The Hip Hop Week In Review: Nas Starts Recording New Album, Freddy E. Commits Suicide

This week, Nas gave an interview revealing that he’d begun work on his twelfth studio album (and eleventh solo LP), which serves as the follow up to last year’s Life is Good. He also was crowned the best lyricist of all time by CNN, a title with which he agreed. Meanwhile, Hip Hop suffered tragedy this week after Freddy E. tweeted about and then commenced to commit suicide, eliciting a response from rumored lover Honey Cocaine who clarified that they were just friends. Finally, Meek Mill continued beefing with rappers who have been in the game for a minute, taking to Twitter to go word-for-word with Shyne about coming at young emcees.

Nas Begins Work On New LP, Hospitalized For Vertigo

Nas made a brief announcement earlier this week at the end of an interview with Associated Press that revealed that he’d begun work on what’s assumed to be his twelfth studio album. Just six months after dropping his stellar Life is Good, Esco said that he’s in a “great zone,” also naming Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city and Meek Mill’s Dreams & Nightmares as some of his favorite albums from 2012. CNN made a bold move by naming the Queens, New York rapper the finest emcee of all time, a title with which he agreed later in the week. But it wasn’t all good for the veteran rapper. He was supposed to hit the stage at “Live with Kelly and Michael” yesterday morning, but was hospitalized and released for vertigo. Not to worry: the rapper said he’s doing “alright.”

Freddy E. Tweets About Committing Suicide Prior To Killing Himself, Honey Cocaine Responds

Hip Hop was dealt a bad hand this week following the death of rapper Freddy E. In a series of chilling tweets, the Tyga affiliate wrote “I’m sorry” and “*puts finger around trigger,” capping his short series with the final message “If there’s a God then He’s calling me back home. The barrel never felt so good next to my dome. It’s cold & I’d rather die than live alone.” It was later confirmed that he died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Honey Cocaine, who reportedly dated Freddy, responded to allegations that she was influential in Freddy’s suicide, taking to Twitter and stating that he was either perpetrating or the victim of a hoax. After deleting the tweets, she gave an interview where she said, “I just want people to know that we were just friends, and we did everything for each other as friends. I just feel like he couldn’t handle his problems anymore, and this is someone who had real, deep issues within him, and I didn’t know, I guess his friends didn’t know…I guess he made himself seem happy, but he was really just holding everything inside.”

Meek Mill & Shyne Spar On Twitter

Meek Mill and Shyne just can’t seem to get enough of beefing on Twitter. After the former publicly sparred with Cassidy and the latter recently traded words with Game, the two took to the social networking site this week and had a go at it. Po originally praised Cass’ epic diss “R.A.I.D.,” to which the Maybach Music Group rapper didn’t take too kindly. “Ayo @OriginalShyne I see u hate all the young niggas that’s out here getting! I can’t respect ya for that…A @OriginalShyne talkin about shout out 2 a nigga that’s no good in the hood..I’m in my hood right now..iced out foreign whips..That’s not G,” he wrote. Shyne invoked his beef with Rick Ross, replying, “@MeekMill Your great wit the raps! You in the streets, ok! But your boss is Donnie Brasco! Ice T from new jack city! How u justify that.” The saga continued, but it settled down after the former Bad Boy emcee called Meek a “street general living by the rules of honor & integrity.”