Chris Brown has already showed us and even let us know on radio interviews that he doesn’t know how to act on social media. He even went as far as to say that he will let people know how he feels even if he deletes it later. Not too long ago Brown and Karrueche got into a social media war, where Brown exposed their threesomes and accused Karrueche of messing with Drake. For the millionth time Karrueche said only one could take so much, but still ended up taking the singer back. After news broke of Brown’s break baby, Karrueche claimed once again that she was done and has been going two weeks strong LOL. Karrueche recently posted the above photo on her Instagram with the caption “I’m president of the itty Bitty Committee.” Brown had to comment on his former boo’s post saying, “Thirst trap 101. continue to be a lady beautiful… U are perfect… Don’t let the Thot form from anger.” Should Karrueche or anyone else take advice from Breezy? LOL.
fatal shooting of mental patient Jason Harrison, 38, who was shot while holding a screwdriver after his mother called 911 for help bringing him to Parkland Hospital while he was in a crisis.
The compilation album has long been a prominent staple in Hip Hop culture. Collections such as Soundbombing, Lyricist Lounge, Cruel Summer, and Shady XV exhibited various talents as labels, crews, and like-minded musicians united on a single auditory presentation.
Mello Music Group has been one of the leading voices to seize on the idea of assembling its artists for collaborative projects. After releasing the previous works Self Sacrifice and Mandala, Vol. 1 & 2, the Tucson-based indie label returns with the 2015 compilation Persona.
Roster members Oddisee, Apollo Brown, L’Orange, Open Mike Eagle, yU, Quelle Chris, Red Pill, Rapper Big Pooh, Ras Kass and guest features contribute original songs to the 16-track anthology. Mello’s founder Michael Tolle took on the task of amassing the varied cuts into one project.
“I spend the year putting these together. It’s a constant battle, because artists want to give you leftovers. They don’t want to make the hottest track and not put it on their record. They always want to give you that leftover s**t,” Tolle explains to AllHipHop.com. “They know that this needs to be better than anything else they’ve done, because this is my record [laughs]. It’s got to pop.”
Oddisee + Apollo Brown + L’Orange + Open Mike Eagle + yU
Tolle was extremely hands-on in the conception of Persona. He picked the collaborations and the producers for each track. Tolle even oversaw the album’s artwork, taking inspiration for the creative process from famed artisan Mark Kostabi.
“Do you remember the album covers for Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion I and II?” asks Tolle. “So the dude who did those [Kostabi], he hired a team of people and told them, ‘You do this. You do that.’ I use the label and these compilations that way. I’m not a musician, but I know what I want to hear.”
“Persona” Cover Art
The music on Persona ranges from the stirring opener “Requiem” from Oddisee and Phonte to rap veteran Kool Keith spitting bars over L’Orange’s production on “Sometimes I Feel” to Quelle Chris teaming with Newark singer Bilal Salaam for the soulful ending number “All I See Is You.”
Several artists also used the project to tap into the hardships – and in some cases the hard truths – of living in modern America. On “PNT,” Ras Kass advocates for the working poor against the Republican’s 1% agenda and what he sees as President Barack Obama’s failed policies. Open Mike Eagle’s “Celebrity Reduction Prayer” assails society’s idolization of fame and those who covet stardom at any cost. yU addresses the Black community’s desire for social mobility with “Lose The Ground.”
“Hip Hop always has been and always will be activist, because it’s people speaking about things that are happening. At least if it’s ‘real,’ meaning truthful. If not, then it’s not what I call Hip Hop. [In that case], it’s not a culture, it’s a product,” states Tolle.
He adds, “With everything going on with all the killings from the police recently, a lot of people said, ‘Are you sure you should be tweeting that? Are you sure you want to say something about that?’ I don’t even think about it. Of course we would. Didn’t you feel something when you heard this? Aren’t we hear to express that through art? It’s what was happening in the world, so we had to express it.”
Quelle Chris + Red Pill + Rapper Big Pooh + Ras Kass
Despite the different performers, producers, and topics proposed on Persona, the body of work is an offering that counters the notion label compilations typically amount to disjointed clutter.
“We have this range of artists that really aren’t the same, yet I’ve got to marry this into one sound,” says Tolle. “It’s my job to marry all the different sounds of the label into one cohesive sound, so that people see how the pieces fit together. So they understand how an Apollo Brown can fit in with an Open Mike Eagle or an L’Orange.”
Tolle takes pride in his ability to gather these distinct personalities and aesthetics and put them forward as one unit. For him, the LP serves as the prevailing vocal, rhythmic, and melodic representation of his label’s brand. In other words, Mello Music Group’s public persona.
“Persona can be two things. It can be your mask, but it can also be the character you present,” Tolle states. “While we tend to think of a mask as phony, you can look at it more as the character that you carry. That’s how I viewed this project. How do I present to the world what Mello Music Group is for this year?”
(AllHipHop News) Anthony Mackie has tackled roles in movies such as 8 Mile, She Hate Me, The Hurt Locker, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The Juilliard School graduate is next set to star as Olympic champion Jesse Owens.
Deadline reports Relativity Studios is close to finalizing a deal on the Owens biopic. The site claims the film is set to start production in October with an expected release date of 2016. That year will mark the 80th anniversary of Owens winning a record-breaking four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games.
The track-and-field star’s triumph in ’36 is also seen as a historical landmark because it foiled German leader Adolf Hitler’s goal of using the Olympic Games to prove the Aryan race’s superiority. Owens won the gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4 x 100 meter relay.
Another Jesse Owens movie, Racewith Stephan James as Owens, is in the works. Focus Features plans to release its Stephen Hopkins directed movie in April 2016.
(AllHipHop News) The use of rap lyrics as evidence during criminal trials has been a hot button topic in legal circles in recent years. In a recent case, a San Diego judge dropped gang conspiracy charges against rap artist Brandon “Tiny Doo” Duncan.
According to KFGO, the prosecution tried to connect Duncan to nine area shootings based on his musical content and social media posts. Authorities claimed the rapper was associated with the “Lincoln Park” gang, and his lyrics encouraged violence against rival gangs.
Seven people were charged in the 16-count indictment. Duncan was not accused of being directly involved in the 2013 and 2014 shootings.
“This is a First Amendment victory,” said Duncan’s attorney Brian Watkins. “Brandon had no knowledge of and no part in the shootings, but he was charged as though he did because he is in gangster rap. It’s entertainment, not crime.”
Judges across the country have landed on different sides with the issue of lyrics used as evidence. Last August, the New Jersey Supreme court ruled rapper Vonte Skinner’s attempted murder conviction be overturned, claiming the reading of his lyrics to the jury was “highly prejudicial” and “bore little or no probative value.”
“One would not presume that Bob Marley, who wrote the well-known song ‘I Shot the Sheriff,’ actually shot a sheriff, or that Edgar Allan Poe buried a man beneath his floorboards, as depicted in his short story The Tell-Tale Heart, simply because of their respective artistic endeavors on those subjects,” wrote Justice Jaynee LaVecchia for the 6-0 ruling. “The Court reasons that defendant’s lyrics should receive no different treatment.”
In 2013, the Nevada Supreme Court upheld Deyundrea “Khali” Holmes’ first-degree robbery and murder conviction in a 2-1 decision. Holmes was found guilty after prosecutors stated raps he had written were confessions to the crimes.
“It is one thing to exclude defendant-authored fictional accounts, be they rap lyrics or some other form of artistic expression, when offered to show a propensity for violence,” wrote Chief Justice Kristina Pickering. “It is quite another when the defendant-authored writing incorporates details of the crime charged.”
The San Diego District Attorney’s office is considering appealing the ruling in Duncan’s case. The prosecutors issued a statement alleging the community and the media have been manipulated to be misinformed about Duncan’s gang involvement
Move over Chris Brown, rising R&B star Derrick Jordan is bracing for his takeover. Hailing from Dallas, TX, now residing in Los Angeles, singer/songwriter Derrick Jordan (formerly D. Jo) is breathing a new life into R&B as we know it. With his brand new single, “La Da Di” Derrick Jordan incorporates old school flavor with a new West Coast flair, all while paying homage to the woman’s form. Check out “La Da Di” produced by Refuuj below.
As a bonus, also check out Derrick Jordan’s “Frenemies,” a new take on Drake’s “Energy” track off “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.”
The Royal Family of Reggae, Morgan Heritage, has done it again! If you don’t know who the Morgan’s are then you need to sit back and watch their recently released video for “Perform and Done,” their first single off the independent album, “Strictly Roots.” The William Richards directed video takes you to the streets of Kingston, and is reminiscent of the popular Jamaican movie “Dancehall Queen.”
Produced by BBC One/BBC 1Xtra’s Seani B and Don Chandlers, “Perform and Done” has already become a fan favorite and a top requested song worldwide. Strictly Roots is set to be digitally released on April, 20, 2015 with physical copies following the next day.
It’s a good thing Floyd Mayweather’s got a $150 million paycheck in his future! Floyd is paying the private chef who’s cooking up his meals at about $1,000-a-plate!!!
(AllHipHop News) Could G-Unit add a pop star turned rapper to the roster? 50 Cent is not against the idea. The Queens mogul told The Sun he would gladly sign Zayn Malik of One Direction to his imprint.
“If Zayn wants a rap career, just because of who he is, he is going to sell records,” said 50. “But if he wants to be credible he has to be with the right people. I’d happily sign him up to my label, mentor him and have him working with the biggest rappers on the planet.”
There have been reports the British boy band member is working with producer Naughty Boy on a solo project. One Direction previously released the U.S. number one albums Up All Night, Take Me Home, Midnight Memories, and Four via Simon Cowell’s Syco Music label.
“I have always wanted to work with Simon, so this could be a joint venture,” added 50.
It was only a matter of time before everyone else caught the beat of what’s been pulsating in Texas for quite some time now. Mainstream be damned, every once in awhile there emerges a sound so unique that it simply can’t be ignored, especially not when the streets have latched onto it, proving that the Lone Star State will no longer be written off as just another regional sound.
Much has been made of their past, yet it’s their similar connection to the streets that both shaped and brought the members of The Sauce Factory together, each from various parts of Houston. There’s Sosamann, 5th Ward JP and Rizzo (collectively known as Moe Gang) and of course duo The Sauce Twinz (Sauce Walka and Sancho Saucy,) each founding members of “Splashtown, USA.” These are the leading men of TSF, but there are others in the crew as well; they’ve grown into a family of sorts, distinct personalities that have somehow blended together to produce a number of notably infectious projects including In Sauce We Trust, Trap’2 Out 2, Sorry 4 The Sauce and more.
The term “sauce” has taken on numerous meanings, referring to a musical blessing, a lifestyle, an energy. In short, TSF is a movement and it’s gained the attention of Meek Mill, Waka Flocka and even Chris Brown, who recently brought the Twinz out during a stop in Houston for his “Between The Sheets” tour. Recently kicking off a tour in their hometown, the team is staying busy with a number of performances planned during Austin’s annual SXSW festival and upcoming collaborations with Drake, Boosie Bad Azz, Kevin Gates and more. The streets are dripping with sauce, embrace it.
The Sauce Twinz Perform During Chris Brown’s “Between The Sheets” Stop In Houston
The Sauce Twinz – “Westheimer” (Produced by J.Rag)
(AllHipHop News) Empire is the hottest show on television, and now its soundtrack is the number one album in the country. Original Soundtrack from Season 1 of Empire becomes the first TV soundtrack to debut in the top spot since Glee in 2010.
Billboard announced the collection of music from the Fox series totaled 130,000 units in its opening week. Those numbers were enough to beat Madonna’s latest LP Rebel Heart. The pop superstar’s 13th studio album opens at number two with 121,000 units.
The Billboard 200 album chart includes streaming and track equivalent albums. Every 1,500 album streams and 10 downloads of individual tracks equal one unit. The Empire soundtrack’s total of traditional album sales made up 84% of its first week units (110,000 copies).
The album features contributions from cast members Jussie Smollett, Bryshere Gray a.k.a. Yazz, Serayah McNeil, and Terrence Howard. Special guest performers Mary J. Blige, Juicy J, Charles Hamilton, Jennifer Hudson, Rita Ora, Courtney Love, and Estelle appear on the set as well.
The 2-hour season finale of Empire airs tonight on Fox.
(AllHipHop News) Most of the recent news surrounding Suge Knight’s####-and-run murder case has not been favorable for the co-founder of Death Row Records. The New York Daily News has now obtained information that supports Knight’s claims he was attacked before he ran down Cle “Bone” Sloan and Terry Carter.
According to the publication, a police report shows Sloan told the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department he assaulted Knight. Apparently, Sloan admitted to punching Knight through his vehicle’s window.
He is quoted as saying, “I f**ked him up.” Sloan allegedly also told police he and Suge got into an argument at another location prior to the confrontation at Tam’s Burgers in Compton.
“What Sloan has done is admit he initiated this fight. Suge never exited his vehicle. He was accosted by Sloan who challenged him to fight,” Knight’s lawyer Matthew Fletcher told The News.
Suge’s legal team has continuously argued their client was in fear of his life when he hit Sloan and Carter with his truck. Prosecutors believe he intentionally hit the victims.
Carter was killed during the incident, and Suge is now facing murder, attempted murder, and hit-and-run charges. He pled not guilty to all counts.
(AllHipHop News) Gucci Mane has joined the era of the “surprise album.” The Atlanta rapper took the trend a step further by dropping three LPs at once. Gucci’s official Twitter page announced overnight the new projects Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are now available for purchase on iTunes.
Gucci is currently incarcerated. Last year, he wrote an open letter expressing he has changed his life around by giving up drugs and drinking and turning to prayer.
He also wrote, “My idea is to take my career to the next level. I am planning to take my music to a higher level and use the attention and influence to sell movies, books, clothing and be a living testimony to all people showing that you can start from humble beginnings and transcend to something greater.”
(AllHipHop News) There may have been a mishap with the release of To Pimp A Butterfly, but curious listeners still flooded Spotify to check out Kendrick Lamar’s new album. According to The Verge, the LP was streamed 9.6 million times on one day, setting a new global record.
Drake had recently set the one day Spotify mark with his new digital only project If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. In February, the Young Money artist’s fourth official album was streamed 6.8 million times on a single day.
Despite his rising career, artist Franc Grams has not missed a beat when it comes to philanthropy in his hometown of New London, Connecticut. He recently returned to coordinate the “New London Youth Talent Show,” now in its fifth year.
Originally created following the brutal slaying of resident Matthew Chew, Grams has taken the lead in growing the annual event. Held at the Garde Arts Center, the showcase featured the New London High School Marching Band, performances from over 60 community youth as well as a remix of Selma’s Academy Award winning “Glory” from Eric Jones and Grams himself.
“We can’t change the past, but we can change the future,” a passionate Grams explained to attendees.
It has seemed like an eternity since a young native of Compton, CA took the world by storm a maelstrom that culminated on October 22, 2012 with the release of good kid, m.A.A.d city.
And it has not stopped.
Kendrick is the proverbial paradigm shift of his generation and the 28-year-old has now released his most recent opus, To Pimp A Butterfly. Kendrick stretches his creative legs all the way out on this one, an indication that a new beginning is here. To Pimp a Butterfly starts as an old school singer melodically croons “Every ni**a is a star,” right into “Wesley’s Theme,” a funk-filled jam that features George Clinton and Dr. Dre. The song, dedicated to Wesley Snipes, is a cautionary tale of the African American entertainer – the butterfly – and the financial pitfalls that ensnare many as they rise to the top.
On “These Walls,” Kendrick weaves a vivid story of sex, rage, and revenge, accompanied by jazzy production by Terrace Martin (a mainstay on the album), and Larrance Dopson. On a lighter note “Alright,” is a potential radio banger on the album that is sure to have people chanting the rousing contagious chorus nationwide. On this track Pharrell and TDE’s own Sounwave compose a great instrumentation that Kendrick rides effortlessly.
“How Much A Dollar Cost?” is Kendrick at his most potent and may be the best song on To Pimp A Butterfly. Kendrick ‘s storytelling is a lyrical clinic as he spits a conversation with God, a critic of the young rapper’s lack of empathy and humility. He says:
He’s starin’ at me in disbelief
My temper is buildin’, he’s starin’ at me, I grab my key He’s starin’ at me, I started the car, then I tried to leave
And somethin’ told me to keep it in park until I could see The reason why he was mad at a stranger Like I was supposed to save him
Like I’m the reason he’s homeless and askin’ me for a favor He’s starin’ at me, his eyes followed me with no laser
He’s starin’ at me, I notice that his stare is contagious
“Complexion (A Zulu Love),” which features 9 Wonder’s protegee Rapsody, combats the archaic concept of colorism in the Black community. The legendary Pete Rock also contributes vocals on the hook on this Terrace Martin-produced track.
The bold, brash, and proud “The Blacker The Berry” is certainly the heavy hitter of To Pimp a Butterfly, which is wrought with thick themes of Black Nationism. “Blacker than the heart of an Aryan”? Kendrick said that. On this track, he takes the Black community to task. On “u” he turns the castigation inward in a most scathing way, screaming “loving you is complicated!”
One of the many distinctive, understated elements of this To Pimp a Butterfly are the interludes. “For Sale? (Interlude)” is a odd psychedelic adventure, where as “For Free?” is an abusive, frenetic jazz session that foreshadows a pending internal struggle. The most interesting moment of this album takes place in the outro, when Kendrick casually converses about industry troubles and the ills of the world with the legendary Tupac Shakur. The dialogue is a bridge between generations.
Overall this is an excellent album. Whether it is a classic in the truest sense of the word will be determined in the annals of time. Nevertheless, in an era of social media critics and groupthink, the album is already being lauded as a candidate for album of the year. There is no question, it takes several listens (and maybe reference materials) to properly digest To Pimp a Butterfly.
As evidenced by To Pimp a Butterfly, there are more important matters surrounding this work of art created in a time when most rap albums are in a vacuum apart from real life. Kendrick’s latest stands on the shoulders of great audio works like Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, Nas’ Illmatic, NWA’s Straight Out Of Compton and others like OutKast’s Aquemini. The question: How will To Pimp a Butterfly affect its millions and millions of listeners with their varied backgrounds in these times that feel like we are on the verge of worldwide cataclysm?
Lyricism: 10/10
Production: 9/10
Cohesiveness: 9.5/10
Replay Value: 9/10
Overall: 9.5/10
Standout Tracks: “These Walls”, “Alright”, “How Much A Dollar Cost”, “Complexion(A Zulu Love)”, “The Blacker The Berry”
