(AllHipHop News) The hit single “Panda” was not only an extraordinary success for Brooklyn rapper Desiigner, who signed with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music in February.
“Panda,” which was recently confirmed double platinum, has also landed a publishing agreement for the song’s producer Menace.
“It’s amazing and shows people that you do anything if you’re in the right place at the right time, with fate on your side,” Menace said of the speedy success of the tune.
Menace, born Adnan Khan, is a 22-year old producer from Manchester England, who had been striving to crack into the music industry for over 10 years.
Menace linked with Desiigner after he posted the “Panda” beat (originally titled “Maniac”) to YouTube. Desiigner purchased the beat for $200 and the rest is history.
Prior to the success of “Panda” Menace labored as a mobile phone repair man. Those days are officially over since Menace inked a publishing deal with Tim Blacksmith’s Stellar Songs.
“Desiigner and I didn’t have the backing of a record label when we made the song. You, too, can make a hit on your own. I’m just excited now to be working harder than ever,” Menace said.
The brand-new contract puts Menace in good company since Stellar Songs works with top artists like Fetty Wap, Sam Smith, Charli XCX, Emili Sandé, Keizer, and Labyrinth.
Stellar Songs has already started the process of getting more of Menace’s productions placed with top name acts.
“Since I just signed a publishing deal, they’ll be setting up studio sessions with everyone and I can’t wait to get to start working on new projects,” Menace concluded.
President Barack Obama gave an epic speech at Howard University’s commencement address on Saturday (May 7).
“When I was graduating, the main black hero on TV was Mr. T. Rap and Hip-Hop were counterculture, underground. Now, Shonda Rhimes owns Thursday night, and Beyoncé runs the world. We’re no longer only entertainers, we’re producers, studio executives. No longer small business owners. We’re CEOs, we’re mayors, representatives, Presidents of the United States.”
Reps for The Universal Zulu Nation have released a video statement regarding the removal of Afrika Bambaataa and other leaders of the organizations.
Afrika Bambaataa is accused of molesting a man named Ronald Savage in the late 1970’s. Since Savage came forward with the charges in x multiple other men have come out to say the Bronx native also had inappropriate relations with them as well.
After massive backlash from the Hip-Hop community and the community at large, The Zulu Nation has taken action against Bambaataa and other members.
Rapper 50 Cent has released a new song for fans, this time linking up with Chris Brown. The new track “No Rome No Juliet”, features both 50 and Brown providing vocals and bars. The two recently released a video for the remix of single “I’m the Man.”
(AllHipHop News) As the world still mourns Prince’s death, people are still trying to unravel his private past.
Recently, singer Sinead O’Connor claimed Arsenio Hall allegedly supplied Prince with hard drugs.
Following the allegations, the former night show host filed a $5 million dollar lawsuit against O’Connor for defamation.
The singer later responded with a rather harsh post against Hall:
“He can suck my dk. That is if he isn’t too busy sucking someone else’s dk. : )”
O’Connor also stated in the post that the DEA has been taking her statements seriously, and they have started to ask both friends and family about Prince past with hard drugs.
(AllHipHop News) Music business executive Jacob York is expanding the entertainment company he founded in 2008, to include sports management.
Jacob York recently launched Electric Republic Sports, which is a new subsidiary of his Electric Republic entertainment and management company.
The sports division of the company has hit the ground running – almost literally – with their first client, running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Elliott was the #4 draft pick and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
“Sports, like music and talent management, is a passion for me,” said Jacob York, founder and president of Electric Republic. “I am very excited about providing full-service sports management for top-tier athletes. On this venture, my business partner Walden Davis and I will create an array of branding opportunities for our athletes.”
Jacob York has managed and promoted the careers of artists like Notorious B.I.G., Junior M.A.F.I.A, Akon, TLC, Dipset, Karrueche Tran and others throughout his 30-plus years in the business.
Through Electric Republic, Jacob York has produced films like “The Perfect Match,” “Brotherly Love,” “Percentage” and Cam’ron’s film “Killa Season.”
York has brought in agent Walden Davis to head up the new sports division within Electric Republic.
Also, Jacob York’s company has partnered with 5th Down Management to handle the intricacies of managing such a high-profile client.
The former Ohio State running back’s contract with The Dallas Cowboys is worth almost $26 million according to Forbes.
Jacob York and 5th Down will handle contract negotiations, marketing and endorsements, community relations and financial coordination.
From his early years as a member of SpaceGhostPurrp’s record label, Raider Klan, to now making a name for himself, Florida rapper Denzel Curry has started to become an artist to pay attention in FLA’s music scene.
Recently, Curry was recorded by Fact Magazine, documenting a recent performance in London. The documentary, titled “Knotty Head”, features the rapper opening up about Curry’s motivation to keep fans coming to his shows, making music, and also talks about his brother dying in the hands of police.
It’s been a minute since they’ve been back, and Will Smith isn’t going to be there this time to remind them of why they got gone in the first place, but summer just seems to be that time of year when the aliens like to put on their traveling pants and trash this roach motel we like to call earth. Much like the younger fresher casting the brought us “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens,” the newest installment of the “Independence Day” franchise gives us the old guard mixed in with some new blood that is fit of the fight in a cast that includes Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, Brent Spiner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe and Sela Ward. “Independence Day: Resurgence” opens nationwide in theaters on June 24, 2016. See the official trailer below:
(AllHipHop News) Once again, Lauryn Hill has enraged fans for being late to a concert.
The former front-member of the Fugees was scheduled to perform at the Chastain Park Amphitheater in Atlanta at 8 pm last night, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Unfortunately, Hill showed up 2 hours after the booked time. AJC reporter, Jewel Wicker, reported:
Lauryn Hill just came out up nearly 2 and a half hours late to boos. Yikes!
At 10:20, Ms. Lauryn Hill showed up to massive boos from an enraged audience.
However, she managed to perform a couple of classic songs from “Ex-Factor” to “Everything is Everything” before the Amphitheater cut her mic off, following their strict 11pm curfew.
The crowd’s boos started to roar once the sound was off. While she was shaking hands and greeting fans, one person approached Ms. Hill to tell her about her tardiness.
The singer states that her driver got lost on the way to Chasten, but the fan states that she was present at soundcheck four hours before her set. Following the disastrous night, Hill was later blasted on Twitter.
While Lauryn Hill has been highly respected for creating one of the best music albums in the 90’s, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she has been constantly criticized for showing up to concerts late for the past couple of years.
(AllHipHop News) Desiigner has a reason to perform like he does at concerts, the Brooklyn rapper’s#### single “Panda” is certified platinum. However, Justin Bieber was feeling as turnt as Desiigner.
Recently TMZ released a video clip of the pop singer shoving the rapper while he was performing at 1 Oak Nightclub.
According to the source, Desiigner was a little too hype rapping his hit single Panda, and happened to step on Beiber’s shoe.
Desiigner was later escorted out of the New York nightclub after performing because he’s only 19 years old.
While he’s not getting shoved at shows, the rapper is working on his debut album, with Mike Dean exclusively producing it.
(AllHipHop Features) Four years ago, Maryland based artist Bobby Hagens dropped his debut mixtape My Beautiful Mind. The 15-track project was an interesting examination of the budding rhymer’s mental and emotional state.
After pushing MBM, Hagens decided to take a self-imposed hiatus from releasing a body of work. The break allowed Bobby to discover his true artistic vision. The DMV native is now back to creating in full force, and he assures the fresh collection of songs about to hit the internet has a higher ratio of top-notched tunes.
“I’m a realist. My Beautiful Mind was my first tape. I literally just started making music at that time,” Hagens confesses to AllHipHop.com. “I try to compare my music to people that’s already on and the music that fan’s love. I didn’t feel like at that juncture my music was as good as I know it could be, so I took time away to work on my craft. I didn’t want to be the guy that gives you 5, 6, 7, or 8 mixtapes. I wanted to give you quantity over quality.”
Before Bobby was a recording artist, his first personal experiences in Hip Hop culture centered around battle rapping as a 15-year-old high school student. Those competitive encounters were not necessarily considered precursors to a music career at the time.
There were also moments where Hagens would just practice putting words together with family members for fun. However, an early invite to the studio from a cousin went unanswered, and it seemed rap would be nothing more than a hobby for the teen. That changed when Bobby eventually tried his hand at rhyming over a Kanye West/No I.D. produced beat.
“The first verse I ever wrote was to Jay Z’s ‘Run This Town.’ The first time I did it I said, ‘I could do this for the rest of my life.’ After that day, I took it more seriously. I started working,” recalls Hagens.
While Hov’s 2009 Rock-sampling hit from The Blueprint 3 is heavily featured in the Bobby Hagens origin story, the introspective emcee’s sound is more reminiscent of the soulful style of the original The Blueprint. Like Jay’s Reasonable Doubt, lyrical ability is also an important part of Bobby’s brand of artistry.
Two other Grammy-winning Hip Hop acts that rose to prominence in the 1990’s serve as inspirations as well. Hagens acknowledges a member of The Fugees and one half of OutKast for stirring his musical ambitions.
“I was raised on Lauryn Hill and Andre 3000. Those people changed my life, so when I do music that’s what I’m trying to do,” Hagens states. “I’m not a Trap guy, so I’m not going to rap about the trap. All my music is personal and real, and I pride myself on that.”
Hagens is now raising a child of his own. The doting dad uses his Instagram account to highlight special moments with 1-year-old daughter Bobbi Madison. Captions for the photos include Papa Bobby honoring his seed for motivating his growth.
“Fatherhood changed me completely. That was the best thing to ever happen to me,” says Hagens. “Before I had a daughter, I understood family, but I didn’t understand how important it was. Everything I do now is for her.”
Up next for the rising rhymer is the birth of hisalbum which is set to arrive in June. Even though he has an earlier work in his catalog, Hagens is approaching Colors as if it is his first project.
Bobby was barely drinking age when he began working on 2012’s My Beautiful Mind. Looking back at that release now, the performer is not ashamed to admit he was not prepared for the industry affairs that come along with constructing and promoting a mixtape.
Hagens and his team studied the successes and miscues of rap stars that have already garnered significant exposure. The proper business preparation this go around allowed Bobby to focus on making Colors the noteworthy LP he plans for it to be.
“Creatively, I feel like I’m in the best space possible. I finished the album a while ago. I can’t wait for people to hear Colors. I feel like it went to a whole other level lyrically,” Hagens conveys. “I’m just trying to get better every single day, so I feel like we’re all happy were we are.”
Listeners can get an idea of where Bobby is headed musically by checking out his recent collaboration with R&B vocalist BJ The Chicago Kid. The Motown signee joined the Washington, DC area spitter for “Lost Wild.”
“We sent [BJ] three tracks, and asked him, ‘If you’re feeling any of them, can you do one for us?’ Everyone else said he was going to do ‘Lost Wild,’ but I thought he was going to do something else. It came out dope. We got a great response,” says Hagens.
He continues, “Some people may have only listened to the song, because it was BJ. That’s cool. The thing was for us to showcase our talent. I feel like we really did on that song.”
In addition, Bobby let loose another single titled “Blessed Up.” The song’s ghostly production was juxtaposed with its creator’s hook about the power of prayer.
The 301 representative calls on the Lord to bless his n-ggas. At the same time, he informs his potential foes they don’t have the capability to prevent the divine intervention that’s directing his life.
“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. No matter which way it goes, I’m happy. That’s where the ‘Blessed Up’ idea came from,” explains Hagens. “Even if you’re stressed over bills or family issues, if you have breath in your lungs, you’re blessed. You can’t let anyone block that. At the end of the day, we’re blessed up.”
Hagens puts a lot into the Almighty’s hands, but he also follows the Biblical concept of “faith without works is dead.” The 26-year-old artisan is actively completing the action that is required to reach whatever destined outcome is ordered for him. In Bobby’s eyes, that end result will hopefully be sitting among the masters of his profession.
“I think once people are able to sit with the album, it’s going to take a nice turn. It’s whatever God wants me to be at the time. I just follow God’s word,” says Hagens. “I want to be one of the greatest when it’s all said and done. For now, I’m just putting the work in. It’s just the beginning. We don’t know where we’re going to be. We know where we want to be – the top.”
Rae Sremmurd is set to play Cal State Fullerton’s Spring Concert…with one catch…no cussing.
According to a contract Rae Sremmurd signed with Cal State, the group is set to perform a 60 minute set as co-headliners of the Spring Concert for a cool $70,000.
The guys were gracious enough to leave out the $300 in ones they typically get, as well as two bottles of Ace of Spades and a bunch of other liquor.
Better have them Super Soakers and beach balls though…
(AllHipHop News) The allegations of sexual assault facing Afrika Bambaataa have pushed the Zulu Nation to remove “ALL accused parties and those accused of covering up the current allegations of child molestation.”
“The Universal Zulu Nation wishes to announce that it is currently under new leadership by the International and Regional U.S. Zulu Leaders. This will involve a significant restructure and will feature an in-depth re-assessment of how the organization will function to better serve our communities. As part of this restructure ALL accused parties and those accused of covering up the current allegations of child molestation have been removed and have stepped down from their current positions.” The Universal Zulu Nation
The stunning news comes after a former New York politician Ronald Savage came forward with claims that Bam molested him in the late 1970’s in an emotionally charged interview with radio personality Troi “Star” Torain’s Shot97.com radio show.
Savage formerly made similar allegations in his 2014 book “Impulse, Urges and Fantasy’s.” Savage, who is now in his 50’s, served on the New York State Democratic Committee for six years. He maintained that Afrika Bambaataa molested him between the ages of 12-14 in the late 1970’s.
Afterward, numerous men came forward to allege the “Planet Rock” performer molested them as children.
The Zulu Nation issued a statement about the controversy.
Afrika Bambaataa discussed the sexual abuse accusations made against him for the first time in public during an interview on “The Ed Lover show with Monie Love.”
During the conversation, Afrika Bambaataa doubled down on his view that the accusations stem from a larger conspiracy formed against him.
“This is false allegations that’s being put against me and a lot of lies. And it could me today and you tomorrow,” Afrika Bambaataa told Ed Lover. “I completely deny all type of allegations that’s being put against your brother, Afrika Bambaataa.”
Then Star conducted another interview with Shamsideen Shariyf Ali Bey, who was had of Bambaataa’s security as well as an original member of Black Spades.
“There’s always a boy in his house. When he leaves and gets home, there’s always a boy there. I’ve seen them camped, asking him for money,” Shariyf said. “He travels with late teens, those are the ones he takes overseas with him. When I went with him on tour in the states, I’d stay in one room, and he would have boys in the room with him.”
Check out The Zulu Nation’s full statement below:
Universal Zulu Nation Official Statement: International and Regional US UZN Leaders, Universal Zulu Nation
The Universal Zulu Nation wishes to announce that it is currently under new leadership by the International and Regional U.S. Zulu Leaders. This will involve a significant restructure and will feature an in-depth re-assessment of how the organization will function to better serve our communities. As part of this restructure ALL accused parties and those accused of covering up the current allegations of child molestation have been removed and have stepped down from their current positions.
Over the coming months there will be significant changes to the organization in terms of roles, structure and establishing the policies any organization of our size should have in place. There shall also be a new move to work towards providing support for victims of abuse, rape and molestation and working more closely on other social issues existing in communities such as drug addiction, alcoholism and mental health.
We are saddened by current events. Not only because of the trial by social media of which we have been subjected to as an organization, but because until now the previous leaders and founders have been ineffective at being able to respond in a way which our members and associates deserve of us. Especially when our good work spreading the Zulu message has empowered communities worldwide. We would like to offer our sincere apologies for this.
As an organization we are in a very difficult position because we are being asked to condemn one of our founders based on testimony through social media alone. We cannot do this. We also cannot dismiss the comments of parties asserting they have been harmed. We have a duty to search for truth. We also need to be mindful that if these allegations are true that victims discussing this in a public forum has not come easily. We the Universal Zulu Nation wish to extend great sympathy to anyone affected by such issues. We know that respect and compassion need to be at the forefront of how we deal with such topics in the future, this has been a lesson in learning for us.
The public is asking for justice and we would welcome constructive suggestions on how that could be effectuated properly. At the moment it is unclear on how best to proceed, we would like to know how the claimants would like to take the matters further towards some form of resolution where the truth can be established. We can not legally speak on behalf of the parties in question in regard to the current allegations. Individuals must speak up for themselves & advice from their legal teams should be sought.
Our restructure is a positive step towards organizational change for our worldwide family of members and the great community programs they continually run which spread the message of Peace, Love, Unity and Having Fun.
To communicate with us during this time of transition please email us at [email protected]
Larry King helped feed Nia Long’s ego recently as he asked her why her name was so heavily dropped in Hip Hop. King said,
“I’m told you’re mentioned in a lot of Hip Hop lyrics. Kanye West, J. Cole, A Tribe Called Quest. Why do they talk about you in Hip Hop music. Are you kind of a sex symbol?”
Nia replied saying,
“So I think the thing with me and Hip Hop music. Here’s the deal. So I grew up in a time where Puffy Combs was running night clubs in New York City, and Boys In The Hood Was out, and Heavy D.. you had Biggie Smalls, you had Tupac, and there was Boys In The Hood. This was an era where we were all sort of growing up in this business and kind of changed the game a little bit, and gave urban music, rap music, black films, we had a space to actually do our thing. And I think the rappers are just feeling Nia Long a little bit.”
Larry pointed out that J. Cole rapped,
“My only regret was too young for Nia Long.”
To which Nia replied saying,
“He’s really not too young. He just doesn’t know it.”
Nia is willing to risk it all. Maybe J. Cole’s wife will give him a hall pass. I mean it is Nia Long! LOL.
T.I. recently revealed on the Ed Lover Show, that his tenth studio album, ‘The Dime Trap,’ may not be a TIDAL exclusive. Although Tip is a shareholder in Tidal, he has revealed that it’s the same situation he had previously.
“Basically the same situation that I had with Columbia. It’s just being facilitated by Roc Nation now. The same, actually a better percentage structure,” said TIP.
Tip plans to return to his classic sound, and he’s dedicating the album to his core fans, those that went out and bought ‘Trap Muzik’ the first week. Because he knows some of those people can’t necessarily afford TIDAL, he is unsure if the entire album will be a TIDAL exclusive. He does see having some TIDAL exclusive content and components though. T.I. also acknowledged the fact that trap music has lasted so long because it has been commercialized, and it has expanded to the point of familiarity for all. Last year it was announced that Jay Z would be involved in this album. We hope Jay is featured on a track or two.
(AllHipHop News) UK MC Skepta is celebrating a #1 record, thanks to his latest full length release KONNICHIWA.
The full length release comes after the success of Skepta’s first for singles from the album (“Ladies Hit Squad,” “That’s Not Me,” “Shutdown” and “Man), which of garnered a total of 50 million views around the Internet.
The album was released through Skepta’s his own label Boy Better Know, which reportedly inked a deal with Drake in February.
As for KONNICHIWA, the album is currently perched at number one on Apple’s iTunes Hip-Hop chart for the U.K.
KONNICHIWA, which features guest appearances from Pharrell Williams and rappers Novelist, JME, Wiley and members of the Boy Better Know collective.
Order KONNICHIWA here and check out the track list below:
As I type this, my eyes are bloodshot red and I am tired. Last night, I trudged to watch “Captain America: Civil War” – back to back and got home after 2am. I was then up for a couple more hours in my Facebook group discussing the movie, looking at commentary and smiling. The highly-hyped movie – that clocks in at 2 and a half hours- did not disappoint. In fact, is exceeded my expectations, which were very high. Wasting no time, we have to salute directors Joe Russo & Anthony Russo, producer Kevin Feige and screenplay writers Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. This movie will likely be regarded as the best movie Marvel Studios has produced thus far when the dust settles.
Without additional delay, I offer: No-Spoiler Review: 5 Reasons To See “Captain America: Civil War”
1) The Movie Erases The Stigma Of The “Super Hero Movie.”
For the longest, the super hero movies category has been a niche expected to go away at some point. Even in looking at the calendar, Marvel and DC seem to be in an an aggressive foot race to make as much money as possible before for time runs out. “Captain America: Civil War” completely takes that notion and tosses it in the trash, then compacts it into nothingness. (2014’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” did the same thing. It transcended the category.) The acting in “Civil War” is classic, emotive and the story telling in the entire Marvel Universe is like nothing we have ever seen before in an American superhero film. “Captain America: Civil War” is a huge microcosm of this excellence.
2) Captain America And Iron Man Really Have Beef.
This is not “Batman v. Superman,” where there is some weird misunderstanding or pseudo super villain with a maniacal plot. Avengers and comrades, Cap and Stark fundamentally have insurmountable conflict and it shows in every way, from subtle nuances to the fiercest battles. I promise, you will feel the tension.
3) The Other Avengers Characters.
As a kid, I was a voracious comic book reader and still have all of them. I sat in “Captain America: Civil War “in awe as the comic characters from my childhood came to life. Now, I know this isn’t a fresh notion, but the subtle details in the superhero characters is astounding. Black Widow, a character we have seen on multiple occasions, takes her fight game to new heights. It doesn’t stop: from The Vision to Scarlet Witch to Spider-man to Falcon to War Machine to Hawkeye to Iron Man…to…you get the idea. The movie miraculously manages to fit all of these elements, super villain, micro details and a plot to kill for into one masterful piece of film. I mean, masterful…
4) Civil War Bucks Convention
I will keep this succinct. Big-budget comic book movies tend to go like this: action scene, build up to next action action scene, build up to really big action scene that threatens the whole planet. Heroes save the day. Without giving away, “Civil War” defies overused stereotype. Even if you watched every trailer, you cannot predict the ending. That has not been the case in most movies in the genre.
5) Black Panther.
Lastly, Black Panther represents the first time this film incarnation of The Marvel Universe has produced a Black leading man. Chadwick Boseman plays the African King Black Panther TO PERFECTION. Even how he lands on his feet is taken into account. His reveal is special even though other characters of color like Falcon, Nick Fury and War Machine represented in a way we’ve never seen in the past. The future holds a Black Panther standalone movie in 2018. This one is special.
Oh my! According to TMZ sources close to Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian have confirmed that Blac Chyna is pregnant. Apparently both are so excited. The baby will be Rob’s first and Blac Chyna’s second of course, as her baby daddy is none other than Tyga, Rob Kardashian’s sister, Kylie Jenner’s, boyfriend. BlacRob have confirmed the baby news on Instagram with a pregnant Blac Chyna emoji. Tyga sent his well wishes by writing congrats under the photo. To think, yall were coming for Christina Milian (The Dream, Nivea, Lil Wayne), this is crazier. LOL. Congrats though!
(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop superproducer Timbaland is developing a new TV musical inspired by his own tough upbringing.
The artist, real name Timothy Mosely, has previously announced plans for his final album, titled Opera Noir, and he has decided to use the new material as a base for a musical of the same name.
The project, made in partnership with bosses at Leftfield Pictures, will follow a young musician as he struggles with poverty, substance abuse, and crime to climb his way to the top, reports Variety.com.
“Tim’s unbelievable candor about his experiences and difficult past help illustrate one of the most epic success stories in the industry,” states executive producer and Leftfield CEO David George.
“We’re fortunate to be part of the ‘grand finale’ of an artist whose innovative and inspiring musical contributions have helped shape the business and will influence artists for years to come.”
Timbaland, who has worked with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Jay Z, Missy Elliott, Madonna, and Aaliyah, will also serve as one of the executive producers on the project.
