We’ve heard those words before,”I’m going into retirement”, from sooo many different hip hop artists, such as Jay-Z, Master P, Eminem and so forth. But for some reason, they just can’t leave the game alone. They all come back one or two years later with a debut album. Jay-Z is by far the worst, if you ask me. He has retired like 4 times, but just keeps coming back. I don’t and won’t believe it anymore if he says it again. Now, it just seems like a big publicity stunt to get people to buy their CDs because it’s the last time they will hear from them.

Now, Lil Wayne is claiming that he will retire, but no time soon. His retirement plan says that he will stay in the game no longer than 8 more years.Wayne claims that he always said that he wouldn’t rap anymore after the age 35. Ha, he says that now. A lot of people agree that rappers and hip hoppers shouldn’t be old and should retire to allow new game to come into the industry. But Jay-Z being an old head, of course, doesn’t agree. He says that it shouldn’t be made easy for the youngsters coming into the hip hop game. If they want to be on top, they’re going to have to work hard for it. Heck, it wasn’t made easy for Jay. Back then, there wasn’t as much competition as there is now, even if a lot of them are low-level rappers. People like these stars because they make good club bangers. After Lil Wayne retires, he’s looking to own a basketball team.

As you may have all heard, Def Jam has been sold and taken over by none other than Jay-Z. Now, this may sound very nice, especially to all of you Jay-Z fans, but not everyone is feeling the same glory. KRS One, for instance, isn’t too thrilled about the news. He is known for always going against the system and big corporations that neglect and abuse the little people. So nothing is stopping him from targeting Def Jam. The record company was established by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin back in the day when hip hop was fresh and new. Today, KRS One complains that hip hop has been damaged and that the Jay-Z take over of Def Jam may down it some more. I guess he figures someone like Jay isn’t the solution to hip hop’s ordeal.

Def Jam is the father and mentor of a lot of artists in R&B, pop and rap. It brought and still is bringing out lots of artists and many of the same artists are still signed under their label. KRS One told XXL Magazine that Def Jam single-handedly destroyed hip hop. According to KRS, everything from the lyrics, commercialized music and one artist being played on the radio all day is all thanks to Def Jam. There’s really no competing with Def Jam, so everyone else had to respect what the record label was doing. Hip hop groups like X-Clan and Public Enemy used to be with Def Jam, which were also against the system and big corporations, now Def Jam is a big corporation — how ironic.

Since 1996, Jay-Z (also known as Sean Carter) has been taking the world by storm in all shapes and forms. He has practically dominated hip-hop and rap, easily dubbing himself as the “King of Hip Hop”. This year, he will be releasing his 11th (that’s right, 11th!) album called “J to the Z of Jay-Z”. His music grew into an empire that later became known as the record label we are all too familiar with, Rocafella. He and his buddy Damon Dash started it in the 90s, developing a more professional outlook in the hip-hop culture. Jay-Z stays doing big things and doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. He’s got his hands in just about everything, from his own music, producing new talent and even creating a clothing line. In 1999, Jay-Z and Damon Dash refined the rap game with Rocawear fashion.

Once again, Jay made big changes happen by showing the world that hip-hop can mature. Going from wearing throwback jerseys and baggy jeans to button-up shirts, slacks and suede shoes – Jigga was making the statement that he was a professional entrepreneur who had grown up. Pushing 40, Jigga transformed his wardrobe to suits and top hats that showed a more serious individual. Back when he was 30, he was afraid that he wouldn’t be taken seriously wearing the stereotypical hip-hop wear, so from then he began to change how he presented himself. In 2007, the Rocawear line has been sold for $204 million, but he is still invested in the brand and is in charge of product development, licensing and advertising.

Hip hop tours are poppin all over the globe. First, we have rumors that Keyshia Cole, Rihanna and Ciara will be touring together, so if you’re looking for a great R&B concert, you should definitely check out the dates and cities to for this show. No dates have been set yet, but keep an eye and ear out. Supposedly, Rihanna would like to team up with strong women for a “women empowerment” type tour. This trio would definitely empower the women in their concert crowds with their soulful voices and lyrics.

Rihanna has a live concert in Dubai coming up; yes it has been confirmed. There will be 25,000 tickets available for sale. No exact location has been set, but it may be in an outside arena…wouldn’t that be lovely?

Beyonce is also on tour, but has told interviewers that she is looking to wrap things up and take two years off to play the role of a wife to her husband Jay-Z, who is also on tour by the way. The two currently try to link their calendars together, so that they can schedule time together. B definitely misses her boo while on tour, so to help her feel better, she has Jay-Zs name written on the nails of her index, middle and ring fingers. This helps her to remember him and even makes her smile she says. Beyonce is really looking forward to starting a family and leading a somewhat normal life.