With over twenty years invested into Hip-Hop, Twista, has forged a respected niche within the culture. With passion, pride, and pain–lyricism delivered from a sincere stance–he has transformed ordinary words into poignant prose. To create immortal art music and memory collide; this a signature of artistic journey.
On a quest to manipulate metaphors while controlling the mic, the Chicago native, is still motivated by the challenge to manifest his truth through the art. Twista’s latest release, Dark Horse, a testament of his maturation not only as a man, but also as an MC. During album release party AllHipHop.com posed the following:
For all the Amideau Diallous, Oscar Grants, Trayvon Martins, Eric Garners, Mike Browns, Armand Bennetts, and Renisha McBrides–who were condemned because of their melanin-enriched skin–how does your voice as an MC demonstrate the full spectrum of what it is to be a Black man in America?
(AllHipHop News) Judge Genese Brinkley has no interest in any Dream Worth More Than Money promo. Yesterday (August 18th), the Philadelphia denied Meek Mill’s appeal on his parole violation.
Last month, Brinkley sentenced Mill to three-to-six months in Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility over inappropriate tweets about his parole officer, failing a drug test and appearing in a music video with a gun. Brinkley denied Mill’s appeal on the decision, a reversal that could have freed Meek yesterday. DJ Khaled and other members of Atlantic Records and Maybach Music Group were in attendance according to MTV’s Rob Markman.
Mill’s Defense lawyer Dennis Cogan argued that the MMG rapper failed his drug test due to a prescription for Oxycontin he obtained after sustaining an ankle injury. Also, Cogan argued that Meek has not incurred any new charges and the gun Mill brandishes in the music video was a water pistol.
Brinkley ordered Meek to undergo anger management classes as a condition of the sentencing. After Meek questioned if he would be able to start the classes while in protective custody, Brinkley agreed to remove Meek from protective custody according to Billboard.
(AllHipHop News) Veteran Hip Hop DJ and producer Statik Selektah has built a career uniting with emcees for full joint projects. The Shade 45 radio host’s discography includes musical efforts with Termanology, Freeway, Bumpy Knuckles, Freddie Gibbs, Action Bronson, Jared Evan, and Ransom.
In a recent interview with AllHipHop.com, Statik gives a hint to which artist could be his next full project collaborator.
“Something that could happen in the future – me and Ab-Soul,” reveals Statik. “We’ve been working. I think we’re going to do an Ab-Soul [project].”
The Massachusetts bred production wiz also shares that he would like to get in the lab with a couple of Chicago newcomers and another Black Hippy member.
“I like Chance [The Rapper] a lot. I see him going in a different direction now. I see him doing a lot more soulful s**t which I enjoy. I went to see him in London. He was real dope. I like Vic Mensa. He’s dope,” says Statik. “I feel like I’m working with pretty much everybody I want to work with. If anyone’s not on the list of who I’ve worked with, it’s definitely Kendrick [Lamar].”
Statik Selektah released his latest album What Goes Around today (August 19). The project is available on iTunes.
We at AllHipHop knew there was a special part of the story in Ferguson, Missouri that wasn’t being heard, so CEO Chuck Creekmur let me go down to Ferguson to get the 411. I had no idea what I was walking in to.
Now, let me say for the record, I did watch wall to wall coverage of what was happening in Ferguson before going down there. I was very well versed on the tragedy that came about last Saturday when an unarmed teenager named Mike Brown was shot to death in the small mid-western suburb of ST. Louis.
But it still couldn’t prepare me for the feelings that came about after I got to town.
Through some of my experience I was terrified. You can actually tell in some of the footage because my hands were literally trembling while I was trying to film what I saw. My fear of the massive police presence was not a joke.
And at no time did I EVER feel unsure or scared of the protesters.
I can not say that about the police however, as I was overwhelmed by the immense police presence and the menacing way that police seemingly stalked reporters.
There were moments of chaos, moments of clarity, definite feelings of sorrow and honestly, I’m still trying to make sense of all of it.
A city within the United States of America is under siege. The police are doing everything they can to control the story and it’s frightening. Reporter’s are being bullied and the genuinely peaceful protesters are being agitated. It’s as if police are thirsty for a fight with them so they can show a crushing use force against them. I’m in no way a conspiracy theorist but what we are seeing looks like the dooms day scenarios that American citizens keep training for out in the woods. Things that used to sound ridiculous now appear to be playing out in front of our very eyes. I didn’t feel that way until I saw the military vehicles and the sheer numbers of “combat police” on the ground in Ferguson. I started to wonder if instead of giggling at those in the woods…if maybe we shouldn’t have been taking a closer look at what they were training for.
Remember how we got here. This story only exists because a cop used excessive force against a child. The response from the police toward a community who just wants justice has been more force. How can that ever make sense? Where is the opportunity for healing ever going to come in to play when the police insist upon treating the citizens as if their voice does not matter. The people there deserve so much better than this.
I walked along the path where Mike Brown took his last breaths with some of the members of his family. I was humbled and honored to take that walk with them. Thanks to DJ Charlie Hustle and Rebel Diaz I met Calvin and Gary and they showed us everything.
Please take a look at what I saw in the video below.
**Editor’s note, the camera is a little shaky sometimes because I was trembling. Fear is a crazy thing. You can talk smack all you want to but if you’re afraid it will show in other ways.
The goal was to see what the people of Ferguson wanted us to know. I’m so glad that I went and even happier that some felt they could talk to me. The youth of Ferguson have things to say and they need you to hear them. I’m humbled to have been there in their midst and I hope they get the justice that they seek.
#HandsUpDon’tShoot is a real movement guys and they need your support. After seeing what the people in Ferguson are enduring I’m convinced that they not only need it…they deserve it.
(AllHipHop News) St. Louis native Nelly had been criticized by some residents of his hometown for not actually visiting Ferguson, Missouri where 18-year-old Michael Brown was gunned down by a cop over a week ago.
After addressing the issue in interviews and at a celebrity football game in Los Angeles, Nelly finally visited the city yesterday (August 18).
Nelly spoke to a crowd of people in Ferguson. The rapper told the people in attendance that they needed to remain peaceful. He also suggested they look at their own actions as it relates to criminality and claimed the often repeated statistic that there are more black men in jail than in college is not true.
“It ain’t been like that since 2001,” said Nelly through a bullhorn. “There’s more doctors. There’s more lawyers. There’s more teachers. There’s more black billionaires. There’s more black millionaires. You got options brothers and sisters. We got to understand we got options and stop choosing the reaction option.”
While applause and shouts of agreement can heard by some of the crowd members during Nelly’s speech, The Guardian‘s Jon Swaine reported on Twitter that not all the reaction to Nelly was positive. Swaine tweeted that some onlookers asked Nelly what was his plan moving forward, and one person responded to him saying “You got options” with “You got options – you’re rich.”
Michael Brown was killed on August 9th by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Brown was unarmed at the time of the shooting. Protests have been ongoing in Ferguson since his death.
Lot of people seriously unimpressed with Nelly. “You got options,” he tells crowd. “YOU got options – you’re rich,” a guy shouts back. — Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) August 19, 2014
IF this is true, the next season of LHHATL is gonna be filled with so much ratchery it’ll be ridiculous, while Mona Scott-young laughs to the bank…MediaTakeout is reporting that Waka Flocka, who recently married Tammy Rivera, may have knocked up his sidepiece, who happens to be the daughter of a billionaire.
“MediaTakeOut.com just spoke with an IMPRECCABLE SNITCH who tells us that Wacka got the half-Asian half-white daughter of a founder to a POPULAR INTERNET COMPANY pregnant. We were asked NOT to divulge the girls information, cause its NOT CLEAR she’s keeping the child.
Here’s what our snitch told us, “I go to school with Waka and [high tech founder]’s daughter and Waka was here last Spring performing at our school. Waka let a bunch of folks back to the hotel and she was behaving like a real groupie. Fast forward till now and it’s a mess. She’s pregnant and it’s buzzing like crazy among our friends on Facebook.”
While we can’t say the name – we can tell you that dude is worth A BUNCH OF MONEY – hundreds of MILLIONS and probably BILLIONS!!”
Ms. Deb may have those grand babies a little sooner than expected…
(AllHipHop News) The question of how Hip Hop is appropriated into pop culture and used by non-Black/Latino artists has been a discussion within the culture since its inception. In recent years, pop stars like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga added elements of Hip Hop into their songs via production and guest appearances.
Taylor Swift has become the latest pop-friendly performer to incorporate Hip Hop into her brand. While also including ballet, modern dance, 80’s New Wave, and cheerleading, Swift’s new video for “Shake It Off” is heavy on Hip Hop references.
The clip features the singer carrying a boombox and donning street wear clothing, B-boys dancing, and backup dancers twerking. Swift even breaks into a rap in the middle of the song.
Odd Future’s Earl Sweatshirt did not appreciate Swift’s video. The rapper sent out a series of tweets blasting the Pennsylvania native for what he sees as perpetuating Black stereotypes to her mostly white, female fan base.
Atlanta Exes the extension of Vh1’s Hollywood Exes premiered Monday night. Atlanta provides the ideal backdrop and group of ex-wives for the successful franchise’s extension being that it is the thriving music and entertainment capital of the South. The cast which includes Tameka Raymond (the ex-wife of Usher Raymond), Christina Johnson (ex-wife of Cee-Lo Green), Monyetta Shaw (ex-fiancé of Ne-Yo), Sheree Buchanan (ex-wife of former pro football player Ray Buchanan), and Torrei Hart (ex-wife of Kevin Hart) held a viewing party in Atlanta’s elite Buckhead area. AllHipHop caught up with the cast to find out what we can expect from this season. Check out the video below.
This past weekend Commission’s own DJ Holiday held his first annual Holipalooza Concert at Wild Bill’s in Duluth, GA (an Atlanta suburb). The concert was packed to the max with music execs, media, and Hip-Hop enthusiasts of course. DJ Holiday brought out artists such as Mike Fresh, Zuse, Que, Extream Bling, Runway Richie, TK N Cash, Young Dolph, Bobby Shmurda, Rae Sremmurd, Migos and more. It’s safe to say that the first Holipalooza was a success! AllHipHop caught up with some of the performers backstage to discuss their new projects. Check out our recap video below.
I’m not a Kardashian fan and I don’t watch the show, but word is on this week’s past episode, Khloe confronted French Montana about suspicions of why he may really be with the reality show star.
BallerAlert reports:
“Kim confronts French about suspicions that he has an ulterior motive when it comes to dating Khloe. In a recent interview with Billboard Magazine French dished on his relationship with Khlo and how he wanted to take advantage of the spotlight. “I want to capitalize on it,” he said. “I’ll get a fan base from everywhere. I just hope I’ll be able to connect with everything that’s going on.”
Before you start worrying about Khloe, she’s a big girl. She says that she knows French’s intentions and doesn’t care. “It’s amusing to me that Y’all think I don’t see it. I was the first one to see it. I just don’t care.””
Now if that ain’t a damn…nevermind. Guess it’s like her brother-in-law Yeezy rapped, we don’t care what people say…
(AllHipHop News) The same week Chief Keef teased an upcoming collaboration with Kanye West, reports are coming out that Ye could be teaming up with Paul McCartney on tracks as well.
According to the New York Post, the Chicago emcee and the Beatles legend have been secretly recording together, and those songs could develop into a full album.
One of those collaborations could be a song titled “P### On Your Grave.” The Huffington Post has confirmed with representatives from Kanye’s camp that the track does exist, but the reps would not comment on whether McCartney is on the song or if a potential joint project featuring the two stars is in the works.
McCartney previously said in an interview that he thought about adding a rapper to his song “Appreciate.” The only rap guest features he considered were Kanye West and Jay Z.
Ye has mentioned the Beatles on a track in the past. On the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy track “Gorgeous” he rapped, “And what’s a black Beatle anyway? A f**king roach?”
Ok now make sure you have a few minutes to spare, because this one takes awhile to get out…
Rumors have been circulating a minute now that Future and Rihanna may have a ‘thing,’ but it gets even messier because one site is reporting that another party may be involved, Keyshia Cole. Peep what Blind Gossip.com is saying:
“This relationship started out with the best of intentions. Two good-looking and successful people – both at the top of their game – fell in love and got engaged. Of course there was the obligatory giant diamond ring (which he helped to design), the open displays of admiration for each other, and declarations of happiness all around when the engagement was announced. Sweet, right? Oh, hell no! He was so used to women flocking to him that he just couldn’t seem to settle into only having one woman. In the past six months alone, he has cheated on her at least twice… and both of the women that we know about are famous! Mistress 1 is probably the most famous person in this story. She was working on a project with Fiance, and there were some whispers that the two of them had gotten close. Our Bride-to-be initially dismissed the rumors as gossip, but later found out that the rumors were all true. Bride was furious… but her Fiance managed to convince her that it was nothing more than a few casual hookups and that it was totally over. Groom-to-be and Mistress 2 worked on a project together a few years ago. Nothing happened then, but as soon as Groom got engaged, Mistress 2 was suddenly all over him! This was no one-night stand either. It was an honest-to-goodness full-blown affair. Bride has no clue about Mistress 2, and you know that there is zero chance that Groom will voluntarily tell her about it. So we will. Bride-to-be: Groom-to-be: Mistress 1: Mistress 2: BONUS CLUES on Twitter! BONUS CLUE: Mistress 1 is single. Mistress 2 is married. This affair may have broken up M2′s marriage. BONUS CLUE: One woman was pregnant while these affairs were occurring! SOLVED! August 13, 2014 Bride-to-be: Ciara Groom-to-be: Future Mistress 1: Rihanna Mistress 2: Keyshia Cole We were not at all surprised when it was announced today that Ciara and Future broke up. The reports are saying that Future cheated. Blind Gossip told you about this two months ago… and we also told you with whom he was cheating! While Ciara was pregnant with Future’s baby, Future was screwing around on her with Rihanna and Keyshia Cole. Ciara gave birth to their son, Future Zahir, three months ago. However, by that time, the relationship with Future was broken. Now you know why. All of the details of the cheating scandal are contained within our original blind item (above).”
Too much right? If this has any truth to it Future is definitely doing the most. SMH.
(AllHipHop News) The murder trial for slain rapper Lil Phat has shifted in a major way once again. Now suspect Decensae White has testified on behalf of the prosecution in the case, admitting he and four other defendants were directly involved in Phat’s killing.
Lil Phat (born Melvin Vernell III) was gunned down in the parking lot of Atlanta’s Northside Hospital on June 7, 2012. White stated he had been tracking Phat’s car using a GPS device provided to him by ex-Russian mafia member Mani Chulpayev.
The prosecution believes this was all to take revenge on Phat for stealing marijuana from White and alleged Bloods gang leader Gary “Eldorado Red” Bradford. White also implicated Maurice Dewayne Conner and Deandre Washington in the murder. According to authorities, Conner and Washington were the gunmen paid to shoot Phat.
White gave an account of the moments leading up to Phat’s death inside Northside’s parking deck.
“We see that [Phat’s] car is there. We circle around the parking deck and then exited the parking deck. Red gets on the phone with Conner, and tells him to stay there and, ‘Do you see the car?’ He said, ‘Yes,'” White told Fulton County Prosecutor Gabe Banks. “That’s when Red was saying, ‘Gun his ass or kill him right there basically.”
White goes on to testify that he did not believe Phat would be killed at the hospital, but Red apparently said that the rapper should be murdered right there “mob style,” meaning his death would be about principle, not recovering any money.
In White’s mind that principle meant, “Respect for being a drug dealing gang banger.”
It’s been a while since we’ve heard Houston rapper, Travi$ Scott. Scott’s debut project Owl Pharoah was arguably one of the best mixtapes to drop last year, production credits working with Kanye West and Jay Z, and even opening for Ye’ during the Yeezus tour, we can say that Scott’s been pretty busy. However, La Flame drops his new album Days Before Rodeo, and it’s fire. The dark and grim production of Scott returns, giving listeners a sinister tone with hard-hitting bass. Days Before Rodeo includes appearances from Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan, Big Sean, Migos, and Peewee Longway. Metro Boomin’ also earns a production credit for the album as well. Check out Travi$ Scott’s second album Days Before Rodeo below:
Uh oh Breezy and Mr. Steal Your Girl are uniting for a joint tour!!!
Chris Brown and Trey Songz are teaming up for an epic joint R&B tour this fall! Brown broke the news on Twitter: “THIS FALL is gonna be legendary! Get ready for me and @TreySongz Tour!!!!!!” To kick off the promo for the tour both singer posted Instagram videos of themselves pondering the idea of a joint tour. Breezy said, “real R&B, real singing, real performances, ton of ladies.” “We could do like old songs, new songs. Oh, we got that one song that we did together that no one’s heard,” said Trey before singing Breezy’s “Yo (Excuse Me Miss).”
The VA natives have plenty of new material to perform. Chris is readying his X album for a September 16 release and Trey’s sixth album Trigga debuted at No. 1 in July!
Check out their back-and-forth Instagram vids below get your tickets!
Music fans may still be getting familiar with Warner Brothers Record’s artist Bebe Rexha’s name, but they’ve already grown to love her sound. She’s the songwriter behind a monster hit and has upcoming collaborations with some of the biggest names in music. With the release of her single, “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You,” a song that MTV calls a “certifiable smash,” 2014 is shaping up to be the year Bebe Rexha takes center stage. Bebe Rexha released her Girl, Interrupted/Melancholia inspired debut video this week, “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You.” She penned the song while being hammered following a bad break up.
Bebe is a first-generation Albanian-American from Brooklyn. Her major break into the music industry was as the front woman for Pete Wentz’s Black Cards project, where she honed her talents opening up for acts like Travis McCoy, Panic at The Disco and Bon Jovi. In 2012, Wentz decided to fold the project to refocus his attention on his group Fall Out Boy, and Bebe found herself doubting her direction. She channeled those emotions into “Monster Under My Bed,” a dark, hypnotizing track produced by Frequency. Eminem remade “Monster Under My Bed” into “The Monster,” featuring Rihanna. The song spent five weeks at #1 and sold a massive 3 million copies. Fans soon discovered Bebe’s original demo online, and the buzz around her has been building since.
Bebe draws from her experiences with romance, family difficulties and personal challenges to create electrifying tracks that are a combination of toughness and vulnerability. Her sound is as versatile as her subject matter.
Check out the video to “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You” below.
