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The Tao of Wu in stores now.

BP3 is out, in case you haven't heard (as is Rae's excellent Only Built for Cuban Linx II), and is on par to become Hov's 11th number one album, putting him ahead of Elvis as the solo artist with the most number one albums of all time. Early estimates put first week sales around 350,000 - 500,000. Good opportunity to go out and support hip-hop.

Vh1 has resuscitated its venerable Behind the Music franchise and is launching it tonight with none other than hip-hop's goofiest, most-hypnotic superstar, Lil Wayne.

VH1 is re-launching its Emmy Award-nominated and critically-acclaimed series Behind The Music. The iconic series that helped put VH1 on the map will premiere on Thursday, September 10 at 10/9c with Behind The Music: Lil Wayne.  The self-proclaimed "best rapper alive" opens up about his childhood, his music, and his struggles, as he and the people who know him best describe his ascension from a poverty-stricken childhood in New Orleans to his reign as one of hip-hop's heavy hitters.

We're crossing our fingers that BTM producers will take a cue from that forthcoming The Carter documentary and serve up something worth suing over.

Behind The Music: Lil Wayne airs on Vh1 tonight at 9 Central.

Jay teamed up with Rhapsody to put together one of the dopest promotional commercials by a rapper...ever. Not much competition, though. That said, I kind of wish it they would've done it in proper chronological order. Logistics, I guess.

Now if I could just get past this these Blueprint 3 jitters.

With Fox getting ready to launch essentially the only black family sitcom on network television later this month, The New York Times gives us this peek into the minds of its creators. Given the identity of those creators, Seth McFarlene and his merry band of caucasian controversy-whores, some will be eager to label The Cleveland Show the latest development in an apparent blackface renaissance (for others who have seen fit to "reinvent" the centuries old theatrical practice, see 30 Rock, Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder, and Weeds). Comments from Mike Henry, the title character's creator and voice, don't exactly help things.

Asked why of all his roles he would most closely identify with an African-American character, he said the answer might lie somewhere in his upbringing. "Although there weren't many black people around," he said, "I always felt black. I've always been a little bit of an outsider."

But here's the real issue: Cleveland Brown is not exactly a laugh riot; and even though I actually like Family Guy, Seth Mcfarlene isn't exactly known for character nuance or lightness of touch. So what, exactly, is the aim of this show? And white or black, who is supposed to care about it? Read the Times piece below and feel free to clue us in in the comments.

>> Spinning off into uncharted cartoon territory (NYT)

P.S. One thing we have unqualified excitement for about The Cleveland Show is its much-delayed, accompanying, eponymous mixtape, helmed by one of our favorite new rappers and Ohio's own, Chip the Ripper.