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It’s also worth it to note T-Pain‘s comments on publishing. The behind-the-scenes labor of songwriting can be pretty lucrative. Ask Ester Dean.

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Impersonations are hard. But for those who can pull them off, success is certain. SNL comedian Jay Pharoah, known for his Obama impersonation, recently stopped by Sway in the Morning to do a quick run through his impersonation oeuvre. His Wayne impression is a bit of a caricature, but it still hits. His Chris Rock, Denzel Washington and Jay-Z impersonations are just as spot on. Watch/laugh below.

The comedian also did a freestyle of Wayne. It could use more nuance – Wayne isn’t that one dimensional, but it’s funny nonetheless.

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As always, Talib Kweli has a way with words. While sitting down with Sway and Heather B on Sway in the Morning, the Brooklyn emcee gave his thoughts on Rick Ross and Lil’ Wayne recently losing their corporate sponsors. Though he was critical of both artists, he says that his criticism was the product of being a participant in the community of hip-hop and that it’s something we should all be doing. It was never about taking the moral high ground or making them lose money. He particularly emphasizes that he enjoys both artists’ music, a good thing to remember when taking sides in these debates, which don’t actually have discernible sides.

Peep the rest of the interview for his complete thoughts. And check out his album P.O.C.

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Cyphers come few and far between in hip-hop … at least from what is recorded. The only time we can be sure to see some cyphers is on the BET Awards. Sway always holds down the fort to make sure that no element of hip-hop is too far away from grasp. He managed to get Dead Prez, Fashawn and Chris Webby to freestyle over Ski Beatz instrumentals. Murs was also in attendance, but didn’t touch the mic. Towards the end, Ski talks about his upcoming projects and where he’s headed.

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