(AllHipHop Rumors) What is Rozay saying here? “My homie a genius. For everybody who thought he was wigging out, he played y’all n*ggas,” said Rick Ross. Hmmmmmmm…what do you think? There has been much said about Kanye West and his supposed meltdown. But, on the other side, their has been considerable talk that it was all a scam. Apparently and allegedly, Yeezy had a considerable insurance policy that would allow him to get out of the tour for medical reasons. So, he deaded the tour and perhaps,maybe got money (or will get). I can’t call it, fam.
Ja Rule’s new company Fyre Media recently hosted a fundraiser for the citizens of The Bahamas, an island that was left devastated by Hurricane Matthew in early October.
Ja helped organize a relief concert on December 10, which featured artists like Sean Kingston, Ashanti and others. AllHipHop.com’s Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur, who also served as a co-host to the event, sat down and chopped it up about Ja’s new projects, his career and that infamous picture with Jay Z and DMX.
Ja Rule: What’s good, man? What’s happening, Jigs? You good?
AllHipHop.com: Yeah, yeah, I’m good man. I don’t know if you remember, we go way back since-
Ja Rule: I was fixing to ask how you been man?
AllHipHop.com: Yeah. I’m good, man. Trying to be like you, bro. I’m trying to be like you.
Ja Rule: We good man. Young black men out here working, that’s all.
AllHipHop.com: Definitely. What brings you to the Bahamas?
Ja Rule: Man, you know, first of all I love the Bahamas. Always have. It’s always been one of my favorite stops. We wanted to come out here and really just do something special for the people, give back, since this is one of my favorite spots. They was hit really, really hard by Hurricane Matthew.
There was a lot of cities and stuff that was hit hard, but Bahamas is one of those special places to me. We wanted to come back and just do something for the people, entertain them, give them a nice night of fun and entertainment and get they mind off of all the crazy stuff going on and maybe some of the hardships and stuff that they’ve been going through over the past few weeks and months, since the hurricane.
The rebuilding process is coming together. I’m very honored and happy to be here, to be a part of it, and to be able to help and give back a little bit to the community.
AllHipHop.com: That’s what’s up. You brought Ashanti. You brought Sean Kingston. You also brought a bunch of Caribbean artists as well.
Ja Rule: Yeah.
AllHipHop.com: What’s special about that sort of ensemble? Not just trying to step in, like in America or whatever, but you are actually bringing like a real musical-
Ja Rule: I thought it was really important to have a lot of the local talent come out and do their thing and support and represent their people. It’s cool to have the American artists to come out and us do our thing, but it’s nothing like seeing your own people up there rocking.
They come from your hometown or your backyard and to see them up on the same stage as some of your favorite American artists is a good thing. It’s a cool thing. We really wanted to make sure that we had a lot of talent from the area.
AllHipHop.com: Okay, okay. You got classic albums, classic bars as well. You got anything new coming up?
Ja Rule: I’m working on something. I took a break from the music business for a little while to work on some of my business ventures.
AllHipHop.com: Yeah.
Ja Rule: Those are going quite well for me. Right now I’m about to step back in and make my final album. I’m going my last album “Coup de Grace”. It’ll be out next year sometime.
AllHipHop.com: Okay. Okay. We saw you, Jay, and DMX in a picture. We all remember that what was supposed to, or at least, what we thought it was supposed to be.
Ja Rule: Yeah.
AllHipHop.com: Do you have any thoughts on that? Why Murder Inc, the original concept, never happened?
Ja Rule: We was just all young and competitive. We all wanted to be number one and I think that just got in the way of us actually putting that project together. It’s one of those things in hip hop that you always think about. We all think about it, woulda, shoulda, coulda, if it was. Those my brothers, man. Much love to both of them.
AllHipHop.com: What do you feel about the state of hip-hop, just in general? It’s a lot of talk right now. Almost like people are in a civil ware. Do you have an opinion on that?
Ja Rule: You know, it’s hip-hop. I can’t remember when it was really any different. Hip-hop has always been about combative beats and lyrics and all that. We were all going through it, the battles and the beats and this, that, and the third. It’s no different right now, hip-hop, and it’s going to continue to be the same. I, personally, would love to see hip-hop in a space where we come together more. Be more together. I think it’s a bigger picture. Like I said, it’s always going to be competitive. It’s Pepsi, it’s Coke. That’s never going to stop, but it doesn’t have to be so to the point where it’s me or you.
AllHipHop.com: Right.
Ja Rule: My family or your family.
AllHipHop.com: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Right.
Ja Rule: We going to eat together. Everybody can get money. It’s friendly competition. The Giants play the Cowboys tomorrow. I guarantee you Dax and Beckham are going to go get a bite to eat afterwards. You understand? It’s just different.
I think us, as young black men in this business … Even the older artists like myself and Jay and the veterans of the game, it’s up to us too to talk to the younger artists. Let them know that there’s a bigger picture than what you’re seeing in front of you. You got to look a little further down the road. I just wish I could see a little more of that in hip-hop too. You know?
AllHipHop.com: You’re doing this massive event and it’s such a positive one. Where do you see yourself heading right now?
Ja Rule: I’m doing this event right now, it’s under my company umbrella Fyre, so this is one of our many events that you’ll be seeing us partake in in the upcoming months and years. We got our Fyre Festival coming up real soon. There’s a lot of things I’m working on. You can go check out Fire app, you know, .com.
AllHipHop.com: You getting in the tech space? What’s going on?
Ja Rule: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Me and my brother and my partner-in-crime, Billy McFarland, man, we started this company called Fyre. It’s been going really good, man. For me, it’s like I said, it’s all about paying it forward to the younger artists. Seeing them empower themselves as young artists. I love what Chance is doing out there. I love seeing those type of artists take control of their careers and buck the establishment in a way. You know? Not even to say, “F### you,” but to say, “There’s room here for me too.”
AllHipHop.com: Yeah.
Ja Rule: There was a time when you couldn’t be independent.
AllHipHop.com: Right.
Ja Rule: Or do anything in this business. You had to be with a major label, so I applaud those artists out there doing their thing. Fyre is one of those companies that will look forward to helping those artists push their careers in the right direction and gain more control over them.
AllHipHop.com: All right. You look almost exactly like you did when I first met you. What’s your secret.
Ja Rule: Oh, man, if I tell you I got to kill you Jigs! No, I mean, I try to eat as good as I can. I was in a little preservative jaw for a couple years so that helps too.
AllHipHop.com: Yeah. No doubt. Any last words for the people out there?
Ja Rule: Yo, Fyre Festival coming real soon. Rule! We out.
(AllHipHop News) Ja Rule helped set the internet on fire back in October, when he posed for a picture with Jay Z and DMX backstage at Beyonce’s final concert at Jersey’s MetLife Stadium in October.
It was a historic moment for the trio of legendary rappers. who were once part of a fabled group called Murder Inc, but scheduling conflicts and egos prevented the group from ever taking off, according to group member Ja Rule.
“We was just all young and competitive. We all wanted to be number one and I think that just got in the way of us actually putting that project together,” Ja Rule told AllHipHop.com “It’s one of those things in hip hop that you always think about.”
Ja was ambiguous if an official reunion was on the horizon, since their first meeting together as a trio went so well at the Beyonce concert.
“We all think about it, woulda, shoulda, coulda, if it was,” Ja Rule said coyly. “Those my brothers, man. Much love to both of them.”
For now, Ja is focusing on finishing his 8th studio album Coup De Grace, and focusing on his new business ventures like Fyre Media, which presented the relief concert in the Bahamas over the weekend.
On December 10, thousands of fans hit the National Sports Centre, where artists like Sean Kingston and Ashanti hit the stage to raise money for the island.
According to Ja Rule, Fyre is run with his partner Billy McFarland. They were actually inspired by the independence of newer artists like Chance the Rapper.
“I love what Chance is doing out there,” Ja Rule told AllHipHop.com. “I love seeing those type of artists take control of their careers and buck the establishment in a way. You know? Not even to say, “F### you,” but to say, “There’s room here for me too.”
(AllHipHop News) On December 9, North Carolina’s Deniro Farrar let loose the first installment of his two-part EP series.
Red Book, Vol 1 is a six-song project inspired by literature the rhymer found in documentaries about the Black Panthers.
“The music on the EPs is the foundation. I wanted to make a revolutionary body of work that anybody can understand,” states Farrar. “I’m telling people things they need to know whether it’s about oppression, economics, food, or gentrification. It’s all the blueprint.”
Over the past six years, the 27-year-old artist expanded his brand of “Cult Rap” through projects such as Destiny Altered, The Patriarch, The Patriarch II, and Rebirth.
“Cult Rap is music based solely on substance,” explains Farrar. “You could have a trap beat or a jazz beat; it’s all about the substance of the lyrics and the message. I’m spearheading the movement. It lives on stage when those people are there in the crowd singing back to me.”
With tracks such as “When They Come For You,” “Mankind,” and “Where I Come From,” Deniro uses Red Book, Vol 1 to express his thoughts on various personal and social issues.
“I’m still finding myself, so I won’t sit up here like I’ve got all the answers,” admits Farrar. “I have made mistakes so I can’t get too far gone on being righteous. I don’t want to ever present myself as perfect. I just want to be real.”
He adds, “I think we can get back to where we need to be, but it’s going to take a lot of work. I’m watching it all around me. I just want people to open their eyes and wake the f-ck up.”
(AllHipHop News) Jerry Heller’s nephew wants to be named executor of the former N.W.A. manager’s will so he can continue the late music mogul’s “Straight Outta Compton” defamation lawsuit.
The rappers, alongside director F. Gary Gray and bosses at NBCUniversal, moved to have the suit dismissed and they successfully managed to have a number of allegations in Heller’s complaint thrown out.
However, the group’s former manager was allowed to continue pursuing his defamation claim regarding scenes which showed him advising an artist against getting a lawyer during contract negotiations.
Now Heller’s nephew Terry has filed his own court papers asking to be allowed to continue his uncle’s legal fight by changing the name of the plaintiff from Heller to his estate, which had been placed in a private trust before his passing, reports TMZ.com.
A ruling on the motion has yet to be made.
Heller, 75, died after suffering a heart attack while driving, causing him to crash his car. He later died from his injuries.
(AllHipHop News) Lakeith Stanfield borrowed a tactic from Kanye West at the Critics’ Choice Awards last night (December 11).
The star of Atlanta took to the stage after his show lost to Silicon Valley for Best Comedy Series.
“I want to thank everybody for honoring us in this way,” said Stanfield, surprising the winner Tom Lassally and the presenters. “We worked very hard on Silicon Valley and here we are. Thank you.”
The moment was reminiscent of Kanye West’s infamous interruption of Taylor Swift’s Best Female Video victory over Beyoncé at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
Besides Silicon Valley, the FX show was competing against Black-ish, Fleabag, Modern Family, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Veep.
Atlanta did not win Best Comedy Series, but its creator Donald Glover took home the Critics’ Choice award for Best Actor In A Comedy Series.
Glover (aka Childish Gambino) beat out Anthony Anderson (Black-ish), Will Forte (The Last Man On Earth), Bill Hader (Documentary Now!), Patrick Stewart (Blunt Talk), and Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent).
In 2012, the sub-genre of Drill Music was shockingly different from anything that the Hip-Hop community was used to experiencing from a Chicago artist. For years, the Rap world has been fed an image of Chicago Rappers as being sophisticated lyricists. Artists like Kanye West, Common and Lupe Fiasco come to mind. This, however, is a one-sided image of the duality that the city of Chicago processes.
Yes, it’s true that Chicago is a beautifully intelligent place full of art and sophistication. However, it is also well known that the city has a harsher, more unforgiving side. Since prohibition Chicago has branded itself as the birthplace of “Gangs/Gangsters.” True to this moniker, the city is home to some of the United States’ oldest and most violent street gangs. Yet despite this, few Chicago rappers have chosen to openly accept this side of their culture. In fact, one of the city’s more popular Rappers, Common, went as far to ignore his gang connection until conveniently alluding to The Four Corner Hustlers during a brief Rap beef with everyone’s favorite barber, Ice Cube.
Drill Music, however, changed this.
With the introduction of Drill Music, the often over looked side of Chicago was revealed to the Rap world. From these surprisingly young artist, audiences could witness what it was like for the youth of this city. For the first time, many listeners got a chance to hear about the severity of Chicago’s gang culture, while being amazed by the passion the young creatives possessed.
Yet, the creation of Drill Music did more than entertain the masses.
The astonishment at the artists’ ages paired with their music’s violent subject matter resulted in older audiences beginning to inquire about the youth of this marginalized city. They started to wonder why these children (most of which could barely drive) were so accustomed to death and violent crime. The question of “why/how do they do this?” began to be asked more frequently. This exposure, prompted seasoned consumers to call for a change in the lives of Chicago’s young citizens. That put immense pressure on the city’s government. And due to their marginalized status, Drill artist became the perfect valve for the local and national government to release the heat that they were generating. Chicago officials used the lyrics of the music in combination with their major legal issues, namely the murder conviction of Drill Rapper, Rondo Numba Nine, to convince the public that Drill Music is the cause of the city’s violence. They implemented strict laws that Permited Drill artists from performing. Even going as far as banning Chief Keef’s image within city limits.
While government officials have been taking an extreme approach in hopes to silence Drill artists, they are doing little to change the world that these musicians rap about. Even with the continued restriction of Drill Music, Chicago has still seen more than 700 murders this year, including the 30 people who have died since the beginning of November. The general public notices this. The blatant denial of the youth only adds to the genre’s popularity.
Even though entertainers such as G Herbo, Katie Got Bands, Chief Keef, and Lil Bibby see themselves as just telling the world their story, many young Rap fans view them as prophetic prodigies. The honest subject matter that is present in Drill Music speaks to the common struggles that Black Millennials in America share. Because of this connection, Drill has become one of the most copied styles in Rap. Acts such as DC artist, Fat Trel, and Atlanta sensation, 21 Savage, have homes hundreds of miles away from Chicago. Young MA’s career soared after she created a “Chiraq” remix titled “Brooklyn.” Yet, all have flows and cadences the derive from this sub-genre. In a short amount of time, Drill artists have successfully changed the landscape of Rap by providing a much needed outlet for many adolescents in the United States.
These martyrs, however, have not been so fortunate. Yes, Rap has allowed these young creatives to actualize their potential and secure a successful future for themselves. However, the ignorance of their struggles by the people who could effectively enact change, force them to encounter issues similar to the ones they hoped to evade. For example: in December of 2015, Drill artist, King Louie, was shot in the head while visiting family in Chicago. Louie is one of the more successful Drill Rappers. He has numerous writing credits on multiple albums, including Kanye’s Yeezus. Despite this, he still fell victim to a violent crime. Fortunately, King Louie survived. But, the harsh reality of the situation remains the same.
In an interview with AllHipHop, 21-year-old, G Herbo, explains why violence is so habitual in Chicago.
“We had just landed, I ain’t gonna lie, (my friend) was just saying that 17 people were dead this weekend in Chicago, 41 injured,” the rapper recounted in regards to one of the deadliest weekends in the city’s history. He then went on to decode Chicago’s actual issue. “But the real problem with Chicago is there is no leadership,” Herbo described. “There’s a lot of potential leaders, but no ‘leadership.” There’s no one who wants to be hands on and not stop the violence, because that’s impossible, but impact a violent person and change they mind.”
This lack of care, at not only the communal, but governing levels of Chicago is the root of the plight that is present in Drill. Yet, as witnessed by the continual violence, these stories are being ignored. Chicago’s consistent violence is a direct result of misrepresentation and the lack of true leadership that G Herbo describes.
Similar to journalism, Rap is a discipline that documents often overlooked events and presents them for the world to see. True to this, Drill Music tells an unearthed story about the city of Chicago. However, Chicago is just an emphasized microcosm of what the Black youth of America experience every day.
This is why Drill Music is so popular.
It is often said that the art that is consumed is a direct reflection of the consumer and his/her community. Well, throughout the country Black Millennials are becoming desensitize to violence and violent crimes. This is not because our media “glorifies” it. It is actually a byproduct of being forced live among it. In pure Hip-Hop fashion, Drill Rappers documented this truth and effectively conveyed it with a voice that not many possess. Their aggressively harsh lyrics are received by the youth because we know that they are synonymous with the cries for help that we all have wept. Yet, the ones in power cannot seem to comprehend this. Instead of trying to decipher the message they, in turn, blame the delivery.
But, the delivery isn’t the issue.
Drill artists have given the world a concrete story. They presented not only a complete description of their culture, but also backed their claims with facts. As journalists, they have done their job. It is now up to us, as the fans of the music, to translate these cries into a plea that the masses can understand. If we do this. If we open the ears of the powerful to our plight. Then, change will undoubtedly be enacted in the life of the marginalized Millennial. This change will allow us, as a culture, to progress leading to us being able to finally appreciate Drill Music.
(AllHipHop News) The Broadway play Hamilton: An American Musical has been a cultural phenomenon.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s creation won a Grammy Award, a Pulitzer Prize, and 11 Tony Awards.
The success of the Hip Hop musical led to several artists contributing to the compilation The Hamilton Mixtape.
According to Billboard, The Hamilton Mixtape earned 187,000 equivalent album units (169,000 traditional albums) in its first week of sales.
That total is enough to put the project in the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart.
Among the acts to add their talents to the mixtape include The Roots, Nas, Chance The Rapper, Wiz Khalifa, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Ashanti, and Ja Rule.
The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton also spent time on the album chart and peaked at #3.
The cast album has sold 876,000 copies, making it is currently the fifth-biggest-selling album of 2016.
Publicity stunt or real break up? Meek Mill’s entire reality show disappeared! I mean, his INSTAGRAM got deleted. And then Nicki Minaj said the following on HER account.
This has fueled rumors that the pair have broken up again. At least, it seems like it. They are a rambunctious couple, but its not looking too good. There doesn’t seem to be any album on deck like with Safari. It seems like this is IT. But just the other day, he was calling Nicki is queen and wishing her happy birthday and lovely stuff.
Well, 2016 may have claimed another victim. What a brutal trip around the sun.
Charlamagne Tha God snapped on a TMZ photographer, after he asked him a serious question about Donald Trump, followed by another about Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
Charlamagne also throws some shade at Kanye West by saying his new blonde hairdo makes him look like social media celebrity, A-Town.
(AllHipHop News) It’s been a brutal year for the city of Chicago.
The city has seen over 600 homicides in 2016 and is on pace to have the most homicides in two decades. So any positive role models that can help end some of the bloodshed had been welcomed in the city, and Common has taken a very hands on approach to his activism in the city.
Even though the violence is at an all-time high, some local rappers are watching Common’s moves in the movie industry in big films and TV shows like “Suicide Squad,” “Selma,” “American” Gangster,” “Smokin’ Aces” and others.
G Herbo, who just released his new mixtape “Strictly 4 My Fans,” discussed Common’s influence on the city in a recent sit down with AllHipHop.com.
“Common’s doing a lot for our city. He still comes and touch the youth, and still go do stuff in his neighborhood,” G Herbo explained.
“I feel like Common is a positive role model in the city,” G Herbo told AllHipHopcom. “I look at Common as a big brother. You know, Common did a lot for me, myself personally. You know I got a song with Common.”
G Herbo said that in addition to Common’s work in the Chicago community, the 44-year-old rapper is very hands on with local rappers too.
The rapper’s presence in the streets of Chicago could go along way towards curbing some of the violence that has been plaguing the city.
“I feel like anything that he could do positively to help he will, but like I was saying earlier, as far as making a difference, they have to feel like you are a part of their struggle too,” G-Herbo reasoned.
