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Raekwon "Ooh La La La"
Fresco Kane – "You Can Have It"
The East St. Louis native, Fresco Kane, has Hip Hop legends taking notice of the 26-year-old with the rock star persona–from Jermaine Dupri insisting the rookie sign with his label just hours after meeting him for the first time, to Busta Rhymes contributing a raunchily righteous verse to his JD and Bryan Michael Cox-produced buzz single “Hump Wit It.” Industry visionaries can argue that the St. Louis Hip Hop scene hasn’t had a champion of this immense talent in years. It’s usually cliche when rappers claim that their region rests on their backs, but with Fresco it’s the undeniable truth. “I definitely feel like a lot of weight is on my shoulders,” he says.
He has a clear picture of what true success is and knows he has a long road ahead to reach his destination. Thus he keeps himself humbled and his lens on the big picture. “Just because you’re signed doesn’t mean you’re on,” he states. “I got signed off of my talent––because I can sing, because I can produce and rap.”
Check out his new single “You Can Have It” below, produced by Mike Kalombo & Don P.
Common: I Haven't Seen Racist Justin Beiber Tapes, But He's Not A Racist
(AllHipHop News) Add the C-O-double M-O-N to the list of African American entertainers defending Justin Bieber against racist allegations. A month after Mack Maine claimed Justin Bieber had “legitimately adopted the Hip Hop culture”,
Back in June, a video tape surfaced of Justin Bieber singing “one less lonely nig*er” at the age of 14. During an interview with VladTV, Common admits to not seeing the tape itself but deduces from Bieber’s recent activity that he 20 year old singer is not a racist:
He surrounds himself with black people. So, I don’t think it was something that—To be honest I never even seen the tapes, but I got the feedback of it. But I don’t think it’s something that he was saying wholeheartedly to demean a black person.
Common later reasons that Bieber, who was born and raised in Canada, “must have been raised in a place where he just didn’t know” about the implications of those types of remarks. Common also takes the time to reiterate the message of his longtime collaborator Kanye West’s 2004 lyric “racism still alive, they just be concealing it”:
We got so many other problems in America, racism is not at the forefront. We feel like ‘Oh, we have a Black president. Oh, we see successful people out there that are African American and Black. We doing multicultural movies, so racism [doesn’t exist]. But it still does exists. It’s just under the table. One thing I liked about during time is that it was just out there and put on the table. I rather it just be put on the table, because that’s the way you get to the solution.
Check out Common discuss racism, Justin Bieber’s tapes and more with VladTV here.
Cee Lo Green Reveals New Reason Why He Left "The Voice", Gives Pharrell Advice
(AllHipHop News) Cee Lo Green will continue to profit from his voice but grew tired of The Voice. In a recent interview, the Goodie Mob artist explained how fatigue led to his departure from the hit NBC show and gives his replacement, Pharrell Williams, advice on handling the show.
News of Pharrell Williams replacing Cee Lo on The Voice surfaced this past March when show’s official Twitter account annouced the change. Cee Lo originally revealed on The Ellen Degeneres Show a month before the announcement and revealed his reason for leaving was based on wanting to work on his new album. Cee Lo changed his reasoning a bit during an interview with Us Weekly:
It easily and quickly became a job. Very, very obligating… Taxing and tiring… I still tip my hat to Adam [Levine] and Blake [Shelton] and those guys who continuously do it, but I think I ran my course there just naturally.
Green was one of the original judges announced for the show back in February 2011, two months before the show’s inaugural season began. Later in the interview, CeeLo gave advice to Pharrell on how to handle the job:
Just kind of pace yourself. Just find it enjoyable, and as long as you’re passionate about discovering new talent and really helping people and encouraging them to be themselves and live out loud and follow their dreams, then you should have no problem.
Cee Lo’s new show “The Good Life” premiered on TBS on June 28th and airs every Monday at 10 P.M.
Russell Simmons ADD52 & Samsung Milk Music Will Release A Single Every Week
(AllHipHop News) Russell Simmons is taking his roots to the future and searching for the next great artists Today (July 10th), Russell Simmons and Steve Rikin’s announce their partnership with Samsung’s Milk music streaming service to release a single from a new artist ever week for a year.
ADD52 is a part of Simmons and Steve Rifkin’s All Def Digital music label they began in 2013 and will expand their partnership with Samsung to include working with its relatively new music streaming service, Milk Music. 52 singles were picked from thousands of submissions from unknown acts made to ADD52.com. The partnership includes Universal Music Group which will extend a recording contract at any of its labels to the artists with singles that have the most streams, likes and social media shares.
Rikfin, founder of Loud Records and SRC Records, claims in an interview with Billboard that ADD52 is an answer to the monotony of current radio programming:
The research we’re getting back is people who are coming to the station aren’t necessarily wanting to hear Drake and all the hot records. They’re there to hear the new records that nobody has ever heard before.
ADD52 was originally announced back in March around the time of Samsung’s Milk Music debut. Samsung’s Milk Music has over 13 million songs and recently announced the music service was downloaded over 2 million times in its first four months of release. Simmons admits that while there is no plans for a long term partnership with Samsung past the 52 weeks, ADD52, Simmons informed Billboard “there are too many artists that need exposure for me not to continue this process.”
Check out ADD52’s promotion video explaining the partnership with Samsung’s Milk Music
Chuck D Calls Out Iggy Azaela For Racist Photo That Is Proven To Be Fake
(AllHipHop News) Fake or real, Chuck D is against all forms of racism. Last night (July 9th), Chuck D responded to an altered photograph of Iggy Azaela calling Drake, B.O.B. and T.I. her “n*ggas”.
The photo of Azaela with the three rappers originally appeared on B.O.B.’s Facebook page in 2012 to promote Azaela’s “M.D.M. (Million Dollar Misfits)” collaboration with T.I. and B.O.B. The photo reappeared recently with the caption “Me and my n*gga’s” and Chuck D found offense in the post, even after realizing it was fake:
a new straight path to slavery Here comes a endorsed sanctioned CORPlantation artist with A line straight out of 1853 pic.twitter.com/OiUZhQ7DUi
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) July 10, 2014
True or not the IGGY thing is a reality when you call yourself with the slaveass term that was branded on skin & today marketed, sht happens — Chuck D (@MrChuckD) July 10, 2014
Azaela has been alleged to be a racist since her 2012 song “D.R.U.G.S” which consisted of a lyric that likened the Australian-born rapper to a “runaway slave master”. In a recent interview with The Guardian, she addressed how dating Los Angeles Lakers’ star Nick Young made the racist allegations harder for her to endure:
Getting the word racist put on me sucked. And it’s hurtful forother people to have to hear it (she nods in the direction of the boyfriend, who is buttering a crumpet). And it is hurtful for other people’s families to have to hear it. I think people seriously need to rethink that word. We are very liberal in flinging it around and it is pretty f###### heavy
Check out the full Guardian piece here.
Young Thug "1017 Lifestyle"
Young Buck Ft. Rukus100 "Rollin"
Juicy J "0 To 100 (Remix)"
CyHi The Prynce Ft. Scotty ATL, Marian Mereba & Andre “GC” Fennell "Good Night (Remix)"
360 Ft Ja Rule "Why Should I Care"
Sulaiman Ft. Chance The Rapper "Fam And Foolies"
Young Guru: Hip Hop Is Not A Color Based Thing
(AllHipHop News) The discussion surrounding race and Hip Hop has become a big topic over the last year. From Lord Jamar saying white artists are “guests” in the culture, to Macklemore’s controversial Grammy win over Kendrick Lamar, to Forbes initially claiming “Hip Hop Is Run By A White, Blonde, Australian Woman” via Iggy Azalea – the conversation continues to be ongoing.
[ALSO READ: Hip Hop’s Anger Over Macklemore’s Grammy Win Is About Respect Not Race]
Hard Knock TV caught up with veteran engineer Young Guru to get his perspective on the topic. The longtime Jay Z associate connects Hip Hop with Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have A Dream Speech.” For Guru, it’s not about the color of your skin, but the level of your talent.
Hip Hop has always had that different face. If we really go back and you really talk about Hip Hop music and Hip Hop culture some of your greatest graffiti writers like Zephyr and these guys were white guys. People try to take out the Spanish and Puerto Rican influence in some of the greatest B-boys and some of the greatest DJs in the beginning of Hip Hop.
You can’t tell me that the Beastie Boys are not Hip Hop. You can’t tell me MC Serch is not Hip Hop. I think that people – when they look at when it spreads, the audience themselves may not be Hip Hop. Macklemore’s audience may not be the biggest Hip Hop audience, but you can’t say that Macklemore himself is not Hip Hop. People are going to have their own expression.
Hip Hop is not a color based thing. It’s actually the one place where Dr. King’s dream has been realized. Where it doesn’t really matter what color you are. It matters how dope you are. That’s all it is. That’s what the content of character means. How good are you at what you claim you do? That’s Hip Hop. The only place you could ever see that.
During the interview Guru also speaks on his time teaching at the University of Southern California, the importance of documenting Hip Hop’s history, and the difference between a producer and a beat maker.
[ALSO READ: Young Guru Shares His Extensive Vinyl Collection In “Crate Diggers” (VIDEO)]
Watch Guru’s full interview below.
Fatz Da Big Fella "Fatz Sinatra"
Sylvia Sylvia "Sweet Wine And Valentines"
L.A. Bloods Set Reportedly Co-Signs Chris Brown
(AllHipHop News) Last week Chris Brown was caught apparently throwing up gang signs at a club in Los Angeles. Reports later connected Brown’s hand motions to Compton’s Fruit Town Piru Bloods set.
[ALSO READ: Hip Hop Rumors: Chris Brown Caught Throwing Up Gang Signs]
TMZ reportedly spoke with Piru members to get more information about the R&B singer’s association with the gang. While the site reports Brown has not been officially initiated, he has been accepted as an affiliate.
The connection between the Bloods and Brown is not because the “Loyal” performer supports or takes part any in criminal or gang related activity. It is his charitable work and community support that the set appreciates.
According to TMZ, Brown gets the Fruit Town co-sign because:
– He’s hired several of them to work for him … giving their Compton community an economic boost
– Chris comes to the hood and hangs out with them
– He shot a music video in the neighborhood … and even included some of them in the vid
– He donated a thousand pairs of new shoes to Compton kids
[ALSO READ: Chris Brown, Justin Bieber and More Play In BET Experience Sprite Celebrity Basketball Game]
Stacey Dash Suggests Kanye West Should Experience Being Raped In Jail (VIDEO)
(AllHipHop News) Stacey Dash did not hold back her feelings when asked about Kanye West during a recent segment on Fox News. The Clueless star used the platform to not only criticize West’s recent comments at London’s Wireless Festival, but she also suggested the Hip Hop artist experience being raped in jail.
[ALSO READ: Hip-Hop Rumors: Kanye West Gets Super Booed!!]
Kanye sparked controversy after he compared being harassed by the paparazzi to being raped during one of his infamous onstage speeches. Dash took issue with what West said and railed into the Yeezus emcee.
“For Kanye to say ‘rape,’ maybe he needs to spend some time on [New York jail] Rikers Island,” said Dash. “Go to Rikers for a little while, and then he’ll know what rape is.”
Dash has become an outspoken conservative voice over the last few years. She caught backlash from some in the Black community when she openly endorsed Mitt Romney for president over Barack Obama in 2012. She has since been hired as a contributor for Fox News.
West and Dash do have a history of working together. The 47-year-old actress appeared in Ye’s music video for “All Falls Down” off The College Dropout.
[ALSO READ: Kanye West Reportedly Debuted 20 New Tracks At London Club]
Watch Stacey Dash’s comments about Kanye West in the video below.
Draya Hosts All-White Affair with Jermaine Dupri, Irv Gotti and Jermaine Jones (USA Soccer)
Draya Michele looked “white hot” as she hosted the premiere Supreme Team event. Draya sipped Ace of S#### champagne all night and coyly avoided questions about the notion that her and NFL boo Orlando were separated. Her BBWLA co-star, Malaysia Pargo, partied with her and of course posed for a ton of photos. POWER 106’s Justin Credible took the club from “0-100 real quick” as he lit the speakers with YG, Drake, and “Pass Me the Hookah!” Also in attendance was Murder Inc.’s Irv Gotti who partied with super-producer Jermaine Dupri. Team USA’s Jermaine Jones hosted a group of World Cup soccer players to acknowledge the efforts of the team! Take a look at the pics below!
Trey Songz "Trigga" Album Opens At #1
(AllHipHop News) It has been a good two weeks for the folks over at Atlantic Records. The label released Ed Sheeran’s X which claimed the top spot on the Billboard 200 album chart last week, and now Trey Songz follows that up with another number one with Trigga.
[ALSO READ: Sevyn Streeter Celebrates Her Birthday In N.O. With Trey Songz, Tank, Angela Simmons & More (PICS)]
The Virginia crooner’s 6th studio album opened with 105,000 units sold in its first week. While those are his lowest opening sales since the release of Trey Day in 2007, it’s enough to give Songz his second #1 album of his career. 2012’s Chapter V ruled the chart at as well.
Trigga featured appearances by Nicki Minaj, Juicy J, and Ty Dolla $ign. The project joins Beyoncé’s self-titled album, Schoolboy Q’s Oxymoron, and Rick Ross’ Mastermind as the only R&B/rap albums to hit number one in 2014 so far.
[ALSO READ: Schoolboy Q’s “Oxymoron” Becomes TDE’S 1st #1 Album On Billboard 200]