Puff is the via satellite guest on Friday night’s show. Hit the jump if you wanna watch the full season finale of Real Time with Bill Maher.

From touring that is.

Last night in Chicago The Roots announced that they will be retiring from touring EFFECTIVE March 2009. The move is being made to accommodate their new Night Gig as the house band for Jimmy Fallon when he replaces Conan O’Brien as the host of Late Night in March of 2009. Conan will be moved to the Tonight Show.

On the one hand this sucks because, despite The Roots status as the touringest group in Hip-Hop history, and despite the numerous live shows I’ve attended, I have never seen a proper live Roots performance. How is that possible? I don’t know, but I need to make sure I hit one up before March. I know it’s a temporary retirement, but if Fallon’s ratings are good, it could be a while.

On the other hand, this is a great look for them and much deserved.

Video spotted via Straight Bangin

Killer Mike discusses working with CunninLynguists & Khujo Goodie for upcoming CL release, Strange Journey.

Kanye just put up a post on his site in which he condemns the paparazzi and explains what happened in Newcastle.

Here’s and excerpt:

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED…WHEN I LEFT THE CLUB, I WAS ENCOUNTERED BY A THIRSTY PAPARAZZI AS USUAL. HE FELT HE HAD MORE RIGHTS TO MY SPACE THAN ME, SO I PUT MY HAND UP TO PREVENT HIM FROM TAKING MY IMAGE. I DIDN’T ASSAULT HIM BUT MERELY PUTTING MY HAND UP TO COVER HIS LENS. MY SECURITY YELLED, “GET THE CAMERA OFF HIM.” I GUESS IN ALL THE COMMOTION THE CAMERA SCRAPED HIS NOSE.

THREE HOURS LATER I GET A KNOCK AT MY HOTEL DOOR. THERE WERE FIVE POLICE OFFICERS IN FRONT OF MY ROOM AND I HAD NO IDEA WHY. I HAD MY SECURITY GO SPEAK WITH THEM. THE COPS WERE VERY CORDIAL BUT TOLD ME THEY HAD TO ARREST ME BECAUSE A COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THAT WAS THE BOGUS PART. THEY PLACED ME IN HANDCUFFS AND DROVE ME TO THE STATION. THEY SPOKE ABOUT HOW THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY A PUBLICITY STUNT BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER BUT THEY STILL HAD TO GO THOUGH THE MOTIONS. WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE HOTEL THERE WERE PAPARAZZI HANGING OVER THE BRIDGE ABOVE THE HOTEL TRYING TO GET A SHOT OF ME GETTING OUT THE POLICE VAN. EVEN THOUGH I WASN’T CHARGED, THE DAMAGE WAS DONE. SURE ENOUGH THE NEXT MORNING, PLASTERED ACROSS EVERY MEDIA OUTLET… KANYE GETS ARRESTED. IT DIDN’T MATTER THAT I WASN’T CHARGED OR THE FACT THAT I HADN’T ASSAULTED ANYONE. ALL THAT MATTERED WAS THAT I WAS ARRESTED.

Read the full post here.

Download the mixtape: Tony Yayo - Black Friday

Murray talks about his style and influences, and speaks on his trip to South Africa. He also explains how he got robbed for his money and laptop when gunmen ran up in the studio he was working in with Zola 7 and Brenda Fassie’s son Bongz.

It’s ill how when somebody gets robbed and the news gets out, people tend to make assumptions like, “oh, so-and-so got caught slipping” “or he’s not a G” or whatever. But Then you hear Keith tell his side of it, and you get a much clearer understanding of how he found himself far away from home in a situation he couldn’t do shit about.

Remember this guy?