Gucci Mane performs at the 2009 BET Hip-Hop Awards
Photo: Ben Rose/PictureGroup/AP

As big as it gets: Jay-Z won the BET Hip-Hop Awards' MVP of the Year trophy, beating Lil Wayne, Drake, T.I. and Kanye West. Hov also opened the show with a performance of "As Real as It Gets" with Young Jeezy. Taped earlier this month in Atlanta and aired Tuesday night (October 27), the ceremony showcased the hip-hop nation, from the New Boyz to OGs like Jigga.

"Opened up the BET Awards, me and Jay-Z," Jeezy told Mixtape Daily of his performance the day after the show taped. "Shouts out to the homie, man, he stopped through. He was on his way to another show. But that's what we do. Real ones do real things. I just wanted to do something big for the city. Since the song is on both of our albums, we gonna shoot the video. It's gonna be crazy. We said, 'Let's go ahead and break it in at the BET Awards.' "

And while Jay faced stiff competition, Ice Cube didn't have to go up against anybody to win. He was honored with the prestigious lifetime-achievement "I Am Hip-Hop" award.

"Ice Cube, I think, is everybody's OG at this point in the game," Bun B said on the show's red carpet. "One thing Ice Cube brought to the game I don't think they give him credit for is sincerity, being real about what you say and really mean it. When Cube told the 'hood to stand up, he really meant that. He wasn't just throwing words and ideas around. When he said to check yourself, he meant it. The ups and downs we've had in the community, Ice Cube was always there to be honest and sincere with his words, his songs and his actions."

Jeezy co-presented the award alongside Ice Cube's favorite rapper.

"Without Chuck D, we'd be on a real bad collision course," Cube proclaimed during his acceptance speech.

Other performers on the show included the Goodie Mob, Snoop Dogg and Gucci Mane, who got a chance to perform all his big hits of the last few months, including "Break Up" and "Wasted." Even the legendary Kid 'N Play snuck in a dance step. Some of the most talked-about performances of the night were the ones that didn't happen in-house. Several rap cyphers were taped, resulting in standout verses from KRS-One, Eminem, Nicki Minaj and Joe Budden.

Em's verse was a fence-clearing homerun as he brought his distinctive cadence and semi-automatic handgun flow.

"Wow! I need to hear the unedited version!" DJ Drama, who DJed the awards show, said of Em's bars. "The crowd in the house went crazy! They were so excited to even see Eminem in a cypher. He's one of the greatest spitters of all time."

Mike Epps got a chance to do a little bit of stand-up during the show. He used the opportunity to rib some of the famous audience members, like Snoop. But you knew that was going to happen.

	Soulja Boy, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg And More At The 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards

"Hey, man, I'm cracking everybody," Epps forecasted on the red carpet with a grin. "I gotta keep it secret [who I'm going to target]. ... It's gonna be family fun. Everybody knows the inside jokes of everybody around here. It's gonna be fun, though."

Rick Ross said he and his group, the Triple C's, were just taking in the night and enjoying the unity.

"Every time this rolls around, I just reflect on the beginning of my career," Ross said on the red carpet. "When I was a fan at home looking at all the legends, eating a bowl of Cap'n Crunch, just dreaming. For me to be here, for my team to be here, and be happy to see other artists, none of that artist animosity. So if you're at home and waiting for your day to get here, I relate to you, because I was you."

BET head honcho Stephen Hill said it took a unified front to make the show happen.

"It takes pretty much everybody in the company with some type of dedicated effort to put a show on like this," Hill said. The co-president of programming for the channel also said that the person he looked forward to seeing the most was Snoop Dogg.

"Most people would shy and deflect that question," Hill said. "I've had a 17-year thing with Snoop Dogg. I love to see Snoop Dogg attack the stage. He has that same hunger in 2009 as he did in 1992."

Some other winners announced during the show were Drake for Rookie of the Year and DJ AM for DJ of the Year.

• Soulja Boy, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg And More At The 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards

• Eminem
• Gucci Mane
• Ice Cube
• Jay-Z

Ice Cube arrives at the 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

ATLANTA — At the Atlanta Civic Center, Young Jeezy — who often has high-profile guests to join him onstage — pulled off a huge move during the BET Hip-Hop Awards, kicking off the show by bringing out surprise guest Jay-Z. Hov and Young opened the show with "As Real As It Gets," with the two hip-hop heavyweights going back and forth on verses. With the audience on their feet by song's end, Jeezy said, "Welcome to Atlanta."

Jay later took home the MVP of the Year award, beating out such popular peers as Lil Wayne and Drake. Hov dedicated his win to Mr. Magic, Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube. "Brooklyn, we did it again," he said at the conclusion of his brief speech.

Other big winners announced during the show were Drake for Rookie of the Year and DJ AM for DJ of the Year.

Busta Rhymes stood in for the turntable great, who passed away in August. "I'm honored to accept this," he said. Rhymes also saluted his recently deceased personal DJ, Roc Raida, and pioneer Mr. Magic who formatted his New York radio show with 100 percent hip-hop in the 1980s.

DJ Drama was the house DJ, with DJ Khaled serving as the show's MC. Mike Epps, the show's host, did a short stand-up routine as he cracked the mic, clowning on everyone from Lil Mama to Snoop Dogg. And after Faboulous performed "Throw it in the Bag" and its remix with The-Dream, the crowd was treated with some throwback flavor.

As Fonzworth Bentley and the New Boyz announced the nominees for Rookie of the Year, legendary hip-hop duo Kid 'N Play made their way onstage. The Boyz had proclaimed to be rap's first two-man team to dance as well as rock the mic, prompting Kid 'N Play's entrance to "Rollin' With Kid and Play" to perform their signature dance.

One of the standout stars of the show was ATL's Gucci Mane, who performed several times throughout the night, changing into outfits that included his snow-white fur and jewelry pieces like his outrageous iced-out egg beater. Gucci first came out with Mario for "Break Up" and then took over the stage, bringing out Plies for "Wasted." Gucci also appeared with Soulja Boy, OJ Da Juiceman and a umbrella-toting Shawty Lo for "Gucci Bandana." Mr. Mane's night ended with Wale as they performed the stage debut of "Pretty Girls."

Snoop Dogg also logged multiple stage appearances, debuting his own new record, "Gangsta Luv," with The-Dream (transitioning into a finale of "Gin and Juice") and keeping the crowd on their feet during a surprise highlight, Dorrough's "Ice Cream Paint Job" remix — a remix that included the song's star as well as Jim Jones, Soulja Boy and Nipsey Hussle.

Ice Cube was honored with the I Am Hip-Hop award, with an introductory video that included a voice-over from Dr. Dre. "From that first rhyme he spit for me, I knew Cube was a star," Dre said. The award was presented to the former N.W.A member by Young Jeezy and Cube's favorite MC, Chuck D.

	The 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards

"Without Chuck D, we'd be on a real bad collision course," Cube said in his speech. The legendary trailblazer also called for the hip-hop nation to do "what we feel" and encouraged old b-boys to "keep doing your music" and not let anybody push them out. "As long as you got a tongue, you're not too old to rap," he added.

During breaks, BET showed videotaped packages of their now-famous "cypher" rap sessions. DJ Premier played a beat while three sets of MCs rapped. The first set included KRS-One and Wale, while the second set showcased Joe Budden and Nicki Minaj. The rhyme of the night went to Eminem, however — his session included Black Thought and Mos Def. Em hit a rapid-fire flow that addressed everything from sex to Barack Obama.

Veterans the Goodie Mob ended the night with powerful, high-octane renditions of their classics "Cell Therapy" and "Get Rich to This." It was the group's first televised reunion after nearly a decade apart and had the entire audience singing along in their hometown.

• Soulja Boy, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg And More At The 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards

• Ice Cube
• Young Jeezy
• Jay-Z
• Lil Wayne
• Drake

Young Jeezy on the set of his video for "Who Dat"
Photo: MTV News

Last weekend in Atlanta, it felt like there were more rappers teaming up to do videos than were going to the BET Hip-Hop Awards.

DJ Khaled and Ace Hood shot a video for the "Let's Ride" remix in the same location and at the same time as Busta Rhymes started collecting cameos for his "Arab Money" clip. Later that night in the A, Jeezy rolled out the red carpet for friends such as Rick Ross, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Ice Cube, W.C., Busta Rhymes, Young Buck and Khaled on the set of "Who Dat."

"Shout to Jeezy," Khaled said after filming his guest spot. "I'm a big fan of Jeezy, and that's my brother. He's one of those big boys in the game. He's shooting a video today, and even if we wasn't in it, we would have came down just to support. We in his 'hood. We wanna show that support. We got in the video, and that's a blessing. Jeezy is on all my albums, and he always supports me. We make great music, and he's a real dude."

"He's like a brother from another mother," Buck said of Jeezy. "We go way back, from the streets to the raps. We keep our thing real solid. He does his thing, and I show up. I do my thing, and he shows up.... In the A, they know when they see Jeezy move, they see Buck around a lot. The way it was in the streets, we keep it the same way in the rap world."

"It was a big deal shootin' this video 'cause Fab came through, and we're already cool. ... Same thing with Busta; we were already cool," said Shawty Redd, the track's producer. "The biggest thing was seeing Ice Cube say my name on the track. I had wanted to meet him for a long time, so it was a moment I'll remember. It was a big thing for all the artists to come support and say my name in the video and support the movement with Jeezy.

"Man, after all these years of hard work, it's a great feeling to have all these major artists come out and appreciate the work I've been doin' in the game," he added.

Jeezy co-directed the video. Young said "Who Dat" definitely won't be the last clip we see from the heralded Recession LP.

" 'Crazy World' is next week," Jeezy said. "I'mma be real: I think I'mma shoot a video for every song on my album. I ain't got nothing to do. I'm bored. I'll just shoot a couple of videos."

The very next day, Jeezy came down to Ice Cube's video set for "I Got My Locs On," another clip shot in Atlanta.

• On The Set Of Young Jeezy's Video For 'Who Dat'

• On The Set Of Young Jeezy's "Who Dat" And "Crazy World" Video Shoots

• Young Jeezy
• Ice Cube
• Young Buck
• Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)

50 Cent and Shawty Lo on the BET Hip-Hop Awards red carpet
Photo: Getty Images

ATLANTA — Hip-hop has grown up for sure. At the BET Hip-Hop Awards, any artist with issues on the streets was able to leave those issues on the asphalt without soiling the red carpet.

"This is a great moment. Everybody is peaceful, I'm peaceful," Maino said on Saturday afternoon in front of the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. He was standing almost directly next to some of his foes in hip-hop, Lil' Cease and Gravy. Even though Maino has had words for both MCs on mixtapes and even had a physical altercation with Lil' Cease a couple of years back, everything remained peaceful. Saturday was a time for the culture and its artists to shine. No time for black eyes on the game.

"At the end of the day, you gotta have some common sense. Don't mess up some of the only good things we got," Juelz Santana said about an hour later as he walked the carpet.

"We're here to celebrate," Talib Kweli added. "Celebration is king. No room for all that nonsense."

A few minutes earlier, Kweli was saluting Ice Cube, whom he credits with being one of his huge inspirations as an MC. "If it wasn't for Ice Cube and Lynch Mob records, I wouldn't know how to do this," said the Brooklyn wordsmith as he stood with the West Coast icon. "I got my own label now. Raw Footage is an incredible album. From AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted to Raw Footage, I want to have that kind of longevity in the game, whether I'm doing other things or not."

The former N.W.A. member also gave his friend props. "Lyrics always win; that's why we still here," Cube said. "[Talib] stays true to his heart, not always chasing that dollar. Some of us get in the game and be like, 'If I make this pop song, I can make a lot of money.' Some MCs stay true. That's the difference between a rapper and an MC. You got a true MC right here that I always pay respect to."

Elsewhere on the carpet, Musiq Soulchild stood with Salt, Pepa and Spinderella. The soul man said he was very much looking forward to sharing the stage with Cube, who was a last-minute replacement for the Game.

"Today I'm here to perform with Ice Cube the second single off his album, 'Why Me,' " Musiq said. "I feel honored I can contribute to Ice Cube's legacy. He contributed so much to hip-hop music. Coming from a wild gangsta past, now he's informing people on the ramifications of being gangsta and living that whole life. He's doing his part of giving back to the community. I'm honored to be a part of that."

As Alfamega, who's signed to T.I.'s Grand Hustle label, paid homage to one of the all-time goddesses of rap, Yo-Yo, they were joined by T-Pain in a very impromptu MTV News interview.

"Sexiness, sassiness," Mega said of Yo-Yo. "She still brings it. [She doesn't look] a day over 26."

"I just turned 27," said the rap queen, who in turn paid compliments to Pain.

"I used to do radio in Los Angeles," Yo-Yo remembered of the singer. "He came to radio when he was first pushing his project. I knew then he was a star. I knew he had a lot of talent. Early one morning during the morning show with me, I made him sing. I'm so proud to see young men pushing the limit in hip-hop, not being afraid to take hip-hop to another level. When we started out, that's something we were afraid to do. We always wanted to take hip-hop to another level but it always had its stigmas, some kind of dress code. But now you're bringing it up."

Pain was all smiles when talking about his 11th-hour call to replace Katt Williams as the show's host. He said he didn't have a bunch of things drawn out, and the show would be more free-wheeling.

"We're running it man," he said. "I know they got one thing planned for me. It's gonna be crazy. But you know me; I'm going in."

Another unexpected encounter was between DJ Khaled, his artist Ace Hood and Oukast's Big Boi. Khaled said he wanted to be down with Outkast's next LP.

"I want in," he said with a wide grin. "I want in on that Outkast album. Tell Andre. I want in, a feature or something."

It was definitely awkward seeing 50 Cent, who showed up just minutes prior to Khaled and company, in such close proximity to the Terror Squad DJ/ crowd-motivator — especially since Fif has well-documented issues with Terror Squad don Fat Joe. But no one was tripping: Everyone was there to show love to their art form. 50 later took a picture with Atlanta's Shawty Lo.

Later E-40 strolled down the carpet with his wife, while Monica and Rocko made their arrival together.

Monica has been happy to see the event take place in her city. "I think it says a lot for us, because in 1995, we had to go somewhere else to do what we had to do," she said. "Now we can just get up out of bed and get on the freeway. It's an enormous blessing and it shows everybody how all of us in Atlanta — hip-hop and R&B — how we really come to together on a regular basis."

• 2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards Red Carpet

• Big Boi
• T-Pain
• Talib Kweli
• Ice Cube

The Jonas Brothers' <i>A Little Bit Longer</i>
Photo: Hollywood

Staind's Aaron Lewis and Mike Mushok called it last week. They knew that their latest LP, The Illusion of Progress, wouldn't be opening at #1 on next week's Billboard albums sales chart, thanks to three lads from Wyckoff, New Jersey.

The potential was there to make it four straight #1 openers, following the chart-topping success of 2001's Break the Cycle (which debuted with 716,000 sold), 2003's 14 Shades of Grey (221,000) and 2005's Chapter V (184,000). But the Jonas Brothers — whom Lewis called "Hanson 2008" — are just too imposing a force at the moment. Despite a 72 percent plunge in retail interest, the Jonases still managed to outsell the Massachusetts rockers, scanning another 146,700 copies of their latest, A Little Bit Longer, which holds for a second-straight week at #1.

Unfortunately for Staind, The Illusion of Progress clocked in at around 91,800 units, which is not only the band's poorest-performing debut, but wasn't even enough to earn them the chart's #2 slot. Instead, Staind's latest opens at #3, behind Kid Rock's Rock N Roll Jesus, which sits at #2 with 100,900 sold, according to the latest sales figures released by Nielsen SoundScan.

Otherwise, it's a strong week for new releases, with 31 others bowing on next week's top 200. Following the "Mamma Mia!" soundtrack, which falls two spots to #4 with 87,500 sold, is Ice Cube's latest, Raw Footage, which scanned 69,800 units during its first week in stores. Only one other new release cracks the chart's top 10, and that honor belongs to Shwayze, whose self-titled debut sold 46,600 copies to enter the chart at #10.

The soundtrack to "Cheetah Girls: One World" enters next week's chart at #13 with sales reported at 34,300, while the Academy Is... bows at #17 with their latest, Fast Times at Barrington High, selling 22,500 units. Black Stone Cherry's Folklore and Superstition enters at #28 with 13,600 scans, and Family Force 5's Dance or Die follows just two spots down at #30 with week-one sales of 13,000.

Wu-Tang Clan constituent GZA's Pro Tools opens at #52, having sold 9,000 copies, with Karina's First Love following closely at #57, with sales of 8,900. The Toadies return at #59 with No Deliverance, which scanned 8,600, while Gaslight Anthem's 59 Sound enters the chart at #70 with 7,400 sold. The Walkmen's You & Me follows at #71, selling 7,300 copies, and Amy Macdonald's This Is the Life opens at #92 with 6,000 scans.

Debuting at #98 with 5,800 sold, it's Donavon Frankenreiter's Pass It Around, while the Acacia Strain's Continent enters at #107, with 5,500-plus copies snatched up. Ra Ra Riot's Rhumb Line bows at #109, selling just under 5,500 copies, and the Dandy Warhols' new one, Earth to the Dandy Warhols, follows at #128, with first-week sales reported at 4,900. The Goo Goo Dolls' Vol. 2 claims the #157 slot, on the strength of 4,200 sold, while the Human Abstract's Midheaven follows at #163 with 4,100 scans. Stereolab's Chemical Chords enters the chart at #169 with 4,000 sold, while Dance Gavin Dance's self-titled offering opens at #171 with 3,800 scans.

The remainder of next week's top 10 contains a number of this year's most consistent sellers. Miley Cyrus' Breakout slides two spots to #6 with 61,600 sold, while Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III drops one spot to #7, selling another 56,800. Sugarland's Love on the Inside follows at #8 with 56,300 scans, and lastly, coming in at #9 with 47,200 sold, is the "Camp Rock" soundtrack — which, coincidentally, includes a number of tracks by the Jonas Brothers.

• Jonas Brothers
• Staind
• Ice Cube
• Shwayze

Ice Cube
Photo: Courtesy of Ice Cube

Artist: Ice Cube

Representing: The W

Independent Album: Raw Footage

411: "The only rapper who wanna fistfight the president." Ice Cube is still militant and down for whatever. His bravado is turned up to 10, and his ego has him feeling as confident as ever. Still, Cube wants to show his fans the power of street knowledge. It's all there in his new LP Raw Footage.

"People look over the old heads — basically, the fans who are over 25," Cube said of the folks he's trying to reach with the August 19 release. "People look over them, I don't. That's my wheelhouse. My true fans are probably 10 years younger than me, 10 years older than me. That world doesn't buy a lot of records now, but it's my job to get them to check for what I'm doing.

"My record is catering towards the mature hip-hop fan," he added. "The kids might be able to get with it, but it ain't just playing, it ain't just partying — it's reality. To me, this album, Raw Footage, is a real spiritual record. I don't know if I've ever mentioned God on as many records as I do on Raw Footage. But it's a lot that needs to be said. It's an instructional record too. Hopefully some of these people can sidestep some of these pitfalls out there once they hear Raw Footage."

Cube is going on domestic and international promo runs during the next few weeks and said he'd be open to doing a major tour with people such as Young Jeezy, Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne. There will definitely be more albums in the years to come.

"Going independent in 2006 really re-energized me. It rejuvenated me [and] my feelings for the game," he said. "Being on [major] record labels is for the birds. It sucks all your energy out. Because the good ideas you come up with, a lot of times they don't wanna do it. Especially on the promotional tip. They follow these same ancient formulas to sell a record. You gotta be creative in 2008 to sell a record. That's the first thing. When I started doing it independent, it gave me my swagger back and made me feel like I was doing hip-hop and not just doing records for somebody. I just went back to the essence and stopped worrying about the hip-hop fans and started worrying about Ice Cube fans."

Joints To Check For

"It Takes a Nation." "I wanna take it back to the real hip-hop," Cube said. "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy is one of the records I cherish, I love. I wanted to flip that and put the emphasis more on us and our community, on what we're doing to hold us back. I also wanted to talk about what's going on in the world and how I feel about it and what I'm ready to do. It's not a game. People playing hip-hop like it's a game. Let's get back to talking about what people going through so we can solve some of these issues."

"Why Me?" (featuring Musiq Soulchild). "It's the perspective of a victim," Cube said. "[He's] basically asking his shooter, 'Why me? Why you pick me out of all this?' It goes to random violence. People kill people they don't know. I wanted somebody soulful on the hook to make you really feel what you trying to say. Musiq, I'm a fan of his. I like his voice, I like his vibe. He always keeps that soul in it. He was a perfect pick. 'Why Me?' is gonna be the next video. I haven't done a song like this kinda since 'Dead Homiez,' which was on my Kill at Will album. I'm looking forward to people hearing this song. It's one of the strongest songs on the album."

"I Got My Locs On" (featuring Young Jeezy). "We've established a good relationship with Jeezy because he's also in a movie I wrote called 'Janky Promoters,' " the West Coast legend explained. "Me and Mike Epps play two shady rap [concert] promoters. We bring Jeezy to town and don't have enough money to pay him. We kinda got close doing the movie. [Jeezy] was like, 'Yo, I want you to do a record on my album.' I was like, 'I want you to do a record on mine.' We exchanged songs and concepts, and made it happen. We got a heater on my album called 'I Got My Locs On.' We made it happen."

Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week

» Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Styles P - 3 Kings
» DJ OnPoint and Vic Damone - T.O.S.
» HipHopGiant - Hoodstrumentals (Queensbridge Edition)
» DJ Whoo Kid and Remo Da Rapstar - Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself
» DJ Omen and Nas - No Apologies (The Most Dangerous MC, Vol. 1)

'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar

» The Game (featuring Nas) - "Letter to the King"
» Lloyd (featuring Yung Joc) - "I'm Wit It" remix
» Ace Hood (featuring Brisco) - "Can't See Y'All"
» Jay-Z - "Jockin' Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh)"
» Young Jeezy - "Vacation"
» T.I. (featuring The-Dream) - "Like I Do"
» Cassidy featuring Cory Gunz - "Body Bags"

Mixtape Monday Faves
Jeezy gets respect in all cities, and last week at the Ozone Awards, it was Houston's turn to show him love. He performed with special guests Slim Thug and Bun B, and while Bun was onstage, Jeezy dropped a few new bars addressing his past controversy with late UGK rapper Pimp C.

"I had to bring out Bun and get everything straight," Jeezy said backstage. "We took a Gatorade break and got everything straight. We can agree to disagree, but it's all love.

"I took a verse off 'My President,' where I shouted out the whole N.O., shouted out Soulja Slim, Pimp C, BG, Bun — I summed everything up," he added of his verse. "Everybody thought [the situation with me and Pimp] was something else. But it really wasn't that. Before Pimp C passed, he reached out to me and everything was good. I wanted the world to know that. Rest in peace, homie."

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

They haven't always seen to eye to eye — especially when Nas declared that hip-hop was dead — but God's Son and Jeezy are pretty much in accord right now. In recent weeks, they've partied together, discussed life and politics, and now, recorded their first collaboration. Nas guests on the Snowman's September 2 LP, The Recession, appearing on "My President."

"Nas is on that joint, by the way," Mr. 17.5 told us during the Ozone Awards. "Murdered it. Esco went in! Esco is a cool n---a, though. I can't even front. He's a thorough n---a. He went in on the record. I don't know what you're gonna think of it. ... I can't even begin to tell you what he said. I'm just telling you, Esco went in."

While publicly telling activists Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson that their days of leading the black community are over, the Queens master of rhyme anoints Jeezy and himself as two of the new leaders.

"I'm always in the 'hood, I'm always in the community," Jeezy explained. "I'mma say this and be frank: A lot of cats come up from the 'hood ranks, and everybody wanna rep the 'hood. Everybody wanna say they did this and that. ... When Nas repped me, I feel a way. I'm a cat from Georgia. He's from New York City, so if he can respect my gangsta, I definitely can respect his and anybody around him. That's why I respect New York so much and Chi-Town. Detroit, same thing, they respect my gangsta." ...

Game's video for "My Life" aired on "FNMTV" on Friday night. In the video, he makes a huge statement about the genre of music he loves so much. The Compton native wears a T-shirt that reads "Hip-Hop Broke My Heart."

"The hip-hop that I'm used to was the hip-hop that 'Express Yourself' came out of, and 'Fight the Power,' " he explained last week in Houston on his way to a radio station. "When KRS was big. When 'The Bridge Is Over' was big. When it was a dis song, but it wasn't a beef song. When the nature of hip-hop was beautiful. No matter what the face of it was that day, the outcome was always dope, man. From the Spice 1s to the Kool G Raps, that's what I miss. When hip-hop evolved and changed and got thrown in a bucket of Kool-Aid, somebody threw too much sugar in it. Now it tastes a little funny. That's why I say hip-hop broke my heart. When I got in, I thought it would preserve itself long enough to at least let me see the hip-hop I was used to, the hip-hop I fell in love with. But it didn't do that. Hip-hop left the job for me to continue on and still pay homage to the way of old. Me and hip-hop be beefing sometimes, but no matter what face hip-hop makes, I'm gonna evolve with it."

"My Life" features Young Buck in a cameo appearance as a thief, and Lil Wayne — who sings the hook — pops up in performance scenes.

"When you're in the studio with Wayne, you could pretty much chill, man, because everything is so easy," Game said. "He's so melody-driven. Once he hits you with an idea, or I come up with an idea, we're straightforward, man. The process is easy. I think me and him could do an album probably in, like, seven days. A classic album! He keeps it 100, I keep it 100. We're both talented MCs. I appreciate him in hip-hop.

"I like the way he evolved," Game added. "If you go back to little Lil Wayne to now, you can see the dramatic changes. He's everywhere. What the f--- can you do besides come behind him? I don't ever put nobody before myself. I feel I'm the greatest alive, I hold it down. But Wayne, he's got it right now. So I don't mind stepping behind for a minute until it's my turn. When it's my turn, my album's gonna run his down, and we'll go at it again next time."

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

• Mixtape Monday Video: Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Ozone Awards & More

• Ice Cube
• Young Jeezy
• Nas
• Game

Photo: Universal

• Lil Wayne
• Young Jeezy
• Ice Cube

Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea in 1999
Photo: MTV News

• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• AC/DC
• Jane's Addiction
• Metallica
• Beastie Boys

George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Bernie Mac in "Ocean's Twelve"
Photo: Warner Bros.

Bernie Mac's colleagues and co-stars were quick to pay tribute to the late comedian and actor after his death at age 50 from complications of pneumonia early Saturday.

"Today and tomorrow will never be as funny as yesterday, without Bernie Mac, a true original," Ice Cube, who directed Mac in his first significant movie role as Pastor Clever in 1995's "Friday," told MTV News.

Mac's "Ocean's Eleven," "Twelve" and "Thirteen" co-star George Clooney echoed Ice Cube's lament. "The world just got a little less funny," he said in a statement to "Entertainment Tonight." "He will be dearly missed."

Fellow "Ocean's" co-star Brad Pitt added in a statement to E! Online: "I lament the loss of a ferociously funny and hard-core family man. My thoughts are with [his wife], Rhonda, and their family. Bernie Mac, you are already missed."

Chris Rock, who worked with Mac in "Head of State," called him "one of the best and funniest comedians to ever live, but that was the second-best thing he did. Bernie was one of the greatest friends a person could have," he told E!. "Losing him is like losing 12 people, because he absolutely filled up any room he was in. I'm gonna miss the Mac Man."

Later this fall, Mac will be seen in "Soul Men" opposite Samuel L. Jackson, but in a statement to People, Jackson emphasized the actor's personal qualities. "He was also an attentive husband, a great father and loving grandfather," Jackson said. "I feel blessed to have shared years of friendship with Bernie Mac, and I'm honored to have finally co-starred with him in what I consider to be his finest cinematic acting achievement."

Cedric the Entertainer — who appeared with Mac on "The Original Kings of Comedy" tour, which was made into a movie and a Grammy-nominated album in 2001 — called Mac "a brother, a friend and one of the comic masters of our time. Sharing the marquee with him during the phenomenon of the 'Kings of Comedy' tour bonded us like family, and created a unique moment in comic history, marking some of the most meaningful, memorable and fun times of our lives," Cedric told E!. "His comedic approach was his own brand and will definitely stand the test of time. The level of his talent always inspired me, and other comedians, to 'bring their A-game.' I promise you that you never wanted to be the guy who had to follow Bernie's set!"

Niecy Nash, who played Mac's little sister on his Emmy-winning Fox sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show" from 2001-2006, told Us, "Bernie Mac was the personification of the word 'real.' He kept it real," she said. "That kind of genuine spirit that he carried all time cannot be easily duplicated, but I will do my very best to try."

Mac is survived by his wife, Rhonda McCullough, their daughter, Je'Niece, a son-in-law and a granddaughter. According to People, his funeral is scheduled for this Friday at an undisclosed location, and the family requests that donations be made to the Bernie Mac Foundation for Sarcoidosis, 40 E. Ninth St., Suite 601, Chicago, Illinois, 60605.

• Ice Cube

David Banner
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

While it feels like every R&B singer and rapper in the world is choosing to put their twist on Lil Wayne's "A Milli," David Banner went the other direction and took a piece from Weezy's #1 single "Lollipop." Wayne's sampled lines from the record help comprise the chorus to the Mississippi marksman's "Shawty Say."

"Shawty say the n---a that she with ain't sh--/ He can't do this and he don't do that," Weezy is heard saying on the record.

"I'm very excited about it," Banner told us a couple of weeks back in Los Angeles, the day before his video shoot with Weezy.

"The concept of the video 'Shawty Say' is really about the things women say about men that a lot of times we don't pay attention to," he explained. "As a brother, I just wanna articulate what the ladies are saying to me in a way that men could actually embrace it. So what we going around doing is seeing the men who ain't treating their women right and we're pulling them aside and interrogating them. 'This is what your woman is saying. You need to go home before somebody scoop her.' "

Wayne is one of the myriad of guests on Banner's next LP, The Greatest Story Ever Told. Weezy actually appears twice on the project, which drops Tuesday. Jim Jones, Akon, Chris Brown, Yung Joc, UGK, Snoop Dogg, Chamillionaire and Carl Thomas also contributed.

On the acting side, Banner, who has dedicated himself to physical fitness in recent years, just finished parts in the films "The Longshots" with Ice Cube and "Days of Wrath," starring Laurence Fishburne and Wilmer Valderrama.

• David Banner
• Lil Wayne
• Ice Cube

On The Set Of Young Jeezy's "Who Dat" And "Crazy World" Video Shoots

• Young Jeezy
• Ice Cube
• Busta Rhymes
• Young Buck

Vampire Weekend, Paramore, N.E.R.D., & More Rock SXSW 2008

• Kaki King
• Mike Farris
• R.E.M.
• The Von Bondies
• The Raveonettes

Lil' Jon, Big Boi, Rza And More At VH-1's 2006 Hip Hop Honors

• Lil Jon
• OutKast
• Salt-N-Pepa
• Wu-Tang Clan
• Remy Ma

Snoop, Cube, More On The Set Of The "Cali Iz Active" Video, 04.22.06

• Snoop Dogg
• Xzibit
• Tha Dogg Pound
• Ice Cube
• DJ Quik

Latifah, Alicia, Mena, Cedric And More At 'Beauty Shop' Premiere

• Queen Latifah
• Ice Cube

Ice Cube, Eve, Latifah, More At "Barbershop 2" Premiere

• Ice Cube
• Eve
• Queen Latifah
• Will Smith

"Barbershop 2: Back in Business" Photos

• Ice Cube
• Eve
• Queen Latifah

"Torque" Photos

• Ice Cube

Nelly, Kim, LL, Sean Paul, More On Source Awards Red Carpet

• Nelly
• Lil' Kim
• LL Cool J
• Sean Paul
• Clipse

• Ice Cube