Label/Studio Founded By Akon’s Slain Road Manager Raided For Drug Operation
Police in Jersey City, NJ raided the offices of Block Royal Entertainment, a Hip-Hop studio/record label founded by Akon’s slain road manager, claiming the business was a front for a wholesale distribution ring that sold uncut heroin and cocaine. Robert "Screw" Montanez founded Block Royal and helped promote the early career of chart topping R&B […]
Jermaine Dupri Signs Hot Dollar, First Artist On New Island Def Jam Urban Label
A little more than a month after being appointed President of Urban Music at Island Records, Jermaine Dupri has hit the ground running by signing Compton,CA/ Hattisburg, MS rapper Hot Dollar. According to the music mogul, Hot Dollar’s talent was too good to pass up. "Yeah, he’s my first Island artist," Dupri told AllHipHop.com. "His […]
Back To Black
Artist: Amy WinehouseTitle: Back To BlackRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Robert Longfellow Okay, its true. This Amy Winehouse character can really sing. Shes not a bad songwriter either as her generally melancholy but engaging blues make for an intriguing stateside debut in Back to Black (Universal Republic). Weariness of another white girl singing colored style hype […]
Dolemite Remake Finally Coming To Big Screen
A remake of Rudy Ray Moore’s 1975 movie Dolemite will finally come to the big screen, almost 30 years after the original movie hit theaters. The movie centers around a pimp named Dolemite, who is released from prison, after being framed. He fights an assortment of enemies in the film, along with a group of […]
Redman Looks To Re-create Success With ‘Muddy Waters 2’ and ‘How High 2’
Redman’s upcoming album, Red Gone Wild, isn’t even out yet and the New Jersey rapper is looking to the past for his future projects."I’m getting back into [the studio] with Muddy Waters 2 right after Red Gone Wild. I already did two songs for it. It ain’t gonna be hard, because I’m gonna take it […]
Pride (Film)
Artist: Movie ReviewTitle: Pride (Film)Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Omar Mazariego Whoever tried to tell Jim Ellis that black people don’t swim must’ve not known that their words were falling on deaf ears. Pride (Lions Gate Films) is the true story of former competitive swimmer Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard) who takes on a city job […]
Ridin’ High
Artist: 8Ball & MJGTitle: Ridin’ HighRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Adam Thomas How would one explore the Memphis Hip-Hop sound? Well, one of the first acts that come to mind is 8Ball & MJG. They have been dropping their signature sound since 1993 with their debut Comin’ Out Hard. Now after their longest span between […]
Jean Grae: Grae’s Autonomy
In the race to bring New York back, who is to say that a woman cant do it? For three independent albums, Jean Grae has won over fans with candor, creativity, and a work ethic that rivals the last days of Tupac Shakur. This year shes planning at least three releases, and dont even ask […]
Gutterfly: The Original Soundtrack
Artist: LifesavasTitle: Gutterfly: The Original SoundtrackRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Felipe Delerme Typically, when a music album title contains the words, “The Original Soundtrack,” there is an accompanying movie, of which the music was either used for, or in the least inspired by. In the case of Gutterfly: The Original Soundtrack (Quannum), the sophomore album of […]
Hated On Mostly
Artist: Crime MobTitle: Hated On MostlyRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine As Lil’ Jon reportedly is incorporating Rock music into his music, it may fall on Crime Mob to uphold the Crunk party that they helped kick off in 2004. The co-ed quintet went from teenagers to 20-somethings since their last album, and Hated on Mostly […]
Abandoned Language
Artist: dälekTitle: Abandoned LanguageRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Michelle Cavanaugh It’s hard to believe that dälek has been around for almost two decades. Carrying the name of extraterrestrial mutants from the British science fiction show Doctor Who, you think you would have heard of them sooner. However, there bizarre sounds might leave listeners skeptical. Abandoned […]
Diddy Adds Extra Dates For ‘Making The Band 4’ Auditions
After the success of Making The Band 3’s girl group Danity Kane, Sean “Diddy” Combs is at it again, but this time shifting his focus to the men. Making The Band 4 finds Diddy scouring the country in search of the next hot boy band. Auditions for Making The Band 4 began back in January, […]
Grand Jury Indicts Three Officers in Sean Bell Shooting
Three of the five New York Police Department officers accused of murdering a groom to be the night before his wedding were indicted Friday (March 16) by a grand jury. Although officers Marc Cooper, Gerscard Isnora and Michael Oliver were indicted for the murder of 23-year-old Sean Bell, the Associated Press reports that the men […]
Goliath Bled Deep: Police Brutality, the War & More
The situation with the murder of Sean Bell by the NYPD has been a serious topic as of late. I am sure, for many Americans who are not minorities, this case means very little- emotionally speaking. Most of White America seems to feel that the topic of police profiling and physical abuse by police in […]
Rah Digga Leaves Flipmode Squad, Talks Acting, Rumors
Newark, New Jersey rapper Rah Digga has officially departed from Busta Rhymes’ Flipmode Squad to pursue other business ventures. The former first lady of Flipmode, Rah Digga first signed with Flipmode a decade ago and has only released one solo album since. Her debut album, Dirty Harriet, was released in 2000 and was followed by […]
Wyclef Jean Announces Yele Haiti, KATA Partnership During Capitol Hill Appearance
In his continuing quest to bring awareness and aid to his native Haiti, Fugees member Wyclef Jean announced a new alliance between his Yele Haiti organization and the KATA (Konbit Ak Tet Ansanm) job creation initiative, a USAID-funded program implemented by CHF International.The news came during a hearing Tuesday (March 13) on Capital Hill about […]
The Core DJ’s Congregate For Retreat
This week, DJ’s from across the country will flock to Miami for The Core DJ’s Retreat, an event that is recognized as one of the premier events for DJ’s. Presented by Atlantic Records, The Core DJ’s Retreat is taking place from March 14-March 17 and will include a number of daily events for participants. Events […]
Slip-N-Slide Records Awarded $9.1 Million in Pitbull Trial
Miami-based Slip-N-Slide Records is $9.1 million richer, thanks to a federal court settlement on Wednesday (March 14). The Miami Herald reports that the label, which is home to Trick Daddy, Trina and Rick Ross, will receive $2.3 million in compensatory damages and $6.8 million in punitive damages from TVT Records, the nation’s largest independent record […]
Boogie: Click and Revolve
The video for Mobb Deeps Shook Ones Part II showed Havoc and Prodigy skating to the bowels of New York, where you can speak the wrong words and you will get touched. A decade later, places like that still exist, and Hip-Hop photographer Boogie knows it all too well. In late 2006, Boogies photography book […]
Nitti: The Breaker
They say luck is what happens when preparation meets with opportunity. When Atlantas latest production wunderkind met Southern Rap legend Eightball in the parking lot at Magic City, he was more than prepared. That chance meeting led Nitti to production credit on seven of the fifteen tracks on Balls 2001 release Almost Famous, including the […]
