Robin Thicke speaks on color in the new Billboard magazine:

When I did a recent interview with Vibe magazine I asked, “Why can’t I get the cover? This is a magazine I love. If there’s one magazine that I’d want to be on the cover of, it’s Vibe.” Their response was they don’t have white artists on the cover; that the only white artist they’ve had on the cover was Eminem. I guess if that’s what it is, it is what it is. And I respect that because I live in a house with a black woman.

I won’t use the word “racism.” I will say it’s a tough — but rewarding — fight. I look at Mary J. Blige, somebody who has had only a few pop hits and yet has changed culture, generated new sounds and inspired leagues of artists. She’s now a worldwide phenomenon. And it’s because of what she stood for; she never gave up. She kept making great music, pouring her heart out to people.

You can’t always expect people to be as color-blind or open-minded as you want. What you can do is keep giving your heart and soul, like Bob Marley did. His music became so overwhelmingly loving; it was a relentless love in a sense. Keep beating them down with love and they can’t stop you.

It’s always nice to see rappers clash over politics. It’s way cooler than fighting over a chain. The latest hip-hop political battle features Fat Joe and Daddy Yankee. The Don Cartagena told MTV he’s not happy with his fellow boricua for endorsing Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Joe thinks Yankee is high on McCain’s gasolina or not being sincere.

”Just like that! I gotta go in. I’m talking to little cousins that like [Yankee] and all that, and they’re starting to believe that John McCain is [the best candidate]. I can’t have that.

“I opened the newspaper and got sick to my stomach. I felt like I wanted to vomit when I seen that. The reason why I called him a sellout is because I feel he did that for a [publicity] look, rather than the issues that are affecting his people that look up to him. How could you want John McCain in office when George Bush and the Republicans already have half a million people losing their homes in foreclosure? We’re fighting an unjust war. It’s the Latinos and black kids up in the frontlines, fighting that war. … We over here trying to take the troops out of Iraq and bring peace. This guy immediately wants war. If not with Iraq or Afghanistan, he’ll start a new one with Iran. I feel real disgusted that Daddy Yankee would do that. Either he did that for a look, or he’s just not educated on politics.”

Joe even extended a challenge to debate Yankee. I’d watch this on Telemundo,  just to see Joe slap El Stupido for being such a pendejo!

Talk about having a GREAT boyfriend. Hood-Hop just EXCLUSIVELY learned that R&B singer Chris Brown bought Rihanna a brand new Ferrari F430 Spider.According to one of Rihanna’s pals, Chris took the Bajan singer to a Los Angeles Ferrari dealer last week and asked her which car she most wanted. Then, according to our spy, he bought it for her. The insider explained to Hood-Hop, “He found out which [Ferrari] that she liked the best and then he called the dealership and ordered it.”Nothing says true love like a brand new Ferrari….

During Michael Phelps record-breaking performance at the Bejing Olympics, the Baltimore native told press Lil Wayne was among the rapper whose music gets him charged before a big race.

Now, Phelps will get his chance to meet Weezy as the two will appear together on “Saturday Night Live.”

Phelps will host the season opening episode on September 13 and Lil Wayne will serve as the musical guest.

The swimmer also noted he was a fan of Young Jeezy, who appeared on “SNL” last season when Republician Presidential Nominee John McCain did as well. Jeezy has reciprocated the interest saying in a Rolling Stone interview that he had been following Phelps’ epic accomplishments. The Def Jam rapper called Phelps “the Young Jeezy of the swim world”.

We may finally learn what made R&B singer Raz B accuse producer Chris Stokes of molestation and then quickly retract the accusation - claiming he was mistaken. Hood-Hop has learned that a group of investors are close to signing a deal with former B2K singer Raz B to write an autobiography. And word is that Raz stands to make a pretty penny off the book. The deal will reportedly get the former singer a $300K signing bonus, plus more if the book is successful.Sounds like a best seller to us….  can’t wait to give it a read!!!

Is Lil Wayne going to be on the next season of Celebrity rehab?? Hood-Hop has learned that the show’s host - Dr. Drew Pinsky is desperate to get the hip hop superstar onto his VH1 reality show.A person close to Lil Wayne told Hood-Hop, “Dr. Drew called [Wayne] and left a message asking him to be on the show … we all laughed … I think we still have it on tape, maybe [Wayne] will use it on the next mixtape.”

It might not be as bad an idea as you think Weezy … you may wanna reconsider…

Jay-Z’s 40/40 sports bar in Vegas will be closing down to make room for race and sports betting site.

According to KVBC Las Vegas, the rap mogul born Shawn Carter reached an agreement today with the Palazzo Resorts to return the space occupied by his nightclub to the hotel.

As part of the new plan the space and its surrounding area will feature a restaurant as well as a large-scale race and sports center.

President and chief operating officer of the Palazzo, Rob Goldstein, said “By adding a complete gaming component to an already distinctive 24,000 square-foot space we will be able to create a very unique environment for our guests.”

Just weeks ago, Hova was in talks to sell a stake of his popular 40/40 Las Vegas nightclub for an estimated $44 million. At the time, Jay was said to be speaking with Las Vegas Sands Corporation in regards to offering them a 50 percent stake of the club.

Get ready for a RUMBLE ….Hood-Hop has learned that ExtremeXC has just signed its first SUPER FIGHT!! Miami street fighter Kimbo Slice vs UFC veteran Ken Shamrock.And there’s more. You DON’T have to pay $49.99 for the fight - IT’S FREE!!! The fight, which is scheduled for October 4th is going to be aired on CBS!!!

Who ya got … Our money’s on KIMBO by knockout!!!

O.J. Simpson and his daughter Arnelle fought over his girlfriend “Christie”:

Cops rushed to the Florida home of O.J. Simpson after his eldest daughter knocked him to the ground in a brawl over his girlfriend Christie Prody, sources said. “Arnelle had a fight with Christie over Christie’s behavior. That’s what started the whole thing. Christie has some problems with drinking, and Arnelle got mad. O.J. said ‘Don’t talk to her like that,’ and Arnelle pushed him.”

The source said Arnelle, 39, called 911 in a fit of guilt after she toppled the 61-year-old on Sunday, giving him a minor head injury.

The police report does not mention O.J.’s fall, but the National Enquirer, which first reported the row, quoted a source saying O.J. was “cut on the back of his head, blood was coming out the side of his mouth and his lip was cut.” The Enquirer said Arnelle was furious with O.J. for dishing out money to Prody, 32, while his high school sweetheart - Arnelle’s mom, Marguerite Whitley - has to work at WalMart to make ends meet. Arnelle also lashed out at OJ for “ditching” Whitley to marry Nicole Brown Simpson, the Enquirer reported. O.J. was acquitted of Nicole’s murder in 1995. Two years later, a civil jury found him “responsible” for the killing. “It wasn’t a big deal,” the source said of Sunday’s scuffle. “He wasn’t all cut up.” The police report says the altercation ended when Arnelle agreed to leave O.J.’s house “in order to let things calm down.”

That was an ass whooping that was well overdue.

Platinum selling rapper T.I. has made Billboard history, with his latest single “Whatever You Want,” by  jumping 70 spots to reach the No. 1 chart in just three weeks.

According to Billboard, the hit song off T.I.’s upcoming album Paper Trail has jumped from its debut at No. 71 on the Hot 100 chart to the top position in record time. Tip’s accomplishment surpasses rock band Maroon 5’s song “Makes Me Wonder,” which went from No. 64 to No. 1 in May 2007.

The achievement also marks the Grand Hustle artist’s first ever No. 1 single and his opening-week digital total (205,000 downloads) is reportedly the best from a hip-hop song since Nielsen SoundScan began gathering download data in ’03.

In related news,  to find out more details about Paper Trail. Promising he was “not going to talk too much opinion wise of how the album is,” Tip weighed in on his approach to his sixth album.

“I started thinking. ‘What is the difference in T.I. the artist now from T.I. the artist in I’m Serious besides 10-15 million dollars here or there?’ I said well the only thing I can see creatively that has changed is that I used to write lyrics down and now I’m coming off the top of the head.”

Paper Trail will be released on Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records on September 30th.