HipHopDX Presents: The 25 Biggest News Stories of 2011 (So Far)

We teamed up with HHDX to bring you the most important news items of the year so far.

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Image via Complex Original
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Intro

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Gucci Mane Gets An Ice Cream Cone Face Tattoo

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#25. Gucci Mane Gets An Ice Cream Cone Face Tattoo

Date: January 13

In one of the most bizarre stories of the year, Gucci Mane went and got a tattoo on his face. Which wouldn't really be that big of a deal (after all, lots of celebs have face tattoos these days) if he didn't get a damn ice cream cone that shot lightning rods adorned with his signature adlib—BRRR! When we asked him why he went and got the tattoo, his response was, "Because I'm the coldest emcee in the game." Because obviously, the tons of ice Gucci wears didn't already convince us of that.

Eminem Signs Slaughterhouse & Yelawolf To Shady Records

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#24. Eminem Signs Slaughterhouse & Yelawolf To Shady Records

Date: January 12

Ever since Eminem sobered up and rekindled his friendship with Royce Da 5'9", there were rumors of Royce's supergroup Slaughterhouse joining Shady Records. In January, speculation turned into a reality after Eminem confirmed signing the group to Shady Records as well as Yelawolf. Em and Royce would go on to team up as Bad Meets Evil and drop their excellent Hell: The Sequel album last month. Meanwhile, we're all eager to hear what Yela and Slaughterhouse can cook up for their Shady debuts.

Lil Wayne Parties With The Dallas Mavericks After The NBA Finals

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#23. Lil Wayne Parties With The Dallas Mavericks After The NBA Finals

Date: June 13

Everyone knows Lil Wayne loves sports. So it was no surprise that he attended the NBA Finals—along with his new main squeeze—especially considering that he lives in Miami. Birdman was there too, rooting for the Heat after he bet $2 million that they would beat the Dallas Mavericks. But Dirk and the Mavs ended up beating Miami in six games. And what do you do when you win the NBA Finals? You go to Disneyland! YOU PARTY! And who better to party with than Weezy?

Wayne was spotted at Miami's popular club Liv, holding up the Larry O'Brien trophy, and taking pics with Dirk Nowitski. Baby and Wayne were seen as hypocrites since everyone assumes they're both Miami fans even though Wayne has said he doesn't root for Lebron and D-Wade.

50 Cent Claims To Shut Down WorldStarHipHop

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#22. 50 Cent Claims To Shut Down WorldStarHipHop

Date: January 24

50 Cent's history of ending careers is well-documented (Ja, what up!), so when Fif tweeted that he had shut down WorldStarHipHop.com, many people believed him. Upon a quick entering of the URL, viewers were met with a site that had gone offline and assumed after 50’s ranting that he was the culprit. A dramatic radio call-in in which 50 berated Q—the owner of WSHH—ensued. Later, 50 admitted he didn’t shut down the site and WSHH was back up and running, citing technical difficulties as the reason they went down.

Buju Banton Gets Sentenced To 10 Years On Drug Charges

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#21. Buju Banton Gets Sentenced To 10 Years On Drug Charges

Date: June 21

In June, reggae star Buju Banton was sentenced to ten years in prison on charges of conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine. The sentencing stemmed from a 2009 arrest when Banton was caught trying to organize a drug deal with an undercover DEA agent. Sure, it's a terrible thing, but at least Buju went out like a true G. Supposedly he smiled when the judge handed down his sentence.

The Death of Gerard Smith From TV On The Radio

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#20. The Death of Gerard Smith From TV On The Radio

Date: April 20

Gerard Smith, the bassist for experimental rock band TV On The Radio, passed away this year due to lung cancer. He was 36 years old. The musician was best known for his membership and collaboration with the critically acclaimed, genre-bending group. He had been a band member since 2005, working on the now classic albums Return To Cookie Mountain, Dear Science, and their most recent album, Nine Types of Light. Rest In Peace.

Kreayshawn Signs With Sony Records For A Rumored $1 Million

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#19. Kreayshawn Signs With Sony Records For A Rumored $1 Million

Date: June 7

In retrospect, the rise of Kreayshawn makes perfect sense. The route to instant online ubiquity and fame had been blown open by Odd Future and Lil B, so when Kreayshawn released the “Gucci Gucci” video, it was easy to see that it was going to set the Internet ablaze. What did surprise many people though, is how quickly a major record label snapped her up. Known for only one song/video, Kreayshawn reportedly signed a seven-figure deal with Sony. One thing is for sure: We're in a brave new world with Internet sensations.

RELATED: WHO IS KREAYSHAWN?

The Death of M-Bone From Cali Swag District

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#18. The Death of M-Bone From Cali Swag District

Date: May 16

Cali Swag District member Montae "M-Bone" Talbert was only 22 years old when he was gunned down in a drive-by in his hometown of Inglewood, California. According to M-Bone's girlfriend, he was likely killed by his next-door neighbor who was jealous of his success. Famous for their dance hit “Teach Me How To Dougie,” Cali Swag District continued on and recently released their debut album The Kickback.

Rick Ross Signs Distribution Deal With Warner Bros.

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#17. Rick Ross Signs Distribution Deal With Warner Bros.

Date: February 19

Inking a deal with Warner Music Group was one of the biggest boss' biggest moves and allowed him to start building the Maybach Music Group in a major way in 2011. With the signings of Wale, Meek Mill, Pill, Stalley, and Teedra Moses, Rick Ross has built one of the hottest teams in the game. Hits like “Tupac Back,” “600 Benz,” and “I’m A Boss” off the Maybach Music Group's Self Made Vol. 1 album, have had the streets buzzing, and nearly weekly visuals have helped keep them hot on the Internet. With Ross’ God Forgives, I Don’t on the way and debut releases from the new signees, MMG won’t be going away any time soon.

A Tribe Called Quest Calls Out Director Micheal Rappaport On MTV RapFix

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#16. A Tribe Called Quest Calls Out Director Micheal Rappaport On MTV RapFix

Date: June 30

We were hyped when actor, director, and avid hip-hop fan Michael Rappaport set out to make a documentary film about one of his favorite rap groups, A Tribe Called Quest. But things took a turn for the worst when Q-Tip started denouncing the film last year. Tip—who is also credited as a producer on the project —and Ali Shaheed Muhammad raised their issues about Rapaport’s vision for the film during an interview with MTV's Rapfix. Rappaport later responded to their criticisms in an interview with Complex. However, in the end all differences were squashed, and Tip tweeted in support of the film, which was released on July 8 to overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Jay-Z & Kanye West Debut "H.A.M."

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#15. Jay-Z & Kanye West Debut "H.A.M."

Date: January 11

With Jay-Z and Kanye West collaborating for Watch The Throne—arguably one of the most anticipated albums ever—you can imagine just how high expectations for their first single were. Dream collaboration albums rarely see the light of day so when Jay and Kanye dropped their first certified album cut, it was a huge deal because it proved that the album might really happen. Now, a little over six months later, the album has been completed, the tracklist has been finalized, and the album will definitely be coming out on August 2. Do we even need to say that we're hyped?

Tyler, the Creator/Frank Ocean & Chris Brown Have Public Feud On Twitter

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#14. Tyler, The Creator/Frank Ocean & Chris Brown's Twitter Beef

Date: June 22

When Chris Brown tweeted a backwards compliment toward up-and-comer Frank Ocean, it ignited a war of words via Twitter between the artists (peep the entire back and forth here). It got even worse when Brown said "Fuck Odd Future" and dissed Tyler, The Creator. Tyler chimed in on Twitter and the shots were being thrown back and forth before The Game (of all people!) talked Tyler out of the beef. But things continued to escalate after two men claiming to be Brown’s cousins harassed Frank Ocean while he was driving. Eventually, cooler heads prevailed and things were settled on Twitter. Thank God Game!

Lupe Fiasco Calls Barack Obama “The Biggest Terrorist”

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#13. Lupe Fiasco Calls Barack Obama “The Biggest Terrorist”

Date: June 7

Lupe's never been one to hold his tongue. But when the rapper called Barack Obama "the biggest terrorist" it shocked everyone, including us. What was even more shocking was that Bill O'Reilly—a conservative television personality who has often been critical of Obama—came to the president's defense. O'Reilly showed his disdain for the statement by calling Lupe a "pinhead" and claimed the rapper declined an invitation to appear on his show, The O'Reilly Factor.

Lupe tweeted that he never even received an invitation to the show. He later appeared on the program where he was grilled about his statement in a heavily-edited interview. In the end, Lu did a sloppy job of defending his point, but if any good came of it, it proved that at least someone at FOX News was willing to admit Obama was a decent man and not the anti-Christ.

The Death of Gil Scott Heron

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#12. The Death of Gil Scott Heron

Date: May 27

In May, after falling ill during a recent trip to Europe, Gil Scott-Heron was admitted to St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City. Heron would pass away on May 27. Although his cause of death is yet to be released, Heron previously admitted he has been HIV-positive for several years. Heron’s influence on hip-hop was immeasurable. His career is highlighted by his greatest work “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” and his soulful voice and thought-provoking words will be sorely missed. Rest In Peace.

Lil B Titles His Album "I'm Gay (I'm Happy)"

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#11. Lil B Titles His Album "I'm Gay (I'm Happy)"

Date: April 16

In the most telling story of the state of openness in hip-hop today, Lil B went on-stage at the Coachella music festival and announced that his newest album would be titled, I'm Gay. The Based God claimed that he received death threats because of his provocative title, but stuck by it anyways. As if the title didn't generate enough controversy, Lil B went and released I’m Gay on iTunes without warning and then even tweeted a free download link to the album. The album went on to sell 1,700 copies, presumably without the help of Freddie Gibbs.

The Rise of Odd Future

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#10. The Rise of Odd Future

Date: N/A

Although they first started buzzing last year, Odd Future took the world by storm this year. Things really took right after Tyler, The Creator debuted his amazing "Yonkers" video and a week later OF went and destroyed their set on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. For the uninitiated, Tyler and OF had finally arrived. They recieved a ton of critical praise, Kanye called "Yonkers" the video of the year, and next thing you know Odd Future started an independent record company with Sony/RED Distribution in a deal rumored to be worth $2.5 million. Tyler would go on to drop his first retail album Goblin, they seemingly dominated every single news cycle, and OF was established as the biggest new thing in hip-hop.

Wiz Khalifa's "Black And Yellow" Hits #1 On Billboard Hot 100

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#9. Wiz Khalifa's "Black And Yellow" Hits #1 On The Billboard Hot 100

Date: March 29

Although "Black and Yellow" was released last September, the song didn't hit Number One on the Billboard charts until this past February. But it couldn't have worked out better for Wiz. The song exploded just as the Pittsburgh Steelers were on their way to Superbowl XLV. Sure, the Steelers lost the Superbowl, but Wiz won because he got to perform the song during the AFC Championship Game. In the end, the song propelled Wiz's major label debut Rolling Papers to debut at #2 on the charts and eventually go gold. Now that's stunting!

RELATED: THE MAKING OF WIZ KHALIFA'S ROLLING PAPERS

Chris Brown's Violent Outburst After "Good Morning America" Interview

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#8. Chris Brown's Violent Outburst After His Good Morning America Interview

Date: March 22

In the long list of R&B Fails, Chris Brown's meltdown after Good Morning America this year was one of the worst. During his interview with Robyn Roberts, Brown side-stepped questions about his 2009 assault on Rihanna. Afterward, Breezy took his talents to the GMA dressing room where he had a temper tantrum, broke a window, and threw a chair before leaving the building shirtless. Pictures of him outside of the GMA offices ended up all over news reports, and as usual, the singer issued an apology in an effort to repair his tarnished image. Our guess is that GMA wishes he'd repair their tarnished window too.

FOX News & Sarah Palin Denounce Common’s Appearance At The White House

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#7. FOX News & Sarah Palin Denounce Common’s Appearance At The White House

Date: May 10

After first lady Michelle Obama extended an invitation for a poetry reading at The White House to Common, FOX News took their usual stand against hip-hop and called Common a "vile rapper." A day later, Sarah Palin followed suit and sarcastically tweeted in disapproval of Michelle Obama's decision. The conservative hate prompted the normally mild-mannered Com to respond with some tweets of his own, but in the end the ethering was left to John Stewart. Smarten up, FOX.

Sean Kingston Critically Injured In Jet Ski Crash

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#6. Sean Kingston Critically Injured In Jet Ski Crash

Date: May 29

After crashing his jet ski into a bridge near Miami beach, 21-year-old rapper Sean Kingston was hospitalized with “a broken jaw, fractured wrist, and water in his lungs." Although he gave us a scare, he was later reported to be in critical but stable condition. Thankfully, he was walking and breathing on his own after a week. A short while later, he was able to leave the hospital. We hope he has a speedy recovery.

The Confessions of Clayton Hill & Dexter Issac

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#5. The Confessions of Clayton Hill & Dexter Issac

Date: June 15 / July 5

After years of mystery, we were ready to give up hope about ever finding out who was behind the murder of The Notorious B.I.G. and the robbery/shooting of Tupac Shakur. That is until Dexter Isaac confessed to being involved in the 1994 incident with Tupac. Isaac confessed to being paid $2,500 by James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond to rob Tupac. He never identifies himself as the triggerman, but goes on to suggest that he still has Tupac's chain and that Diddy was involved in the robbery.

Less than a month later, convict and former Nation of Islam member Clayton Hill confessed to helping cover up the murder of The Notorious B.I.G. Although neither of these confessions shed light on who actually murdered Pac and Big, they gave us hope that maybe their investigations could one day be solved.

Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, & The Rebirth of R&B

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#4. Frank Ocean And The Weeknd Rejuvenate R&B

Date: March

Many R&B fans believed that the genre had gotten stale and predictable since the glory days of R. Kelly and Usher. But in 2011, the genre was reinvigorated when two incredible acts named Frank Ocean and The Weeknd popped up onto the scene. With a new age sound and a great voice, The Weeknd blew us away with his mixtape, House Of Balloons, which we named the album of the year (so far).

Meanwhile, Frank Ocean turned heads with his mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA and got approval from legends like Beyonce and Jay-Z. Ocean even managed to land himself a couple of guest spots on the much anticipated Watch The Throne. With the future of R&B riding on their shoulders, both of these artists will be making noise in the coming years and we won't mind one bit.

RELATED: WHO IS FRANK OCEAN?

RELATED: WHO IS THE WEEKND?

Complex Finds Earl Sweatshirt

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#3. Complex Finds Earl Sweatshirt

Date: April 14

Not to toot our own horns, but we were the first to solve the mystery on everyone’s mind: Where is Earl Sweatshirt? Stumbling through a tangled web of obscure Facebook posts and other intangible hints, we found out that the prodigiously gifted Odd Future rapper is currently at the Coral Reef Academy, a boarding school in Samoa for troubled boys.

Soon after our story, the New Yorker posted a similar story in which they claimed to have interviewed Earl through his mother. The interview depicted Earl as content with his current situation, which immediately raised doubts about the merit of the interview.

We then interviewed Earl's friend and fellow Coral Reef Academy attendee Tyler Craven, who said the story was false, that he believed Earl's answers had been coerced, and that Earl was clearly unhappy in Samoa. Since then we've managed to find Earl's gradeschool photo and piss off Tyler, The Creator. But all we got to say is, Free Earl!

The Death of Nate Dogg

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#2. The Death of Nate Dogg

Date: March 15

On March 15, hip-hop lost one of its most legendary crooners when Nathaniel “Nate Dogg” Hale passed away of congestive heart failure. One of the driving forces behind the emergence of West Coast hip-hop in the 1990s, Nate Dogg sang classic hooks for the likes of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and many more. Nate had survived strokes in both 2007 and 2008 before succumbing to complications of multiple strokes in March. Rest In Peace.

Mister Cee Arrested For Public Lewdness

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#1. Mister Cee Arrested For Public Lewdness

Date: March 30

Legendary DJ and producer Mister Cee found himself in some hot water this year when he was arrested in New York City for lewd conduct. Allegedly, he was engaging in a sexual act with a man who is a self-proclaimed "drag queen" when the arrest was made. He eventually pleaded guilty to the charges. And despite the stereotype of hip-hop being hyper-homophobic, rappers like 50 Cent and Prodigy came out and said they still supported Mister Cee. Ultimately, the entire incident—coupled with Lil B naming his album, I'm Gay, and national news stories like New York state legalizing gay marriage—reflected society's changing views on homosexuality and how hip-hop has had to deal with them.

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