(AllHipHop News) This year’s BET Hip Hop Awards weekend is sure to be an amazing celebration. The awards will be taped on Saturday, September 28, 2013 at the Atlanta Civic Center. They will air on BET on October 15th at 8pm.
The event is already making history with Kendrick Lamar leading the pack with 14 BET Hip-Hop Award nominations, tying with Lil’ Wayne for the most nominations ever.
Events surrounding the big weekend are making news with parties to be held all around the city of Atlanta during hip-hop’s biggest weekend. One of the most exciting and exclusive events is ATL Live on the Park.
Founded by legendary music industry executive, Shanti Das and Marlon Nichols. ATL Live on the Park is an exciting monthly music series that runs from March to November featuring performances from emerging and legendary music artists. The popular, standing-room only event always attracts celebrities and tastemakers.
“We are excited to produce the first ever Hip-Hop Edition of ATL Live on the Park during the BET Hip-Hop Awards weekend. We felt that it was important to honor Chaka Zulu, Jermaine Dupri, Scarface and AllHipHop because all of them have made invaluable contributions in the business. My roots in this game started in Hip-Hop and it is important that we acknowledge those that have contributed to the growth and success of this culture.”
This year, ATL Live on the Park will honor legendary rapper, Scarface with the Hip-Hop Pro Legend Award. The award recognizes Scarface’s 26-year career as an artist and executive. Recognized in the past as one of the greatest lyricists of all time, Scarface was a founding member of the Geto Boys, as well as a successful solo artist.
Also honored this year are Chaka Zulu of DTP Records and Ebony Son Management. Chaka is also the Vice President of Sports and Entertainment of Monster Audio. He will be awarded with the Hip-Hop Pro Trailblazer Award.
Jermaine Dupri will be awarded the Hip-Hop Pro Visionary Award. With a career nearing 30 years, Dupri is been celebrating the 20-year anniversary of So So Def Recordings.
Finally, AllHipHop.com will be honored with the Hip-Hop Pro Pulse Award. Celebrating 15 years as the world’s premier hip-hop news source, the award is the second for the site this year.
ATL Live on the Park: Hip Hop Unplugged takes place on Thursday, Sept. 26 from 8pm to 11pm. Tickets are $15, tables and VIP admission are available.
(AllHipHop News) Black Hippy’s Schoolboy Q recently performed at The Fader‘s #uncapped show, and afterwards the “Collard Greens” rapper spoke with Miss Info about several topics including the status of his forthcoming album Oxymoron, the importance of releasing quality projects, his large Caucasian fan base, and how his crew is running the game right now.
“My crew is the best. Everybody in TDE, from Kendrick to Jay Rock, we’re the most solid, well-rounded,” said Q.
The latest TDE member SZA also joined the conversation. The New Jersey singer/songwriter shared her thoughts on what it is like being a part of the Los Angeles based imprint.
Lecrae is something of a phenomenon in Hip-Hop, because it’s not too often that someone can rap about Jesus and spiritual issues and share the same spotlight and stage with mainstream acts that are often talking about just the opposite. At Rock the Bells in San Bernardino, while Juicy J was on one stage rapping about “Bandz will make her dance,” you had Lecrae rocking the stage across the grounds rapping about faith, love, and encouragement to a group of excited young people hanging on his every word. That’s no knock on Juicy J by the way, rather it’s just an example of Lecrae’s amazing accomplishment in bringing what’s considered “gospel rap” to the forefront and on the same levels of it’s more popular counter-parts, something that pioneering gospel rap groups like Soldiers For Christ and D.C. Talk set out to do long ago.
Personally, I’m happy to see something like this succeed. First off, Lord knows that there are people out there that need to hear a good positive message and secondly, Hip-Hop always thrives in diversity.
AllHipHop.com sat down with Lecrae before he took the stage at Rock the Bells to discuss this amazing feat and more. Oh, when the Saints go marching in!
AllHipHop.com: Let’s start off by giving the people out there an idea of what it is exactly that you do.
Lecrae: I do honest Hip-Hop. A lot of people don’t want to address issues in life, not to say that everything is so serious, but if I’m going to talk about then I’m going to talk about it. I remember a time in Hip-Hop when there artists talking about a variety of things, whether it was N.W.A. talking about Police brutality or Public Enemy talking about standing up or A Tribe Called Quest just being themselves. I was fortunate enough to have Uncles that grew up on all of their music, who put me on to all of their music. For me, I’m a part of that situation in just being honest about everything whether it’s faith, love, relationships, or whatever.
Christian rappers have been around since the late 80’s and I can remember a time where they weren’t seen on the same level as the mainstream secular artists. Here you are rocking the same venues and on the same cards. It’s really come that far.
Lecrae: This is no knock to any Christian that has ever done Hip-Hop before but I think a part of it as that I’m not a Christian trying to rap. I’m a Hip-Hop artist that’s part of the culture who loves Jesus – and that’s going to come out. It’s not about me trying to be like someone else or the Christian version of a certain artist. It’s me being the first me and doing what I love to do.
Do you get a lot of resistance in the Hip-Hop world for your faith?
Lecrae: What’s funny is that I probably get more resistance from Church people!
Why is that?
Lecrae: Because it’s probably harder for them to comprehend due to thinking within a box.
I see. They probably think that you are still a part of the “world” as they say in some Christian circles.
Lecrae: Exactly. I’ll be honest, I don’t get resistance when I’m at something like this (Rock the Bells). I actually get more respect that I’m standing out. People respect that I’m willing to be myself and come to grips that I love God and I don’t care.
Do you consider what you’re doing as a ministry?
Lecrae: The word ministry just means to serve. Anytime I make music, I think I’m serving people. If I’m working at In-N-Out Burgers, I’m serving people by feeding them. So yeah, I’m feeding people artistically, spiritually, socially, politically – absolutely.
Do people let you know that your words have touched and helped them?
Lecrae:Earlier today, I was at one of the Westfield Malls out in West Covina, CA and we were at a store shopping for my Rock the Bells performance. My boy was talking to one of the employees at the store and told him that I rapped and he asked to check out my music. Right then he starts searching for music at the store and he starts playing one of my songs as I was leaving. I’m walking down the Mall and soon enough he’s chasing me down and taps me on the shoulder. He told me that he had just listened to two songs and that what I said really touched him. As a matter of fact, he said it was the “Just Like You” song that rocked him and touched him in a special way. That kind of stuff right there is powerful. Why would you not want to create music where you can be honest and tell your story? It affects people’s lives.
Tell me about the GRAMMY award that you won.
Lecrae: I feel fortunate. In some sense, winning a GRAMMY is shocking. It just says to me that I should keep going instead of thinking that I made it. I see it as an incentive to keep making music. I don’t do it to be acknowledged but I’m appreciative of the acknowledgement. I’m going to keep going.
Out of all of the rappers out there, not a lot can say that they have a GRAMMY on the shelf.
Lecrae: Yeah, I know. There are some artists that I believe that should have one. Nas, in my opinion, should have one. I don’t make the rules in that situation. I just make music and let the chips fall where they may.
What’s next on your agenda?
Lecrae: Right now I’m working on Church Clothes Volume 2. Don Cannon hosted Volume 1 and we had over a half million downloads. We had production from 9th Wonder and Boi-1da. Church Clothes Volume 2 is coming and it’s crazy. I’ve got production once again from Boi-1da, and also David Banner. I’ve got features from people like Paul Wall and from my own camp a rapper named Derek Minor who is a ferocious animal on the microphone. I’m opening up doors for him to run through. After that, I’ll be working on my album.
As a person of faith, do you think you could ever be goaded in to a diss war with anybody?
Lecrae: (laughs) Maybe in fun but never something like I’m going to tear this person down. We play around on the tour bus and battle each other for fun. It will never be to tear someone down, maybe something along the lines of playing one on one Basketball on the court.
Have you ever been dissed?
Lecrae: I’m sure there have been some slick things said out there but nothing direct. I think more people respect what I do and the rest don’t even know who I am, so it’s cool (laughs). I’m not trying to get in to no beefs. People love drama and negativity and they feed off of that stuff – I prefer Chicken. That’s my thing.
The 1990’s garnered many R&B groups but none quite like Jodeci. It was an era dominated by New Jack Swing where Jodeci married R&B soul and Hip Hop to create a sound that is classic and timeless even today. You can’t talk about R&B, soul, and New Jack Swing without mentioning Jodeci, the Bad Boys of R&B; the Black Guns and Roses. “Forever My Lady,” Jodeci’s first album introduced us to two sets of brothers, Cedric & Joel Hailey and Donald & Dalvin DeGrate, all respectively known by their stage names: K-Ci, JoJo, DeVante Swing, and Mr. Dalvin.
K-Ci of Jodeci and the duo K-Ci and JoJo recently sat down with AllHipHop to discuss Jodeci’s church upbringing and its influence on Jodeci and K-Ci and JoJo’s sound, Jodeci’s most iconic moment, DeVante Swing’s genius and much more.
(AllHipHop News) Rapper/actor Common may soon be adding another line to his IMDb profile. The Hell on Wheels star is in negotiations to became part of the cast of the upcoming movie Run All Night according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Liam Neeson (Taken), Joel Kinnaman (The Killing), and Ed Harris (Call of Duty: Black Ops) have already signed-on for the film. It will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax).
Run All Night centers around Neeson portraying a professional assassin trying to protect his son, played by Kinnaman, from the wrath of Harris his former boss. Common will play a seasoned hired gun on Harris’ team.
This will not be the first time the Chicago-bred entertainer played a killer. Common also appeared in the star-studded hitman movies Smoking Aces with Jeremy Piven and Wanted with Angelina Jolie. He also recently tackled the drug dealing “Vincent” in LUV.
Weird. Drake is definitely the hottest thing in the game…save a couple others. But, for some reason a tour that was planned for this fall has been postponed. The New York Post is reporting that the tour, which co-starred part-time judo kicker and fellow meme master Miguel, is being pushed back due to sluggish sales. Future was also on the tour. But it was supposed to start right about now, but will now kick off October 18.
For the record, Drizzy’s people are saying the delay is because of “an intense rehearsal schedule and technical production requirements that will be part of the show.” I think they could have had Kendrick on the jawn, but they are at odds. Drakey is a bit pissy at Kendrick saying that he should have went harder at the comp on “Control.” But, Drake stays with the subliminials so I’m not sure why he’d advocate for that. They say that the sales race is tough now that both Jay and Kendrick (and others) have already made fans ante up their hard earned money. RELATED: Hip-Hop Rumors: Look What Drake Did That Has People Mad!
Drake that dude. Word.
“They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!” -illseed.
Happy Tuesday my confident and self-reliant! Welcome to the day you stop relying on others to achieve your dreams and aspirations! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to living your way of life! According to the Population Reference Bureau there has been approximately 107,602,707,791 people who have ever lived on earth and out of those 107,602,707,791 people the one thing that is consistent will all of them is that they were different! Not one of the 107,602,707,791 who have ever lived on earth has the same DNA! With that said it is not logical for YOU in this day and age to be still living by someone else’ blueprint! You are you and that will be true for eternity! Stop auditioning for your part in life and simply write the script and play your role! Peace of mind comes when you are totally free to be who you were meant to be! Having friends, confidants, and advisers are cool but at the end of the day you should be listening to the voice inside that will never steer you wrong! Granted you don’t know what you don’t know but as the saying goes “I’d rather die my way than live yours.” Trust who you are, Trust what your higher power has reserved for you, and Live Your Way of Life!!!
-Ash’Cash
“You can love people, and you can befriend them, but the only person you can ever one hundred percent depend on is yourself.” -Trisha Leigh
“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.” -Rumi
“Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all you’ve got.” -Janis Joplin
“Trust your instincts, and make judgements on what your heart tells you. The heart will not betray you.” -David Gemmell
“As we become self-reliant, we will be prepared to face challenges with confidence and peace of mind.” -Robert D. Hales
“Freedom (n.): To ask nothing. To expect nothing. To depend on nothing.” -Ayn Rand
“You don’t have to worry about burning bridges, if you’re building your own” -Kerry E. Wagner
“The proverb warns that ‘You should not bite the hand that feeds you.’ But maybe you should, if it prevents you from feeding yourself.” -Thomas Szasz
TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD **CLICK HERE
(AllHipHop News) Kanye West was only defending himself when he got into a scuffle with a photographer at LAX on July 19th, according to documents filed by the rapper’s lawyer. Attorney Shawn Holley, who has also represented Lindsay Lohan and Mike Tyson, answered paparazzo Daniel Ramos’ lawsuit against her client by claiming Mr. West’s actions were done in self-defense.
TMZ reports documents state that Kanye “responded to this assault by doing only those acts that were reasonably necessary for his self-defense.”
Ramos had previously hired his own high-profile attorney Gloria Allred. He then filed the civil suit in August accusing West of assault, battery, and interference with his civil rights. He is seeking unspecified damages.
“Daniel Ramos is not entitled to relief of any claims set forth in the complaint,” reads West’s court filing. “Daniel Ramos willfully and wrongfully caused Kanye West to reasonably believe his safety was in immediate danger.”
Besides the civil lawsuit, Kanye has also been charged by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office for criminal battery and attempted grand theft. He faces up to one year in jail if convicted of the misdemeanors.
(AllHipHop News) Rising Chicago emcee Chance The Rapper grabbed a lot of attention this year with the release of his critically acclaimed mixtape Acid Rap. The 20-year-old indie artist later appeared on Lil Wayne’s “You Song” off Dedication 5 and “Lonely Thoughts” from Rapsody’s She Got Game. Now Chance is ready to embark on the 34-city “Social Experiment Tour” that travels from Europe to North America.
(AllHipHop News) Various sources have informed AllHipHop.com that former Death Row Records artist, Kevin “Flipside” White (seen here with the late Tupac Shakur) of the Watts group O.F.T.B. died on Monday September 23 as a victim of gun violence.
Based out of the Nickerson Gardens Projects in Watts, the group O.F.T.B (Operation From The Bottom) signed to Death Row Records in the early 90’s and appeared on such compilations and soundtracks as Murder Was The Case, Above The Rim and Gridlock’d.
Although O.F.T.B. released their debut album Straight Up Watts on Big Beat Records in 1992 before signing with Suge Knight, they never released an album on Death Row Records until 2011 when the new owners of the Death Row catalogue, WideAwake, decided to release the group’s Damn Near Dead album.
Details about the shooting are still unknown at this time. AllHipHop.com would like to send our condolences to the family and friends of Kevin “Flipside” White.
Here’s a rumor you don’t hear often. Miley Cyrus is rumored to be dating producer Mike Will Made It. He produced “Can’t Stop.”
GET BETTER!
Trina hospitalized? Trina was hospitalized today! This is not related to the rumor that she was beat down by Missy! Apparently, she was sick all day and was sent to the hospital. GET BETTER! But, there is more to this…..check me out tomorrow!
Kerry Washington is supposedly preggers. There’s no “scandal” here. She’s happily married.
Damn. Rihanna got two dudes arrested when she posted a pic of her and this little ferret looking animal. The animal is a protected animal and a 16-year-old and a 20-year-old were arrested. But, I’d think that animal was in good hands with all the security that RiRi has.
The Game is such a perplexing person. In one situation, he’s giving to help kids slain in violence, but there are rumors that he was in a new scrap in LA. Seems like The Game got to fighting with NBA hooper Brandon Jennings. Now, this is very petty. HipHollywood is reporting that the two dudes got to fighting over…who could use the DJ’s mic. WOW.
This all went down at Club Toxic. Apparently, The Game is the man at Club Toxic and Jennings was coming in on his CLUB TURF. When Bran Bran was on the mic a bit too much, Game stepped in and BOOM…it was on. He punched Jennings in the kisser. The fight was broken up quickly and yet neither left the venue. Seems like they were able to stay in the same room and co-exist with their posses in tow.
BUT THEY BOTH FROM COMPTON…SO…
IS HE CLAIMING A SET?
“They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!” -illseed.
According to a new rumor, that ain’t so new, Missy Elliot beat down Trina a ways back. The situation was played out in a “blind” rumor that wasn’t hardly blind. Read it below.
Missy Elliot is said to have gotten a mean dose of this lady lyricist’s insatiable need for NaNa … before telling our blind item subject to kick rocks.
A source reveals, back when our mystery woman was dating Missy, the ‘Supa Dupa Fly’ one once missed a flight … only to return to the Miami condo she bought for our “Baddest B*#@*” blind item to discover her “in bed with two str*ppers from the Rolex Gentlemen’s club.”
“Missy whooped her ass, kicked her out of their Yacht Club at Portotino condo … butt naked … and threw all of her s*#@ in the elevator.”
Today, our blind item subject has a new sponsor — French Montana, who she recently dissed by denying her relationship with him. Know why? Because French Montana’s bank roll is too low to keep our blind item subject satisfied.
I didn’t know who they were talking about until the end. Now, I in no way endorse this business, but is sure puts a gangsta side on Madam Elliot, who we have been waiting for forever to come back.
“They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!” -illseed.
(AllHipHop News) Detroit rapper Danny Brown is set to drop his upcoming studio album Old next month. The eccentric Fool’s Gold Records emcee disclosed the tracklisting for the LP which includes features from Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, A$AP Rocky, and Freddie Gibbs. The entire project will be available for early streaming on September 30th via Spotify and will hit stores on October 8th.
(AllHipHop News) After introducing his TRUKFIT apparel in 2012, Lil Wayne now announces he is adding a new women’s line to the brand. Young Money recording artist and star of MTV’s Ridiculousness and Fantasy Factory Chanel West Coast will serve as the featured model for TRUKFIT Juniors.
“I’m so happy to have joined the TRUKFIT team. Fashion, Hip Hop, and skating culture are a big part of my life so coming to be a part of the TRUKFIT family felt just right for me,” says Chanel. “The girls line is super sick, and I’m hyped to be reppin’ it! Looking forward to the future with my TRUKFIT family.”
TRUKFIT Juniors will include t-shirts ($29.95), fashion tops ($35.00-$88.00), active knits ($29.00-$55.00), caps ($20.00-$32.00), and outerwear ($120 & up). Wayne and stylist Marisa Flores served as the creative directors and designers for the line.
“When I created TRUKFIT, I wanted it to have something for everyone. Now my female fans can get their TRUK on too,” says Wayne. “I’m psyched to have my artist, Chanel West Coast, involved as she personifies what TRUKFIT Juniors and this life is all about.”
TRUKFIT Juniors will be available at Dillard’s and Jimmy Jazz locations nationwide starting September 25th.
Look at this! Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta keeps… resuscitating careers like UPS did back in the Biggie days. Anyway, right now the latest rapper pushing for relevance seems to be one Yung Joc who had Tom Cruise doing his dance off beat back in the day. Honestly, that’s more that most rapper accomplish in their lives.
Y’all ain’t fu**king with JOC!
Anyway, he’s now “dating” Karlie Redd, who is a fixture on LHHA. She also dated BENZINO! I wonder….will she be able to cause beef between the two rappers?
WE OUT.
“They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!” -illseed.
