The King of the Midwest and the King of the South are teaming up for a project that will go down in history. In an exclusive interview for the Summer 2008 issue of Rap-Up, Nelly revealed plans for a joint album with T.I.

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We have been receiving lots of emails asking where to find a copy of Rap-Up’s Summer 2008 issue. The overwhelming demand for this issue has exceeded our expectations. We have already been getting reports of stores selling out. Try the following locations in the U.S.: Barnes & Noble, Borders, Safeway, Vons, Books-A-Million, Bookstar, Hastings, select 7-Elevens, Hudson News, and your local newsstand.

If you are unable to find it on newsstands, you can also purchase a copy directly from us through PayPal. Click here for U.S. orders. International customers can email orders@rap-up.com for overseas shipping costs. Be sure to include your country and postal code in the email.

Thanks to everyone for their support!

“E! News” goes behind-the-scenes with Solange Knowles at her super-hyped cover shoot for Rap-Up’s Summer 2008 issue with fellow “Brave New Girls” Keri Hilson and Teyana Taylor, on sale now!

Get your copy today at newsstands nationwide or online.

Tune in to “E! News” with Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic on the E! Channel tonight at 7 p.m. EST/PST to get a sneak peek at Rap-Up’s cover shoot with Solange for the Summer 2008 issue, on sale now. If you miss it the first time, it reairs at 11 p.m.

“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.

Rap-Up cover girl Keri Hilson will co-host today’s episode of “106 & Park.” Make sure you tune in to catch the world premiere of her debut video for “Energy” and get a look at her Rap-Up cover with Solange and Teyana Taylor.

“106 & Park” airs at 6 p.m. EST/PST on BET.

One of the best-selling rappers of all time and three “Brave New Girls” cover Rap-Up’s Summer 2008 issue, on sale now. The double-sided cover features Nelly and Keri Hilson, Solange Knowles, and Teyana Taylor with all-new photos and exclusive interviews. Inside this issue you’ll find:

• Nelly addresses the haters and the state of hip-hop, gives the scoop on his relationship with Ashanti, and reveals plans for a joint album with another rap superstar.
• Meet 2008’s “Brave New Girls” starring Keri Hilson, Solange Knowles, and Teyana Taylor, as well as Estelle, Kid Sister, Janelle Monáe, and Wynter Gordon.
• Plus we go one-on-one with G-Unit, The Game, Leona Lewis, Danity Kane, Rick Ross, N.E.R.D., Lloyd, Three 6 Mafia, Flo Rida, Yung Berg, and more!
• This issue is first to showcase the three-year-old magazine’s new cutting-edge design.

Get your copy at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-A-Million, Safeway, Vons, select 7-Elevens, and newsstands, or purchase the issue online. You can also subscribe online.

Preview the issue and watch some behind-the-scenes action.

If you don’t have a copy of Rap-Up’s new book, Rap-Up: The Ultimate Guide to Hip-Hop and R&B, make sure you get yours today at bookstores nationwide and on Amazon. Here’s what critics are saying…

“In the past twenty-years there have been many historians who’ve captured the birth and re-birth of hip-hop and R&B, but authors Cameron Lazerine and Devin Lazerine have taken their time to create the ultimate guide to the tumultuous art form in their newest book.”
–VIBE

“An intro from T.I. certainly lends heft to this guide from the founders and editors of Rap-Up.”
–The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“This guide gives you everything you need to know about the genre with history, battles, profiles on ‘the new new school’ and more.”
–OK! Magazine

“This may just be the last hip-hop guide you’ll ever need.”
–Right On!

“The human encyclopedia of hip-hop.”
–New York Daily News

“Fans will find the book crammed with biographical and recording details, plus indispensable nuggets of trivia such as the pop quiz.”
–Los Angeles Daily News

Thanks to everyone who came out and supported Rap-Up Friday night at our book signing in Los Angeles. It was a tremendous success. Here’s a photo of the book table at Borders. This table was completely stacked with books when we started the signing at 7 p.m. We almost cleared it out thanks to you!

If you don’t have a copy of Rap-Up: The Ultimate Guide to Hip-Hop and R&B with a foreword by T.I., make sure you get yours today at bookstores nationwide and on Amazon.