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Floyd Mayweather Released From Prison, TMT Promotion Partner 50 Cent On Hand

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: MOBILE

(AllHipHop News) Rapper 50 Cent was on hand to greet boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., who was released from prison earlier this morning (August 3).

Floyd Mayweather was released from the Clark County detention Center in Las Vegas, after serving two months of a three-month sentence.

The boxer was sentenced to the jail time after being charged in a misdemeanor domestic battery case after a physical altercation with his ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris.

Mayweather was greeted by dozens of friends and family members, but he left in a blue Bentley with 50 Cent and friends, without speaking to the media.

50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather have teamed up for a new venture called TMT Promotions.

The new company will take on established brands in the boxing world, to market, promote and produce high level boxing matches.

TMT Promotions already has a formidable stable of boxers, including IBF featherweight champion Billy Dib, Andre Berto, Zab Judah, Yuriorkis Gamboa and Andre Dirrell.

DOWNLOAD: Sir Michael Rocks Drops New Project “Lap Of Lux”; Features From Casey Veggies, Mac Miller And More

By: JP DelaCuesta (@JPdelacuesta)Category: MOBILE

(AllHipHop) Sir Michael Rocks of The Cool Kids has released a brand-new solo project in the form of Lap of Lux, a 15-track mixtape that is being released via One Off Music Group.

The mixtape features production from Cardo, Chuck Inglish, Flosstradamus, The Freshman, Hit-Boy, and more.

Guests on Lap of Lux include Casey Veggies, Rockie Fresh, Mac Miller, Tris J, Shorty K, and Mano.

Lap of Lux is Rock’s fourth solo mixtape and the first since April’s Premier Politics 1.5.

Check out the tracklisting and download Lap of Lux below:

  1. Now You Do [P###. Flosstradamus]
  2. G.E.D. ft. Tris J [P###. J. Hill]
  3. They Hate It [P###. Papi Beats]
  4. Take It to the Floor [P###. Papi Beats]
  5. Reservations [P###. Cardo]
  6. N.W.O. [P###. Flosstradamus]
  7. Great ft. Casey Veggies and Mac Miller [P###. Cardo]
  8. Good Sushi [P###. Chuck Inglish]
  9. In the Loop [P###. Polyester]
  10. The Best ft. Tris J & Shorty K [P###. Mano]
  11. Connect ft. Mano [P###. Cardo]
  12. Can’t Hide It ft. Rockie Fresh [P###. J. Hill & iamLPeezy]
  13. If It Ain’t Foreign [P###. Tye Hill]
  14. You Know What [P###. Hit-Boy]
  15. The Clique ft. Casey Veggies & Tris J [P###. The Freshman]

DOWNLOAD SIR MICHAEL ROCKS’ LAP OF LUX NOW

Daily Word: Spend Wisely!!!

By: seandrasimsCategory: Lifestyle

TGI>>>>>EVERYDAY!!!

Welcome to the end of a wonderful week!! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to spending wisely!!! YOLO!!! You only live once… but as we know, if we do it right, then once is enough! We have big dreams and big aspirations… We don’t have time to deal with anything that won’t help us get closer to those dreams!

Time is something we will never get back, so to use it like it’s not worth anything is ridiculous to do! Every single day of your life you should be moving in a direction that will put you closer to accomplishing your goals! Let others waste their time, but never yours! Your life is precious so make sure you treat it as such!! Stop wasting time waiting for great things to happen… Go out and make them great!!
-Ash’Cash

“Every day you spend drifting away from your goals is a waste not only of that day, but also of the additional day it takes to regain lost ground.” -Ralph Marston

“Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.” -Coco Chanel

“Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have – so spend it wisely.” -Kay Lyons

“How strange to use ‘you only live once’ as an excuse to throw it away.” -Bill Copeland

“If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.” -Morris West

“Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.” -Henry Ford

“Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.” -Denis Waitley

“Instead of worrying about what people say of you, why not spend time trying to accomplish something they will admire.” -Dale Carnegie

**BONUS:

“Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.” -James W. Frick

“So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.” -A. J. Reb Materi

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.” -Will Smith

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Mystikal Released From Prison

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: MOBILE

(AllHipHop News) Rapper Mystikal is officially a free man, after being released from jail today (August 3).

According to TMZ.com, Mystikal was released from the East Baton Rouge Parish jail early this morning.

The rap star served two months in jail for violating his probation, after he was arrested for domestic abuse in February of 2010.

Mystikal is currently on probation over a sexual battery and assault conviction, after he was indicted in July of 2002, for aggravated rape and extortion. 

The rapper served six years in prison over the incident and was released in 2010.

Check out Mystikal and Snoop Lion backstage with AllHipHop.com below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96uoDaiPYDM

VIDEO INTERVIEW: Elle Varner Is “Perfectly Imperfect”, Talks Debut and If She’ll Ever Become a Good Girl Gone Bad

By: @KareemTaylorCategory: Alternatives

In early 2012, R&B singer Elle Varner released her second major single, “Refill,” showing off her well-tuned voice and signifying that she is no fly-by-night artist.

Just a few days before the release of her debut album, Perfectly Imperfect, on August 7 on RCA Records, Varner sat down with AllHipHop.com to talk new music, her inspiration, and even offers us her best Mariah Carey cover.

The NYU student-turned-new-R&B-sensation has also been hitting the promo circuit heavy. Watch her new video segments, “Elle in the City,” HERE.

Perfectly Imperfect hits stores and online retailers on August 7.

The Truth About Boost Marketing (Advice For Independent Artists)

By: seandrasimsCategory: Uncategorized

WHAT IS BOOST MARKETING?

So you have 100,000 Views on YouTube, 50,000 Followers on Twitter, 20,000 Fan Likes on Facebook, and 30,000 downloads on Datpiff, but only three (3) people showed up to see you perform at your last showcase… (SOMETHING IS NOT ADDING UP)

Lately, there has emerged a myriad of companies that advertise “Boost Marketing.”

Boost marketing, which is also known as “Short Cut Marketing,” involves enhancing the numbers of an artist’s statistics to give the appearance of increased traffic. Oftentimes, the stat boosts are not real but are falsely manufactured.

Several companies advertise that they can get an artist thousands of Twitter followers or Facebook fans, etc. They also advertise that they can increase the YouTube numbers on an artist’s music video.

Many independent rappers and singers believe that Boost Marketing can give them leverage or an edge in the marketplace. Additionally, many artists believe that by boosting their stats, it will attract major labels and possibly get them a recording deal.

But the major record labels want to do business with artists who have PROVEN MOVEMENTS. They not only want your MUSIC, they want your FANS as well!.

Record label executives can see right through the manufactured stats. When an independent artist’s music video has 500,000 views on YouTube with 12 likes and one comment, then something is not adding up.

With the emergence of “Boost Marketing,” nowadays, some rappers have movements that are faker than a $3 dollar bill.

(Fake Views On YouTube + Fake Followers On Twitter + Fake Fans On Facebook = FAKE MOVEMENT)

The fact is that Successful Independent Artists promote themselves, book their own shows, sell their own CDs or digital downloads, and establish relationships directly with fans. It defeats the purpose of developing a real brand by constantly paying for services that get you stat boosts on Datpiff, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.

I can understand paying for stat boosts a few times but not constantly. Boosts can be used to position yourself, but you still need to develop REAL FANS. When artists pay for number boosts, they usually put little investment or little effort into genuine promotion to spur growth and visibility.

Furthermore, if you have inflated stat numbers but low fan engagement, for example low CD purchases or low showcase ticket sales, then that’s a failure in and of itself. (I’d rather have 300 dedicated followers who support my movement than to have 50,000 FAKE ones who don’t.)

Moreover, paying for stat boosts EVERY TIME you drop a new project just gives a false impression of growth when, in fact, your movement may be stagnant. It makes more sense to get on your grind, get a plan, get a budget, and build your brand via grassroots marketing one fan at a time.

Invest in a solid Music Marketing Plan which includes Online Promo, PR/Publicity, E-Blasts, Video and Radio Promo, Concerts/Shows, Press Releases, and Street Team/Club Promo. Hire a good PR person with proven relationships with bloggers, websites, and print media, which will allow more national access to your movement. It’s not cheap, but it pays off a lot more in the long run.

Equally important, it should be noted that Major Record Labels themselves are even known to buy back their own releases to boost sales. However, if independent artists want to survive and grow their business, then it’s best for them to develop real fans who will buy their music or pay to come see them perform, etc. You have to make moves, document your moves, and then inform the public about your movement. Utilize Press Releases and E-Blasts to inform fans. Indie artists need to stop mimicking major artists and just keep it authentic.

And always remember that the key to creating a genuine “Buzz” starts with having a GREAT PRODUCT. Without that, everything else is moot. In order to create a successful genuine movement, you must treat your music career like it’s a business.

Contributor Jesse Atkinson is CEO of Urban Threshold Inc. and Founder of The A&R Power Summit and The Underground Music Awards. Follow him on Twitter (@UrbanThreshold).

AHH Stray News: Rick Ross Talks Meek Mill Push Back; Murs And Fashawn Announce Date Of New Album; Cee-Lo Goes From Client To C.C.O.

By: JP DelaCuesta (@JPdelacuesta)Category: MOBILE

(AllHipHop News) Twenty-five days prior to the release of his debut album, Dreams and Nightmares, Maybach Music Group’s Meek Mill has pushed back the project form it’s initial August 28 release to a later date in October, reports HHW.

Meek’s MMG boss Rick Ross told Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club, “He coming soon, he coming real soon. He’s still putting the final touches on his debut, making sure it’s a classic, and that’s most definitely what it will be.” The inevitable release of Dreams and Nightmares, will come on the heels of a successful year for Meek Mill whose last project, Dreamchasers 2, was reportedly downloaded over three million times since its release in May. After 10 weeks on Billboards’ “Hip-Hop/R&B” chart, Meek’s most recent single, “Amen,” currently sits at the #10.

Murs and Fashawn are teaming up to release a new collaborative project on Duck Down Records titled This Generation. According to HHDX, the album, which was originally intended to be a double-disc, will be entirely produced by K-Salaam and Beatnick and will be released on September 25. Regarding the decision to let Beatnick and K-Salaam handle all of the production, Fashawn said, “They bring a brand new sound. We couldn’t picture any other producers.”

He continued, “They could do an instrumental solo as a third verse and you wouldn’t be mad.” The new duo, which will hit the the stage as part of this summer’s Rock the Bells Festival, will be dropping a video for the project’s first single, “Slash Gordon,” very soon.

Cee Lo Green, who has been represented as a client by Primary Wave Music since 2010, has now been named the company’s Chief Creative Officer (C.C.O.). Larry Mestel, C.E.O. of Primary Wave Music, told THR, “We’ve formed this incredible personal bond in two years, and Cee Lo is very excited and participatory in our business, so we wanted to do it in a bigger way and give him a piece of the company.”

“[Cee Lo] is a master creator, unique visionary, charismatic entertainer, and deceptively brilliant strategist, a true quadruple threat,” said Mestel in a statement. In addition to his role as a team leader on NBC’s upcoming season of the hit singing show, “The Voice”, Cee Lo recently wrapped production on the upcoming feature film, Can A Song Save Your Life? and will next be seen performing a string of dates at Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood beginning on August 28.

VIDEO: Big K.R.I.T. on FINALLY Performing in Los Angeles (LIVE! at El Rey Theater)

By: Jake CratesCategory: Features

When Big K.R.I.T. dropped his highly-anticipated, debut effort on Def Jam entitled, Live From the Underground, in instant fashion, fans of the “M-I-double-crooked letter” rapper couldn’t wait to see him perform his new songs live. Always one to give the most throughout his high energy performances that involve swinging bows, jumping repeatedly and, at times, crowd surfing, Big K.R.I.T. blew out the fans ears at El Rey Theater in Los Angeles this past Monday (July 30).

Joined by hometown favorite Casey Veggies and fellow Mississippi rapper Tito Lopez, Big K.R.I.T. stunned the El Rey crowd with hit after hit. This was the first time that Big K.R.I.T. headlined a show in Los Angeles, as his previously-scheduled dates on the Smokers Club Tour were canceled due to illness. We can say it was well worth the wait for Los Angeles.

Check the video below as Big K.R.I.T. talks about how it feels to headline a show in L.A., and the overall crowd response he received from the records:

VIDEO: Rick Ross “911” (@RickyRozay)

By: Chuck Creekmur (@ChuckCreekmur)Category: Features

At this point, we’re not even sure that a bullet would stop Rick Ross at this point. Hip-Hop’s leading man is creating a video for every song on his new album, God Forgives, I Don’t. In line with the plan, Rozay unleashes the infectiously hood “911.”

UH!

And for good measure…peep this…

[Read: EXCLUSIVE: Freeway Ricky Ross Ordered To Pay Rapper Rick Ross’s $500k Legal Bill]

Now, how is that brother going to pay Rozay’s bill?

EXCLUSIVE: Freeway Ricky Ross Ordered To Pay $500k In Legal Fees; Rick Ross Pays $800k

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: MOBILE

(AllHipHop News) The ongoing battle between Freeway Ricky Ross and rapper Rick Ross took a twist in court today (August 2), when a judged ruled that Freeway Ricky Ross must pay the rap star’s attorney fees and court costs, after losing a round in a battle for the rights to his own name and image.

Freeway Ricky Ross was in court today in front of Judge Rita Miller, who is presiding over trademark infringement case. Miller ruled that Freeway Ricky Ross must pay $500,000 in attorney fees and court costs on behalf of Rick Ross, born William Leonard Roberts II.

Lawyers for Freeway Ricky Ross unsuccessfully argued that each time Rick Ross mentioned the name in trade – in print, radio, or on the internet, that is was a re-usage of his name, which should have extended the statute of limitations.

Judge Miller upheld an earlier ruling, that stated that the statute of limitations of two years in regards to filing a complaint over the name had passed. In March of 2009, the lawsuit was dismissed from federal court.

“We believe that every time he goes on the radio he’s re-using my name, but the judge ruled that it’s one continuous use,” Freeway Ricky Ross explained to AllHipHop.com in an exclusive interview. “I believe that those are all re-uses of my name, separate and different from when he started to call himself Rick Ross. They were trying to get me to pay $1.3 million, but she [Judge Miller] knocked it down to $500k.

Still, Rick Ross himself must fork over $800,000 in lawyers fees and court costs related to the case.

“It aint over and it aint never gonna be over until things get straight,” Freeway Ricky Ross promised AllHipHop.com. “I aint gonna stop, I am going to keep going until I get my name back and whatever else I got coming.”

It is important to note that today’s ruling was separate from another case that Freeway Ricky Ross has pending against Warner Brothers, for promoting the rapper Rick Ross and his career.

In July, a judge ruled that Freeway Ricky Ross could bring a lawsuit against Warner Music Group, which has officially been filed, according to the reformed Los Angeles drug kingpin.

Freeway Ricky served over 20 years in prison for cocaine distribution, but his activities, which earned an estimated $600 million, reverberated to the highest levels of government in the United States, via the Iran-Contra scandal.

Freeway Ricky Ross’ story was also the subject of a series of groundbreaking articles titled “Dark Alliance” which were written by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Gary Webb, who was a writer for the San Jose Mercury News when the articles were published.

Gary Webb eventually committed suicide due to the fall-out over the subsequent press and investigations into his articles, which accused the CIA of being complicit in a conspiracy to introduce crack cocaine to the streets of Los Angeles, in order to fund a foreign war.

Freeway Ricky Ross took issue with Rick Ross’ testimony that his name “Rick Ross” was derived from a nickname he used when he was an All-American Football player at Carol City High School.

“He never even played for the team,” Freeway Ricky Ross told AllHipHop.com. ” And for somebody to say they never heard of me erroneous. He’s supposed to be a connoisseur of gangsterism and he never heard of Rick Ross? Come it’s crazy. I don’t know who he thinks I am, [but] he better check my rep, cause I aint gonna give up.”

Freeway Ricky Ross said that he is in the process of deposing a number of executives who were associated with Rick Ross, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and veteran executive Todd Moscowitz, who is currently President/CEO of Warner Brothers Records, which distributes Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group.

Grandmaster Flash And Santigold Tapped For “StePhest Colbchella” Festival Hosted By Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert

By: JP DelaCuesta (@JPdelacuesta)Category: MOBILE

(AllHipHop News) On Tuesday (July 31) night, TV personality Stephen Colbert announced plans and performers for his “StePhest Colbchella” festival, which will take place on August 10 in New York City.

“StePhest Colbchella” will call the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City home for the day, and will feature performances from Grandmaster Flash as the festival’s official DJ, Santigold, whose second studio album Master of My Make-Believe is available now, The Flaming Lips, and “We Are Young” singers, Fun, and many more.

Stephen Colbert, who is the host of Comedy Central’s Emmy Award-nominated news show “The Colbert Report” proclaimed, “I know all the latest hottest bands, like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, those guys are great.”

He continued, “Well, now it’s summer and that means it’s time to remount my long-running, one-year tradition of throwing my own summer concert.”

For tickets and more information, visit ColbertNation.com.