“What did I have on today? I think I had Lil Wayne, ‘I’m Me.’ I think I had that on there.”

–13-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps tells the “Today” show on what music he listens to while preparing for a swim meet. In addition to Lil Wayne, Phelps revealed the rest of his hip-hop-heavy playlist which includes Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, and Jay-Z.

“I just happen to have an interest in Lil Wayne, because I think he ignores a lot of copyright stuff to sort of rap over it. I think he’s a pioneer.”

–British comedian/actor and 2008 MTV Video Music Awards host Russell Brand shares his thoughts on Lil Wayne via Defamer.

“I got my [white] Beemer, and that’s Lindsay Lohan. That’s what I use to do my dirty business. That’s my dirty white thing, you know?”

–Rick Ross tells Rap-Up on naming his cars after celebrities including Lindsay Lohan, Oprah Winfrey, and Rihanna. Pick up the magazine’s Summer 2008 issue to read the rest of the hilarious interview.

“At this point, it’s starting to hurt me more than help me because my family is sort of known as the new age Huxtables. We’re the clean-cut girls. But I got married at 17, had a kid at 17. Ever since I was younger, I always considered myself to be into more artistic things than [Beyoncé]. People just hear the [Knowles] name and they just put a stamp on it automatically.”

–Solange on the baggage that comes with being a Knowles. Pick up Rap-Up‘s Summer 2008 issue to read the full story and check out the rest of the photos from her shoot with Keri Hilson and Teyana Taylor.

“The guy’s 17 years old. You think he was worried about what a 30-year-old thinks about his fucking music when he was makin’ that song? Trip off the fact that here’s a 17-year-old that wrote and produced his own album, that found a way to make himself prevalent, got on YouTube, and made himself big. Look at that! That was brilliant to me. Again, hip-hop started for the youth, it was created by the youth, so why is all the old heads tryin’ to control it?”

–Nelly defends Soulja Boy in Rap-Up‘s Summer 2008 issue, on sale now.

“I’ve never seen someone wanting to devote this much money to breaking new artists. Nobody in the music business has the marketing budget that I have.”

–Jermaine Dupri on the budget for the newly launched TAG Records, a joint venture between Procter & Gamble and Island Def Jam. The label will announce its first signee this summer. Watch J.D. at the TAG Records launch party on Rap-Up TV.

Read the accompanying article on music and branding from The New York Times, which also mentions Nicole Scherzinger and Pharrell.

Click below for a video of J.D. creating the score for the TAG commercial.

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“I don’t agree with it. [Kanye's] my brother and the biggest artist on Roc-A-Fella right now. … I guess I should hook them up, because he’s a great guy, too. I don’t know what the problem is. I don’t know where that came from.”

–Jay-Z responds to MTV News about Amy Winehouse calling Kanye West a c**t during her performance at Glastonbury. Read all about it here.

“I’m not hiding anything. I can see if I was hiding something. I’m a grown man. Nobody is living no perfect life.”

–Swizz Beatz addresses his rumored affair with Alicia Keys to MTV News. The only affair Swizz is having is on the remix to Alicia’s “Teenage Love Affair,” which he produced. It features LL Cool J and samples Slick Rick’s “Teenage Love.” Swizz also revealed that he’s working with Michael Jackson to possibly produce his upcoming tour.

“This is my 15th year. This is what I do and I’m very, very straight. I don’t need anything. With my fanbase, I know—whether it’s downloaded, leaked or not—I know when I step on stage, I’m going to get the same reaction that I always get. That’s what matters to me.”

–Lil Wayne tells Newsweek when asked whether he cares if people buy or download Tha Carter III.

Watch Weezy bust out a freestyle on BET’s “106 & Park” below.

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