(AllHipHop News) After recently revealing that he would be accompanying Floyd Mayweather to the ring during his May 5 fight against Miguel Cotto, 50 Cent officially announced plans to release his first DJ Drama presented Gangsta Grillz mixtape, The Lost Tape, on May 15. The G-Unit founder tweeted out to his more than six million followers earlier today (April 27), “The LOST TAPE is coming out on the 15th. Nothing but heat watch how it shakes things up #SK.”
Before announcing the project’s date, 50 Cent stated on Twitter, “I just finished another joint off the lost tape I’m mixing tonight.” The mixtape will serve as a precursor to 50’s fifth solo studio album, which is currently untitled and set for release on July 2.
Azealia Banks, who recently inked a deal with Lady Gaga’s manager Troy Carter, has announced plans to cancel a host of summer festival dates so she can record her debut album, Broke With Expensive Taste. The album, which is set for release in September, has caused Banks to drop out of almost 20 festival dates overseas in Spain, Norway, Sweden, France, Portugal, and Ireland. She will, however, still perform on June 24 at BBC Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend event, followed by several August dates in Japan and England.
The Legendary Roots Crew has been tapped to perform at “the largest festival in America” this July in Philadelphia. The “Philly 4th of July Jam”, presented by WaWa, will feature The Roots as the headliners for the Fourth of July spectacle set to take place near the city’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway. In addition, a large mural will be unveiled honoring The Roots along the city’s famous Avenue of the Arts.
Along with The Roots and drummer Questlove, who will act as the Philly 4th of July Jam’s musical director, artists set to take the stage include Queen Latifah, Daryl Hall, Common, Joe Jonas, and many more. The 2012 celebration will mark the event’s 20th consecutive year, and event organizers anticipate up to 500,000 attendees.