(AllHipHop News) The Internet went crazy yesterday when Nicki Minaj posted the cover art for her new song “Anaconda.” The actually song has not even made its way to the net yet, but the photo alone made the Young Money rapper a trending topic.
Many of Nicki’s fans are patiently waiting to experience her next single. One of the men behind “Anaconda” spoke with MTV to give listeners a hint on what to expect from The Pink Print track.
“She went crazy,” said Eric Bellinger. “Turn up. That’s it; just turn up. The realest turn up possible.”
Bellinger co-produced the song with Polow da Don and Da Internz. The team began crafting the track last month. According to the singer-songwriter, they knew from the jump that “Anaconda” would be one of the biggest songs from Nicki’s upcoming album.
“For this one, it was like it was already a hit single and it was already #1 when we were in the studio. It was a crazy feeling,” stated Bellinger.
Minaj previously released the single “Pill N Potions.” The song peaked at number 24 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Besides writing songs for stars like Chris Brown (“Fine China”), Usher (“Let Me See”) and Justin Bieber (“Right Here”), Bellinger is a recording artist as well. He released his debut solo album The Rebirth earlier this year.
Could the next American heavyweight champion be a Philly fighter? Bryant Jennings has attempted to make that case since his pro debut in 2010. The 29 year old built a solid following after an active 2012 that saw him post 5 wins (4 by knockout). With most of those fights coming under the Main Events banner, the payoff was supposed to be showdown with the promotion’s biggest star, Tomasz Adamek. Unfortunately, disagreements between his management and Main Events left him not only without Adamak, but also the immediate availability of TV dates.
Undeterred, Jennings regrouped by signing with manager James Prince (Andre Ward) and promoter Gary Shaw last Octover. The partnership landed Jennings a quick January TV date against tough Polish heavyweight Artur Szpilka, who had recently upped his profile with an exciting (and bloody) rematch TKO5 victory over Mike Millo on Friday Night Fights last October.
In a dominant performance, Jennings slowly dissected and battered Szpilka to a 10th round TKO. Now sitting on a #3 ranking, Jennings is finally in a position for his first world title shot against current titlist Bermane Stiverne or #2 contender Deontay Wilder (Writer’s Note: The WBC has mandated that Stiverne face Wilder first).
Before that can become reality, Jennings has business Saturday night against Mike Perez. Like Jennings, he’s undefeated. The similarities mostly end there. Perez is a fast starter with a high workrate. Jennings is more methodical but gets stronger and more aggressive as the fight progresses. Perez is coming off a draw and shoulder injury that’s kept him out of the ring since November. Jennings will be fighting for the second time in six months.
In a division where literally one punch can change fortunes, Bryant Jennings reveals why he will be the one to finally bring a title belt back to the United States.
Knockout Nation: After Mike Perez’s last fight against Carlos Takam, the prevailing thought is that you’re facing physically prime fighter, but one who’s mentally damaged from the Magomed Abdusalamov tragedy. Is that a fair assessment?
Bryant Jennings: It’s hard to say. Styles makes fights and Takam was more elusive that Magomed. I still need to be prepared for everything. I just have to be ready to adjust to any strategy he brings to the ring.
KO Nation: This is your second consecutive southpaw opponent. Are you now comfortable with lefties?
Jennings: I would say so. A lot of that has to do with my conditioning and being active. The more you fight the better. I can also switch hit which is very helpful.
KO Nation: Explain why you thought Perez was faking an injury when he pulled out of the fight earlier this year.
Jennings: It’s just a theory of mine. From what I was hearing from people around him, it seemed like he just wasn’t ready. Of course, I can’t know for sure but that’s what I was lead to believe.
KO Nation: You have the tag of being a “slow starter.” When in battle, talk about the “switch” that goes off inside you when to start increasing your punch output and aggression.
Jennings: I go off instinct. The funny thing about people saying I’m a slow starter, they never modify that to say I’m a smart fighter. A lot of guys start fast and end up slow. I control the pace. I can start fast, but a lot of times that wouldn’t be wise. I learn my opponent, sent traps and execute.
KO Nation: You have the usual training method of shadowboxing and moving in the ring blindfolded. When did that start?
Jennings: That goes back to 2009 when I was training in Salt Lake City. My trainer Fred Jenkins tries to bring unique things to every fighter he works with. The blindfold is one of my things.
It helps make you very comfortable in the ring. In a fight, you might not be able to see from blood or swelling. You still have to know your way around the ring. The blindfold helped me know the ring without having to actually see it. I know how many steps it takes to reach the ropes. It’s no different from blind people who can walk around their neighborhood. After some time, you get that extra sight in the ring.
KO Nation: So that means you’re ready to take that next step and spar blindfolded, right?
Jennings: [Laughs] Nah, I would never spar blindfolded.
(AllHipHop News) Weezy F. The F stands for “fútbol. According to reports, Lil Wayne has not only started a sports management company but he has signed Real Madrid’s soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo.
TMZ revealed earlier today that Ronaldo will be the first client in Lil Wayne’s sports management company, which will work in partnership with sports agency PolarisSports. PolarisSports is affiliated with sports agency CAA Sports through its 2008 partnership with Gestifute. PolarisSports handles the image rights of their clients and Wayne’s sports management company will reportedly handle Ronaldo’s endorsements, marketing, branding and more. CAA has also handled the contract negotiations for Jay Z’s Roc Nation since its April 2013 beginning.
No word on if Lil Wayne’s sports management company will be in connection to the Visionaire Sports Group he and Birdman applied for a trademark for back in December 2013. According to Forbes, Ronaldo accumulated $77 million last year with $22 million deriving from endorsements, making him the highest paid soccer player of 2013.
While Ronaldo did not confirm his singing, he did release a picture of him, the Prime Minister of Japan and other Japanese politicians throwing up the YMCB hand sign:
This week’s Thugga Thursday comes in form of a Drake remix. Thugga recruits Houston rising spitters Delorean and Doughbeezy for the H Town rendition of Drizzy’s “0-100″.
The project, presented by Zooly Gvng, Defient, Hoodrich and Black Roses, is a mixture of original records from Zuse and freestyles over hit beats. The project includes features from Young Thug, Waka Flocka, Strap (Travis Porter), Trae the Truth, and Zooly Gvng members: Natasha Mosley, Saucelord, Mike Fresh and more!
(AllHipHop News) Not many albums have impacted the Hip Hop landscape like Illmatic. Then again, there are not many albums like good kid, mAAd city. During a recent interview, Nas addressed the comparisons between his debut album and Kendrick Lamar’s and spoke on what Lamar needs to do on his sophomore album.
In his interview with Complex Magazine, Nas stated that “the Internet made the world smaller, so it’s easier now for people to hear your music” as opposed to when he was a new artist in the early 90s with limited means of reaching the masses outside of “radio record” According to Nas, the difference in era is the main reason you can not compare good kid, mAAd city to Illmatic:
No, it’s not a fair comparison to me because Illmatic represented a different time and a different expression for different reasons. The times inspired the sound of that—the climate of the music business, the rap game, the industry, the year, and life in itself. It’s not fair to Kendrick’s album either because his album is a brand new expression that represents these times, the sound represents what’s happening now, he’s changing things today.
Nas says Kendrick Lamar is similarly”an album guy” and not one solely making hit singles. When asked what advice he would give Lamar on following up a classic debut album, Nas reveals that you have to keep everything in perspective:
You’ll never be bigger than hip-hop. I wanna be big but I’ll never be bigger than hip-hop. If I become bigger than hip-hop, then I’m Madonna, I’m a diva. I know plenty divas in this s###, new artists and old. Rap Divas. But none of us is bigger than hip-hop and none of us will ever be.
Remember last month when we posted an upcoming Toronto rapper’s music video? Well Toronto’s Elcee is back with his brand new project LeoSoul (the same project that Jelly belongs to). Elcee drops us this summer project with production from Bonham Carter, Chan-AV, MKSB, Feo Trey, Fluence, LEF7Y, A##tronaut Beatz & MisterMack. Features include Ghost, Sese, Phee & T.Y.. LeoSoul caters to the ambitious dreamers of the new age with subject matter surrounding relationships, personal experiences & growth. Growth is something we all desire at some point in our life, regardless of what it is we are trying accomplish. If you have aspirations, self confidence, drive, etc. LeoSoul is for you, and inspired by you.LeoSoul Album Link: www.elceetheartist.bandcamp.com/album/leosoulAnswer [Music Video]:
(AllHipHop News) Divide and conquer. Yesterday (July 23rd), Drake had some choice words about himself and J. Cole during his surprise appearance at J. Cole’s Dollar and A Dream tour stop in Los Angeles.
During the first of two shows at the Los Angeles, CA stop of Cole’s Dollar and A Dream tour, the North Carolina rapper brought out Drake as a surprise guest. At the end of Drake’s performance, he remarked “There’s only 2 kings in this sh*t right now, and they standing on this stage.”
During Cole’s second show, he brought out Kendrick Lamar as his guest. Drake and Kendrick Lamar are two of the only rappers who have debuted since 2009 that have released platinum-selling albums.
Check out a snippet of Kendrick Lamar performing “Backseat Freestyle” and Drake’s proclamation below:
(AllHipHop News) No Ideas Original and apparently neither are any photos. In a recent interview with VladTV, Wiz Khalifa addressed the uncanny similarities between Young Thug’s 1017 Thug 2 mixtape cover and a photo of Wiz himself.
On July 10th, Young Thug released his mixtape 1017 Thug 2 with cover art that resembled Wiz Khalifa. Khalifa initially responded to the comparisons on his personal Twitter account on July 14th:
Young Thug is actually Wiz Khalifa’s body and Young Thugs Head. Thats what Young Thug has been this whole time.
While Wiz finds the humor in the mixtape cover art, he also believes it possess some historical significance:
Yeah it was funny as hell. I know he probably ain’t have nothing to do with that.Somebody probably released some old music of his and didn’t have any pictures so they just like put some crazy s### together. I thought it was tight though, that goes down in history.
(AllHipHop News) Coolio wants a few things to be clear: he’s not signed to a p### site, he has nothing ot prove to anyone but his banker and he doesn’t watch p### because he can make it himself. In a recent interview, Coolio denied rumors that he signed to PornHub and will be releasing an album through the p### site.
On Tuesday (July 22nd), TMZ reported that Coolio had signed a deal with p### site PornHub to release a new album through the site. According to Coolio in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, TMZ fabricated the story and not only is he not releasing an album through Pornhub but may never release another album again:
They made that sh*t up completely. I didn’t talk to them about s### and they didn’t ask me any questions. That s### was a f#####’ promo song for the website. That’s it! I met some executive from Pornhub while he was out [in Las Vegas] for the AVNs. We hung out; he was cool. He asked me to do a song for Pornhub and that was it. It’s not even my song that I’m putting out. I’m never doing a new album.
Coolio admitted that he rarely spoke about sexual topics in his music in the past but with age has come a desire to indulge in his sexuality on songs. He says he recorded a song entitled “Play With The P*ssy” which he describes as a “PSA mixed into a clever, fun song” that instructs people to “Make sure you wash your hands/Before youuuuuu/Play with the p*ssy”.
Coolio shot the promo song for PornHub in Sherman Oaks, CA surrounded by p### stars. However, according to Coolio, the video shoot had to change its original location due to racism:
That was one of the most racist days I’ve ever experienced in my life. We were supposed to shoot the whole video at this lady’s house in Whittier, [California]. It’s a nice house in a beautiful neighborhood, but her neighbors called the cops because they saw black people going into the house. They filed a formal complaint and it was either, “Shut down the video or somebody’s going to jail.”
Check out Coolio’s full interview with Rolling Stone here.
Nevelle Viracocha is an American performer, producer, and songwriter. Raised in Alabama and only 22 years of age, he truly encompasses the American south in rare musical form, far ahead of his time. Accompanied with a range of records that boast a style and delivery seldom heard amongst peers; Nevelle seamlessly expresses his thoughts, emotions, and raw artistry through painting vivid lyrical portraits and delivering melody-driven ballads in such a way he can be received and enjoyed on a universal platform.
