said, that's dead weight.

"If you listen to the interviews, he told you himself," Papoose continued. "He wants to fabricate, 'Papoose was in the corner, he was so afraid.' But he doesn't realize that the people and the fans aren't stupid. You said it yourself; you asked me, 'Do I have a problem?' You said yourself that I said, 'Do you want to make it a problem?' That was the only thing he was honest about. Everything else, the fabrication starts. A person that's afraid isn't going to ask you, 'Do you want to make it a problem?' So it speaks for itself." ...

Yes, they can. Once Russell Simmons made up his mind to back Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primary and had to step down as chairman of his nonpartisan political group the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, one of the first things he did was ... e-mail DJ Green Lantern?

"I got the e-mail from Russ, like, 'I'm going in. I made my decision; I'm throwing the whole house behind Obama,' " Green said.

Green, in turn, picked up the phone to ask Simmons to collaborate on a Barack Obama mixtape called "Yes, We Can," named after the Illinois senator's popular refrain.

"The light bulb just went off," he explained. "[Russell] is going in; I been a Barack supporter for a long time. [Russell] was conflicted with what he wanted to do, and when he finally made the decision, I just hit him back immediately. I got the idea, let's go and get everybody who's professed their support. Let's make it happen."

"That's his idea; this man did it all," Russell chimed in about Green. "When he called me, I was with it. It's just one more layer for the cake. We already see [Obama] as the nominee. I don't think it's possible for him to lose the nomination. But we have a long haul in front of us. Young people got to come out; they got to vote."

The two have been putting in calls to the likes of Common, Q-Tip and Will.I.Am to get original songs for the project. But, according to Green, the mixtape is going to feature 50 percent new material and 50 percent of his remixing. They're aiming to finish the project before next month's HSAN summit in Pennsylvania.

"I'm having a field day with these Obama speeches," Green explained. "I actually got joints where I'll make a beat, I'll get somebody to sing a hook, and where there's supposed to be verses, it's just straight speeches. I played one for my mother, and she started crying. So it's gonna be inspiring, but then on the street side, it's just gonna be some descriptions of life on the street, but not any of the thuggery."

"[This is] something that I had to do personally," Simmons said of backing Obama and the mixtape. "I think this endorsement is something that I had to do, and it kind of promotes a conflict, so I didn't want to be nothing but a participant. I'm not involved in the day-to-day activities of the Summit anymore because I endorsed Barack Obama." ...

Before we take it a step further, R.I.P. Chad Butler, a.k.a. Pimp C. Bun B's second solo LP, II Trill, is coming in less than a month, and the first single, called "That's Gangsta," features Sean Kingston.

" 'Gangsta' is still doing real good," Bun said at the South by Southwest music festival earlier in March. "We're gonna shoot that video, just waiting for Sean to get back from overseas to get that movin'. Finin' to start getting some viral videos together — just trying to stay focused and grind it out."

"Damn I'm Cold" features Lil Wayne, while Mya sings on "Good II Me." Scott Storch produced "I Luv That." All are being considered as singles.

"The song with Mya is a real good record," he said. "We got this song called 'You're Everything With Me' with Rick Ross, David Banner and 8Ball & MJG. The beat is incredible. I think what the song represents would be something good. We got a lot of good options. That's one thing with UGK: We never tried to make singles; we always made sure we got a solid album. Our problem was trying to decide what the single would be."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Monday, check out Mixtape Mondays Headlines.

• Mixtape Monday Video: 50 Cent, Papoose

• 50 Cent
• Eminem
• Papoose
• Fat Joe
• DJ Green Lantern

DJ Green Lantern on the set of "And 1 Streetball"
Photo: Ubisoft

Last June, DJ Green Lantern thought a more suitable superhero name for himself might be Hip-Hop Aquaman.

Why? Because that's the kind of thought that goes through a DJ's mind when he's decked out in a skintight black-and-turquoise suit with 100 sensors attached to his face and body. Forget traditional hip-hop garb: The scuba-style getup was the only wardrobe required to record authentic Green Lantern moves for "And 1 Streetball," a basketball video game coming out this week from developer Black Ops Entertainment and publisher Ubisoft.

Typically, video game makers squeeze superstar basketball players, pro wrestlers or Tiger Woods into a motion-capture suit to accurately replicate their moves for games. White sensors shaped like ping-pong balls are attached by Velcro to the dark, form-fitting suit from neckline to toe (and on a decidedly un-stylish beanie cap). Cameras track the sensors' movements, record the data and apply them to video game dummies. If motion-captured facial movements are needed, the test subject gets more than two dozen pinhead sensors glued to their lips, eyelids, cheeks and jaw.

DJ Green Lantern — star record-spinner, sometimes-producer and former DJ for Eminem (see "DJ Green Lantern Explains Eminem Split") — was brought to Los Angeles' House of Moves motion-capture studio last June not for his basketball prowess, but for his DJ skills; his digital form will be featured courtside during many of the basketball games in "And 1 Streetball." Although he may also be featured as a bonus player in the game, he told MTV News he hasn't set foot on a basketball court in 16 years. "I got the late-night DJ physique going on now," he admitted. "I'd be really out of breath if I tried to D up."

Instead, Green Lantern had his DJing motion-captured so the game can include his finger-work on the turntables and cross-fader, as well as a series of gestures designed to pump up the crowd. Center stage at the House of Moves, he spent an hour working two turntables that were partially covered in blue tape so as not to interfere with the recording. The tape ended up gumming up the works, so he did most of his DJing for the session without even playing records — he was mostly acting.

After a few minutes in the suit, the DJ was, well, a bit embarrassed. "It's Green Lantern, the Evil Genius," he said, somewhat self-mockingly, on a tape of the session. "I don't feel really evil right now. They've got me looking really crazy out here. They just said, 'Listen, here's a bag of money, put this crazy suit on.' I said, 'I need a bigger bag.' So they sent me a suitcase. I said, 'I'll be right there.' So here I am."

According to the game's developers, skipping the mo-cap and simply animating a digital Green Lantern by hand wasn't an option. "We motion-captured DJ Green Lantern for the same reasons why we motion-captured the players: realism and authenticity," said Matt Leunig, an associate producer on the game. "Just as the 'And 1' streetballers have their unique styles on the court, Lantern has his own style of shout-outs, record flipping and scratching, which would be tough to reproduce by other means."

Because the authenticity of hip-hop-flavored video games is often questioned, the masterminds behind the "And 1" franchise opted to go as legit as possible for this release. The game features renowned streetballers including Baby Shaq, Professor and Helicopter, as well as 13 exclusive songs from the likes of Bun B, Clipse and Kool G Rap, with region-specific styles like crunk or hyphy playing when gamers reach different courts across the game's virtual America.

Green Lantern was hired to work on the soundtrack and produce a mixtape that will be released with the game. But the DJ was also brought in for his moves, which resulted in a few awkward moments during the mo-cap session when Black Ops president John Botti tried to convince Lantern to get a bit more animated. The wrinkle in the plan, it turned out, was that Green Lantern doesn't have a very physical DJ style.

Botti called out a plain scratch. Lantern did it. Botti needed him to do a transform. Not a problem. "Do you scratch with your elbow at all?" Botti asked.

"It's a little extra," Green Lantern replied.

"Turn-around scratch?"

"That's a little extra for the kid."

Green Lantern, the comic book hero, is said to be a man with no fear, just a weakness to the color yellow — DJ Green Lantern is a man with no fear of compromise. Botti explained that the DJ would be featured on the game's courtside perimeter, so he'd need to make bigger gestures to attract attention to his mo-capped moves. And so, as Green Lantern later explained to MTV News, he relented. "I did the little elbow joint," he said. "I did the little turnaround. I haven't really done any of the tricks in years."

The developers also captured Lantern pulling records from his crates, flipping LPs onto the turntables, answering his phone, acting like he spotted a hot girl in the crowd and pretending to be bored by players stinking up the joint. They also made him deliver a barrage of shout-outs, dropping slang and praising And 1, Black Ops and Ubisoft ("Shout out to Ubisoft, in control of this whole gaming thing").

In the end, Green Lantern said he was glad to be of service, and happy to return to some aspect of gaming after giving it up for a different pursuit — girls, he said — back in the age of the Atari 2600.

"And 1 Streetball" launches on PS2 and Xbox this week.

Track list for "And 1 Streetball":

• Clipse (featuring DMP) - "VA Streetz"
• Smitty - "Set the City on Fire"
• Bun B & the Middle Fingaz - "Hard in the Paint"
• San Quinn - "Take Money, Make Money"
• Stat Quo - "What's Next"
• Freeway - "Stand Up"
• Rhymefest - "Coming for You"
• Turf Talk - "Put Up or Shut Up"
• BG - "We"
• Devin the Dude - "Give It and Go"
• Peedi Crakk - "It Don't Stop"
• Ray Cash - "E-Room"
• Kool G Rap (featuring Hammerz and Scram Jones) - "This Is How We Do NYC"

• DJ Green Lantern

Game, Mad Linx and Justo Faison (file)
Photo: Getty

When Mixtape Awards founder Justo Faison died in a car accident Saturday, hip-hop lost another major player. He may not have been as well-known as Jam Master Jay, Notorious B.I.G. or Tupac, but he was a pioneer whom friends are remembering for his significant contributions to the culture.

Besides holding positions at Nervous, Atlantic and Epic and managing DJ Kay Slay, Faison founded the Mixtape Awards in 1996, which has gone on to become the Grammy Awards of the streets.

DJ Kool Kid described Faison, who died at age 36 (see "Justo Faison, Founder Of Annual Mixtape Awards, Killed In Car Crash"), as a "motivator who put visions into reality," while DJ EFN called him an instrumental part of the mixtape game.

"Justo repped the DJs like no one else," said Green Lantern, who has won multiple Mixtape Awards and was close friends with Faison for the past 10 years. "He was the one fighting for DJs when the labels said we were just like bootleggers. He basically was the bridge that legitimized mixtape DJs to where we were able to get record deals and progress into corporate settings. I still can't believe this happened to such a good person. He will truly be missed."

"Winning a Justo award was like a dream come true," said Whoo Kid, 50 Cent's personal DJ, who knew Faison for many years. "It gave me fame and promotional value to these ignorant companies and labels that don't know sh-- about hip-hop. My success in this rap sh-- is partially owed to Justo. So we both had respect for our grinds. I will miss him dearly. My last six CDs were dedicated to him and to help him promote his awards show. Now my next 100 CDs will be dedicated to him."

"Justo handing me my plaque for the Mixtape Awards was one of the best moments of my life," DJ Sickamore said. "I couldn't make it to the Mixtape Awards one year because I was in Houston doing a tape with Steve Francis. Instead of mailing my plaque to me or leaving it somewhere, he drove it to me and gave it to me in my hand. He didn't have to do that. I am grateful forever and was in total disbelief when I heard the horrible news. His awards were the only acclaim you got as a mixtape DJ. All other outlets picked up on it after. It's definitely a sad time for the mixtape game."

As significant as the Mixtape Awards were for DJs, Justo's annual ceremony also meant bragging rights and star-turning bows for MCs.

"Even 50 Cent thought he wasn't official until he won the Justo award," Whoo Kid remarked about 50's win in 2002. "It added more fuel to the fire that 50 had in the streets."

50; Kay Slay; Whoo Kid; Eminem's manager, Paul Rosenberg; and labels Atlantic, Koch, TVT and Interscope are contributing money to Faison's burial and a relief fund for his family. Nelson Taboada of Shady Records/ Interscope has been appointed the official point person for all moneys received ($23,000 has been raised so far). Nelson can be reached at Nels@tmail.com for pledges or more information.

Faison's viewing will be held Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Shekinah Youth Center, 111-54 Merrick Blvd. in Jamaica, Queens. His funeral service will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at the nearby Allen AME Church at 110-31 Merrick Blvd.

• DJ Green Lantern

Alchemist (file)
Photo: Koch

You knew there was no way Eminem was going to tour without a DJ.

So when Green Lantern left the Shady camp a few weeks back amidst the controversy he caused with his appearance on the street DVD "The Come Up, Vol. 5," it was only a matter of time before a new turntablist filled the vacancy (see "DJ Green Lantern Explains Eminem Split").

That time is now. Producer Alchemist, a frequent collaborator with Mobb Deep, has been given the nod by Slim Shady.

"It's a real step up for me. I'm excited, to say the least," Alchemist said Friday (May 13) in New York.

Alchemist is managed by Em's manager, Paul Rosenberg, and Al's brother Neil also works with Rosenberg. The two recently called a meeting with the producer and offered him the position on the Anger Management 3 Tour, which he gladly accepted (see "Eminem, 50, Lil Jon, G-Unit, D12 Team Up For Anger Management 3 Tour This Summer"). Although fans know Al largely from his production work for such artists as the Mobb and Jadakiss, he's been a DJ for years.

"From day one, before getting with Mobb, I used to roll with Cypress Hill," he said. "I used to roll heavy with Muggs, setting up the turntables, getting that onstage experience for years. Moving to New York and getting down with the Mobb, the last three or four years, I've been doing shows with them, just experiencing the adrenaline and the rush."

Al said he's also prepared for a role that may be more than just spinning records. Just like Green Lantern, he may be called on to give his input on how the show should go.

"I'mma play it by ear. This is Em's show. When it comes time, I will have my creative ideas, [but] I will also follow Em's ideas," he said. "I'm quick. I know Em's a perfectionist, and so am I. We both try to make things better. I already know all his and D12 and Obie Trice's music, but I'm studying it so I can know [the songs] like I know the Mobb stuff. I'm ready. Once I get my script, I'm on it. I'm taking this real serious now. I want to be the best DJ I can be, just like I want to be the best producer I can be."

Going on tour doesn't mean Alchemist is going to slow up on beats, though. He says he'll have plenty of time to do both.

"Anybody who knows anything about touring knows there's a lot of downtime, a lot of long tour bus rides. I'm already loading up for the drives. I'll have more than enough stuff to do. Creative people vibe off each other. If I'm in a circle where I see Fif and Em and Jon everyday, that puts more juice into me. I remember when I was on the Smokin' Grooves Tour with Freddie Foxxx and Gang Starr. I was making beats on the back of the Cypress bus. I remember the energy. This is gonna be the 2005 version of that."

Twista, Sheek Louch, Scarface, Tony Yayo and Pharoahe Monch are among the MCs he has already worked with. Lil Jon has also approached him about working with Lil' Scrappy. Meanwhile, Al and Mobb Deep are going to keep flooding the mixtape circuit because of their competitive natures.

"I been just dropping joints on the streets. To the mixtapes, to the DJs," he said. "To me, that's what's it's all about. Instead of me waiting to compile a bunch of joints, make an album and do numbers first week, through this period of time when I don't have an album, I want them to feel like these guys are the truth. Me and the Mobb have so many joints. We dropped this joint called 'I Got This.' I don't know what we're going to do with the record, but for now it's just a record to represent us for the summertime. If I have to take a little loss and just give it to the people, it serves its purpose. When I hear something hot on the radio, I feel like I gotta drop something next week."

• The Alchemist
• Eminem
• DJ Green Lantern

DJ Green Lantern (file)
Photo: Ray Tamarra

Eminem is getting ready to go on the Anger Management 3 Tour, and all of a sudden he is left without a DJ. Em's record spinner, DJ Green Lantern, not only resigned from his tour post late last month, he left the whole Shady family. Green felt it was what he had to do to avoid causing any problems between Eminem and 50 Cent.

Confusing? Well, the street DVD "The Come Up, Vol. 5" is at the heart of the conflict. Green has his own interview on the DVD, but that's not what landed him in hot water. The DJ actually split from Em and company because of a Jadakiss interview.

In a separate segment, Jada was being asked about his beef with 50 Cent when Green coincidentally called him. The two spoke about their wins at the previous night's Mixtape Awards (see "Jadakiss Named Artist Of The Year At Mixtape Awards"), as well as discussing the 50/ Jada/ Fat Joe battle (see "Jadakiss Looking Forward To 'Airing 50 Cent's Ass Out' "). Jada had Green on speakerphone, and unbeknownst to Lantern, rolling cameras picked up the entire conversation.

Green Lantern believed that 50 Cent would be upset by the talk, so rather than put Em in the position of choosing between the DJ and 50, the producer of Ludacris' "Number One Spot" left on his own. No longer affiliated with Sirius hip-hop channel Shady 45, the DJ now hosts the syndicated radio show "Mixtape Radio."

While Jadakiss could not be reached to speak on the subject, Green Lantern and "The Come Up" producer Fendi had plenty to say.



MTV News' Rahman Dukes got the whole story from DJ Green Lantern.



MTV: What exactly happened in this situation stemming from the DVD?

Green Lantern: Basically, I was recorded without my knowledge, speaking with Jadakiss about his response record to 50 Cent. ... There was a rumor going around that, in the conversation, I was giving Kiss inside information on what 50 was going to do. And that's really why I'm saying anything, because that is absolutely false.

I will admit to the fact that I was speaking to Jadakiss, somebody that was in a rap battle with 50 Cent, but at the same time, Jada's my dude. I've worked with him for years, so it wasn't nothing for me to be talking with him. The inappropriate action on my part was when I'm commenting on his song, telling him, "That's a jab. Where's a knockout?" ... That was some bullsh--. It really looks like I wanted to take 50 Cent out, and there really isn't any feelings toward 50 Cent on my part, even though it looks like that. ... If I'm Green Lantern from Shady/ Aftermath and I shouldn't be commenting with Jadakiss on his song going at 50 Cent, at the same time I'm also an individual that has a relationship with this guy.



MTV So what would be the problem?

Green Lantern: Choosing to put the conversation on the DVD created an unfortunate situation. We have conversations with other people on the phone where other people's names are mentioned that you still mess with, but you wouldn't want that to go to the world. I didn't want to create a tension between Em and 50 with Em going to bat for me and all that when it's a crazy situation. For what? I'll just be out.



MTV: Have you seen the DVD?

Green Lantern: I saw it like two weeks ago, and I immediately put things in motion as far as notifying the powers that be and then trying to reach out to people, letting people know as far as Shady and what not. That's what you would do in that situation. I would want you to hear it from me rather than anybody else, because I know you're going to hear it.



MTV: What is your relationship with 50?

Green Lantern: I have no relationship with 50. I never really did. We were just kind of, "What's up?" you know? I might have had one- or two-minute conversations with him the whole three years. He does him, he goes all around the world and does his shows, his whole thing. I don't even want to comment on 50 Cent, because I don't even know him.



MTV: Did Eminem try to prevent you from leaving because you're part of his success?

Green Lantern: Nah. I think he knew it was that big. Before he even talked to 50, I told him, "Yo, listen. He's gonna tell you to get rid of me. He's going to say, 'Cut the grass and get the snakes out.' That's just what it is, how it looks on the tape." This is a mutual thing. It's a mutual break, a clean break down the middle.



MTV: Do you see a time when you rectify things and go back to making music with Shady?

Green Lantern: I can't see that far into the future. I know that I just really want to hear what Jadakiss has got to say, though. I know I've got my own theories, but this ain't even like me to be talking. This is personal business. I don't want to seem like I'm talking on the Internet about things that's personal. It's personally got to get handled between me and him. Whether we work together or not, people are gonna see it.



MTV: It seems like you tried to stay neutral though the whole situation, because you never played any of the dis records.

Green Lantern: I thank you for that. I always wanted to put that out there. I felt like people would think it was petty, but I made it a point not to play any of those dis records.



MTV News' Shaheem Reid spoke with "The Come Up" producer Fendi and heard his side of things.



MTV: OK, Fendi — let's air it out. What happened with the whole Jadakiss and Green Lantern fiasco?

Fendi: Green Lantern is my man. I f--- with Green Lantern. I would never ever do nothing to f--- up Green Lantern's career. That n---a helped me. I got artists. I know better than to put a DJ against the wall when I know he helps me.

Jadakiss is doing part two to the interview where he's talking about 50. [In the middle of the interview] Green Lantern calls Jadakiss' phone. Kiss don't know what Green Lantern is about to say on his phone. He put the n---a on speaker, like 'Yo, my n---a Green Lantern is calling me.' He's just adding to his interview. First thing Green says is, 'You hit him with a jab. Where's the knockout?' Kiss already has him on speaker. Green was like, '[G-Unit]'s mad ass n---as. This is hip-hop.' It was Green Lantern who contacted G-Unit with, 'Yo, I did a DVD. It's about to come out, and I look f---ed up on it.' He alarmed them.



MTV: So if you have the man on tape and he doesn't know, and you think he might look a little crazy on there, why not just edit it out?

Fendi: The point of the story is that Green called Jada and he started yapping at the mouth. Green felt that I could've edited it out, and you're right. But when you think about Green Lantern, what's the first thing that comes to your mind?



MTV: Shady.

Fendi: You don't think about 50. I'm not thinking it's gonna be as big as it is. That sh-- is huge. I didn't think to edit it out. Plus my editor is one of them braniac n---as where he takes the words Green was saying, he has the words coming up on the bottom [of the screen]. You would think you was watching a subtitled Japanese movie or something. Now Green feels like, 'You and Jadakiss set me up.' I'm not speaking for Jadakiss, but he had no intention of violating Green Lantern. Green Lantern did all of that himself. Green Lantern called Jadakiss.



MTV: Have you talked to Green Lantern since all his happened?

Fendi: Green Lantern was calling me like 'Yo, Fendi. That's f---ed up what y'all did. You did me greasy. You was just being greedy.' I'm not a DVD n---a. Smack [of "Smack DVD"] is a DVD n---a. I'm just a n---a who had some footage of Biggie. I felt it was an outlet for my artist Gravy to win, but I don't eat or sleep for DVDs. I just have some exclusive footage, and now I'm winning. That Green Lantern sh-- was some sh-- Green brought on himself. My DVD was already going to be hot before Green Lantern called.

For more on the 50 Cent/ Jadakiss lyrical battle, check out the feature "Jadakiss & Fat Joe Sound Off."

• DJ Green Lantern
• Eminem
• 50 Cent
• Jadakiss

• Game
• Nas
• T.I.
• Fat Joe
• DJ Green Lantern

Jay-Z's Hangar Tour: Seven Cities In One Day

• Jay-Z
• Memphis Bleek
• DJ Green Lantern