Kid Ink sits down in Berlin and speaks a little bit on his road to super stardom so far. Touches on staying independent, keeping in touch with his XXL alum, and California artist whom are not fully appreciated. Kid Ink is still overseas touring.

Kid Ink may derive his name from his many tattoos, but the rapper, who was selected to this year’s XXL Freshmen class, is also well associated with the sticky icky – like many of his Californian peers. In the music video for his brand new track, “Bom Bom,” Ink chronicles just another standard night with Mary Jane. Titling the clip “official smoke video,” it’s no surprise that a cloud of smoke hovers in front of the lens throughout the whole thing. Press play on the video below. Kid Ink wll be embarking on his European tour next week, which comes in support of his debut album, Up & Away, out now.

Up & Away may have reached the heights of the top 20 in the Billboard 200 – a feat not many independent releases can boast – upon its release back in June, but Kid Ink presses on with the promotion of his debut album. For his latest set of visuals, the 2012 XXL Freshmen gives his Ned Cameron-produced “Hell & Back” cut its due camera time, which sees the emcee take center stage in a desolate desert setting – that is until he stumbles upon a group of fine, bikini-clad females. I’d take that over fresh water any day. The clip is directed by the acclaimed Alex Nazari, who also takes credit for Lupe Fiasco‘s “Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free)”, Tyga‘s “Rack City” and 2 Chainz‘s “Spend It”. Kid Ink’s Up & Away is out now on iTunes.

50 Cent and Kanye West have always been rivals when it comes to their music but now they might have more to fight about since 50 seemed to diss Kanye’s girlfriend Kim Kardashian. 50, who used to date talk show host Chelsea Handler, gave an interview to XXL magazine and was asked about Kanye’s new song Perfect Bi*ch which he said is about his girlfriend Kim. “I mean … if that man feel like she’s perfect, then she’s perfect. He could mean it and you’ll end up singing the words to it because he’s Kanye,” he said. The rapper continued with an apparent slam on Kim. “You know how it is? One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” 50 said. He then said he didn’t know if there was such a thing as a perfect chick: “I’m not sure. The smartest guys I know have lost being a bad judge of character in that area.”