It’s Mid afternoon at the Sheraton’s 5 star hotel in downtown New Orleans. Hurricane Ida has just been downsized to a tropical storm, and Will Smiff Dogg sits comfortably on the bed overlooking downtown New Orleans. This 20th floor view is Immaculate and right out the pages of any popular hip-hop magazine. So how is this unsigned artist able to be in Seattle, Sacramento, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, and New Orleans all in the same year??

“I pray a lot, and I thank I AM THAT I AM (God) for his infinite blessings” exclaims Will Smiff Dogg.” And blessed he is. With two albums finished this year and generating revenue on iTunes, a brand new music video for his single “Perfume”, 3 successful online mixtapes, and a major marketing/promotional campaign going on in Germany as we speak, Will Smiff Dogg is an unstoppable force in 2009.

We asked Will Smiff Dogg what keeps him motivated even though most people now say Hip-Hop is either dead, run by Freemason secret societies, or not generating as much revenue as it once did? His response was very uncanny. Will explained,” I have Freemasons in my family, so I figure if hip-hop is run by freemasons I should already have a major record deal right? Besides that there’s still room for us unsigned artists in Hip-hop. With sites like sellaband.com, fans can now fund their favorite artists.” (fund Will Smiff Dogg now at: http://www.sellaband.com/projects/willsmiffdogg/)

We asked Will Smiff Dogg which rappers he admired in the game at this time, and he had this to say,” It’s funny because 50 cent has been one of my favorites since he came out, but his music array is so vast that I sometimes don’t enjoy his work just because of the hype. My older sister met 50 cent at her job last week, and he signed an autograph for me (under my real name of EDDIE), so I’m a 50 cent fan all day now. I’ve dropped material off at the G-UNIT office headquarters a few times when I went by the rap name Lix, but I think my new material is far superior to my old stuff.” GUNIT A&R’s and Label Execs feel free to contact Will Smiff Dogg Immediately.

We got to get a sneak preview of Will Smiff Dogg’s new PERFUME music video, and It is very different than we expected. The video seems to capture a sensual side of Hip-Hop instead of going the normal sex sells route. With lots of hot backdrops like the Brooklyn Bridge, Yachts, Cars driving by, Lexus Convertibles, and Sunset rooftop views of NYC, Will Smiff Dogg seems to separate himself (in a Kanye West sort of way) from your average rap artists. A& R, Label Execs (on both coasts), and DJs…Don’t you think it’s about time to start congratulating this hardworking worldwide artists? I present to you the PERFUME music video!!!!!

Snoop D-O-double-G has been around for so long that it’s hard to imagine him being the protégé of anyone. He is, though. Way back in the early nineties, Cordazar Calvin Broadus was fresh out of high school and a couple of convictions of cocaine trafficking. His freestyle over an old En Vogue song somehow made its way to The Dr. Dre’s ears, and after an audition, Snoop Doggy Dogg found a home at Death Row Records. He certainly has a thing for doctors, as he not only caught the attention of Dr. Dre, but also The D.O.C. (from gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A.), who gave him pointers on how to craft some good rap. Random fact: Snoop is a spokesperson for “Chronic Candy,” made in Switzerland and tastes like… you guessed it: marijuana. On second thought, maybe that’s not so random.

Eminem

Probably the most famous protégé in the history of hip-hop, Eminem made a huge name for not only himself when his Slim Shady and Marshall Mathers LPs came out, but also Dr. Dre, the man who seems to be some kind of talent magnet. That or he just knows how to pick those rappers; thanks to Em, his label, Aftermath Records, found its biggest star, and with Dr. Dre producing the bulk of his albums, Eminem became the rapper that you and your mom knew about. In any case, Eminem’s undying obsession with controversy ensured that music listeners will always be likewise obsessed with Slim Shady – and how could we not? It’s not everyday that a non-African-American rapper has the power to shock you like no gangsta rap has ever done.

50 Cent

From one rapper with an eye for talent to another, Eminem must’ve been taught well by Dr. Dre because when he picked up 50 Cent, he got Aftermath Records another multi-platinum superstar rapper. A little know fact about 50 is that he had some help before Eminem and Dre came along; Jam Master Jay was technically his first mentor in the art of writing songs. After 50 Cent got shot in the infamous nine-bullet-wound incident, one of his CDs found its way into Eminem’s hands, he got flown out for an audition… and everyone knows what happened after that. The lesson here? If you want to make it big you’ve got to go straight to the top – that’s where the people with the jets are.

Drake

You might know him as that guy in the wheelchair from that Degrassi show, but apparently, Aubrey “Drake” Graham raps even better than he acts. Actually, it might have something to do with the producers of his show getting rid of the entire cast, but that’s a different story. After working on a bunch of mixtapes in his early career, Drake finally ended up on Lil Wayne’s Young Money label, and was (still is, probably) one of the most hyped Canadian rappers in a long, long time. It remains to be seen if Lil Wayne, his mentor who’s pretty young himself, can pull a Dr. Dre, but given how Drake is doing on the charts, the chances look pretty good.

Danja

Rappers aside, one of the biggest protégés in hip-hop music has to be “Danjahandz,” or simply Danja, who’s been the perfect student for Timbaland. This record producer has worked with Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Lloyd Banks, T.I., and of course, Timbaland himself, picking up a couple of Grammys along the way. Stepping out of his mentor’s shadow though, Danja’s experience with piano and drums sets him apart from other beat-makers who go completely digital and forgo their instruments, and this strategy earns him at least 50k per track at the last count. Not too shabby.

DJ Khaled

I watched about six minutes of this DJ Khaled on MTV Cribs before I decided on the topic for this article. Listening to this man talk was just straight up bad. From yelling “We da bessssst,” upon entry into his home (and repeating it countless times after that), to basically overdoing every physical and verbal aspect of the stereotypical gangster rapper, there’s maybe an extremely small chance that DJ Khaled is as gangster as he makes himself out to be. Since he completely blew that image out of proportion on Cribs, though, that’s highly unlikely. Mr. Khaled Khaled is by far the most annoying rapper I have ever had the misfortune of noticing.

Kevin Federline

Why oh why didn’t you just stick to dancing, K-Fed? Oh right, you wouldn’t have gotten half of Britney Spears’ fortune if you did. Kevin Federline started out as a backup dancer, then went into modeling, rapping, and being Britney’s baby daddy. His rap “career” was just a huge embarrassment to hip-hop, with his debut album being dissed by everyone in every direction; you can’t really rap about how you’re “gangster” and a “star” while every song on your album is about how you’re going to throw away your (insanely wealthy) wife’s money on weed and parties. It doesn’t work, Fed-Ex.

Akon

Like 50 Cent, Akon has built his entire image on the “hardened gangster.” Unlike 50 Cent though, Akon’s street cred is completely hollow. For a guy who brags in every other interview about being an ex-ringleader of a huge car theft ring, writes songs about being “Locked Up,” and has a record label called “Konvict Muzik,” Akon has never been convicted of anything substantial. Ever. Actually, he did do three years probation for gun possession, but really? Gun possession? Aren’t guns more common than fast food in the States?

Rick Ross

No, this ain’t Ricky Ross the LA drug trafficker; this is William Leonard Roberts II. The big thing with this big man is this: he’s no drug dealer; he used to be a corrections officer. Yeah, he had a gun alright. Thing is, he wore the badge too. Rick Ross also claimed to have gang ties to Miami’s Carol City Cartel when he was busted for marijuana in ’08. Unfortunately, he couldn’t prove it, his lawyer prove it, and the officer in charge had to take his case off the gang task force. Paper gangster much?

50 Cent

Okay, okay. I get that Fiddy has the roughest childhood out of all five rappers/singers on this list. No father, mother was murdered when he was eight, grew up in Queens, sold crack, and even got caught at his high school with drugs and guns – G-Unit isn’t an empty name. However, as of right now, I think it’s safe to say that 50 Cent doesn’t have much time for anything other than straight business. He has a young son who’s a pretty important part of his life, from what he’s said in interviews, and it’s hard to imagine him going back to the street life, especially now that he’s made his gold. Curtis Jackson III is in business with Reebok, Vitamin Water, movies, video-games, and TV – in addition to music, of course. You’re more likely to find him in a suit than swinging a rag, although if he is swinging one, it’s probably Louis Vuitton. He’s come a long way, and I have to say that out of the five artists on this list, he’s the most deserving of mine, so props to you, 50.

MTV has announced that Alicia Keys will join JAY-Z onstage to perform “Empire State of Mind” from his latest album The Blueprint 3. Eminem will also be making a special appearance during the “2009 MTV Video Music Awards” on Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 9PM (Live ET/Tape delayed PT). In addition the biggest names in music, TV and movies are confirmed to present including Megan Fox, Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, 50 Cent, Jack Black, Andy Samberg, Kristin Cavallari, Pete Wentz, Gerard Butler, Tracy Morgan, Adam Brody, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Alexa Chung, Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship and Justin Bieber who have joined Ne-Yo, Nelly Furtado, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Chace Crawford, Leighton Meester and Miranda Cosgrove.

As previously announced, comedian Russell Brand will host the show, and Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Green Day, P!nk, Taylor Swift and Muse are confirmed to perform. Wale and the legendary go go band UCB will be the official VMA house band and will collaborate with artists including Kid Cudi, All-American Rejects, Pitbull and 3OH!3. Viewers will also be treated to an exclusive first looks at Michael Jackson’s THIS IS IT and The Twilight Saga: New Moon trailers during the show.

MTV News and V CAST from Verizon Wireless are giving customers an All Access video pass to the 2009 VMAs, with an unprecedented inside look at the making of the biggest music event of the year. Verizon Wireless customers can sign up for VMA text alerts by texting VIP to 8911 to receive VMA news insider reports delivered directly to their Verizon Wireless phones.

Viewers can vote for the “Best New Artist” category throughout the show, live on September 13 at vma.mtv.com.

MTV, Pepsi and Rock Band™ have created a new category at this year’s VMAs, “Best Performance in a Pepsi Rock Band Video” that allows fans, for the first time, to win their very own Moonman. This summer, contestants entered their original Rock Band™ music videos, which fans will then vote on to select the ultimate winner. Viewers can help decide which band will travel to the “2009 MTV Video Music Awards,” walk the red carpet, receive their Moonman, and be featured in an MTV produced promotional spot airing the night of the show by logging on to www.PepsiRockBand.com from August 8 – September 1.

Shugoll Research and Telescope are the Official Business Advisors of the “2009 MTV Video Music Awards” Nominee and Winner Voting periods.

Jesse Ignjatovic/Den of Thieves is the Executive Producer for the “2009 MTV Video Music Awards.” Dave Sirulnick is Executive Producer. Garrett English is co-Executive Producer/Executive in Charge of Production. Amy Doyle is co-Executive Producer. Joanna Bomberg is Executive in Charge of Music and Talent. Jen Jones is Producer. Hamish Hamilton is Director. Robin Reinhardt-Locke is Celebrity Talent Executive.

Official sponsors of the “2009 MTV Video Music Awards” are 5 ® Gum, Febreze, Pepsi, Rhapsody ®, Sears, Taco Bell ®, U.S. Army and Verizon Wireless.

The “2009 MTV Video Music Awards” will be available to a potential viewing audience of more than 1.2 billion people via MTV’s global network of 68 channels reaching 577 million households around the world as well as through syndication. In addition, its convergent programming & content will reach the entire interactive community, via MTV’s more than 200 digital media properties around the world.

About MTV:

MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture. For over 27 years, MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundaries — giving each new generation a creative outlet and voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen. On-air, MTV is the number one rated full-day ad-supported cable network for P12-24. Online, MTV.com averaged 21.7 million monthly unique visitors during the first quarter of 2009 — up +7% from the 4Q/2008. Total video streams for the first quarter of 2009 increased by 13% from 4Q/2008 and by 21% over the same time period last year. And MTV’s successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young American Latinos like no one else. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.