Once again, we open with sad news of another death in the game - DJ AM - the biggest name on the celebrity party circuit died on Friday. Less than a year ago, he escaped a plane crash that claimed the lives of his friends so it made this news all the more shocking. R.I.P. DJ AM.

This week saw the announcements of the MOBO (Music Of Black Origin) award nominations at a party in a swanky London hotel and included performances by Bashy and JLS, the champagne flowed while the nominees were named including Drake and Tinchy Stryder, it was also announced that for the first time the awards will take place in Scotland.

The new Jay tunes that have surfaced this week have reassured the D.O.A. lovers who were perhaps not so sure about Run This Town. Or just getting used to it, you know how songs grow on you sometimes. The best thing about Off That is the Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh references and the wider feelings expressed in the second verse. Both have responded to Hov (and given him some free publicity). Bill O'Reilly tries to dismiss Hov by saying he's no Otis Redding or something but he must not know that Jay actually is a little something like an Otis for this generation. Even if it's only in the sense of him being one of the biggest black artists of his era. Plus, he killed Glastonbury in the same way Otis surprised people at Monterey in '67. Rush Limbaugh wasn't aware he was on anyone's nuts. He is now. Timbo's riddim is really nuts though. If both artists weren't too big to get it done a joint album would just murder the game. Is That Your B**ch, Big Pimpin', Dirt Off Your Shoulder, even the boom bap of Hola Hovito are all winners. Even an outtake like Ain't I rang off in the clubs for a minute.

Venus v Mars is some nice cool out stuff. You can really tell the difference to Jay's 'girl songs' now he's married and stuff. But he still goes in. Those lines about one girl being Coke Zero 'cos she took his flavour is ill. As is another line about how she Mad-off after getting her ponzi into effect. Lyrics!

A quick aside. Jay's been recording for so long he must have two or three albums worth of spare material by now. What's gonna happen to a wicked tune like Jockin’ Jay-Z? The RUN-DMC sampling, Noel Gallagher slewing, Kanye laced banger was the soundtrack to his post Glastonbury lap of honour. What about that tune he did with Santogold Brooklyn Go Hard from the Notorious soundtrack? It's the best thing she's ever spit on. He needs to drop the Bluemixtape or something.

What? Drake, 'Ye, Weezy and Em on one tune? Verses from two of the Swagger Like Us alumni, the game's hottest new artist, and the biggest selling rapper of all time. Surely a big deal. It's only a shame that Forever isn’t a new song, but one of Drake's old mixtape favourites stretched out a bit. That doesn't mean it's not hot. It is. But it ain't nothing new. Em definitely comes the hardest. His mad original flow always sounds like its just about to go off beat but it never does. It's like feeling like you're gonna fall off a cliff only to be pulled back to safety at the last minute. That makes every line interesting to listen to.

It's probably a good job that neither Game or 50 won the Mr T role. Ice Cube is an OG and is therefore on ever so slightly higher ground. Plus, he's been on the film hustle for well over a decade now. Damn near two. Both Game and 50 are highly successful people who are used to getting their own way a lot of the time and would have not let it lie if they had to watch the other one soak up all the props. You can just imagine all the tunes. Pity Rampage Jackson when the movie drops next year.

It's always a shame when rappers are revealed to be as real as they are (even if it does prove the 'they're not that hard' brigade wrong, admittedly a guilty pleasure). It's never good that heads feel that their best option is to delve into shenanigans. And it seems Bump J was doing the damn thing. It's a big ask, and not much of a silver lining, but if Bump has some Shyne-like patience it may just end up being a good thing in this crazy world. There's obviously easier, and far, far better, ways of achieving success in the industry. But you know.

If you missed the last news installment, click HERE