Common set to release his auotbiography, One Day It’ll All Make Sense ,

In One Day It’ll All Make Sense, Common holds nothing back. He tells what it was like for a boy with big dreams growing up on the South Side of Chicago. He reveals how he almost quit rapping after his first album, Can I Borrow a Dollar?, sold only two thousand copies. He recounts his rise to stardom, giving a behind-the-scenes look into the recording studios, concerts, movie sets, and after-parties of a hip-hop celebrity and movie star. He reflects on his controversial invitation to perform at the White House, a story that grabbed international headlines. And he talks about the challenges of balancing fame, love, and fatherhood.

Steve Stoute will release The Tanning of America: How Hop-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy on September 8th.

STEVE STOUTE: “The Tanning of America”:

Steve Stoute, one of the most influential voices in popular culture, examines how hip-hop transformed a new generation and conquered the global marketplace in his new book “The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy”

In THE TANNING OF AMERICA: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy, published by Gotham Books and on sale September 8, 2011, Stoute draws from his diverse background in the music industry and brand marketing to chronicle how an upstart art form – street poetry set to beats – came to define urban culture as the embodiment of cool. Stoute’s understanding of how hip-hop morphed into a mainstream culture enabled him to relate to a new generation of thinking, which catapulted him to the forefront of pop culture – where he remains today.

Stoute says, “Tanning is the catalytic force majeure that went beyond musical boundaries and into the psyche of young America – blurring cultural and demographic lines so permanently that it laid the foundation for a transformation.” Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter refers to Steve Stoute as “the conduit between corporate America and rap and the streets.” Stoute has made a career out of identifying with and activating a new generation of consumers to create extremely successful marketing campaigns. By marrying urban cultural icons with the mainstream – whether it be Jay-Z’s successful “S.Carter” sneaker launch with Reebok, Justin Timberlake with McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it” campaign, Beyonce’s partnership with Samsung, Mary J. Blige’s “My Life” fragrance with Carol’s Daughter and HSN that broke industry sales records, or Lady Gaga partnership with MAC Cosmetics – Steve Stoute has revolutionized the way blue chip marketers and superstar artists connect with consumers.

Young Jeezy covers the August/September issue of The Source. Issue available on newsstands August 23.

Tupac Back! The late rapper covers XXL magazine which celebrates the 15th anniversary of his death. Issue will be available on newsstands August 16th. The magazine talks with his biological father, Bill Garland stating;

“[Tupac] cared for people,” he said. “That was his main thing. He really cared for people. I think that’s why he would get so upset when people tried to question his commitment, his love for Black women or Black men. The East Coast/West Coast, you know, that’s a fabrication. I don’t have to begin to tell you that. So when that was questioned, it bothered him. Because he would give his heart or soul. He was a giving person. He would give anything to people. He would go in a store. [If there was a] Black man who couldn’t afford a $1,500 pair of boots, he would buy ’em for him. Think that Black man would ever forget Tupac? That’s just the way he is. But I don’t think that he did it for that. He did it because he had it, and he didn’t. That’s the way he is.”

Beyonce covers the August/September issue of Complex magazine check it out on newsstands August 9th.

Whenever I feel bad, I use that feeling to motivate me to work harder,” says a much wiser, more mature Beyoncé, who learned from some early ordeals, including a period of depression during the first breakup of her first group, Destiny’s Child. “I only allow myself one day to feel sorry for myself. People who complain really get on my nerves. When I’m not feeling my best I ask myself, ‘What are you gonna do about it?’ I use the negativity to fuel the transformation into a better me.”

Lil Wayne talks with XXL magazine about his retirement in the July/August Issue.

Wayne saying being a good father to his children would be the cause for an retirement. “Honestly, this is the real truth,” he says. “I honestly think it’s unfair to my kids. I’m super dedicated into what I do. Like, it’s no questions—it’s hands down, I do this. I live this. I don’t have a day out my week that I do something else. I do this every day of my life, and I’m not about to stop, ’cause that’s the only way you can succeed in this business, is to do it the way I do it. I want to succeed the way I want to succeed. You can succeed. You can put out a hit… But to do it the way I want to do it, to be comfortable to do what the fuck I want to do, you’ve got to work like no other. Like I said, it’s unfair to my kids. So about 30, 31, 32, I gotta get ready.

Swizz Beatz covers Paper magazine and gives details on his upcoming album Haute Living.

Haute Living is a star-studded affair. Though he still records with many members of the Ruff Ryders camp (Eve is the featured MC on Haute Living’s first single “Coolin’ (Everyday)”), Swizz’s lineup of guests
is extremely impressive: There’s Bono and Lenny Kravitz to show Swizz’s rock bona fides;
John Legend for some melodic texture; and when it came to MCs only the cream of the crop were allowed on, including Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne. “I thought that it was time people know who my friends are and who I’m affiliated with,” Swizz says.

Yes it’s true. Flava Flav can read good but he can also right. Check this video from AHH where Flav gives some details on his upcoming book.