Hip Hop DX Presents: The Top 25 News Stories of 2011

Look back with us as Complex rewinds the biggest stories of the year.

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Intro

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Nate Dogg's Death

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Nate Dogg's Death (March 15, 2011)

When Nate Dogg passed away of congestive heart failure this past March, hip-hop lost one of its most legendary singers. Not only did he play a huge part in the establishing the G-Funk sound that put west coast hip-hop on top during the early 1990s, but Nate Dogg was also one of the best hook writers in rap history.

Born Nathaniel Dwayne Hale, the 41-year-old singer who started the group 213 with Snoop Dogg and Warren G had battled health issues for years. Nate Dogg survived two strokes in 2007 and 2008 before succumbing to complications. Rest in peace.

Chris Brown's GMA Outburst

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Chris Brown's GMA Outburst (March 22, 2011)

As his career began to resurge following his 2009 assault case, Chris Brown made an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America that went horribly awry. After fielding some fairly innocuous questions about his ex-girlfriend Rihanna, the singer turned aggravated and defensive.

Following the interview, Brown let out his anger in the dressing room by throwing a chair and breaking a window before leaving the building shirtless. After the news spread and unflattering pictures of his rant surfaced, the singer apologized on BET's 106 & Park. He was later invited to return to GMA any time. Not that this bad publicity hindered his return to the top of the charts, but the whole incident suggests that Breezy may still have some anger issues to address.

The Rise of Odd Future

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The Rise of Odd Future

Helmed by its endlessly entertaining front man Tyler, The Creator, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All had one of the quickest and most successful rises to fame in recent rap history. Building a massive online buzz, the crew decided to do it all on their own and have remained fiercely independent.

Building on the strength of each member's individual Twitter and Tumblr accounts, OFWGKTA has tapped into the next generation and cultivated a powerful grassroots movement.

We look forward to more work from MellowHype, Hodgy Beatz, Domo Genesis, Mike G, Frank Ocean, and The Internet in 2012. The challenge of being able to top their big year in 2011 now rests squarely on the shoulders of Tyler, The Creator and, hopefully, Earl Sweatshirt.

Mister Cee's Arrest

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Mister Cee's Arrest (March 30, 2011)


Nobody expected legendary New York producer and DJ Mister Cee to be arrested for public lewdness after allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a self-proclaimed drag queen late at night in a parked car. But once it happened a debate was sparked about whether the hip-hop legend who worked as Big Daddy Kane's DJ and recorded Biggie's first demo should be condemned for his actions.

Although hip-hop has long been chastised for being a homophobic culture, rappers like 50 Cent and Prodigy immediately spoke out in support of Mister Cee. The producer/DJ eventually pleaded guilty to the charges and has kept a low profile since the incident, though he hasn't stopped working.

Whatever really happened that night in the car, the much talked-about incident held up a mirror to the culture, forcing rap fans to reexamine whether our views on sexual taboos have evolved since hip-hop's inception. 

Complex Finds Earl Sweatshirt

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Complex Finds Earl Sweatshirt (April 14, 2011)

Throughout the phenomenal ascension of OFWGKTA, the nagging question at the back of everyone's minds was “Where's Earl Sweatshirt?” The talented young rapper who had become a favorite amongst early Odd Future fans was nowhere to be found, and those who knew were keeping his location tightly under wraps.

In April, Complex set out to find Earl by doing some good old-fashioned investigative journalism. Piecing together a series of obscure Facebook posts and other intangible hints, we were able to locate Thebe “Earl Sweatshirt” Kgositsile at Coral Reef Academy—a boarding school in Samoa.

Soon afterward The New Yorker posted a similar story, which claimed to have interviewed Earl's mother and which depicted Earl as being content with his situation. Since this conflicted with what we already knew of the situation, Complex questioned the merit of the interview, and later interviewed Earl's friend and fellow Coral Reef Academy attendee Tyler Craven. Knowing that Thebe was unhappy in Samoa, Craven denounced the New Yorker story as false and suggested that Earl's answers had been coerced.

Despite Odd Future's mid-November internet prank—claiming that Earl had made it back to L.A.—Sweatshirt remains at Coral Reef Academy with no known date of return.

Tyler Gives It Up For B.o.B Diss

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Tyler Gives It Up For B.O.B Diss (March 25, 2011)

After Tyler, The Creator called B.O.B. a "faggot" and said that he would "crash his airplane" with his own hit song “Yonkers,” many dismissed his boasts as humorous taunts that would soon be swept under the rug. However, B.O.B. did not lay down so easily.

When B.O.B. responded with a hard-hitting track called “No Future.” Upon hearing the song, Tyler took to Twitter: “Whoa. I Don't think the 'No Future' song is even a diss. But I've never heard him spit like that. Caught me by surprise, 'cause it's tight.”

He went on to say he that still hates B.O.B.'s song “Airplanes,” but Tyler's respectful response to "No Future" left the sense that as venomous as he sometimes seems, Tyler's harsh words should not always be taken literally.

The Rise of The Weeknd & Frank Ocean

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The Rise of The Weeknd & Frank Ocean

2011 also saw a resurgence of the R&B genre, and no two names shone brighter than Frank Ocean and The Weeknd. Both artists were able to build strong musical foundations as well as cultivate massive fanbases seemingly out of nowhere.

Frank Ocean rose to prominence when he dropped nostalgia, ULTRA. in February and stayed hot through multiple solo releases and collaborations with Tyler, The Creator and Jay-Z and Kanye West. An extremely talented songwriter, Ocean was a music critic favorite in 2011.
The Weeknd also crafted some lofty expectations for 2012 by releasing three stellar mixtapes this year. His unique sound and gifted vocals are perfect for the baby-making music that he likes to create, and his understanding of tone and mood make it easy for listeners to connect to his lyrics. 2012 should be a great year for both artists, and we couldn't be more excited.

Lil B's "I'm Gay (I'm Happy)"

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Lil B's "I'm Gay (I'm Happy)" (April 16, 2011)

While appearing at the Coachella Music Festival, rapper Lil B announced that he would be naming his next album I'm Gay. The deliberately controversial title sparked a flurry of media coverage as well as inspiring dialog around confronting homophobia within hip-hop culture.

The titling of the album received a mixed reaction from gay listeners, with many wondering if Lil B's motives were genuine. When the album was released, he had another surprising twist in store. Under the title I'm Gay was another parenthetical title: I'm happy. Was this a slap in the face to the gay community Lil B once seemed to champion? A thought-provoking riff on the power of language? Or just another brilliant publicity stunt? Only time will tell in 2012.

Gil Scott-Heron's Death

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Gil Scott-Heron's Death (May 27, 2011)

After falling ill following a trip to Europe. the legendary poet, singer, and songwriter Gil Scott-Heron died at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City. Although the official cause of death remains unknown, Heron had been HIV-positive for several years and had previously been hospitalized for pneumonia.

Best known for radical, jazz-infused works like “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” and "Whitey's On The Moon," Gil Scott-Heron was regarded as one of the most talented and thought-provoking songwriters in history, and widely credited as a forefather of hip-hop. As well as sampling Heron's work on his recent song "Lost In The World," Kanye West also rapped a tribute to the artist at his funeral. Rest in peace.

Kreyashawn & A$AP Rocky Sign Million-Dollar Deals

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Kreayshawn & A$AP Rocky Sign Million-Dollar Deals (May 29, 2011; October 14, 2011)

2011 was a year filled with fresh new hip-hop talent. The emergence of independent acts like Harlem's ASAP Rocky and Oakland's Kreayshawn are already making a big impact on the music industry. In May, Kreayshawn capitalized on the success of her hit single “Gucci Gucci” and signed a record deal with Sony Music reportedly worth $1 million.

Following the release of songs like "Purple Swag” and "Peso," A$AP Rocky became the next newcomer to cash in big. In October, A$AP Rocky inked a solo deal with Polo Grounds Music and RCA for $1.7 million. If that wasn't enough, he was also able to land a $1.3 million budget to fund upcoming projects from his A$AP crew. How trill is that?

Lupe vs. Obama

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Lupe vs. Obama (June 7, 2011)

Since he first stepped on the scene Lupe Fiasco has been considered an intelligent, politically astute rapper. Which is why so many of his fans were bewildered when Fiasco called President Barack Obama 'the biggest terrorist” during an interview on the CBS-affiliated internet video show “What's Trending.”

Fiasco's statement became, well, a fiasco—drawing criticism from all corners, including Fox News talk-show host Bill O'Reilly, who called Fiasco a "pinhead" on his show The O'Reilly Factor. Smelling a ratings bonanza, O'Reilly also extended an invitation to Lupe Fiasco to come on the show and defend his stance. When Fiasco accepted the invitation and appeared on the show, he stood behind his criticism of President Obama and has yet to back down.

New Info About Biggie and 2Pac Cases

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New Info About Biggie and 2Pac Cases (June 15, 2011; July 5, 2011; October 3, 2011)


Just when it seemed as though we would never get to the whole truth about who murdered Biggie Smalls in 1997 and who shot and robbed Tupac Shakur in 1994, 2011 brought us some interesting developments in both unsolved cases.

First a prison inmate named Dexter Isaac released a statement claiming that he was paid $2,500 by Jimmy “Henchman” Rosemond to rob Tupac in a Times Square recording studio. In his confession, Isaac never identifies himself as the triggerman, but he goes on to implicate Diddy in the incident and claims that he still has possession of Tupac's chain.

A few weeks later, Clayton Hill—also a convict and former Nation of Islam member—confessed to having participated in the cover-up of the death of Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls aka The Notorious B.I.G.

Although neither of these much-publicized confessions revealed who murdered Tupac or Biggie, a former LAPD detective released a bombshell book in October, claiming that Diddy and Suge Knight orchestrated the rap stars' deaths. None of these theories has been proven in a court of law, but all the new revelations restored a glimmer of hope that justice might eventually be served—and that two of rap's most beloved cultural icons have not been forgotten.

Frank Ocean vs Chris Brown Beef

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Frank Ocean vs Chris Brown Beef (June, 2011)

Twitter was never more entertaining than when Chris Brown got into a Twitter war with Frank Ocean and Tyler, The Creator this past June. After Chris tweeted a back-handed compliment at Frank Ocean, the Odd Future crooner responded, and the two went back and forth with Tyler, The Creator chiming in as well.

Things continued to escalate when some dudes claiming to be Chris Brown's cousins randomly harrassed Ocean while he was driving. It wasn't until The Game (of all people to play peacemaker) urged the young stars to squash the beef that the three announced a ceasefire.

Lil Wayne Talks Retirement

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Lil Wayne Talks Retirement (June 22, 2011)

Lil Wayne may be just 28 years old, but the Cash Money Millionaire has got a lot content under his belt and a work ethic that would run virtually anyone ragged over time. That's why it came as such a shock when Weezy hinted that Tha Carter IV could be his last album in an interview with XXL this summer.

Due to the long history of failed rapper retirements, most were quick to dismiss Wayne's statements. Those dismissals may have been based on wishful thinking, since many fans are still clammering for the collaborative album with Drake that the Young Money captain has spoken about a few times. We'll be watching closely to see how this one plays out, because it's hard to imagine the rap game without Weezy.

Lil Wayne Disses Jay-Z

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Lil Wayne Disses Jay-Z (August 25, 2011)

Most listeners agree that Jay-Z threw a jab in Cash Money's direction on The Throne's first release, “H.A.M.,” when he said about, “You got baby money... niggas ain't got my lady money.” He may have been referring to a Birdman interview, in which he said Lil Wayne makes more money than Jay-Z. Lil Wayne later disputed Birdman's claim, but he also warned that he would soon “make a play” off of Jay-Z's diss.

On “It's Good,” Lil Wayne made good on that promise. “Talking about baby money?" Weezy bit back, "I got your baby money/Kidnap your bitch, get that 'How much you love your lady?' money.” The line sent the rap world into a frenzy, sparking debate around whether Jay-Z should respond or not.

Jay has yet to retaliate, but he did dismiss any talk of burgeoning beef, chalking the lyrics up as part of the sport of hip-hop. But the war of words between two of the biggest rappers in history was definitely one of the biggest stories of 2011.

Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter IV" Breaks The Throne Sales Record

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Tha Carter IV Breaks Watch The Throne Sales Record (September 2, 2011)

Only a few weeks after Kanye and Jay-Z broke the first-week iTunes sales record with Watch The Throne, Weezy did them one better and surpassed their record in just four days.

Moving around 300,000 units, Lil Wayne surpassed The Throne's total of 290,000 on its way to going platinum in its first week.

Waka Flocka Flame Quitting Rap?

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Waka Flocka Flame Quitting Rap? (July 8, 2011)

When Waka Flocka Flame tweeted that he was quitting rap after 2011, the announcement was met with mixed reactions. Some took the Atlanta rapper at his word, while others discounted the statement as a misguided moment of frustration, or worse, a PR gimmick.

Two days later, the rapper called into the Ryan Cameron Show on Atlanta's V103 and confirmed his sentiment. Fed up with the fakeness of the rap game, Waka said he'd rather work at Wal-Mart than be part of the industry any longer. As the conclusion of 2011 nears, all we can do is hope that Flockaveli has more in store for the fans in 2012.

Ray J vs Fabolous

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Ray J vs Fabolous (September 19, 2011)

While at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, an altercation broke out between Fabolous, Ray J and members of Ray J's entourage, aka The Money Team. In the wake of the incident, both Fabolous and Ray J took to radio to share their respective explanations of what occurred that night.

Ray J was the first to call in to Power 105's “The Breakfast Club,” ranting about punching Fabolous in the face after feeling disrespected by some of Fab's tweets and jokes. Fabolous spoke to DJ Clue and refuted Ray J's story, essentially saying that it was a heated argument that had been blown out of proportion.

The plot thickened when footage surfaced of Fabolous' performance at the Palms Casino immediately following the alleged altercation. Fabolous was seen sporting what looks like a bruise on the side of his face. Fab later scoffed at the notion that he had been bruised at all, but it turns out footage is king in the court of public opinion.

Amy Winehouse's Death

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Amy Winehouse's Death (July 23, 2011)

News of Amy Winehouse's tragic passing at age 27 sent a wave of sadness through the hearts of music lovers everywhere. The beautiful British singer, who infused retro soul music with a hard hip-hop edge, had battled drug and alochol abuse throughout her brief, brilliant career. She had been in the process of recording her long-awaited third album when she died

Contrary to widespread media speculation that she had overdosed on drugs, a coroner's report revealed that Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning. Thousands of fans gathered to pay their respects  at her funeral on May 26th. Since then, her long-time collaboration Salaam Remi put together a brilliant posthumous album The Lioness: Hidden Treasures. One of the most talented young singers to emerge in recent memory, Amy was taken from us much too soon. Rest in peace.

J. Cole, Mac Miller, & Wale All Sell Over 100K

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J. Cole, Mac Miller, & Wale All Sell Over 100K

After grinding hard on the mixtape scene in recent years, Mac Miller and J. Cole finally dropped debut albums in 2011 and solidified themselves as commercially bankable artists. Both artists started by building massive loyal fanbases and were able to sell over 100,000 units (Cole: 218,000, Miller: 145,000) of their respective debuts.

Although it was a first for Cole and Mac Miller, Wale was in a slightly different boat—that of a once heavily hyped artist, who seemed to have lost his way in recent years and was given a second shot at life after signing to Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group. The co-sign did the trick and with a steady grind, Wale was also able to prove all the doubters wrong, netting album sales of over 100,000 units (164,000 to be exact) for the first time in his career. Congratulations.

Rick Ross's Seizure

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Rick Ross's Seizure (October 14, 2011)


On the morning of October 14th, news broke that Rick Ross had suffered a seizure and lost consciousness flying from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Memphis, Tennessee. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing while parametics performed CPR to resuscitate him.

After coming to, Ricky Rozay tried to calm his fans' fears by releasing an internet video saying that he was doing OK. But by early that same evening, it was reported that Ross suffered another seizure on his private jet en route to Memphis, where he was still planning to perform the following night.

In the morning, Ross took to Twitter to reassure his fans once again. He was then checked into a hospital where tests were performed throughout the day. Wisely, he did not perform in Memphis that night. Ross later explained that he'd been told he needed to change his sleeping habits and that doctors urged him to get more rest.

It was a scary moment for hip-hop fans everywhere. We couldn't be happier to see the Bawse bounce back. Let's all hope he takes better care of himself in 2012.

Heavy D's Death

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Heavy D's Death (November 8, 2011)

The world of hip-hop was stunned to learn that Heavy D passed away suddenly at the age of 44 from what is believed to be complications of pneumonia. The veteran rapper had just performed brilliantly a month earlier at the BET Hip-Hop Awards.

Known as one of the warmest, most good-natured people in the rap game, Heavy's name will live on not only through his classic albums and his acting roles, but also through his 11-year-old daughter Xea Myers. The last tweet he sent before he died happened to read: “Be inspired!” It would be hard to find two words that better describe Heavy D's life and legacy. Rest in peace.

Ludacris Gets At Drake & Big Sean

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Ludacris Gets At Drake & Big Sean (November 15, 2011)


One of the most recognizable characteristics of Big Sean's rapping style is his use of one-word punchlines, also known as the "hashtag flow." Both Sean and Drake have consistently used the hashtag flow, which may have made them feel like he had the authority to speak out about other rappers misusing the flow.

It seems that Ludacris took offense to Drake's criticism that Luda wasn't using the style properly. He also appears to have been irked by Big Sean's claim that anyone can own a particular style. So the ATL vet took time out to give the young rappers a history lesson.

On his song “Badaboom,” Luda raps that “Nothing's been new since Big Daddy Kane/Flows will get recycled, passed down to different names.” The song features other jabs at Big Sean and Drake, with the underlying message being that no rapper owns the style that they use, whether they popularize it or not. We've got to side with Luda on this one. #Truth.

Drake Responds To Ludacris Diss

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Drake Responds To Ludacris Diss (November 21, 2011)

After Luda's diss record “Badaboom” stirred up controversy about Drake and Big Sean popularizing what is now known as the “hashtag flow," Drake responded with a backhanded tweet replying to Big Sean's congratulations.

Drake's tweet to Big Sean read, “You awlready know. I wish they'd just let young niggas live...respect always.” The tweet seemed to be a reference to Ludacris's recent attempt to put the two young rappers in their place—and shed light on the shoving match going on between hip-hop's new and old guards.

Common Confirms That "Sweet" is about Drake

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Common Confirms That "Sweet" Is About Drake (December 20, 2011)

When Common's song “Sweet” dropped in November, many praised Common's song for being a return to the essence of battle rap. In a radio interview with Sway Calloway, Common confirmed that sentiment.

When asked about speculation that “Sweet” was aimed at Drake, Common communicated that if Drake was offended by the song, then it was about him. His anger may stem from comments that Drake made about being the best lyricist in the game—or from his relationship with Serena Williams, Com's ex. Whatever the motivation, Common decided to get it all off his chest on “Sweet.”

Com was quick to let fans know that it was all about the MC's art. But seeing a living legend flex his skills against one of the best new lyricists in the game was one of 2011's most exciting musical moments.

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