MTV's Mixtape Monday 11-29-05

DJ: Rhude

Representing: BK to VA

Mixtape: DJ Rhude and Kingz Nation Present: The Don Ferquan Show

411: Former You Hear It First artist Quan has been making headlines lately for a reason he hates: a run-in with the police. Last month he was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of marijuana and assault and battery on a police officer in his home state of Virginia after police busted into his hotel room.

Quan, who was introduced to the masses by Nas, says he's innocent and feels good about his impending case. "God's got me," he noted.

Although he maintains that everything between himself and God's Son is all love, he hasn't been waiting for Nas to hold his hand and walk him through the industry. After a bidding war, Quan signed to Atlantic and has been working for several months with the Heatmakerz, Red Spyda, L.E.S. and Trick Daddy, accumulating enough tracks for his album and a few mixtapes. There's even some talk that Kanye West might work on a song for Quan's debut LP, which is due in 2006.

The collaboration with DJ Rhude is just the jump-off. Quan says he has more street CDs coming within the next few weeks, featuring collaborators that are going to surprise everyone.

Joints to Check For:

* "N---a Please." "It's actually about some personal sh-- with a few clowns, and I just addressed it real directly," Quan said. "They know who I was talking to. That was some 'hood sh--. My manager did some things with the Dip Set in the past, so she had a good relationship with the Heatmakerz."

* "Dear Industry." "That's just my letter to a lot of these rappers," he explained. "They rap about one thing and portray an image when they know not what that's about. I also had to put a little straightening on somebody coming out of their mouth with my name."

* "You Already Knew." "I love the original beat from 112's 'U Already Know,' " Quan said. "My song is about meeting a girl and you let the girl know, 'I ain't your man, but we can find a happy medium. We can be sex friends and still get something out of that.' "

Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week

* DJ Wreck's Respect the King 3
* DJ Smallz's Southern Smoke #3: The Block Movement
* DJ Dutty Laundry & B-Lord's Southside Professionals, R&B Hood Edition and Hood Classics Vol. 8
* DJ Bilal and Kaila Yu's Models R Us

Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar

* "Back to Business" by Boyz N Da Hood
* "Yo, Yo, Yo" and "Future" by Joe Budden
* "Hit Em Up" by Lil' Wayne
* "Snap Ya Fingers" by Lil Jon featuring E-40 and Youngbloodz's Sean Paul
* "Bring It Back" by Jae Millz featuring Jadakiss

Celebrity Favs

Cam'ron gives Def Jam credit for the way they've handled Juelz Santana's What the Game's Been Missing LP.

"We have a direct relationship with L.A. Reid where we go directly to him," Cam said of himself and Santana, whose record deal is a co-venture between Def Jam and Diplomat Records. "A lot of people was like, 'How is it going to be with Def Jam?' It's excellent! They're moving the ball well. L.A. turned the company around with Mariah Carey. You had the best rap act this year with Young Jeezy, and Juelz is next."

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

T.I. opens his Atlanta nightclub Crucial on Monday (November 28), but the Rubber Band Man is still working on his new LP, The King. He plans to answer questions with the album.

"The album, from one song to the next, is an explanation of why I call myself the king since everybody wants to ask, 'What makes him the king?' " T.I. explained from his new Grand Hustle offices in the A. "For one, before me there was none. Before I created the title, there was no such thing as the King of the South. It didn't exist. What makes me [the king]? Because I created the title."

Tip says he went through some trial and error with his last LP, Urban Legend, but he's taken notes so that he doesn't repeat his missteps.

"Don't get it twisted," Tip said. "We've had our hits and misses. 'Bring Em Out,' great idea. 'U Don't Know Me,' stupendous idea. 'ASAP,' we could have [released] 'Get Loose' [instead]," he detailed. "If I would have done 'Get Loose,' [with] me and Nelly — especially since we were already on tour together — I would have been at 2 million right now. These are the things I mark down so next album I'mma catch that. So there ain't gonna be no excuses." ...

What does the MC who calls himself "human crack in the flesh" do after he's come Back Like Cooked Coke, served More Crack and had the fans Fiend Out? Easy: Go to detox. Juelz Santana revealed that his next mixtape is going to be called Back Like Cooked Coke 4: Rehab. Santana says he wants to drop a street CD soon, but he'd like to let his album What the Game's Been Missing breathe a little.

"I'm not going to oversaturate myself, he said. "I'm gonna strategically do it, but I'm not going under no rock."

A big record on his latest mixtape, Back Like Cooked Coke 3: Fiend Out, is a collaboration with Lil' Wayne called "Pick It Up." Santana says he regrets the song not making his official LP, but he decided to leave it off because Wayne already has a song on the album called "Make It Work for You," which also features Young Jeezy. ...

OG journalist, XXL editor in chief, Elliott Wilson — a.k.a. the YN — has the magazine game on smash, and now he's getting his hands deeper in the music game. Wilson's company just released the compilation XXL Raps Volume 1, which mixes previously released material from Eminem, G-Unit and Fabulous with new records from MCs such as Obie Trice. Wilson handpicked the track listing.

YN, who explains the move as a way to expand the brand, is best known not for running the premier hip-hop magazine, but for his editorials, in which he never bites his tongue. Here, the cool Mr. Wilson sounds off on a few topics on the hip-hop community's mind:

* Jay-Z's I Declare Peace concert with Nas: "I was there. ... We all recognize what Jay and Nas mean, and I'm glad I saw it. Whether or not that leads to a real friendship — I think it's a little farfetched, but it was history. I was proud to be in the building. I made a rare appearance outside the Batcave to go see it. It was the hip-hop moment."

* Murda to Mase to minister and back to Murda: "Mase is on the next cover. We got a huge G-Unit gatefold cover. ... I think he's ready for the controversy. 50 Cent recognizes that controversy can help on the business level. At the end of the day, in spite of all that, it comes back down to the music. I think Mase still can flow, but if he comes with the music, he can win some fans back. It's one of those rare circumstances where the audience wants to hear from the artist on the interview format as much as they want to hear the music."

* The year's hits and misses: "I think Kanye did it. I was impressed with the hard work he put into it. I like the ["Get Rich or Die Tryin' "] soundtrack. The Massacre was a little disappointing when you compare it to the first album. I think Fif got into his comfort zone. He's the best songwriter in the game. I think he played off that and made a lot of club bangers, where the soundtrack is a little harder."