Paper Trail

As he awaits trial on gun possession charges, T.I. is speaking out about his new album "Paper Trail."The rapper recently spoke to MTV.com from his home in suburban Atlanta where he is currently on house arrest."It’s a lot of bullsh— out right now," he told MTV News via phone from Atlanta. "I’m not gonna front. I feel it’s definitely about time for somebody to come back out and kick this thing back in gear. The rotation is suffering right now. I intend to do something about it. It’s just a matter of when." T.I. reveals that the album’s street single will be a song called "Let My Beat Pound."

"That’s gonna be a big record," Tip said. "It’s a different record. It’s a record I approached differently, and it don’t sound like a typical T.I. record. It’s basically about when you got your first car, one of the first things was to make sure your [sound] system was right. The love for the boomin’ system. It has the sentiments of LL Cool J’s ’Boomin’ System,’ but it kind of sounds like a Sir Mix-A-Lot [song]. It’s kinda got the mood and tempo of ’Posse on Broadway,’ but it’s outta here." No official release date has been announced for "Paper Trail" although it is expected to hit stores in 2008.

G-Unit at WWE

It appears that the WWE is looking towards Hip Hop for a boost in ratings. 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and R&B star John Legend are set to hit the ring with various different jobs at this year's Wrestlemania.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and 50 Cent have a friendship that has allowed both to succeed with the help of the other. Now, the two will take on a large opponent as they face The Big Show at WWE's upcoming Wrestlemania XXIV. It is not yet known if 50 will actually participate in the match, but it seems that he will accompany Mayweather to the ring at the very least.

"We got a friendship," Mayweather told MTV recently. "We talk about business a little bit. We talked about it when Coca-Cola bought VitaminWater. He said, 'You didn't see what I just did?' [I said,] 'Of course I did. Congratulations. Now you have to take me out to eat.'"

According to reports, Mayweather will be paid $20 million for his appearance at Wrestlemania. No reports have been released as to how much 50 will make.

WWE has also enlisted the help of John Legend, who is set to kick off the event with a rendition of the "America the Beautiful."

Snoop Dogg will also join the WWE for an all-Diva fight called, "BunnyMania Lumberjack Match."

All of this goes down March 30, 2008 on pay-per-view.

Cam Talks

After releasing a home made video clip to YouTube warning rival 50 Cent that it was going to be a "hot summer," Cam went into exile. The Harlemite told radio personality Miss Info that around that time, his mother had several strokes, resulting in her being paralyzed on her left side. The rapper then apparently moved his mother to Florida and arranged for her rehabilitation and therapy.

Killa also said that he took a little time away to get his business in order. He said that he and his label, Asylum, were having differences but have since resolved them.

"We recently worked things out," Cam said. "We had a conversation with the lawyers and with Todd (Moscowitz), so now we're straight. I wasn't gonna drop the mixtape until that happened...."

Cam said that even though things were fine as far as his mother's health, he still staggered his return and instead opted to examine the way those around him behaved.

"Even when I had my mom situated, she had the help she needs, the physical therapy, everything was right-that was like a month ago-I still laid low, because when I come out it's gonna be done it right," he said. "But I just sat back and bugged out at how everyone else was acting. I heard all the rumors, mad felonious s--t, fake s--t. And I would tell n----s, my moms just had a stroke, and they'd be like 'Oh, ok, so are you still coming through?' Fam, what is wrong with you?"

"I ain't talked to nobody, but I kept hearing all these stories," he continued. "Cam was in a car crash. Cam was begging for a deal. Some hood DVD dudes were up on [140^th St] to try to find me. Folks were asking for interviews. I'm like Bigfoot, its crazy!"

Never one to not have new material on hand, the Dipset boss said that he is gearing up to drop a double mixtape, "Public Enemy #1," as a precursor to his next full-length effort, which is set to drop in either February or March of 2008. The mixtape, which will be available next week for free, is dropping the day after fellow crew member Jim Jones' mixtape. Though he says he's back, Cam says he still hasn't spoken to his longtime friend.

"I still haven't spoken to Jim," he said. "But Jim ran with me for over 10 yrs, he worked hard, and I wish him the best of luck. Everybody thinks I'm mad at Jim. Why am I mad? I told people for years that Jimmy was gonna be a star. So it's better on my resume...I wish him the best. The only thing is, him being with 50, I can't really run with that. Hang out with who you want to hang out...but me, I can't really do nothing like that."

The ever controversial rapper also said that he will address his previous beefs on the latest mixtape but will not dwell on his rivals.

"I make a comment but I keep it moving. On the first joint, I talk for like 6 minutes. I still get at 50. The Tru Life s--t. I clear that s--t up. And I also address the NYPD, the Intel squad...How they dragged me in during the whole Jay-Z and 50 Cent beef and tried to get me to talk about them....all that sh*t."

Best Of Both Worlds 2

The two previously joined forces on Lloyd's hit song "You," which helped propel his 2007 album Street Love to certified gold status.

In a recent interview with Rhapsody Lloyd shared news that the two will be joining forces again on his upcoming album, and while they were recording the new song he says the two talked of a possible joint album.

"So I come out the booth," Lloyd told Rhapsody of the studio experience. "Weezy go in and do about 38 bars. The beat cuts off and he's still rapping. He's just killing it and I'm saying to myself, 'Oh this dude is incredible. I gotta work with this dude for real.' And from there, we started our relationship. We've even talked about doing an album together and calling it Best of Young Worlds."

When reminded that Omarion and Bow Wow recently teamed on a similar concept, Lloyd was careful to distinguish a difference between Face Off and the potential Best of Young Worlds project.

"Lloyd and Lil' Wayne is a different kind of intensity from Bow Wow and Omarion," Lloyd said. "We appeal to a much older crowd, and we a little bit more hardcore with our style. But yeah, we definitely thinking about it."

Lloyd recently released the first single from his as yet untitled new album, "How We Do It In The A," which features Ludacris. Lloyd also mentioned collaborating with Snoop Dogg and Fabolous for another cut off the album, while Nelly joins him on a Polow Da Don-produced track.

Usher's younger brother, producer J-Lack, who tracked "Get It Shawty," the second single on Street Love, has also returned to help Lloyd's third effort; as have "You" songwriter/producers Jasper Cameron and Big Reese.

A release date for the new project has not been announced.

Tha End Is Near

It's no secret that Cam'ron and Jim Jones have beef, but recently, Juelz Santana spoke out about problems he's having with Cam too.

On Hot 97's Angie Martinez show, when the rapper was asked what the hold up was on releasing new material, Juelz pointed to the Dipset Don as the problem.

"Me and Cam gotta work some things out, bottom line," he said. "I came in the game when I was young right, so it's no reason for me - to have accomplished and did as much as I did - to be getting treated the same way as I was treated when I just came in."

Meanwhile, Jimmy's former hook-singing right hand man Max B is having it out with the Byrd Gang honcho.

After being heavily featured on Jimmy's sophomore release Harlem Diary, Max is dropping a new mixtape, "Million Dollar Baby 2," unofficially named "The Assassination of Jim Jones."

"That's what it's gonna do to him. The very first track is gonna just end his whole career up," Max B said in a ThisIs50.com interview. "Somebody with my talent and my skill level need to be up there with the upper echelon, so I'm trying to get away from that situation over there."

Now, 40 Cal has released the new track "Dipset is Ova" onto the net, in which he blames the camp's beef for ruining everyone's careers but Jim and Cam's.

"Dear Dipset the G's not eatin/ Somebody tell Cam and Jim to please stop beefin," 40 Cal rhymes. [Listen Below]

Dipset member Bezel chymes in, "Cam got money, Jim getting gravy/ Dipset is ova. This sh*t is crazy."

And instead of shouting out Dipset, the two claim Juelz' crew Skull Gang at the end of the track.

"Dipset was one of the most powerful movements out there [and] still is," said Bezel at the end of the track. "It would be nice if n*ggas would get back together but everybody gotta be their own man at the end of the day. So with that said, I really don't know what else to say except Skull Gang b*tch!"

DTP Re-Signed

Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace imprint (DTP) has re-signed a long term distribution deal with Island Def Jam Music Group, effectively debunking rumors that Island Def Jam had dropped the Atlanta-based label.

Rumors began to circulate last week that DTP had been dropped by IDJ’s Chairman, Antonio “L.A.” Reid, after a showcase the label sponsored last week.

Today, that rumor was laid to rest when Ludacris, Chaka Zulu and Jeff Dixon announced a new long term distribution deal for DTP.

“The Atlanta Hip-Hop scene and the Dirty South movement in general owe more than they can ever repay to Chris,” Antonio “L.A.” Reid told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “Our friendship stretches back more than a decade and I never cease to be amazed at his imagination, creativity, and most of all his outrageous sense of humor.”

According to Reid, changing business conditions in the music industry means that both labels will be reviewing their respective rosters “to ensure that future opportunities and challenges are aggressively achieved.”

“Ludacris has built Disturbing Tha Peace into one of the iconic names in hip-hop, one that will remain an important part of the Island Def Jam family.”

Ludacris is currently working on his sixth album, titled Theater of The Mind.

According to Ludacris, the new album is the sum of all of his previous albums rolled into one release.

“It almost plays out like a movie, the whole album does,” Ludacris told AllHipHop.com. “You’re going to feel like you’re a part of it. Each song, it all blends itself together and it’s theatrical. Music is supposed to be emotional, you put yourself in the environment, you put yourself in the atmosphere, it’s kind of like that..”