Top 20 Mysteries of 2010
BET.com looks back at some of the past year's unsolved music-industry mysteries.
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Top 20 Mysteries of 2010 - As 2010 comes to a close, BET.com looks back at some of the year's biggest music-industry mysteries.
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19. Drake's Lines - Prior to releasing Thank Me Later, Drizzy Drake broadcasted that the last line on “Fear” off his So Far Gone EP would be the first on his debut. Maybe not. The rapper opened up the album with the Alicia Keys–assisted "Fireworks"—and no reference to "Fear" whatsoever. He has yet to explain his change of heart.
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20. Disappearing Act - Aye! OJ Da Juiceman started 2010 with a bang, never to be heard from again. The Atlanta trapper graced the cover of XXL magazine for the publication’s annual Freshman 10 issue, then vanished. Though he was set to drop three mixtapes, including efforts helmed by DJ Drama and Don Cannon, Juice’s only memorable contribution has been his laughable Freshman 10 freestyle. Where’s OJ? Not on Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka’s albums. Brick Squad?
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18. Timbo Thursdays? - Kanye West was on to something. Following his highly popular G.O.O.D. Friday series, several producers announced they’ll also be leaking free music in their very own weekly series. Swizz has released joints with DMX, Eve and Busta Rhymes via Monster Mondays, while RZA kept his word on updating Wu Wednesdays. Timbaland, however, has yet to drop anything for his Timbo Thursdays.
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17. Don't Call It a Comeback! - Ush’s Here I Stand left much to be desired, but its follow-up, “Raymond Vs. Raymond” put the singer right back at the forefront of the R&B scene. Still, despite being a mainstay on the charts with “There Goes My Baby,” “OMG” and “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love,” to name a few, Usher's comeback isn't considered one of the big stories of 2010. Why not?
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16. Jill Scott Vs. Erykah Badu? - This cat fight has been rumored between the two soul singers since Erykah sang the chorus on The Roots’ Grammy Award–winning “You Got Me.” Scott wrote the hook. The two have denied a feud, but hints continue to emerge. When asked if she was intimidated to follow Badu during a segment of Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, Jill boastfully responded, “Have you ever seen me perform?” More recently, it’s been rumored that Maxwell’s tour with Jill and Badu was canceled due to the feud.
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15. Maxwell's Trilogy - After finally treating his fans to BLACKsummers'night following an eight-year hiatus, Maxwell promised that the LP would be the first in a trilogy to be released over three years. With the sun setting on 2010, there’s still no sight of a new Maxwell album. Will his fans have to wait another eight years?
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14. All G.O.O.D.? - Pusha T may have been all over Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Friday leaks, but GLC was nowhere to be found. Consequence appeared on “Chain Heavy,” but nothing more. In the October issue of XXL magazine, ‘Ye presented his updated G.O.O.D. Music roster, featuring new additions Mos Def, Big Sean and Cyhi Da Prince—but old running mates like Consequence, GLC and Really Doe were nowhere to be seen. Is it still all G.O.O.D.?
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13. Exactly What Does Kat Stacks Do? - At least the women who paved the way for Kat Stacks had some kind of credentials. Karrine Steffans first made a name for herself as a video model, and Carmen Bryan is the mother of Nas’ daughter Destiny. Kat Stacks, on the other hand, has nothing to show for herself. Airbrushed photos of the controversial “socialite” are available online, but she doesn’t have any modeling credits. In fact, she doesn’t appear to be doing much aside from getting rappers in trouble. What exactly does Kat Stacks do?
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12. Diddy's "O Let's Do It" Remix Verse - Puff may not write his own verses, but he’s always delivered them well. His swag abruptly skyrocketed to one-hundred-thousand-trillion when he laced a nearly flawless verse filled with big-money talk on Waka Flocka Flocka’s “O Let’s Do It” remix. The general consensus is that it’s one the best verses of Puff’s career, but no one knows who to big up for it. While some speculated that Ross, who also appears on the song, wrote the verse for Diddy, the identity of the ghostwriter has yet to be confirmed.
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11. Why Didn't Jay Electronica Sign With Diddy? - No one saw it coming. There was a time when Diddy never seemed too far behind Jay Electronica. It wasn't uncommon to see Puff pop up on stage with Jay. The mogul even made an appearance on “The Ghost of Christopher Wallace.” Then, in mid-November, Jay-Z announced Jay Elec as the newest addition to Roc Nation. So why Hov and not Diddy?
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10. Who Manages Nicki Minaj? - To call 2010 the year of Nicki would be an understatement. Even her management’s become blog fodder. Back in April, reports surfaced that Nick let go of Deb Antney of Mizay Entertainment. Soon after, murmurs of the Barb being managed by Troy Carter, Lady Gaga’s manager, began circulating. News then broke that Diddy and industry vet James Cruz co-managed Minaj as part of Puff’s Blue Flame marketing agency. Both sides refuse to confirm it. The question remains.
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9. Did Antoine Dodson Ever Find the Intruder? - Dodson’s highly popular “Bed Intruder Song” may be laughable, but there’s nothing funny about the events that led to the creation of the YouTube sensation. As documented in the song, an unknown man climbed up his sister’s window in the Lincoln Park Housing Projects of Huntsville, Alabama, and allegedly tried to rape her. During the interview, conducted with WAFF-48 News, Dodson vowed, “You don’t have to confess; we gon’ find you.” Did Dodson ever get his man?
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8. Are 50 Cent and Chelsea Handler Dating? - Just when 50 Cent and Chelsea Handler denied dating, photos of the two strolling around Hollywood spread through the blogosphere. Fif later revealed that the two are doing business together, but fans are still skeptical. Are they dating or not?
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7. Cocaine's a Hell of a Drug! - Hip-hop and cocaine have never gone hand in hand until this year. Coke was seemingly inescapable in the span of a few weeks this summer. First, Kid Cudi confessed to have snorted some to help him get through interviews, then Kat Stacks published video of herself in what she claims was Soulja Boy's hotel room with a supposed bag of coke, and, finally, Bruno Mars was arrested for possession. To be continued...
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6. Detweet - Celebs can’t be misquoted on Twitter, but it sure hasn’t stopped them from making controversial statements they later delete from their accounts. With blogs taking screenshots, however, it’s usually too little too late. So, why do artists think deleting controversial tweets is efficient damage-control?
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5. What's 50 Cent and Dr. Dre's Relationship? - Back when Game was first kicked out of G-Unit, Fif clearly said he’d have beef with Dre if he was to work with Chuck Taylor again. Late last year, photos of Dre in the studio with Game and Snoop surfaced online. Reports soon followed to confirm both Game’s appearance on Dre's Detox and the Doctor's production contributions to Game’s The R.E.D. Album. Meanwhile, Detox is finally gearing up for its long-awaited release. Will 50 be on it?
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4. Where's "Mama's Boyfriend" - Yeezy paid a visit to Twitter and Facebook headquarters this summer to preview a few songs off his then-unreleased My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy this summer. One of the standouts, “Mama’s Boyfriend,” told the story of a kid opposing his mom’s new relationship. Weeks later, during a secret show in NYC, industry insiders proclaimed it verse of the year. Fast-forward a few month and it's not on the album. What gives, 'Ye?
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3. Lil Wayne's Contraband - Barely two months in at Rikers Island, Weezy was caught with earphones and a watch that doubled as an MP3 player. He was later put in solitary confinement for the offense. Weezy’s eight-month sentence was also filled with he-said-she-said reports. Though he’s been mum since being released from prison in November, it’s only a matter of time before the world gets the skinny from the man himself. We’ll wait…
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2. Nicki's... - As Nicki Minaj’s buzz grew, so did the mystery around two things: her body and her sexuality. Though she’s addressed both topics on numerous occasions, she’s typically brushed the surface just enough to keep the conversation going. In the end, the gossip did little to detract Nick from releasing a successful debut. Pink Friday debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts—selling 375,000 in its first week.