K-Ci & JoJo say that they’ve been recording new music with Jodeci and that the group never actually split.
“We are not getting back together, simple reason is we never broke up. We have a vault of CDs that we could just put out at any moment. But just like when Jodeci first came out, nobody expected that. And we’re just going to keep it that way,” K-Ci told Huffington Post Black Voices. “But for now, with the love from Mr. Dalvin and DeVante, they’re pushing me and JoJo. They’re like “do what you gotta do,” DeVante said; “I’m going to let y’all know when I’m ready. But y’all continue doing what y’all doing.” And actually, we’re in the studio right now. We record new Jodeci material every chance we get… So we’re just waiting on DeVante’s call.”
In the meantime though, K-Ci and JoJo are preparing to release their next album, My Brother’s Keeper.
Have you been feenin’ for some new Jodeci (pun intended)? Let’s not forget, they can actually saaaaang, no auto-tune needed.
“In phases, I went from being child to street to adult…I don’t think there was adolescence.” – Driicky Graham
I Don’t Camouflage sat down with 21 year old recording artist Driicky Graham one day at Rocksmith Flagship store in Lower East Side, NYC. Check out his “thin line” between personal life and professional life, friendship and business, his alternative career as a boxer, and how he breaks down his career in phases.
Shot by: Noisemaker Media
Directed & Edited by: Aiko Tanaka of I Don’t Camouflage
Follow Driicky Graham on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/driickygraham
Kanye West isn’t the only celebrity known for attacking paparazzi but law officials in L.A. are planning to make an example out of him. Yeezy is getting prosecuted for messing with a photographer’s equipment at LAX over the summer and the reason why he’ll face criminal charges is due to his history of attacking paps says TMZ.
There was a case filed against Kanye for a 2008 incident but those charges were dismissed after Kanye paid for the repair. A lot of cases like this get dismissed. However, this time around Ye faces misdemeanor charges (criminal battery and attempted grand theft for grabbing at the camera), each of which carries a penalty of up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine.
Dang Yeezy.
I still don’t get how someone so anti-paparazzi got mixed up with the Kardashians, though.
V.I.P., comprised of K-Paul and Pimpin Pen are back with another single dubbed “Paula Deen.” While the two have been working diligently on their new project Country Cousins set for release at the top of next year, the tandem is looking forward to their performance at the Best in Texas A3C showcase this month in Atlanta. Make sure to check them out if you are in ATL – they put on a great show at our SXSW showcase opening up for Master P and their live performance is not to be missed!
(AllHipHop Features) L.A.Z., E-Fav, Noveliss, and Ilajide make up the rap unit called Clear Soul Forces, and the Michigan-based Hip Hop group released their second official project today. AllHipHop caught up with the foursome recently to discuss their latest album Gold PP7’s, their musical influences, the much publicized spat between fellow Detroit rappers Danny Brown and Big Sean, and how they define success.
Can you each describe your own personal style and what it brings to the group?
E-Fav: I describe my style as just wordplay, and I think I just bring a different vibe to most of the records. We all bring something different to the table whenever we’re on a record together, so it’s always interesting. We always just try to be different, so I just contribute ideas and creativity.
L.A.Z.: For me I would say that I would contribute… I don’t know, just like a vibe, looseness, trying to keep s**t from being all super rigid. We make a variety of s**t, so I would definitely say that I just try to bring whatever the track needs. Every song is different, so I just be a chameleon out here and just play my position. I would say that I bring sacrifice and balance and openness.
Ilajide: I would say I bring beats, the vibe, the energy, lyrics, everything.
Ilajide, who are some the people that influence your production style?
Ilajide: Dr. Dre, Q-Tip, Erick Sermon, Redman, [Mr.] Dibiase.
How do you organize ideas for your projects being that you’re a four-man group? When you do have disagreements about ideas how do you handle that?
L.A.Z.: For the most part we just finish making the song. Just cause one doesn’t like it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be finished. No matter what, you could never have too much s**t, so we just try to finish whatever and then just leave it open. If you want to f**k with it, then f**k with it, but at least record that s**t. Sometimes you might not see what somebody is talking about until they lay it down for you to hear it. And then it’s like, “oh okay I f**k with that s**t. I’ll hop on it.” So that’s pretty much how we’ve been operating. That’s how we were operating when we were making Gold PP7’s.
How many tracks did you guys record before you dwindled it down to the final tracklist?
Ilajide: We had at least 30-50 recorded, but we don’t be knowing what we want to do with them until we got enough that sound like one thing. If we got enough songs that sound like one type of project then we’ll form a project, but our main thing is just to go in with a clear mind and just work on as much stuff as we can, because we got so many different sounds. It’s hard to try and put them together.
As I was listening to the album, I noticed you guys made a lot of references to other Hip Hop groups. I heard an OutKast reference. You’ve got a song that went back to A Tribe Called Quest. How did those other groups influence you?
L.A.Z.: I feel like all our favorite groups they influence us, but at this point we listen to the people that we love so much that I feel like we took little cues from them. We don’t even listen to the groups that we love to look for ideas at this point. We just listen to the motherf**kers that we love cause we love their music. I know we turn on Slum [Village], OutKast, just anything. The Roots records just get turned on for the sake of hearing them still, because we think they’re dope records, and there’s nothing else to listen to. Honestly, we’re not even looking for music like, “oh my god, I need to find another idea.” It’s just like let me listen before I react real quick. I just want to hear that s**t.
We know that Detroit has gone through some tough times the last couple of years. There was a situation between Danny Brown and Big Sean recently where Danny kind of went at Sean because he felt like he wasn’t giving enough back to the city. Do you guys think that celebrities from Detroit, particularly rappers, have a responsibility to do more to help the city?
E-Fav: Just to touch on that question, I feel like if it’s in your heart to give back then you should. If it’s not, then don’t. Don’t be fake.
Noveliss: I also feel like sometimes you get beat and s**t on so much trying to make it to the top that when you get there I feel like some people feel like why do I have to go out of my way to give back. I mean obviously I think that people should give back, but at the same time I can see why they don’t.
L.A.Z.: I feel like it’s different levels to giving back. People don’t look at it like that. I done see little s**t. I feel like they both are active in the community. I done heard about s**t. I heard about Danny Brown by sandwiches for motherf**kers on Linwood [Avenue] before. I heard about him helping people on the west side. This is just through the grapevine. Also, at the same time I’ve seen Big Sean buying coats for kids at the Science Center. So when that whole situation came about I heard about both of y’all n****s giving back, so I didn’t understand it. There’s different levels to charity. Just cause a motherf**ker’s not standing in the hood giving back don’t mean they don’t care. Or just because somebody’s not at some benefit for the news don’t mean they’re not giving back either.
How would you define success for your group?
L.A.Z.: I would define success as stability. At this point I don’t even look at it on being able to cop a Benz type s**t. Just satisfaction. I believe in satisfaction. At this point I feel like success would be able to live, s**t, at least above average doing what you want to do. I ain’t got to have no Maserati, but if I can cop an Audi and have a nice townhouse that s**t’ll be cool too. At this point that’s how I look at it.
Noveliss: I got kids, and L.A.Z. got a kid. I ain’t asking to be like filthy ass rich, but if my son sees something that he wants I want to be able to get it for him. Anytime, no matter where I’m at. Just stability. I ain’t got to have no retarded ass car, but if I could just not live paycheck-to-paycheck doing some s**t that I love to do, that’s success to me.
Ilajide: Group success for me is so many levels. One, I want to meet group success of really bringing Hip Hop back, and I’m talking about that real Hip Hop s**t. I think we’re going to see success in that. I’m talking about getting on the f**king radio. F**k the bulls**t. Even though all them n****s pay for their f**king radio time. Yeah, I know y’all n****s ain’t slick. Success as far as getting them millions too. N****a, I want it all. We got million dollar f**king raps. N****s with a million dollars don’t even rap like this, and they can’t even rap like this. We rap better than them, so we deserve their f**king money. Million dollar f**king raps.
E-Fav: Success for this group to me, like everybody said, as long as everybody can be stable and be able to provide with no problems. To me that would mean this group has been successful. That has been the goal from day one. Let’s help each other get on. Let’s help each other out with this s**t. Let’s do it, and we’re making this s**t happen.
Just when you thought Nas was moving past all the old stuff in his life, somebody comes back. Carmen Bryant, the mother of Nas’ daughter, does an online interview and she reveals a bit too much about some stuff that was only rumored before. But in the book, she reveals that she has a new book coming out that will tell a lot more stuff about God’s Son we really didn’t need to know.
(AllHipHop News) Many adults under the age of 35 only know Madonna as the middle-aged icon but she used to be a rebellious entertainer who constantly made headlines for risque comments. 35 years after she entered the music business, Madonna participated in Reddit’s Ask Me Anything series and revealed some startling information.
During the fan-controlled interview session, the MDNA singer informed one fan that she considers herself a “gay man” and that she has a penis-shaped bong. While all of this was eye-opening, the AMA session turned sensational when Madonna was asked which gay man she would want to turn straight:
Frank Ocean has yet to formally designate his sexual orientation.
I thought this happened on Twitter, but it wasn’t. In an online chat with Reddit she said that the ONE gay man that she wishes she could turn straight would be Frankie.
Can you name one gay guy you wish you could turn straight?
Madonna: frank ocean
Madonna is a well-known proponents for the rights of gay people.
Speaking of…Mister Cee is now a spokes person for sexual freedom and a bunch of other stuff related to gay expressionism.
Waka Flocka talks Gucci Mane. He says he’s gonna put dem paws on him, but he also admits that Gucci has a mental issue. He said Waka lied about a lot of stuff like that they smashed Nicki. (Look around the 5:30 mark)
“They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!” -illseed.
“How about this, bust out the whipped cream, let’s have a real freaky food fight”
Before Kanye West was a father and Yeezus he was an aspiring MC/producer hopping on random R&B songs. FakeShoreDrive uncovered a song from singer Myleka called “Candy” which features a verse from a pre-College Dropout Kanye West.
If the beat sounds familiar it is because it was eventually used by Trina for her “Be R Right” collaboration with Ludacris off her 2002 Diamond Princess album.
Check out Myleka’s “Candy” featuring an unreleased Kanye West verse along with 2002 footage of Kanye West and Rhymefest recording in his home studio:
