(Taken From MTV)
It's almost that time of the year when hip-hop magazine XXL crowns the newest crop of lauded MCs for its annual "Freshmen" cover.
One on-the-rise upstart who won't be gracing the front of the magazine, however, is Vado.
Cam'ron said his protégé is passing on the opportunity.
"To be honest, he's not gonna be on there," Cam told DJ Drama on satellite radio station Shade 45. "It ain't definite yet. But I spoke to [XXL's editor in chief] ... She called me about doing it. They didn't put him on last year, they wanted him on this year ... so I told the lady at XXL I'd get back to her.
"If Vado does do the cover for XXL, I want him to be a main focus. I'm not trying to be an a--hole, like 'it's us or nothing,' [but] my man put a lot of work in last year. I'm not saying that the other people that's coming up shouldn't be on the cover either, I'm just saying give him a little focus on the cover. She said she didn't know if she could, and I understand that."
XXL editor Vanessa Satten didn't respond to a request for comment.
The Slime Flu MC won't join the list of past XXL fresh picks, including Asher Roth, Wiz Khalifa and B.o.B. Lil Wayne protégés Drake and Nicki Minaj declined the 10 Freshmen for 2010 issue, also saying the offer came a year too late.
According to Cam'ron, the Harlem MC will instead appear on the cover of rival rap mag The Source soon along with Cam and Jim Jones.
The rapper said The Source cover story was negotiated by Alan Grunblatt, president of E1 Music, the recording home of Cam and Vado's upcoming joint effort Gunz N' Butta and Jones' Capo.
A representative for The Source would not confirm the Cam'ron, Vado and Jim Jones cover as of press time.