Weeks ago, Eminem filmed the video for “Not Afraid” in the streets of Newark, NJ and now the video has hit the internet in all of its edited glory. Check it out. video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player Here is Eminem live on “Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.”

Over the Memorial Day weekend, while performing in front of tens of thousands at the sold-out UCLA JazzReggae Fest, Nas told the audience that his collaboration album with Damian Marley, Distant Relatives, was “a passion project” that the labels didn’t know what to do with. The label limbo set the album from a June 30, 2009, release date to one almost a year later, and it’s not like the album has been exceeding expectations at retail. The project has had moderate sales so far, approaching 100,000 unit in the second week in stores. The live show is a different story. Wherever the Distant Relatives go, the duo sell out the venue. Further, as Nas points out in the interview with AllHipHop, the album’s delay actually helped it to coincide with an event that is making Africa the hub of economic activity this month: one of the world’s biggest sporting events, the World Cup, is taking place in South Africa. In interviews, Nas has said that recording the album was a cathartic process that helped him deal with a turmoil in personal life. In Damian Marley, God’s Son finds a partner with whom he can relate and touch on topics from politics to friends to religion. With critics and fans embracing the album, Nas and Damian sat down with AllHipHop in L.A. to speak out on label politics, their tour and even have a lighthearted moment about their foreign language skills.   AllHipHop.com: It’s been almost a year since the album was supposed to drop. Can you speak about the label politics involved with the release? Nas: Label politics are what they always been. It wasn’t anything that we thought about. We were just thinking about doing the record. It was those companies to figure out. Label politics are going to be label politics no matter what you do. It was cool though. Everybody just said, this is what you want to do, go ahead and do it. It wasn’t a bunch of label people running around, telling us, we can’t wait to do this and press these buttons. Nah, it wasn’t none of that … it would have been nice. We just do what we do.AllHipHop.com: I know a lot of that album was recorded here in LA. Was it with your band Damian, or with Nas’ band, Mulatto? Damian Marley: One of them, one of the musicians from Nas’ group, was there, guitarist Luke, but for the most part, it was my musicians. AllHipHop.com: How was working with a live band different than working with beats, Nas? Nas: I mean, when you going to work with Damian you expect it to be different than what you do. So you can tell that by his music. AllHipHop.com: Want to talk about the tour plans. How are the plans to hit Africa shaping up? Nas: I mean you know the record is what we want everybody to embrace, especially Africa. We just happy to hear the news. We just sit back and enjoy what’s happening. There’s different news every day about where we going. AllHipHop.com: Growing up in New York, how did Jamaican culture influence you and the rebel inside you? Nas: To finish up, I was just thinking about what you asked with the last question, it’s incredible with the timing that took place with this record. This record being about Africa being released the same year as the World Cup all throughout Africa. We at the right place at the right time with the right sound to take it to Africa. Back to your question … AllHipHop.com: Actually, I want to piggyback off that real quick. Africa as a continent and the World Cup will be a hub of economic activity this year, did it go your through your mind to make an album and be spokesmen for a movement that’s going on? Nas: I think we were making the music and that’s all we concentrated on. Again, the timing just worked out. That just goes to show this was a project that we were supposed to be working on at this time, not at another time. Everything’s that happening over there, economically, all the business opportunities and everything like that, I’d love to be a part of that. But, I’m sure it’s not as easy as it sounds, but you know time will tell. That would great opportunities to put some people like ourselves, who care so much about the continent, to go over there and do some business. That’s when you’re talking like ‘whew,’ real revolution, real turnaround. AllHipHop.com: Can you speak about some of your experiences out there? I know you Nas have been to Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa, and Damian, I know having been to Africa, you’re embraced and accepted there even bigger than Hip-Hop. Can you speak about your experiences there, something memorable? Damian: In 2005, we played in Ethiopia, a celebration of my father’s birthday they had a big concert there. That’s actually the single biggest concert I’ve ever performed at. It was a special experience for me as a Rasta. In 2006, I went to Ghana, it was the same kind of event. Ghana actually reminded me of Jamaica when I was a boy. It was a great experiences, they showed love. AllHipHop.com: You guys going to the World Cup? Nas: (Tentatively) Yeah, I’ll be there. AllHipHop.com: Nas, what’s your top five, dead or alive? Nas: I don’t have a top five, I have too many people that I love to fill the top five. It’s just, you know, there’s so many different generations in Hip-Hop that did so much. One is from this era, the other one is from that era, this one is from this era. I like all of them. AllHipHop.com: I was at that National Geographic panel with you in December. Can you speak about what was going through your minds? Do you plan to have more events like that in the future? Nas: Yeah, definitely. I think […]

The wait is over. The Nicki Minaj cover have been in heavy circulation and here is the first look at the Badu cover from VIBE magazine. Here are highlights from the issue, but for more, go to vibe.com by clicking here. More details on the issue are below as Badu talks about going naked, Jay Electronica, and her evolution through relationships and children. With an artist like Erykah Badu there is no containing the creativity. The June/July cover of the singer posing “naked”is not only going to be controversial but iconic. In the feature titled “Arts & Craft”, written by VIBE’s Chloé A. Hilliard and shot by photographer Erin Patrice O’Brien, Badu talks going naked and the importance of having a good partner. “I look at some other videos. I’m not naming names, because I don’t want that to be mentioned. There is the thing with sexuality. I’m naked for 13 seconds, and these people are naked the whole time and gyrating and saying come “lick on my lollipop,” and “suck on my cinnamon roll,” and, you know, suggesting sex. People are uncomfortable with sexuality that’s not for male consumption. could be ‘cause I did it in public too. Do you think people would have been complaining if I had on high-heel shoes?” “I am a big fan and a supporter of [Jay Electronica’s] evolution and growth as an artist. I write all his rhymes. I’m joking. [laughs.] I’m always amazed and impressed with the things he comes up with. He definitely does what a partner is supposed to do, that is, evolve you.” “I was 27 when I had seven. I was already a vegetarian. I had been for 10 years. I had started making choices that would shape me for the rest of my life. I never thought to measure by each child. My children are six years apart. It wasn’t planned, just how the relationships rolled out. I’ve had three unorthodox marriages of sorts. I’ve had the benefit of having substantial amount of time with people, mind-building time.” [Source]