Monday Hip-Hop Report...(Drake, The Game, Nicki Minaj, Fat Joe, Dipset...)

West Coast rapper Game's R.E.D. Album has reportedly been pushed back to July.

According to reports, the rapper's fourth solo album will drop in early July.

The summer release schedule is getting one more shake-up. Game's R.E.D. Album has been moved to July. The rapper's fourth LP has been delayed one week to July 6 from its previous June 29 date. Other releases that week include Kelis' Flesh Tone and Big Boi's Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. (Rap-Up)

Game previously talked about competing on June 15th with Drake's debut album.

"Nah man, it's just a package deal, you should go and support hip-hop, go get Thank Me LaterR.E.D. and you good," Game said in an interview. "You know you're good, then the next week you come back and buy Eminem, great. June is gonna be a big month. So no, it's no competition. Everything don't gotta be a competition and we're not even the same type of [artist,] we're not in the same lane. I respect what he does and I talked to him before, he's a fan of mine so we'll just keep it like that and put it out, people will go and buy them and who cares who's number one, number two, it don't make no sense to me because I've been around and sold millions of records already. I have nothing else to prove." (Rap-Up TV)

The cover art to Fat Joe's upcoming Darkside solo album has been released on the Internet today.

Joey Crack's latest project artwork features the Bronx, New York rapper by himself.

Fat Joe - The Darkside: Volume 1 (Album Cover) As always, here's your first look at Crack's new album scheduled to release on June 29th. Hopefully, it's listenable enough to warrant a volume 2. (Hip Hop N More)

According to DJ Premier, his signature sound will be featured on the hip-hop heavyweight's next solo project.

"Speaking of Fat Joe, I'm on his new album," Preemo recently told radio personality Tim Westwood. "He called me and said 'Preem, this album is straight gutta' so I gave him a nice little nasty head-nodding evil Premier joint. Be ready for that. That's just the warm-up." ("Tim Westwood TV")

The album features both commercial hit records and street tracks inspired by his fans.

"This album, I just wanted to take it to the streets crazy," Joe said in an interview. "When I go on tour I see a lot of my fans that are real loyal. They all kept telling me, 'Yo, Joe we want you to come back to the hardcore.' I tried to make them happy so I just took it all the way to the dark side. I'm just trying to give 'em that balance of that real street gritty Fat Joe -- the gangsta early Fat Joe -- but at the same time who also knows how to make hit records." (VIBE)

Darkside will contain guest spots from Cam'ron, The Clipse and more.

"I got this sh*t called 'Kilo,' produced by Infamous, with me, the Clipse and Cam'ron. Bananas! I told you I was taking you to the dark side. N*ggas is going hard. N*ggas is going super hard. N*ggas will get this album and be like, 'D*mn. Joe knows how to make the hard-core album of a lifetime.' ... I got my Just Blaze track today, so I'm excited. I got [DJ Premier], Just Blaze, Scram Jones. Me and Cool & Dre did this monster with Trey Songz. I'm real happy with the album, man. I'm like one or two gems away from wrapping the deal. I'm just trying to dumb out. [Producer] Buckwild gave me something ugly." (MTV)

The Darkside lands in stores Tuesday, June 29th.

Dipset's Juelz Santana has shared his reaction to the recent reunion of Jim Jones and Cam'ron.

Juelz said he initially learned about the reunion from the Internet.

"Cam and Jim have definitely spoke, me and Jim have talked about putting everything together and putting the past behind us," Juelz told radio personality Angie Martinez. "At the end of the day, I'm willing to be a big person and put whatever I got to put to the side and if the fans want an album, we can do that...I was like a fan finding out, because it was like, 'Oh word, that's what's going on?' I hadn't talked to Jim when it first happened -- I kinda heard it through the Internet and then it was the same type of way, then I spoke with Jim...I'm happy that they were able to do that." (Hot 97)

Roc-A-Fella co-founder Damon "Dame" Dash also explained his feelings on the reunion.

"I'm more happy than anything that they're friends -- that they were able to salvage their friendship, if that's the case," Dame said in an interview. "I think they're better than me for that: being smart enough and humble enough to apologize to each other and move forward. I really do hope that where I failed to be the right example, that they can be that. You always want the people ahead of you to do better than you anyway. For that, I gotta give them props for being men above anything." (MTV)

Teairra Mari (Freestyle over Drakes "Over")



Nicki Minaj & Drake performing in Los Angeles...