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David Banner Co-Signs New Def Jam Signee Big K.R.I.T.

While the South has been the dominate region in hip-hop for the last several years, one state below the Mason-Dixon Line that hasn’t had much representation is Mississippi. But with up-and-coming Meridian, MS rapper/producer Big K.R.I.T. recently signing to Def Jam Recordings, this might be on the upswing for the overlooked state.

XXLMag.com recently spoke with the Magnolia state’s only established rap star David Banner, to find out his thoughts on the aspiring artist. “I’m very proud of K.R.I.T., dude,” Banner said, before news broke of the young talent’s Def Jam deal. “I’m very, very, very proud of him. He’s been doing his thing for a lot longer than people will ever realize and it’s just good that there’s somebody else to help bring the torch on.”

Banner, known for love and devotions towards his hometown (he has Mississippi prominently tattooed across his back), feels as if K.R.I.T. is area’s perfect mouthpiece. “With me moving more towards the movie medium there has to be somebody to step up and continue the fight of keeping places that don’t normally get the attention, to keep it going,” he said. “Dude can really, really rap and he can really, really produce, so he’s a really good representation of Mississippi.”

As previously reported, K.R.I.T.—who has worked with such artists as Devin the Dude, Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa—has been grinding on the underground circuit for a several years now, releasing a handful of mixtapes. Earlier this month he dropped his latest tape, K.R.I.T. Wuz Here, to rave reviews, showcasing both his lyrical talent and knack for soulful production.

K.R.I.T. Wuz Here is currently available online for free donwload.

Diamond Says Nicki Minaj Made Female Rap “Fun” Again

I

s Nicki Minaj opening doors for other female MCs? Former Crime Mob rapper Diamond doesn’t necessarily think so, but she told XXLMag.com that the Young Money princess is making the genre fun again for women on the mic.

Diamond credits the Queens-bred rapstress with giving her someone to compete with. “It’s kind of like running on a track,” she explained to XXLMag.com. “If you’re running by yourself, you’ll eventually get bored; there’s no motivation, it’s just running with yourself. But if it’s a friendly competition and you know that you look to your left and you look to your right and you see you have other runners with you, it’s gonna motivate you to run faster and harder and just get to your destination. And that’s how I look at it. It’s fun now.”

According to the ATLien—who recently signed a deal with Jive imprint Battery Records—Minaj has put a magnifying glass on femcees. “[She helped] give it more attention, because it was kind of boring at one point,” she said.

The 22-year-old is currently working on her debut album, which she says will feature guest spots from Lloyd, Keri Hilson, Three 6 Mafia and more. She plans to release her single, “Lotta Money,” for release next month.

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I’m still going to do it [retire]. You know why? At first, I was like “Okay, maybe I’ll do another one.” You know what I hate dealing with, though? When you got something you love, make sure that you let people know that you love it or you let the haters win. You know there’s so much negative tension brewing in music, especially my music, and that always happens when you get to a certain place. It’s the same negative attention that I get most of the time and then in the dark, everybody loves me.

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